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MassDTI Sees Bright Future for Mass. Technical Military Bases
For Immediate Release
August 25, 2005
MassDTI Sees Bright Future for Mass. Technical Military Bases
Hanscom, Natick to Remain Open; 33,000 Jobs Preserved
The Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative (MassDTI) – co-chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy and Governor Mitt Romney, and with the leadership of Senator John Kerry, and Congressmen Ed Markey, Marty Meehan and John Tierney – today celebrated the preservation of Hanscom Air Force Base and the Soldier Systems Center – Natick through the independent review of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRACC).
The preservation of Hanscom and Natick ensures that more than 33,000 technology-focused jobs will remain in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts leaders expressed concern over the Commission’s decision to overturn the Pentagon’s recommendations to realign new mission and jobs to Hanscom. However, Hanscom has emerged from the process as the nation’s preeminent Center of Excellence for C4ISR technology, which makes the base attractive to future military growth.
MassDTI Co-Chair, Senator Kennedy, said, “We won this battle on May 13, when the Pentagon decided not to close Hanscom, saving 30,000 jobs in Massachusetts, and instead saw the immense potential for growth. The Pentagon’s proposal was a confirmation of the value of our technology intellectual capital. It’s unfortunate that the Pentagon misclassifed the jobs in their recommendation, making it difficult for the commissioners to endorse additional new jobs at Hanscom. Even though the commission did not approve the additional new jobs at Hanscom, they did recognize that it would be appropriate to send additional research and development jobs to Hanscom, and would allow the Defense Department to do so outside of the BRAC process.”
MassDTI Co-Chair, Governor Romney, said, "The Commission's actions today reaffirm what we have always known, Hanscom and Massachusetts are a premier high tech center for research and development. I am pleased our team successfully made the case to keep Hanscom open and viable for years to come. I am disappointed we are not adding new jobs at Hanscom today, but our expectation is that as military spending and research grows, so will Hanscom."
Senator Kerry said, "Hanscom will remain a vital part of our country's defense and the region's economy, something we've been fighting for since the BRAC process began more than two years ago. The BRAC Commission made the wrong decision today by not giving Hanscom more mission. Our war fighters need the cutting-edge technologies developed by the hard working men and women at Hanscom."
Congressman Markey said, “While we are disappointed that the BRAC Commission has voted to overturn the Pentagon recommendation to expand Hanscom, this is still another important victory for Natick SSC and Hanscom AFB. Our installations are not closing and instead are now on third base with a lead as the BRAC process moves into the final stage. The Commission vote today confirms what our team has always known and what the Pentagon reaffirmed in May: the Natick and Hanscom missions are high technology missions and they cannot be done better anywhere else in the country - that is a testament to the great strength of our workforce, our schools, our companies, and our knowledge-based economy."
Congressman Meehan said, “We're obviously disappointed by this change in the original recommendations, but are pleased that overall, the Commission recognizes Hanscom's unique military value in their plans to keep the base open. We plan on moving forward by continuing to invest in Hanscom and to help it grow in the future.”
Congressman Tierney said, “In the end, we are pleased that Hanscom remains open because it is a critical research and technical center that has been integral in developing high-tech warfighting technology. Any prospect of its closure has been avoided, which is a testament to the federal-state-local partnership that did so much work to protect it.”
Over the past three years, MassDTI has argued that the proximity of Hanscom and Natick to the area’s technology cluster is critical to developing the next generation of warfighting technology. In meetings and correspondences with the BRACC over the past four months, MassDTI reinforced the value of these bases to the nation’s military –including their unique technology missions, their proximity to world-class intellectual partners, and their ability to accommodate new missions. The state recognized that in order to save the bases, they must be evaluated as highly-specialized technical facilities, not traditional military bases. That argument was taken into account by the Department of Defense and the BRAC Commission.
With Hanscom designated the Air and Space C4ISR Center, there is the opportunity for future growth and collaboration with the area’s universities, research institutions and industrial partners. During the Commission’s deliberations, numerous Commissioners acknowledged the strong possibility of sending new technology-related jobs to Hanscom outside of the BRAC process. Likewise, the Commonwealth is a willing partner to support enhanced collaboration between Natick and the surrounding technology cluster.
The state leaders were disappointed that the BRACC did not reverse the Pentagon’s recommendation to transfer the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), currently located at Hanscom, to Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio and Lackland AFB in New Mexico. The state Department of Workforce Development is prepared to assist any workers who will be displaced by the AFRL realignment. Due to the rebounding of the state’s technology sector, Massachusetts has experienced 11 straight months of economic growth, and stands to gain more than 1300 new direct technical jobs through expansion at Hanscom. State leaders noted that both of these factors could provide opportunities for displaced AFRL workers.
The base closure recommendations, once finalized by the BRACC this week, will be sent to President George W. Bush by September 8. If President Bush approves the recommendations, Congress will have an opportunity to weigh in this fall. Unless Congress rejects the changes, the recommendations will become law before the end of the year.
“The common wisdom entering this BRAC round was that Hanscom and Natick were destined for closure,” said MassDTI President Christopher R. Anderson. “This remarkable turnaround is the result of unprecedented bipartisan cooperation on all levels of state government, and the effort has provided a model for future public-private partnerships. That said, the BRACC missed an opportunity to strengthen the military’s ties to our premier defense technology cluster.”
MassDTI was formed by the Massachusetts High Technology Council in early 2004 to mobilize the public and private sectors to preserve the missions of Hanscom and Natick. With the leadership of Senator Kennedy, Governor Romney, the state’s Congressional delegation, and the technology and academic communities, MassDTI is a unique and powerful advocate for the state’s technical facilities and defense technology industry.
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