attack submarine at Quonset Point.
R.I. lawmakers, businesses attempt to protect critical military dollars
Narragansett Bay could become the national hub of naval undersea testing when
the Department of Defense transforms military operations next year – or Rhode
Island could lose military bases, jobs and millions of dollars in revenue.
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Congress authorized the Secretary of Defense to conduct a new round of base closures beginning in 2005 under the Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act of 1990.
“Secretary (Donald) Rumsfeld wants to transform the military, and its happening, so we are responding,” said President of the Southeastern New England Defense-Industry Alliance (SENEDIA) Robert Mushen. “We are making sure our defense capabilities are well-known to the public at large and elected representatives.”
In fiscal year 2003, Rhode Island received $24,902,859 from the Army; $420,725,954 from the Navy; $1,916,342 from the Air Force; $20,715,588 from the Defense Logistics Agency; $20,715,588 from the Engineering Corps; and $720,687 in other defense agency dollars.
To keep that economic engine running, Gov. Don Carcieri ordered the creation of state commissions – the Special House Defense Economy Planning Commission and the Rhode Island BRAC Commission – to pinpoint Rhode Island’s military assets and make them as efficient as possible for the defense department reviews.
House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, a Providence Democrat and chair of the Defense Economy Planning Commission, sponsored several pieces of legislation this session to strengthen the Newport Naval Station, where BRAC threatens to impact a number of the Navy commands. Of particular concern are Quonset Point Naval Air Station, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, the naval education centers, and the Rhode Island National Guard, said Chief Administrative Officer of Rhode Island Economic Development Rick Reed.
“Every (U.S.) base in the world is being evaluated, and though our Newport naval operations are well-positioned, it has vulnerabilities, and we are trying to address those,” Reed said.
While the commissions try to protect military assets, it is also shining the light on the Narragansett Bay area by painting it as the most-advanced naval command center in the nation, capable of becoming the national headquarters for undersea testing, according to Keith Stokes, executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and member of the BRAC commission.
“The southern New England region has some of the nation’s finest undersea technology. Our asset is Narragansett Bay. We have already made significant scientific investments here, and when (the defense department) looks at this as a business plan, investments need to be in place,” Stokes said.
Though Rhode Island’s naval undersea warfare operations are advanced compared to some other bases, Reed said it is still vulnerable under BRAC.
“Every base in the world could make the argument that it is the most-technologically advanced. Our Naval Undersea Warfare Center and education centers have high military value and can stand on their own. (The BRAC commission) can’t address how well our naval bases operate, but we can address operating expenses,” Reed said. “Our role is to keep costs down and be as competitive as possible.”
The defense department determines which bases to recommend for realignment or closure based on assessments of the future national security environment and a base’s ability to handle threats.
A site’s military value is of the highest importance, which includes base mission capabilities; availability and condition of land; facilities and associated airspace; ability to accommodate contingency, mobilization and future total force requirements; and the cost of operations. Other considerations like the extent of costs and savings and economic impact on communities are being studied in the process.
“We don’t know if we’ll lose revenue because of this. The cost of operations is of particular issue to the (Department of Defense), and housing is more expensive in the Northeast compared to other parts of the country. We are looking at creative ways to reduce housing costs and housing issues, because if commands were to be located here, where would they live,” Stokes said.
The commission has already cut utility costs on naval bases through an agreement with Narragansett Electric, reduced trash removal fees, and is also trying to negotiate lower water use fees, which are due to increase in Newport.
The area’s weakness is the cost of housing and the limited availability of it, according to Stokes.
There have been four previous BRACs in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995. In 1993, the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Davisville was closed under BRAC and is still in the disposal process, where the parcels of land are transferred, through April 2009. In 1993, Camp Fogarty was transferred to the Army, and other parcels of the 1,285 acres of land have been handed over to the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, the town of North Kingstown, and Bayside Family Health Care, according to Naval Facilities Engineering Command information.
“The 1993 closing was actually a positive thing because that Davisville land is now being redeveloped by the state,” Reed said. “In the last round of BRAC, Newport was not impacted, but it was a beneficiary of some operations in Groton (submarine base in Connecticut).”
Congress mandated the current fifth BRAC as part of the Defense Authorization Act of fiscal year 2003.
