Ellsworth Air Force Base Commander Colonel Kevin Kennedy says tough budget decisions may be ahead this year.
Kennedy gave his “State of Ellsworth Address” on Thursday morning.
Ellsworth narrowly escaped closure in 2005 during the last round of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission or BRAC.
Kennedy was asked if he thinks another BRAC round is coming in the next few years.
“Right now I know the Air Force we have more infrastructure than we can support. One of the threats that we haven’t talked yet is the budget control act. If the budget control act remains law, and we go in that in October of this year we’ll have significant impacts on our base,” says Kennedy.
In 2013, budget cuts grounded B1’s for several months. Base officials say this hurt combat readiness. Kennedy says a decrease in flying hours and training could come again this fall without a change to the Budget Control Act.
