By Jeff Mullin, Senior Writer

The recent strike that halted pilot training at Vance Air Force Base was a blemish on the 68-year-old base’s otherwise perfect record, said U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, but “a very small one.”

Inhofe, R-Okla., visited Enid Monday and briefed members of Vance Development Authority and Enid city commission.

“Community support is the No. 1 criteria when they talk about making changes in a BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) round,” Inhofe said. “Labor relations is a part of community support. That’s the thing that really upset me at that time.”

The strike by members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 898 lasted from June 8 to 22, when a new three-year collective bargaining agreement between the union and contractors was approved by a 78 percent margin.

“That is behind us now,” said Inhofe, the No. 2 Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “It’s just that I can’t say what I’ve always said before, that Vance has a perfect record.”

Inhofe expressed concern about future labor disputes shutting down operations at military facilities, as happened at Vance. He said he is working with the Department of Defense on legislation in the next defense authorization bill to allow DoD to “weigh the risk of the organization’s mission failure against the benefit of utilizing a private contractor.”

The Defense Department, he said, then would have the option of converting from civilian contractors to DoD civilian employees.

“Each strike or potential strike impacts this nation’s ability to train and maintain our operational forces,” Inhofe said. “Our government cannot allow contractual disagreements to get in the way of our national security and must reassess how and what mission support is contracted out.

“I think the trend is going to go back to core work being government work.”

Despite the work-stoppage and the more than 2,500 flights lost as a result, Inhofe said, Vance still has plenty going for it.

“You’re still cranking out the pilots, you’re doing so cheaper than anybody else does,” he said. “I think some good things are going to happen.”

As evidence of those “good things,” Inhofe cited construction either under way or on the drawing board for Vance. Ground was broken last week for the $17.5 million Armed Forces Reserve Center, which will be accessed by the improved Wheat Capital Road, a $3 million joint effort between the city and state.

A $7.7 fuel system maintenance hangar is under construction at Vance and $3 million worth of taxiway repair will come from the economic stimulus package. In addition, a $1.4 million fire station at Kegelman Auxiliary Airfield near Great Salt Plains now is open.

Looking ahead, Inhofe has inserted $10.7 million for a new Vance control tower in the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, the only insert for Oklahoma for 2010.

“That is a great project in a long line of infrastructure improvements out there,” said Mike Cooper, city of Enid military liaison and chairman of the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission. “We have a long- and short-range plan on how to improve Vance’s infrastructure, and the tower project is part of the success story. It is a testament to the community working closely with our congressional delegation.”

Inhofe has been critical of the Obama administration’s defense spending plans, which include cuts to Air Force weapons systems like the F-22 and F-35 fighters.

“It’s typical of liberal extremists,” Inhofe said. “They honestly don’t believe we need a military to start with. They really believe that if all countries would stand in a circle and hold hands and unilaterally disarm, the threats would go away. That’s what we’re up against.”