Saturday, September 09, 2006
Italy
to Gain from Realignment of US Navy in Europe
The ANNOTICO Report
While the US Navy will be
vacating it's nuclear submarine
tender naval base on northern Sardinia, that has long bothered
Italians, there will be a major shift/ withdrawal of US Naval Forces
from London, England, and Keflavik, Iceland that will shift to
Naples Italy, mirroring the greater importance of the growing problems and
emphasis on the Mid East in US Strategic and Tactical Planning.
This will put the US much closer
to the "Axis of Evil" (that is anyone that doesn't agree with Bush, at that particular moment) :) :)
U.S.
to Return La Maddalena Base to Italy by Spring of 2008
Stars and Stripes
European edition,
By Sandra Jontz
Saturday,
September 9, 2006
U.S. and Italian defense officials announced Friday that
the U.S. Navy would vacate the long-standing naval base on the northern tip of
the Italian island of Sardinia by spring 2008, ending a 36-year history of U.S.
presence there
During a news conference in Rome, Italian Defense Minister Arturo Parisi said the Navy would be closing La Maddalena two years from now in April.
As a result, the Navy will relocate the
submarine tender USS Emory S. Land in October 2007, according to a U.S. Navy
6th Fleet release. The command, however, provided no details on the ships
new homeport, stating that information will be provided at a later date.
The 2008 base closure and subsequent turnover
of facilities to the Italian government will affect more than 1,300 U.S. servicemembers,
88 U.S.
defense civilian employees, 90 contractors, and 178 local employees, the Navy
release stated.
The closing is one part of the Navys
Europe-wide transformation process, which includes a major shift of naval forces
from London to Naples,
Italy, the downsizing of the
facilities in Gaeta, Italy, and the closure of Naval Air
Station Keflavik, Iceland.
Due to U.S. European Command force
structure realignment and transformation, it was determined that the
capabilities provided by [Naval Support Activity] La Maddalena
are no longer required due to the realities of this centurys security
environment, according to the statement.
The base is home to naval support staff, the
Emory S. Land, and Submarine Squadron 22 all told, roughly 2,600 Americans:
military, civilians and their family members.
No U.S.
submarines permanently are based at La Maddalena, but
that has not quieted some Italian nationals and politicians who publicly
protest the U.S. presence
and the bases assets to support nuclear submarines that stop there while
traveling the Mediterranean Sea from the
States.
News of the base closure was first announced
in November 2005 by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
The timing caught Navy
officials in Europe off guard and led to
confusion for locals who worried about losing their jobs, and for parents who
were unsure if they would be able to enroll their children in school this year.
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