BRAC Commissioner says no substitute for talking to those directly affected

Gary Van Valin, president of Keystone International, in Albuquerque, right, looks at a map of the air space in New Mexico along with Randy Harris Friday in the Operation Keep Cannon planning room. (Staff photo: Eric Kluth)

Philip Coyle expects to learn some things he won’t find in federal government reports when he visits Clovis this week.

The Base Realignment and Closure commissioner said there is no substitute for talking to those most directly impacted by plans to close their military installations.

“What we’ve found both from base visits and regional hearings — we’ve had two, one in Portland (in Oregon on Friday) and one in Fairbanks (Alaska on Wednesday) — is that we’ve gotten information that simply wasn’t available in the (Department of Defense) volumes, and we’ve learned that it is very important. It gives us a perspective that you can’t get if you don’t go to the region,” Coyle said Friday.

Clovis’ regional BRAC hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Friday at Marshall Junior High. Commissioners are scheduled to visit Cannon Air Force Base on Thursday.

In a series of short telephone interviews with the Clovis News Journal on Friday — repeatedly interrupted by a loss of service as Coyle traveled in the Los Angeles area — Coyle did not say specifically what he’s learned in previous hearings or what he might learn in Clovis. Certainly he will see an emotional community whose economy could be devastated if Cannon closes, with more than 20 percent of the region’s jobs on the line.

Area leaders expressed a dogged resolve in May when Cannon appeared on the Pentagon’s list for base closures. Since then, a strategic team has been formed, and New Mexico’s delegates and governor have met with many of the commissioners individually. Friday will be their chance to address commissioners as a group.

Commissioners will be looking primarily at how the DoD calculated cost savings related to shutting the air base, the military value of the facility and the potential economic impact on the area, Coyle said. In an effort to provide the Commission with the best information in these areas, BRAC analysts arrive early at the locations, officials said.

“They are able to do the research to help the commissioners dig deep into the key points there,” said Jim Schaefer, a Commission spokesman. In this way, the commission is best prepared to engage the issues specific to Cannon, he said. He wasn’t sure if the analysts had visited Cannon yet.

Kristen Baxter, executive assistant for the BRAC Commission, said six commissioners — Coyle, James H. Bilbray, James V. Hansen, James T. Hill, Lloyd W. Newton, and Sue E. Turner — are scheduled to attend the Clovis hearing.

“They recognize the potential human impact, and it gives the commissioners first-hand information about what is at stake,” Schaefer said.

Coyle agreed.

“I think there is no substitute for talking to people on base and in the local community who know it best,” he said. “The commission’s first responsibility is to determine whether or not the DoD has followed its own criteria.”

The regional hearing is much like a congressional hearing, with no public input. The federal registry’s notice of the Clovis meeting says the “delegation will meet to receive comment from federal, state and local government representatives and the general public on base realignment and closure actions ...”

However, BRAC staff said the decision about who can speak at the meeting is up to the office of the senior senator in the state, Pete Domenici, R-N.M. The 90-minute presentation related to Cannon has been carefully orchestrated, and will begin with introductory speeches by Sens. Domenici and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., as well as Reps. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Heather Wilson, R-N.M.

Longtime Cannon supporter Randy Harris, a Clovis banker, and others will then make the case to save the base, discussing military value, retention and rotation of manpower, and economic impact. Gov. Bill Richardson will give the concluding remarks, Harris said.

Coyle said he expects to receive briefings from military personnel on base and their civilian counterparts, but wasn’t sure of the details of Thursday’s Cannon tour or what facilities commissioners will see. Officials with Cannon public affairs declined to comment about the base visit.

In addition to Cannon, commissioners are scheduled to hear reports from New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base when they come to Clovis. Officials representing Arizona and Nevada military installations are also scheduled to address commissioners.

While the public has not been allotted a time to verbally participate in Friday’s hearing, Domenici spokesman Matt Letourneau said area residents can participate in other ways.

“The delegation wants the public to comment by their presence. The more people attend the hearing, the better. It is not out of the question that people will be lining the streets — that would send the strongest message from the public,” Letourneau said.

Cannon supporters have planned to line Prince Street from La Quinta, where BRAC commissioners are staying, all the way to Commerce Way and over to Marshall. Ernie Kos of the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce said it is important Cannon supporters arrive along the route no later than 7 a.m. Friday morning. After the regional hearing, a “send-off rally” will also be held at the stadium behind Marshall.