By Lauren McSherry

On Friday Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced the list of U.S. military bases recommended for closure or realignment. Two local facilities were among them.

If the recommendations are adopted, Sunnyvale’s Onizuka Air Force Station will close and Mountain View’s Air Force Reserve Command at Moffett Field could gain 253 military and civilian personnel through realignment. Onizuka, among 33 bases suggested for closure, is one mile south of Moffett Field.

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission will review the recommendations and report back in September.

“The department of defense wants to consolidate its missions and at the same time, save taxpayers money,” said Valerie Joseph, Onizuka base spokeswoman. “We want to make sure we’re able to meet future threats and we can do that by consolidating.”

The closures and realignments could save nearly $50 billion over the next 20 years, according to the Pentagon.

Onizuka is part of the Air Force Satellite Control Network, which directs military and intelligence satellite communications. The satellite station could move to Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc.