U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today announced that the Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DOD) will begin an investigation—as requested by Smith—into the Navy’s proposal to open up military housing at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County to the general public.

    “Security must come first at our military installations. With the information we have, it is hard to deny that the Navy’s plans to open up military housing at Earle to the general public—absolutely anyone who wants to live there—will make the base far more easily accessible for terrorists. It begs questions that have to be answered because when you take the information we have at face value, the proposal is the height of irresponsibility in a post 9/11-environment,” said Smith.

    Smith added, “For this reason, I am pleased that the Inspector General has agreed to probe this contract and the numerous security concerns it raises. I expect the Inspector General to conduct a thorough and exhaustive investigation into—among other things—how exactly the Navy intends to protect Earle, those stationed there and the surrounding communities while opening homes on the base up to the general public.”

    Beginning in August, the DOD Inspector General will review the terms and conditions of the Section 801 housing agreements contract between the Navy and Laurelwood, Inc. for housing privatization at NWS Earle. 

    Specifically, the DOD Inspector General has promised to:

• Review the security measures the Navy will implement in order for civilians to live on the base;
• Determine whether the Navy has issued a contract for a National Environmental Policy Assessment for NWS Earle and whether the assessment will cover security; and
• Determine whether DOD has rented on-base housing to the general public at other DOD installations and whether additional security measures are in place at those locations.

    "As we have learned from the plot to attack Fort Dix, the idea of attacking U.S. military installations remains high on the wish list of terrorists. Fort Dix was chosen in that plot, in part, due to the access one of the suspects had to the base. Instead of making base access more difficult for terrorists, the Navy could be opening the front door for terrorists by offering them 24-hour a day access to Earle," Smith said.