The Georgia bases approved for closure are Atlanta's Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem, the Naval Air Station-Atlanta in Marietta, and the small Navy supply school in Athens. With the panel's votes, all four bases almost certainly will be shuttered.
The Base Closure and Realignment Commission voted 6-1, with one abstention, to keep the New London, Conn., submarine base open, meaning Kings Bay missed out on 3,367 new jobs. The submarine base near St. Marys, Ga., had stood to grow per capita more than any other base in the nation.
``If we close New London down, we will never get it back,'' said BRAC Chairman Anthony Principi. ``I think it would be a tragic mistake, a tragic loss for this nation if this recommendation was to be approved.''
The state did get some good news. The commission voted to re-locate the Army's Armor School and Center from Fort Knox, Ky., and its about 4,000 military and civilian jobs, to Fort Benning near Columbus. It also decided to keep some of Gillem's functions in place, including the 81st Regional Readiness Command and the Army's Criminal Investigation Divisions Forensics Laboratory. It was not immediately clear how those functions would continue operating with the rest of the base closed and how many jobs would be spared.
Of the state's bases approved for closure, Fort McPherson is the largest with 4,141 jobs, making it Atlanta's seventh-largest employer.
McPherson is one of the nation's oldest bases. First established in 1886, it became a permanent Army installation in 1889. Known for its on-base golf course and sprawling campus, McPherson has 40 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. During his Army career, former Secretary of State Colin Powell was stationed at Fort McPherson when he was commander in chief of forces command.
``I never thought Fort Mac would ever close it's been here as long as I can remember. It will hurt us,'' said 69-year-old auto mechanic Robert ``Bobby'' Hammett, who works on base employees' vehicles in East Point, which is near Fort McPherson.
Fort Gillem, a satellite base of Fort McPherson, is neighboring Clayton County's third largest employer. Together McPherson and Gillem have military personnel numbering 2,771 and a civilian work force of 2,451 for a total annual payroll of $512 million.
``I hope it doesn't result in a real serious disruption to the Army mission,'' said Tom Salter, a community leader who fought to keep Fort McPherson open. ``By taking the headquarters and moving them around, the Army will wind up losing the tremendous Atlanta infrastructure not just transportation that are so supportive to the Army mission. It's just a shame that this had to be done.''
Gillem was the first Army base to spark debate by the BRAC panel during its meeting Wednesday. It was also the first closure to be opposed by any commissioner. James Bilbray, who visited Gillem during the process, cast the one vote for Gillem, while the other eight supported closing it.
``Because of all the other federal units that are there, I think they do a good job,'' Bilbray said.
Those bases weren't the only blows for the Atlanta area. Also approved for closure was the Naval Air Station-Atlanta in Marietta, which has an annual payroll of $48 million with 1,274 military personnel and a civilian work force of 224.
The fourth base on the state's hit list was the Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, which is Georgia's smallest military installation. Open since 1954, it's a training school and a support center for active duty personnel stationed at ROTC units and recruiting stations in northeast Georgia. It has a military population of 389, a civilian work force of 124 and an annual payroll of $8.7 million.
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said he was disappointed with the panel's decisions to close the bases.
``Through numerous meetings, visits, phone calls and letters, members of Georgia's congressional delegation and Governor Sonny Perdue made a strong and forceful case to the commission to keep Fort Gillem. Unfortunately, despite the data being on our side they maintained the decision to close the base,'' Chambliss said in a statement released soon after the commission's vote.
The governor echoed the sentiment.
``We made every effort to demonstrate the critical role that Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson play in the defense of our nation and the economic reasons that they should remain open,'' Perdue said. ``The Pentagon and the BRAC Commissioners have decided differently and we are deeply disappointed by their decision.''
He added the state will begin work immediately on redevelopment plans for the base properties.
Forts McPherson and Gillem are in close proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport one of the nation's busiest airports, and their supporters had argued that was a reason to keep them open.
``The Army is figuratively cutting off its nose to spite its face I don't think it's going to save the amount of money it believes it will save and I think it will cost a lot more money to move these than what they've claimed,'' Salter said.
However, not everyone was upset with the news. Nick Weathers, who manages Track One Package Store, one of the closest businesses to Fort McPherson, said the base's closure could bring a positive impact, with the redevelopment of sprawling base property into housing and businesses.
``It would be wonderful for southwest Atlanta,'' he said.
Weathers also said that the closure of the base would help his business, because the base's commissary is a direct competitor to his business, even selling alcohol on Sundays which his off-base store is prohibited from doing.
Base officials said Wednesday they had no immediate comment on the vote, preferring to wait until President Bush makes his final decision on the matter, said spokeswoman Terry Hines Smith.
Associated Press Writer Daniel Yee in Atlanta contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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