South Carolina's BRAC Victory

South Carolina's BRAC victory
The State
By JOE WILSON
Guest columnist

Washington, May 19

When the Department of Defense released its long-awaited Base Realignment and Closure list last week, sighs of relief could be heard throughout South Carolina, and the 2nd District in particular. I am thrilled that the Defense Department clearly reinforced its confidence in Fort Jackson, Parris Island, the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Beaufort Naval Hospital.

Although the Defense Department's decision to support and grow our bases is only the latest step in an ongoing process, I believe we have plenty of reasons to celebrate this hard-fought and crucial victory achieved by the teamwork of federal, state, county, municipal and Chamber of Commerce officials.

If the remainder of the BRAC process continues as expected, Fort Jackson will play an even larger role in providing the Army with well-trained, disciplined and skilled soldiers who are prepared to win the war on terror. Fort Jackson will soon be home to the only drill sergeant school in the Army and the Joint Center of Excellence for Religious Training and Education for the Department of Defense, which will serve as the leading institutions for the military.

The consolidation of schools from across the nation will bring hundreds of students and their families to the Midlands. Additionally, the base will soon operate the Army Reserve Southeast Regional Readiness Command in a new Armed Forces Reserve Center.

The BRAC Committee also recognized and furthered the tremendous military and economic value of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. As the home to one of the nation's largest aircraft groups, Air Station Beaufort is playing a vital role in the war on terror. Air Station Beaufort will relocate depot maintenance workload and capacity from other sites throughout the nation to establish the Fleet Readiness Center East Site Beaufort at Air Station Beaufort.

Parris Island will continue its almost century-old tradition of being the premier birthplace of America's Marines for recruits east of the Mississippi River. The Beaufort Naval Hospital will also continue to serve as the primary medical facility of the Beaufort military community, helping to keep our military families healthy.

Military value was a primary component of the Defense Department's evaluation. The professionalism and dedication of our base leadership and quality of our instructors ensure that the servicemen and -women trained in South Carolina are prepared to serve our country. The recommendation to expand our institutions is a strong tribute to this legacy of excellence and the unquestioned military value of South Carolina's military installations.

The tireless efforts of people throughout our communities were also critical to this success. For years, South Carolinians have warmly welcomed the military presence to our state. Federal, state and local community leaders have worked with our bases to mitigate encroachment issues, and to bring additional missions to South Carolina. Fortunately, the Defense Department's proposed BRAC list validates our efforts.

However, the BRAC process is not yet over. The BRAC Commission must now investigate the department's proposal to determine whether these recommendations have merit. Commissioners can amend the list by Sept. 8 and then send the revised list to President Bush. He has the option of approving or disapproving the list. If it is disapproved, a new list must be resubmitted by Oct. 20. The president must submit the list to Congress by Nov. 7. Congress has 45 days to pass a motion of disapproval, or the list becomes law.

As the BRAC process continues, I'll vigilantly promote and protect bases throughout the 2nd District. Our state has a rich and accomplished military heritage, and I'm confident that South Carolina will remain an ideal home for the U.S. military.

http://joewilson.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=27734