Navy Depot stays afloat

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz has been impressed with her visits to the Navy Defense Supply Depot at 700 Robbins Ave.
"It’s very evident they’re a big part of a modern, efficient defense of this country," she said.
That’s why Schwartz (D-13th dist.) was relieved on Friday when the depot was not included on a list of military bases scheduled to close.
The depot employs mostly civilians, who earn pretty good salaries.
"It would have been a huge loss to Philadelphia," Schwartz said. "We’re talking about fifty-seven-hundred jobs."
Not only is the depot staying open, but the Department of Defense plans to add 291 jobs.
"That’s excellent news," Schwartz said.
The congresswoman was concerned that the Robbins Avenue facility would be targeted for closure, and she still worries a bit because the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) can change its mind before submitting its final list to President George W. Bush by Sept. 8.
State Rep. George Kenney (R-170th dist.) said the depot’s jobs are needed to help the local economy and to contribute to the defense of the nation.
Mayor John Street said the depot and Philadelphia’s other military facilities are valuable and efficient, making significant contributions to the security of the nation here and overseas.
In 1993, the defense department proposed closing two of the six units at the military compound. That decision was later overturned, saving about 4,200 jobs.
While the local installation will remain open, the news wasn’t so good for the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base at Willow Grove. It’s one of more than 800 military facilities in the country that the Pentagon has recommended for closure.
The defense department estimates that it would save $48.8 billion over 20 years if BRAC approves its recommendations.
Nineteen bases and facilities in Pennsylvania are slated to close, with Willow Grove the biggest. More than 7,900 service men and women and civilians work there.
A BRAC member will visit Willow Grove, which is located in Schwartz’s district, before the commission makes its final deliberations on Aug. 23-24.
Once Bush receives that list in September, he must decide to accept or reject it by Sept. 23. He is expected to approve the BRAC recommendations, which would then go to Congress for final approval within 45 days.
In the past, BRAC — a nine-member independent panel of military experts that was created in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan — has accepted about 85 percent of the Pentagon’s proposals.
Schwartz wants to preserve Willow Grove because the Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force reserve units and Pennsylvania National Guard work in cooperation, she said, adding that the base is a homeland security asset. It has an 8,000-foot runway that can accommodate all types of aircraft, including Air Force One.
The congresswoman joined Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-8th dist.) at a news conference at the base on Friday.
Fitzpatrick’s district borders the base, but the bulk of the negative economic impact will affect businesses in his district. More than a third of the affected workers live in his district.
"Willow Grove is too important for Pennsylvania to lose," he said.
Not everybody wants to save military bases.
Citizens Against Government Waste said members of Congress should not interfere in the process. The nonpartisan group said the closings are part of a changing military strategy from fighting the Cold War to fighting the war on terror. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com