Rhode Island has apparently dodged the possibility of major military base closures.
In an announcement Friday morning, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced the Pentagon has recommended the closure of 33 large military bases and 150 smaller facilities across the country.
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Though the Harwood U.S. Army Reserve Center in Providence and USARC in Bristol are on the list, closures elsewhere in the country could mean more than 500 new defense jobs in Rhode Island, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said Friday.
“The Department of Defense has realized the military value of Naval Station Newport and Quonset Air Force Base,” Reed said. “This is a tribute to the infrastructure and support given to the local communities.”
The new jobs would be created after jobs from other bases are relocated to Newport and Quonset, Reed said.
Included on the Base Realignment and Closure list is the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. If that base closes, the plan is to relocate the 18 submarines there to Norfolk, Va., and Kings Bay, Ga. The closure could affect some 31,500 military and civilian jobs in the Groton area.
The BRAC Commission will forward its report on the Secretary of the Department of Defense’s recommendations to President George Bush on Sept. 8. The president then has until Sept. 23 to accept or reject the recommendations. After the president makes a decision, Congress has 45 legislative days to reject the recommendations in their entirety or they will take effect.
Also on the BRAC list is Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod.
