Bases in Calif., Maine, Va. Added to List

AP ^ | 7/19/05 | Liz Sidoti

[Non-Sequitur]

WASHINGTON - Military installations in California, Maine and Virginia were added Tuesday to the hundreds that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had already proposed for closing or shrinking.

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The Navy Broadway Complex in San Diego and the Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Maine, were placed on the list of facilities to be closed. The Naval Master Jet Base at the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, which the Pentagon proposed trimming in size, would be reduced even further or shut down, the base-closing commission voted.

The commission was voting Tuesday on whether to add facilities in 11 states and Washington, D.C., to the list. The panel is making final decisions next month about which bases to propose for closing or reductions, with President Bush and Congress making a binding decision in the fall.

The San Diego facility has headquarters for Navy operations in the Southwest, while the Navy's tactical air units are trained and deployed from the Virginia base. The Brunswick air base is the last active-duty Defense Department airfield in New England and one of Maine's largest employers, with nearly 4,900 military and civilian workers. It had been slated for downsizing but now will be considered for closure.

Before voting on additions, Chairman Anthony Principi cautioned that adding a base to the list "does not necessarily mean that the base will be realigned or closed" but will allow the panel to further analyze those bases' usefulness by visiting sites, collecting data and holding hearings.

In a reprieve for California, the commission voted against putting the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego on the closure list even though several commissioners had wanted to consider merging it with the service's other recruiting facility in Parris Island, S.C.

The Naval Shipyard at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which repairs submarines, surface vessels and aircraft carriers, also was saved, although by a slim margin. The vote was five in favor of adding it to the list and four against adding it. However, seven commissioners had to vote in the affirmative for it to be added.

Several commissioners had wanted to put the Pacific shipyard on the list to compare its performance with another base slated for closure, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.

The panel also declined to add Moody Air Force Base in Georgia to the list.

Commissioners also were slated to vote on whether to add to list for possible closure the Galena Airport Forward Operating Location in Alaska, and on whether to consider shutting down, rather than simply scaling back forces as the Pentagon proposed, at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.

Overall, the panel was expected to cast about a dozen votes Tuesday on whether to increase the number of facilities that may be closed or compressed in size. Votes also were to be taken to allow the commission to consider merging administrative, education and medical services from locations in several states and Washington, D.C.

The votes show the independent commission's willingness to diverge — at least somewhat — from the plan Rumsfeld submitted in May, when he proposed closing or reducing forces at 62 major domestic bases and hundreds of smaller installations from coast to coast.

The panel's actions were sure to ignite a new round of lobbying by communities whose military facilities were being targeted.

The nine-member commission must send its list to the president in September.

At this stage, adding bases to the Pentagon's proposed list of closures or consolidations will allow the commission to conduct public hearings, visit those sites and collect data, in some situations making direct comparisons with bases that perform similar missions and are slated for closure.

It takes votes from seven of nine commission members to add a base to the list. The commission then will have to reaffirm each decision in August with seven of nine votes. Other bases on the Pentagon's list can be removed then with five of nine votes.

Commissioners also have expressed serious reservations with the Pentagon's plan to disband or move dozens of Air National Guard units. However, that issue was not slated to be voted on Tuesday, and commissioners were working behind the scenes to determine what to do with that part of the proposal.

[topher]

Sounds like the opposition by Senator Susan Collins to Bush Judicial Nominees will hurt her and Senator Olympia Snow.

Senators Boxer and Feinstein have never provided an olive branch of peace to President Bush on Judicial Nominees.

Maybe this is a sign that the Administration will play hardball with Senators that don't care what will happen to their state...

[Francis McClobber]

"The Brunswick air base is the last active-duty Defense Department airfield in New England and one of Maine's largest employers, with nearly 4,900 military and civilian workers. It had been slated for downsizing but now will be considered for closure."

Oh no! No more lobster runs! Oh, the horror!

[Non-Sequitur]

Maybe this is a sign that the Administration will play hardball with Senators that don't care what will happen to their state...

I would hope that the question of what base to close and what base to keep is made on what is best for our nation's defense needs and not for crass political reasons. But you may be right. After all, Bush senior kept bases open for political reasons, as did Clinton. Why should it be surprising if this administration closed bases for the same reason?

