Military Realignment: Nellis base likely to survive

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Nevada
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Military Realignment: Nellis base likely to survive
Pentagon seeks to reduce infrastructure by as much as 25 percent
By Samantha Young
January 5, 2003

WASHINGTON -- Nellis Air Force Base appears to be in a strong position
as the Pentagon readies for a new round of base closings, but Las Vegas
sprawl could cause problems, experts say.

Because urban growth is closing in on the base, eight miles northeast of
Las Vegas, Nellis might come under closer scrutiny by Pentagon leaders
seeking to reduce the military's infrastructure capacity by as much as
25 percent nationwide.

"Every base will get looked at. Most people in the know in Las Vegas
make the assumption that because of our mission, we'll not get closed,"
Nellis spokesman Mike Estrada said. "That's not true. There's nothing in
the regulation that says a base will not be closed."

Barry Steinberg, an attorney who represents communities facing base
closings, said encroachment is a problem for Nellis.

"Can you train at this base like you want to? The more accommodations
you have to make in the training mission, the weaker it is," said
Steinberg, a retired Army colonel.

Nevada leaders say Nellis is sufficiently buffered from growth and
predict it will survive intact.

Nellis, with other Nevada military installations, is "in absolutely good
shape," said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

By some estimates, the Defense Department could propose that 100 bases
be shut down or realigned in the fifth round of reorganizations dating
back to 1988. The proposals would be studied by an independent base
closing commission, whose subsequent recommendations would need to be
signed off by Congress.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Jan-05-Mon-2004/news/22919656.html

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