Marine Corps general: Bases to stay economic rock

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Marine Corps two-star general in charge of seven installations in five states along the Eastern Seaboard says Marine bases will remain economic engines of their regions even as the military faces drawdowns.

Maj. Gen. Carl Jensen says the Marine Corps has weathered both economic stresses and military cutbacks in the past and will continue to do so.

Jensen retires Friday as the commander of Marine Corps Installations East based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Jensen says the Marine Corps leadership says troop cuts may be in store as the conflict in Afghanistan ebbs. But Jensen says he’d confident Marine Corps bases will remain economic rocks of support for their surrounding communities.