Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell met with Department of Defense officials Tuesday morning to discuss the proposal to shutter the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk — but the governor, who wanted to speak with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said it wasn’t the meeting he asked for.
“We had a very direct and candid meeting, we asked numerous questions, we got some answers, we got some non-answers and we’re looking forward to a continuing dialogue,” McDonnell said on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” program.
Gates, who announced the plan in August as part of a broader plan to shave costs, was not present, but McDonnell said he was told he would get a meeting with Gates soon.
“We met with some high-ranking officials, but it wasn’t the meeting that I asked, and you know for me and all the members of the Congress from Virginia to ask for the meeting and not get the meeting we had ask for, it was a little disappointing.
“They’ve already made the decision – my problem now is we’ve got to try to unwind it,” he said.
