[CPEO-MEF] D-M in 'pretty strong position'

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Arizona
TUCSCON CITIZEN
D-M in 'pretty strong position'
Base must work with neighbors to survive expected round of cuts,
officials say
C.T. Revere
October 15, 2003

The presence of the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, the
massive "boneyard," is seen as bolstering Davis-Monthan's chances of
survival.
With the most sweeping round of base closures looming in 2005, local
leaders and the community must work together to keep Davis-Monthan Air
Force Base open, observers say.

There are a host of factors that support keeping D-M open while an
expected 100 or more bases are shut down, but the way the community and
air base co-exist will likely decide its fate, said retired Air Force
Gen. Tom Browning, military adviser to Gov. Janet Napolitano.

"D-M is in a pretty strong position, but the jury is still out," said
Browning, co-chair of the state's Military Facilities Task Force. "Based
on everything I've learned, Davis-Monthan enjoys a very good, healthy
working relationship with Tucson and Pima County. But there's still
encroachment issues just because D-M is in an urban area. People need to
make hard decisions to enforce zoning that's compatible with the base."

Tucson Unified School District's decision to close Keen Elementary
School because it is directly beneath a flight path was "a splendid
example of the commitment to D-M," Browning said.

While the Department of Defense disputes a recent Los Angeles Times
story reporting that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is expected to
recommend closure of 25 percent of the nation's bases, that is the
number widely anticipated for the next round of the Base Realignment and
Closure program, Browning said.

"That is consistent with everything I've heard to this point in time,"
he said. "Whether it's 90 or 100, it is going to be a big number."

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=local&story_id=101503a1_dm_brac

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