Not 1 More Acre!

Stop the Pentagon’s 51st State. Protect the planet, protect your pocket, rescue the economy from the Pentagon, its contractors and politicians.

 Although extensive research by Not 1 More Acre! has revealed the facts below, none of these facts are included in Cannon’s proposed Low Altitude Training document now the subject of 17 “community forums” set up by nameless, faceless power brokers in the Pentagon and suites of global military contractors.

 Learn the facts below. Educate others about what they are hiding.

Stand up. Speak out.  Stop the Pentagon’s 51st State!

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Support groups working to Stop the Pentagon’s 51st State.

Tweet your protest to: @stopthe51state

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 Military contracting is now the number one driver of the US economy.

No wonder things are such a mess.

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FACTS

 Clovis, New Mexico. Cannon Air Force Base is seeking expansion of Low Altitude Training air space for Special Operations that intersect with massive land expansion plans at Army’s Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeasternColorado.

 The Air Force already uses more than half of the total US airspace.

Taxpayers already provide 35 million acres in the US to the Armed Forces for ground maneuvers. 

 Joint Forces propose to militarize all of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico “to provide the joint service community with a truly world class training area to develop joint tactics, techniques and procedures that cannot be honed anywhere out side of combat …” (Land Use Requirements Study secured by Freedom of Information request: www.not1moreacre.net/docs)

 In May 2005, the Secretary of Defense recommended to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission that Cannon AFB be closed.

 The Commission’s subsequent September 2005 final report to the President recommended that the base remain open as an enclave until at least 31 December 2009 or until a new mission could be found (Not 1 More Acre! strongly suspects that “mission” had already been “found” at the time Cannon was included on the closure list.).

 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced on 20 June 2006 that Cannon AFB and Melrose AFR would become AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) assets as of 1 October 2007 and would support the expansion of Air Force SOF (Special Operations Forces) and their training needs with the establishment of the 27 SOW (Special Operations Wing).

 As a result, the 60 ACC F-16s assigned toCannonAFBdeparted and are being replaced with 108 turboprop aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles along with an accompanying base population projected to increase by 50 percent. The base will be developed at a final cost of approximately $965 million to support AFSOC mission beddown.

 The 27 SOW atCannonAFBwas activated on 19 June 2006.

 The 108 AFSOC primary aircraft inventory (PAI) transfer toCannonAFBwill take place over a period of about six years.

 Approximately 25 to 33 percent of these aircraft could be deployed off-station at any given time. These aircraft include several C-130 variants, the CV-22, the Predator unmanned aerial system (war drone), and a non-standard aircraft. The Reaper war drone will also be — perhaps already is — operated from Cannon.

 The number of assigned airmen is estimated to grow to 5,680 with at least an equal number of support personnel. A special tactics squadron is expected to reside atCannonAFB, and another may be added in the future.

 A sampling of some of the 108 aircraft inventory follows. These war machines will be flown over pristine public and private lands in diverse bioregions including watersheds, farm and ranch lands, outstanding and undisturbed wildlife habitats, ancient and historic archaeological sites, science study areas, hot springs, rivers, world-class adventure lands providing jobs and quality of life throughout southern Colorado and northern New Mexico communities and giving travelers from around the world extraordinary outdoor experiences skiing, hiking, riding (bikes and horses), fishing, hunting, wildlife watching while exploring treasured grasslands, mountains and valleys found nowhere else on Earth.

 MQ-1 Predator — $4.5 million per unit (2006 dollars)

The MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial system (UAS). As a single-engine, medium-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft, the Predator’s primary mission is interdiction and conducting armed reconnaissance against critical, perishable targets.

When the Predator is not actively pursuing its primary mission, it acts as the Joint Forces Air Component Commander owned theater asset for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition in support of the Joint Forces Commander. Discussions are currently ongoing to add the MQ-9 Reaper ($53.5 million per unit – 2006 dollars) to Cannon AFB.

 MC-130H — $76 million per unit (2008 dollars)

The MC-130H Combat Talon II provides infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of SOF and equipment in hostile or denied territory. Secondary missions include psychological operations and helicopter air refueling.

 MC-130P —  $115 million per unit;  MC-130W — $ 60 million per unit

The Combat Shadow (P model) and Combat Spear (W model) fly low visibility, single or multi-ship missions in politically sensitive or hostile territory to provide air refueling for special operations aircraft. The MC-130P/Ws primarily fly missions during darkness to reduce the probability of being visually acquired and intercepted by airborne threats. Secondary mission capabilities may include airdrop of leaflets, small special operations teams, bundles and combat rubber raiding craft as well as night vision goggle use, takeoff and landing procedures, and in-flight refueling as a receiver. The Combat Shadow will be replaced by the MC-130J model — $115 million per unit.

 Stop the Pentagon’s 51st State.

Protect the planet, protect your pocket, rescue the economy 

from the Pentagon, its contractors and politicians.

  Not 1 More Acre!

Purgatoire, Apishapa & Comanche Grassland Trust

PO Box 773, Trinidad, Colorado  81082

Visit our website: www.not1moreacre.net;  Tweet us: @stopthe51state;
Email us: news@not1moreacre.net

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