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Speech

	June 20, 2005
	TESTIMONY OF CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY BASE CLOSURE AND REALIGNMENT COMMISSION - St. Louis
Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay
	GOOD MORNING EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. FIRST, I WANT TO EXTEND MY PERSONAL GREETINGS TO ADMIRAL GEHMAN, GENERAL TURNER AND MY FORMER COLLEAGUE, CONGRESSMAN HANSEN. IT’S A PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU TO ST. LOUIS AND I THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE. THE BRAC PROCESS IS DIFFICULT, COMPLEX, AND VITAL TO THE DEFENSE OF OUR NATION. YOUR FINAL REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT WILL IMPACT THOUSANDS OF WORKING FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION, FOR DECADES TO COME. I AM WELL AWARE OF THE KEY CRITERIA THAT FORM THE BASIS OF THE BRAC REPORT. BUT TO ME, IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THREE PRIMARY MEASUREMENTS: FIRST, WE MUST MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS TO DEFEND AMERICA. FACILITY REALIGNMENTS MUST ENSURE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE OUR FUTURE MISSION OBJECTIVES; AND THAT WE MAINTAIN MAXIMUM SUPPORT AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR OUR SOLDIERS. SECOND, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE TAXPAYERS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY DEFENSE DOLLAR IS SPENT WISELY AND YIELDS THE GREATEST VALUE. AND FINALLY, WE MUST CONSIDER THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO SERVE AND SUPPORT OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE STRUCTURE, AND THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY LIVE. OF COURSE, THE ST. LOUIS AREA IS NO STRANGER TO BRAC. PARTS OF MY DISTRICT ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO RECOVER FROM THE DEVESTATING LOSS OF OVER 4,700 JOBS AT THE ARMY TRANSPORTATION COMMAND, WHICH WAS CLOSED AFTER THE 1995 BRAC. NOW THREE RECOMMENDED CLOSURES AND REALIGNMENTS ARE LOCATED IN MY DISTRICT. THE 131ST FIGHTER WING OF THE MISSOURI AIR GUARD PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE DEFENSE OF OUR REGION. THE UNIT HAS A PROUD HISTORY AND UNIQUE CAPABILITIES. AND IT DESERVES TO REMAIN IN ST. LOUIS. THE D-FAS FACILTY WAS CREATED IN 1996 TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY FOR ADMINISTERING DEFENSE CONTRACTS. D-FAS-ST. LOUIS, HAS AN EXCELLENT AND HIGHLY SPECIALIZED WORKFORCE WITH YEARS OF TRAINING AND EXPERTISE THAT WOULD BE LOST, IF IT IS CLOSED. IN THIS PANEL, WE WILL PRESENT COMPELLING TESTIMONY ABOUT THE FUTURE VIABILITY OF THE ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER IN OVERLAND, IN THE HEART OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY. YOU WILL HEAR CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT REFUTES THE PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT. ON A COMPARATIVE BASIS, WHEN MEASURED AGAINST FORT KNOX, THE ST. LOUIS FACILITY EXCELS IN EVERY KEY CATEGORY. AND AS YOU WILL SEE, THERE ARE TREMENDOUS COSTS OF CONSOLIDATING HRC AT FORT KNOX THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. AMONG THE HIGH COSTS THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED UNDER A FORT KNOX REALIGNEMENT ARE DOWNGRADES AND DISRUPTIONS TO VITAL SERVICES THAT OUR SOLIDERS AND VETERANS DEPEND ON. IN THE BROADEST COMPARISON OF KEY FACTORS LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, READINESS, WORKFORCE CAPABILITIES, OVERALL COSTS, AND ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES; SUCH AS ROADS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS; A VERY STRONG ARGUMENT CAN BE MADE, NOT ONLY TO MAINTAIN HRC – ST. LOUIS…BUT TO CONSOLIDATE OTHER ARMY PERSONNEL OPERATIONS RIGHT HERE. AS GENERAL TURNER DISCOVERED IN HER VISIT TO HRC LAST MONTH; THIS FACILTY OFFERS EXCELLENT FORCE PROTECTION; EASY ACCESSABILITY FROM ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY; AND A DEDICATED WORKFORCE WITH A LONG TRADITION OF PUBLIC SERVICE. BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR WITNESSES, I WANT TO SHARE A BRIEF STORY FROM THE LAST BRAC ROUND. AS I MENTIONED, IT CLOSED ATCOM AND CONSOLIDATED THAT COMMAND AT REDSTONE ARSENAL IN ALABAMA. AT THE TIME, MY FATHER, FORMER CONGRESSMAN BILL CLAY, PREDICTED THAT THE REALIGNMENT WOULD RESULT IN NO REAL SAVINGS TO THE TAXPAYER, BECAUSE SO FEW CIVILIAN WORKERS WOULD RELOCATE. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. LESS THAN FIFTY PERCENT OF THE ATCOM WORKERS WHO WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE, DID SO. THE PROJECTED COST SAVINGS FAILED TO MATERIALIZE. AND INSTEAD, TAXPAYERS PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN A NEW WORKFORCE IN ALABAMA, THAT WAS LESS EXPERIENCED AND LESS CAPABLE. JUST LAST WEEK, A SURVEY OF THE WORKFORCE AT HRC –ST. LOUIS, CONDUCTED BY THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, FOUND THAT ONLY 40% OF CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WOULD MOVE TO FORT KNOX. THE ASSUMPTION THAT CIVILIAN WORKERS WILL RELOCATE TO A COMMUNITY THAT DOES NOT OFFER THE BASIC QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICES THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, IS SIMPLY FALSE. SO ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS, MY STATE, AND THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS COUNTRY….. PLEASE DON’T LET HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF BY SUPPORTING A REALIGNEMENT THAT HAS NO HOPE OF ACCOMPLISHING BRAC’S IMPORTANT MISSION. THANK YOU. #1 (Craig Borchelt) OUR FIRST WITNESS IS A MILITARY ANALYST WHO WILL DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE KEY BRAC PRIORITIES. CRAIG BORCHELT IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT. HE SERVED AS AN OFFICER WITH THE FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS A MAJOR IN THE ARMY RESERVE. AND HE HAS JUST BEEN APPOINTED TO THE MISSOURI MILITARY PREPAREDNESS AND ENHANCEMENT COMMISSION. I ‘M PLEASED TO PRESENT MR. CRAIG BORCHELT. #2 (Michael Brincks) OUR SECOND WITNESS IS AN EXPERT IN FACILITIES, BUILDING SUITABILITY, EFFICIENCY AND REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT. HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT FOR THE HEARTLAND REGION OF THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. I’M PLEASED TO PRESENT MR. MICHAEL BRINCKS. #3 (Charley Dooley) OUR FINAL WITNESS IS A DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANT WHO SERVES THE CITIZENS OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY WITH ENERGY, INTEGRITY AND DEDICATION. # #