As we reflect on our nation’s birthday, I would like to talk about something near and dear to my heart: Offutt Air Force Base. During my military career I was fortunate to have been stationed there for three years assigned to the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC). This group carries out an extremely important mission that is essential to our national defense. Offutt is something that we should all be proud of as patriots.

This past week Offutt provided a tour to the Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee along with other Senators. While I was not able to attend, I would still like to extend my thanks to Admiral Charles Richard, Rear Admiral Wheeler, and the many other personnel who made this tour possible. I also want to thank Senator Rita Sanders from the 45th District for being instrumental in setting up this tour. It comes as no surprise, given her steadfast commitment to the Offutt community over the years as the mayor of Bellevue and now as a freshman state senator from that area. 

Located right next to Bellevue, Nebraska, Offutt is the home of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), as well as the 595th Command & Control Group, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), and the 557th Weather Wing. These units bring a lot of personnel and materials to Nebraska. Offutt was estimated to have had a $2.3 billion economic impact on the Omaha metro area in 2018. I am pleased at the warm welcome we offer military personnel stationed here, and I know our service members are grateful. 

In March of 2019, a historic flood covered one-third of the base. That flood put more than 3,000 feet of the runway underwater along with 137 structures. The 55th Wing leadership stepped up with a team to oversee an extensive rebuilding project. While the runway is being replaced, the aircraft have been diverted to Lincoln. The mission will return to Offutt in October 2022 when the new runway and flood recovery is projected to be complete.

Another part of Offutt that was included in the tour was the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) housed in the historic Martin Bomber Building. They are one of a few facilities around the country whose mission is to recover the remains of United States military personnel who are listed as prisoners of war or missing in action from past conflicts. There are still 89,000 missing since WWII. They currently have the solemn responsibility of identifying remains of sailors and marines lost aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as those from Korea, Vietnam, and other conflicts. DPAA works closely with UNO and they identify approximately 200 veterans a year. 

USSTRATCOM is leading the world in keeping us safe, and we are very fortunate they are located here in Nebraska. Their mission is securing the objective of peace. Rest assured it is carried out with precision and diligence. They did not miss a beat during the 2019 flood — in fact everything went as planned. That should tell us that we are in very good hands.