Base closings

News that the Naval Reserve Center in Cape Girardeau is targeted for closure under a Pentagon plan announced last week is unwelcome, but Missouri fared better than many states. If approved, the closings and consolidations would cost the state about 4,000 civilian and military jobs.

Politicians across the country are bemoaning the jobs that would be lost in their jurisdictions, of course, and are vowing to confront the Pentagon at the barricades. They'd better if they want to keep their own jobs. Gov. Matt Blunt immediately formed a commission to study ways to keep the state's military bases open and attract more.

The closings are part of Pentagon efforts to turn the U.S. military into a swifter and leaner fighting machine, a transformation that can be dated to strategies used in the first Iraq war.

If America needs a military that can respond tactically to situations that can develop literally overnight, relying more on speed than might, it must change some of the ways forces are deployed and organized.

The military is an important employer in most states. Closing any base will result in a significant economic impact, especially for the region where such a base is located. But if the country's military mission is better served by closing and consolidating bases, then it's difficult to stand behind the economic argument.

If the Naval Reserve Center in Cape Girardeau does close after more than 50 years in existence, reservists will have to choose between attending meetings in St. Louis or leaving the Reserve. As commanding officer Lt. Jeremy Freeman says, "It's going to help the Navy align itself better. It's a cost-saving measure, not a reflection of the work of my staff."