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Show Aug. 19, 1993 Hilltop Times 7 SflpcaOecny D Continued from Page 1 other communities in the 1993 round of closures, Hill and the other defense facilities in Utah have to be effort in '95," McCall said. ready for an Short speeches about various aspects of the base closure process and problems were given by Hansen; Maj. Gen. Lester L. Lyles, commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center; and Capt. Merrill Curry, USN, all-o- ut . commander, Defense Depot Ogden, Utah. Each addressed separate areas of concern. (See the accom- panying stories.) Standard-Examine- r publisher Scott Trundle was g named to head the subcommittee. Trundle said he was glad that his newspaper could take a leadership role and that he expects to have a budget available within a few weeks. Chairwoman McCall said his task was a big one, like doubling the $1 mil' lion raised by the Warner-Robin- s community. Utah Power and Light's Steve Rush volunteered to head a subcommittee to gather information on the base closure process so that Hill can improve in areas where it was marginal in the 1993 process. The commission analysis gives ratings best in various (green), average (yellow) and worst (red) categories. In the 1993 round, Hill was given a yellow rating in the school category due to Utah's high student-to-teache- r ratio. It scored a red in the area of housing availability. Another area where Hill was doctor-to-patiein the yellow zone was medical care and ratio ratio. Rush's fund-raisin- fact-findin- g nt beds-to-populati- on subcommittee is tasked with finding answers that will improve Hill's position in 1995. Dee Livingood, owner of Big D Construction Co., will head the committee that will visit the four other air logistics centers to analyze how their facilities compare with Hill and to talk with community leaders to see what support they're offering their local bases. The four other ALC locations are: Robins AFB, Ga.; Tinker AFB, Okla.; Kelly AFB, Texas; and McClellan AFB, Calif. McCall warned that people thinking of joining this subcommittee should be aware that at the moment no funds are available to reimburse people for their travel expenses. The public relations function will fall under the military affairs committee of the OgdenWeber Chamber of Commerce and will be chaired by Steve Spurlock from Big D Construction Co. Action committee chairwoman McCall said that volunteers for any of the subcommittees are welcome. To sign up, call the OgdenWeber County or McCall, Chamber of Commerce, 621-830- 621-592- 0, 0. must make Commander puts onus on base 'best show' effort to protect itself from closure list community support to avoid shock The that Hill gets is the best Hill rently have on our plate better than we've done it in the past, we're not going to be. successful, politics and community support notwithstanding," Lyles the general has ever seen. by Frances Kosakowsky Hilltop Times staff As the kickoff speaker of the meeting, Rep. said he was shocked James Hansen about the way the 1993 round of base closures turned out. Up until the night before the realignment of Tooele-Nortwas announced, he believed that on the list. "I tell you that story be wouldn't it because you just don't know. You may think (R-Uta- h) h you've got your ducks all lined up and things are looking good, when all of a sudden someone rips the rug out from under you," he said. "I'll tell you one more thing. Les Aspin has made it abundantly clear that one ALC will close," Hansen said. "And, I think it's inevitable that one ALC will be closed in the '95 round. "I've been told that a civilian group around Warner-Robin- s has raised $1 million to protect he its interests," said. A friend from McClellan told Hansen that they were not going to be caught napping again, and he knows they've already started raising money. "What I'm saying is that people are working to make a tremendous presentation when the hit comes," Hansen said. "In all candor, that puts all the ALCs in a position to make a very credible presentation in front of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission in '95." He said Hill and the Northern Utah communities had better raise some money and be prepared to put on the best show ever if they want by Frances Kosakowsky Hilltop Times staff - Ogden Air Logistics Center commander, Maj. Gen. Lester L. Lyles, said the kind of support Hill is getting from the local community is the best he's seen in his military career. He said he agreed with the points Congressman Hansen had made, but that he also felt that Ogden ALC "literally controls its own destiny. The focus of our preparation for the Base Closure and Realignment Commission in '95 really has to be 'internal. "If we don't perform on the contracts that we've won recently and if we don't do the job that we cur- - to win. "I think Hill AFB has enough inherently in it that I don't really have great worries in my heart, but on the other side of the coin, we'd be very foolish if we weren't prepared to take this on in '95," he said. "Speaking for the Utah congressional delegation, you can count on us to work diligently with the commission." Hill gains new contract News Briefs The Technical Support Division's Circuit Manufacture Team was officially awarded a contract mander, Ogden Air Logistics Center. "We've won circuit card as- four contracts since April, but we can't afford to be Tuesday to manufacture semblies. complacent. We need to continue working aggresThe $601,249 contract award is the result of Hill's sively to make changes, drastic changes, in the way other organi- we do business. competitive bid for the workload. TheLockheed-Fort "With 40 percent excess capacity at military was zation competing for the work depots servicewide, it is" going to be our performance Worth Division. DOD means that will determine our destiny," he said. "I'm conof "Survival in these days downsizing comvinced that Hill can continue to win if we maintain L. Gen. Lester Lyles, competition," said Maj. F-1- 6 said. One of the problems at Hill, the general said, is that its workloads have become too diversified. "We're going to have to determine very soon what our strengths are. Are we going to be a fighter airand craft depot and work primarily on the Or are and maybe also work on Navy we going to be the world's best landing gear facility and focus on that? Are we going to be the world's best software facility and focus on that? "Those are three areas that I think are major strengths," he said. "There are some other things that we do here, however, that are going to have to go to the bottom of the list. We can no longer afford to be all things to all people and that's going to hurt some people who have devoted a lot of time and energy to some of those projects. "We have to focus on what is our major expertise and marshal our resources to ensure that we are successful in what we do now and in the future," he said. The second thing Hill needs to emphasize is technology transfer, the general said. "There are a lot of opportunities out there for us to share our resources with local community business, universities, start-u- p ventures," Lyles said. "We have a mandate now both from the administration and DOD to share our unique technology and facilities with the private sector." Lyles said he had sent the governor a letter asking the state to participate with Hill AFB in a technology transfer symposium to try to create technology alliances like other communities have done. He recommended that teams be put together to: O Study and understand the commission's processes. B Go to other military communities that were successful in staying off the closure list. D Focus on the efforts that need to be made to make technology transfer successful. D Look at available and affordable housing in the Hill area. F-16- s, F-1- F-18- s? our present attitude. After all, if you bring together a lot of outstanding people, a work ethic second to none, innovative ideas and put them all in a world-clas- s facility, the ingredients of success are all there." Busing for junior high students Students who attend North Davis Jr. High will be bused in the same manner they were last year, according to SMSgt. William Copp, Family Support Center. For more information call Ext. |