Under the proposed closure and realignment list, we would lose Kulis Air Guard base, which would seriously piss local people off, as there is no other guard base in the area. We would lose about 2000 troops from realignment at the Air Force and Army base in Anchorage, but gain about 250 civilian positions. Not a huge economic impact, which is good.
So what’s the impact in YOUR area, if any?
Looks like minor stations in California, but we were pretty much gutted in the first and second base realignment and closure (BRAC) rounds. I’m one of the few people in the area who actually gained by it, as I got a job working on the environmental side of the closure of our local base, and I’ve been here eight years now. We’re almost done.
Don’t forget that this is just the first notice. Now the BRAC recommendations go to an independent Presidential-appointed committe, then to the President for review, and then to Congress. There have been lots of changes in the past rounds before they were finalized.
I’m surprised that the Air Force’s laboratory is still open in the Rome/Utica NY area. It had made sense to put it there when Griffiths AFB was a going concern, but now?
Delaware…
Net gain of a few jobs, at Dover. One of the two local reserve centers is closing… I guess they’ll consolodate with the reserve center across the street from them. Yup - That’s right. Competing reserve centers straight across the street from each other. That was simply too silly to last forever.
I’ve got to say, I don’t know anything about the reserve center in New Mexico but it looks like they’d just move it onto Kirtland. Cannon was the only one recommended for closure. It would make no sense to close Holloman because then you’d have to move the F-117s and no way would the DoD give up White Sands and Fort Bliss. The problem with closing Kirtland (not that it was proposed) would be that you’d still have to have all the security for Sandia, though that would make it a DoE problem instead of a DoD problem. Indeed, it looks like the other changes are fairly minor. For jobs, Kirtland gains 206, Holloman loses 17, Bliss gains 11,501?!, and White Sands loses 178. Most of the numbers for the air bases and White Sands are civilian. So, basically, the big fight is going to be over Cannon. Nobody (other than those fired, of course) are really going to complain over the small losses at Holloman and White Sands.
One of the reasons I started this thread is because I remember the closing of the Navy base in Davisville, RI back in the 70s. Four battalions of military personnel were transferred out of there in one whack. The economy was clobbered. Hopefully, that won’t happen again.
Hawaii was actually a wash since that are just consolidating it into other bases as well as expanding another.
We actually gain a few civvy jobs here in the Inland Empire, California.
They are really pissed here. The sub base is pretty much all there is in Southeast Connecticut. OTOH, that’s a good two hour drive in a very small state, so it doesn’t affect the local area in the least.
We’re thrilled in South Carolina - big net gain. We feel a bit like we’re owed, since closing the naval base several years ago was really rough on Charleston. Also, our economy desperately, desperately needs it. Not that I’m unsympathetic to those losing bases, but we’re very, very happy here.
SmackFu, how will closing that base affect EB, though? I thought EB did a good deal of business as a shipyard for repair, refurb, and updating subs, as well as building them.
I really have no idea what the general effect on the area would be if Fort Monmouth closes, but since my sister-in-law is part of the base’s police force, there would be a family effect.
The DEFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) unit is closing down here in downtown Cleveland. That’s 1100 civilian employees with no jobs. The DEFAS was the 4th or 5th largest employer in Northeast Ohio I believe. Bad economic times ahead for a city already financial depressed.
It appears that Vance AFB is gaining around a hundred military and a few dozen civilians. The details paper says Vance is absorbing part of Moody’s pilot training function along with a couple other pilot training bases, as well as part of Moody’s Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals course. Altus AFB dodged a bullet in not getting closed like it should have been.
Ft. Knox is going to be OK. The Armour School will close, which is a shame. I guess it won’t be “Fort Knox - Home of Armour” anymore. But more fighting forces will be stationed there on a permanent basis. So they’ll lose a few jobs, but probably gain many more. It’s a relief because that whole area would be devastated economically if the post closed. We would feel the shock waves up here in Louisville. And Lord knows that Kentucky is in a pretty sad economic situation to begin with.
Well, when the dump leaves Hawthorn, Hawthorn becomes a dump!
That leaves the Safeway, McDonalds and the Chevron station. If you gas up before you leave civilization, no need to stop in Hawthorn anyway. You can make it all the way to Tonopah, even in your SUV.
And maybe you can Jet-Ski to the south end of the lake now. But Wabuska will probably lose the few trains that pass by all together.
No changes here (Panama City, Florida), because Tyndall AFB is the Air Force’s primary training base for the F/A-22 Raptor and the F-15 Eagle.
Eglin AFB (just west of here, in Ft. Walton Beach) and it’s neighbor, Hurlburt Field (home of the Air Force’s Special Operations Command) are unaffected as well. In fact, Eglin AFB is going to gain the Army’s Special Forces training, which is being relocated from Ft. Bragg.
I’m actually shocked that DFAS is closing. What the hell are they thinking?
Mississippi loses the following:
[ul][li]Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant[/li]
[li]Naval Station, Pascagoula[/li]
[li]U.S. Army Reserve Center, Vicksburg[/ul][/li]
but Columbus AFB is being enlarged, so the net is a plus for the state.
[sup]note: Pascagoula is where Trent Lott is from, so this will be a test of what kind of power he has left.[/sup]
My understanding is that they are going “regionalize” further and have three DFAS versus however many they have now. I see pay problems ahead…