Nelson vows to reopen Tyndall Air Force Base
TALLAHASSEE — Tyndall Air Force Base, where pilots train to fly the F-22 stealth fighter, won’t be abandoned because of major damage from Hurricane Michael, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson vowed Monday.
Speaking to reporters at Tallahassee International Airport, Nelson sought to dismiss concerns that the storm-battered base outside Panama City will follow the path of what had been Homestead Air Force Base, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and subsequently became an Air Force Reserve base.
“I think that fear is unfounded,” Nelson said. “As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I can say that Tyndall will be rebuilt, and it will be an example of a modern U.S. Air Force base. That is because it is critically located right next to one of our greatest national assets, the Air Force Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range, which is the largest testing and training range for the United States military in the world.”
Nelson, a Democrat, is up for re-election and has been touring the storm damage in the Panhandle as his Republican opponent, Gov. Rick Scott, has overseen the state’s response.
On Friday, Nelson joined U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, RFla., and U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, a Republican from Panama City, in a letter to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Pentagon Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein showing support for rebuilding Tyndall.
“Each of us stands ready to work with the Air Force to rebuild Tyndall AFB and advocate for the resources needed to do so,” the lawmakers wrote.
After Andrew devastated Homestead, the Pentagon failed to get funding to rebuild the base. Later, the military and civilian workforce were reassigned, and the facility reopened as a smaller Air Force Reserve base.
A year ago, the Pentagon put a $3.4 billion value on the facilities at Tyndall — which encompasses 29,000 acres in southeastern Bay County and has about 11,000 military and civilian personnel. The Pentagon estimated the base’s annual economic impact at $596 million.
Tyndall is home to the 325th Fighter Wing, which trains pilots for the F-22 Raptors, which are each valued at up to $339 million.
Of the 55 F-22 stealth fighters housed at Tyndall, at least 33 were sent to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio before Michael made landfall in nearby Mexico Beach with 155-mph winds.
The base also houses the 601st Air Operations Center, which directs operations for NORAD Defensive Counter Air activities and responds to natural and man-made disasters.
Base command at Tyndall last week called the hit from Michael “widespread catastrophic damage,” with every structure damaged, including hangars where planes that could not be flown out due to maintenance or safety reasons had been sheltered.
After touring the base and meeting with 93 airmen who rode out the storm, Wilson said Tyndall would reopen when safe, but she couldn’t offer a timeline for that.
“Right now, it is still not safe to do so,” Wilson said in a video posted Monday on Facebook.