The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
After weeks of unanswered requests for a meeting about the fate of Hampton Roads' Joint Forces Command, Defense Department officials have invited Gov. Bob McDonnell to a Pentagon breakfast meeting next week to discuss its planned elimination.
McDonnell and key members of his Cabinet expect to be joined at the Sept. 28 gathering by Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III; Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Ashton B. Carter, defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics.
The three defense officials also are scheduled to testify next week before Senate and House armed services committees. The Senate panel, which includes U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., will question them at 10 a.m. Sept. 28, Webb's office announced Monday.
The House committee, which has a hearing scheduled for Sept. 29, includes three Hampton Roads legislators: U.S. Reps. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake; Glenn Nye, D-Virginia Beach; and Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland County.
The invitation to McDonnell comes after members of the governor's team made repeated requests over the past month for a meeting with top defense officials.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates last month announced plans to close the command and reduce spending on defense support contractors by up to one-third over the next three years. Those moves are intended to free up money to be spent on troops and modernizing the military.
The command's mission involves training military branches to fight together and developing tactics for future wars. Those functions aren't a necessity in the current economic environment, Gates has said.
If JFCOM is closed, Virginia could lose about 6,000 jobs in Hampton Roads and roughly $700 million in spending on contracts and salaries.
McDonnell, meanwhile, has complained that defense officials haven't shared information about the JFCOM decision despite the best efforts of Virginia representatives to learn more. Earlier this month, congressional staffers received a Defense Department briefing that some said wasn't very illuminating.
Webb, who like other Hampton Roads legislators opposes closing JFCOM, said no steps should be taken to shutter the command "until Congress has satisfactorily obtained a firm understanding of the process and the analysis by which Secretary Gates arrived at his recommendations."
Pilot writer Bill Bartel contributed to this report.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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You don't think politics or jobs are Pentagon considerations?
To SAVE contractor's jobs, the Navy is moving up building new oilers two years.
Friday, September 17, 2010: The following is Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Research, Development & Acquisition Sean Stackley's statement on the Avondale shipyard [Avondale is subsidiary of Northrop Grumman one of the Pentagon's largest contractors].
“Today, the Navy is announcing our intentions to help sustain the shipbuilding capability in Louisiana”
“The Navy intends to work with the state of Louisiana, University of New Orleans, New Orleans Metal Trades Association and Delgado Community College to invest up to $10 million to sustain apprentice training and higher education in support of the maritime industry.”
“The Navy has proposed accelerating production of the double-hulled fleet oiler T-AO(X) from 2017 to 2014 in its Fiscal Year 2012 budget submission.”
Kudos to none of them
THAT IS THEIR JOB and quite frankly, they fell down on the job because for all the supposed wonderful politicians we have, THEY WERE ALL ASLEEP and this study, decision was made without any of them aware!!! wakeup voters, we have bozos in government, not only at the state level, but at the local level. EVERY ONE OF THEM more concerned about pressing the flesh of those that will do something for them, their career and their families.
Dam- it, city officials, politicians, lieawyers, sticking their fingers into your taxes and jobs in this area are hemmoraging away. When does the corruptness, incompetence and political laziness stop? Is it when there are no more jobs to be shed? Is it when the rest of the carriers are in Florida with the jobs from JFCOM? Is it when large companies close plants here, like Ford and IP...WAKE UP.
This area has one of the most corrupt political climates, it is being associated with Chicago and New Orleans, crime rate is horrific and drug abuse is rampant.
We need politicians that are willing to change the system, the process, that are wiling to get their hands dirty, that are willing to cruise the hallways of government in DC keeping and g
Kudos
and keeping jobs here without spending lavishly for high end hotels, lavish parties and "retreats" to sort out local city issues...as one political hack recently stated. I almost fell off my chair when I read his comment, that they needed to go on a retreat to "think" about the issues" Hogwash, get your butt up and work, turn in your credit card and hope you don't get hung for what you did with it. I am so sick and tired of the corruptness and slithering mannerisms of politicians/developers/lieawyers in this area.
Voters, you need to make changes, get out and work for better candidates, support good charitable organizations and chastise those people that are "gittin" over, because they are really just scr--ing you.
The six hundred pound gorilla is still in the room.
If you "fire" the defense contractors to "Those moves are intended to free up money that can be spent on combat fighters and to modernize the military" then you still will need defense contractors to do the modernization and work on the combat fighters.
Glad that Governor McDonnell is representing the state to get the information and stress the importance of JFCOM.
Funny how those who
Funny how those who protested last week that the Virginia congressional delegation was grandstanding and playing politics are now first in line to pat the governor on the back. They're all doing their jobs, but let's be consistent.
very true
It is not the whole problem with out political process, but continued finger pointing only means that you have more fingers pointing at yourself when you point that finger at somene.
If you gave credit to Congressman Nye for trying to stop the Pentagon's wrongful closing of JFCOM at the FEDERAL level then you have got to give credit to Governor McDonnell doing the same at the STATE level. Each position has a different role.
So the problem still is there - forgetting that political opponents are opponents and NOT enemies.
Let's hope...
Let's hope this is the one and only time he's allowed in or near the White House!
I'm surprised their even inviting that guy. The first JFCOM meeting, he didn't even attend. But he did send a rep from his office. Once the public outcry was obvious, it was Bob to the rescue.
Let's hope this is a Pentagon only meeting, that won't take up valuable time of those making progress in the US WhiteHouse. Likewise...their even going to feed the guy on taxpayers dimes? Come on...that's waste and abuse.