Everett Guard Unit On Closure List -- Official Doesn't Expect Loss Of Jobs

EVERETT - Lt. Col. Robert Knieriem and Everett's armory go back a long way.

In 1960, he attended high-school dances in the historic brick building on Oakes Avenue. Now he works there, as commander of an Army National Guard tank battalion.

Although Knieriem's 1st Battalion, 803rd Armor, is on the Defense Department's list of suggested National Guard and Reserve unit closures for 1993, he's not worried about a loss of jobs.

"There's no such thing as early retirement from a National Guard unit," he said.

If Congress' next budget includes military cuts, then the worst that could happen to the battalion's 604 volunteer members is a reassignment to units in Seattle, Anacortes or Bellingham, Knieriem said.

The 1st Battalion is headquartered in Everett and north Snohomish, with tank companies based in Port Angeles/Poulsbo, Port Orchard, Bremerton and Montesano, he said. Volunteers do most of their training in Yakima, where they are learning to drive and maintain the new generation of IPM1 tanks.

Nationally, 140,000 National Guard and reserve positions have been targeted for elimination by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney as part of the country's armed-forces reduction. In Washington state, 1,917 positions are listed.

No matter what happens to the tank battalion, the National Reserve will maintain an active armory at 2730 Oakes Ave., said regional National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Jimenez. Thirteen people now work in that 70-year-old, two-story building.

"It would probably be used for another unit," he said. "The Guard wants to maintain a presence in Everett."

Jimenez downplayed the importance of yesterday's announcement.

"We believe the final decision is yet to be made," he said, because the list of affected companies and battalions could change.

"The cuts that have been announced . . . are not personnel reductions, they are positions. The next thing is we would try to find places for these people who want to stay," Jimenez said. "People have been known to travel long distances just to remain in the Guard."

National Guard members volunteer a minimum of one weekend per month and two weeks per year. Members earn an average of $200 per month, ranging from $100 to $400, Jimenez said. The all-male Guard is a mix of former active-duty people and men with no prior military experience.

The National Guard is a state organization that, when activated, is used by the national government, Knieriem said.

Its state mission is to assist with natural disasters and civil disturbances. Its national mission changes; this year it's to learn about the new tanks, he said.

During the November 1990 floods, 60 members of the tank battalion helped with emergency work on Fir Island. In that case, the battalion was working for Skagit County's emergency-services department, Knieriem said.