will be used as essential standby power for airfield lighting, control tower, navigation aids, and other electrical areas.

The next installation to be considered is Richard Bong Air Force Base. It is located in the vicinity of Madison, Wis. The intended use of this base is for a Strategic Air Command medium bomber mission, an Air Defense Command fighter mission, and other SAC requirements. The first increment of facilities for the SAC and ADC missions at Richard Bong Air Force Base was funded through the fiscal year 1958 construction program. This program consists of a second increment of facilities. Since Richard Bong Air Force Base is a virgin site, all facilities contained in this request are deficiencies. The requirements are all in accordance with the standard SAC pattern, and the facilities involved amount to $15,552,000. Specifically, this program includes the following items:

The first item will provide an extension to the previously authorized runway, which will result in an overall runway of 12,300 feet long by 200 feet wide. The extension in this request is 800 feet long.

The next item is an installations engineer facility which will provide egress and ingress to the maintenance docks.

The next item is an operational apron for aircraft parking. This item is required to complete the apron requirement at Richard Bong Air Force Base.

The next item is an operational alert apron for parking of aircraft on alert status.

The next item provides 5 high-speed refueling hydrants against an eventual requirement for 10 hydrants.

The next item completes the requirement at Richard Bong Air Force Base for a base communications facility.

The next item completes the requirement for a base operations building.

The next item provides four aircraft maintenance docks which will be used for field maintenance requirements for Strategic Air Command aircraft.

The next item is an armament and electronics shop which will be used for maintenance and repair work on the aircraft armament and electronics systems.

The next item is an installation engineer facility which will provide a complete installations engineer maintenance component.

The next item is an ordnance storage facility for the Strategic Air Command bomber unit.

The next item is a 50-bed hospital which includes a dental clinic. The next item is an airman dormitory for 1,200 men. There have been no dormitories previously authorized at Richard Bong Air Force Base.

The next item is officers' quarters for 40 men. This facility will provide an increment toward the eventual requirement of 90 men.

The next item is an airmen service club of 7,500 square feet; 6,500 square feet have been previously authorized and the facility requested here, together with the previous authorizations, will fill the requirement for service club.

The last item is an officer's open mess; 6,500 feet have been previously authorized. This request for 7,500 feet, together with the previous authorization, will fill the requirement for an officer's open mess at Richard Bong Air Force Base.

In addition, authorization is requested for construction of 900 units of family housing with private capital under the provisions of title VIII of the National Housing Act as amended.

Schilling Air Force Base is the next location to be considered, and it is located 4 miles southwest of Salina, Kans. The planned use of Schilling Air Force Base is for a Strategic Air Command medium bomber mission and other Strategic Air Command and Military Air Transport Service activities. The total program requested for Schilling Air Force Base amounts to $2,352,000. It includes the following items:

The first item will provide paved overruns for both ends of the

runway.

The next item is a rapcon center which will furnish air traffic control for the area under all weather conditions.

The next item is for approach lights on the instrument end of the primary runway. The existing runway approach lights do not provide the desired visability necessary for high-speed, low-approach characteristics of jet-type aircraft.

The next item is a ready alert crew building to accommodate the Strategic Air Command combat crews while on alert.

The next item furnishes additional ammunition storage capability for the Strategic Air Command mission.

The last item provides utilities for the new Strategic Air Command alert area.

The next installation to be considered is Travis Air Force Base, located 6 miles east of Fairchild, Calif. The planned used of this base is for a SAC heavy bomber mission, MATS transport squadrons, an ADC fighter unit, and other SAC, MATS, and ADC activities. The total program requested for Travis Air Force Base amounts to $2,997,000. This program contains the following items:

The first item will strengthen sections of the primary instrument runway. Sections of this runway have already shown signs of failure under B-36 traffic. With the assignment of the B-52 aircraft with much heavier wheel load characteristics, it is urgent that this runway be strengthened at the earliest possible date.

The next item is a ready alert crew building which will be sited near the alert apron to accommodate crews on alert status.

The next item provides additional jet fuel storage. The requirement for this storage is 208,000 barrels. There is existing, or under construction, 124,300 barrels. The 35,000 barrels in this request provide an increment toward the total requirement.

The last item provides utilities in support of the new SAC alert area. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, go to Westover.

Colonel JACKSON. The next installation to be considered is Westover Air Force Base, located 5 miles northeast of Chicopee Falls, Mass. Planned use of this base is for a SAC heavy bomber mission, a SAC numbered Air Force headquarters, an ADC fighter unit and other SAC, ADC, and MATS activities. The program requested at Westover totals $1,345,000. It includes two items as follows.

The first item is an airman dormitory. The requirement for airman dormitory spaces at Westover is 4,064. There are 3,697 existing, of which 2,612 are substandard mobilization-type structures. The requested 400 spaces in this program plus the 1,000 spaces now under

construction will leave a deficiency of approximately 1,500 for future replacement.

The second item is a commissary store. The requirement for this facility is 18,910 square feet. The only facility existing at Westover for this facility is 11,600 square feet in an old theater-of-operationstype building. This facility has long outlived its usable life and is economically not repairable. Facility contained in this request will satisfy the commissary requirement and permit disposal of the existing unsatisfactory and unusable structure.

In addition, authorization is requested for construction of 310 units of family housing with private capital under the provisions of title VIII of the National Housing Act as amended.

Whiteman Air Force Base is the last Zone of Interior Strategic Air Command base to be considered. It is located 1 mile south of Knobnoster, Mo. The planned use of this base is for a SAC medium bomber mission and other SAC and MATS activities. The program requested for Whiteman Air Force Base totals $5,185,000. It includes the following items.

The first item is an operations alert apron for the parking of alert aircraft.

The next item is a ready alert crew building to be sited in the vicinity of the alert parking apron to accommodate the crews on alert status. The next item provides additional ammunition storage capability for the SAC mission.

The next item furnishes utilities to the new SAC alert area and the last item will permit the purchase of land to obtain the necessary safety distance clearance around the alert aircraft.

In addition, authorization is requested for construction of 154 units of family housing with private capital under the provisions of title VIII of the National Housing Act as amended.

This bill also amends Public Law 85-241 to provide an additional $71,000 in authorization to correct increased costs on projects approved by that law.

The CHAIRMAN. All right, now, everybody has a book, volume 3— Tactical Air Command.

Tell the committee something of what is the military justification for Tactical Air Command. What is it?

General DREYER. The mission of this command, Mr. Chairman-
The CHAIRMAN. Wait a minute, General.

Mr. DURHAM. Could the gentleman over here give us the page in the book?

Colonel JACKSON. Yes, sir; page 2 of volume 3 is George Air Force Base.

Mr. DURHAM. All right.

Colonel JACKSON. Which is the first base of Tactical Air Command. The CHAIRMAN. All right. Give some information in regard to what is Tactical Air Command.

General DREYER. The mission of the Tactical Air Command is to organize, equip, train, and administer the forces assigned or attached, to participate in tactical air operations, including light and tactical bombardment, day fighter, fighter bomber, tactical missiles, troop carrier, reconnaissance and support units; maintenance of liaison with Continental Army Command and the determination of the amount of

Tactical Air Command resources to allocate for the training of Air Force and Army personnel and units in air-ground operations; and maintenance of a capability and development of plans for the deployment of plans for the deployment of mobile atomic strike forces for use in tactical air operations in any area of the world independent of or in concert with other land, air, naval, and/or amphibious forces. This program contains a request for $15,819,000 for Tactical Air Command and provides facilities at 7 locations.

Included within the Tactical Air Command total program are facilities for operational and base support items totaling $7,546,000. The balance of the program provides facilities for a mission at 2 locations for $5,677,000 and an ADC mission at 1 base costing $2,596,000.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, what is the total amount in these 5 or 6 bases? Colonel JACKSON. This program contains the request for $15,819,000 for Tactical Air Command, and provides facilities at 7 locations. The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Now, members of the committee, the only one-after a close examination of each one of these items, we find that we think we are warranted in making a reduction at Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro, from $4,858,000 down to $4,707,000.

