The GAO, a nonpartisan federal agency, found in a report published this month (August) that the Navy "could not provide documentation of the criteria or the analysis used to support its decision” to close a fighter jet squadron based at Naval Air Station Atlanta. U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, along with U.S. Sens. Zell Miller and Saxby Chambliss, commissioned the study to determine why the Navy targeted the NAS squadron.
“This report shows that the Navy doesn’t have documentation of its criteria or analysis for choosing which squadron to decommission,” Gingrey said. “That’s cause for concern. These decisions should be open and well-documented. These decisions shouldn’t be swayed by political calculations; they should be determined according to what’s best for our national defense.
“We can do better and this report, I trust, will point the way toward improvements in the system.”
Early in 2003, the Navy announced that as part of their Tactical Aviation Integration Plan they would not provide funding for the squadron, the VFA-203, in the national defense budget, effectively closing down the squadron.
Despite the fact that the VFA-203 was officially closed several months ago, Gingrey is hopeful that the findings of the GAO will cause the Navy to re-evaluate how they make decisions like this in the future.
"I am also very glad that Secretary of the Navy Gordon England has assured me that the second squadron of F-18's at NAS Atlanta -- the Marine Squadron -- is not going anywhere."
Additionally, Secretary England promised that two additional E-2s would be added to the four already stationed at the installation. The E-2's primary mission is conducting counter-drug operations in the Caribbean.
