European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 31,1988 the stars and stripes Page 9 base closings Navy denies stonewalling charge / ".  a  colled uncooperative with panel on base closings Washington a the Navy denying an accusation by a member of a commission Jha compiled recommendations for military base closings said it cooperated with he panel s review. In the recommendations issued thursday the Navy lost six installations three of which had not yet entered service compared with live major bases lost by the air Force and the army s 26 bases and 52 housing units that would be partially or wholly closed. Thomas Eagleton. A former democratic senator from Missouri who joined the 12-Membcr commission part Way through its seven month review said the Navy stonewalled and got away with  the air Force ultimately gave its cooperation. The army  gave tis reluctant cooperation Eagleton said in an additional View at the close of the 8f�pagc final report released by the commission on base realignment and closure for the Navy he said intransigence paid off. When the new Secretary of defense looks to further base closings As a Means of trimming the Pentagon budget he should most certainly Start with the Navy. The Navy refused to play this Lime it should be obliged to Nam  Navy spokesman it. Cmdr orig Quigley rejected Eagleton s criticism. We fed we did cooperate with the commission and clearly answered whatever questions the commission had quiet by said thursday. Eagle Lon s comment May be More a measure or the mood of the three services than their willingness to eliminate facilities Pentagon officials said. One army officer speaking on condition of anonymity said Eagleton s statement recalled the phrase the dumb inc devious and the defiant the army being the dumb the air Force devious and the Navy  fort Dix by the new York times a presidential panel s recommendation on thurs Day to sharply curtail training activities at fort Dix nj., which prepared soldiers for both world wars Korea and Vietnam surprised new Jersey ans in and out of government. Gov. Thomas h. Titean said he was shocked and surprised by the recommendation to place fort Dix on Sam Active status and end Basic train ing there. Sen. Bill Bradley a Democrat who fought the last attempt to shut the base in 1979, said he would strongly oppose the cutback. Sen. Frank r. Lautenberg also a Democrat said he was deeply disappointed and promised to examine carefully the rationale for the cutback neither senator could say what Steps might be taken to reverse the More included in a list of almost 100 closings and reorganizations of military bases that Congress has to accept entirely or reject entirely. The panel said curtailing training at fort Dix would save $84.5 million a year. Part of the savings would Bein reducing the number of military personnel from id.92rto-7.781, and by halving the civilian work Force which at times reaches 3,300,.the direct cutbacks would also reduce the $350 Mil lion the installation contributes to the Southern new Jersey Economy.1. Elsewhere in the state the panel recommended a reduction at fort Monmouth which would lose 144 of its 8,400 civilian employees and 60 of its 2,900 Mili tary personnel and the addition of 135 civilian jobs atthe Pic tinny Arsenal in Morris county which now has a non military work Force of 5,300.because of the holidays Little was happening thurs Day at fort Dix the sprawling Post on the Edge of the Pine lands except Tor the processing of a few Hundred recruits who had arrived by bus in the last two Days and Learned of the proposed cutbacks from reporters. It. Col. C. David Wail commander of the reception battalion is one of the More than 4,000 military personnel at the base. Wait said that he would probably be transferred and that he was not surprised adding "1 Don l think the political base in new Jersey is As Strong As it is in some other places that have training Cen  Navy officers argued that unlike he air Force and inc army they eliminated Many facilities employing thousands of people Dur ing the 1970s. Those facilities included the quonset Point naval air station and Newport naval base in Rhode is land the Boston naval shipyard the Gly Conaval air station in Georgia the Brooklyn naval shipyard in new York and the Hunter Point naval shipyard near san Francisco. Three of the is Nav facilities nominated by est Luton the commission for elimination were part of the Home port program and construction on them either had no started or was not Complete. They included the naval station it Hunters Point the naval station at Galves ton Texas and the naval station at Lake Charles la. Another Navy base to be eliminated the puget sound naval station in Washington state is an administrative Center 35 Miles by automobile from another Home port at Everett Wash the commission recommended moving administrative facilities from the Brooklyn naval station to near by Staten Island where a Home port is under construction. The sixth Navy facility recommended for closure is the naval Hospital in Philadelphia which the com Mission called unsafe and inadequate to support modern health care. The Hospital cannot be modern  none of the affected army or air Force bases was critical and most employees would be transferred. Pease fab Newington , a Pease fab where president elect George Bush arrives when he visits Maine is one of the biggest installations put on the chopping Block thursday and officials hunted for ways to soften the $340 million Shock. News that the 33-year-old base Home to some of the country s top bomber groups might close by january 1990 shocked Many people in the stale. Pie base employs 3,700 military personnel and 500 civilians.