As Northwesterners celebrate this holiday, they will look with special pride and gratitude toward those who are defending their country. For people in this area, that should mean giving a little extra thought to Naval Station Everett and Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
Indeed, for a lot of people in Snohomish and Island counties, the Navy will be a large part of the Fourth of July celebrations. Planes from Whidbey will perform flyovers at both the Everett and Oak Harbor parades this morning.
Naval Station Everett will host thousands of visitors for the Freedom Festival after the parade.
This may also be a good day for Everett residents to begin thinking about the need to keep the base in operation long term. As Whidbey Island leaders have already recognized, there is another round of base closure decisions ahead.
Even though Congress and the president have decided to have the next base closure commission make its recommendations in 2005, that process will be on us sooner than we might think. With their long record of support for the local base, Everett’s citizens can begin seriously organizing now for the closure discussions.
Logically, there would be no good reason for Naval Station Everett to get any serious consideration for closure. Given the nature of regional jealousies, however, supporters of some other base elsewhere will probably be desperate enough to try to focus on Everett as a closure candidate. Indeed, there has already been a suggestion, from a supposedly serious Bremerton publication, that at least some of Everett’s ships might be moved there.
It ain’t gonna happen, of course. The Navy has been quite clear about Everett being its newest, most environmentally healthy homeport, and Everett is probably the most popular homeport with sailors as well. Strategically, as U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen points out, there is value in having bases spread out rather than concentrating potential targets in one place.
In 2005, the arguments in favor of Naval Station Everett will swamp any made against keeping it. The more support that can be given to the base, however, the better. Snohomish County should celebrate the Navy warmly today, and prepare to defend the base vigorously against any political attacks in the future.
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