CBAT decision moves a step closer

The decision on the location of CBAT, the Air Force's new Common Battlefield Airmen Training mission, could be drawing nearer with the anticipated release of the final environmental impact statement (EIS), which is expected in a matter of days.

According to the Shreveport Times, the office of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu has said that an announcement on the impact statement could be made in "the next two to three days at the latest."

"They're putting the final touches and stamps on the final EIS, and they'll be ready to make a decision. CBAT's pretty (much) on schedule, they're just a month behind," Landrieu spokeswoman Stephanie Allen said.

Arnold Air Force Base outside of Tullahoma is competing with Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana for the program, as well as Moody Air Force Base in Georgia for CBAT.

However, in December, the Valdosta (Ga.) Daily Times reported that Moody was no longer in the running for the project, leaving Arnold and Barksdale as the finalists.

"We're not being told one way or the other if it's us (Barksdale) or if it's Arnold, but it's down to those two," Allen told the Louisiana paper.

CBAT would be a combat training program designed to address the changing nature of warfare, which sometimes places airmen in harm's way in ways they would never have been in the past. When fully implemented, it could train more than 14,000 airmen a year in a series of 25-day courses. As many as 1,872 airmen might participate at any given time. The program would require 800 permanent personnel, including 600 instructors and 200 support staff.

Claude Morris of AEDC Public Affairs told the T- G that once the EIS is released, the clock starts ticking toward the formal announcement of which air base gets CBAT.

Morris said that there would be a 30-day period allowing for public comment on the EIS and following that, the Air Force brass would make their choice.

Walt Wood is a member of the Arnold Community Council and says the air base in Coffee County has a lot to offer.

"CBAT will have a significant impact on our area," Wood said. With construction costs estimated to be $8 million, Wood said that Bedford County would benefit directly from the program.

Arnold should be a major contender for the project due to the large amount of land available on the Air Force reservation. The cooperation between Arnold and the Army National Guard is a big plus as well.

Last week, Sen. Bob Corker told the T-G that the delay in releasing the impact statement came from a reassessment of Air Force facilities with regard to their proximity to Army training resources, which the senator said was good news for Arnold.

The Army already uses some of the current facilities at Arnold for training. Last January, members of the 101st Airborne Division utilized the National Guard firing range at the proposed site.

Major William Zemp, unit commander of the 1st Battalion, 187st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat team, or the Rakkasans unit, said last year that Fort Campbell in Kentucky does not have the type of firing range facilities that are available at Arnold.

Arnold also has a history of military training from its previous incarnation as Camp Forrest and the 39,000-acre of the Air Force reservation is considered sufficient space to house CBAT.

"We have an edge having the land available, and having the history that goes back to Camp Forrest," Wood said. "The Rangers and others that participated in the Normandy landing in World War II actually trained here. General Patton had maneuvers in the area."

Wood said the area has a history of a strong support of the military and he was looking forward to the release of the EIS to see "how we stack up against the competition."

But reconsideration surrounding Army training could boost Barksdale's chances as well. Close to the Louisiana air base are Camp Minden and Fort Polk.

Fort Minden is used for training Louisiana Army National Guard and the Army post is also poised to house a new training mission that will benefit regular Army and Guard units from several states, the Shreveport Times reported.

Also, Fort Polk is home of the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center and has a long history of working with Air Force units at Barksdale. A battlefield surveillance brigade is scheduled be in place at Polk by 2013.

Arnold AFB is the home of Arnold Engineering Development Center, the nation's largest collection of ground-based aerospace test facilities. Bedford County ranks third, behind Coffee and Franklin counties, as a home for AEDC's current employees.