From Yahoo News:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/base_closings_list
Any teams have sponsorships & or partnerships with any of the bases on the proposed chopping block?
TACOM TARDEC (US Tank Automotive Reseach and Development Center), located here in southeast Michigan, was on a list a few months ago concerning proposed base closures. Team 1213, one of the teams that 573 has worked with plenty in the past, is sponsored by TARDEC.
Searching around the internet and having talked to some of the robotics people, I found out that one of Michigan’s senators, Ms. Debbie Stabenow, was present at GLR to see what progress the base has made with FIRST and to enjoy the competition.
Last thing I heard was that she was very impressed with what was taking place at the competition. I haven’t seen any more reports of TARDEC’s possible closing - so perhaps even FIRST helped take it off the proposed list? That would be very awesome indeed…
http://michigan.craintech.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?articleId=4200&print=yes
I actually was more concerned about the much publishied troubles of the big three would effect FIRST (being that they support so many great teams).
I dont get it. The list doesn’t contain the Rock Island Arsenal but the news said it was on the chopping block. That would kill the Quad Cities community. It is the 2nd largest employer here, behind John Deere. It wouldn’t directly affect our team though, we have no association with the Arsenal.
From everything I’ve heard, at this point any word about which bases will be cut is pure speculation.
I imagine a very small percentage of teams are sponsored by the military though.
All I’ve heard about the big three is that GM now requires it’s teams to win a regional or a regional chairman’s award in order for GM to pay for the trip to Atlanta.