1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION

Transcription

1 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION

2 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION This environmental assessment (EA) evaluates the potential environmental impacts of a proposed U.S. Department of the Air Force (Air Force) force structure action at Moody Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia. The proposed action would: Establish Joint Primary Pilot Training (JPPT) and beddown the associated Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) at Moody AFB. This would add a total of 49 T-6A aircraft and 444 manpower authorizations to Moody AFB; Renovate existing facilities and construct new facilities at Moody AFB to accommodate JPATS squadron operations, classroom training activities, and maintenance activities for T-6A aircraft; Conduct parasail training operations at Bemiss Field in conjunction with the JPPT course; Conduct sortie-operations by T-6A aircraft within the Moody 1 Military Operations Area (MOA), Moody 3 MOA, Live Oak MOA, Low Altitude Tactical Navigation (LATN) area, and along two military training routes (MTRs): Visual Route 1065 (VR-1065) and VR-1066; Establish mutual use agreements with five civilian airfields in the vicinity of Moody AFB for the purposes of T-6A transition training, including the practice of multiple overhead patterns, emergency landing patterns, and instrument approaches; Change the airspace utilization of Moody 2 North and South MOAs by T-38 aircraft associated with the existing Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) pilot training program; and Assign 10 T-38 aircraft as Backup Aircraft Inventory (BAI), increasing the total number of T-38 aircraft at Moody AFB to 67. No operational changes would occur. This EA has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations; and Air Force Instruction (AFI) , The Environmental Impact Analysis Process (Air Force 1995c). 1.2 BACKGROUND Moody AFB Moody AFB is located in south-central Georgia 10 miles northeast of the City of Valdosta on 11,402 acres of federally owned land in Lowndes and Lanier counties (Figure 1.2-1). The installation consists of the main base (5,039 acres), Grand Bay Range (5,874 acres), and the Grassy Pond Recreation Area annex (489 acres) which is located 25 miles southwest of the main base. Moody AFB is currently the home to the 347 th Wing (347 WG), which has four primary groups. The 347 th Operations Group is the primary flying organization, with three tactical fighter squadrons (68 th Fighter Squadron [68 FS], 69 FS, and 70 FS) and two Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) Squadrons (41 st Rescue Squadron [41 RQS] and 71 RQS). The other three groups are the 347 th Logistics Group, 347 th Support Group, and 347 th Medical Group, which maintain all other base functions. 1.0 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action 1-1

3 TN SC AL Georgia STEWART MOODY AFB WEBSTER NC Atlantic Ocean MACON DODGE PULASKI DOOLY 280 WHEELER SUMTER HOUSTON BLECKLEY LAURENS G E O R G I A CRISP TELFAIR WILCOX EMMANUEL MONTGOMERY 221 TOMBS CHANDLER TATTNALL EVANS BULLOCH 16 BRYAN EFFINGHAM RANDOLPH Gulf of Mexico CALHOUN Florida TERRELL DOUGHERTY LEE Albany 82 WORTH TURNER TIFT BEN HILL IRWIN Douglas COFFEE JEFF DAVIS BACON APPLING WAYNE LONG LIBERTY MCINTOSH EARLY MILLER BAKER MITCHELL COLQUITT BERRIEN 221 COOK Nashville Adel Moody AFB Lakeland LANIER 84 WARE PIERCE Waycross BRANTLEY CAMDEN GLYNN JACKSON SEMINOLE 84 DECATUR GRADY THOMAS BROOKS LOWNDES Valdosta ECHOLS CLINCH 441 CHARLETON 95 GADSEN WARE NASSAU C AL H OU N LEON TALLAHASSEE JEFFERSON MADISON HAMILTON BAKER DUVAL LIBERTY SUWANNEE 10 Jacksonville WAKULLA COLUMBIA TAYLOR UNION LA FAYETTE CLAY FRANKLIN BRADFORD ST. JOHNS DIXIE GILCHRIST ALACHUA F L O R I D A Gainesville PUTNAM FLAGLER Gulf of Mexico LEVY Ocala MARION SEMINOLE LEGEND CITRUS SUMTER LAKE State Capitol Selected Cities and Towns State Boundary County Boundary Interstate Highway 441 U.S. Highway Statute Miles Nautical Miles Location of Moody AFB, Georgia Figure Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

