Malmstrom Afb Decision Lauded

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Wednesday the decision to keep the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls was a triumph for common sense.

“Now, we can focus our energies on winning back the flying mission, rather than defending the missile mission,” Baucus said in a statement from Washington, D.C. “That will be a much harder case to make, but we’ll make it.”

Baucus said Malmstrom was shown to be the nation’s best missile base and key to national defense.

“The entire Great Falls com munity has really pulled together behind the effort to keep Malmstrom, and today we saw the payoff,” Baucus said.

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., praised the decision and said it suggested the Clinton administration was waking up to the position the nation needs 500 missile sites. Malmstrom has control over 200.

He also noted the deadline for base additions is May 17 and Wednesday’s vote left Malmstrom in a strong position.