This is the biggest step'
Redstone's gains on Pentagon list now look to BRAC
Saturday, May 14, 2005
The Pentagon gave a major stamp of approval to Redstone Arsenal Friday, proposing to make Huntsville the new headquarters for two major Army commands and home to the bulk of the nation's missile defense work.
The long-awaited Pentagon recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission would result in a net gain of 1,655 Department of Defense jobs for Redstone. An additional 1,290 civilian contractor jobs could follow, officials said.
If the Pentagon's recommendations stand, Redstone would become headquarters for the Army Materiel Command and the Space and Missile Defense Command, both now based in northern Virginia. It also would transfer most of the functions of the Missile Defense Agency from Virginia to Redstone.
Friday was a "fabulous day" for Huntsville, said U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, was "relieved" at the news after two years of work to make sure Redstone is indispensable to the military. Two of the state's other three military bases also fared well.
Fort Rucker in southeast Alabama would gain 1,888 jobs and Anniston Army Depot would gain 1,034. Only Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery would lose work, about 1,251 jobs.
"I know this is a step in a process, but this is the biggest step," Shelby said Friday. "Although it's not the end of the day, it's a big step for Huntsville and North Alabama."
Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer said the city won't rest in its campaign supporting Redstone. Thursday night, the City Council approved her request to spend another $100,000 to market Huntsville to potential transferees.
"We can't think it ends here," Spencer said. "We have to do everything we can to make sure what's on this list comes here. By no means is this over."
Though Redstone could lose some jobs in the shuffle - a 52-year-old missile and electronics school, a robotics office and several supply programs might go elsewhere - the overall reaction was relief.
"I just can't stress how pleased we are that the Defense Department has seen fit to affirm Huntsville's leadership by moving these commands to the city," Sessions said. "I think it reflects a belief that the city has the capacity and the economy and culture to sustain these commands and ... in the future you would see the Madison County community be a center for top defense issues."
In addition to the major commands, Redstone also could gain a multiservice helicopter test center, pulled from work now done at Fort Rucker in Dale County and at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. The Army also proposes to move the 2nd Recruiting Brigade from Fort Gillem in Atlanta to Redstone. Fort Gillem is one of four major military bases in the Atlanta area that were slated for possible closure Friday.
Redstone could lose the U.S. Army Munitions, Ordnance and Electronics School, with about 900 Army students and 95 military instructors and other workers. The school was established in 1953 to show soldiers how to use the missiles being developed at the arsenal.
The loss of some jobs is understandable, local leaders say. Total jobs gained could come to almost 3,000 military and contractors, said U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville.
"This could have been a bad day, but it wasn't. The communities in North Alabama have worked hard to keep (military) work," Cramer said. "Now, it seems we will gain, but we have to keep working" to make sure the Pentagon's recommendations are implemented.
The new jobs mostly would be high-paying, white-collar jobs, Cramer said.
The engineering jobs could range from $60,000 to $100,000 a year, and would include families that might buy high-priced items such as homes, cars and appliances.
"This most definitely will add to Huntsville's economy," Cramer said.
In contrast, most of the jobs that could be lost are lower wage, military trainee jobs in the $20,000-a-year bracket. The trainees live on Redstone and rarely are allowed off base, and thus don't put too much money into the local economy.
Shelby said a long list of new office buildings, engineering centers and roads built on Redstone over the past decade kept the arsenal from losing work or even closing.
"We've worked together to try to bolster each year the role that's played at Redstone for national security. This is a signal from the Pentagon recognizing that role," he said. "The fact that we have built so much infrastructure in the last 10 to 12 years out there has added in to this."
In the post-9/11 era, Redstone's security also played a factor, Shelby said. Redstone has worked to improve security at base gates and through major buildings since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Many military programs in the Washington area are housed in rented buildings and office parks that don't offer the protection of a military base.
"I think the military will see that some of these need to be dispersed around the country. They need to be on a protected base" like Redstone Arsenal, Shelby said.
Details were scarce Friday as to how many jobs would come with each command or how Redstone would accommodate the major commands, said Col. Bob Devlin, Redstone Garrison commander.
"This will be a long process, and now it's just too early to speculate," Devlin said.
The arsenal has a master plan for building, infrastructure work and security, Devlin said, "and this certainly will be integrated into that."
The munitions school supports other federal agencies, including the FBI Hazardous Devices School, and Devlin said that support would have to be worked out in followup reviews.
Starting next week, the nine-member Base Realignment and Closure Commission will begin a three-month review process, which will include public hearings, and will evaluate the list. That panel can make changes taking work off or putting work on the list.
"This is still a preliminary (list), and is subject to be changed," Devlin said.
Times City Editor Shelly Haskins contributed to this report.
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