[CPEO-MEF] Ellington Field articles

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Thanks to the ICMA Military List for locating the following two
articles.
_________________________________________
Texas
THE DAILY NEWS
Ellington Field 147th Fighter Wing
Locals make pitch to keep fighter wing
By Carolina Amengual
Published November 16, 2003

CLEAR LAKE — Coastal waterways, petrochemical refineries, biotechnology
companies and the Johnson Space Center are too vulnerable and too
important to be defended from a distance, area residents say.

By early 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission will make a
recommendation to Congress to consolidate and close military bases
around the country.

Reorganization plans have put residents and members of the military
community on high alert, fearing that the Texas Air National Guard unit
based at Ellington Field could be moved or reduced in size.

“There are some things that should transcend land greed and local
politics, and keeping an adequate and immediate defense capability at
Ellington Field is one of them,” said Kathryn Black Morrow, a historian
who studied Ellington Field for her master’s thesis. “It will be
tragically too late to realize this after we lose the ship channel, the
refineries or Johnson Space Center and Mission Control. The 147th
Fighter Wing at Ellington Field defends the entire Gulf Coast. We need
its full capability, not just one or two planes.”

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.claedf.com/Home/PressRoom/HotoffthePress1/EllingtonFieldFighterW/



___________
Texas
Houston Council Member Speaks Up
Ellington Field and the 147 Fighter Wing
Can We Lose Them?
by Houston City Council Member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, M.D.

Ellington Field is a valued asset in the Clear Lake community. It is
divided between two components: military and nonmilitary. As a military
facility Ellington Field is home to the Texas Air National Guard
(ANG)147th Fighter Wing in addition to other military groups and
offices. These military assets alone provide an economic impact of $400
million. Ellington Field also serves as an aviation facility. Users
include Continental Express, NASA training operations, Civil Air Patrol
and others.

Unfortunately, due to the United States Department of Defense 2005 Base
Realignment and Closure process, Ellington Field’s critical military
commands, especially the ANG147th Fighter Wing are at risk of being
relocated or lost. It is anticipated that the State of Texas, as a
whole, will suffer a 25% loss from the $42 billion economic impact
currently resulting from defense facilities.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.claedf.com/Home/PressRoom/HotoffthePress1/HoustonCouncilMemberSp/

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