LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Upper Peninsula lawmakers are supporting a new effort to explore whether military operations could return to the former K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base.
Last week, the Marquette County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to explore bringing a United States Air Force mission back to the area. The site, once home to K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, closed in 1995 but continues to host military training activities through the Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport.
State Reps. Dave Prestin, Karl Bohnak and Greg Markkanen publicly backed the effort, calling attention to the region’s role in national defense and its existing military infrastructure.
Prestin said he believes even a limited military presence could have a significant impact on the Upper Peninsula.
“Even a part-time Air Force base, you know, basically run by the Air National Guard would be just And A tremendous boost to the area,” Prestin said. “Breathing life into that airport, both on a regional airport side for the public, as well as from a DOD perspective, I think would just be a home run for the Marquette area and for the Upper Peninsula in general.”
Supporters point to the area’s history as a military installation and its continued use during exercises such as Northern Strike. Prestin said the site’s geographic location remains an asset.
“At the end of the day, that base was cited for strategic regions,” Prestin said. “And I think that those same reasons still exist to this day.”
The proposal remains in its early stages. Any future military mission would ultimately require support from federal officials and the Department of Defense.
Prestin said lawmakers plan to work with local leaders and existing military partners to keep discussions moving forward.
“We’re really looking forward to this conversation continuing and hopefully moving up the chain of command all the way to the federal level and hopefully getting some traction there,” Prestin said. “Because I think it’d be a great fit. And it would definitely be great for the UP.”
Supporters have emphasized that any future military presence would likely look very different from the former K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base and would require extensive planning with local, state and federal partners. For now, officials say the goal is to determine whether the site could once again play a larger role in national defense operations.
