By State Senator Cathy Cook

Friday, May 13 th was a terrible day for Connecticut, especially southeastern Connecticut where the submarine base, its military families, and Electric Boat have been the life force of our communities for several generations. So understandably, we were shocked and angered. Today, however, is the time to turn that initial anger into action. Now is the time for resolve, for strategic planning, for commitment, and for action. Now it is time for us to fight. Working together, I believe this is a fight we will win. To lose is unthinkable - so we cannot lose.

The fight has already begun. Governor M. Jodi Rell, our Congressional delegation, legislators from across the state, leaders in both business and labor, military experts, local government officials and community leaders are already working together to make our case to the federal government. We have good reason to believe that the Pentagon does not know everything we know about the many, many reasons why preserving our submarine base is vital to our national security. So, we'll make sure they do know. It is possible that the federal government's decision makers do not understand just how determined Connecticut is to do whatever it takes to save our submarine base. They will know.

By now, everyone in Connecticut knows that over 30,000 jobs are stake, along with the economic health of our state, especially our part of the state. They know that Groton is the "Submarine Capital of the World", the country's first submarine base and home of the Nautilus , the nation's first nuclear-powered submarine which, by the way, was designed and built in Groton, too. They know that submarines based in Groton can get to locations in both the Atlantic and the Pacific faster than submarines based anywhere else because they can go under the polar ice cap. They know that no one is better equipped than Electric Boat to build the best, most technologically advanced submarines in the world, and make necessary repairs to the submarines based right next door at the base.

We will all need to work together. Soon, members of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) will visit our base and hold regional hearings on the preliminary recommendations across the nation. As of press time, the BRAC Commissioners are reportedly visiting Groton on June 1st. (For the latest information, please visit www.ct.gov/savethebase .) We need you to make a poster to "Save the Base" stand along Route 12 at the gates of the base and scream it out loud. We'll be ready. In August, BRAC will begin deliberations and submit its recommendations to President Bush by September 8 th . President Bush will approve or reject the entire list by September 23 rd . If he rejects the list, BRAC has until October 20 th to revise its recommendations. President would have until November 7 th to accept or reject the revised recommendations. Recommendations then become law in 45 legislative days unless Congress passes a joint resolution rejecting them.

We have a lot of work to do between now and then. Ultimately, I believe that this is a fight we will win.