Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: schweige@cs.nps.navy.mil (Jeffrey M. Schweiger)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Base Closings/Defense Cuts
Message-ID: <13885@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 12 Feb 90 04:26:18 GMT
References: <13809@cbnews.ATT.COM> <13850@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA
Lines: 50
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: schweige@cs.nps.navy.mil (Jeffrey M. Schweiger)

In article <13850@cbnews.ATT.COM> dritchey@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (Don Ritchey) writes:

>in article <13809@cbnews.ATT.COM>, schweige@cs.nps.navy.mil (Jeffrey M. Schweiger) says:
>> In article <13782@cbnews.ATT.COM> scameron@blake.acs.washington.edu (Scott Cameron) writes:
>[ portions deleted ]
>>>Rumors are flying here in the Northwest that DOD is contemplating the 
>>>following scenario as part of the so-called "peace dividend" defense cuts:
>>>  -Relocation of the 7th LID from Ft. Ord, CA to Ft. Lewis
>>>  -Closing Ft. Ord
>[ portions deleted ]
>> The major rationale for the move is the collocation of McChord AFB with 
>> Ft. Lewis, making it easier for the division to deploy on short notice.  
>> Currently, much of the division would have to travel by ground transportation
>> to Travis AFB, a couple of hours away, to deploy.  Another reason, is 
>> increased opportunity for live fire training at Ft. Lewis, as opposed to 
>> Ft. Ord.
>
>Another rationale, from the standpoint of both the soldiers involved and
>the budget planners of the Pentagon, might include the drastic
>difference in the cost of living in rural Washington state versus the
>Montery area of California.
>

[portions deleted]

This was indeed another of the rationales given, but didn't rank as high as
the two I mentionned before.  Housing is extremely expensive in this area, and
that is of concern to those stationned here, but probably isn't as important
to the budgeteers/bean counters back in the Pentagon, especially since the
recent completion of a large increase in family housing units at Fort Ord.
(Doesn't do much for those without families, though :-(  ).  But, to get 
back to the comment, the cost of living in the Tacoma, Washington area versus
the cost of living in the Monterey, California area was one of the reasons 
given out to the local press for the proposed move of the 7th to Fort Lewis.
IMHO, however, the access to air transportation, and availability of live fire
training areas, would have caused the move to be proposed regardless of the
cost of living situation.

Jeff Schweiger


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