OldGlory1951 Loc: Burien, Washington

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Congress May Consider Proposal to Close Military Bases
Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., right, with Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., on Capitol Hill. Wittman said Congress may consider a proposal for more military base closings. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., right, with Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., on Capitol Hill. Wittman said Congress may consider a proposal for more military base closings. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The Virginian-Pilot 11 May 2018 By Bill Bartel

NORFOLK -- After years of resisting, Congress may consider a proposal to allow military base closings -- but under restrictive rules that give communities veto power, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman said Thursday.

Wittman, a Westmoreland County Republican and senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, said during a Navy League luncheon at The Main hotel that he would support a proposal that addresses the military's concern that it's wasting money by keeping unneeded facilities.

Hampton Roads federal lawmakers and community leaders have been skittish for years about any talk of closing military facilities -- particularly in a region where 40 percent of the economy is tied to defense and other federal spending. In 2005, a Base Realignment and Closure Commission or BRAC -- appointed to select facilities to shut down -- led to the closing of the Army's Fort Monroe and consideration of a recommendation to close Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach.

Wittman said the plan, which could be an amendment to the 2019 defense spending bill, would be limited to small bases or "tangential facilities" identified by the Pentagon.

"They would have to say that it's excess inventory and we don't need it," Wittman said. "And the localities would have to say that it's OK to do that.

"I'd be very amenable to that. It brings everybody to the table to discuss excess capacity," added Wittman, who is chairman of the committee's Seapower and Force Projection Subcommittee.

"My concern is this: I do think we need to shed ourselves of facilities and do it the right way. Remember, if we get rid of facilities in strategically centered locations -- that is, population centers -- you will never ever get them back."

Craig Quigley, executive director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, said the new approach shouldn't be a threat.

The alliance was created and is supported financially by local governments and businesses in the wake of the 2005 BRAC.

"Conceptually, it's hard to argue with that idea of the military and host community both thinking a facility should close," Quigley said. "From a Hampton Roads perspective, I'm hard pressed to think of an example of this.

http://www.military.com



WHAT? Congress better back off. We need our Bases to protect our country and it's people and in case other countries need us to back them. Congress is over stepping their bounds and they need to be put in check and stopped. What do y'all think? I think Congress needs to back off.

BigMike Loc: yerington nv

I dunno enough about it. I remember when they changed things out at March AFB. It was sad.

RRod

The closing of military bases would weaken our strength.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

Common sense should prevail. Here are some facts: The Navy keeps obsolete facilities on the books, using only one or two buildings if any. I've seen them myself. It costs millions to keep these facilities, and many of them could not be used even if they wanted to, without millions more to bring them up to code. Then, there's the ghost fleet costing millions every year to maintain. Not a single hull could be put into service in less than a year, and at a cost of 10's of millions apiece. What is the purpose of keeping woefully obsolete vessels afloat, instead of scrapping or selling them?

The DoD has the most bloated budget in the world, with little oversight over how the funds are spent. The IG has identified billions in fraud and waste, yet not a single recommendation has ever been enacted, and Congress has failed to force them to. Maybe keeping obsolete and surplus bases active makes sense on some level, Congress forcing DoD to come up with an argument that makes sense, is not only well within their purview - it's way overdue.

Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, CO

After reading the article I found the 'key words' for the base closings; Navy League luncheon at The Main hotel that he would support a proposal that addresses the military's concern that it's wasting money by keeping unneeded facilities. I fail to see how closing unneeded facilities could weaken our strength.

Mike Easterday

If actually not needed , why keep it.

Mike Easterday

If actually not needed, why keep it.

OldGlory1951 Loc: Burien, Washington

Let that be known!!!! RRod!!!. I am a Veteran from the Vietnam War Era.