Base closure criteria released

Oklahoma City-AP) -- The Pentagon has released proposed criteria for the base closure process. <br><br>New emphasis has been placed on joint warfighting and environmental cleanup costs but criteria such

Wednesday, December 24th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Oklahoma City-AP) -- The Pentagon has released proposed criteria for the base closure process.

New emphasis has been placed on joint warfighting and environmental cleanup costs but criteria such as the base's importance to the military and community concern are the same.

Altus state Representative David Braddock chairs a commission created by the state Legislature to protect Oklahoma's military installations.

Braddock told The Oklahoman's Washington bureau yesterday that he's pleased that much of what commissioners expected was included in the proposed criteria.

He says he's most pleased that the Pentagon will consider the impact a closure would have on a community when it makes its decisions.

Oklahoma's five major military installations are Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Fort Sill Army post in Lawton, Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Altus Air Force Base in Altus and the Army ammunition depot in McAlester.