NAVAL STATION, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. Admiral HULL. The first three items for berthing of pier 8, barracks and bachelor officer quarters, are repetitive. The fourth item is water fire protection, $175,000. The fourth line item is for the extension of the water fire protection system at the estimated cost of $175,000. The main fire pressure within the heavily developed area of the station is limited to 85 pounds per square inch vice the 125 pounds per square inch required for firefighting. The volume of water is limited to 1,600 gallons per minute vice the 3,000 gallons per minute required. It is urgently necessary to extend the 16-inch high-pressure water main serving the naval station, from its terminus along the waterfront perimeter of the station, to intersect with the city of San Diego's highpressure system. This will provide the entire station with two sources of high-pressure water and will insure an adequate supply of water for firefighting. Senator INOUYE. On this berthing of pier 8, is this request similar to the items you are requesting for Long Beach? Admiral HULL. No, sir; not entirely. The Long Beach item is mostly for the improvement of utilities, whereas here we are making additional berthing space available for fleet ships-dredging and installing utilities also. Senator INOUYE. And this project speaks only of destroyers and amphibious ships. I presume there are other ships in San Diego that require berthing, too. Admiral HULL. Yes; there are The carriers berth at piers and wharves, at the Naval Air Station, North Island. Submarines in general moor at the pier at the submarine facility at Ballast Point, so that at the naval station we have principally destroyers and amphibious ships and service force ships. Senator INOUYE. And these destroyers and amphibious ships cannot be berthed at the present piers where you utilize them for the carriers? Admiral HULL. No, sir; there is just not room there for them. NAVAL STATION, TREASURE ISLAND, CALIF. The last project is for the Naval Station, Treasure Island, Calif. It consists of two line items at the total cost of $2,594,000. RELOCATION OF ACTIVITIES $2,183,000 The first line item is for the relocation of activities at the estimated cost of $2,138,000. We propose to relocate eight naval activities from their present various sites in the San Francisco area to the Naval Station, Treasure Island. The activities to be relocated are: Headquarters, Commandant, 12th Naval District; Navy area audit officer; Branch Office of Naval Research; Board of Inspection and Survey; public works officer; resident officer in charge of construction, Pacific; Navy regional finance center; and the naval dispensary. Accomplishment of this item will release approximately 107,000 square feet in Government owned and leased buildings. In addition, approximately 91 acres of land at the naval facility, San Bruno, will become excess to Navy needs. The moves will increase the utilization of existing facilities at the naval station and improve the efficiency and economy of operations of all activities involved. To accomplish the relocation, it will be necessary to rehabilitate a permanent and a temporary structure and to construct a new building. An economic engineering analysis has indicated that this method of providing the required space will provide more long-range economy than by the conversion and rehabilitation of existing World War II structures. It will result in immediate annual savings estimated at $420,000 and will permit a reduction of 22 military and 26 civilian personnel. Approximately 900 personnel will be involved in the proposed relocation. HEATING PLANT $456,000 The second line item is for the replacement of the existing heating plant at the estimated cost of $456,000. The central heating plant at this facility was originally constructed in 1942 to meet our needs in the early years of World War II. Because of heavy continuous use and differential settlement in the foundations, the brick walls of the boilers are severely cracked and bulging in many places. Both the boilers and the heating plant building are in an advanced state of deterioration. This item will provide for installation of two 75,000-pounds-perhour steam boilers to replace the existing boilers; construction of a permanent building, and installation of associated equipment to meet the requirement. Annual savings are estimated at $65,000 through increased efficiency and lower labor cost of operation and maintenance. This concludes the field support activities, Mr. Chairman, and we come next to the Bureau of Naval Weapons. May I introduce Captain MacDonald of the Bureau of Naval Weapons. Senator INOUYE. Welcome to the committee, Captain. NAVAL WEAPONS FACILITIES Admiral HULL. The third facilities class, Mr. Chairman, is naval weapons facilities. It consists of five groups of activities inside the United States and one oversea group. The five U.S. groups are: naval air training stations, field support