Base Closures Announced

[demopolite]

from CNN:

	Quote:
	This morning, The Pentagon recommended closing 33 major military installations in the United States in a realignment that apparently also would cut 29,000 military and civilian jobs. The list also calls for closing or realigning 775 smaller military locations. One of the bases that would be closed if the recommendations are followed is Georgia's Fort McPherson, headquarters of the U.S. Army Forces Command, which directs deployment for Army personnel. Others recommended for closure include the Naval Station in Pascagoula, Missississippi; Fort Monmouth in New Jersey; Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico; Fort Monroe in Virginia; and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.

Here is the complete list of recommended base closures.

The Alabama installations that will potentially be affected by this announcement are:

* Abbott U.S. Army Reserve Center, Tuskegee, Close, Lose 3
* Anderson U.S. Army Reserve Center, Troy, Close, Lose 15
* Armed Forces Reserve Center, Mobile, Close, Lose 5
* BG William P. Screws U.S. Army Reserve Center, Montgomery, Close, Lose 18
* Fort Ganey Army National Guard Reserve Center, Mobile, Close, Lose 13
* Fort Hanna Army National Guard Reserve Center, Birmingham, Close, Lose 28
* Gary U.S. Army Reserve Center, Enterprise, Close, Lose 10
* Navy Recruiting District Headquarters, Montgomery, Close, Lose 41
* Navy Reserve Center, Tuscaloosa, Close, Lose 7
* The Adjutant General Bldg., AL Army National Guard, Montgomery, Close, Lose 85
* Wright U.S. Army Reserve Center, Close, Lose 9
* Birmingham Armed Force Reserve Center, Realign, Lose 305
* Birmingham International Airport Air Guard Station, Realign, Lose 183
* Maxwell Air Force Base, Realign, Lose 1,251

The Huntsville Times states that Alabama stands to gain from the recommendations if they are followed:

	Quote:
	Redstone Arsenal could gain more than 1,655 jobs in the Pentagon's 2005 round of base realignments and closures, part of the state's net gain of 2,664 jobs. Fort Rucker and Anniston Army Depot would gain more than 1,000 jobs each, but Maxwell Air Force Base would lose about 1,251 jobs in the realignment. No major Alabama bases are recommended for closure. The recommendations now go to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which will forward a recommendation to the president by Sept. 8.

* Anniston Army Depot, Gain 1,034
* Dannelly Field Air Guard Station, Gain 60
* Fort Rucker, Gain 1,888
* Redstone Arsenal, Gain 1,655

[Eagle101]

Naval Air Station Meridian and Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi is on the list to be realligned. This means the location's mission will change which usually results in a decrease in personnel. Pascagoula Navy Base will close and Columbus Air Force Base will gain jobs. These locations in Mississippi are close to Demopolis and are used by the many military retired personnel in this area.

[fleming]

The good news for the NAS Meridian is they would only lose 15 military positions and one contractor.

The bad news is the Meridian Key Field air guard would lose 66 military and 147 civilian positions.

If I read it correctly, they will be moving the KC135 refueling operation to other areas.

[gaming master]

Wait a minute! Did someone forget about: Iraq, Iran, Syria, North Korea
and the other litte "hotspots" we are suppose to take care of now? Seems to me within the next 10 years we will be ripe for invasion.

[Chrissy]

We are having to fight in this area too (Texas/Arkansas). I agree with you Gaming Master, it doesn't seem the thing to do given the present situation.

[Eagle101]

Red River Army Depot out in Texarkana where cchesshir is located is slated to be closed. RRAD is one of the largest storage bases in the U.S. While stattioned at Ft Hood this is where most of helicopter repair parts was shipped from. Fort Ord, near Monterey, California was closed in the last BRAC closing in 1995. Now with trouble brewing in Korea and us trying to pull troops out of Europe back to the states, we need a major base on the West Coast. Many of the places on the BRAC list will not be closed. Bush will use them as bargaining chips and trade-offs to make deals with the Democrats. I believe the submarine base at Groton, Conn. won't close as well as the Portsmouth Navy Base. These are vital bases for New England. Besides Bush owes Senator Lieberman a favor.
Senator Lott doesn't have the power he once had to keep the Pascagoula Navy Base fron closing. Some states are also challenging the closing of National Guard and Reserve locations.

[smiley]

Vital bases for the military are just that, for the military. Having served in the army for over a decade, I get tired of communities complaining when a base closes. The services are not a public works project, and they are not there to support individual communities. Often, these are the same communities who ***** about how terrible the base is for the local government, and how the sailors/soldiers airman "drag" the community down. My tax dollars should support the military, not local contractors. I was stationed in NC and had an engineer battalion assigned to me that was "forbidden" to do construction on base because it would cost local jobs. Not cool.....

Of course, that's just my opinion....

[gaming master]

I don't care too much for the community angle either. My main concern is our readiness as a country to fight in a multi-front war. We are leaving too many gaps in our "new" world coverage. Someone will come through one of those holes sooner or later and catch us unawares.