THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 24, 1994 TAG: 9407220025
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By MEYERA E. OBERNDORF
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Your reports on Oceana Naval Air Station, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and Cecil Field Naval Air Station had a number of inaccuracies and excluded many key items of information.
You indicated that the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure process is closing the installation because of the need to do away with one of the ``crown jewels'' of the Navy. Not so. The decision to close Cecil Field Naval Station was based primarily on considerations of airspace. Cecil Field has allowed the Federal Aviation Administration to take over control of its airspace, thus rendering it unable to perform its primary mission. Commercial air traffic, controlled by the FAA, is given precedence over training flights. Also, Cecil Field's outlying field, White House, was the victim of severe encroachment.
Oceana controls all of the airspace around its field out to 250 miles. Furthermore, Fentress Auxiliary Landing Field remains unencroached upon.
The Cherry Point article said little about the important quality-of-life issues that must be addressed if 5,000 active-duty personnel and 8,000 dependents are moved to Cherry Point from Cecil Field. This will cause untold hardship. There is a lack of housing adjacent to Cherry Point; many personnel commute 30 miles between base and home. The area is greatly constrained from expanding civilian infrastructure because of environmental considerations. There are few spousal-employment opportunites - something that is increasingly important, given ever- higher living costs. At least two schools are in the high-accident-potential zone at Cherry Point. The community is making no effort to relocate those facilities, unlike Virginia Beach, which is committing $18 million to relocate Seatack and Linkhorn Elementary schools from the outer fringe of the Oceana high-accident-potential zone.
While it may be possible to expand Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station to handle additional aircraft that might be transferred from Cecil Field, it will be necessary for parallel taxiways to be installed. Also, finding a site for an auxiliary landing field will doubtless prove to be a daunting task costing $100 million or more.
Your article about Oceana did not mention the attributes of the base. Quality of life is extremely important to the Navy. The abundant spousal-employment opportunities, the high quality of our educational system, the opportunities for higher education and the cultural and recreational offerings in Hampton Roads are world-class. This makes Hampton Roads a desirable region in which to live.
Oceana could very easily handle the Navy's F/A18s. Some construction items are needed, most of which would have to be constructed at Cherry Point if the planes were moved there from Cecil Field. These would include expansions to the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, a simulator for the F/A18 and expansions to the capability of Oceana to perform composite-structure repair.
Virginia Beach and the rest of Hampton Roads are committed to do whatever is necessary to preserve the military presence throughout Hampton Roads. The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission is embarking on a $500,000 effort to assure that data collected and used by the BRAC is appropriate. The city is working with U.S. Rep. Owen Pickett to prepare defenses of the four major installations in Virginia Beach - Dam Neck, Little Creek, Fort Story and Oceana. All of the defense jobs in Hampton Roads are at risk, and the region is dependent upon them.
Many Virginia Beach residents work at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Newport News Shipbuilding, and many other installations throughout Hampton Roads. Likewise, residents of the other cities and counties in the region work at facilities in Virginia Beach. The economy of northeastern North Carolina is probably dependent on the Hampton Roads defense industry.
Virginia Beach has committed considerable resources, both in manpower and money, to ensure that it is prepared for BRAC 95. It is a comprehensive program to preserve Oceana and all the other installations in this area. MEMO: Ms. Oberndorf is mayor of Virginia Beach. by CNB