Bedford Minuteman
Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Bases bank on technology as key to survival

By Peter Martin/ Staff Writer

As the Bay State ramps up its fight to keep Hanscom Air Force Base, an
identical effort is being made a few states south on behalf of Army's
Communications-Electronics Command center (CECOM) in Fort Monmouth, N.J.

Fort Monmouth's surrounding communities, much like Hanscom's bordering
towns in regards to Hanscom, call CECOM's contributions "invaluable." The
Army's CECOM, like the Electronic Systems Center, developed technologies
that helped make the modern warfare more effective.

Hanscom can boast about AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System),
the large aircraft topped with enormous saucer-shaped radar which detects
airs threats, and many other electronic systems, including missile guiding
systems and Joint Star Reconnaissance planes.

CECOM turned out technology that gave soldier's "night vision." It also
recently developed a technology known as FireFinder, enabling a commander to
accurately trace enemy rounds back to their source.

The Department of Defense reviewed hundreds of bases during its
previous four Base Realignment and Closure rounds, the last of which was
completed in 1995. BRAC pinched hundreds of bases, shrunk hundreds more, and
expanded fewer in an effort to cut costs and improve efficiency.

But Hanscom and Fort Monmouth are different from the other 425 U.S.
bases under the Department of Defense's microscope. Their primary function
is not military training or staging combat missions. Their primary mission
is technological research and development.

Officials have mentioned one possibility in which research conducted at
one of the military's three major technical facilities, Hanscom, CECOM, and
Naval Station San Diego, could be transplanted to one of the other bases -
brought together, streamlined and consolidated. Another option is to move
operations to new areas - cheaper, more expansive real estate out West in
states like Nevada, Wyoming and North Dakota.

"The Commission found that many bases have experienced an erosion of
their military value as a result of urban development," stated the first
1988 BRAC report. "The resulting encroachment has forced the modification of
mission at many installations, The acquisition of additional land,
especially in less populated areas, may be needed to satisfy military
requirements."

Supporters of Hanscom tout the center's unique synergy with local
universities, like Harvard and MIT. Supporters of CECOM do the same,
mentioning Princeton and Rutgers.

Hanscom already does healthy business with defense contractors at local
offices, like Lincoln Laboratories, MITRE, and Raytheon. CECOM also does
major business with these three businesses.

The independent commission that will review the BRAC criteria and make
a recommendation to the president also assesses, to an extent, the economic
impact a base closure will have on the surrounding communities. It is
estimated that Hanscom provides approximately $3 billion in annual revenue
to the region. Fort Monmouth, just about the same. Work provided by Hanscom
and its contractors makes it one of the region's largest employers. Same
said for Fort Monmouth.

Bedford Selectman Sheldon Moll and other area officials, including
congressmen, admit to knowing very little about Hanscom's sister facility in
New Jersey. Simply, it is not their district, it is not their problem.

"You're saying if I knew for a fact that the military could save money
and improve efficiency by moving the Electronics Systems Center operation to
Fort Monmouth?" said Moll in response to a theoretical question. "I couldn't
support that as a politician in this area."

Nor could Sen. Edward Kennedy, or Rep. John Tierney - the exact reason
that BRAC legislation passed in 1988.

"The Secretary of Defense would try to close bases and politicians
would say, 'that's a good idea, just don't do it my district," said Glen
Flood, the BRAC spokesman for the Department of Defense.

As a result, closing continental bases was nearly impossible. BRAC
provided a way to form an independent commission, appointed by Congress,
that determines, apart from special interests, which bases have become
excess baggage.

The BRAC process is not beholden to Hanscom's sixth district of
Massachusetts, including Bedford and Concord, or CECOM's sixth district of
New Jersey, including Eatontown and Tinton Falls

"You don't have a base to provide economic support in the area," said
Electronic Systems Center spokesman Chuck Paone. "You can't have the tail
wag the dog."

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