One more thing leaving the state, that's just what we need.

The same thing happened when Dow Field closed after World War 11. The runways were lengthened and the Government built more housing for the base personel [more Capehart buildings. Why spend all that money then and again now in Brunswick to remodel and build? Bangor was in serious trouble when Dow Field closed monetarily now Brunswick will too. Things in Bangor don't sound too hot now or am I reading it wrong?

A victory for peace! Maine is once again blessed. What a wonderful and truly heartwarming story.

The saving grace on Bangor is they have commercial use of the airstrip. So if it were closed in Bangor, not that it will, for the airstrip still holds value for refuels, it already has the commercialism on site already.

yes peace is great wait what if the other guy dosent want peace, i guess it is ok we can jsut let them take over and hope that after they controll the world they will jsut be nice to us. You are an idiot peace is only doable becasue brave men adn women stand a wall and make sure no one can come hurt you in the middle of the night.

Thank goodness for drones.

Time Moves On

There IS Nothin Finer

Than To Have A Miltary Base

And the People That Live In IT

Among the Masses

Change Will Be Hard Again

Thank God

Brunswick and the Surrounding Areas

Are In Southern Maine

As WE ALL Know Opportunities

Are There Much More Often

I was visiting home when the decision came in to close Loring AFB. I knew a couple of the people involved in the stats reports that were used in the decision, and they told me that the numbers they supplied Congress were fudged to make it look like Loring would be far too expensive to keep open than the other base they were considering closing in New York. Other than that, they had poured hundreds of millions of dollars in new housing, new facilities, and many upgrades, and the other base had been allowed to run down because they were sure it would be closed. Then they used the fudged data and the news media to make Loring look bad. Nearly an hundred individuals from the base were interviewed, with a vast majority of them saying how much they loved it up there. Only a few complained, but they got the air time on the networks. In other words, it was a political move to close Loring, and our state reps did nothing to stop it. I'll be the same can be said for BNB. What a shame.

It's hard to believe that there are no more active bases in all of New England. I guess that's because liberals don't support the military, so why fight to keep them in their midst.

Brunswick will grow as a consequence of the Navy's departure. As ocurred at Pease AF Base in Portsmouth, the opportunity for development at BNAS in propserous Cumberland County is exciting. Whether it be the newly opened Aircraft refurbishing facility or the opening of the condominium complex on the ocean side of the facility, there is great potential that is going to provide far more better paying jobs than those provided by the governemnt. The closing of Dow ocurred as Bangor was drying up; the closing of BNAS ocurrs as the phenominal growth of southern Maine is reaching to Brunswick for it next growth spurt. Wait until the Grand Trunk Brige is repaired in Portland opening the way for Amtrack to stop in downtown Brunswick.

More jobs lost in Maine wait until the BIW closes its doors

To EJParsons......I agree that Loring should have stayed open...I live in Fort Fairfield....but to clarify, it was the George Bush presidency that closed Loring....not the liberals.

Bangor survived, Limestone survived; and so will Brunswick. Maybe a place for a new wind farm or gay community, or whatever else those southern Mainers seem to like.

gordonhere40 - Here's a clip from Wickipedia on the closure of Loring AFB. It will show that it wasn't Bush Sr's decision, although he may have signed off on it. Still the fix was in and the elected officials from New York won the battle. In actuality, Maine's elected officials didn't put up much of a fight. And the numbers were changed to make Loring look far to expensive to keep open. Anyway, here's the clip:

Closure

Loring AFB was first targeted for closure in 1976. The Air Force's primary rationale at that time was the poor condition of Loring AFB's facilities. In 1976, it was estimated that Loring AFB needed up to $300 million in facilities improvements. Between 1976 and 1979, considerable debate took place over the strategic importance of Loring AFB, resulting in a reversal of the Air Force decision to close the base. When the decision to keep Loring AFB open was made in 1979, Congress committed itself to upgrading the base facilities. Since 1981, nearly $300 million in military construction and operations and maintenance funds were spent to upgrade the facilities.

In 1991, the Secretary of Defense, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Air Force, identified six Strategic Air Command bases for closure. Loring Air Force Base was one of the six bases on the closure list.

The official base closure date was September 30, 1994.

==================================================

I know, first hand, that it was all political.

Are jobs the only concern here? It's a changing world but I'm sure our best military minds would want the remaining bases more evenly distributed throughout the US. We are on the border and the coast. We are the NE "corner" of the US. Traditional strategic planning would mandate more of a military presence here.

I guess that's because liberals don't support the military, so why fight to keep them in their midst.

EJP, sorry got to diaagree with you on that. When my favorite base closed Sen. Snowe and Collins saw Loring close. Why didn't they fight to keep it open? One problem with goverment is the left hand hasn't a clue what the left is up to. Shortly before closing they built a new hospital at Loring AFB........now it is a payroll center for the military. The rest of one of SAC's finest and largest bases, for the most part is struggling to keep any business venture alive.

Now we have Brunswick Naval Air Station to add to Snowe AND Collins list of downsizing Maine. I ask you, WHO doesn't support the military.........those two so called moderates are STILL Republicans and don't think otherwise.

Gorilla wrote: "opening the way for Amtrack to stop in downtown Brunswick."

You've got to be kidding!?!

