Etheridge Testifies Before BRAC

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

August 10, 2005

Contact: Joanne Peters
Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge Testifies Before BRAC

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), who represents Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, testified before the Base Closure and Realignment Commission today about the importance of Pope Air Force Base. The testimony was a part of a hearing in the U.S. Congress with Representatives and Senators from Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Maine and the District of Columbia

"The XVIII Airborne Corps is the nation's premier power projection force, and it depends on its key relationship with Pope Air Force Base for its training, deployability, and support requirements. Approval of the Air Force recommendation would force the Army to replicate a capability it does not possess, cannot afford and already currently exists at Pope. We must not attempt to fix what is not broken, and the unique and exquisite military capability of the Bragg/Pope team is most assuredly not broken," Etheridge told the commission.

"I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner with community leaders, state government officials and the North Carolina Congressional delegation to do all that we can to promote the unique capabilities of the combined forces of Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg," continued Etheridge after the hearing.

The commission voted last month to take a closer look at the Pentagon's recommendation to realign Pope Air Force Base. The commission is currently reviewing the recommendations and will report to the President on its findings by September 8, 2005. For more information, please visit http://www.defenselink.mil/brac/index.html.

-30-