[HiJinx]

Ms. B, looks like Long Cut could be moving...if he hasn't already.

Was this something y'all were expecting?

[Cicero]

Senators will know exactly what the administration wants, but outsiders can only guess. Rinos like Snowe and Collins are permitted to vote against the party when it doesn't matter, i.e. when they have enough votes already. Once in a while they will be told by the majority leader or whip that their vote is needed.

In this case maybe one or both of them might be told that their vote is needed to bring the vote to the floor and have an up or down vote. That is, they could vote to end the filibuster but then vote against the candidate. That would allow them to conciliate their liberal constituents while doing what is needed by the party.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

not for crass political reasons

I agree with your sentiments, but alot of bases owe their construction and continued existence to crass political reasons.

[Marine_Uncle]

I look at the base/facilities listed here and am scratching my head. Yes I took a shower a few hours back. Closing the Marine training depot, closing North Island, hmmmmmm. Closing Pope AFB, next to Fort Bragg, hmmmmmmm. Oceana, wonder if they will also say what the hell lets close the whole Damn Neck facility, we don't need naval intellegience anymore.

Oooooohhhhhh, so all those millions of imigrants and low income minority groups require us to expand our social piece of the pie...........Ok. What the heck. Cancel the JFS, and F22, new carriers, new DDX destroyers, hey forget about those upgraded Abram tanks, we don't need em any more.

And the world spins around to make our congress even more dizzy.

[frithguild]

Cancel the JFS, and F22, new carriers, new DDX destroyers, hey forget about those upgraded Abram tanks, we don't need em any more. You forgot up-armored Humvees.

[Coldwater Creek]

Va. Beach will really feel the hurt. The sound of freedom must have gotten to loud for the locals. They have been trying to get the base closed for years. Someone in our immediate family has been stationed at Oceana for the last 50 years.

[BlackbirdSST]

Closing Pope AFB, next to Fort Bragg, hmmmmmmm.

What retard is in charge of this? I guess the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps, and the myriad of SP Ops forces can practice jumping out of moving vehicles now? Blackbird.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

This has been coming for awhile, Jinxie..
Maines economy will go down HARD...
That's for sure.
Ms.B

[SoCalPol]

The Navy Broadway Complex in San Diego

Not closing, just relocating to the Naval Station here

[SoCalPol]

MCRD and North Island not closing

[HerrKobes]

What retard is in charge of this? I guess the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps, and the myriad of SP Ops forces can practice jumping out of moving vehicles now?

They're trying to move all the CONUS based C-130s to Little Rock, which does make some sense maintenance wise. The other two active C-130H bases, Dyess and the aforementioned Pope, are pretty lame places to be stationed. Why not move people somewhere a bit more pleasant to live if you have the opportunity, and save money on infrastructure at the same time?

As for the 82nd/Airborne/SF dudes, they will continue to jump out of planes. Little Rock is only 644 air (nautical) miles away from Pope/Bragg. That's a little over 2 hours flying time, not to mention a very close TDY if they want to stay over night. A little bit of per diem costs a lot less than maintaining an entire base. Besides, some of those folks do drops with the Combat Talon (MC-130) guys, and they aren't stationed at Pope.

[AzSteven]

What retard is in charge of this? I guess the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps, and the myriad of SP Ops forces can practice jumping out of moving vehicles now?

Be careful not to say that too loud; ya know some of those kids probably would LIKE to try that!

Seriously, if I recall correctly the plan with Pope was to close it as an Air Force Base, and absorb much of the physical base into the Fort Bragg infrastructure - the runway would still be there and maintained with an Air Force detachment; the aircraft would be stationed at other bases nearby except when used.

[fight_truth_decay]

NO one mentions the success of (1884) Bath Iron Works now owned by General Dynamics (since 1995) in Bath, Maine's largest employer.

BIW has served as lead shipyard for 10 surface ship classes produced by the U.S. Navy, more than any other U.S. shipyard. In 1995, BIW was purchased by General Dynamics, further enhancing the company's technological expertise and capabilities through key investments and access to the complementary capabilities of other General Dynamics companies.

