Washington – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today defended his recommendation to close 33 major domestic bases and to shut or consolidate hundreds of smaller installations, calling the sweeping realignment essential in a time of war.
“The department is in need of change and adjustment,” Rumsfeld told the congressionally chartered commission that will review the proposal before sending it to President Bush this fall.
“The current arrangement, designed for the Cold War, must give way to new demands of the war against extremism and other evolving challenges in the world,” he said.
His comments were Rumsfeld’s first public remarks since he released his proposals on Friday.
Under the plan, Colorado’s Fort Carson stands to gain almost 5,000 troops from other bases. No major Colorado facility would be closed under the plan.
Anthony Principi, chairman of the nine-member base closing commission, told Rumsfeld: “If your proposals are accepted, they will have profound effects on the communities and the people who bring them to life.”
Principi, a former Veterans Affairs secretary, predicted an “arduous task and assessment” as the panel does its work.
Rumsfeld said he agreed that the chore “undoubtedly will be a formidable task.” The panel will hold hearings around the country.
Rumsfeld is proposing to close and shrink hundreds of bases to create a leaner, more cost-effective force. If accepted, the plan would alter the domestic military landscape and greatly affect the four service branches and communities that are home to the installations.
Rumsfeld appeared with Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Myers said the proposed changes were “very thorough and very rigorous.” Said Rumsfeld: “Some asked why we’re proposing any base closures during a time of war. The answer is the changes are essential in helping us win this conflict.”
“Those changes are more necessary, not less, during a time of war,” he said, adding, “The American taxpayer benefits.”
By closing and consolidating facilities it no longer requires, the Pentagon says it would free about $5 billion a year for the additional personnel and equipment it needs.
Rumsfeld said that he didn’t personally change any of the recommendations that came to his desk from the different military services and the Pentagon officials in charge of drafting the recommendations.
The defense secretary said he understood that “affected communities have legitimate arguments” for trying to preserve installations in their areas that have become a major part of local economies.
But, he said, overall the plan would “help move forces and resources to where they can best provide for our nation’s defense.” During questioning, a Democratic member of the panel, former Rep. James H. Bilbray of Nevada, noted that “four-fifths of the closures are Guard and Reserve centers” and asked what the impact might be on a war in Iraq that “drags on.” “None of these units go away,” Myers said, saying that the centers would just be performing a different role.
Rumsfeld defended the recommendation to close the venerable Walter Reed hospital in Washington and to shift staff and services to the Navy’s national medical center in nearby Bethesda, Md.
“Bringing service members together under one umbrella” would improve the military’s ability to serve its wounded and their families, Rumsfeld said.
In all, the Pentagon proposed closing or reducing forces at 62 major bases and 775 minor installations. Dozens of other facilities would grow, absorbing troops from domestic and overseas U.S. bases slated for closure or downsizing.
It was the fifth round of closings. The previous round took place in 1995.
