Next round of DOD base closings

[GRClarkesq]

statesmen.com

Defense propose criteria for base closings

Experts think next round of closings could be larger than many anticipate.

By George Edmonson
and Mei-ling Hopgood

Tuesday, December 23, 2003

WASHINGTON -- Emphasizing joint operations, transformation and sharing capabilities by the military services, the Defense Department on Monday released its proposed criteria for the next round of military base closings set for 2005.

Some observers, such as Loren Thompson at the Lexington Institute, a defense-oriented think tank near Washington, believe the coming round of closures could be larger than many people anticipate.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/tuesday/news_f37e9e51f03622250068.html

[MaineDem]

1. I'm afraid to look

Maine has 2 bases that could very well be on the list and we all know what our 2 GOP Senators have been up to lately. Anything could happen.

I'm going to look now...

[Superfly]

2. I think Georgia bases are on the block next...

they escaped the last BRAC untouched.

[RebelOne]

12. Hopefully not.

I work directly across the street from Dobbins in Marietta, GA. I think I would really miss it if they close it. I love going outside and seeing the fighter planes in the sky. Of course, I won't miss hearing the deafening jet engines on the ground.

[GRClarkesq]

3. Congress critters know

the fastest way to an early retirement is to favor closing a base in their district/state. Reverse NIMBY.

[BOSSHOG]

4. For a Savings of 6 billion dollars a year ????

A weekly expenditure in Iraq!

[GRClarkesq]

5. Could buy 3 B2 bombers with $6B

n/t

[bamademo]

6. I work on an Army Base

Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Al. It's been here since WWII. It's also home to Marshall Space Flight Center. It would absolutely decimate the economy here because a large percentage of the population is employed by government contracts.

Come on Bud Cramer and Richard Shelby, save us.

[underpants]

8. Yes that is the actual issue here

I grew up in SE Virginia which is ALL military. The closings affect the civilian workforce and everywhere they spend their money from going out to lunch to home improvements to purchasing homes. The US government is the single largest employer of degreed professional in the entire country. A lot of spending power is affected by these decisions.

Closing bases and consulidating them is a dicey decision in which someone is going to lose and no one is really happy but needs to be done.

Best of luck bamademo.

[Sinistrous]

7. Here is a list of the eight criteria:

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1203/121903cdpm1.htm

# The current and future mission capabilities and the impact on operational readiness of the Defense Department's total force, including the impact on joint warfighting, training, and readiness.

# The availability and condition of land, facilities and associated airspace -- including training areas suitable for maneuver by ground, naval, or air forces throughout diversity of climate and terrain areas and staging areas for the use of the Armed Forces in homeland defense missions -- at both existing and potential receiving locations.

# The ability to accommodate contingency, mobilization, and future total force requirements at both existing and potential receiving locations to support operations and training.

# The cost of operations and the manpower implications.

# The extent and timing of potential costs and savings, including the number of years, beginning with the date of completion of the closure or realignment, for the savings to exceed the costs.

# The economic impact on existing communities in the vicinity of military installations.

# The ability of both the existing and potential receiving communities' infrastructure to support forces, missions, and personnel.

# The environmental impact, including the impact of costs related to potential environmental restoration, waste management, and environmental compliance activities.

[GRClarkesq]

9. Why not close some bases overseas

Do we need 70k troops in Germany to protect Germany from Poland?

[Superfly]

10. They are...

more bases are being closed in Europe as a result of the current (not forthcoming) BRAC

[treepig]

13. all to make way for the new bases planned for iraq and afganistan

gotta keep the priorities straight, you know - a base in georgia (usa) ain't helping maintain the global american empire, now is it?

[chasqui]

11. This is true, it would decimate local economies

But, then, a useless base in the middle of poverty county would amount to pork, right?

[mbperrin]

14. Let's face it, Carlyle sells hardware

not personnel. Pesky people take up dollars for payroll that could be spent for expensive useless weapons programs, for example, with no end ever. (Star Wars, anyone?)

Look at that *Bush machine support the troops!

[alfredo]

15. I wonder what the ratio will be between closings in Dem districts

as opposed to GOP districts?

Everything bush does it go grab more power, so expect some crap to happen with this downsizing.

[Moderator]

16. LBN Rules... locking.

The rules for posting in the LBN Forum require posters to use the published title of linked-to articles as their subject line. In this case, the subject line should read "Defense propose criteria for base closings."

Please feel free to repost this article in LBN, using the correct subject line.

Thanks!

DU Moderator