House Armed Services Committee to Hold Field Hearing in Michigan

Jul 24, 2006
Press Release

Contact: Josh Holly (Hunter), (202) 225-2539

                                                                                                                                  Mobile (202) 641-7186

                                                                                                        Blackberry: josh.holly@mail.house.gov

 

                                                                                                          Loren Dealy (Skelton), (202) 226-6339

                                                                                                                                    Mobile (703) 201-1692

                                                                                                     Blackberry: loren.dealy@mail.house.gov

 

House Armed Services Committee to Hold Field Hearing in Michigan

Field Hearing to Focus on National Security Concerns on the Northern Border

 

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Ranking Member Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) today announced that the Armed Services Committee will hold a field hearing in Michigan to review issues specific to the northern border and their implications to national security.  The field hearing will take place at Selfridge Air National Guard Base (ANGB) at 10:00 a.m. EST on August 1, 2006.

 

Specifically, the hearing will focus on the unique challenges the maritime environment of the Great Lakes’ region poses to security on the northern border.  Witnesses will also testify on the function Selfridge ANGB serves in ensuring local, state and federal coordination of border security, including how U.S. agencies work together and coordinate with their Canadian partners.  

 

Details for the field hearing are as follows:

 

What:              House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Field Hearing

 

Who:                           Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), HASC Chairman

                                    Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), HASC Ranking Member

Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), HASC

Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI), HASC

                          Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI), HASC

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)

                                    Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI)

Rep. Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI)

 

When:                         10:00 a.m. EST

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

 

Where: Joint Dining Facility (Building 164)
           Selfridge Air National Guard Base
           29423 George Avenue
           Selfridge, Michigan

           Public Affairs:
           Phone: (586) 307-5576
           Fax: (586) 307-4430

 

Witnesses:   Brigadier General Michael Peplinski
                  Commander, 127th Wing
                  Selfridge Air National Guard Base
                  Air National Guard
 
                 Chief Patrol Agent John Bates
                 Sector Chief
                 U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency
 
                 Captain Patrick Brennan
                 Commanding Officer, Sector Detroit
                 U.S. Coast Guard
 
                 Mr. John Jamian
                 Former Maritime Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
                 Former Executive Director, Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority
                 Former Michigan Legislator
 
                 Sheriff Dan Lane
                 St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department
                 St. Clair County, Michigan
 
                 Colonel Paul Disney
                 U.S. Northern Command
                 Joint Task Force North – J3
                 United States Army

Additional Witnesses to be Announced

Details for News Media: Credentialed news media interested in covering the field hearing should RSVP to the Selfridge ANGB Public Affairs Office at (586) 307-5576 by 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday, July 31.

Broadcast media planning to cover the field hearing should plan to arrive at Selfridge ANGB’s Joy Gate no later than 8:00 a.m. EST on August 1 for security screening.

Print media planning to cover the field hearing should plan to arrive at Selfridge ANGB’s Joy Gate no later than 9:00 a.m. EST on August 1 for security screening.

Details for General Public: Selfridge ANGB’s Joy Boulevard Gate will be open to the public beginning at 8:30 a.m. EST.  General public traffic will be directed to a designated parking area and then bussed to the hearing facility.  Those wanting to be present during the hearing must be through the gate by 9:45 a.m.

Large purses or bags should not be brought in order to lessen security concerns and all items brought in are subject to search.

Due to safety concerns, pedestrian and/or bike traffic is prohibited from entering the Base for this event.  RVs and buses are also prohibited from entering the base for the hearing due to the amount of time it would take security to screen the vehicles.  We ask that groups do not arrive in vehicles larger than 15 passenger vans to assist with these security constraints.

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