Clovis mayor talks about recent cuts at Cannon AFB

Aug. 4—A decision by the U.S. Air Force to pull a special operations squadron out of Cannon Air Force Base in Eastern New Mexico has raised hackles from residents in nearby Clovis, where the installation's economic impact is considerable.

The Air Force last week announced it will relocate the 6th Special Operations Squadron's seven MC-130J airplanes and more than 300 service members from Cannon to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson in 2027.

At a Friday morning news conference, Clovis leaders tried to put at the departure in the best light possible.

The 300 to 350 airmen and women who will move to Tucson represent less than 5% of the total number of servicemen and women on the base, Sid Strebeck, president of the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce's military affairs committee, said at the news conference.

Clovis Mayor Mike Morris, also speaking at the news conference, said any news of a squadron leaving the base is "troubling" but he believes "the future is bright" for Cannon, which hosts the 27th Special Operations Wing, a part of the Air Force Special Operations Command.

Cannon is three times the size it was in 2005 when the Department of Defense considered closing the base through the Base Realignment and Closing Commission process. It has grown 15% in the last two years.

The Air Force is committed to the base long-term, Morris said.

The squadron moving to Tucson arrived in Clovis in October 2022. This spring, Air Force Special Operations Command decided to create a third "power projection" wing at Davis-Monthan, prompting the departure of the planes and support personnel from Cannon.

Morris said news "having anything to do with a force reduction" will make hearts skip a beat in Clovis because of the 2005 BRACC process, when the base was on a list of installations scheduled to be closed unless the Department of Defense found new missions to keep it in service. It's a memory still fresh in locals' minds.

Cannon AFB and nearby Melrose Air Force Range contributed an estimated direct, indirect and induced effect of 6,413 jobs, more than $400 million in wages and salaries, and $2 billion in a total industrial output during the 2020 fiscal year, according to an analysis by the University of New Mexico's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

News of the squadron's departure clearly unsettled the state's congressional delegation, which issued statements criticizing the decision when it became public last week.

"The importance of Cannon Air Force Base to Clovis, Curry County, and the State of New Mexico as a whole cannot be overstated," Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said in a statement.

"We are extremely disappointed in this decision by the Air Force's leadership. And we are dedicated to preserving Cannon as a stronghold of Air Force Special Operations, ensuring its continued contributions to national security," the statement continued.

The lawmakers also pledged to continue working to get the Air Force to increase its investment in Cannon.

On Friday, Morris attempted to allay fears.

"This announcement does not mean BRACC, it doesn't mean anything close to that," Morris said. "In fact, there's nothing to be concerned about."

David Robinson, a community member appointed by the Air Force to serve as a liaison between the base and broader community, said people in Clovis "should be glad to hear that news" because it is a sign the Special Operations Command is growing.

"After we vacated Afghanistan and Iraq, I wondered what would happen with AFSOC as we transitioned from that conflict to being able to deter the emerging threats from China and Russia," Robinson said. "This is a good sign that not only does AFSOC have a role, but it's an increasing role."

As national defense evolves, fluctuations in the number of members at different bases is natural, and Clovis and Curry County leaders think Cannon is "in a position to be on the winning end of those fluctuations," Morris said.

Local leaders acknowledged they do need to overcome challenges "if we want to grow Cannon," Robinson said.

The base has struggled with water contamination, housing and childcare shortages and lack of available medical care for service members.

According to Robinson, four in 10 vacancies at the base go unfilled because of the area's lack of specialty medical care, and Cannon is on track to spend $800,000 this year reimbursing members for medical travel.

Curry County Commission chair Robert Thornton said local leaders "will continue to make every effort" to meet service members' needs.