Posted on 02/07/2004 4:24:48 PM PST by kcvl
Pentagon exec, Kennedy to tour Hanscom base
By Jon Chesto Saturday, February 7, 2004
Massachusetts' senior U.S. senator plans to bring a top Pentagon official on a tour of Hanscom Air Force Base next week as the campaign to save the Bedford military base intensifies.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a Democrat, told business leaders yesterday at a Sun Microsystems office in Burlington that Defense Undersecretary Michael Wynne will visit next Friday as Pentagon leaders look to close bases starting next year.
Bay State politicians are trying to convince Pentagon officials that high-tech expertise and proximity to research institutions should be factored into any base-closing decisions. They're also trying to save the Army's Natick labs.
Local political leaders and executives hope those factors will favor Hanscom and the Natick labs.
``I think we've got the facts on our side,'' Kennedy said. ``I'm very hopeful and optimistic. But we've got to work on it until the very end.''
Alan J. Macdonald, senior vice president at MassDevelopment, said Wynne's visit will be the latest step in promoting the bases.
``It's easy to sit in Washington and say, `Boy, it's expensive to run a military installation up in Boston,' '' said Macdonald. ``We feel the more people know and understand the unique climate that exists in and around Hanscom Air Force Base and Natick, the harder it is to close them.''
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