On Saturday, men, women and children created yet another "ocean of yellow" in their Save Our Shipyard T-shirts at a picnic at Pease International Tradeport, in an effort to support the yard over the next nine days. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission is expected to make its decision on the yard’s fate later this month.

Some of their arguments seem to have been heard, as commission members have reportedly raised concerns recently over many of the Defense Department’s recommendations.

According to an article scheduled to appear in today’s New York Times, seven of the nine members believe the Defense Department may have overestimated the cost savings associated with closing bases.

The commission is expected to begin deliberations on the fate of the yard and the dozens of other major military installations targeted for closure on Aug 24.

Members of a crowd of supporters estimated around 200 don their familiar yellow T-shirts during the picnic. Photo by Andrew Moore

According to the Times, the commission has directed its staff to conduct a separate cost-savings analysis before that date.

Meanwhile, shipyard supporters said they will just have to wait, knowing they have done everything within their power to show the Defense Department was wrong in recommending the yard for closure.

"It’s still an uphill battle, but we know the case has been made," Rep. Jeb Bradley said Saturday during the picnic event. "This is an opportunity for the Save Our Shipyard task force to thank all the people who have worked to hard."

Shipyard workers and their families mingled on the lawn at Pease. Johnnie Bubar and the Rogue Wolf Band, the Late Great Planet Earth, Joe Freda and Dennis Boyd and professional bikers from the Maximum Velocity Bike Show provided entertainment on the hot summer day.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci, who attended the event, said Saturday was a moment for shipyard supporters to "re-charge the battery" before supporting the yard over the next week and a half.

"We’ve made an impression on the commission," Baldacci said. "We still have nine days left. The campaign is not over."

Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., asked the crowd, "Are you hot enough yet?

"Because over the past couple months, we’ve made sure the BRAC Commission felt the heat as well."

Sununu said he felt as though the Seacoast residents and shipyard workers have made an "incredibly strong case."

"Now it’s time for the commission to make the right decision," Sununu said.

Shipyard union president Paul O’Connor agreed and said Saturday was an opportunity to express gratitude to all those who made the fight what it’s been.

"We didn’t want to go from July to August 24 without an event," O’Connor said. "We wanted to keep people’s mind on (the yard). But this is also a time for us to relax and just have fun."

O’Connor cited the yard’s citation for being efficient and effective.

"We’re the best in the world," he told the crowd. "I was raised to believe that stands for something."

Tom Nichols traveled to the picnic with his wife from Manchester. Nichols does not work at the yard, and he doesn’t even know anyone who does, but he’s been supporting it all along.

"This could devastate not just our economy but also these families," Nichols said.

The livelihood of families who are affected may not be a factor in the Defense Department’s decisions, but how much it costs to close an installation and how much it will save is an important factor.

The Defense Department has estimated it will cost $448.43 million to close the facility, which will result in the savings of $1.26 billion over the next 20 years.

Meanwhile, commissioners told the New York Times some of those numbers don’t seem to add up.

"I fail to see at this point how you could arrive at the figures they arrived at," Anthony J. Principi, a former secretary of veterans affairs who is the commission chairman, told the New York Times. "We’re going through this effort to save money from excess capacity to modernize forces. If the savings aren’t there, and it costs money to do this on top of all the economic upheaval, why are we doing this?"