"On the whole, the BRAC Commission was very thoughtful in its work and thorough in its job, but the recommendation to close Brunswick Naval Air Station was a serious error. The essential requirement to protect and defend the airspace and shipping lanes of the Northeastern United States remains, and the loss of Brunswick and its assets deserts the Northeast of its active airfields capable of supporting homeland defense or homeland security missions.
"We are committed, along with the state and local governments and affected communities, to work as hard to ease the transition to closure and fostering economic redevelopment as we did in preparing and making our cases for all of Maine's valuable installations before the BRAC Commission the last several months.
"With regard to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the BRAC Commission's vote to preserve it is a testament to the skills and talents of the shipyard workers who have made this submarine yard the most efficient in the nation. The Commission recognized that shipyard community's unwavering support, demonstrated by the thousands who turned out in yellow t-shirts to show their support for the base and spent countless hours volunteering and participating in the effort to save the shipyard.
"We also applaud the Commission's decision to keep the Defense Finance and Accounting System center at Limestone open and to expand it from 360 employees to at least 600. This is further evidence of the quality of Maine workforce and their commitment to excellence. As a result, the Limestone Center can continue to provide the same exceptional service to the Department of Defense as it has since the first day it opened. This victory for Northern Maine will also help grow and strengthen the while maintaining a true Center of Excellence."
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