Senator Says Statewide Bipartisan Effort to Save Base Should Yield Results
TRENTON – Senator Ellen Karcher, a leader in the State Legislature in the fight to save Fort Monmouth from federal closure, issued the following statement today regarding a rally she attended this morning on behalf of the Fort, and officials of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) touring the facilities during a 4-hour post tour today:
“The outpouring of support that I’ve seen firsthand, from across the State, has been overwhelming, as New Jerseyans are uniting in protection of Fort Monmouth. Today’s rally was another chance to allow the people of the State to let their voices be heard regarding the fate of Fort Monmouth. Regardless of political affiliation, everyone seems to recognize that the BRAC Commission’s decision is wrong for the military, and it’s wrong for the people of New Jersey.
“Fort Monmouth has been at the forefront of military communications technology, and has churned out advances that have aided our soldiers on the front line. Most recently, the base has developed better equipment to detect and disarm roadside bombs in Iraq. And thanks to the intellectual strength of Fort Monmouth, the base is far from having outlived its usefulness to the Armed Forces.
“It has also become an entrenched economic engine, driving fiscal progress in the surrounding towns. Local family-owned businesses rely heavily on the commerce generated by the base. Without Fort Monmouth as a prop supporting the economy of the region, we’re facing potential fiscal collapse.
“It’s heartening, however, that the Chairman of the BRAC Commission, Anthony J. Principi, and a key panel member, General Lloyd ‘Fig’ Newton, are visiting the base to see for themselves what we already know — that Fort Monmouth is a state-of-the-art facility that should continue to be an active part of the military’s network of bases. Their willingness to listen will ultimately make the difference as to whether New Jersey is successful in saving Fort Monmouth from closure or not.”