Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico) February 22, 2004
Under The Gun
Local supporters say N.M. bases will be fine
By Miguel Navrot
One year from now, 3,400 square miles of New Mexico desert will be picked over and dissected as part of the military's next big liquidation.
Winners in the next round of base closures will remain military communities, where base personnel spend their paychecks and civilian contractors bid for government work.
Losers would be left with vacated land and, in many cases, gaping economic holes.
In New Mexico, home to three Air Force bases and the Army's largest patch of proving ground, local supporters are generally confident they will be winners.
"I think that the concerns are modest-to-light," said Republican Rep. Steve Pearce, whose district covers the majority of New Mexico military land. "Having said that, every game that we get into of this importance, we play as if the concern should be great."
For the first time in a decade, a presidential commission of nine members will conduct an inspection of the military's 425 domestic properties and missions. The intent is streamlining what is one of the federal budget's largest expenditures.
President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have pushed for the base-closing round as a means to save $3.5 billion annually.
The state's congressional delegation, knowing the at-home reliance on military dollars, has unsuccessfully tried to stop or postpone the 2005 closure round.
Gov. Bill Richardson, calling the bases "critical to sustaining the economic well-being of the state," has pieced together a local office and commission dedicated to protecting the four installations.
Military spending consistently makes up a sizable chunk of the state's economy.
Nearly 90,000 jobs -- about 12 percent of the state's total work force -- come directly from military employment or indirectly from military spending, according to a report from New Mexico State University's business school.
The report, prepared for the state Military Base Planning Commission, also found $1 for every $9.80 in personal income among New Mexicans "can be traced to military spending."
In many cases, jobs based on military spending provide well-paying salaries in otherwise poor rural communities, said report researcher and NMSU associate professor Christopher Erickson.
"These bases have a disproportionate effect to local economies," Erickson said in telephone interview.
Kirtland's strengths
The lone exception is Kirtland Air Force Base, Erickson said, because nearby Albuquerque is already the economic center in the state.
Nonetheless, Kirtland proponents don't want to see the base closed or downsized.
In 1995, during the most recent round of base closings, Stuart Purviance and others helped beat back a Pentagon proposal that would have shrunk Kirtland by 6,850 of its 23,000 jobs. Purviance and other civic leaders have since formed a group known today as the Kirtland Partnership Committee to continue fighting.
"We're very fortunate," said Purviance, executive director of the group.
The group's feeling is that Kirtland will likely receive more missions and defense operations from bases that are closing.
The local base also houses the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories and is a hub of military research involving nuclear, laser and microwave energy.
Few Air Force bases match Kirtland's high-tech diversity.
"The strengths of the base are also the weaknesses," said Purviance.
For Albuquerque, Purviance said, the biggest struggle in keeping the base running is keeping Pentagon decision makers informed of the unique asset they have here.
Cannon and Holloman
New Mexico's other two Air Force bases are more traditional but boast their own unique assets -- mainly acres and acres of wide-open flying space.
Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis and Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo both host combat-ready fighter wings.
At Cannon, three squadrons of F-16 Falcon fighter jets train over neighboring ranges on eastern New Mexico and West Texas. The skies around Holloman host the only two squadrons of F-117A stealth fighters.
Both bases routinely deploy their airmen and jets to international hot spots, including last year's invasion of Iraq.
Both bases also have little population encroachment on their operations, unlike Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix and Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nev.
The two fighter bases also host training for U.S. allies. At Cannon, the Singapore air force keeps a squadron of F-16s for pilot training. Holloman has German pilots, currently flying the F-4 Phantom and Panavia Tornado fighter jets.
Holloman also houses some operations generally deemed difficult to move, including a high-speed test track, where the Defense Department examines hypersonic weapon systems.
Cannon, however, is mainly a fighter base and could theoretically be easy to relocate. Its backers argue that its proximity to several training spaces, including nearby Melrose Bombing Range, make it an unlikely target for closure.
In addition, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is heading a push to bring an under-development jet, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, to Cannon because of the surrounding training space.
"There's room for (Cannon) to grow, if they need some room for bases that close," said Mike Collins, military legislative assistant to Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M.
Farther south is White Sands Missile Range, birthplace of the Atomic Age and premier home of missile research and testing for the Army, Air Force and Navy. It owns 3,200 square miles of overland testing grounds and has access on another 3,900 square miles of space with lease agreements and a partnership with nearby Fort Bliss, Texas.
The expanse "is critical to the nation's defense," said Las Cruces City Councilor Dolores Archuleta, who retired as a White Sands civilian employee after 36 years. "We're really hoping it will be a receiver."
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE
GRAPHIC: PHOTO BY:JOURNAL FILE PHOTO: Color
Mission:Combat-ready F-16 Falcon fighter jets; Singapore air force training
Employment (U.S. military): 4,500 (3,600)
Size: 69,822 acres
Location: 7 miles west of Clovis
Economic Impact: $212 million
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE*
PHOTO BY:JOURNAL FILE PHOTO: Color
Mission:Munition maintenance; Special operations training; Energy research
Employment (USM): 25,800 (5,500)**
Size: 52,000 acres
Location: Southeast of Albuquerque
Economic Impact: $2.5 billion
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE
Mission Space, missile, laser research
Employment (USM) 6,600 (200)
Size 3,200 square miles ***
Location South central New Mexico
Economic Impact $857 million
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE
PHOTO BY:JOURNAL FILE PHOTO: Color
Mission: Home of F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter fleet; German air force training
Employment (USM): 6,300 (4,300)
Size: 57,000 acres
Location: 8 miles southwest of Alamogordo
Economic Impact: $349 million
SOURCES: U.S. Air Force, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico State University, Globalsecurity.org
© Copyright 2004, Albuquerque Journal
