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Bush: MacDill not likely to close

But a state advisory panel says none of Florida's 21 military installations is off-limits.

By PAUL DE LA GARZA
Published February 19, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - Citing its role in the war on terror, Gov. Jeb Bush said Friday he would be shocked if MacDill Air Force Base was shut down during the next round of base closings.

Bush responded to remarks by members of a state advisory panel that none of the state's 21 military installations is safe, including MacDill, which is in Tampa.

President Bush and Congress are scheduled to appoint the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission next month. The commission is set to announce in mid May a list of bases that should be closed to save money.

Developer Al Austin, a member of the state advisory panel, said Thursday that Florida is certain to be on the "hit list" because the Pentagon plans to close 25 percent of military bases across the board.

But in response to a question from reporters Friday, the governor said he would be surprised if MacDill closed. He noted that MacDill is home to the U.S. Central Command, the nerve center of the war in Iraq. The base also houses the U.S. Special Operations Command, which oversees the nation's secret commandoes.

Asked if there was a risk of MacDill closing, Bush said, "Boy, that would be a shocker to me."

According to MacDill, the base's annual economic impact on the bay area is about $6-billion.

[Last modified February 19, 2005, 00:56:09]