Military Base Closings Force Communities to Plan for Sustainable Economic Development

Groton, Conn. submarine base with 8,000-10,000 jobs recommended for closure

Interview with Joanne Sheehan, of the War Resisters' League, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

From the 1990s to the present, the U.S. military has gone through several rounds of base closings and realignments, with the dual purpose of saving money and forging a modern military able to respond to the latest actual and perceived threats. In May 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld submitted to the independent, bipartisan Base Closure and Realignment Commission, or BRAC, a list of bases that the department has selected for closure.

The Navy submarine base in Groton, Conn. is the oldest sub base in the country and the largest facility proposed for closure in terms of personnel, with between 8,500 and 10,000 jobs lost if the base shuts down. The BRAC Commission determined the list based on the military value of the facilities. Connecticut politicians at the local, state and federal levels are now scrambling to convince the commission that the sub base is too valuable to shut down. On Sept. 8th, the BRAC commission will make its own base closure recommendations.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Joanne Sheehan, Northeast staff person for the War Resisters League and chairperson of War Resisters International, the parent organization. She lives near the Groton sub base and talks about the 15 years she has been working on economic conversion issues, attempting to move away from dependence on military programs and toward sustainable community development.

Contact the War Resisters League by calling (212) 228-0450 or visit their website at www.warresisters.org

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