The Associated Press | Posted: Friday, October 10, 2008 12:00 am
Lawmakers from the three states with Air Force bases holding the nation's land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles are lobbying to land a new command center that will oversee the nation's nuclear arsenal.
The Air Force recently decided to consolidate under one command center control over land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and airborne bombers capable of carrying nuclear bombs.
U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester of Montana have asked the Air Force to add Malmstrom Air Force Base in their state to the list of possible sites for a new command center.
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., this week suggested that the Air Force should consider placing the new command center at Minot Air Force Base in his state.
And on Friday, Elly Pickett, spokeswoman for Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said Enzi was writing to the Air Force urging it to place the command center at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne.
In their letter on Thursday, the Montana senators told Air Force Secretary Michael Donley they "can think of no better place than Malmstrom."
The Montana Democrats cited personnel and existing facilities at the Great Falls, Mont., base. They also noted Malmstrom's recently expanded housing, telecommunications systems, room for expansion and strong community support.
Malmstrom is home to the 341st Space Wing, which oversees security, maintenance and operations of 150 ICBMs across north-central Montana.
Conrad, in his letter to Donley, said Minot is the only base in the country to have both bombers and missiles with nuclear missions. He said it should be "at the top of the list" for the new command.
The North Dakota base has drawn attention for missteps in handling nuclear weapons, including an incident last year in which a B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and flown from Minot to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
As for Wyoming, Pickett said, "Cheyenne has the location, the history and the community support for this type of project."
Gregory Keeley, spokesman for Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Friday that Barrasso was working to have the nuclear command center based in Cheyenne.
"Senator Barrasso has pointed out that Wyoming has the telecomm infrastructure and plenty of open space to support these new missions," Keeley said. "The transportation infrastructure already in place is also critically important.
"Senator Barrasso believes that Wyoming's coal supply and the transmission infrastructure are perfectly suited to standing up the energy intensive commands," Keeley said.
He said Barrasso will contact Donley personally to promote Wyoming as the choice for the command.