Mr. Chairman, there are many chemical problems, as Captain Owen mentioned a few minutes ago, when he was talking on the Laboratory. There are many chemical problems that face the Navy that are peculiar to the Navy. They preclude their being studied by either the university laboratories or industrial organizations. The work being done by this chemistry staff is directly related to short- and longterm vital needs of the Navy. PROBLEMS INVOLVED It involves problems associated with environmental control of nuclear submarines, problems of both high- and low-temperature lubricants, problems involving bacteriological and chemical warfare defense at sea, storage problems associated with this subject. It is essential that the work of this Laboratory continue to be effective. The present facilities for their work is carried out in buildings that were built during World War II, small buildings, improperly ventilated and crowded. The economic feasibility of relocation of this Laboratory was examined in detail in the years 1957 through 1960. Relocation costs were compared against the current investment at the present location, the availability of land and the ready availability of the educational resources of the community. The decision for local redevelopment was made accordingly. We request that funding for it be restored. Senator SALTONSTALL. Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question? Senator SALTONSTALL. How much of this is a must this year? Captain COWART. Senator, this is part of a program to improve and modernize the entire Laboratory. We had to reprogram the item that was approved and funded in 1964. We had to use the money for the Guantanamo desalinization plant. So, in effect, we are behind 1 year. It is an attempt to get the Laboratory brought up to date along with the plan that was to update it. Capain Owen, Director of the Laboratory, is still here, Senator, if you would like to ask him some questions. REMAINING CONSTRUCTION Senator SALTONSTALL. How much construction do you have to do on what has been authorized and appropriated in fiscal year 1965? Captain OWEN. Relative to the General Purpose Laboratory, authorized and funded in fiscal 1965, sir, the contract will be awarded and, hopefully, ground will be broken in early September. If this committee sees fit to provide funding for the Operations and Technical Services Building, our technical and engineering studies are complete. That construction can start within a month or month and a half. Senator SALTONSTALL. From now? Captain OWEN. Yes, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. In other words, you are starting with construction funds already appropriated? Captain OWEN. That is correct, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. You say that if we provide money in the fiscal year 1966 bill, you can start construction now? Captain OWEN. Yes, sir. It is hoped that if the money is provided for the Chemistry Laboratory, construction of it can start in late winter or early spring of next year, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. If we don't provide the money, it will not handicap you; will it? Captain OWEN. No, sir; but Senator, I do point out that, as you have been previously informed, we are operating a substantial portion of the Laboratory in buildings constructed during World War II under emergency construction. The chemists have a whole variety of very expensive research equipment. There are mass spectographs, chromatographs, and other equipment they must use in the course of their work. They must maintain strict control of the atmosphere, especially in biological and chemical warfare defense. It is getting harder each year to provide the proper environment for them. The buildings are settling. We have suffered rain damage on expensive equip ment. The majority of the buildings now occupied by the chemistry division have less than 5 years useful life remaining. Again, as you have been informed, there is a long-range development program for the Laboratory. This is a step which we have considered very carefully and feel we must take it at the earliest opportunity. up Senator SALTONSTALL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Captain OWEN. Thank you, sir. Senator STENNIS. If you get both laboratories, you will be fixed down there; will you not, Captain? Captain OWEN. Yes, sir. Senator STENNIS. All right. You are faithful. You keep coming back. The next item. NAVAL AIR STATION, CECIL FIELD, FLA. Captain COWART. Mr. Chairman, the next reclama is for an item at the Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, Fla. The House denied funding for $415,000 for an administrative building. They also spoke to the administration building at Mirimar, Calif., and denied it for the same reason. [Reading:] Additional studies are required relating to specific cost savings which would be achieved as a result of the construction of the facility at Miramar and the size of the facility at Cecil Field. The existing administration building at Cecil Field was constructed in 1941 when Cecil Field was an auxiliary air station. It is a temporary wood frame structure and is a fire hazard. This building can only accommodate one-third of the total administrative personnel who should be located in it. Administrative functions that are now performed in the building are: Commanding officer and executive officer, central files-functions which should be performed in the administrative building which are now dispersed in other areas, including industrial safety offices, safety investigation, and about six other functions. By combining all of these functions in one building, by rearranging spaces in the other buildings now used for these purposes, it will be possible to demolish, not only the present administration building, but one other World War II building as well. We request that the funding for this item be restored. NAVAL AIR STATION, MIRAMAR, CALIF. The administrative building item at Miramar is very similar in nature and is for $424,000. It is basically operated under the same conditions. Less than 50 percent of the 125 people required to be in the administration building can be accommodated. The remainder of personnel are scattered in buildings located throughout the station up to a mile or a mile and a half from the existing building. There was a time study made here which indicated that a minimum of 31 man-hours and four vehicular hours per day could be saved by provision of the new facility. This is estimated to be an annual saving of $63,000 a year. The centralization of the administrative function would make possible the abandonment and removal of the four World War II structures which are now being used. Funding for this is being requested, sir. NAVAL AIR STATION, OCEANA, Va. Senator STENNIS. The next item. Captain COWART. The next item is the Naval Air Station, Oceana, Va. Senator STENNIS. You have two