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Otis Decision Ramps up Pressure on Mass. Leaders (Associated Press)
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By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press Writer | August 29, 2005
BOSTON --When a federal commission recommended closing Otis Air National Guard base on Cape Cod, some Massachusetts politicians were left scratching their heads.
Should they blast the commission for trying to close a key military base at the easternmost tip of the state, or praise it for recommending the fighter jets based at Otis be transferred to Barnes Air National Guard base in western Massachusetts?
For most elected officials, the answer was easy. Two bases are better than one. The next question is proving tougher: Can Otis be spared?
Under the plan recommended Friday, Barnes would host all 18 of the F-15s of the 102nd Fighter Wing stationed at Otis, but lose the A-10 attack jets now stationed at Barnes.
The 102nd Fighter Wing were the first to arrive in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The bulkier A-10s are ground combat support planes that have played a key role in Iraq.
The state's next move is in the hands of Attorney General Thomas Reilly, who is weighing possible legal options if the base closing plan is approved by President Bush and Congress.
One option is to pursue a lawsuit similar to one protesting a Pentagon decision to deactivate the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.
The lawsuit argued the decision was flawed because Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld didn't have the support of Gov. Ed Rendell. Governors command National Guard units. Federal officials only step in when the Guard is activated for missions such as the war in Iraq.
On Friday, the same day that the Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommended closing Otis, U.S. District Judge John R. Padova sided with Rendell in the Pennsylvania case.
That decision could have drive a similar lawsuit in Massachusetts.
"We're actively considering a number of the legal arguments based both on the Pennsylvania case as well as a number of other options," said Reilly spokesman Corey Welford. "We'll be speaking with the governor's staff and the congressional delegation and Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Kerry on the possible legal arguments and on the timing of filing a lawsuit."
In neighboring Connecticut, Gov. M. Jodi Rell filed a lawsuit Monday to stop the federal government from removing fighter jets from the Air National Guard Base at Bradley International Airport.
The fiercest Massachusetts critics of the commission's recommendations are those closest to Otis. The move could cost about 500 jobs.
U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, whose district includes the Cape, said the decision will cut in half the state's Air National Guard numbers because it will require forfeiting the A-10 attack jets.
"This process isn't just about Otis or even Massachusetts," he said. "It's about our homeland security and our national defense."
Westfield Mayor Rick Sullivan said the move would be a boon to his city, bringing in jobs and airport improvements.
But Sullivan also said he understands why Reilly and other state elected officials may push to keep Otis open.
"I would be fine with the status quo. We are very supportive of the A-10 unit," he said. "If the net result is everything stays the same, we're fine with that."
While the decision to close Otis has been criticized by most Bay State politicians, some say things could have been much worse.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Mitt Romney said he will work with Reilly to review possible legal action to keep Otis open.
But the state's successful efforts to defend other bases, most notably Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, shouldn't be forgotten.
"At the beginning of the BRAC process, M
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