Everett
Base-closure decisions won't just be popularity contest

By Rachel Tuinstra
Times Snohomish County bureau

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EVERETT — "The Sailor's Choice," the motto of Naval Station Everett, may not carry much weight when it comes time to consider which military bases to close, U.S. Department of Defense officials say.

Draft criteria for base closures The U.S. Department of Defense recently released its draft criteria for the 2005 base-realignment-and-closure process: Military value • The current and future mission capabilities and the impact on operational readiness of the Department of Defense's total force, including the impact on joint warfighting, training and readiness. • The availability and condition of land, facilities and associated airspace (including training areas suitable for maneuver by ground, naval or air forces throughout a diversity of climate and terrain areas and staging areas for the use of the Armed Forces in homeland-defense missions) at both existing and potential receiving locations. • The ability to accommodate contingency, mobilization and future total force requirements at both existing and potential receiving locations to support operations and training. • The cost of operations and the manpower implications. Other considerations • The extent and timing of potential costs and savings, including the number of years, beginning with the date of completion of the closure or realignment, for the savings to exceed the costs. • The economic impact on existing communities in the vicinity of military installations. • The ability of both the existing and potential receiving communities' infrastructure to support forces, missions and personnel. • The environmental impact, including the impact of costs related to potential environmental restoration, waste management and environmental-compliance activities. Source: U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens, disagrees. He said he believes that military personnel's preference on where to be stationed will still be a major consideration when the Defense Department looks at which bases to close in 2005.

The department recently released its draft criteria for the 2005 base-realignment-and-closure process, which will look at military installations nationwide to consider which could be shut or consolidated.

According to the draft criteria, the top consideration for base closures will be military value, said Glenn Flood, a department spokesman.

"Congress has said, 'You will have military value as the number-one criteria.' That means, is it important to the overall mission of the military?" Flood said. "For example, if the base goes away, will the Navy still be able to perform its mission?"

The eight criteria were written in broad terms, but Flood said the preference of personnel as far as where to be stationed is not included in the draft.

"Military retention is not a part of the criteria," Flood said.

The draft criteria are similar to those used in previous base-closure reviews, including in 1991, 1993 and 1995, he said.

But Larsen, whose district includes Everett, said that though military retention may not be spelled out, it is included in the criteria.

"Retention is absolutely critical in any discussion about base closure," Larsen said. "Criteria number seven is 'The ability of ... infrastructure to support our forces, missions and personnel.' I think the fact that Everett is 'the Sailor's Choice' should promote that."

Paul Roberts, Everett's director of planning and community development, said he believes military personnel's choices will be taken into consideration unofficially. Roberts has sat on Everett's community group that fought to keep Naval Station Everett open through previous base-closure rounds.

"Right now, the issue of retention is a big one," Roberts said. "It may not be a major deciding factor, but what happens if all other things are equal?"

Both Larsen and Roberts think Naval Station Everett has a strong argument for staying open.

"I think it stacks up very well," Larsen said. "Not only does Naval Station Everett have a natural deep-water port, but it's new and is environmentally efficient. It doesn't have the operating costs other bases have. Its location in the Puget Sound provides easy access to open-water and inland-water training, something you don't get in other areas."

The Defense Department will take public comment on the draft criteria until Jan. 28. The final criteria will be released Feb. 16.

"We very well could get information that makes us scratch our head and think, 'We didn't think of this.' And that may change one of the criteria," Flood said. "That's why we have a public comment period."

How to comment Public comment on the draft criteria for the base-closure process will be accepted until Jan. 28. Comments may be mailed to Peter Potochney, director, base realignment and closure, Room 3D8154, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301. Information: 703-614-5356.

The Defense Department will look at the use of bases by more than one branch of the military, Flood said.

The Sea-Based Test X-Band Radar (SBX), a large, floating radar platform that had been proposed for basing in Everett, is an example of cross-military use, Flood said; both the Army and Navy are involved with the project. Everett officials and residents fought against having the SBX based off the city's waterfront. The platform will be based in Adak, Alaska.

Larsen said he believes basing the giant platform and radar dome in Alaska was a good decision. He said Naval Station Everett could explore using its piers for ships from the Coast Guard or other branches of the military.

"I would say that while the community rallied against the SBX, they rallied in support of Naval Station Everett," Larsen said. "Naval Station Everett is a place for ships. Now the Navy can best explore how to reach out and be a joint multimission base."

Rachel Tuinstra: 425-783-0674 or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com

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