BRASS SAYS EDWARDS NOT TARGET; LOCAL OFFICIALS AFRAID TESTING MAY MOVE TO FLORIDA BASE.Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer Reacting to Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley leaders' concerns that Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. could lose test programs and workers to a Florida base, the Air Force said Friday there is ``no discussion of or intent to move any missions.'' The Air Force acknowledged there has been preliminary talks about consolidating the Flight Test Center, Edwards' main unit, with Florida's Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is the home of the United States Air Force 96th Air Base Wing of the Air Force Materiel Command, and is also headquarters for more than 45 associate units. , but said there is no such move afoot. ``No study has been conducted; pros and cons pros and cons Noun, pl the advantages and disadvantages of a situation [Latin pro for + con(tra) against] have not been developed; and, certainly, no decision has been made,'' according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the statement released by Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C. ``In any case, there is no discussion of or intent to move any mission from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.'' The Air Force statement said the service will look at options for making cuts and that a single test center is one of the options that could be considered. ``This option has only been raised in very preliminary discussions at Headquarters Air Force levels,'' the statement said. The statement did nothing to relieve the concerns of state Sen. W.J. ``Pete'' Knight, R-Palmdale, a former test center vice commander who has been trying to organize state and congressional leaders to fight any move of programs to Florida. ``It's a bunch of hogwash hog·wash n. 1. Worthless, false, or ridiculous speech or writing; nonsense. 2. Garbage fed to hogs; swill. hogwash Noun Informal nonsense Noun 1. ,'' Knight said. ``They don't say there are other options that have been raised. Once you get a concept in place it takes on a life of its own Memory Burn A Life Of Its Own was released by Noise Kontrol in 2002. Memory Burn is made up of several high profile musicians who came together to create this special work. . I'm afraid they are putting this in concrete.'' Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, said he plans to rally California's congressional delegation to make sure the Air Force drops the idea completely. ``They still leave it as an option. We don't see it as an option,'' McKeon said. ``We will make a full-out offensive on it.'' Both Knight and McKeon argue that if there is any consolidation, it should involve Eglin missions being moved to Edwards, not the other way around. In a May 15 letter to Gov. Pete Wilson, Knight argued that encroaching population growth and low-relief terrain limit the Florida base's ability to conduct flight tests. Knight argues that terrain-following radar systems cannot be tested on the flat terrain surrounding Eglin. Knight said the ability to test cruise missiles over water, land, mountains and desert along a 600-mile test route only exists in the West. Knight said flight testing should be consolidated at Edwards, which would make room at Eglin for the consolidation of other defense bases near the Gulf of Mexico Noun 1. Gulf of Mexico - an arm of the Atlantic to the south of the United States and to the east of Mexico Golfo de Mexico Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east . Eglin now specializes in testing munitions mu·ni·tion n. War materiel, especially weapons and ammunition. Often used in the plural. tr.v. mu·ni·tioned, mu·ni·tion·ing, mu·ni·tions To supply with munitions. , communication systems, computers, and surveillance and reconnaissance gear. Edwards tests aircraft, electronic warfare gear and aviation electronics. Edwards has approximately 13,000 workers, making it the largest center of employment in the Antelope Valley. Of that total, the Air Force Flight Test Center employs 3,632 military personnel and 2,899 government civilians. |
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