By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis – A newly-formed coalition is vowing to make every effort to keep Scott Air Force Base off the Pentagon's closure list in 2005.
The group of Missouri and Illinois civic leaders is calling for public support for their campaign to protect the base.
Scott is moving forward with plans to privatize its entire housing stock next year.
St. Clair County chairman John Baricevic says while that's no guarantee the base will be spared, it's a quality of life enhancement that the Pentagon will consider.
"So from that perspective, it's another brick on our wall of defense of keeping Scott Air Force Base open," Baricevic said. "So it is important, but anybody that believes that that in and of itself is the issue that will keep Scott open, I think, is incorrect."
The base directly employs about 13,000 people, and contributes $2 billion a year to the regional economy.