items for Oceana. Can you take them together? Captain CoWART. We have covered one, sir-the High Altitude and Survival Training Building for $503,000, which was denied funding by the House. This is the building I spoke of as having prior authorization. Senator STENNIS. Yes. Captain COWART. I will cover the Aircraft Maintenance Hanger for which the House denied funding for $2,983,000. Senator STENNIS. You may cover that one fully. Captain COWART. The House denied funding for this, sir, on the grounds that further consideration must be given to utilization of additional facilities of this nature in the area including those available for use of the overhaul and repair department at the nearby Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Va. The Navy performs three levels of aircraft maintenance. There is the depot type, intermediate type, and organizational type maintenance on the aircraft. The reason we can't use facilities at other stations or at the overhaul and repair department at Norfolk for all of this type of maintenance, is that the intermediate work and the organization type work is done by the forces at Oceana. These are the personnel contained within the squadrons and the personnel contained within the maintenance department on the Air Station, itself. The aircraft must be at this location in order to get this maintenance. This is the more commonly performed maintenance. It occurs after every flight. It occurs prior to a flight. It is not of the nature of depot maintenance which is a complete overhaul of the aircraft or structural work done on the aircraft similar to that done in a shipyard on a ship. At Oceana, which supports carrier fighter and attack squadrons, the squadrons and aircraft maintenance department perform the intermediate level maintenance in only 40 percent of the space that they should have. Norfolk is 20 miles away. Space cannot be utilized there because they are crowded. Senator SALTONSTALL. May I ask a question? Captain COWART. Yes, sir. Senator SALTONSTALL. How far is Oceana from Norfolk? Captain COWART. Oceana is about 20 miles distant from Norfolk. Senator SALTONSTALL. How far? Captain COWART. Twenty miles, sir. Captain MacDonald is here from the Bureau of Naval Weapons, to provide more detailed information if you wish it. INTERMEDIATE TYPE MAINTENANCE Senator STENNIS. We will be glad to hear from him. Come forward, Captain. Now Captain Cowart said you had to work on these planes after every flight as I understood him. Is that right and why? Captain MACDONALD. The type of work that develops in the intermediate type maintenance field is the unplanned variety. We may not necessarily expect equipment to fail but it does, and it has to be fixed immediately if the aircraft is to fly and perform its mission. The type of work at Norfolk, at the overhaul and repair depot, is scheduled overhaul and scheduled maintenance where the aircraft is taken off the line for up to 3 months and it goes through a complete teardown and rebuilding procedure. The O. & R. department at Norfolk is scheduled to about 94 percent of its capacity. This is scheduled throughout the year. Senator STENNIS. That is your general overhaul? Captain MACDONALD. Yes, sir. Senator STENNIS Where it takes 3 or 4 months? Captain MACDONALD. Yes, sir. The other two types of maintenance are done at all stations where operational aircraft are stationed for training or for mission accomplishment. Senator STENNIS. You are asking for a good deal of money here just for the building, another $3 million. Captain MACDONALD. We do not have the required structures at Oceana to properly take care of the buildup of aircraft which we have at that station. We have a requirement of some 800,000 square feet. If this hangar is provided, we will have remaining a deficiency of over 300,000 squart feet that we would program in succeeding program years. Senator STENNIS. Is there anything else, Captain? Captain MACDONALD. No, sir. Senator STENNIS. Thank you very much. 49-369-65-62 LETTER OF HON. A. WILLIS ROBERTSON, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, FORT MONROE, VA.; AIRCRAFT REPAIR FACILITY, OCEANA, VA. Senator STENNIS. At this point in the record a letter from Senator Robertson respecting two items in his State will appear. (The letter follows:) Hon. JOHN STENNIS, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON BANKING AND CURRENCY, DEAR JOHN: As you of course know, we not only have the largest naval base of our Nation at Norfolk, but we have concentrated there the heads of the Navy, Air, and Army, not only for the Atlantic area, but for a major part of the country. The Army command is at Fort Monroe, which is one of the oldest military establishments in the Nation. From time to time, suggestions have been made that Fort Monroe should be abandoned but as indicated above, it is very essential from a standpoint of unity of operations that it be maintained. Consequently, it is quite urgent that Fort Monroe be given a new administration building because at the present time its activities are scattered over 19 different places in the military reservation. That building, as you of course know, was authorized but was turned down by the House, partly I think, because some raised the question about building an administration building on a reservation that might be abandoned. In my opinion, the reservation should be permanently maintained and that it should now be adequately equipped. The building at Oceana is very important if the war in Vietnam should last 2 or 3 years because it will provide quick repairs for naval air squadrons. Oceana is probably the largest naval air base on the east coast and ideally situated for a repair unit of this type. The installation at Oceana of a mechanical hangar for the repair of squadron planes has, of course, been authorized. With kind regards, I am, Sincerely yours, A. WILLIS ROBERTSON. MARINE CORPS AUXILIARY LANDING FIELD, CAMP PENDLETON, CALIF. Captain COWART. The next item is "Marine Corps auxiliary landing field, Camp Pendleton, Calif." It is to be used for the helicopter training which we spoke of earlier, a prior authorized action for construction of an aircraft systems training building at the estimated cost of $150,000. The House action was to deny the funding for the facility. We request that funding for this item be restored, sir. Senator STENNIS. What do you use it for? Captain COWART. This building is used for housing the equipment for the training of personnel in the various aircraft systems contained within the helicopter. There are various electronic, hydraulic, and power systems within the helicopter with which the pilots and crewmembers have to become familiar. There is operational and maintenance training involved. We have to have mockups and equipment items of this nature by which to demonstrate to these personnel how the equipment operates and how it is to be maintained. |