,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bhhe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bh1    
#bjaf ,mr4 ,tillis introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to extend the    
runway at ,pope ,army ,airfield4  #a4   
,extension of the runway at ,pope ,army 
,airfield  7a7 ,findings ,congress makes
 the following findings3 7#a7 ,pope     
,army ,airfield1 ,north ,carolina1 is   
the busiest tactical airfield in the    
,armed ,forces but has one of the       
shortest runways in the ,army4  7#b7    
,pope ,army ,airfield is the principal  
training field for ,america's ,global   
,response ,force4  7#c7 ,the mission of 
the ,global ,response ,force is to have 
units of the ,,xviii ,airborne ,corps   
anywhere in the world within #dh hours  
notice4  7#d7 ,the current ,pope ,army  
,airfield runway length is #g1ejj feet  
with #a1jjj feet hardened overruns1     
providing #h1ejj feet for aircraft      

takeoff4  7#e7 ,the ,c-#ag requires a   
#aj1ejj foot runway for take-off with a 
maximum gross take-off weight of        
#ehe1jjj pounds4  7#f7 ,the ,c-#e       
requires an #aa1ejj foot runway for     
maximum gross take-off weight of        
#gfi1jjj pounds4 ,because the ,c-#e load
 normally fills the cargo bay space     
prior to meeting the maximum payload1 a 
#aj1ejj foot runway is considered       
adequate4  7#g7 ,the ,c-#ag and ,c-#e   
,airlift aircraft cannot depart fully   
fueled and with a full load of          
paratroopers on the current ,pope       
,runway4  7#h7 ,these aircraft require  
air refueling because the runway length 
at ,pope ,field will not allow a full   
fuel load due to the mission cargo      
weight requirements4  7#i7 ,the ,united 
,states ,air ,force air refueling fleet 
is already stressed and ,c-#ags are     
currently required to do stopovers at   
,charleston1 ,south ,carolina1 or       
,gander1 ,newfoundland4 ,one refueling  
stop for airlift1 coming out of ,pope1  

at ,gander1 ,newfoundland1 costs #ag1jjj
 per hour4  7#aj7 ,if #ec aircraft1 the 
number required to outload the heaviest 
,brigade ,combat ,team1 have to refuel  
at ,gander1 it costs over #b1jjj1jjj    
one-way4 ,this refueling stop adds two  
hours and thirty minutes to the mission4
  7#aa7 ,prior to the last round of base
 closure and realignment1 extending the 
,pope ,army ,airfield runway to         
accommodate fully loaded ,c-#ag and     
,c-#e aircraft was ,air ,mobility       
,command's number one airfield project  
and the ,united ,states ,air ,force's   
number two project for funding4  7#ab7  
,extending the ,pope ,army ,airfield    
runway to accommodate the airlift       
requirements of the ,global ,response   
,force and the ,,xviii ,airborne ,corps 
is a national strategic priority4  7b7  
,report requirement ,not later than #ahj
 days after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary of the ,army1
 in coordination with the ,commander of 
the ,,xviii ,airborne ,corps and the    

commanding officer of ,fort ,bragg1     
shall submit to ,congress a report      
7including analytical and justification 
materials7 outlining plans to extend the
 runway at ,pope ,army ,airfield and    
whether such project is a priority for  
the ,united ,states ,army4