Read first time 01/26/2004.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The Department of Defense's military installations in Washington State play a vital role in the defense of the United States of America and its citizens and residents, both by providing a power projection platform ideally situated geographically and by providing leadership within the military through innovation in transformational efforts; and
     WHEREAS, The military installations in Washington State are striving to perform their current missions as efficiently and effectively as possible and to improve their ability to contribute to the defense of the nation for the long term; and
     WHEREAS, The majority of major conflicts of the 20th century have been in or around the Pacific Ocean, including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the emerging threats of the 21st century are in that same area; and
     WHEREAS, Each of the military installations in Washington performs vital strategic functions, including the only homeport for Trident Ballistic Missile Submarines on the Pacific Coast, the only torpedo manufacturing facility in the nation, the only deep draft military shipyard on the Pacific Coast, a major base for C-17 aircraft, the sole Air Force Survival School in the nation, the only major Army installation west of the Rocky mountains capable of large scale troop deployment, and the base with the highest number of VFR flying days of any Naval Air Station in the United States; and
     WHEREAS, Washington State has an excellent working relationship at both the state and local level with each of the military installations, demonstrated in part by the numerous partnerships among the military and local governments and private and nonprofit sectors in providing services to both military and civilian personnel, by involvement of military installations in state and local land use, transportation and other planning, and by the ongoing community support to the military personnel and their families; and
     WHEREAS, The military's presence, in all forms, contributes greatly to the economy, security, and social fabric of Washington State as one of the largest employers in the state, a significant purchaser of goods, services, and construction from the private sector, and a source of leadership in state, local, and community organizations; and
     WHEREAS, Washington State consistently provides a high quality of life to military personnel stationed in our state, evidenced by the large number of terminal postings to bases in Washington State, additionally, our state benefits from the large number of skilled and talented military personnel and their families who remain in or return to Washington after leaving active duty; and
     WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature recognizes the importance of the Department of Defense's military installations within Washington State, both to the defense of the United States and the vitality of Washington as an economy and a people;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President, Congress, and the Department of Defense will recognize the strategic importance of these bases to our nation's security and not make them victims of this round of the Base Realignment and Closure process.
     Your Memorialists further pray that the military facilities in Washington state will continue to serve in the defense of our nation for many years to come.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Secretary of the Department of Defense, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.