stations, Marine Corps air stations, fleet readiness stations, and research, development, test, and evaluation stations. These groups include 140 unclassified line items at 2 locations for $804,000. The oversea group includes 43 unclassified line items at 9 locations for $16,907,000, and 11 classified items at 6 locations for $15,870,000. The total amount for this class is $123,803,000. The proposed projects will support several essential tasks; training of personnel; improvement of the air striking power of the operating forces; progress in aeronautical and ordnance research, development, test, and evaluation programs; and improvement of personnel living conditions. NAVAL AIR TRAINING STATIONS In the first of these groups, naval air training stations, there are 25 line items at 9 locations for a total of $13,134,000. All of these items are part of program VII for general support. The mission of these stations is to train naval and Marine Corps pilots and aviation technicians. NAVAL AUXILIARY AIR STATION, CHASE FIELD, TEX., $152,000 The first project is at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Chase Field, Tex. It consists of two line items for a total of $152,000. The first is a repetitive one for a liquid oxygen shop. WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, $107,000 The second item is for a water supply system at the estimated cost of $107,000. The proposed facilities consist of a well, the water distribution lines, and a treatment plant. This item is required to supplement three existing potable water wells which cannot meet the demand due to compaction of soil around the wells which has caused a decrease in waterflow. NAVAL AIR STATION, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX. Senator INOUYE. Admiral, before we proceed, I have a statement here from Senator John G. Tower, of Texas, requesting that this statement be made part of the record. Without objection it is so ordered. Hon. JOHN STENNIS, Armed Services Committee, Washington, D.C. MAY 1, 1965. Mr. CHAIRMAN: I am sorry that I will be out of town and unable to attend Monday's hearings on the Navy's construction proposals. I will be back for the Wednesday hearing. Since I expect the committee will receive Monday justifications concerning Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, I would like to submit the attached statement and request for additional data. This results from an inspection tour I made of that station February 5. If you feel it appropriate, I would like to have the statement read into the record, and I have attached an extra copy for transmittal to the Navy officials concerned. Thank you, JOHN G. TOWER. STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN G. TOWER-NEEDED REPAIRS AT CORPUS CHRISTI NAVAL AIR STATION Mr. Chairman, during an inspection February 5, 1965, of the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, I observed that despite the fine and professional work being done by the officers and men there a substantial backlog of repair work is vitally needed on a number of buildings. I saw instances of serious roof leakage and of structural weakness of walls. I was surprised to find that a backlog of maintenance and repair requests since 1959 has built up in the amount of $1.8 million. I have obtained a list of the 10 largest repair projects requested since 1959, but not approved or carried out. That list I submit herewith for the record. I ask that the Navy provide for me by letter, and for the committee record a full explanation of the status of the repair requests. I believe it would be helpful for this committee to know why the requests have not been approved by the Navy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, or past Congresses, whichever is appropriate. In addition, I believe a list of priorities for these repairs would be helpful along with the information on what, if any of them, are included in future programs. (My information is that none are so included.) It is my preliminary view that the morale and efficiency of this vital training station is being seriously damaged by these untended large-scale repairs. I am hopeful that it wil lbe possible this year to authorize expenditure of at least a small portion of the $1.8 million backlog. In that connection, I would like the Navy to advise me and the committee of how it would utilize the sum of $250,000 at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, if that additional amount were available. (Documents referred to follow :) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, Hon. JOHN G. TOWER, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR TOWER: This is in reply to your letter of May 1 to Senator Stennis regarding the backlog of repair projects at the Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi. I would like to provide you with current information on the condition of this activity, together with the Navy's plan for funding outstanding projects. The latest figures, as of March 1, 1965, provided