WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a joint letter, U.S. Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine and U.S. Congressmen Bobby Scott, Randy Forbes, Scott Rigell and Rob Wittman urged Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James to consider Virginia’s Joint Base Langley-Eustis as a location for the future Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC). Locating the new facility there would help minimize the impact of 742 positions being eliminated at Langley-Eustis as part of the Air Force’s consolidation plans announced this week.

“Virginia is more connected to the military than any other state,” the members wrote. “We believe the existing infrastructure, military-friendly environment, and close proximity to major commands and other Service installations, make it an ideal location for this headquarters.”

“Virginia has been disproportionately impacted by the Air Force’s recent nationwide reductions in personnel,” the letter continues. “Locating the new Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center in Virginia will minimize the impact to Airmen and Air Force civilians and their families, while also minimizing Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses.”

Full text of the letter is below:

July 15, 2014

The Honorable Deborah L. James

Secretary of the Air Force

1670 Air Force Pentagon

Washington, DC 20330-1670

Dear Secretary James:

As you complete your Air Force Management Headquarters Review, we request that you consider Virginia as a premier location for the future Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC).  Virginia is more connected to the military than any other state, and we believe the existing infrastructure, military-friendly environment, and close proximity to major commands and other Service installations, make it an ideal location for this headquarters.  We are confident that Joint Base Langley-Eustis will prove to be the ideal location to minimize costs, leverage a transformational history, and reap the benefits of co-located tenant commands.

Virginia has been disproportionately impacted by the Air Force’s recent nationwide reductions in personnel.  Of the 3,459 positions being eliminated by the Air Force Management Headquarters Review, 734 will come from the National Capital Region in addition to the 742 lost at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.  Locating the new Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) in Virginia will minimize the impact to Airmen and Air Force civilians and their families, while also minimizing Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses. 

Joint Base Langley-Eustis has been a pioneer of air power, with a proven track record of implementing changes, from revolutionary F-15 Eagle technology to the premier location of the F-22 Raptor.  With these recent reductions, Langley will have additional capacity to host the new AFIMSC.  By staging AFIMSC at the same base as Air Combat Command, Air Force base managers can directly liaise with warfighters to ensure that they provide the best possible support and ensure the close alignment between mission support and operations.

We look forward to shortly reviewing the possible locations for basing AFIMSC.  We request that the Air Force promptly provide all information regarding current plans to and criteria for candidate locations of AFIMSC, to include the projected timeline and costs associated with such a move, expected savings, scoring criteria, and the anticipated impact on the current workforce.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to working with you on this matter.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine

U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott

U.S. Congressman Randy Forbes

U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman

U.S. Congressman Scott Rigell