Panel votes to keep South Dakota air base open

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted 8-1 Friday morning to spare Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, overruling a Pentagon proposal to close the facility, which houses half of the country's B-1 bomber fleet.

Shutting down the installation--which is the state's second largest employer--would have saved, by Pentagon estimates, $1.8 billion over 20 years and would have eliminated 1,520 military and 341 civilian jobs. About 3,400 military and 190 civilian positions would have been relocated.

The Defense Department estimated that moving Ellsworth's B-1 aircraft to Dyess Air Force Base in Texas would cost nearly $300 million.

Commissioners expressed concern about the strategic wisdom of closing the base and consolidating the B-1 aircraft at one facility. They also questioned whether the cost savings estimates associated with closing the base were realistic and whether the expected personnel savings would be realized.

In adition, the panelists weighed the economic impact on the community. Local officials estimated that the closure would cost more than 11,000 jobs in the area surrounding the base. The Ellsworth base is located about 7 miles outside of Rapid City, S.D.

"The BRAC system is working and I'm thankful that it did," said South Dakota's governor Republican Mike Rounds. "This is a very good day for us."

Along with Rounds, the state's congressional delegation lobbied hard to save the base. "When this report is submitted to the president, my view is that he will probably accept it," said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. "These savings were questionable in terms of the security risks that they presented."

While approving many of the Defense Department's recommendations, the independent panel charged with reviewing the plan demonstrated Thursday that it was willing to substitute its own preferences for those of the Pentagon.

The commission began its review of the military's Air Force recommendations, and was scheduled to finish them on Friday. The commission's final list of recommendations must be sent to President Bush by Sept. 8. Unless he disapproves of the proposals, they will be sent to Congress, which can either approve or reject them in their entirety.

On Thursday, the panel quickly approved the Pentagon's plan to shut California's Onizuka Air Force Station and move its operations to Vandenberg Air Force Base. The move is expected to save $211 million over 20 years, with initial costs of $123.7 million. About 100 military and 170 civilian jobs will be affected.

The panel also largely endorsed the Pentagon's proposal to relocate more than 20,000 military and civilian jobs from office space leased in Northern Virginia to military bases.

Earlier in Thursday's hearing, the committee modified a Pentagon plan to centralize Defense Finance and Accounting Service offices in three locations: Indianapolis, Denver and Columbus, Ohio. They are currently spread out among more than two dozen locations. The panel backed a substitute plan to consolidate offices in Cleveland; Indianapolis; Columbus; Limestone, Maine; and Rome, N.Y. The commission-approved proposal closes the Denver office.