Military Base Closings

The Pentagon just released the BROC recommendations for Base closings. It is milder than expected, but the upcoming fight will be as rough. Governors, Senators, and Congressmen are already gearing up for battle. The sad element in all this lies in the fact the Closings will beneficial in the long run for Everyone.

New London (the Sub base) can be dredged and revamped into a modern Container-Ship facility serving the Northeast. Some of the Alabama and Mississippi bases should not be deactivated, per sec, but turned into Oil refineries (left Active for Security protection with a MP battalion stationed onsite). The Texas bases even have reasonable Pipeline access for Oil refining capacity. The Pentagon's plan for Shared-Training facilities is not as acceptable; Combat MOS training facilities should be kept separate, for expansion purposes in case of large-scale War. There are some Expenses which should be borne. The Recommendation Report, though, stands as very creditable, and State and Local officialdom should be brought on board.

A primary accomplishment to the afore-mentioned End would be a Federal Executive and Legislative decision to 'Build and Lease' economic productive capacity on the closing bases. The Author mentioned on previous Post the suggestion that the Federal Government itself build Oil Refineries on Active Military bases, then lease the Refining capacity to Private Operators. The Federal Government could develop the Container-Ship capacity at New London, then lease the facility, or have a Federal Port Authority operate the Facility at a Profit. Alabama and Mississippi base sites are almost perfect locations to build Top-tech Steel smelting plants which can be profitably leased; the Military will need Steel production capacity in case of full-scale War. Conservatives will claim this would be a huge expanse of Government, but it would be a good expansion; the Government acting only as Capital-Aggregator and Landlord. lgl