About-face: Funds set aside
for Navy quarters

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

Congress has restored $4.6 million to rebuild quarters for 25 senior Pearl Harbor officers.

The action comes despite an earlier rebuke triggered by unauthorized spending to renovate the homes of three admirals, including Pacific Fleet's Archie Clemins.

Some $10.3 million for the Pearl Harbor quarters and units elsewhere was restored by congressional negotiators July 27 to the $8.3 billion military construction bill.

Margaret Cummisky, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, said House-Senate conferees restored the funding because of the need for these units. "It also was conferees' belief that you shouldn't punish current officers for the Navy's past mistakes," she said.

The military construction appropriations bill, approved by the House on July 29 and is now before the Senate, includes a prohibition against diverting funds earmarked for military operations to maintenance and construction projects.

In deleting the request for senior Navy officers quarters, the Senate had ordered that the funds be applied to build junior enlisted housing.

Senators maintained that the Navy and the Air Force avoided spending restrictions on renovating admiral and general officer quarters by using money intended for military operations.

The Navy in May admitted to improperly spending $5.5 million to renovate the homes of three admirals, including Clemins' Makalapa quarters 37, and returned the money to its operations and maintenance accounts.

The Navy maintained that it was never its intention to avoid a law requiring that renovations of more than $25,000 be reported to Congress.

However, had the Navy used housing funds for the renovations of the three admirals' homes, it would have had to seek congressional approval.

The Senate report said use of operation and maintenance Navy funds for family housing was "totally inappropriate, irrespective of rank."

The Navy's defense was that the buildings are more than just homes, but also historic buildings used for public purpose, such as entertaining.

Construction on Clemins' 58-year-old home -- known as the Nimitz house -- was completed last month.

Nearly $760,000 has been spent in upgrading Clemins' 6,452-square-foot home since he assumed command of the 250,000-member Pacific Fleet three years ago.

The 25 Makalapa Pearl Harbor units are used by Navy admirals and commanders. Currently there are 108 single-family and duplex units there.

Renovations at Clemins' two-story, four-bedroom home included rebuilding two kitchens, two bathrooms and a fish pond, refurbishing a lanai, installing a solarium door, fencing and installing air conditioning.

The Pacific Fleet has maintained that Clemins' Makalapa quarters, which has been the home of 26 Pacific Fleet commanders since Adm. Chester Nimitz in 1941, needs extensive repairs. It has said that the residence has deteriorated walls, hazardous materials, and electrical, plumbing and lighting systems that did not meet current safety codes.