Posted on 05/12/2005 10:29:03 AM PDT by .cnI redruM
The Pentagon will recommend joining elements of different branches of the armed services on some military bases when it announces proposed base closings in upcoming days, defense officials say. As part of its "joint" forces concept, the Pentagon thinks that having the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines share facilities will reduce costs and improve "combat effectiveness." Michael Wynne, undersecretary of defense for acquisition in charge of the base closure plan, said the proposed changes were guided by military "interrelationships, jointness and transformation."
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Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita said that the goal of the base restructuring is to cut from the estimated 20 percent to 25 percent of "excess capacity" in military bases. The billions of dollars saved will be used to modernize weapons, improve the infrastructure and quality of life for troops and improve military preparedness, the Pentagon says.
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The military maintains 425 bases in the United States, plus 70 bases in foreign countries. Additionally, the Pentagon operates 3,535 small facilities in the United States. Pentagon officials say all facilities were considered under the latest round of closings.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
I'll go first. Ft. Lee, VA. - If the QM School were moved to Ft. Eustis, it would be synergetic. Also, no one really wants to live in Petersburg, when they could be closer to VA Beach instead. If Lee doesn't go, I think the BRAC commission will hammer Ft. Monroe or Ft. Belvior instead.
SAVE Ft Huachuca!
I am wondering if this is going to result in more mud wrestling and bastard children.
FT Hua is the major Az 'Joint' base. That would be (well, should be) low on the BRAC list.
I think the most vulnerable of large bases is Ft Knox.
Rock Island arsenal, Sierra Army Depot, should be on the block, and they are both in Blue States.
Leavenworth really has no purpose for existing anymore. They should be rolled into Riley.
Hanscom AFB, MA. ESD could, and should, be co-located with their opposite numbers in the Army, at Ft Monmouth, NJ. Hanscom is not a true military installation - it is an industrial park.
It is incredibly expensive to keep open and yet it has no actual military function. It is located in a high-rent district of Massachusetts which, standing alone, is a pretty good reason to close it. Add to this that it is incredibly insecure, in a physical sense. In addition, it receives no real support from any of the locals, other than some civilian employees and contractors who have been slopping at that particular trough for way too many years.
Closing Hanscom would be a win-win for nearly all concerned.
Rock Island is among the least useful of those small bases that I know of. Monmouth has to be second. Monmouth has about a company-sized element of active duty troops. The remainder are civilians. (Can't forget USMEPS....but they can do Military Academy Prep School anyplace.)
I can't believe Ft We-gotcha is at risk. They probably still aren't finished with all the construction to consolidate intelligence training that was started in the early 1990's and there are no other locations that can accomodate them.
Hanscom doesn't have any production lines per se. They aren't even that useful.
There are some research facilities tied in to MIT, etc, that are located there.
A lot of contracts are let, and supposedly managed, out of Hanscom for various electronic goodies, some of which are heavily classified. There are historic reasons why this particular funtion was located in that area, but those reasons haven't been valid for a number of years now. Lots of money flows through there, but that is about it. No "stuff" - just paper and money.
But they are run by a three-star, who lives on the base, which should give you some idea of just how much loot is flowing through there.
We aren't "shutting the doors" just controlling the flow through them. It's kinda the right of a sovereign nation, ya know!
Gack, I think we picked similar forum names...
And it seems that I'm doing similar work as what you did in the military...
I think my head hurts...
Naval Ports would be the exception and rely on contractor security or Coast Guard and a Marine Det for security vs entire units.
Aside from that maintain individual states national guard sites and USAF Fighter units for Air defense of the CONUS in this post 9-11 era should remain dispersed to selected individual states Air National Guard bases.
No complete answers ....just ideas as to possible solutions.
hehehehehe
And it seems that I'm doing similar work as what you did in the military...
Your profile suggests that you probably work in a place where the security has no sense of humor.
I think my head hurts...
Too much high altitude
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