Supervisors Create Commission to Defend County's Military Installations

PHOTO: AirFest 2012 at March Air Reserve Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Stephen Schester)

By City News Service:

Riverside County supervisors Tuesday created a commission to work on strategies to fend off potential federal spending cuts that could threaten the existence of the area’s remaining military facilities.

“We’re taking this seriously,” said Supervisor Marion Ashley. “We’re leading a countywide effort to secure the support of our cities ... because we believe in protecting these bases and the people who work there.”

The new 11-member Commission on Defense and Military Services will be convened by Feb. 1. Supervisors, along with county Executive Officer Jay Orr, will be responsible for appointing members, who may include retired military officers, former civilian Department of Defense personnel and current or former defense industry executives, according to retiring Military Affairs Commissioner Tom Freeman.

The body will meet four times a year, focusing on how to strengthen the county’s position in exempting the March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley and the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Norco from future Base Realignment and Closure plans, often referred to as BRACs.

March, a thriving military installation since World War I, was downsized to a reserve base in the 1996 BRAC, losing two-thirds of its territory and 70 percent of its workforce. The Navy facility has escaped all the BRACs since 1990. However, Freeman and other local officials have expressed concern that it and March could end up on the chopping block by the time of the 2017 BRAC, if not before.

“Losing March Air Force Base was like a bombshell,” Ashley said. “We were in a recession. It was devastating, horrible. It’s vital to our defense to keep (the reserve base) going now.”

Several county residents questioned the need for a commission.

“If this has any advantages, I’ve seen no paperwork to substantiate that,” said Meadowbrook resident Gary Grant.

Temecula resident Paul Jacobs characterized the board’s action as “further bloating our county government.”

“What, pray tell, is the good of establishing a defense and military policy by the Board of Supervisors?” he asked. “Lobbyists and consultants are increasingly impacting the policies of government. I understand the board wants to keep bases open in the county, but Congress makes these decisions, and we already have paid lobbyists in Washington and a local military commissioner. More is not always better.”

The new commission’s costs will be capped at $20,000 annually. According to the Executive Office, the panel will meet publicly at the County Administrative Center, in the board chamber. Commissioners will not receive a stipend, but will be entitled to reimbursement for mileage and expenses stemming from attendance at relevant conferences, officials said.

Freeman invited anyone interested in serving on the commission or making a suggestion on potential appointees to contact him at tomfreeman@rivcoeda.org .