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Friends of Seymour update: local advocates press Congress to retain Seymour Johnson missions, seek maintenance and divestment language in NDAA
Summary
Friends of Seymour representatives told Goldsboro council members they are pursuing language in the FY‑26/27 NDAA to prevent F‑15E divestment and to secure additional maintenance funding for Seymour Johnson AFB; staff and outside advisers are supporting congressional offices and pursuing Defense Community Infrastructure Program opportunities.
Kenneth Gerard, speaking for Friends of Seymour, briefed the City Council on ongoing federal advocacy to protect Seymour Johnson Air Force Base missions and to secure infrastructure support.
Gerard told council that advocacy in Washington is active but that congressional and appropriations calendars and world events can slow progress. He said the group’s priorities include preserving language that would stop divestment of F‑15E aircraft in 2027, securing additional maintenance dollars for the F‑15 fleet and advancing discretionary Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) awards and other appropriations that could help local projects such as UV system work at the water reclamation facility.
Gerard said staff and strategy partners (Crossroads) are working closely with Representative Don Davis’ office and Senator constituent staff; Representative Davis has been an active “champion,” Gerard said. On the Senate side, staff will continue receiving military debriefs and proposed language during the armed services and appropriations process, and markups are scheduled for July (presenters said both House and Senate committees will consider NDAA markups in July).
Gerard and staff noted these points: - Friends of Seymour and allied lobbyists continue to push for language that would delay or stop divestment of F‑15Es and to pursue additional maintenance funding for frontline squadrons, particularly installations that deploy a high share of personnel. - Crossroads Strategy staff and Friends of Seymour members have briefed both Senator and Representative staff, and the group is coordinating messaging and draft language. - The city is also pursuing Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) and other grant opportunities tied to the base; staff said the DCIP project pipeline (e.g., a UV system upgrade) is being actively pursued and that the community’s base presence makes it competitive for such awards.
Gerard noted the economic scale of Seymour Johnson AFB to the local economy — figures cited in the presentation were roughly $1.1 billion in economic impact and about $500 million in payroll annually — and urged continued city support for the advocacy coalition.
Ending: Gerard asked council members to maintain public and financial support for Friends of Seymour efforts and to lend direct advocacy when council members meet federal and state officials. Council members asked how they could help and were urged to emphasize the base’s frontline status and deployment tempo in federal discussions.
