High-ranking military officials opened a gate separating Hickam Air Force Base and Naval Station Pearl Harbor yesterday, starting the process of combining management support at their installations.

With the joining of leis and unveiling of a plaque, the new military installation Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam began a transition that is expected to reduce operating costs by millions of dollars.

Air Force Col. Giovanni K. Tuck said the transfer does not change the separate missions of Hickam Air Force Base and Naval Station Pearl Harbor, but means Hickam will now become a “;tenant.”;

“;Through joint basing, we will create a better base by combining the best practices of both services and seizing upon opportunities to innovate as we transition,”; said Tuck, commander of the 15th Airlift Wing.

Base support operations include procurement, grounds maintenance, custodial service, civilian police, fire protection, food services, lodging, refuse collection and information technology services management.

Capt. Richard W. Kitchens, commander of the new joint base, said the joining of the two bases involved years of planning and was guided mainly by the maintenance or increase in effectiveness of the armed forces at Hickam and Pearl Harbor.

“;Efficiency is laudable and desirable, but operational effectiveness in our nation's defense remains our highest priority,”; Kitchens said.

Kitchens, responding to news media questions, said there was no plan to cut jobs at this time, but the base will be able to become efficient through attrition, including retirements.

“;In other words, if people leave via retirement or they choose professional opportunities somewhere outside the joint base, we'll make a decision whether or not we need to refill that position,”; he said.

Kitchens said the transition is scheduled to be completed in October, and he did not have a projected savings from combining bases.

“;We are not entering this with a target savings,”; he said. “;We're being very deliberate in our approach ... to make sure there's no negative impact to mission and operation commands.”;

The new joint base is among 26 bases being combined to make 12 bases.

Under the Base Realignment and Closure law of 2005, management of the installation at Hickam Air Force Base was turned over to Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

Hickam and Pearl Harbor have some 4,200 military and civilian workers serving in a base-support capacity, the Navy said.

Base-support operations total about $520 million for the Navy at Pearl Harbor and about $226 million for the Air Force at Hickam.