N.M. Leaders Pledge Unified Assault to Remove Cannon AFB from Base Closure List

The New Mexico congressional delegation, with Governor Bill Richardson, today pledged to wage a unified effort to combat the Defense Department recommendation to close Cannon Air Force Base as part of the 2005 base realignment and closure (BRAC) process.

U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman and Representatives Tom Udall and Steve Pearce on Friday met to stake out a unified stance following the release of targeted military installations. Richardson and Representative Heather Wilson participated via teleconference.

The state leaders vowed to work with state and community representatives to mount a comprehensive review and assault on the Defense Department proposal to close Cannon, home to the 27th Fighter Wing. The initial focus will be on determining whether the Defense Department followed the criteria set by Congress to identify installations for closure or realignment.

"I strongly believe the Air Force and Defense Department misapplied the criteria in assessing Cannon. This BRAC is about closing bases that cannot deliver real military value for the country. Cannon provides tremendous military value because it is a modern, cost-effective base, with no encroachment and unrestricted airspace," Domenici said. "I am committed to working with the delegation, state and local leaders to ensure that data on Cannon is thoroughly analyzed and presented to the Commission. I believe Cannon has a compelling case."

"Working as a delegation we successfully argued that Kirtland Air Force Base was such an asset to the country that it should be removed from the 1995 BRAC list. I believe we have equally persuasive arguments for removing Cannon Air Force Base this time, and we will work just as hard to make the case to this BRAC commission," Bingaman said.

"If Secretary Rumsfeld's Defense Department recommendations are adopted, New Mexico will face thousands of lost jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in lost economic activity. I unequivocally state that I am determined to do my utmost to overturn the Department of Defense recommendation to close Cannon Air Force Base. We will mount a strong argument to the BRAC Commissioners that not only is Cannon AFB important to New Mexico, but Cannon plays a vital role in the defense of our nation," Richardson said.

"Our efforts to keep each of New Mexico's bases in great shape helped make sure Kirtland, White Sands and Holloman ended up on the 'keeper' list. Unlike 1995, the Defense Department recognized Kirtland's value. Now we will work together to fight the closure of Cannon Air Force Base. Since the beginning, I've opposed BRAC. Now we have to convince a majority of the BRAC Commissioners that the Pentagon is mistaken in recommending it for closure," Wilson said.

"It would be an understatement to say that we are all surprised by the Pentagon's decision. We feel it is wrongheaded and we will continue to leave no stone unturned to ensure that Cannon remains a vital component of our defense infrastructure," Udall said. "We are all working as a team to remove Cannon from the final list sent to President Bush. It's a federal-state partnership, with significant support from the communities in eastern New Mexico. This will be a bipartisan, coordinated effort."

"It is very disappointing to learn that the New Mexico Training Range Initiative that is virtually complete was not included in the analysis of Cannon AFB. The low cost and high efficiency of year-round, over land operations at Cannon is well known. The new airspace study re-enforced the superior quality of expanded training in New Mexico. Therefore, it does not make sense to close Cannon," Pearce said.

Generally, the list to be formally submitted by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the BRAC Commission on Monday also recommends:

• Cannon Air Force Base: closure - 2,824 personnel loss (2,385 military, 384 civilian)

• Kirtland Air Force Base: gain -- 206 personnel gain (37 military, 176 civilian)

• Holloman Air Force Base: realignment - 17 military personnel loss

• White Sands Missile Range: realignment - 178 personnel loss (13 military, 165 civilian)

• Jenkins Armed Forces Reserve Center, Albuquerque: closure - 36 personnel loss (35 military, 1 civilian).

The primary criteria for crafting the BRAC list was supposed to focus on "military value": mission capabilities, availability of land, facilities and airspace; ability to accommodate future force structure; and, cost of operations.

In a meeting last week with the New Mexico Senators and Governor Richardson, BRAC Commission Chairman Anthony Principi made assurances that the commission is working toward total objectivity and independence as it prepares to receive the Defense Department's list of targeted facilities.

The BRAC Commission will now review the list, make site visits, and conduct regional public hearings on the closure and realignment recommendations. It will submit its recommendations to President Bush in early September for review and approval. The list, which cannot be amended, will then be submitted to Congress for approval.

Prior to the release of the BRAC list today, the congressional delegation, governor and community leaders had been working, mostly behind the scenes, to stress to Pentagon officials and BRAC Commission members the importance of New Mexico's military installations. This work has been undertaken to ensure that the Pentagon did not repeat its error in the 1995 BRAC process that targeted Kirtland Air Force Base for closure. That bid was successfully overturned.

http://domenici.senate.gov/news/news.cfm