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Sequestration won't be pretty for Oklahoma bases

The Oklahoman Editorial | Published: January 31, 2013 Comment on this article

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At Fort Sill, as many as 6,000 civilians could be furloughed, training would be reduced and the graduation rate of new soldiers would be slowed. A combined 2,300 civilians would be furloughed at the Air Force bases in Altus and Enid, with flight training curtailed. Furloughs and work slowdowns also would occur at the Army Ammunition Depot in McAlester.

A study last year by an aerospace group said sequestration could cost Oklahoma 16,000 jobs, half of those defense-related. The analysis prepared for Inhofe helps underscore just how damaging those cuts could be not just to the workforce but to the military.

Inhofe says the threat from the cuts is very real. He has set out to muster Republican support for his fight to prevent sequestration from occurring. Oklahomans need to hope he succeeds.

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