Home : News :

Opinions that are derogatory, attack other users or are offensive in nature may be removed. WAVY is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section. We reserve the right to remove any offensive or off-topic remark or thread. To mark a comment for review by a moderator, click "Flag as inappropriate."

What's behind delay in carrier move?

Updated: Thursday, 11 Jun 2009, 1:41 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 10 Apr 2009, 9:21 PM EDT

MaryKay Mallonee

NORFOLK, Va. - Rapid fire phone calls across Virginia Thursday spread word of the Navy's announcement delaying a decision whether to move a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier from Naval Station Norfolk to a smaller base in Mayport, Florida.

Frank Roberts is the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, created by local mayors in 2006 to protect the region's military and federal capabilities.

Roberts says the Department of Defense is trying to step back from its January decision to move a local carrier to Mayport, a move many viewed as political.

"This enables them to step back from that decision without making it look blatantly like they are abandoning the previous administration's political decision," said Roberts. "The former president's brother used to be the governor of Florida and so there was strong ties to Florida."

Senator Mark Warner released this statement saying: "This is a promising development for the taxpayers (and) reflects a Pentagon that is now being guided by fiscal and strategic priorities."

Roberts agrees, pointing to the $1 billion price tag for retrofitting Mayport to accommodate a nuclear flattop.

"Until the DoD and the Navy can solve some of its budget shortfall, relative to shipbuilding, aircraft shortfalls, this makes the most sense in terms of how they spend the money," said Roberts.

There is another issue... when sailors complete their sea duty tour, they go to shore duty and at the massive Naval Station Norfolk there is more than enough work for them.

"But, the shore duty jobs are not there for them in Mayport. Most of those people rotating off that ship do not have a shore duty job to go to at Mayport, so they would have to be reassigned, pick up, pack up and move somewhere else," said Roberts.

The next step for the bipartisan effort of the Virginia delegation is to examine the final federal budget when it comes out next month to see exactly what funds are in the budget specifically related to this issue.