Posted on 10/20/2004 4:11:09 AM PDT by real saxophonist
Parris Island closing rumored
BEAUFORT: According to newspaper reports, some believe training could be handled at Fort Jackson.
By Lolita Huckaby
Carolina Morning News
A media report that Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot could be closed and training operations consolidated at the Army's Fort Jackson in Columbia should be viewed as a red flag, said Beaufort County Council Vice Chairman W.R. "Skeet" Von Harten.
Von Harten, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, made his remarks Monday during a meeting of the county's Intergovernmental Relations Committee.
He was responding to a story in Sunday's The State newspaper which said the idea had been "offered by a senior (Department of Defense) official," according to a spokesman with a Washington study group, the Lexington Institute.
Relocating Marine Corps recruit training to Fort Jackson was presented as a possible cost savings in the upcoming congressional Base Realignment and Closure talks.
While it's conceivable the two branches could train together, Von Harten said he thinks the different traditions represented by the Marine Corps and Army might pose some problems.
"The bottom line is, this shows anything can happen. Right now, this apparently is only an idea being floated but we must focus our attention on telling the story of our bases in Washington and make sure this is one idea that doesn't get off the ground," Von Harten said.
Von Harten said he'd contacted members of the county's Military Enhancement Committee to reinforce the county's support for their efforts to protect the bases. The council recently allocated $217,000 to the committee for hiring a Washington, D.C.,-based lobbying firm to represent the county's interests in BRAC discussions.
"This is indicative of the new era we're experiencing, without the senior leadership of (the late U.S. Rep.) Floyd Spence or (the late U.S. Sen.) Strom Thurmond," said Beaufort Mayor Bill Rauch, who attended the committee meeting. "Things like this didn't even get discussed when we had their seniority."
In other news, Dick Stewart, chairman of the committee, outlined the idea for a cooperative agreement between the county, the city of Beaufort and the Historic Beaufort Foundation in which the city would begin collecting library impact fees from developers.
Money from the fees would be used to purchase the current city hall on Carteret Street, which the city hopes to eventually replace with a new structure, and the Carnegie Building, at the corner of Carteret and Craven streets for use by the library administrative staff.
Stewart said after the meeting the proposal is still in the discussion stages.
Bluffton Mayor Hank Johnston gave the committee an update on the town's efforts to develop a technology park which is dependent on the availability of federal grants.
Reporter Lolita Huckaby can be reached at 524-5448 or lolita.huckaby@lowcountrynow.com
Marines?? Are they the sailors in army uniforms?
Bingo. As many already have noted here, the Marine Corps, active and former, will never permit Parris Island to be taken down.
You are correct in saying that the Marine Corps is a Department of the Navy, WE ARE THE MEN'S DEPARTMENT!!!!!
I happen to be a graduate of MCRD San Diego(Hollywood Marine, for those of you not in our esteemed club)and the only way I see Parris Island closing is when the ambient temp in Hell reaches 32 degrees.
Semper Fi.
Sailors in Army uniforms? Hardly!
The origins of our beloved Eagle, Globe, and Anchor:
We rescued the Eagle from The Army, Stole the Anchor from the Navy, and on the seventh day while God was resting we overran his perimiter and captured the Globe!!!
BTTT
Sean...I am a failure. I posted that, expecting incoming from all the jarheads and got nothing. Oh well....
No, doesn't need to happen. Spent my basic training at Lackland AFB (like all airmen). Each service is unique with its own mission.
Was stationed on a post once for all services learning language. We did have different classrooms and our time requirements for achieving graduation was different from service to service...maybe based on the average ASVAP scores? Never did know exactly why.
Don't worry too much about it, Fire mission is being plotted as we speak. Rounds inbound very soon.
Semper Fi 1976
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Never happen..If you close PI the mosquitos and sandfleas would starve to death....and the environemntalist wackos won't let that happen..
My parents lived in Beaufort for several years and I went on a "drive through" of Parris Island. It was so awesome just being there. My husband went to Parris Island too when he joined the Marines (got tossed out early on after tearing up his hamstring unfortunately).
Man, those CID Lt's were pulling some rough duty if they had to pose as recruits!
I was raised in Beaufort.
Although I was never a Marine, my father went through PI, served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. (He's a slow learner).
He'll be sad if this turns out to be true.
They floated the rumor that one of the recruit depots would close during the last round of base closures, too. Except that it was MCRD San Diego that was going to close. Why? It's in the way of expanding Lindbergh Field.
bump
What a horrifying thought. There's no similarity at all between Army and Marine Corps training.
Probably floated to cause disquiet in one of Bush's strongholds.
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