SR79

A Senate Resolution expressing support for the retention of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst military mission and memorializing the U.S. Department of Defense and Congress to keep the facility open.

Whereas, Representatives from the United States Department of Defense have indicated that it may be necessary for the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) to evaluate and close military bases in 2017; and

Whereas, There has been the elimination and migration of current missions, and every indication that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst would be vulnerable to possible realignment or closure in a future BRAC evaluation, and concern has been expressed that such actions would have a harmful effect on thousands of military and civilian personnel who live and work in New Jersey; and

Whereas, Potential future budget cuts that would eliminate the fleet of refueling aircraft at the Joint Base, if implemented, would render the Joint Base more vulnerable to closure by a future BRAC commission; and

Whereas, The Joint Base covers 42,000 acres, and from east to west, the base extends over 20 miles, and all military forces (the Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force), plus the Coast Guard, utilize the Joint Base, distinguishing it from other bases; and

Whereas, Closure of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst would have a devastating impact on the surrounding communities as the individuals working at the base rely upon local businesses and services for many of their needs and therefore account for a substantial portion of the revenue realized by those communities; and

Whereas, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst employs 34,576 full-time personnel, as well as 7,804 traditional reservists, and the Joint Base is the largest military installation in the State; and

Whereas, The Joint Base, through direct and induced effects, produces approximately 51,989 jobs in the State, with many of those jobs occurring in the local area of the base, representing approximately $2.7 billion in direct and indirect compensation; and

Whereas, Compensation for the Joint Base personnel annually is approximately $1.7 billion and total Joint Base expenditures solely to New Jersey-based organizations in 2012 was approximately $835 million; and

Whereas, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst generates, directly and indirectly, an estimated $4.2 billion annually in gross domestic product for the State, and approximately $118.7 million in annual State tax revenues are generated from the operation of the base; and

Whereas, The tremendously damaging impact the closure of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst would have on the State of New Jersey as a whole, the residents of the communities surrounding the Joint Base, and the individuals actually employed by the Joint Base cannot be overstated; and

Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper, and in the interest of the State of New Jersey, for this House to express support for the retention of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and memorialize the U.S. Department of Defense and Congress to keep the facility open; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House strongly supports the retention of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst military mission and memorializes the United States Department of Defense to keep the facility open.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the president of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the presiding officer of each house of Congress and each elected member of Congress from the State of New Jersey.

STATEMENT

This resolution expresses support for the retention of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and memorializes the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Congress to keep the facility open. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the largest military installation in the State, and it serves all military services (Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force), as well as the Coast Guard.

Recently, the Army’s assistant secretary for Installations, Energy and Environment, Katherine G. Hammack, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Army needs another round of base realignment and closure in 2017. Additionally, before the same committee, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel indicated that if Congress did not authorize Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) while continuing to cut the defense budget, the DoD will consider other methods to reduce infrastructure.

As some 34,576 individuals are employed full-time at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the potential closure of the base is cause for concern. While there has been no indication that the Joint Base is particularly vulnerable to BRAC, the potential ramifications of such a closure warrant proactive measures to protect against a closure.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst produces in excess of 16,000 jobs in the State of New Jersey apart from the full-time personnel at the Joint Base, and the Statewide gross domestic product from the Joint Base is approximately $4.2 billion per year. The impact of the closure of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst would be devastating to New Jersey.

The sponsor hopes that this resolution persuades the Department of Defense and any future BRAC commission that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst should not be closed.