The retreat from the NE continues

With such a high percentage of its business relying on the slowly withering Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community, is was just a matter of time.

Still - fewer assets in fewer locations. Yea. Harumph.

The last two planes at Maine’s Brunswick Naval Air Station lifted off Saturday in blustery winds, ending nearly 60 years of maritime patrol operations at New England’s last active-duty military air base.

The P-3 Orions of the VP-26 squadron lumbered down an 8,000-foot runway before heading off to a six-month deployment in Central America. After that, they fly to their new home at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.

The planes took off without any speeches or fanfare about 50 minutes apart Saturday afternoon. A small group of visitors gathered at the base operations building to watch, including Albert Stehle of Bowdoinham, whose father, Leroy Stehle, commanded the VP-26 during the early 1970s.

Once you lose it - you never get it back.

The decision to shutter the base was made in the final round of closings by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission in 2005. The 3,200-acre base will be turned over to a redevelopment group.

Yep - a Boomtown Rats song comes to mind.

As for Maine - with your high taxes, 9-month winter, litigation environment, workers-comp nightmare, and generally bad business climate - good luck with that.