Friendly fire

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North Carolina
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Friendly fire
`Military-unfriendly' is not a base-closing criteria
Posted on Mon, Mar. 22, 2004

To hear some state leaders tell it, unless North Carolina
enthusiastically welcomes the Navy's proposal for a jet aircraft
practice landing field in Eastern North Carolina adjacent to an
important wildlife refuge -- rather than at N.C. sites the state
believes are better for the Navy -- the Pentagon will take a dim view
and start closing military bases in this state next year.

In particular they fear that the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
Commission will penalize North Carolina when it begins deliberations in
2005 on the next round of congressionally mandated base closures. State
Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, recently wrote Gov. Mike Easley, "With the
BRAC process beginning, I do not want anyone to believe that North
Carolina is anything but an enthusiastic supporter of our nation's
military."

And state Sen. Scott Thomas, D-Craven, whose district includes Marine
Corps Air Station Cherry Point, where some of the Navy's new jets would
be based, said, "The state should not take an action that will cause
harm to our good relations with the military at this critical period"
and added, "It would only call into question the state's true commitment
to being `the most military friendly state in the nation.' "

Those would be good points if the Base Realignment and Closure
Commission criteria had anything to do with military friendliness.

They don't. The base-closing criteria deal only with the needs of the
military. They are mute on whether a state or community welcomes the
military. BRAC's criteria, issued last month, include four that deal
with "Military Value:" The current and future mission capabilities and
impact on the operational readiness of the Defense Department's
readiness; availability and condition of land, facilities and airspace
for training by ground, naval or air forces; ability to accommodate
contingency, mobilization or future forces for operations or training;
and the cost of operations and manpower.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/8245881.htm?1c

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