Friday the 13th was good luck for Snohomish County in May. That was the day the U.S. Dept. of Defense released the list of military bases it is recommends be closed or realigned as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure review known as BRAC.

Although changes are possible throughout the rest of the BRAC process, Naval Station Everett was not on the initial list of impacted bases, and all major Western Washington military installations escaped threats of closure. The Economic Development Council of Snohomish County joined the region in expressing relief.

“Groups throughout Snohomish County, led by Washington State, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon’s administration, the City of Everett and others spent thousands of hours working with our legislators and military officials to stress how critical Naval Station Everett is to our region and to the defense of our country,” said EDC President Deborah Knutson.

The base closure commission is scheduled to send its final report to the President by Sept. 8. He has until Sept. 23 to approve or reject the report.

Naval Station Everett is home to six Navy ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. NSE, now one of Snohomish County’s largest employers, employs about 5,500 military and non-military personnel.