Problem is, budgets are allocated by Congress, and the facilities may be part of the latest round of proposed base closings. Once again, that's really the responsibility of Congress, but cowards that they are, they handed off responsibility for base closings to a commission years ago.
At this point, the proposals are just that -- proposals. The list of bases targeted to close has been changed in the past. It's a highly political thing. No congressman or senator wants the base in their district to close.
He's the founder of Rolling Thunder and I saw his speech at RT on cpsin. He mentioned they met w the Pres last year on this day and he promised to keep looking for the POWs and MIAs and that they haven't done that. He said we supported you in 2 elections and blah, blah, blah. He also talked about how Sect'y Principe 'worked his butt' off for the Vets and added docs & nurses, but that Nicholson was cutting the budget and they were losing docs and nurses. They weren't happy and they wanted the Administration to do something.
There was also another guy on talking about how he had researched POWs & MIAs and had gone to court (in 1998 or 9) to get records released and that the CIA and DOD were holding back records. He said Pres George HW Bush had written an executive order and people weren't honoring it, hiding files, etc.
Unfortunately I missed Rummy's speech and was wondering about his reception given the 2 speakers I mentined above.
I'm fairly sure they did not introduce Gen Meyers by his title, but rather that he was a Gen that served in Viet Nam (remember being curious why they did that - guess they all knew who he is). Gen Meyers did a nice job (looked great, too ;-)