Agreement signed to make Elmendorf, Richardson a joint installation

Published Oct. 15, 2009

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Elmendorf Air Force Base and the connected Army installation, Fort Richardson, are due to become a single installation next year as the military strives to become more efficient.
Senior U.S. Air Force and Army officials signed an agreement Oct. 9 finalizing the long-planned move.

The transition to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is due to begin Jan. 31. By October 2010, the bases will be united.

Although the commander charged with leading JBER has not yet been announced, the commander of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Richardson, Col. Timothy Prior, will assume the role as the deputy commander of the joint base.

"This union formalizes an already close working relationship the Air Force and Army have shared for years; working closely together under Alaskan Command," Prior said.
Air Force Col. Jeffery Vinger, the provisional joint base commander said, "We've been working this merger meticulously for some time to ensure that we fully support the missions at JBER. We're focused on maintaining the services our soldiers, airman, and military families deserve. Likewise, we owe it to our combined civilian workforce to ensure we do this right. Efficiencies won't translate to job cuts; that's not the goal of this initiative. We're looking for best practices from both services. Our goal is to be the best joint base in the DoD."

Elmendorf AFB and Fort Richardson are among 26 other installations across the country being combined into 12 joint bases. The bases were singled out for consolidation in 2005 during the military's Base Realignment and Closure process.

In Hawaii, Naval Station Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base announced their joint base merger in August. In Washington State, Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base will also join forces.