SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON

 

Mayor Miro Weinberger
City Hall

149 Church Street
Burlington, VT 05401

Dear Mayor Weinberger:

Thank you for your April 9, 2018 letter supporting the Air Force decision to base the
F-35 at Burlington Air National Guard Base and for sharing the Burlington City Council?s resolution.

We expect the ?rst -35 aircraft to arrive in Burlington in 2019. This decision was ?nalized
in 2013 after a 48-month review which assessed 205 locations and concluded that the Burlington
International Airport was the best Air National Guard option. If that decision were to be reversed,
the Vermont Air National Guard would likely lose their ?ying mission upon the retirement of the F-
16s. The Air Force is much smaller than it was at the end of the Cold War. We have fewer bases
and fewer aircra?. As a result, some states no longer have ?ying missions for their National Guard
and the competition to secure new missions is ?erce.

As you mentioned in your letter, we received numerous comments on hosting -355 at
Burlington during the Environmental Impact Statement public involvement phases. Within this
process, we addressed for public record the questions the City Council expressed in its resolution.

As this basing action moves forward, we will continue to engage transparently with the community.
In recent meetings I have had with Governor Scott and members of Vennont?s Congressional
delegation, they have also expressed their continued support for the Vermont Air National Guard and
our decision to modernize ?ghter aircraft stationed there.

The Air Force has made signi?cant investments in the State of Vermont and the City of
Burlington. We estimate capital expenditures over the next 5 years to exceed $100 million dollars,
with payroll contributions of $50 million dollars per year. Additionally, the Air National Guard will
continue to provide the ?re and safety equipment supporting the joint use of the airport by both
military and commercial operations.

In every generation, there is a small percentage of Americans who volunteer to protect the
rest of us. ?The Green Mountain Boys? have made that commitment. The Air Force appreciates the
leaders of Vermont and their support for our Airmen and for the modernization of their equipment.

Sincerely,

t-u (Sr.


Heather Wilson