Attend the F-35 hearings

Next week begins a series of hearings throughout southern Idaho on the proposal to place one to three F-35 operational squadrons at Mountain Home Air Force Base and/or a training squadron with the Idaho Air National Guard at Gowen Field.

It is vitally important that local residents take time from their busy schedules to attend these hearings.

Idaho is competing with a number of other bases around the country to host the first F-35 squadrons. Some of the hearings in those other locations have gone well for the nearby bases. We need to blow the socks off the Air Force at the local hearings.

The first will be held next Tuesday at Grand View Elementary, from 6-8 p.m. That's not expected to generate a huge turnout, but if you can drive there to show your support, do so.

Next Wednesday, from 6-8 p.m. a hearing will be held at the BSU Student Union Building. It's expected the testimony there will focus primarily on the Gowen Field training squadron proposal. There would be enormous benefits to the Air Force if both Gowen Field and Mountain Home AFB earned the first squadrons, allowing the Air Force to consolidate key aspects of the two missions in one, generally central, location.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, from 6-8 p.m. the Air Force will hear testimony in Twin Falls at the College of Southern Idaho. That'll be the tough one. The newspaper in that town has been anti-base and anti-military for a long time. Most of the opposition is expected to show up there.

Which means next Friday, Feb. 19, from 6-8 p.m. at Hacker Middle School, we need to pack the gym with supporters for the proposal to put one to three operational squadrons at the base here.

There's a lot to talk about. We have an excellent training range used by armed forces from around the world and 335 days of good flying weather. The airspace to conduct training is good, and probably will be expanded this year.

We have solid community support and local ordinances that prohibit encroachment of development near the base.

We're going to be losing a squadron from the base this year, part of the last BRACC, and we need to replace it with at least one, and preferably three, operational squadrons.

Much will be said of the economic impact these squadrons will have on the local area. Make no mistake about it, that impact is huge, and greatly needed. But the money isn't the only concern. These people add tremendously to the energy and expertise of our community. They are deacons in our churches, scoutmasters and volunteers in our schools. They are our friends and neighbors and they bring a wonderful cultural mix to our community that we embrace wholeheartedly.

Simply put, we like having the Air Force here.

But if we want to secure the future of the base, we need to show overwhelming support. We've asked for that before, from training range debates to BRACC decisions. It's time to go "once more into the breach, dear friends."

It's not often people get a chance to control the future of their community, but the more warm bodies we can put in the gym for support of the operational squadron at Mountain Home AFB, and the training squadron at Gowen Field, the better our chances of winning these vital missions.

Other bases have more powerful congressional delegations fighting for these missions in their home states. This is clearly a chance to show the power of the people.

Turn out next Friday, Feb. 19, at Hacker and show the Air Force why this would be the best, the perfect, place to locate those missions.

-- Kelly Everitt