A Green Military: Impact Of Coming Cuts On R&D Base Remains Unknown
Photos/Edd Cote
The military is looking to conserve energy both for the safety of its members and for financial reasons. This solar panel at Fort Devens is one of a number of examples of the work done by the Natick Soldier Systems Center.
Photos/Edd Cote
Natick Soldier Systems Center is testing portable wastewater systems like this one that help troops re-use more water in the field.
Reducing federal spending is generally a popular measure among the American public. But dig into the minutiae and the picture gets complicated.
Take the Budget Control Act of 2011 — commonly referred to as the debt ceiling deal — a plan passed by the U.S. Congress that would raise the debt ceiling by up to $1.5 trillion to prevent sovereign default, while cutting spending over a decade to counteract the increase.
Federal budgets are scheduled to be slashed across the board over the next 10 years, and not even the defense sector will be spared: Beginning in 2013, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will start feeling the nearly $500 billion in cuts as a result of the act.
The cuts are expected to trickle down to military installations in all states, including Massachusetts, such as the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC), a base specializing in research and development that elected officials say is crucial to military operations.
Having toured the facilities there, Lt. Gov Timothy P. Murray has been vocal about the impact cuts will have on bases like the NSSC. He said he is working with other state offices to help bases find cost savings in their budgets, even before bases learn how much they'll lose.
The NSSC has a mission unlike any other, according to Murray; he said operations must be preserved.
"Clearly, the work that's done there is unique and innovative, and it's really one of (the only) military bases in the country that do what they do," Murray said.
But what exactly are military personnel doing at NSSC? The base has been around long enough to have earned the nickname "Natick Labs" among the locals, but even some longtime residents aren't sure what goes on within the gated Kansas Street compound.
There are numerous missions within the NSSC, according to base spokesman John Harlow, but the most prominent are research and development projects aimed at developing fuel and water efficiency technology for soldiers in combat. Examples include making tents more energy efficient using solar technology and finding ways to reuse water.
In addition to energy efficiency, the clothing, boots, goggles, helmets and vests soldiers from all over the country wear in combat are developed at the NSSC, within the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center — one of the base's major tenants. The NSSC also host logistics support and special operations teams, and develops camp-like conditions for soldier training at the Fort Devens installation about 20 miles northwest.
"Everything that impacts the soldier personally — the equipment they have — is developed here," Harlow said.
Safety for soldiers is the top priority at NSSC, Harlow said, but the energy efficiency projects developed there also save the military money on water and fuel.
"It's being good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars, reality," Harlow said.
Fuel is a huge expense. Pentagon officials told Congress in 2009 that they pay about $400 for a gallon of gasoline used by deployed soldiers in Afghanistan.
Harlow said the NSSC has not seen any projections for potential federal cuts it may see. Each tenant within the NSSC has an individual budget, and department heads will receive budget guidance when the time comes, he said. For now, it's business as usual.
"Our people are focused on doing their jobs, and there are people above us who are focused on dollars and cents and how that will impact us down the road," Harlow said.
But cuts are likely. A divided Congress is unlikely to come to any sort of deal before the election, leaving less than two months to do so before Jan. 2. The defense industry is pressuring Congress to lessen the potential cuts, even as it prepares for them.
It's not just the NSSC and other military installations that stand to lose from budget cuts. A study by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, which conducts research for nonprofit, business and government organizations, identified the impact of each Massachusetts military base on the local economy.
The combined output for all six bases totals more than $14 billion, according to the study, and the NSSC output makes up the second largest piece of the pie at $4.4 billion. And NSSC employs 1,612 full- and part-time people.
Murray, who requested the study as chairman of the state Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, said cutting base funding would be a major hit to the local economy—not just the military.
"There'd be pretty significant ramifications, even if one of them were to close, which is why we are being so proactive about this," Murray said.
The fate of the DOD budget rests in the hands of Congress. Democrats and Republicans have disagreed on how to address the dramatic impending cuts, and since it's an election year, the issue probably won't be tackled until the lame duck session after Election Day.
U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Malden, who represents the 7th District, has expressed staunch support for the military bases in his district, including the NSSC and Hanscom Air Force Base.
Markey organized a tour of the NSSC back in March, to which he invited members of the House of Representatives and Senate. He also arranged conferences and meetings with top military officials to discuss the value of the work being done at both bases. He said in a statement they are the "brainpower" behind the country's military strength.
"Massachusetts has the leading academic institutions, a highly educated workforce and innovative private companies from which to draw ideas, expertise and experience," Markey said. "I will continue to work with the Massachusetts congressional delegation and the lieutenant governor's task force to ensure that these military assets are protected and continue to play a key role in our nation's defense."
The Natick community has rallied in support of the NSSC, too. After the attacks on Sept. 11, security became tighter, and public awareness of the base waned, said Paul R. Joseph, chairman of the Natick Board of Selectmen. But when the military considered moving the base in 2006, Joseph said the town began to realize the value it brings to the local economy.
Looming budget cuts have reinvigorated interest in the base, according to Joseph. These days, town and base officials are collaborating on public outreach initiatives, like a youth robotics program in the school and internships for students.
"We're striving to really do more to integrate the base within the community," Joseph said.
There's not much local officials can do to ensure the NSSC's survival, outside of raising public awareness. But Joseph said because the NSSC has prime access to top-flight academic institutions, and qualified companies to contract with, he believes it has many advantages over bases elsewhere in the country.
"Personally I think they're in a very strong position to stay open," Joseph said. n
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments