Peoria Air National Guard Base not on closure list         

[MAY 14, 2005]  PEORIA -- Arriving at the Peoria Air National Guard Base on the day the U.S. Department of Defense released its list of military installations recommended for closure or realignment, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich gathered with local leaders to deliver the news that the base will, as it has for nearly 60 years, continue defending our country. Gov. Blagojevich also thanked the airmen and women at the base for their service and dedication and reaffirmed his commitment to helping secure additional missions for the base.

The governor has been leading a coordinated effort for more than two years with the Illinois congressional delegation, other elected officials and local leaders to prevent the Peoria base and Illinois' other bases from ending up on the Defense Base Realignment and Closure list that will be announced in September. The Peoria Air National Guard Base contributes more than $50 million to the state's economy each year and supports nearly 1,200 jobs.

"This is an important day for our entire state because the Peoria Air National Guard Base will continue ensuring that our homeland is safe and secure," Gov. Blagojevich said. "We traveled to Washington numerous times to meet with top Pentagon leaders and highlighted this base's tremendous military value because we know protecting this base is the right decision for the United States and Illinois. From missions in Iraq and Afghanistan to humanitarian assignments across the globe, the 182nd Airlift Wing and all of its dedicated and brave members make us proud every day. But our coordinated campaign with the Illinois congressional delegation, state and local officials isn't over yet. We must and will continue presenting our compelling case to the BRAC Commission and the Department of Defense about why the Peoria ANGB must remain open and why it is poised for expansion."

U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and many other state and local officials joined Gov. Blagojevich at the announcement.

The Peoria Air National Guard Base plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and security of our country, while it also makes enormous contributions to the Illinois economy. With a keen awareness of the tremendous collective value of the base, Gov. Blagojevich has relentlessly advocated for the Peoria Air National Guard Base retention and expansion since the earliest days of his administration. He launched a strategic plan to convince top decision-makers in Washington that the Peoria base should continue serving our country with distinction and has led the coordinated effort to make the most compelling case possible for why the Peoria base and Illinois' other military installations should not only stay off the BRAC closure list but be asked to take on additional missions. Highlights of that effort include the following:

• To help ensure the state made the strongest case possible from the outset to save the Peoria Air National Guard Base, Gov. Blagojevich hired a military affairs specialist to help present the base's compelling case to the Department of Defense.
• On Dec. 2, 2004, Gov. Blagojevich traveled to the Pentagon to meet with Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, the director of the Air National Guard.
• On Dec. 14, 2004, Gov. Blagojevich sent administration officials to Washington, D.C., for an important meeting with Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations Phil Grone, the Pentagon's point person on base closings. As part of a comprehensive partnership, former Peoria Mayor David Ransburg and Heartland Partnership President Jim McConoughey were also invited by the governor on the trip and were in attendance.

• On April 6, 2005, Gov. Blagojevich signed Executive Order No. 2005-4, directing all state land-use planning agencies to coordinate with Illinois military installations in order to maintain and improve the bases' immense military value. The order ensures that when the Department of Defense comes to Illinois seeking to expand, the state stands ready and willing to meet its needs.
• Working closely with the Illinois National Guard to ensure the military value of the Peoria base is being maximized.

Gov. Blagojevich has also led Illinois' efforts to ensure airmen and women at the Peoria base enjoy the highest quality of life in the military. Those efforts include:

• Signing legislation offering in-state tuition benefits to all military members stationed within the state.
• Signing legislation increasing the death benefits for soldiers from Illinois killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Signing legislation to protect business owners called up for Guard duty.
• Extending POW/MIA scholarship benefits to the dependents of Guard members.
• Offering the National Guard Grant program that provides Guard members with full tuition and fee reimbursement for four years at all state institutions of higher education.

With a nearly 60-year history of diversity in operations, the Peoria Air National Guard Base has demonstrated a pivotal response to joint, multinational requirements, including its current involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. The unit's experience and performance in ongoing airlift operations, its past experience in fighter operations, and its in-depth expertise in management and control of tactical air assets graphically reflect the reasons for the organization's successes and the frequent recognition received by its members. A major thrust of the 182nd Airlift's mission is to provide world-class training and readiness opportunities, not only for its own members but for those of other organizations and other service departments as well. Superior existing facilities, expansion capability, and recruiting and retention history enable the 182nd to easily accommodate support of operations and training for contingency, mobilization and increased future total force requirements.

The BRAC Commission will submit its closure recommendations to the president by Sept. 8. President Bush has until Sept. 23 to accept or reject the recommendations in their entirety. Then, by Nov. 7 the president must submit the list to Congress, which must also approve or disapprove the list in its entirety.

[News release]