I was not aware that our Amtrak riding Vice President read the BDN online edition. They must let him use a computer (supervised, of course) from the bunker where Obama keeps him buried, out of sight.

whaleback - To a conservative, Snowe and Collins are not moderates, they are both liberal Republicans. They would be moderates if they were Democrats. Nonetheless, the New York politicians won the Loring battle by some underhanded dealings. The majority of the people on the base closure committee were not known for supporting the buildup of the military and were put there to reduce it by hook or by crook. They chose crook. Maine lost Loring.....and now Brunswick. The new hospital was just one of the projects in the 300 million they spent. Money went to upgrade the roads, the BX and commisary, the bowling alley, hundreds of new housing units, new hangers and several other high dollar projects that provided a lot of jobs for Northern Mainers. The base in New York that had been on the short list for closing for years had deteriorated and needed hundreds of millions to get into shape. Well, they ended up getting the money....our tax money....that had, in truth, already been spent to fix Loring. As for the finance center; how many jobs did that bring to Northern Maine? Don't forget to subtract the number of jobs that were lost when the base closed. Maine lost big time, and our reps just let it happen.

The money for expanding amtrak and public transportation is gone. They spent it on a program called cash for clunkers. Anyway - they let the VP out long enough to get his picture taken with the couple who crashed the party at the White House. He's got his arm around the blonde in the picture I saw. Yes, he definitely needs a babysitter.

another base closes. another chapter in maine history is written off. Petetabor you are a fool, how dare you speak. Move to CANADA. Peace sell but who is buying. You and the rest of the liberals going to spread you endless wealth around the Brunswick communtiy to offset the closing of Brunswick Naval Station. Nope didn't think so. v

Something will be done with the base that creates a few minimum wage jobs.Our senators and our governor will be there to cut the ribbon. The people buy into their propaganda and keep giving their votes. We''ll have our thermostats set down to 50 and be eating out of dumpsters before we get these people out of office.

And to think I served in the Army so that petertabor could have peace, ha what a joke.

And to think I served in the Army -- and the Air Force -- so wallyo and Hunter334 could safely voice their anonymous war-mongering sentiments here.

Whaleback - perhaps the reason Sen. Collins did not fight to keep Loring open is that she had not yet been elected to Congress.

On 11/29/09 at 7:04 PM, mattcarbone wrote: You've got to be kidding!?!

Cut and paste this in your browser and learn:

http://www.amtrakdowneaster.com/userfiles/file/22%20Amtrak%20Amendment%20Brunswick%20Service.pdf

EJP......just an update on the former Loring base, the bowling alley upgrade is now in FL.........the alleys and all equipment were sold to someone there. Was up there a few years ago and someone was trying to make a go of it, said the rent was killing it, too bad, it WAS in great condition, not to mention it gave the Job Corps some recreation. The wife and I went back up there this past Oct., it's really depressing to see it today, as compared to the 60's.

Brunswick should fare better though, what with their location........sure hope so. Pokeyboy......I stand corrected.

Another Loring in the making.

Hear all, hear all:

Two and a half years ago Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS), despite continuous attempts by the governor and the congressional delegation to keep it open, was slated by BRAC to close by 2011. This March the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) announced their first tenant.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has committed to establishing a permanent campus on the former BNAS site and expanding their current programs. The university has operated a satellite college at the Navy base since 1994, offering military personnel a wide range of undergraduate and, more recently, masters-level courses in aviation.

Embry-Riddle’s decision begins the process of creating Maine’s first center for aviation.

More Maine jobs, BYE BYE. Well at least Florida will be picking up some jobs. No income tax and no heating bills too.

Southern New Hampshire University has been offering programs on the Naval Air Station since 1967 (in the 60s, no Maine college or univeristy was interested in serving our sailors & marines), and continues to serve the greater Bath-Brunswick region, with offices on and adjacent to the base on Tibbetts Drive at Cook’s Corner. While the 9000+ graduates of SNHU’s Maine Center for Continuing Education – over 3000 of whom live and work in Maine – are worthy of note, it is the future role of SNHU in the region’s redevelopment which is perhaps more notable. By investing in a 15,000-square-foot, high-tech educational facility literally a few minute’s walk from the base’s main gate, SNHU is investing in the region’s future. By maintaining an articulation with CMCC and finalizing another with SMCC, SNHU is aligning with the region’s future. By contributing over $500,000 in payroll and more than $400,000 in local purchases of goods and services – all taxable – SNHU is demonstratively contributing to the region’s future. And by continuously updating its certificate, associate, bachelor and master degree programs in business, management and liberal arts – including more than a dozen new concentrations for its evening “global MBA” programs - SNHU continues to invest in the region’s workforce of the future.

This story brought back a lot of memories. I was a young aircrewman on P2V-5s in VP-23 at Brunswick in the early 50s, and I look fondly back on that short period of my life. Our old squadron is long gone, of course, but there are a number of us still in contact, and we have an occasional reunion.

I also served at Pease AFB, NH during my subsequent USAF service as a pilot in the 100th Air Refueling Squadron in the early 60's, and remember my service there just as fondly. Have had quite a few reunions with that bunch, too.

All my best to Brunswick and the entire state of Maine, as well as to Portsmouth and New Hampshire!