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Criteria changes are needed to save base

Mick O'Beirne Mystic

Publication: The Day

Published 02/09/2012 12:00 AM
Updated 02/08/2012 05:56 PM

Interesting Day article, "Potential base closings put local coalition back on alert," (Jan. 31). Various sources stated that it is too soon to be talking about a possible BRAC. Having been deeply involved in the last three BRACs, I would submit that this is precisely the time to begin.
Mention was made concerning recent construction and more in progress. That is great, but the fact of life is that we cannot spend our way out of a closure recommendation. If we had all of the piers rebuilt, the new escape trainer completed, second sources of power and the other projects back in 2005, we would still have been far below our competition in the measure of military value, the prime determining factor in closings. The calculation procedures are simply biased against our base and have to be challenged and changed.
The administration has to ask Congress for a BRAC. No congressional approval, no BRAC. Accordingly, our legislators have some clout now to call on Navy for a review and potential change in the military value determination procedures. Absent a change, look for our base at the head of the next closure list. There is no better time to act.

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