by this activity show a backlog of unfunded repair projects valued at $1,033,200. This total includes projects costing over $10,000 each, and represents project requests made by Corpus Christi for funds, all of which have been confirmed by the Director of our Gulf Division as being valid projects. All of these projects have been approved by the necessary authorities and will be accomplished when sufficient funds are available. Unfortunately, this large backlog at Corpus Christi is representative of the backlog of $111,400,000 of repair projects for the entire Naval Shore Establishment. In fiscal year 1965, we were able to secure only $26 million to apply to this Navy-wide backlog. Essentially the same amount will be available in fiscal year 1966. Repeated efforts to approximately double these funds have met with little success, due primarily to the high priority of other Navy and Department of Defense line items in the budget. In fiscal year 1965, the Navy funded repair projects at Corpus Christi amounting to $213,800 and it is planned to fund a group of projects amounting to $214,270 in fiscal year 1966. I have attached a listing of the projects we plan to fund. One good indicator of the condition of a shore facility is the comparison of the backlog of essential maintenance and repair with the current plant value of the activity. In fiscal year 1965 the Navy-wide ratio was 0.976 percent; the 8th Naval District ratio was 0.84 percent; and the NAS Corpus Christi ratio was 0.51 percent. These ratios indicate that NAS Corpus Christi is statistically better off than the 8th Naval District "average" station and also is better off than the "average" station considering the entire Naval Shore Establishment. Based on requests for funds received to date and an analysis of the condition of NAS Corpus Christi, I consider that this activity is getting at least their fair share of the limited funds available. Any changes in the Corpus Christi backlog occurring in future fiscal years will, of course, be considered in allocating repair project funds to that activity. The Navy military construction program has been funded at about $200 million for the past few years. However, in fiscal year 1966 the Navy has proposed an increase to $340 million, a good portion of which is to begin replacement of old temporary structures that are expensive to maintain or are substandard. This increase will be a significant step in removing substandard or high maintenance cost facilities from the Naval Shore Establishment. Your interest in and support of this aspect of our program will be appreciated. Sincerely, P. CORRADI, Rear Admiral, CEC, U.S. Navy, Chief of Bureau. Senator INOUYE. Please proceed. Admiral HULL. Flight clearance easements and land acquisitions. The second project is at the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Tex. It is for flight clearance easements and land acquisition at the estimated cost of $184,000. This item proposes the acquisition of flight clearance easements over 133 acres of land in three runway end zones, and fee simple acquisition of 58 acres in two runway end zones to prevent encroachment and the curtailment of flight operations from the field. The site of this major advanced flight training field was selected in 1941. At that time there was practically no private development in the surrounding area. Since then private construction has expanded greatly and, if allowed to continue in areas of interest off the ends of the runways, will constitute a definite hazard to safety of flight. Senator INOUYE. Proceed to the next one. NAVAL AUXILIARY LANDING FIELD, ELLYSON FIELD, FLA. Admiral HULL. The third project is at the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, Ellyson Field, Fla. It consists of five line items at the total cost of $1,530,000. The first three are repetitive, aircraft parking apron, rehabilitation of barracks, rehabilitation of messhall. The next item, "Rehabilitation of bachelor officers' quarters," $524,000. The fourth line item is for rehabilitation of bachelor officers' quarters at the estimated cost of $524,000. It will provide for rehabilitation of the existing BOQ to accommodate 70 officers and for renovation and conversion of a former barracks, now being used for storage, to a BOQ to accommodate 88 officers. There will be a total of 158 available after completion of this item. spaces This field has 360 officers aboard, half of whom are students and the other half instructors or support personnel; 225 of these officers required BOQ spaces. The existing substandard spaces are now fully occupied and the remaining bachelors must be given an allowance for quarters and find housing in the local community. There will still be a deficit of 67 BOQ spaces after the provision of this item. This will be reduced by new construction planned in the future. Senator INOUYE. When will that come in, sir? Admiral HULL. It is unprogramed now, sir. Senator INOUYE. And these men are now living in the city? |