-. The commission on base realignment and closure proposed that 34 military installations be closed. It also recommended partially closing five other bases and reorganizing 54 More. Base commander col. Orin Godsy said that despite the Shock local officials had a very positive Outlook. They re looking at ways they can make the military base a usable  one of the most frequently mentioned ideas was to convert the base into a regional Airport. The slate s congressional delegation which supported creation of the commission said it would not fight the closing if it is justified. "1 Don t want to raise false expectations about alter ing this recommendation said sen. Cordon Humphrey a conservative Republican. At this juncture it looks like a foregone conclusion that ii will close. It s highly unlikely that Congress will reject this  the commission recommended closing Pease by cause of a  facilities at the base and its vulnerability to sub launched ballistic missiles thai. Could strike before its planes get off the ground. Pease opened in 1956 and has been Home of the 509th bombardment Wing whose predecessor the 509th composite group of the army air corps dropped he bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, in 1985, Pease was listed in the Book nuclear battlefields As having 190 atomic warheads ranking new Hampshire 21 St among the states. The Federal govern ment does nol acknowledge where it keeps its nuclear weapons. Since its founding. Pease has been a base for b-29 and b-52 bombers. Today it deploys Kc-135 refuelling tankers and fb-111 fighter bombers. Those services said. The army stands to lose inc most bases including a major training Center. Fort Din n.j., which is to do placed on inactive status. The closure will affect 3,140 military and 1,516 civilian employees. Also picked for closing were fort Sheridan in Illi Nois with 1,319 military and 1,68 civilian employees and the Presidio offices in san Francisco with 2.140 military and 3,150 civilian employees. An army spokesman maj. Dick Bridges said he saw no unwarranted closures on the  on first look it seems thai they have done their Homework he said. Sheridan the Presidio and Dix have appeared on lists from Lime immemorial. If we Don t need them we should get rid of  an air Force spokesman maj. Lou Figueroa said that service fully supports the commission and it charter to bring about More efficient use of defense  v the air Force maintains a military Force of607,000,said Figueroa. Of those. 15,743 would be relocated. The air Force has a civilian work Force of 264,348, of whom 5,086 would be  a Urr Misiun  u thai the if Fui Ca close five of its 94 major bases Chanute in Illinois George Mather and Norton in California and Pease inner Hampshire. Most of their functions would be taken Over by Cannon air Force base in new Mexico Sheppard fab in Texas March fab in California and Mountain Home fab in Idaho. Of the air Force bases affected Only Mather has strategic bombers and the report said its b-52s Are programmed to  Norton is one of six military Airlift come bases. Chanute is largely a training base. The f-4 tactical fighter Wing at George is to be retired.fb-111 bombers located at Pease arc being moved. The base is considered vulnerable to Surprise attack from submarine launched cruise missiles. The Presidio san Francisco a the closing of the Percsi Dio army base on a Hillside overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge could transform one of san Francisco s loveliest spots into a Park at the Cost of thousands of civilian jobs. The Presidio was one of 34 military bases recommended for closure by a government commission thursday. The panel also said the Navy should nol base the battleship Missouri at Hunters Point an Issue that has divided the City for years. The recommendation to close the Presidio surprised and disappointed City officials and neighbourhood businessmen even though the commission said inc move would have minimal Impact on local employment. Founded by the Spanish in 1776 and operated As an army base since 1846, the Presidio is one of the most important spots in san Francisco history. Now head quarters of the 6lh army it employs about 3.000 civil ians and 2,700 servicemen. I think it will have a significant effect on the Economy unless the commission is definite in recommending that there be economic assistance to communities near bases said Congress Swonigan Nancy Closi a Democrat whose District is be i to the Presidio. The base she said is the third largest employer in san Francisco and has an annual payroll of $600 Mil lion. A. Mayor an Agnos said the commission s decision had very Grove consequences for the City he planned to meet with the local congressional delegation to evaluate the effect of losing the base. For 112 years the Presidio has been an integral part of san Francisco. It was Here before san Francisco was a City. It s been a very Good neighbor an Jan important Parton Pur Economy he said. The site s future is restricted by the 1972 Law that established the Golden Gate National recreation area which includes most of the base. Except for 36 acres belonging to the Letterman army medical Center All 1,490 acres Woad come under the control of the Park. The Hospital also is slated for closing