Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, commissioner for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the adjutant general for the Alaska National Guard, said he's working closely with representatives from Elmendorf Air Force Base's 3rd Wing and high-ranking officials in Washington, D.C., to determine how best to move the troops and staff from Kulis to Elmendorf.

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2005 recommended moving Kulis to a newly combined Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base — to be joined under BRAC as well. The directive set a deadline for the move at 2011.

“We're working out the fine details of what Kulis will look like,” Campbell said. “We're not just taking Kulis and moving it to Elmendorf, and saying to the Air Force, 'Here's the bill.' We have to build only what is necessary and join forces where we can. That's why this is taking so long.”

The bill to move the facilities would cost an estimated $160 million to $170 million, Campbell said. The Guard has received $9 million for planning.

A lone crew member walks away from a C-130 Hercules Dec. 19 at Kulis Air National Guard Base. The base is to be moved to Elmendorf Air Force Base. PHOTO/Rob Stapleton/AJOC

The commission was established under former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, but it's unclear how his replacement, Robert Gates, as well as a Democrat-controlled Congress, will support the efforts.

When Congress recessed for the year, members extended the spending authority to keep government operating through mid-February at current spending levels. Democrats have signaled that when they take office in January, they will extend that authorization for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

Kulis was set to receive funding under BRAC between fiscal years 2009 through 2011, Campbell said.

The language in the BRAC directive says that the base moves only if funding is available to maintain the integrity of the operations, said McHugh Pierre, director of communications for the military and veterans affairs department.

That means that planners can't use BRAC funding to add facilities it doesn't have but needs, or fix deficiencies it does have, Campbell said.

Kulis currently operates off Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. It's new home will be off the north runway at Elmendorf.

Campbell and Pierre said Kulis would need to build on Elmendorf, at minimum, new headquarters facilities to house administrative and command offices. Kulis will also need one or two hangars and a building for the Guard's Pararescue team, which is now operating out of an armory off Lake Otis Parkway.

“We're talking a lot about integrating some support services with the active-duty Air Force,” Campbell said. “But at the same time, it's very important that for the operations, we need to have separate Guard facilities that are available to the governor and to the president.”

Areas where support services could be integrated are the vehicle maintenance and medical care, Campbell said.

Kulis currently has a maintenance hangar and a clinic, so justifying new facilities could be done. But it wouldn't save money, he said. Elmendorf has its own maintenance hangar, and has a fairly new medical center used by active-duty Air Force and Army members.

Integrated facilities may need renovations or additions, but that's cheaper than building new, Campbell said.

Officials also need to plan for about 200 new troops who will be needed under the BRAC directive for Kulis and Elmendorf to share eight new C-17 aircraft, and the Guard to receive four new C-130 aircraft. The aircraft are scheduled to arrive next summer.

Once the base is moved, the land will revert back to the state, and likely will be used to expand the Anchorage airport.

Regardless of funding levels and plans, Gov. Sarah Palin must still concur with the base closure plan, a move that former Gov. Frank Murkowski refused to do, Campbell said.

“We can't close a Guard facility unless the governor concurs,” he said. “It's my job to work things out so she'll be excited about concurring because it will bring new jobs.”