Fort Meade Commander Addresses Sequestration at Town Hall

The installation commander at Fort Meade took time last week to address concerns over the impact of sequestration, acknowledging that workers will have to get used to the idea of leaving things undone. 

In a video posted on Fort Meade's Youtube channel, Col. Edward Rothstein addressed residents and workers at the installation, saying there could be one-day-a-week furloughs that last through October. 

"You're not going to work overtime, you're not going to work in the office without pay to get something done. You're going to have to leave things unanswered and undone...and that's hard. But we've got to come together and say, 'This is what we can and cannot do.'"

Rothstein said there would be certain services that are self-sustaining, such as the pet care center, RV park and other wellness and morale programs, that would not be affected. He also said he was requesting that firefighters and police be excluded from any cuts, and any programs that have already been funded will continue. 

But he said there will a wide array of things that maybe curtailed, from chapel services to gym hours. 

"We have got to keep everything on the table when it comes to this," he said. 

Watch the full video here or at Fort Meade's YouTube channel.