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On July 7, 2004, I met with Senators Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg, along with my fellow Representatives from New Jersey, to find ways to protect the continued existence and well-being of New Jersey's military bases during the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. During BRAC, the Department of Defense will determine whether any bases should be closed or downsized based on the military's current needs. New Jersey's bases are vital to our national security and military strength, and I am committed to working with the New Jersey Congressional delegation to ensure that they remain open and fully operational.
New Jersey's bases are indispensable because they each bring unique skill sets and capabilities to the military. From Fort Monmouth, the nerve center for military electronics and communications, to Picatinny Arsenal, an international leader in developing advanced weapons systems, to Fort Dix, which has trained deployed members of Reserve and Guard units for the war in Iraq, New Jersey's bases play a crucial role in ensuring that the United States of America has the strongest, smartest, and most advanced military force in the world.
The Department of Defense is right to keep our military infrastructure lean and effective by eliminating any installations that are redundant or no longer useful. But New Jersey's bases cannot be replicated anywhere else in the country and it would be detrimental to our national security and military to roll back any of their capabilities. The brave men and women who serve at these installations are among the military's best and brightest. I will continue working with other Members of Congress from our state to ensure that New Jersey's bases play an ongoing, active role in keeping our country strong.
To view the Department of Defense's website on BRAC, click here: http://www.defenselink.mil/brac/.
To view an earlier Washington Update on BRAC, please visit my website at http://www.house.gov/andrews, click on Washington Updates, and follow the link for September 10, 2001. |
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