According to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich will release a hold he placed on the promotion of Air Force lieutenant general if he finds a report on the planned relocation of Eielson Air Force Base's F-16 squadron to Anchorage adequate.
Begich spoke at Eielson during Memorial Day ceremonies in Fairbanks on Monday.
The Air Force says the move south will cut costs, but the the expected savings has been inconsistent, Begich said. "I was sick and tired hearing reasons why they couldn't get it and the vagueness of the report," he said. "If they give me the numbers we're looking for then we'll go ahead and let the general move forward on his promotion."
When asked if Begich would drop his opposition to the move to Joint Base Elemendorf Richardson if the report shows savings, Begich said he'll still be skeptical. He said he's heard a wide range of numbers for the move, ranging from a few million dollars of savings in the first year, to more than 10 million dollars in extra costs.
"I think they're going to have a hard time to prove those savings," Begich told the News-Miner, while acknowledging he may not be able to stop the move. "The target will be two-fold, lessen the impact or no impact."