By now you have all probably read and heard about the agreement that was signed this past week between the United States and the Republic of Poland concerning the deployment of ground-based Ballistic Missile Defense Interceptors in the Territory of the Republic of Poland.
Following the progress of what led to the final agreement has been of particular interest to me because I, along with Mayor Dick DeWees, Vandenberg Air Force Base and Army Missile Defense Agency representatives, have had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Republic of Poland to discuss military/community relations.
Our role in this process started several months ago with our participation in meetings with Riki Ellison, president and founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. Ellison's agency has been a strong advocate for locating the Interceptors in Poland. If you are saying to yourself, “Why do I know that name?” He is the same Riki Ellison who has three Super Bowl Rings as a linebacker for the 49ers. He also played for the Raiders.
Back to the subject at hand. We met once with the representatives from the City of Slupsk and once with representatives of the City of Ustka. In addition to representatives from Poland, we have had occasion to meet twice with different members of Parliament from the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic will be the home of the missile defense radar tracking systems for the Interceptors that will be located in the Republic of Poland.
In every meeting, the main topic of discussion and the key questions that the mayor and I were asked related to base/community relations. These questions stemmed from the years and years of their experience resulting from Russian military occupation. They were seeking assurances that the relationships between United States military personnel and their citizens would be positive for everyone.
In addition to those questions, we discussed the economic impact of Vandenberg, education for military families and participation in community activities by military families. The final outcome of the signing of the agreement will come upon ratification by the Polish Parliament. These discussions have also led to the preliminary stages of exploring a sister city relationship with Ustka.
Denny Anderson is president and CEO of the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.
August 26, 2008
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