by Aaron Renenger
Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
1996 - NEWARK AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- Nearly 35 years of Air Force tradition in the repair of guidance and navigation systems came to an end Sept. 17 as the Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center here held its closure ceremony.
Gen. Henry Viccellio Jr., commander of Air Force Materiel Command, presided at the ceremony, which also marked the transition of the center's specialized functions to Rockwell International and Wyle Laboratories.
About 1,000 people, including many former Newark employees who now work for Rockwell or Wyle, attended the event and the subsequent picnic.
After welcoming remarks, the center was presented with the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award for exceptional meritorious service from Jan. 1, 1994, to Dec. 31, 1995.
The award presentation was followed by the retirement of the AGMC flag, formally recognizing the center's inactivation although it won't officially close until Sept. 30. The ceremony also observed the activation of Detachment 1, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, which will remain at Newark to oversee the Air Force's worldwide metrology and calibration program.
AGMC was established in 1962 to maintain the guidance systems and precise calibration of new, high-tech Air Force equipment. Its first repair activities involved Atlas and Minuteman missile guidance systems and, in 1965, AGMC began work on its first aircraft navigation systems.
During the cold war, AGMC played a role in the balance of nuclear power by maintaining Minuteman and Peacekeeper missiles in a constant alert status. When the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended Newark for closure, the Air Force decided to maintain management of the metrology and calibration program and to privatize the remaining workloads in place.
There were about 1,700 employees at Newark when the decision was made to close the base. Slightly more than 1,000 will remain to work for the contractors or the Warner Robins detachment. Most of the employees not remaining on the base have either retired, have other job offers, or are on the priority placement list, according to Col. Joseph M. Renaud, commander of AGMC.
At the ceremony, Viccellio emphasized how important Newark was to the Air Force.
"As long as the Air Force flies, our operators and our maintainers will remember Newark as the base that kept, and the base that keeps, the planes in the air, the missiles on alert, and both on course," he said.
As contractors prepare to officially take control of the center on Oct. 1, Renaud, who has commanded the center since 1991, said they will carry on Newark's legacy.
"Rockwell, Wyle Laboratories and Detachment One of Warner Robins Air Logistics Center each have part of the legacy of AGMC. Each will be a successful organization because they are manned by people who know how to be successful and get the job done despite any obstacles," he said.
In a press conference following the ceremony, Viccellio explained that AFMC has learned lessons from Newark's closure which can be applied elsewhere.
He said the command has learned that privatization has shown potential for quality capability at a reduced cost. He also said that privatization cannot be completed overnight, and that despite all the talk about the politics of privatization, the most precious resource is the skills of the people.
McClellan AFB, Calif., and San Antonio Air Logistics Center at Kelly AFB, Texas, are two AFMC bases currently slated for closure. Both plan to use public-private competition, allowing remaining Air Force depots to compete with private industry in determining the fate of existing workloads.