AF stops FY-19 Tyndall recovery

The Air Force temporarily halted all new repair and recovery operations at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., starting May 1 to save the remainder of its FY 2019 funds (through Sept. 30) for other critical areas, unless Congress relents to adding more funds. It doesn’t mean the AF has given up on plans to fully clean up Tyndall, which was devastated last October by Hurricane Michael, and rebuild it as a fighter base, but wants Congress to be its insurance. Earlier in FY-19, the AF re-routed $400M to repair and recover Tyndall, but it can no longer continue to divert funds, John Henderson, AF assistant secretary for installations, environment and energy, told reporters at the Pentagon on April 30. The service will withhold funds for 121 project-starts at Tyndall until FY-20. Those projects include cleaning up downed trees, remediating mold, repairing roofs, and demolishing damaged buildings. Funds are also being halted to repair Offutt AFB, Neb., damaged by flooding earlier this year. Another $350M in FY-19 funding was needed to finish the job of cleaning and recovering at Tyndall alone. Congress is beginning to wonder if it’s worth paying to rebuild installations in the way of sea level rise, desertification, natural disasters and drought. But, according to Henderson: “Tyndall is critical because of its vicinity to the water. It’s one of the few bases where we have almost no encroachment … (and the) ability for us to fly unmanned drones out of Tyndall and into Eglin Testing and Training Area doesn’t exist anywhere in the United States,” Henderson said. (Source: Federal News Network 04/30/19)