4 T-6A Beddown EA Final Numerous force structure changes have occurred over the years at Moody AFB. The base s primary mission in the 1950s was to meet the requirements of the Air Force Pilot Instrument School and Instrument Flying School. Mission aircraft were the F-89 Scorpion, F-94 Starfire, and F-86 Sabre. The Instrument Pilot Instructor School operated at Moody until 1958 when it was moved to Texas. At that time Moody came under the Air Training Command and was designated the 3550 th Pilot Training Wing. In 19, the 347 th Tactical Fighter Wing (347 TFW) was activated as the host unit at Moody AFB. In that same year, the 347 TFW began to transition from T-37 and T-38 aircraft to F-4E aircraft. In 1987, the 347 TFW began the conversion from F-4s to the F-16. In 1991, the 347 TFW lost the Tactical designation and became the 347 th Fighter Wing (347 FW). In 1994, a decision was made to beddown HC-130 and A/OA-10 aircraft, making Moody AFB one of three composite wings in the Air Force; at that time, the 347 FW was redesignated the 347 WG. A decision was made in 1996 to move two CSAR squadrons of six HH-60 helicopters (41 RQS) and nine HC-130 air refueling aircraft (71 RQS) from Patrick AFB, Florida, to Moody AFB. This realignment of geographically separated units reduced manpower requirements, placed the affected units under a single commander, and improved deployability in support of the Air Combat Command (ACC) mission (Air Force 1996c). In September 1998, in accordance with Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) recommendations, the 41 RQS was assigned an additional 6 HH-60 aircraft (bringing the Primary Aircraft Inventory [PAI] to 14 HH-60s) (Air Force 1998a). At the same time, the decision was made to inactivate the 70 FS and relocate the 24 assigned A/OA-10 aircraft to other locations. This action has been partially fulfilled and will be complete by 1 October In addition, a decision was made to establish an IFF pilot training program with 57 PAI T-38 aircraft (includes 54 Primary Aircraft Authorization [PAA] aircraft and 3 Attrition Reserve aircraft). This action will begin in fiscal year 2000 (FY00) and be complete by FY01 (Air Force 1998a). Most recently, the Air Force, in an effort to streamline fighter squadron operations, made a decision to deactivate the 68 FS and 69 FS and relocate the 36 F-16 PAI aircraft and 1,259 military manpower authorizations associated with the aircraft to other locations. This action will begin in first quarter of FY01 (FY01/1) and be complete by FY01/2 (Air Force 1999a) Joint Primary Pilot Training Course Characteristics There are two courses in the Air Force in which primary pilot training is conducted: one for both Air Force and U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy) students and the other solely for Air Force students. Air Education and Training Command (AETC) bases that conduct training for both Navy and Air Force students implement the JPPT course. Air Force only training is conducted through the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) course. Both courses are configured the same with the exception of some Navy elements (e.g., swim test) that are part of the JPPT course. Currently, Vance AFB, Oklahoma conducts JPPT training; Laughlin AFB, Texas and Columbus AFB, Mississippi conduct SUPT (Air Force 1999e). The JPPT course is designed to qualify undergraduate pilots for advanced undergraduate pilot training and to prepare them for future responsibilities as military officers and leaders. To accomplish these requirements, three areas of instruction are presented: 1) flying training, 2) ground or academic training, and 3) officer development training. 1.0 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action 1-3

5 T-6A Beddown EA Final Flying training teaches the principles and techniques used in operating advanced aircraft. This includes the actual flying of the aircraft, formation flying, pattern training, in-flight emergency procedures, navigation, instrument flying, pre-flight preparations, and post-flight inspections. Ground (or academic) training supplements and reinforces flying training; it includes lessons in weather, aerodynamics, flight physiology, instruments, navigation, water and land survival, aircraft systems (e.g., communications, fuel, electrical, and hydraulic), and physical training. Officer training emphasizes leadership skills, officer qualities, and the understanding of the military pilot as a supervisor and officer (AETC and Chief of Naval Air Training 1998). 1.3 PURPOSE AND NEED The purpose of the proposed action is to establish a JPPT program at Moody AFB. The Air Force is currently experiencing a shortage of pilots due to a higher than expected pilot attrition and separation rate. To meet this higher than expected loss of Air Force pilots, the Air Force is increasing the number of student pilots entering the SUPT and JPPT programs. Since existing AETC installations are at maximum capacity for this pilot training program, other Air Force installations must be considered for pilot training. 1.4 REGULATORY COMPLIANCE A variety of laws, regulations, executive orders (EOs), and other types of requirements apply to federal actions and form the basis of the analysis presented in this EA. NEPA requires federal agencies to consider potential environmental consequences of proposed actions and enhance the environment through well-informed federal decisions. CEQ was established under NEPA to implement and oversee federal policy in this process. Other related federal level compliance documents include AFI (Air Force 1995c), Endangered Species Act, and EO 11514, Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality. 1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT This EA assesses the impacts of the proposed action and the no-action alternative on potentially affected environmental resource areas. Chapter 1.0 (this chapter) provides background information relevant to the proposed action and discusses its purpose and need. Chapter 2.0 describes the proposed action and alternative. Chapter 3.0 describes the baseline conditions (i.e., the conditions against which the potential impacts of the proposed action or alternative are measured) for each of the resource areas, while Chapter 4.0 describes environmental impacts of the proposed action or alternative on these resources. Chapter 5.0 includes an analysis of potential cumulative impacts associated with the proposed action and other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable projects; and Chapter 6.0 describes any irreversible or irretrievable (permanent) commitments of resources. Chapter 7.0 contains references used for the preparation of this EA, including correspondence. Chapter 8.0 lists persons contacted, and Chapter 9.0 lists the preparers. Appendices, as listed in the Table of Contents, follow Chapter Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action