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Base Closure Panel Indicates Pentagon Plan Not a Done Deal

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 July 2005, 15:00 CDT

WASHINGTON - The base-closing commission expressed deep reservations Monday about parts of the Pentagon's proposal to restructure domestic military bases, including its plan to disband or move dozens of Air National Guard units.

On the eve of a vote by the commission on whether to add about a dozen facilities to those the Defense Department has proposed closing or shrinking, panel members questioned why several were left off the list. These included the Naval Shipyard at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.

The skepticism exhibited by members of the independent commission at a hearing was an indication that they won't rubber-stamp Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's proposal as some in Congress had feared.

In May, Rumsfeld proposed closing or reducing forces at 62 major bases and hundreds of smaller installations to save money and streamline the services.

Commission Chairman Anthony Principi has pledged to analyze the list independently and make changes if needed before sending it to President Bush for approval this fall.

"We want to make sure the best possible closure or realignment choices are made," Principi said. "It is not our intent to disrupt or to unreasonably target communities that may have breathed a sigh of relief in May when the secretary's list of recommendations was released, or to further burden communities already facing losses."

After voting today on whether to add certain bases to the Pentagon's list, the nine-member commission will conduct public hearings, visit the sites and collect data to make 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 today. The commission then will have to reaffirm that decision in August, with seven of nine votes. Other bases on the Pentagon's list can be removed at that time by five of nine votes.

For their part, defense officials who testified Monday discouraged changes to Rumsfeld's list of proposed closures and consolidations.

Michael Wynne, the Pentagon's technology and weapons-buying chief who oversaw the base restructuring project, said, "While the department stands behind its recommendations, it fully supports the commission and analysis of alternatives."

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

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