Gallegly Again Makes Pitch for Point Mugu

Taking advantage of a visit to Ventura County by top Navy brass, Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) continued to lobby Wednesday for bringing more air squadrons to the Point Mugu Navy base.

Gallegly, who estimates that transferring four E-2 Hawkeye squadrons to Point Mugu instead of another military base would save nearly $30 million, said that Secretary of the Navy John Dalton pledged to review the case before any decisions were made.

“I would say having the ear of the secretary of the Navy, and the reception I received from him, was very encouraging considering the hurdles we have to overcome,” Gallegly said.

Dalton toured the Naval Air Weapons Station at Point Mugu, and the Naval Construction Battalion Center and the Naval Surface Warfare Engineering Facility at Port Hueneme.

Local efforts to secure the radar-domed planes were dealt a major blow in early November when military officials recommended the squadrons be moved to Lemoore Naval Air Station in the Central Valley, rather than Point Mugu.

Since that recommendation was not final, Point Mugu supporters have redoubled their lobbying campaign, hoping to reverse the decision at a higher level. In late November, Gallegly spoke with Adm. Archie Clemins, the commanding officer of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, as the admiral’s jet made a refueling stop in San Diego.

Officials estimate that the E-2 squadrons, which travel with aircraft-carrier battle groups as their flying air traffic controllers, would bring more than 1,100 jobs to the county.

Over the past six years, more than 3,500 direct, defense-related jobs have been lost in Ventura County due to downsizing and consolidation of bases.