Officials Seek to Block Cuts Urged by Pentagon for March Air Force Base

Community leaders said they will argue to keep March Air Force Base an active-duty installation rather than see it scaled back for a reserve base as recommended by the Department of Defense.

“I think we should have some solid arguments to present to the commission,” U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) said after a meeting with civic leaders.

The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission will hold a public hearing April 27 in San Diego on the recommended cutbacks and closures of March and other Southern California facilities.

Defense Secretary Les Aspin recommended a week ago that March’s 22nd Air Refueling Wing be deactivated by early 1996, and its 19 KC-10 air tankers be transferred to Travis Air Force Base in Northern California.

About 4,000 military and civilian personnel would be transferred, leaving Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard personnel.

Calvert said a group of business and civic leaders, calling themselves the March Air Force Base Support Group, will argue for March’s strategic importance rather then focus on the economic impact if the base shrinks.

March should be kept Southern California’s only operational base, capable of quickly mobilizing Marines and other forces for overseas conflicts, Calvert said.

“Our facilities (at March) are superior to those at Travis,” Calvert said.

Calvert said an organized effort with sound arguments could be successful in preserving March as it is.