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Pentagon to Close 33 Military Installations
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department on Friday will propose shutting 33 major military installations across the country, FOX News has confirmed, triggering the first round of base closures in a decade and an intense struggle by communities to save their facilities. The Pentagon's list is merely a list of recommendations. The list then goes to a nine-member commission that will review it, travel to those installations and discuss the potential closings with community members. The panel is known as the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission.For a complete list of the closures and realignments, click here (pdf). More than 100 other smaller facilities would also be closed, including scores of Reserve and National Guard installations. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will announce the Pentagon's recommendations around 10:30 a.m. EDT Friday. The defense secretary has said the move would save $48.8 billion over 20 years while reshaping the military for America's expected 21st century adversaries. Among the major closures is Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, home to 29 B-1B bombers, half the nation's fleet of the aircraft, and the state's second largest employer. During the 2004 campaign, Republican John Thune told voters that if elected to replace then Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, his GOP ties would ensure that the base remained open. Daschle said that as minority leader, he would have an appointment to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and be in a better position to help Ellsworth. Posted by: Steve 2005-05-13 |
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