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Nelson calls it a “big win for Nebraska,” pointing to the creation of local jobs while protecting national security
November 30, 2011 – Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson announced that a new headquarters for U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base is expected to be fully authorized by the U.S. Senate by the end of this week, and construction should begin next year.
“This will be a big win for Nebraska,” Senator Nelson said during his weekly conference call with members of the Nebraska news media. “This national security project will create jobs, replace an aging, outdated facility with a 21st Century high-tech command center to oversee America’s nuclear and non-nuclear forces, and protect us from a rapidly emerging threat: cyber-warfare.”
The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act by the end of this week, which sets America’s military and national defense priorities. The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act formally authorizes construction of the new STRATCOM headquarters.
The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed the Defense Authorization, including the new STRATCOM headquarters, so the Senate’s move will be the key green light needed to build the project.
Nelson is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee and was responsible for overseeing the portion of the National Defense Act dealing with strategic defense, including STRATCOM. He has worked for several years with the Pentagon, STRATCOM officials, and people in the Omaha and Bellevue community to make sure that STRATCOM’s needs are addressed.
During the anticipated four-year construction, the Air Force estimates 400 people will be employed building the new STRATCOM headquarters, with an additional 100 jobs associated with support efforts.
“This is important because those jobs will help Nebraska’s economy, our communities, many small businesses, and hundreds of Nebraska families,” Nelson said. “Moreover, today STRATCOM’s operations support 1,689 civilian and military jobs. They are expected to grow once the new headquarters is complete, as STRATCOM meets its varied 21st Century mission.”
U.S. Strategic Command is one of ten U.S. unified commands under the Department of Defense. DOD defines STRATCOM’s mission as promoting global security for America by:
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Deterring attacks on U.S. vital interests and defending the nation, should deterrence fail
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Leading, planning, and executing strategic deterrence operations
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Ensuring U.S. freedom of action in space and cyberspace
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Delivering integrated kinetic and non-kinetic effects in support of U.S. Joint Force Commanders
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Synchronizing global missile defense plans and operations
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Synchronizing regional combating of weapons of mass destruction plans
STRATCOM's existing headquarters was built in 1957 and has weathered the five decades with little renovation. In recent years, the building has experienced failures in electrical service and cooling water, as well as fires and flooding.
“These challenges have impacted STRATCOM’s ability to carry out its expanding mission. It’s clear to everyone that as our country’s lead command center to deter nuclear threats, to protect space, and to safeguard cyberspace, STRATCOM is essential to America’s security and must have safe and suitable facilities to carry out its mission,” Nelson said. “I’m very pleased the Senate is poised to authorize the new headquarters. Funding to begin construction next year is also on track. And I’ll fight to keep this key national security facility moving forward.”
Prior to the conference call, Nelson spoke on the floor of the Senate in support of the National Defense Authorization Act, explaining the provisions crafted by his Strategic Forces Subcommittee, including the new STRATCOM headquarters.
“A reliable and assured command, control, and communication from the President to the nuclear forces is fundamental to our strategic deterrent, and the new Command and Control Complex at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska will provide this mission surety,” Nelson said during his floor speech.
Text of Senator Nelson’s speech can be found by clicking here.
Nelson took the first step toward addressing STRATCOM’s shortcomings by pushing for planning and design of a new headquarters in 2008. Upon completion of that initial phase, full authorization and funding of a new one-million-square-foot headquarters was included in the President’s budget submitted to Congress this year. Congress is now moving to make that a reality.
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