Vice president, acting Air Force secretary confirm Tyndall AFB's future

TYNDALL AFB — In excited social media posts Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence and Acting Air Force Secretary Matt Donovan confirmed Tyndall Air Force Base remains slated to become the home of three F-35 fighter jet squadrons, likely sometime in 2023.

Tyndall was all but leveled when Hurricane Michael roared ashore across the eastern end of the Florida Panhandle in October. Plans for rebuilding the base are predicated on making it the "base of the future" for the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. Generally, those plans call for rebuilding the base with structures that can withstand 180-mph winds and making it resistant to storm surge.

F-35 operations at nearby Eglin AFB, which trains pilots and maintenance personnel for the fighter jet, won't be affected by plans for Tyndall AFB, according to Robert Leese, press desk officer with Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs.

Former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced in December, as Tyndall AFB and the Panhandle still were reeling from Hurricane Michael, that the service was recommending supplemental federal disaster funding be used to rebuild the base for the Air Force's next three squadrons of F-35s, each of which could comprise as many as 24 aircraft.

A subsequent Air Force analysis confirmed basing F-35s at Tyndall would make sense, and also, according to Leese, confirmed Wilson's assessment that F-35 basing could begin at Tyndall in 2023, given steady funding for the rebuilding.

Citing the recent Air Force analysis, Donovan said Tuesday via Twitter that "The @usairforce is committed to sending #F35s to @TeamTyndall. The #USAF just completed an in-depth analysis & confirmed @TeamTyndall is a great location for up to three #F35 squadrons that will increase our #readiness & #lethality. #PanHandleStrong."

Similarly, the vice president went to Twitter on Tuesday to note: "After Hurricane Michael destroyed Tyndall Air Force Base in October, I promised, on behalf of @realDonaldTrump, that our Admin would rebuild @TeamTyndall. I’m proud to announce we can rebuild the F35s by 2023! This is how we keep America’s great @usairforce lethal & ready!"

Congressional votes on supplemental disaster funding in the wake of Hurricane Michael were held up for months by partisan political wrangling over immigration, but Tyndall AFB was eventually allotted a share of the $1.67 billion in disaster funding steered to the Air Force. It is estimated that rebuilding Tyndall will carry a price tag of at least $3 billion.

The two F-22 Raptor fighter jet squadrons formerly at Tyndall were moved in the wake of Hurricane Michael, with a training squadron relocated to Eglin AFB. Current plans call for the F-22 squadron now at Eglin AFB to be moved to Virginia's Joint Base Langley-Eustis, pending completion of an environmental impact study.

An environmental study also will be required before the F-35 squadrons are located at Tyndall AFB, according to Leese. But, he said, work done in advance of those studies routinely assesses whether environmental factors could derail a basing decision.

Congress is currently in recess, but both of Florida's U.S. senators and Rep. Neal Dunn, the Republican representing the district that includes Tyndall, issued statements Tuesday in reaction to Pence and Donovan.

On Twitter, Dunn said, "Today @realDonaldTrump & @VP reaffirmed their commitment to fully rebuilding @TeamTyndall for the 5th generation fighter by 2023. This announcement gives certainty to our airmen at Tyndall & to the Panhandle as we continue to rebuild from Hurricane Michael. ... It’s clear the @usairforce & @POTUS recognize the importance of investing in @TeamTyndall as we modernize our warfighters. I look forward to continuing to work with the defense community to bring these squadrons in for a landing."

In a news release, Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said, “Today’s announcement is great news not only for national security, but also for the people of Florida. ... While Tyndall has a long road to full recovery, I am proud of what the base leadership, Air Force personnel, and their families have been able to accomplish in overcoming the devastation brought on by Hurricane Michael. I remain committed to seeing that Tyndall is fully rebuilt.”

Via Twitter, Republican Sen. Rick Scott posted thanks to President Donald Trump and Pence, writing, "Thank you @POTUS and @VP

 for keeping your promise to rebuild @TeamTyndall. Our military is incredibly important to our nation and a huge part of Florida’s economy and community."