1995 Assembly Joint Resolution 46
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: the closure of the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station.
Whereas, the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station is the site of the headquarters for the 440th Airlift Wing; and
Whereas, the mission of the 440th Airlift Wing is to maintain operation readiness for the airlift of tactical units, airborne units, personnel, supplies and equipment into prepared or unprepared areas by landing or airdrop; and
Whereas, the peacetime and wartime mission of the 440th Airlift Wing is global in scope; and
Whereas, the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station in Milwaukee has been included on the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission's list of installations for consideration; and
Whereas, the commission will conduct an in-depth evaluation of the 440th Airlift Wing operation at the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station, focusing on the base's current military value and its suitability for meeting the challenges of future total force requirements; and
Whereas, former Congressman and Secretary of Defense Les Aspin was intending to testify before the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission in opposition to the closure of the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station but was prevented from doing so because of his untimely death; and
Whereas, the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station is the only federal air force installation in the entire state of Wisconsin; and
Whereas, outstanding facilities at Wisconsin's Fort McCoy and Volk Field offer the 440th Airlift Wing cost-efficient and nearby training opportunities for accomplishing its primary mission; and
Whereas, the joint training opportunities and overall environment throughout the state for the 440th Airlift Wing to hone its mission skills is unparalleled; and
Whereas, operating the 440th Airlift Wing out of General Mitchell Air Reserve Station, and throughout the other Wisconsin training venues, gives the taxpayer more value for each dollar spent on training; and
Whereas, General Mitchell Air Reserve Station's physical facilities are extremely well-maintained, both inside and outside, and there is room to develop more than 30 acres of property to reach future expansion and training needs; and
Whereas, the 16 units assigned to the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station are the 440th Logistics Group, 440th Logistics Support Squadron, 440th Maintenance Squadron, 440th Operations Group, 440th Airlift Control Flight, 34th Aerial Port Squadron, 440th Operations Support Flight, 95th Airlift Squadron, 440th Support Group, 440th Mission Support Squadron, 440th Civil Engineering Squadron, 440th Security Police Squadron, 440th Services Squadron, 440th Medical Squadron, 440th Communications Flight and 440th Airlift Wing; and
Whereas, the 440th Airlift Wing was called to active duty in 1951 for the Korean War and again in October 1962 for the Cuban Missile Crisis; and
Whereas, during Operation Desert Shield, volunteers from the 440th's Airlift and Maintenance squadrons volunteered for 30-day rotations supporting the operation; and
Whereas, in January of 1991, members of the 440th's Medical Squadron were activated and deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm; and
Whereas, the 440th Airlift Wing has been participating in the Panama Rotation since 1977 and has provided at least one aircraft and aircrew to support the reserve rotation of South America each year; and
Whereas, members of the 440th Airlift Wing provided support to Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti and also to Operation Provide Promise, flying more than 100 humanitarian relief supply missions into war-torn Sarajevo; and
Whereas, the units at the 440th Airlift Wing are manned by approximately 1,300 reservists and approximately 350 full-time civilians, including 140 Air Reserve technicians; and
Whereas, there are 9 Lockheed C-130H airlift assigned to the 440th Airlift Wing in Milwaukee; and
Whereas, the 440th Airlift Wing was named the nation's outstanding Air Force Reserve unit in December 1963 and again in 1964; and
Whereas, in June of 1993, the Airlift Rodeo team representing the 440th Airlift Wing won the overall Air Mobility command International Airlift Rodeo championship, and earned the right to be called the "Best of the Best" in worldwide air mobility; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature oppose the closure of the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station and respectfully request that all members of the Wisconsin delegation to the U.S. Congress support efforts to maintain the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station and that they do whatever is necessary to remove the General Mitchell Air Reserve Station from consideration for closure by the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission; and, be it further
Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide copies of this joint resolution to President Clinton, to each member of the U.S. congressional delegation from this state and to Mr. Alan Dixon, chair of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Committee.
