SW New Mexico News

Last week, on June 30, 2023, Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) sent a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force expressing concern over the personnel contract cancellations and potential job losses at Holloman Air Force Base.

“Holloman Air Force Base directly employs over 5,000 people, with an additional 1,700 individuals employed through indirect support roles, contributing over $420 million in earned income to the local economy in Alamogordo,” said Vasquez. “These service members, civilians, contractors, and their families are an integral part of keeping Alamogordo’s economy alive and well.”

As the only Member from the New Mexico delegation to serve on the House Armed Services Committee, Vasquez is routinely involved with the state’s military installations. When the Air Force began conversations to cancel their contract for instructors of the MQ-9 (Reaper) Initial Qualification Training program at Holloman, Vasquez immediately sought ways to protect those jobs.

“We understand that roughly 70 contractors would lose their jobs in the MQ-9 training program at Holloman, and we’re concerned about the negative impacts that may have on Alamogordo’s economy and the families who live there,” Vasquez remarked. 

Beyond the economic impacts this contract cancellation may have, the potential loss of subject matter expertise these contracted instructors possess may impact mission readiness. The Air Force has indicated that these vacancies will be filled by active-duty Airmen. However, Vasquez has requested that the Air Force provide his district with answers to how and why this decision was made. 

The full text of the letter is below: 

Dear Secretary Kendall,

We are writing to you regarding reports of the cancellation of a personnel contract for the MQ-9 (Reaper) Initial Qualification Training program at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Holloman Air Force Base is located in a rural part of southern New Mexico and plays a key economic role in supporting the local community. Holloman directly employs over 5,000 people, with an additional 1,700 individuals employed through indirect support roles, contributing over $420 million in earned income to the local economy. These service members, civilians, contractors, and their families are an integral part of keeping Alamogordo’s economy alive and well.

We understand that roughly 70 contractors would lose their jobs in the MQ-9 training program at Holloman, and we are concerned about the negative impacts that may have on Alamogordo’s economy and the families who live there. Furthermore, due to the nature of stationing and regular rotation of Airmen, we are concerned about losing the experience and expertise that seasoned contractors provide in these training roles. For nearly 20 years, the U.S. Air Force has lamented on its pilot shortage. While the Air Force has made progress on pilot shortages, we believe that future shifts in retention could jeopardize the MQ-9 training program at Holloman if the Air Force moves to using only active-duty Airmen. The MQ-9 Reaper remains one of the U.S. Air Force’s most versatile platforms in the contemporary battlefield. Any decrease in qualified trained pilots could pose a significant risk to national security and the U.S. Air Force’s effectiveness.

We respectfully request a response to the following questions by Friday, August 4th, 2023:

• What metrics were used in the decision to cancel the MQ-9 Initial Qualification Training personnel contract?
• How will the mission proceed should these positions be eliminated, and active-duty instructors are unavailable?
• On average, how long will the active-duty instructors be stationed at Holloman and what considerations have been made to ensure continuity of training between instructors?
• If the Air Force expects to save money by cancelling the contract, what are the expected savings?
• What conditions would need to be met to renew this, or a similar contract for the MQ-9 training program?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely, 

Gabe Vasquez

Ben Ray Luján

Original source can be found here.