Pair plugs Whidbey on D.C. tour

In 1991 Whidbey Islanders were shocked to find Whidbey Island Naval Air Station on the list of bases set for closure.

Long story short, the community rallied and the base was saved, but community leaders vowed they would never let it get that close again.

To that end, elected officials have gone to Washington, D.C., every year to let lawmakers and the Pentagon know Whidbey is alive and doing just fine, and to tell the “Whidbey story.” This year the pressure was on, as the Department of Defense will be releasing another Base Realignment and Closure list in 2005.

Island County Commissioner Mac McDowell and Oak Harbor Mayor Patty Cohen recently returned from the latest trip, and both feel it was a successful effort.

“I truly think they’re aware of Whidbey and what’s here,” McDowell said. “There’s no more feeling they don’t know about Whidbey.”

He said in the past the Navy base here was the best kept secret in the Navy, known only to A-6 or P-3 pilots and specialists, and there was no effort on the part of elected officials to tout the air station.

While McDowell brings his expertise as a former A-6 pilot to the meetings, Cohen said she represents the community that supports the base.

“I focus on the quality of life environment you will find on Whidbey,” Cohen said.

The pair brought visuals with them in the form of a 30-page booklet entitled “NAS Whidbey: The Future is Now,” which extolled the virtues of the naval air station. It was produced locally by Clark Donnell and Stan Stanley for the NAS Whidbey Task Force. Copies were left for everyone with whom they met.

McDowell and Cohen met March 4 with representatives Rick Larsen and Norm Dicks and senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray.

While McDowell said the lawmakers were all supportive of Whidbey, the big meetings were the next day, when they conferred with officials at the Pentagon.

H.T. Johnson, deputy secretary of defense for installations, was impressed with the news that Washington state was about to pass a bill that would prevent encroachment on land surrounding military bases.

“There’s no question in my mind he will remember that,” McDowell said. Johnson also asked for copies of Whidbey Island’s county zoning laws, which are already the strictest in the state regarding encroachment.

They also met with Rear Adm. Christopher Weaver, deputy chief naval officer for installations, and several other high ranking officials.

McDowell said he came away with the impression that while previous rounds were about saving money, the 2005 BRAC is about aligning military bases to the Department of Defense’s new mission of increasing mobility and the ability to respond more quickly.

“The military is becoming more lethal,” McDowell said, meaning it is focusing on the ability to do more with less.

“Transformation is a big buzz word,” he said. “How that plays out at Whidbey is a huge question.”

Navy officials they met with were unable to comment on the BRAC process, or Whidbey’s chances of being on the list, but the base closure criteria released in January lists military value as the top criteria.

The “Future is Now” booklet lists the highlights of Whidbey’s military value, including the excess capacity and land area to accommodate surge and long term mission requirements; the electronically “clean” air of the Northwest; the ability to support the EA-18G follow-on to the EA-6B; and the best P-3 training environment of the west coast.

For her part, Cohen stressed the unique relationship Oak Harbor has with the Navy base.

“The message is we’re extremely proud of the Navy here,” she said. “The city and county are models for other communities.”

Cohen said NAS Whidbey and Whidbey Island are intertwined.

“We define each other,” she said.

How much “quality of life” will be a factor is not known for certain, as it is not listed as high on the criteria list as military value. According to information McDowell and Cohen received from the Pentagon, analyses conducted to choose installations for the BRAC list will be based only on certified data. Community data will only be used by the committee if they can certify it and choose to use it.

The BRAC list is expected to be made public in June 2005.

“I’ll be so glad when June ‘05 is over,” McDowell said.

You can reach News-Times reporter Marcie Miller at mmiller@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.