Governor Warner Receives "BRAC" Update from Virginia Commission on Military Bases
Governor Warner Receives "BRAC" Update from Virginia Commission on Military Bases
Also signs three bills into law benefiting Va. military families
Governor Mark R. Warner today met with members of the Virginia Commission on Military Bases (VCOMB) for an update on the aggressive state, regional and local activities in preparation for the federal government's upcoming round of military downsizing known as the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Today's meeting, held at Mary Washington University's Jepson Alumni Center in Fredericksburg, is the final full VCOMB meeting before the U.S. Department of Defense is scheduled to release its BRAC recommendations by May 16th.
The Virginia Commission on Military Bases was created by Executive Order 49 in June 2003 to advocate for Virginia's military communities and coordinate the state's response to the BRAC process. VCOMB is co-chaired by former Congressman Owen Pickett of Virginia Beach and the former Under Secretary of the Army Joe Reeder of Alexandria.
"You have helped our local communities shape a message and provide useful information, so that the Department of Defense can make the best possible decisions affecting the security of our nation," Governor Warner said, thanking the Commission's 28-members for their efforts to date. "Put simply, we believe the facts support protecting and expanding Virginia's extensive network of military installations, to better serve the national security interests of the United States in the future," the Governor said.
The goal of the 2005 BRAC round is to reduce the nation's defense infrastructure by 25 percent and involves a complete cost analysis of every domestic military installation. United States military spending in the Commonwealth exceeds $34 billion annually, a significant part of the Virginia economy.
Over the past 22 months, members of VCOMB have visited 20 military installations for briefings, produced comprehensive data detailing Virginia's historic partnership with the military and Virginia's military advantage, produced materials educating local and regional leaders on the federal BRAC process, administered $1.7 million in spending on BRAC-related activities, including the award of $700,000 in state matching funds to localities to help regional planners leverage a combined $1.4 million for BRAC activities, and worked closely with Virginia's Congressional delegation in their role as Virginia's voice in Washington.
"These efforts are on top of the multitude of steps - capital improvements such as roads, joint land use planning, in-state tuition rates for service members and joint economic ventures like the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Initiative that I announced in Hampton Roads on Monday - that make Virginia even more attractive to America's military operations," Governor Warner said. "I thank you for your service and ask that you continue to focus on this important work as the BRAC process moves forward through the summer and fall."
Governor Warner announced he will meet with VCOMB leadership during the first week in May to review any final assessments or actions that need to be considered before the BRAC list is released. The Governor also instructed the full VCOMB membership to participate in a conference call with him as soon as the Pentagon announces its recommendations for an initial assessment, and to convene an in-person meeting within one week for a more detailed analysis.
Under federal law, the Secretary of Defense is to publish a report containing the realignment and closure recommendations by May 16, 2005, forwarding supporting documentation to an independent commission appointed by the President in consultation with congressional leadership. The commission has the authority to change the Department's recommendations after regional meetings to solicit public comment prior to making its final recommendations. The commission then forwards its recommendations to the President for review and approval by September 8, 2005, and the President forwards the recommendations to Congress before November 7, 2005. Congress then has 45 legislative days to act on the commission report on an all-or-none basis.
Governor Warner used the VCOMB meeting in Fredericksburg as an opportunity to sign three of the more than 12 bills adopted by the 2005 General Assembly that clearly demonstrate Virginia's continued strong partnership with the military and its military families:
HB 1501, sponsored by Delegate John Cosgrove, which allows spouses of deceased Marine Corps veterans to receive Marine Corps veterans' special license plates;
SB 1035, sponsored by Senator Frank Ruff, which expands workers compensation coverage to National Guard personnel and members of the Virginia Defense Force from the minute they are called to state duty; and
HB 2925, sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter, which creates the Virginia National Defense Industrial Authority to ensure we have the new economic development tools and support needed to partner with the military as it undergoes transformation.
Additional legislation approved by the Legislature provides relief to active-duty military personnel in the areas of rental housing, filing of state income taxes, and motor vehicle inspections.
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Press_Policy/Releases/2005/Apr05/0414.htm