Bath Iron Works today is the lead designer and builder of the ARLEIGH BURKE Class AEGIS guided missile destroyer, the most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world. BIW also provides a full array of life cycle services aimed at helping our Navy customer increase fleet operational readiness and reduce total ownership cost.

http://www.gdbiw.com/

The threat of closings here in Maine did not just happen overnight. California and other targeted States offer job opportunities; but of course the Democratic controlled government in Maine is anti-business and tax anything and everything. Maine does not have a revenue problem, Maine has a spending problem. The unemployment rate in Maine is 5.1%.

Senator Collins lobbies for BIW (Dec 2004)

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who lobbied for the Bath yard during a December visit to Israel, said she is hopeful that Bath Iron Works will eventually land the contract to build the high-tech, heavily armed vessels.

"Bath would be well situated with its expertise to be the contractor for these ships," Collins, R-Maine, said from Washington.

Such programs are important because of uncertainty surrounding the transition from DDG-51 to the next generation DD-X destroyer.

The last of the Arleigh Burke generation destroyers currently built in Bath is due to be delivered in 2010, and the first contracts for the DD-X won't be awarded until next year at the earliest.

From Bath's standpoint, there will less overlap during this transition than in the early 1990s when Bath was shifting from cruisers to destroyers, said Dirk Lesko, spokesman for the shipyard.

Back then, the Bath yard was adding workers, but this time the yard simply wants to maintain its work force, he said. The shipyard currently has 6,700 workers, down from a peak of 12,000 in 1990.

Israeli officials have publicly discussed building between one and four of the corvettes. Collins predicted the contract would probably be for two ships, which are still currently in the design phase.

Since the destroyers are to be built with U.S. aid to Israel, the ships must be built in the United States, Collins said.

Bath Iron Works got a lift from Collins' visit to Israel in which she discussed the project with Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and the commander of the Israeli navy, Vice Admiral Yedidia Yaari. She also mentioned it in a meeting with Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The admiral told me he visited Bath and that he was very impressed with the capacity of the yard, so I thought that was a good sign," she said.

As it stands, Bath Iron Works' sole customer is the U.S. Navy, but that's not because of a lack of effort, Lesko said.

Bath Iron Works and its parent, General Dynamics, have been pursuing international defense work as it becomes available, he said.

If the Israeli contract comes to fruition, it would be the first shipbuilding success for Bath since the creation of a consortium in 1999 consisting of Bath Iron Works, Lockheed Martin and Izar, which builds ships for the Spanish navy.

Although the Israeli navy hasn't issued design specifications, the consortium already has created a proposal for a corvette that would have advanced features but would be only 334 feet long, weigh 2,600 tons and have a crew of 80 sailors and officers. It also could accommodate a helicopter.

Destroyers currently produced in Bath are 510 feet long, weigh nearly 10,000 tons and carry a crew of 380. They can handle two helicopters.

Paul Nisbet, an analyst for JSA Research Inc., said it makes sense for Navy shipbuilders to pursue international defense work because it's not profitable to pursue other commercial work.

And small seems to be the way navies are going. In addition to the DD-X, the U.S. Navy is looking to build a new class of small warships designed to operate closer to shore in shallow water.

The smaller vessels that are being contemplated, known as Littoral Combat Ships, cost $200 million to $300 million apiece, compared to the $1 billion for the latest destroyer, Nisbet said.

------In with the new..out with the old scenario?

[Marine_Uncle]

How could one not love the sound of F14s and F18s taking off and landing. And seeing those beautiful birds in the sky.
Also. If they shut down Oceana, I would assume the carrier will no longer stay off shore.

Yea, and where are all the Airborne's aircraft going to be?
I assume since the air base is within Bragg's boarders the Airborne folk use aircraft stationed there.

[Marine_Uncle]

"MCRD and North Island not closing."
Good show. And I hope the east coast airforce/navy facilities follow suit. I am sure the Marines had screamed up a storm for San Diego MCRD. Heck we only got to boot camps for our glorious Marines.

[SoCalPol]

Good show

Since posting to you the local news just had a
segment, MCRD not closing.
Semper Fi