[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I'm pretty inclined to agree with you. My homeport was Norfolk while I was on the George Washington (CVN-73) in the early '90s and I've been to Oceana a lot. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and the surrounding towns/cities treat the Navy like crap. People had signs in their yards that said, "Dogs and sailors stay off the grass." Since only the military people had short hair, the locals could spot you even in civvies. In parking lots, people would drive past yelling, "Go Navy! And take the Army with you!" The local newspapers would write editorials about how military people were the cause of the traffic jams, car accidents, and crime resulting from drunkenness.

Since Hampton Roads hates the military so much, I'd love to see every base pull out of there. The shipyard can't employ everybody. That place would fall flat on its face.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Yep, they had better be careful what they wish for. My aunt lives in Virginia Beach, and has told me that the city has pretty much dumped all over the Navy in recent years, and has refused to work with it in favor of facilitating land developers. Now that Oceana is completely surrounded by development, the Navy has no room in which to further develop the air station or expand its operations. If it closes, then the entire area will be royally screwed, just like Vieques and the Philippines.