MAINE DELEGATION COMMENTS ON BRAC COMMISSIONER VISIT TO DFAS LIMESTONE

WASHINGTON, DC— At the request of members of the Maine Congressional delegation, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission Member General Lloyd W. Newton visited the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) site in Limestone, Maine today. U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Representatives Tom Allen and Michael Michaud, have released this joint statement:

"We are grateful that General Newton has agreed to visit DFAS Limestone. It is important for him to be able to see first hand why we are so proud of the facility and its workers and why Limstone has played such a key role in the Pentagon's accounting services.

"DFAS Limestone is one of the most effective and cost efficient Department of Defense sites in the nation. Its highly skilled workers are able to not only meet but also exceed expectations of the Pentagon. As a result, the Pentagon has shifted and added work to Limestone over the past few years.

"DFAS Limestone is one of the lowest cost facilities in the U.S., has an extremely low employee turnover rate, low overall operating costs, and the ability to take on even more work for the Pentagon.

"In addition, this facility is crucial to the community as it was initially activated in part to ease the devastating economic impacts caused by the closing of Loring Air Force Base during the last round of BRAC closures.

"We believe that General Newton will leave Limestone today with a recognition of how valuable this DFAS facility is to the Department of Defense and that it would be a mistake to close it."

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