A federal base-closing panel on Thursday opted to close the finance center still housed at the old Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, a potential loss of about 1,500 jobs.
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission, meeting in Virginia, voted to close the Defense Finance Accounting Services (DFAS), despite pressure from Colorado’s congressional delegates.
“I am disappointed by today’s vote and believe the BRAC’s decision is extremely short-sighted and not in the best interest of the taxpayers,” said Republican Sen. Wayne Allard. “I had hoped that when the BRAC commissioners heard all the facts, they would have realized that the Denver DFAS facility is a valuable asset that should not be closed.”
The nine-member commission began looking at the Denver office in July, after it unanimously rejected a Pentagon recommendation to keep the finance center open. The center is called the Buckley Annex because it is under the supervision of Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora.
“This will also be a blow to the region,” said Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette. “DFAS is vitally important to the Denver area. It employs nearly 1,500 people and contributes $150 million per year to our local economy. … This decision removes one of the last significant military presences from our community.”
Closing the center would allow the military to shrink its administrative staff if the center’s paycheck-processing functions were done elsewhere, according to the commission.
A powerful delegation of local, state and federal politicians traveled to Monterey, Calif., earlier this month, where the DFAS facility was reviewed by the panel.
The delegation pleaded that the finance center should remain open, noting that the Pentagon’s studies ranked the office as the “first in military value” among all finance offices.
“Unfortunately, that message fell on deaf ears,” Allard said of the California trip. “We all felt good about our testimony and felt it was positively received by the commission.”
Said Sen. Ken Salazar: “That DFAS at the Buckley Annex is ranked No. 1 in the United States on military value; therefore, it should not be closed. I am disappointed the BRAC commission decided otherwise today.”
The military was looking for ways to consolidate 26 finance offices across the nation, and the operations in Denver, Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio, were under review.
The commission began voting on base closings earlier this week and has received more than 1,500 recommendations that affect 837 military installations.
Overall, Colorado fared well in the commission’s recommendations, Allard noted. On Wednesday, Fort Carson gained about 8,000 troops under a plan by the commission to relocate the Army’s 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas.
DFAS provides finance and accounting services to military personnel. According to government officials, in fiscal year 2004, DFAS serviced about 5.9 million people, disbursed more than $455 billion and managed more than $234 billion in military trust funds.
The base-closure commission’s recommendations will go to President Bush, who can reject or approve them in their entirety but cannot amend them.
If Bush approves them, they become binding unless Congress rejects them in their entirety within 45 days.
“Once this process goes by the president, it’s going to be very difficult to change,” Allard said.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-820-1173 or mgonzales@denverpost.com.
