Which Bases Close? March Not at Ease Yet

There was no champagne on ice at March Air Reserve Base on Thursday, but the mood remained upbeat despite the possibility it could end up on the Pentagon’s list of recommended military closures today, officials said.

“We want it to be a celebration,” said retired Col. Phil Rizzo, who served as base commander at March until 1992. “Certainly we are not out of the woods until the list is released. It’s important for me to see in black and white that we’re not on the list, then I will feel 100% better.”

Other military locales in Riverside and San Bernardino counties are the Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base, Ft. Irwin Army National Training Center, Marine Corps Twentynine Palms Air Ground Combat Center, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Corona.

Most military analysts say that of the Inland Empire facilities, the Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base is the one most likely to be closed or realigned.

“The list is very closely held,” March spokesman Maj. Don Traud said.

“There are a lot of predictions and a lot of speculation out there, but that’s exactly what they are.”

Since the Pentagon started closing military bases in 1988, California has taken the biggest hit, losing 29 installations and 93,000 jobs. The state currently has about 30 major bases and dozens of smaller installations making up 11.3% of the nation’s total.

The release of the Pentagon’s list today will begin the process of a nationwide review of all bases by a presidential commission that will forward its findings to President Bush and Congress for a final decision.

March Air Reserve Base, home to 9,100 reservists and guards, serves as a recruiting and training center for the Army, Navy and Marines. Riverside County officials have also lobbied to make the base home to one of 10 possible federal homeland-security centers. Formerly called March Air Force Base, it was downsized to a reserve base in 1996.

Its closing could cost the community $423 million a year, Riverside County Supervisor Bob Buster said.

Come morning, three possible scenarios could greet officials at the base. March could be on the list for full closure or it could go unmentioned. The base could also be listed to pick up another unit.

“We are all on pins and needles, of course,” Buster said.

“We are optimistic that March will not only stay open but will be reinforced by the movement of other units from other bases in Southern California.”

On the base Thursday, guards continued to greet military personnel at the gate, the personnel office continued processing identification cards for new members, and training continued just as it had the day before, Traud said.

“It’s business as usual,” he said.

“People know that it’s coming [today], but they also know we have an important mission to carry out.”