Forbes quizzes Navy on carrier move

WASHINGTON (WAVY) - Virginia 4th District Congressman Randy Forbes quizzed the Vice Chief of Naval Operations Tuesday on the Navy's rationale for moving a Norfolk-based nuclear powered aircraft carrier to a new homeport at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

During a hearing with the House Armed Services Committee's Readiness Subcommittee, Forbes used slides to try and refute some of the Navy's arguments regarding the need for the carrier relocation.

"All of you are good men, and you serve with good men and women," Forbes said to Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, who appeared at the hearing with the Army's Vice Chief of Staff General Peter W. Chiarelli, the Marine Corps' Assistant Commandant General James F. Amos, and the Air Force's Vice Chief of Staff General Carrol H. Chandler, "but sometimes even good men and women can make bad decisions."

The Navy has said part of it's rationale for the carrier move is to reduce the risk to fleet resources in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

Forbes utilized NOAA data to demonstrate both the historical trend of hurricanes striking each location, as well as the increased likelihood of future hurricanes hitting Florida versus Virginia.

The data showed a 75% increase in likelihood that a Category 4 hurricane will strike Mayport as compared to Norfolk.

"In the most recent history that I looked at," said Adm. Greenert, "I found somewhere between, over the last 15 years, it was statistically insignificant, that is the number of hurricanes in Jacksonville-Mayport area versus Virginia."

Forbes also utilized satellite imagery to highlight the much narrower channel in Mayport as compared to Norfolk, stressing that access to the Florida base could be compromised by either a terrorist attack or a weather event.

In addition, and in response to the 'eggs in one basket' argument heard from Navy leaders, Forbes offered data indicating that five or more carriers had only been together at Naval Station Norfolk for 34 total days during the six years from fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2008.

Finally, Forbes pressed Adm. Greenert on Navy's desire to spend nearly $600 million on moving the carrier when the service currently has more than $500 million in unfunded requirements.

When Forbes asked which he worried about more - the carrier move or the unfunded requirements - Adm. Greenert responded, "I worry about the long term, strategic consequences of not having but one carrier port on the East Coast."

"You think that's more important than the $523 million of unfunded requirements that you have here?" asked Forbes.

"I do, yes sir," answered Adm. Greenert.

The Navy re-affirmed its intention to move a carrier to Mayport when it released its Quadrennial Defense Review on February 1.

Earlier this month local lawmakers and members of the Hampton Roads Military Affairs Commission sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead suggesting that the Navy's public statements about the proposed carrier move did not adequately address a number of key concerns - and that budget projections drastically underestimated the total cost of the move.

Congress must ultimately approve funds to finance any carrier move from Norfolk to Mayport in order for the relocation to occur.

Click here to view all of Rep. Randy Forbes' questioning of Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert.