Military bases in Massachusetts may be more protected from another possible round of base closures after Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray signed an executive order establishing the Commonwealth’s Military Asset and Security Task Force.
The goal of the task force, which met on Monday, is to find ways to keep all six Massachusetts military bases open in case of Congressional approval for a Base Realignment and Closure process.
“It’s to make sure that we’re giving our total support and commitment and doing everything we can to protect our military installations and defense industry here in the commonwealth,” Murray said at the State House.
BRAC is a U.S. Department of Defense process that reorganizes or closes military bases nationwide, ultimately saving money. The last BRAC in 2005 closed two reserve centers and a base and realigned two state installations.
One of the main reasons Murray wants to make sure all Massachusetts military installations remain open is the impact they have on the state’s economy, he said.
Massachusetts firms received more than $14 million in defense contracts in 2010, a figure that has almost tripled since 2010, Murray said.
“These sites have thousands of employees,” Murray said. “Massachusetts defense and aerospace industries generate more than 120,000 jobs, fueling local and regional economies across the Commonwealth.”
Marty Jones, president and CEO of MassDevelopment, said the six military installations have a huge economic impact on the state’s economy.
“These bases do play very important roles in contributing to both our national security and in doing so also impacting the Massachusetts innovation economy,” Jones said.
The Barnes Air National Guard Base and Westover Air Reserve Base combine to represent the fifth-largest employer in western Massachusetts, Murray said, and their economic impact is felt in that regional economy and beyond.
Murray said the state is positioned extremely well to protect its military assets.
The state’s intellectual capital, educational institutions and innovation sectors are thriving, and the unemployment rate has dropped to 6.8 percent, he said.
But Murray said he and the rest of the task force were not taking the possibility of closures lightly.
“Let me be clear,” Murray said. “We are clear-eyed that the Pentagon and the various branches will be undergoing a belt-tightening, but again we think that there are things here that we can do to lead the way in efficiencies and help us save costs.”
The task force follows a proposed $11.25 million increase in services for veterans and their families in the fiscal year 2013 budget.
The efforts have not gone unnoticed by the Massachusetts military personnel.
Following Murray’s speech, Brigadier General Gary Keefe said for the past year Murray has been putting together this team.
“I’ve said this before. The benefits that Massachusetts gives its soldiers, airmen, marine, navy personnel are second to none,” Keefe said, “and this is just a nice second step to know that we’re part of a team that’s looking forward, highlighting the importance of the six military installations that are in the Commonwealth.”
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