Closing Hill Air Force Base - or any of its four sister air logistic centers - would be so expensive that the Air Force likely could not afford to close any other base at the same time, Air Force Secretary Sheila E. Widnall said Monday.
She told the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission that's why she recommended that all five air logistics centers remain open but eliminate duplication."Including environmental costs, which must become part of our budget planning, we estimate it would cost in the range of $800 million each to close the depots," Widnall said.
"Put another way, the full cost to close a single depot would consume most of the total amount budgeted for the next six years for all Air Force 1995 closures and realignments," she said.
The Air Force planned to close or realign 12 bases during that time (not counting consolidations planned at the air logistics centers).
Widnall said keeping the centers open but combining some operations would cut as many jobs as would closing two entire depots - but without the huge upfront costs.
It would also actually create a few extra jobs at Hill - about 147 - because of work that would be moved there.
"The total one-time cost to implement (the consolidations) is $183 million. With annual savings of $89 million, the return on investment is expected to be achieved within two years," Widnall said.
She said it would avoid risking "Air Force dollars needed for readiness, modernization and quality of life for Air Force personnel" and would open up logistics facilities to other defense agencies to also allow them to "achieve substantial consolidations and savings."
Despite that, people such as Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, have questioned the proposal - and have questioned whether simply closing the lowest-ranked depot at McClellan Air Force Base, Calif., might not be wiser and protect other bases better.
Hansen has openly questioned whether McClellan was saved only to enhance the re-election possibilities of President Clinton by avoiding more job cuts in electoral-vote-rich California.
He has said the commission may want to look closer at that - and could add all logistics centers at least temporarily to the closure list to allow study of all options.
According to general rankings, Hill and its Ogden Air Logistics Center may not have to worry much even if it is added to the closure list for study purposes.
Logistics centers at Hill and Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., were ranked in "Tier 1," or the highest ranking.