Washington, D.C. -- Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) expressed strong opposition to future base closures as proposed in the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review during a hearing of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee today.

"I do not support the QDR's recommendation for another round of base closures, and I would vote against any bill proposing to do so," said Cochran, who is a senior member of the subcommittee. "Every town in America that has a military facility is searching for ways of dealing with the possibility of another base closure process all over again. This process frightens communities and forces them to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to support the presence of a facility that they have been told is important to the Air Force, yet might find its way on a hit list."

"If we took all the money that went into protecting communities from possible effects of a base closure round, we could buy a lot more planes and upgrade more facilities," Cochran added. "This process is a huge expense, and I think we are making a big mistake by saying that because government institutions cannot make good decisions based on facts and evidence from the military we have to turn to independent commissioners, who are not accountable to the American people and whose decisions are not subject to any sort of appeal process."

Cochran also questioned military officials about the delivery schedule for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS), the Air Force's new trainer planes which will replace the T-37's currently flown at Columbus A.F.B. " This base was rated the number one pilot training facility in the Air Force during the last round of base closure, yet Columbus is scheduled to be the last specialized undergraduate pilot training base to receive this new aircraft," Cochran said. "I'm concerned this decision may indicate that the Air Force does not value Columbus as it has in the past."

Cochran was assured by General Ronald Fogleman, Air Force Chief of Staff, that the delivery schedule for the JPATS should not be taken as an indication that Columbus is not important to the Air Force. General Fogleman also said he could not imagine the closing of any pilot training facility, due to the pilot training demand.

"The base closing experience has traumatized communities all over the country. If there is one signal that you are not in the first rank or a valued part of the Air Force structure, rumors start flying around that you're on the next base closing list," Cochran said. "I am reassured, and I hope folks back home are too. I know that Columbus AFB is a modern facility and that there has been a lot of money spent to upgrade simulators, equipment, and computerized training capacity, and I just wanted to be sure that something hasn't changed while I wasn't looking."

Cochran also questioned the effects of shifting funds to pay for peacekeeping and other overseas operations rather than more immediate modernization needs, such as upgrading the air traffic control tower simulators used in training at Keesler A.F.B.

"It is our job in this Committee to allocate scarce resources among competing interests and needs for the Air Force, and it seems to me that we are stretching the dollars pretty thin over the global reach," said Cochran. "The practical result of building facilities overseas is putting in jeopardy those investments we should be making here at home at facilities important to our local economies as well as our national defense.I wonder if we are taking money away from modernization efforts, such as the need to upgrade the air traffic control tower simulators at Keesler."