LOCAL BASES SPARED SO FAR EAFB, CHINA LAKE TO GAIN FROM LATEST CLOSURES.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - Dodging the base-closure bullet, Edwards Air Force Base would gain about 50 jobs - and its Navy neighbor China Lake nearly 2,500 - under the Pentagon's recommended base closure and realignment list.

The Pentagon's recommendations, released Friday, delighted Edwards supporters, but they cautioned that there was still a battle ahead.

``We have won the first round, but we still have a couple of rounds to go,'' said Kern County Supervisor Don Maben, whose district includes Edwards. ``We have to make sure we can defend the decisions. They will come under attack.''

Under the proposal, Edwards would add 23 military personnel and 42 civilian jobs as a result of test work moving from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. That work, involving electronic warfare, information systems and sensors for planes and satellites, are scheduled to move sometime after October 2006.

Edwards would lose 14 other positions through a consolidation of military jails at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar in 2010 and consolidation in Utah of maintenance work for a nighttime navigation and targeting pod.

``Secretary Rumsfeld's BRAC recommendations demonstrate that Edwards remains a valuable installation to the Air Force and the Department of Defense,'' said Col. Drew Jeter, Edwards' 95th Air Base Wing commander.

Under the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations, Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake, 50 miles north of Edwards, would gain 2,469 jobs, 154 of which are military personnel and the rest Defense Department civilians.

China Lake is gaining jobs as the result of the Pentagon's desire to consolidate research and testing for Navy missiles and Navy electronic warfare, sensors and electronics.

Bob Johnstone, a former Edwards official who serves as the executive director of the Edwards Community Alliance, said he was elated by the Pentagon's recommendations, which now go to a federal commission for review.

``I think it's great,'' Johnstone said of the list. ``It's a good feeling when you're seeing a gain instead of a loss.''

Johnstone said the Edwards alliance's board will meet Monday to review the base closure recommendations and determine what steps to take. In the meantime, the alliance is working on an eight-minute video on Edwards' assets and capabilities that they plan to distribute to decision makers.

``We're definitely going to stay active,'' Johnstone said.

The Pentagon is recommending the closure of 33 major installations and the realignment of 29 more. A major base is defined as an installation with facilities that would cost more than $100 million to replace.

The Pentagon is also recommending the closure of dozens of smaller installations and operating locations, some as small as recruiting centers.

The moves are expected to save $49 billion over the next 20 years, said Mike Wynne, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

For California, the recommendations, if enacted, would result in a net loss of about 2,000 jobs. Ventura County would suffer California's biggest cuts, losing about 1,500 jobs. China Lake would get those jobs.

San Diego and Riverside counties each would lose about 1,000 jobs, and San Bernardino County more than 500.

``While we can take comfort in knowing that California bases were not as heavily targeted as feared earlier, we must remain vigilant,'' said Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster. ``We must continue to work in the months ahead to assure that the gains suggested on the BRAC list are not taken away.''

In consolidating the missile testing work at China Lake, the Pentagon noted the assets that regional leaders have long touted, including air space for testing over desert, forests and mountains.

``I applaud Secretary Rumsfeld for recognizing the outstanding qualities of the Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake and Edwards Air Force Base, and for recognizing that they can play an expanded role in the defense of our nation,'' said Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield, whose district includes the two bases. ``I also congratulate the hard-working military personnel, civilians and contractors who work at China Lake and Edwards for demonstrating the bases' potential.''

HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of the Pentagon's proposal Friday to close, consolidate or expand some U.S. military installations:

--About 180 installations would be closed, including 33 major bases. In four previous rounds of base closings, the largest number of major facilities closed was 28 in 1993.

--Major bases to be closed would include Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, the Naval Station in Ingleside, Texas, and Fort McPherson in Georgia.

--29 major bases would remain open but lose personnel.

--49 installations would gain at least 400 troops and civilian employees from other domestic bases or personnel being brought home from overseas.

--Overall, the proposed shift would cause a net loss of 29,005 military and civilian jobs, including positions lost from troop withdrawals overseas. A total of 218,570 military and civilian positions would be cut, while 189,565 positions would be added.

--Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said his plan would save $48.8 billion over 20 years.

--The shutdowns and other changes to bases would occur over six years starting in 2006.

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