The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

[1stwahine]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

Miulang, All it would take is a call out to the communities to gather into one big mass, hula troupes, flower leis, multi cultural representatives in their native costumes, etc. to show our support in keeping PH Naval Shipyard open!

Then again...nobody is making any effort in doing it. I would go and show my support! How about anybody else?

Auntie Lynn aka Auntie Pupule

[Miulang]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

It's gonna be a close call to determine whether PH Naval Shipyard or Portsmouth, ME gets shut down.

But given the proclivity of this particular Administration to focus on money rather than other variables like strategic importance, I fear you guys may be in for the fight of your lives, because according to the Navy analysis, Portsmouth (with approximately the same number of jobs) is more efficient than PH. The compromise might end up being that the shipyard gets closed down, but you keep the Pacific fleet and maybe end up getting a carrier next year (as long as it's not one based in WA ).

Miulang

[Miulang]

The Economic Loss of PH Naval Shipyard

If BRAC ends up putting PH on the list of base closures, the state of Hawai'i is projected to lose about $1.3 BILLION (about one day's worth of fighting in Iraq). It would be extemely difficult to replace the revenue and the kinds of skilled jobs that would be lost.

Miulang

[1stwahine]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

Cross fingers, prayers, jump over brooms for good luck...they vote tomarrow. Gov. Lingle, Congressman Case and Mayor Mufi talked behind closed doors with the chairman of the commission -- on why Pearl Harbor shouldn't be on the "closure list!"

Auntie Lynn

If closed, it will affect over 5,000 jobs of our family, neighbors and friends!

[lurkah]

Re: Pearl Harbor might still be cut

Hawai'i won't know until July 19 whether it will be on the final list of bases to be cut.

Commission votes against adding Pearl Harbor for closure!

[1stwahine]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

CELEBRATIONS! Cyber cocktails, anyone?

Auntie Lynn aka Auntie Pupule

[Miulang]

Re: Pearl Harbor might still be cut

Commission votes against adding Pearl Harbor for closure!

So PH dodged the bullet this time. I still don't think the state should be complacent about this "victory". If there are efficiencies that can be found, the commanders at PH had better find them so another facility can't claim to be more efficient than they are the next time they look at base closings. It can no longer be assumed that just because something has been around forever that will remain around forever, especially if there are no attempts to improve efficiency in the current economic marketplace.

I predict this will not be the last time PH comes under scrutiny. The current strategic plan of the White House is to close down more bases in the US and strategically place more troops in other countries closer to where they might be needed.

Miulang

[Linkmeister]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

Well, I think the Navy had a good point talking about the strategic location PH has. The nation-state threats the country faces are in Asia: NK and to a much lesser degree China (barring an invasion of Taiwan).

[Miulang]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

Another story today about why PH is less "efficient" than most other shipyards: the high cost of living and the cost to get materials to Hawai'i. I really hope in searching for ways to cut costs that the wages of the workers don't suffer. If the government follows the current trend that private companies have been taking (i.e., United Airlines, etc. etc.), that cost-of-living raise that so many have come to rely on might soon be a thing of the past. The government may well reason that since they are about the only employer in Hawai'i who does have a cost of living allowance, maybe they can get away with reducing or eliminating it, because most other Hawai'i workers appear to be making ends meet without it.

The article says that the obvious strategic location of PH in the Pacific was NOT the reason why PH was even considered for closure, something I commented on before July 19. $5 million in cost savings already generated is a good start, but I think the workers are going to have to come up with a whole lot more cost savings in order to be deemed "as efficient" as places like Portsmouth. Again, with the current White House Administration in power, take nothing for granted.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

In case anyone's interested, here is a chart that shows the basic housing allowance for military personnel (enlisted or officer) living in Hawai'i.

I know the enlisted (non officer) military don't make much money for the service they provide, but if all of us could get the kind of housing allowances they get, more locals would be able to live comfortably, too!

Miulang

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: The Military Shuffle: Bases and Carriers and Competition

I know a landlord who prefers to rent to military personnel, because he knows they will be able to pay their rent. Also, if they cause trouble in his building -- being rowdy, damaging things, etc. -- he can report them to their commanding officer and get immediate results!

[saigonwarrior]

A complicated subject

I am an engineer at PHNSY & IMF. Portsmouth has messed with numbers to prove their case. The best DMP (a type of work package) they did took 9 months which is damn good. The worst DMP we did took 26 months. By no means do we take so long on every single work package we get.

ARe we slower than Portsmouth on average though, yes but not by much. Also, we deal with more obstacles in doing an availablity. At portsmouth the sailors leave the sub and a skeleton crew stays to work at PHNSY the sailors still live on the sub. THis is a big obstacle to have to plan around.

Could we at PHNSY get more efficient? Yes of course. We can always get better at our job. We are doing that with a huge push on better management initiatives. Are we as bad as the press has said we are...not even close.

If we do not get more efficient we might get reduced from a shipyard to a repair facility which would cut the workforce in half. We could also have some work taken away from us which would also cause us to lose jobs in the long run. But for now, the next ten years, especially if Portsmouth closes down, the future looks alright.