Virginia Republican John Warner has the Pentagon squarely on his side in the fight to keep NAS Oceana off the base closure list. The senator on Thursday released a letter signed by Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England that reasserts the Pentagon position: There is “no viable alternative.” It was not on the Pentagon’s BRAC list; it was added for consideration by the BRAC commission. Our bet is still on Warner.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…