Colonel JACKSON. The next installation to be considered is SeymourJohnson Air Force Base, located 2 miles south-southeast of Goldsboro, N. C. The planned use of this base is for a Tactical Air Command fighter unit, an Air Defense Command fighter unit, and a Strategic Air Command heavy-bomber mission. The total program requested at Seymour-Johnson amounts to $4,858,000 and includes the following items:

The first item is an operational alert apron for the alert parking of the Strategic Air Command aircraft.

The next item is a ready alert crew building which will be sited in the vicinity of the alert apron to accommodate the Strategic Air Command combat crews on alert.

The next item provides storage for jet fuel. The requirement for this storage amounts to over 65,000 barrels. There exist approximately 55,000 barrels, and the requested 10,000 barrels will complete this requirement.

The next item provides ammunition storage for the assigned Air Defense Command fighter units.

The next item is an airmen dining hall. The requirement for this facility is 2,602 spaces. There are 2,100 spaces under construction. The 400-man dining hall requested in this program substantially meets the dining-hall requirement.

The next item furnishes utilities support for the new Strategic Air Command alert area.

The last item provides a 114-mile extension of the base railroad system.

Mr. DURHAM. Wait a minute.

Mr. KITCHIN. Striking out what, Mr. Chairman?

The CHAIRMAN. About $100,000.

Mr. KELLEHER. Railroad trackage, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. What?

Mr. KELLEHER. Railroad trackage is being cut out there.

The CHAIRMAN. Railroad trackage. We cut that out.

Mr. PRICE. Does the general have any comment on that?

General RENTZ. I certainly do, Mr. Price. Thank you. I considered this railroad trackage a very important item, in order that we can bring the fuel up to the storage points. I recognize that it is a controversial type item. We have had objections from one of the railroads on the extension of this track.

Mr. DURHAM. You always have, down there. Every time we try to do anything to facilitate the Army, Navy, or anyone else, we have had the same difficulty.

General RENTZ. Yes, sir.

Mr. DURHAM. The same old argument.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Kelleher, what is your reaction?

Mr. KELLEHER. Mr. Chairman, I understand the Air Force, in addition to what the general has said, has made a restudy of this matter, and feels it could be deferred for another year, until the study is completed. This additional trackage may or may not prove to be

necessary.

I want to make it clear that, today, they can transport their material down there on the existing trackage.

The CHAIRMAN. That is right. It does not interfere at all with the ability to deliver the goods to the station; not at all. Now, it is only a reduction of-how much?

Mr. KELLEHER. $151,000.

The CHAIRMAN. $151,000. I think we are warranted. Because, as the general just said, it can be

Mr. DURHAM. Mr. Chairman, why don't we authorize it?

Mr. PRICE. He just said it was an important item.

Mr. DURHAM. They don't have to spend the money this year, as far as that is concerned. I think this item-I know something about it. I know the difficulty there.

General RENTZ. Yes, sir, Mr. Durham.

Mr. DURHAM. I have been there myself, personally.

General RENTZ. Yes, sir.

Mr. DURHAM. It is one of the first things we took up when they located the base down there?

General RENTZ. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Any other comments of the Department in regard to it?

General RENTZ. No, sir. I would like to say what Mr. Kelleher said was correct; that we have gone back to the Tactical Air Command to take another look at this project.

The CHAIRMAN. That is right.

General RENTZ. Due to the fact that we do-it is a controversial type item and that present trackage on the base today can bring in all the supplies necessary.

The CHAIRMAN. That is right.

General RENTZ. It does mean a shift into the trucks and trucking the items a little further. It is mostly fuel.

Mr. DURHAM. Right.

General RENTZ. I would say if it gets deleted from this program it will again appear in the 1960 program, as we consider a very important item, if the Tactical Air Command comes in in their justification and clarifies their position.