by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The state’s top military lobbyist said Wednesday at the Chamber’s Military Appreciation Luncheon at the Osborn Center he would “fight like hell” to keep Jacksonville’s bases off the Pentagon’s chopping block next year.
Retired four–star admiral Bob Natter’s firm was hired by the governor to help Florida’s 21 military bases survive the defense department’s Base Realignment and Closure process. Natter called it his “realistic objective” that the state keep all of its bases. He said Florida could end up adding to its military presence, which is already estimated to pour about $44 billion into the state economy.
“All of Florida’s bases add value to the military, and I’m not willing to give an inch,” said Natter, who until 2003 served as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. “We want to make the case that we can absorb additional missions and soldiers.”
Natter dismissed congressional calls for a delay or cancellation of the closures. He said Gov. Jeb Bush wanted the closures to proceed as scheduled. No matter when the closures take place, Natter said Florida’s bases would fare well due to the state’s unique commitment to its military men and women.
“I assure you, we’re going to be ready in 2005,” he said.
Natter waved behind him to the cavernous Osborn Center auditorium that had minutes earlier been filled with more than 1,000 soldiers and sailors, their family and community supporters.
“Just look at this auditorium. More than a thousand people here at the luncheon, and I know they weren’t here to hear me speak. They were here to show their support,” said Natter. “Ask any soldier or sailor what they think about being stationed in Florida.”
Mayor John Peyton said during the luncheon that City Hall had made “an unprecedented commitment” to its military bases. He said the City invested to provide its bases with an environment where all their needs are met.
“We’re building a case that Jacksonville is better prepared to meet the needs of the military than any city in the country,” he said.
In addition to community support, Peyton said after the luncheon that the City provided diversity of terrain. Jacksonville could offer unique access to sea, air and different types of land for training, he said, and had access to a nearby live bombing range.
Peyton said the recent relocation of the Navy’s Southern Command to Mayport gave the area positive momentum entering into next year’s BRAC process. Natter worked with Bush to move the command to Mayport over 20 competing bases.
Peyton’s biggest area of concern is the Naval Air Depot. He said he had heard the facility might lack efficiency compared to two others. Still he said he’d been told by “unofficial sources,” that “more was going right for Jacksonville than was going wrong.”
“Everybody keeps talking about losses, but nobody’s talking about the gains,” said Peyton. “The military’s going to be bringing a lot of forces back from overseas; we could see a net gain.”