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Local delegation visits Washington to make case for area military bases

A delegation of local civic and educational leaders met with Philip W. Grone, Principal Assistant Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment, and U.S. Rep. David Scott in Washington last week to discuss the future of Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem.

Included in the delegation was Clayton College & State University President Thomas K. Harden, City of Morrow Director of Economic Development Grant Wainscott, Clayton County Superintendent of Schools Barbara Pulliam, Col. Fred Bryant, deputy director of the Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Council, Forest Park Mayor Charles Hall, Andy Alexander of Resources Consultants International, a civilian contractor for the military, and Tina Coria of the Henry County Board of Commissioners.

The group, representing the “Save Ft. MacPherson/Gillem Foundation,” met with Grone and Scott to help explain and highlight the significance of both installations to the metro Atlanta economy.

Fayette County is a popular place to live for hundreds of military and civilian employees at both bases.

Of particular interest to Grone, and the Department of Defense, was the connection between the two bases, especially the fact that both facilities are more than just single service installations.

Fort MacPherson, for example, houses and supports the following major activities: The U.S. Army Forces Command; the Third U.S. Army/Forces Central Command; the U.S. Army Reserve Command; the Southeast Region Office, U.S. Army; the Installation Management Agency; and the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventative MedicineÐSouth.

The major activities at Ft. Gillem include: The First U.S. Army; the U.S. Army Third Criminal Investigation Region; the U.S. Army Second Recruiting Brigade; the Military Entrance Processing Station; the U.S. Army and Air Force Exchange Service Atlanta Distribution Center; and the Georgia Army National Guard headquarters.

“We also talked about how efficient and effective the bases are,” notes Wainscott. “They are critical for the community and have been great partners with all of us over the years.”

One example of those partnerships comes from the relationship between Ft. Gillem’s Criminal Investigation Region and Clayton State. Over the years, experts from Ft. Gillem have taken part in numerous forensic science seminars at the University that have contributed to the education of Clayton State students, local high school students, high school teachers from throughout the Southeast, and the public.

“Congressman Scott has been very important and proactive in this process,” adds Wainscott. “We spent a lot of time with him and he is very knowledgeable about how important the bases are to our economy.”

Earlier this month, Gov. Sonny Perdue made a trip to Washington to also lobby the Pentagon to keep Georgia bases open.

Specifically, Perdue argued that the state’s two largest Army installations,ÊFort Stewart near Savannah and Fort Benning near Columbus,Êcould be expanded if President Bush is succeeds with plans to reduce or eliminate many European bases and move personnel back to the United States.