Apr 15 2019
Restoring Offutt Air Force Base
As citizens of Bellevue will tell you, there is an unmistakable sound that can be heard regularly in the surrounding community. It’s the sound that reminds residents that our nation’s skies are being defended – the distant rumbling of aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base. But after the arrival of Nebraska’s worst and most widespread flooding in a half century, there was silence.
Home to one of our country’s most critical national security assets, Offutt hosts the men and women of STRATCOM who stand ready around the clock, providing command and control for our nuclear deterrent.
Offutt also enables some of the United States’ most sensitive and complex missions, carried out by airmen of the 55th Wing. They ensure our commanders on the battlefield have the best available intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance information to execute their mission.
These brave men and women are prepared for any threat, but as waters from the Missouri River and Papio Creek began to swamp buildings and large portions of the facilities that comprise the base, they were faced with a test unlike anything they had seen before. The lives of everyone at Offutt were put at risk and the base’s critical equipment faced imminent damage.
To no one’s surprise, the response at Offutt was instantaneous.
Without hesitation, airmen and personnel throughout the installation answered the call. They worked as a team to move valuable equipment and sensitive electronics out of reach from the oncoming floodwaters. Personnel worked day and night to fortify the base, planting more than 235,000 sandbags and 460 barriers in an effort to hold the waters back as much as possible.
With no more than 48 hours to prepare, the RC-135’s and other essential aircraft were rapidly moved to safe locations and the planes that were unable to relocate were moved to higher ground. Plans were rapidly put into place to ensure operations at Offutt continued.
Despite the heroic efforts of the men and women at Offutt, nature’s force took an extensive toll on the base. At their peak, the floodwaters reached a depth 16 feet, which left a third of the base underwater and displaced more than 3,000 personnel. In total, 1.2 million square feet of Offutt’s facilities were submerged.
But because of the herculean effort of those at the base and the members of the Bellevue community, the lives of all airmen were kept safe. There were no injuries, and much vital equipment was saved.
Colonel Michael Manion, commander of the 55th Wing, said it best: “When the call came out for all hands-on deck… there was nothing but positive attitudes, strong backs, strong shoulders, as we fought the water… we are going to put this base back together. Every day we are getting a little bit better.”
Personnel at Offutt are working hard to account for the damages and resume suspended operations as the water continues to recede. In the meantime, I will be working with my Senate colleagues to ensure Offutt has every resource to recover, so that when the full accounting of damages is assessed, the base can quickly resume normal operations.
Recently, the runway was cleared for operation and planes that were relocated returned home. The patriotic sound of rumbling engines is heard again in Bellevue.
I want to offer my sincere thanks to all those at Offutt Air Force Base who responded to this natural disaster. I take great pride in representing everyone who makes this base a key component of our national security.
The road to Offutt’s recovery will not be easy. This will be a day-by-day, step-by-step process. But with the persistent hard work of the Air Force, Congress, and the local Bellevue community, we will rebuild and improve Offutt Air Force Base.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you next week.