The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Virginia's congressional delegation continues to look for ways to torpedo Navy plans to shift an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Jacksonville, Fla.
Earlier this week, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., sent a letter to the deputy secretary of defense insisting the Navy's decision "is not a sound investment."
Friday, three Virginia representatives won an Armed Services subcommittee's approval to remove $46.3 million allocated to dredge the harbor at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville.
The work would help prepare the Jacksonville port to host a nuclear carrier.
The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act was paired with another that would require the Government Accountability Office to study how the Navy made the carrier-basing decision and whether it did so properly. Both were written by Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Norfolk, and co-sponsored by Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, and Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake.
"We see an expansion of port facilities as a luxury right now," Nye said.
The amendment puts the dredging money into a military construction fund to be used for Navy and Marine Corps Reserve projects. It passed unanimously and will come before the full Armed Services committee next week.
Nye foresees the measures passing, saying both make sense.
The Navy has agreed to wait until the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review is complete to make a final decision on carrier homeports. It doesn't make sense to spend money, incrementally, preparing for something that might not happen, he argued.
"I think we have the power of logic on our side here, that the decision ought to be made as part of a larger process and not in a piecemeal manner," Nye said.
In his letter, Webb noted that the Navy is short $28 billion to modernize and repair shore facilities, including $450 million for Norfolk alone. Why spend $1 billion to make Mayport nuclear-ready? Webb asked.
Navy brass and Florida politicians say it's a strategic risk to have the entire East Coast carrier fleet in one place, vulnerable to a terrorist attack or hurricane.
Mayport lost its only carrier when the conventionallypowered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy was decommissioned in 2007.
With shrinking defense budgets and the prospect of losing more than 5,000 sailors and their families, Virginia politicians have lobbied hard to change the Navy's mind.
Wittman said Friday that the budget isn't a place to make policy decisions.
"They're putting the cart before the horse, here. Instead of 'Ready, aim, fire,' it's the opposite," Wittman said. "We're not saying necessarily the decision shouldn't be made - but it should be made the right way."
Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com
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Patriotism or Greed?
Are these politicians motivated by greed or national defense? Do they really think it is best for the Navy to have all the carriers bottled up in one place?
"bottled up"
The carriers are not in the same place at the same time.
Mayport's channel would be easier to block than that of Hampton Roads.See Google maps, Mayport Fla. Notice the carrier?
Mayport should be continualy improved for fleet support, but the great expense to base a carrier there now is not justified when weighed against other strategic concerns.
Commodore Katzesegeln
More than money...
There's more to this picture than just the move of a ship to a Florida port. There's an entire infrastructure that must be created in order to support a naval nuclear vessel, and that doesn't happen overnite. There's literally YEARS of construction involved here--an infrastructure which is already heavily in place in the Hampton Roads area, and which would take untold multiple millions to create in Mayport. The logistics and support of a non-nuclear carrier is not the same as a nuclear carrier--far from it. And as far as port access goes, Charleston and Boston were both eventually shut down because they were considered by the Navy to be too inaccessible to the new generation of aircraft carriers. Hampton Roads is not. Yes, it's a money decision and it is a logistics decision; but one thing it is NOT is a comparison between Pearl Harbor and Hampton Roads. There is more 'out there' protecting this harbor than you think.
Politicians back off
Politicians need to back off and let the military decide what is best for the military. That is the job of the military. Just look at what the politians have done (haven't done) for health care. They need to fix their own house first and look inside to find wasted spending and stop that.
What is wrong with these people?
Is money all they care about? I get so depressed hearing people talk about the money related to the military. Is that all they are to you, a paycheck? With each passing day I grow to detest politicians more and more.
Congressional "Interference"
I find it amazing, if not unsurprising that many commenting on this article seem to forget, if they ever knew, what the Constition of these United States says about Congress and the military.
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution states in part that Congress shall have the power "to raise and support Armies …" and "to provide and maintain a Navy …
Article II, Section 2 states, "The President shall be the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States when called into the actual Service of the United States."
Military members swear "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States." One of the more successful aspects of that document is civilian control of the military.
For those who want to turn control of the military over to military leaders, initiate, support and undertake to amend the Constitution.
Until then be grateful, and proud, that you many freely exercise your First Amendment right to free speech - no matter how ill informed it may be.
I find it rewarding when someone refers to the Constitution
The element I think is missing in your comment is that the Framers did not have the intention of leaving the expertise of military operations up to theirselves and forsaking the advise of the military officers.
The military personnel who are putting their lives on the line should be the ones to control logistics in my opinion.
Stay out of it!!!!!!!!!!!
The VA reps need to stay out of military business!!!! It makes no sense, strategically, to keep all the carriers in one place. Not too mention that the cost of living is so sky high in the Hampton Roads area that you have quite a few military service members being geo bachelors!!! So they are not contributing to the economy. No buying homes (which are way overpriced), no renting apartments (which are way overpriced), no sending their kids to school in the area etc etc. I should know!!! Our family has been doing this for years. We own a home here in FL which we can't sell and even if we could our mortgage (and no I wouldn't buy a home in VA) or our rent in the Hampton Roads area would be twice as much as our mortgage here. There is no cost of living increase to live in Hampton Roads area. Yes the service member receives more BAH but that just goes towards rent/mortgage. We know people renting homes half the size of ours and paying $1200-$1400 a month!!! That is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Virginia wants to keep all the carriers but yet the residents are complaining about the jet noise!!! I will gladly put up with the jet noise if it means that my husband gets to come
Unfortunately
I don't think the politicians realize providing and maintaining a navy means to fund it through their taxing powers. Somewhere along the line they interpretted their power to mean outlining the plan for defense through operations.
Thank you Congressman Nye
Thank you to Congressman Nye for continuing to fight this move. I am not military and would normally not care about ships being moved around. However, this would be a huge chunk of taxpayer dollars being wasted because of some back room promises made between the Bush brothers. In addition, the economic impact this would have on our area could be devastating. I appreciate the common sense approach Nye, Webb and others are taking with this matter. It is also nice to see Republicans and Democrats coming together for a common cause.