On region's military issues, group aims to be comrade in arms

Hoping to unify and bolster Hampton Roads' political clout on military issues, including the fight to keep one of the region's aircraft carriers, U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye has formed a panel of local, state and federal elected leaders and retired military officers.

The Hampton Roads Military Affairs Commission will "serve as a watchdog and an advocate for the military community," Nye said Thursday as he stood with several panel members outside Nauticus in Norfolk.

"Clearly one of the top issues on the agenda is the question of the East Coast home porting of our nuclear carriers," said Nye, a Democrat whose 2nd District encompasses Virginia Beach and part of Norfolk. "As you know, the Navy has not demonstrated a clear strategic rationale for spending up to $1 billion or more to create a redundant nuclear carrier home port on the East Coast at a time when we are facing serious budget shortfalls in other areas."

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim said the panel's creation is long overdue given that some other communities, including supporters of the effort to move a Norfolk-based carrier to Mayport, Fla., already have well-organized groups that include local and federal leaders.

"A coordinated effort where we have direct access to our congressional delegation is so important," Fraim said. "There's strength in numbers."

Joining Fraim on the panel will be at least three other mayors, including Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms; the state's two U.S. senators and all local congressmen, outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine; and several retired senior naval officers. Nye said he is also asking the region's state legislators and Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell to participate.

The region's cities already created the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, a quasi-public agency funded by cities and counties to protect and expand federal government activities in the region.

The new commission, which includes Alliance director Frank Roberts as a member, would expand that effort to include federal and state officials and those with military expertise, Nye said.

"I felt like we needed to take it up a notch," Nye said. "I think there was a lack of feeling in the military community that we really were unified."

Scott Rigell, one of six Republicans seeking the party's nomination to run against Nye in November, issued his own statement Monday critical of the region's congressional delegation for not being more forceful in blocking efforts to move military assets out of Hampton Roads.

Nye's commission is a good idea, Rigell said, but "only now are we doing what should have been done a year ago."

Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com