LEADERS TO FIGHT FOR JOBS AT BASE.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer Two members of Congress will join retired Navy officers Thursday in making the case for retaining thousands of jobs at Naval Base A naval base primarily for support of the forces afloat, contiguous to a port or anchorage, consisting of activities or facilities for which the Navy has operating responsibilities, together with interior lines of communications and the minimum surrounding area necessary for local Ventura County as the federal Base Realignment and Closure Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and Congress to close excess military installations and realign Committee meets in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . The Pentagon recommended in May shifting jobs from the base's Point Mugu installation to the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, which local officials say would undermine the nation's defensive capabilities. ``We are going to assure that the BRAC Brač (bräch), Ital. Brazza, island (1991 pop. 13,824), 152 sq mi (394 sq km), off the Dalmatian coast in the Adriatic Sea, Croatia. It is a popular summer resort and tourist spot. Supetar (Ital. Commission understands that the current Department of Defense recommendations would decrease military value to our war fighters, would cost the taxpayers millions of dollars of unnecessary expenses and simply don't make sense,'' said Jack Dodd, the former vice commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center The Naval Air Warfare Center was a former U.S. Navy military installation located in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Ivyland, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Navy purchased the grounds to establish this facility from the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation following its bankruptcy in the at Point Mugu. ``All these functions provide direct support to our men and women in uniform. Disrupting that work by moving it to China Lake would decrease the operational readiness The capability of a unit/formation, ship, weapon system, or equipment to perform the missions or functions for which it is organized or designed. May be used in a general sense or to express a level or degree of readiness. Also called OR. See also combat readiness. of our armed forces.'' Ventura County officials estimate the coastal community could lose more than 6,000 high-paying military and related civilian jobs, largely from the potential shift from Point Mugu to China Lake. ``The (Ventura County) base oversees an airfield, activities in a 36,000- square-mile instrumented sea test range, and the only military-controlled deep-water harbor and port facility (at the Port Hueneme installation) between San Diego and Seattle,'' said Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, who plans to speak at Thursday's meeting. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks, is also expected to speak, along with retired Rear Adms. George Strohshl and Dana McKinney. There will be speakers in support of a number of Southern California military installations, including Naval Base Ventura County, the Naval Weapons Station China Lake, the Marine Corps Logistics Base - Barstow, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Noun 1. Naval Surface Warfare Center - the agency that provides scientific and engineering and technical support for all aspects of surface warfare NSWC , Corona Division. The commission is holding hearings throughout the nation this summer and will make recommendations to President George W. Bush by Sept. 8. A Pentagon spokesman said military officials stand by their recommendations, but it is up to the BRAC commission to consider all the information and arrive at a conclusion. Naval Base Ventura County is the county's largest employment center, providing about 17,000 jobs and contributing about $1.2 billion a year to the local economy. Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com IF YOU GO --The federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission will meet, 1-4 p.m. Thursday at Westchester High School Westchester High School can refer to:
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