Which bases were closed when they shouldn't have been and vice versa??

[Knowledgeispower]

The question of the thread is in the title. In my opinion we should have kept Fort Ord, and the Naval shipyards at Mare Island and Long Beach Open(and we're paying the maintenance backlog penalties for closing them)and closed one or two of the Air Force's big maintenance depots since having 5 of them when we really only need 2 due to much smaller size of the Air Force as compared to where it was to the cold war is wasteful(having the extra one or possibly 2 makes sense as it enables spare capacity in the event of war or expansion of the Air Force but having 3 is just wasteful)

 

[Free-Stater 101]

Fort Sumter.

 

[Scottty]

Fort Sumter.

How's the cotton business doing?

 

[Husky_Khan]

That Naval Air Station on Guam could prove fruitful to utilize in the years to come. If you know, reactivating the airbase wouldn't threaten flipping the island over.

 

[Airedale260]

That Naval Air Station on Guam could prove fruitful to utilize in the years to come. If you know, reactivating the airbase wouldn't threaten flipping the island over.

Andersen AFB is still there, though, just administratively part of NB Guam.

More broadly, the bases haven't been closed for kicks, it's because they're expensive to maintain and it also depends on the function, and whether said function is necessary, or whether it can be done at another location, or whether that function is even necessary. In 1989 we had 18 divisions (not all equal, though, with the roundout concept...) but we're now down to ten with an eleventh as a deployable HQ rather than a functional combat formation.

Honestly, I would say for the most part we're in decent shape. Troops loved Fort Ord, sure, and the Presidio of San Francisco has a lot of history, but at the same time neither really wasn't and isn't necessary when we have Lewis-McChord on the coast. Plus, since Ord closed, it's allowed Monterey to expand significantly. Treasure Island is a possibility as well, but even that was of questional value.

The main drawdowns have been overseas (particularly in Germany). We still have some, but this isn't the 1987 Fulda Gap Games where we need four divisions and two ACRs parked on the Inner German Border.

What we really should be looking at are more technical issues (such as not having every carrier assigned to the Atlantic homeported in Norfolk; at least send one to Mayport. I don't think Newport can handle a Nimitz though, otherwise I'd suggest a second one there.

We also have a number of bases that were transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve and the National Guard -if we *really* need the capacity we can get it (Hunter Liggett in California, Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania, Lee and Pickett in Virginia, McCoy in Wisconsin...there are a bunch).

 

[Knowledgeispower]

Andersen AFB is still there, though, just administratively part of NB Guam.

More broadly, the bases haven't been closed for kicks, it's because they're expensive to maintain and it also depends on the function, and whether said function is necessary, or whether it can be done at another location, or whether that function is even necessary. In 1989 we had 18 divisions (not all equal, though, with the roundout concept...) but we're now down to ten with an eleventh as a deployable HQ rather than a functional combat formation.

Honestly, I would say for the most part we're in decent shape. Troops loved Fort Ord, sure, and the Presidio of San Francisco has a lot of history, but at the same time neither really wasn't and isn't necessary when we have Lewis-McChord on the coast. Plus, since Ord closed, it's allowed Monterey to expand significantly. Treasure Island is a possibility as well, but even that was of questional value.

The main drawdowns have been overseas (particularly in Germany). We still have some, but this isn't the 1987 Fulda Gap Games where we need four divisions and two ACRs parked on the Inner German Border.

What we really should be looking at are more technical issues (such as not having every carrier assigned to the Atlantic homeported in Norfolk; at least send one to Mayport. I don't think Newport can handle a Nimitz though, otherwise I'd suggest a second one there.

We also have a number of bases that were transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve and the National Guard -if we *really* need the capacity we can get it (Hunter Liggett in California, Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania, Lee and Pickett in Virginia, McCoy in Wisconsin...there are a bunch).

The real problem is the closed naval bases which have left the USN with only 21 drydocks(well other than a few we share with the Japanese)for conventionally powered ships, and worse yet the sites were sold off and most of infrastructure is flat out gone. Needless to say since we really should be expanding the USN this is a bad thing especially since land around decent harbors on the West Coast isn't exactly cheap...and there are tons of NIMBYS.

 

[Airedale260]

The real problem is the closed naval bases which have left the USN with only 21 drydocks for conventionally powered ships, and worse yet the sites were sold off and most of infrastructure is flat out gone. Needless to say since we really should be expanding the USN this is a bad thing

Well, the drydocks are a separate issue, as is the lack of ships due to shitty post-Cold War budgeting for ship construction. When I hear ‘bases’ I’m thinking of staging locations, of which we have quite a few.

While I’d like to see us shell out the cash, I don’t think it’ll happen short of a serious crisis. They might go to contractors, which presents its own set of challenges, but short of a Korean War-level crisis, Congress won’t fork over the money for it, be it Republican or Democrat.

 

[Sailor.X]

Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico. Because the people of the area let their emotions overrule their common sense. And shot themselves in the foot economy wise.

 

[Free-Stater 101]

How's the cotton business doing?

Swell with automated harvesting and don't get me started on soybeans and peanuts!