Tell the Air Force what you think about putting F-35s at Tucson's Davis-Monthan

The Air Force is soliciting comments from the public on the possible basing of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

The service held an open-house meeting Tuesday at the Tucson Convention Center on a pending study of the F-35’s potential environmental impact if a unit was based at D-M.

There are no immediate plans to base the next-generation fighter jet at D-M.

In January, the Air Force passed over D-M and two other bases to pick Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, as its preferred location for the first Air Force Reserve F-35 base.

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But D-M and the other finalists — Homestead Air Reserve Base in Homestead, Florida, and Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri — will be studied along with the Fort Worth base for their environmental suitability for an F-35 squadron, and one of them could be next in line for a Reserve F-35 unit in the next round of basing decisions.

Tuesday’s meeting featured informational displays, and Air Force Reserve officials were on hand to answer questions from the public.

Written comments are due May 11 and can be submitted online at www.afrc-f35a-beddown.com or by mail to: Mr. Hamid Kamalpour, U.S. Air Force, AFCEC/CZN, 2261 Hughes Ave., Ste 155, Lackland AFB, Texas 78236-9853

The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be released in January 2019.