[CPEO-MEF] Congressional, state delegations differ on value of war game zone

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North Dakota
GRAND FORKS HERALD
MILITARY: At odds in the air
Congressional, state delegations differ on value of war game zone
By Tu-Uyen Tran

By the time a statewide war game zone proposed by Gov. John Hoeven's
administration is operational, it would be far too late to save North
Dakota's military bases, according Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.

Air Force officials, he said Tuesday, told him it would take three to
four years just to analyze the environmental impact of such a zone.

The Pentagon's latest Base Realignment and Closure round would long be
over, he said.

"The notion this would BRAC-proof bases is really disconnected from the
timeline," he said.

Proponents of the zone, called the North Dakota Joint Airspace
initiative, say that doesn't mean the zone can't be of any help.

Maj. Gen. Mike Haugen, North Dakota National Guard head and member of
Hoeven's task force that came up with the idea for the zone, said it's
true the Air Force could take some time to decide even if it needs the
zone.

But the zone proposal also is going before the Joint Forces Command, he
said, and that body could make a decision by the end of 2004.

The conflicting points of view came after a meeting in Washington that
Conrad convened Tuesday out of concern that Northwest Airlines' voice
was not being heard. Northwest had complained to Conrad the proposed
zone would force it to fly its planes at lower altitudes, costing the
airline more and raising safety concerns.

Besides Northwest representatives, Hoeven and officials from the Air
Force, the Air National Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration
were present Tuesday.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/6312602.htm

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