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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
BRAC:
J Mg W
COL GREG PATTERSON
By TIMOTHY GRAHAM
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - The
public response to last
week’s BRAC announce
ment was equal parts pride,
happiness, and an aware
ness that the job was not yet
finished.
Sure, Robins Air Force
Base had emerged
unscathed in the first
“BRAC attack,” but there
were more potential stum
bling blocks ahead and area
public officials made sure
that everyone knew they
were aware.
More often than not they
expressed that awareness in
sports terminology. 21st
Century Partnership Chair
Eddie Wiggins said Robins
AFB had ended the regular
season and was ready to
enter the playoffs. Houston
County Commission Chair
Ned Sanders said the base
was ready to enter the
fourth quarter of its fight
for life.
But that was honestly for
another day; it was a day of
quiet celebration in Houston
County.
Col. Greg Patterson of the
78th Air Base Wing said that
military value was the most
important factor the BRAC
Commission had in making
their conclusions.
Patterson was the first to
sound the clarion call for
caution.
“The process is not over,”
he said. “The Commission
will review the Department
of Defense recommenda
tions, visit the affected
bases, and make recommen
dations of their own to
President Bush. In the pas
the Commission has gone
along with the DOD recom
mendations 85 percent of
the time.”
Patterson said that the
base would lose 484 military
personnel and 225 civilian
workers, while it would gain
450 military and 224 civilian
- for a net loss of 31 military
and one civilian worker. He
LESLIE JOE SPIRES
Warner Robins - Leslie Joe Spires,
40, passed away on Sunday, May 15,
2005, in his home. Memorial servic- I
es will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday,
May 21, 2005, in the chapel of I
McCullough Funeral Home. Burial f
will be private. Visitation will be ,
from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, May 20,
2005, at McCullough Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family sug
gests donations be made to Kara
Renee Spires College Fund, in care m
of Jessie Spires. HHUmfli
Spires was born in Reynolds. He was a member of
Evergreen Baptist Church. He worked for the City of
Warner Robins Utility Department as an assistant aupervi
sor. He attended Northside High School. Leslie enjoyed
hunting, fishing, and NASCAR. His brother, Jimmy Earl
Spires, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Tina Spires of Warner Robins;
son, Dustin Ashley Spires of Warner Robins; daughter, Kara
Renee Spires of Warner Robins; parents, Jessie and Cathy
Spires of Eatonton; Mary Jo and Jerry Lollar of Eatonton;
sisters, Debbie Myers (Ted) of Eatonton, Lynn Golden
(Bobby) of Atlanta; step-sister, Beatty Prickett (Ramone) of
North Carolina; several aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews;
best friend and cousin, Chuck Spires.
Go to www.mcculloughfli.com to sign the Online Registry
for the family. McCullough Funeral Home has charge of
arrangements.
Subscribe today • Call 987*1823
said there would also be a
gain of 781 military contract
positions, for an overall gain
of 749 positions for the base.
21st Century Partnership
Chair Wiggins said: “This is
not a time for gloating, but
it is certainly a time for giv
ing thanks. I especially want
to thank our legislative
team of Sens. (Johnny)
Isakson and (Saxby)
Chambliss and Reps. (Jim)
Marshall and (Jack)
Kingston for the work they
put in. Whenever we went to
them for help they went to
bat for us.
“I want to commend the
way that everyone in Middle
Georgia pulled together for
this effort,” Wiggins said.
“People from many different
communities pulled togeth
er to do what was best for
everyone. It was a rare
pleasure to go to functions
all over the region and see
everyone wanting to unite
for a good cause. Let’s don’t
lose that spirit.”
The most important thing
to remember is that the
civilian and military person
nel at Robins provided “an
unmatched product to work
with,” said Wiggins.
“Keep those EDIM
GLAFAD signs up at your
businesses,” he said. “We
have gone from the regular
season into the playoffs. We
want more missions brought
to Robins Air Force Base
and we will go wide open to
get those missions - and
God Bless America and God
Bless Robins Air Force
Base!”
Houston County Board of
Commissioners Chair
Sanders said: “We have a lot
to be thankful for, but the
process is not yet complete
and we have to keep plug
ging until we get over the
goal line.”
Warner Robins Mayor
Donald Walker said: “I am
very pleased with the deci
sion of the DoD on the mili
tary value of the base and at
the same time I am cau
tiously optimistic. It is hard
to name everyone who had a
hand in this but I especially
want to thank all of the past
and present commanders of
Robins Air Force Base who
provided the leadership to
make this possible.
“The new people this will
bring into the community
will require more infrastruc
ture improvements and we
need to get working on pass
ing a SPLOST (Special
Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax) to fund those improve
ments,” said Walker.
Warner Robins Area
Chamber of Commerce
President Frank Feild also
sounded the need to get to
OBITUARY
Into the fourth quarter
work on improving the
area’s infrastructure in light
of the potential influx of
new residents.
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