Committee of 50 transitions after 53 years of community service

ALAMOGORDO — The Committee of Fifty of the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce recently announced that they are transitioning as a group but are still currently active as an organization until elections are held July 11 for the newly formed MainGate United.

Since 1964, the committee has been in the forefront of national leaders, both political and military, for the purpose of assuring continued success to the community’s economic stability.

According to the Committee of Fifty’s constitution and bylaws, its mission was to promote and support the expansion, development and missions of Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range.

The committee advocates for the military and sponsors events that foster understanding and appreciation between the civilian and military population of southern New Mexico, according to their constitution.

For the past 53 years, the Committee of Fifty has worked tirelessly to assist the county’s military bases to make sure they have everything they need to thrive.

Committee of Fifty Past Chair Toots Green, who has been involved with the organization for almost 30 years, said they have worked very closely with Holloman over the years even going to congress to meet with representatives to advocate for funding for the base.

“We would go to congress and visit our senators and representatives and then we would go to the Pentagon and visit with the Air Force, just to let them know we were here and we cared about the base because they’re a big part of our economy,” Green said. “You can’t get things done in one little visit though, sometimes it takes years to get a project finished, and we worked tirelessly on some of those.”

Over the years the Committee of Fifty has changed by adding more than 50 members to include more residents despite negative perceptions the group was inclusive.

“Over the years we’ve changed the bylaws and we opened it up so it didn’t just have to be 50 members,” Green said. “The Committee of Fifty has seen some negative perceptions like the nickname the ‘shifty 50.’ The group wanted to start something that was brand new and not have the Committee of Fifty name, maybe get more people involved and they just promoted that and sold it to the community. The Committee of Fifty decided to dissolve and whoever wants to join this other group can join this other group.”

MainGate is a new nonpartisan group of community volunteers to lead the Tularosa Basin in the right direction to welcome the new F-16 squadrons from Hill Air Force Base and also supports other military related topics to increase business opportunities for the community.

Committee of Fifty member Ed Brabson, who was also a Past Chair, said one of the reasons he believes the group received a negative view was because of the name itself which seemed to be inclusive.

“When you say Committee of Fifty it sounds inclusive, for some reason people felt that it was a blackball organization where people got voted in and out but in all the years I’ve been in it only one person has been asked to leave for personal issues, but that’s it,” Brabson said. “Some of it is it’s easy to find someone to blame, people felt we were a secret organization and we were an expensive organization to a lot of people, so a lot of people were excluded.”

Brabson said that’s one of the reasons members wanted to create a new group, MainGate, to create a brand new start with new voices.

However, Green added that the Committee of Fifty did a lot of good for the community and continues to support southern New Mexico’s military bases.

“We have sponsored Thanks Team Holloman for 21 years and I have been the chairman of that and when the Germans first came we had a big celebration for them to welcome them in the community,” Green said. “The Thanks Team Holloman is an event that we have about 200 plus volunteers. We go out to the base and cook hamburgers and hot dogs, there’s also beer and ice cream and a kids area where they all play. There is live music and it’s just a fun event to show appreciation for military and what they do for the community. It’s something that they look forward to, it’s free to them and their families. That’s one of the things we’ve done consistently.”

The committee also sponsors an annual golf tournament between the military and local business leaders. This tournament affords the opportunity for area and local business people to commune with military leaders and key civilian base personnel learning about each other and what they do in their place of business or assigned position.

Throughout the year the committee travels to Washington, D.C. and or other military installations throughout the United States conferring with military and political leaders that their partnership is strong for furtherance of military missions.

Green said over the years the committee has appropriated for fire stations and runways at Holloman.

She said she is interested in joining MainGate to continue supporting Holloman and White Sands Missile Range especially after welcoming the new F-16 squadrons.

“I want to join and support them because we need to keep up the support of Holloman Air Force Base. I hope it works the way they have it laid out and something good will come of it,” Green said. “I think it’s going to be a big boom for our community and I believe that if we all work together and show the support of the town that helps, the military looks at that and see if the community is willing to accept them and play a part in it.”

Green and Brabson said they will continue to support the military bases and support MainGate and are proud of the legacy that the Committee of Fifty has impacted on the community.