marinemom
07-02-05, 03:18 AM
Panel suggests closing MCRD, Navy's Broadway Complex
By Erica Werner
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:18 p.m. July 1, 2005
WASHINGTON – A federal commission suggested Friday it may add the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and the Navy's Broadway Complex in San Diego to the list of base closures recommended by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
San Diego officials, who were relieved when the Marine depot was left off Rumsfeld's list of proposed closures in May, vowed Friday to fight to keep it open.
"In terms of efficiency and protection of America's 911 fighting force, the MCRD is unsurpassed," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine. "It doesn't make sense to consolidate all training on the East Coast."
The depot trains 20,000 recruits a year, and employs 1,700 service members as well as 900 civilians.
The independent, nine-member commission that is reviewing Rumsfeld's base closing proposals asked the defense secretary in a letter Friday why he hadn't recommended closing the facility and consolidating its functions with the Corps' other training depot, at Parris Island, S.C.
"Consolidation of all recruit training to MCRD Parris Island generates training efficiencies, reduces excess capacity and saves recurring costs," the letter said.
Hunter and others said they felt confident they could convince the commission otherwise. The depot has been discussed for closing in past base closure rounds but has stayed open.
Supporters touted the San Diego depot's benefits, including its proximity to Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, where many of its graduates go.
In a statement, Julie Meier Wright, president of the San Diego Economic Development Corp., which led the fight to keep San Diego's military bases open, said the letter "in no way means that a facility will be closed."
Meier Wright said the EDC will fight "vigorously" to defend the depot at a commission hearing July 14 in Los Angeles.
However, the EDC's stance on the potential closure of the 1920s-era Navy Broadway Complex was different.
"For San Diego, it would mean an opportunity to move forward with the long-anticipated redevelopment of the North Embarcadero as the crown jewel in a revitalized downtown San Diego," she said.
Meier Wright said closing the Navy Broadway Complex "would provide money for the Navy to build a new headquarters on a local military base, such as Naval Station San Diego at 32nd Street."
The building now serves as the headquarters of Commander, Navy Region Southwest.
The commission letter to Rumsfeld, seeking explanations for some of his choices, was part of its fact-finding process before issuing its own recommendations about his list in September. Commissioners are also holding hearings around the country, including one in Los Angeles July 14.
It will take seven votes on the commission to add a base to Rumsfeld's list. The commission's list will be reviewed by President Bush and Congress.
Contrary to earlier base closing rounds California fared relatively well on Rumsfeld's list, which proposed closing or downsizing a dozen installations but spared the prominent bases thought to be most at risk. The state has more than 30 major bases and dozens of smaller ones and defense spending contributes about $39 billion annually to California's economy.
By Erica Werner
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:18 p.m. July 1, 2005
WASHINGTON – A federal commission suggested Friday it may add the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and the Navy's Broadway Complex in San Diego to the list of base closures recommended by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
San Diego officials, who were relieved when the Marine depot was left off Rumsfeld's list of proposed closures in May, vowed Friday to fight to keep it open.
"In terms of efficiency and protection of America's 911 fighting force, the MCRD is unsurpassed," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine. "It doesn't make sense to consolidate all training on the East Coast."
The depot trains 20,000 recruits a year, and employs 1,700 service members as well as 900 civilians.
The independent, nine-member commission that is reviewing Rumsfeld's base closing proposals asked the defense secretary in a letter Friday why he hadn't recommended closing the facility and consolidating its functions with the Corps' other training depot, at Parris Island, S.C.
"Consolidation of all recruit training to MCRD Parris Island generates training efficiencies, reduces excess capacity and saves recurring costs," the letter said.
Hunter and others said they felt confident they could convince the commission otherwise. The depot has been discussed for closing in past base closure rounds but has stayed open.
Supporters touted the San Diego depot's benefits, including its proximity to Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, where many of its graduates go.
In a statement, Julie Meier Wright, president of the San Diego Economic Development Corp., which led the fight to keep San Diego's military bases open, said the letter "in no way means that a facility will be closed."
Meier Wright said the EDC will fight "vigorously" to defend the depot at a commission hearing July 14 in Los Angeles.
However, the EDC's stance on the potential closure of the 1920s-era Navy Broadway Complex was different.
"For San Diego, it would mean an opportunity to move forward with the long-anticipated redevelopment of the North Embarcadero as the crown jewel in a revitalized downtown San Diego," she said.
Meier Wright said closing the Navy Broadway Complex "would provide money for the Navy to build a new headquarters on a local military base, such as Naval Station San Diego at 32nd Street."
The building now serves as the headquarters of Commander, Navy Region Southwest.
The commission letter to Rumsfeld, seeking explanations for some of his choices, was part of its fact-finding process before issuing its own recommendations about his list in September. Commissioners are also holding hearings around the country, including one in Los Angeles July 14.
It will take seven votes on the commission to add a base to Rumsfeld's list. The commission's list will be reviewed by President Bush and Congress.
Contrary to earlier base closing rounds California fared relatively well on Rumsfeld's list, which proposed closing or downsizing a dozen installations but spared the prominent bases thought to be most at risk. The state has more than 30 major bases and dozens of smaller ones and defense spending contributes about $39 billion annually to California's economy.