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Official: 46th Test Wing stays
Proposed center may leave wing untouched
By MLADEN RUDMAN mladenr@nwfdailynews.com

EGLIN AFB — The 46th Test Wing is staying put and no workers will lose jobs if the Air Force Developmental Test and Evaluation Center is established, said a high-level base official on Monday. Earlier in the day, an Air Force Materiel Command civilian offered local politicians and businessmen the same analysis, but some of them weren’t convinced. Skepticism about the proposal was then reinforced by U.S. Dist. 1 Rep. Jeff Miller, who scathingly rebuked materiel command leadership for keeping Congress out of the loop. To save money, materiel command has proposed realigning the test wing and two other units under the umbrella of the developmental test and evaluation center. The center would be headquartered at Edwards Air Force Base. Officials are categorizing the proposal as a chainof-command reorganization that would produce savings without shifting whole units to other bases. “The 46th Test Wing is not moving,” said its technical advisor, Bob Arnold. “No capabilities will be eliminated. No people will lose their jobs.” However, workers would be permitted to move to new jobs if desired. Although estimates might change, the test wing could shed a total of 74 job authorizations in fiscal years 2010 and 2011, Arnold said. He added the losses would easily be absorbed by routine attrition such as retirement. Again, stressing that the numbers aren’t fixed, Arnold said savings from reorganization could be $200 million for the same time period. The money would be used to help buy warplanes and pay for two Middle East wars. Arnold, a senior official at the base, stressed there’s nothing “sinister” about the proposal to fold three wings — the 46th, Arnold Air Force Base’s 704th Test Wing and the 412th Test Wing at Edwards — into a center. He added based on the information he has the test center proposal isn’t the first step toward moving Eglin’s test wing to Edwards. Arnold also noted an effort is being made to keep community leaders informed. “This will not occur without the full vetting that we discussed,” he said. Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County member Jim Breitenfeld said keeping locals updated on plans for the test wing is crucial because they’re always worried about what might come next. “In this community, there is a long-standing and ongoing concern about the test wing. … We still have a lot of questions,” Breitenfeld said about the test center proposal. He attended the morning briefing, which was presented by materiel command’s David Bond. Breitenfeld said the local officials at the briefing understand the Air Force has to cut costs. But, many wondered about the push to realign the three wings, and they wanted a closer look at the initiative. “The key is congressional scrutiny,” added the Defense Support Initiative Task Force manager. Miller, R-Chumuckla, agreed. In a written release, the congressman also took exception with the “premature briefing” of the press about the test wing proposal. “I have lost all confidence in the leadership of Air Force Materiel Command,” he said. The command is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Dan McFaul, Miller’s chief of staff, said materiel command has provided no assurances to the congressman that the test center proposal would stop test wing billets or aircraft from moving to other bases. “I think that the congressman is concerned that there would be (impact) on the test wing,” McFaul said. Daily News Staff Writer Mladen Rudman can be reached at 863-1111, Ext. 1443.