GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Base Closures in San Diego County Not An Option

BRAC is back! You can almost hear the collective groan of military-dependant communities around the state. And no more so than in San Diego County, which has the highest concentration of military installations in the nation.

Although it has been almost ten years since the last round of closures in 1995, it still seems like yesterday. California lost approximately 90,000 jobs due to 29 base closures. Some areas of the state were hit harder than others. San Diego County escaped relatively untouched with only one closure - the Naval Training Center in Loma Portal.

Today, San Diego County is home to fourteen of the sixty-plus military bases and commands located in California. The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. has estimated that 15% of the region’s economy is dependent on military spending to the tune of about $18 billion a year.

For example, while Camp Pendleton is a major facility in this network, employing some 60,000 civilian and military personnel, it works together with Miramar and the San Diego Naval Station. And the naval weapons station in Fallbrook supplies ordnance to Camp Pendleton, as well as installations throughout Southern California and ships at sea. Also, the world’s political landscape is changing as population giants like China and India become major players. San Diego County’s network of military facilities is well-positioned to protect our nation’s interests, if necessary, in the Pacific and beyond. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Council on Base Support and Retention is weighing whether to recommend that California submit a priority list to the Pentagon. I will resist any such attempt to divide our region’s bases or commands into “must protect” and “could live without” categories. We must stand united.

Facing another round of military base and command closures in California is not going to be a picnic in the park. But I am optimistic that San Diego County is uniquely positioned to withstand another BRAC attack. Our region’s network of bases and commands provides vital defense operations for our nation.