Bedford Minuteman
June 19, 2003

Letter: Help keep Hanscom open

To the editor:

The Department of Defense will decide to cut the number of military bases around the country in 2005.

Hanscom Air Force Base became a military base in 1941, used to be to protect the air space of the Boston area and used to be a flight training center to train pilots during World War II era. Today, Hanscom is the home of 66th Air Base wing and the home of the Electronics Systems Center (ESC).

Hanscom provides contracts with small business and defense contractors, doing business for many years and contributing to our national security needs.

Hanscom has 30,000 employees and military personnel stationed at the base. It has a $3.2 billion impact on the state, local, and New England region economy. In fact, thousands of Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents come to work every day at Hanscom. This base contributes to the Massachusetts and New Hampshire economies as well as the New England region.

The US military depends on the very best technology ever made by Electronics Systems Center at Hanscom AFB. It has played a major role from Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hanscom is the best Air Force base facility in the nation that provides strong technology support for the Air Force and the armed forces that contribute to our national security needs and newly created Homeland Defense.

Hanscom has hosted air shows in the past. People from all over New England region come to this base to watch and enjoy the air shows. People would like to see the air shows continue for years to come at Hanscom.

Please join me in a letter writing campaign to write your letters in support to keep Hanscom AFB open to protect our local economy. Send your letters to:

The Honorable James Roche, Secretary of the Air Force, 1670 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 20330-1670

The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, 1000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301.

I strongly support the idea that Hanscom AFB expand military services and expand military contractors. It is a possibility that small military bases from other states could close, relocate, or consolidate and expand Hanscom AFB here. This would mean more new jobs for Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents.

Gov. Mitt Romney is a strong supporter of keeping Hanscom open. Gov. Romney is working hard to promote bringing more businesses and contractors to do business with Hanscom AFB to expand job creation.

John Stella

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