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PENTAGON’S PROPOSED CLOSURES, REALIGNMENTS
TARGET OREGON MILITARY FACILITIES
Major realignment recommended at PDX Airport
Air Guard Station,
closures at Umatilla Chemical Depot, Central Point Navy Reserve
Center
May 13, 2005
Washington, DC – The Portland
International Airport Air Guard Station was targeted for major
realignments and the Umatilla Chemical Depot in eastern Oregon
and Navy Reserve Center in Central Point were recommended for
closure by the Pentagon today, in a proposal raising strong concerns
for U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.).
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld advocated the shutdowns
and realignments as part of a list submitted to the Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) Commission this morning. In a May 6 letter
to BRAC Chairman Anthony Principi, Senators Wyden and Smith lobbied
for the current role of Oregon’s military facilities. (The
text of the bipartisan letter can be read at wyden.senate.gov
and at gsmith.senate.gov.)
“I’m going to have
lots of questions to understand how the Pentagon plans to keep
Oregonians safe if these changes are put in place,” said
Wyden. “I’m not going to allow our state to become
a sacrifice zone in an era of increased homeland security needs.”
“Before any changes are
made, the Pentagon is going to have to justify its decisions,”
Smith said. “I am going to review these recommendations
closely. I want to ensure that Oregonians will be safe and that
our communities receive all the help available to recover economically
if this plan goes through.”
Proposed changes to the Air
Guard Station at Portland International Airport include realignment
of the 142nd Fighter Wing’s F-15 aircraft to stations in
Atlantic City, N.J. and New Orleans, La.; the Pentagon list says
the wing’s expeditionary combat support elements and two
combat communications squadrons will remain at Portland. Changes
to the 939th Air Refueling Wing include realignment of aircraft
and maintenance personnel to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma
and Forbes Field Air Guard Station in Kansas, with one aircraft
sent to backup inventory. Remaining personnel of the 939th, including
expeditionary combat support, would be realigned to Vandenberg
Air Force Base in California. The 304th Rescue Squadron at Portland
would be realigned to McChord Air Force Base in Washington.
The Secretary of Defense also
recommended complete closure of the Umatilla Chemical Depot when
the facility’s existing workload is completed in 2011.
The Pentagon also proposes the
closure of the Navy Reserve Center in Central Point as part of
a nationwide consolidation of Navy Reserve facilities to reduce
overhead costs.
BRAC Commissioners will now
review the Secretary’s list of proposed changes at U.S.
military facilities and make final recommendations to the President
by September 8, 2005. If the President accepts the Commission’s
list, it will move to Congress for final consideration before
the end of the year.
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