Press Releases
May 13, 2005
Delegation, Governor Vow to Fight On for Fargo's "Happy Hooligans"
Grand Forks AF Base Faces Major Realignment; Minot Air Force Base Is Spared
Washington -- Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan, Congressman Earl Pomeroy and Governor John Hoeven announced today that Secretary Rumsfeld has recommended the realignment of Fargo's 119th Fighter Wing but that the National Guard Base will remain open.
For Fargo, the decision means the base will lose its F-16 fighter planes and its flying mission. It has long been anticipated that the old-model F-16 fighters would be retired no later than 2007. The delegation and Governor said that although losing the planes was not the desired outcome, saving the base from closure is a victory. They also vowed to find a relevant and enduring mission for the North Dakota Air National Guard.
"Why would you take away a flying mission from America's best pilots?" the delegation and Governor said in a joint statement. "The Hooligans are the best Air Guard unit in the nation, hands down, with a host of awards to prove it. They are invaluable to both North Dakota and the nation, and we need to keep them in the air."
With today's announcement of realignment at the Fargo base, the North Dakota officials have started to review the data and analysis in the Secretary's report. Next week, they will learn more about the Pentagon's reasoning when Secretary Rumsfeld and Air Force officials testify before the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission.
"Now that we have the full analysis, we will be able to expose its flaws and bring them to the attention of the Commission, and we intend to be very aggressive in our effort to maintain a flying mission for the Happy Hooligans," the North Dakota officials said.
In the next few weeks, members of the BRAC Commission will make site visits to installations being considered for closure. In past BRAC rounds, community leaders and elected officials have had an opportunity to join the commissioners for their site visit. This is an opportunity for the people of Fargo to visibly demonstrate their support for the base.
"We have been working very hard on BRAC for the last few years, but our efforts in the next few months will be even greater," the delegation and the Governor said. "We will continue to fight, every step of the way, to save all of North Dakota's bases. We will continue fighting as a team -- Congressional delegation, Governor and community."
