It’s been a week of tears and cheers as the Base Realignment and Closing Commission chaired by former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi said “yea” or “nay” to Pentagon recommendations on which bases to close.
We share the Colorado congressional delegation’s disappointment that the commission voted Thursday to close the Denver office of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. But it’s a relief that the panel said the Air Reserve Personnel Center should stay here.
Although the Department of Defense wanted to move the personnel center to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, the commission said the 438 jobs should go to nearby Buckley Air Force Base. DFAS, with 1,184 employees, and the personnel center are the last military presence on the former Lowry Air Force Base.
Angela DeRocha, spokeswoman for Sen. Wayne Allard, said, “All in all, Colorado came out ahead of the game, although that’s no consolation to the people who have the (disappearing DFAS) jobs.”
Colorado gains jobs overall with the addition of about 8,000 troops when the 4th Infantry Division moves to Fort Carson from Fort Hood, Texas.
A big relief for the region is rejection of the Pentagon’s recommendation to close Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and send its B-1B bombers to Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. Strategically, putting all one’s eggs in one basket is risky or even foolhardy – and surely South Dakota didn’t need the economic punishment of losing its second-largest employer.
Similarly, in New England, where “rust belt” isn’t an abstract term, the panel gave new life to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine and the Navy’s Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. – facilities that have served honorably and will continue to do so.
The panel’s recommendations go to President Bush. If he signs off, the list goes to Congress for an up or down vote.
The commission process for closing bases certainly doesn’t make everybody happy, but things could be a lot worse: Congress could be trying to do it.
