[SampleMan]

Closing NAS Cecil Field vice NAS Oceana, was one, if not the biggest, BRAC mistake ever. Cecil was superior to Oceana in every way except for proximity to D.C.

[verity]

BRAC - AKA "The Goring of the Oxen."

[R. Scott]

Members of the local Citizens Concerned About Jet Noise in Virginia Beach – a group of people who purchased homes near a local US Navy airfield then complain about the noise – were surprised that Naval Air Station Oceana was not included on the recommended closure list. They are now working to have it included.
I can not believe anyone would admit to being that careless or ignorant.

[Retired COB]

On the other hand, sometimes they get it right. In the case of the Groton Submarine base, that is definitely the case.

As a retired submarine sailor, I have always wondered what they were thinking when they put the base on the Thames river. You only have two choices when navigating a warship in a narrow river....upstream or downstream. It's hard to make evasive maneuvers when your navigational options are limited.

Another problem is that we had a thirteen hour surface transit to the dive point from Groton. Submarines have no defense against aerial attack while on the surface, and this transit leaves us vulnerable for too long.

The third major problem is that the base is located upstream of two bridges (Interstate 95) which could be bombed and dropped into the river to bottle up all the submarines in port for the months.

Add the fact that the locals aren't friendly to the military and the cost of living is prohibited on Navy pay, and this one is ripe for closure. If it makes Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd angry, so much the better.