Wald said that if Fort Dix reaches its 4,200-person capacity, some refugees may be moved to Fort A. P. Hill

June 1, 1999
Web posted at: 6:48 p.m. EDT (2248 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon said Tuesday it has started "contingency planning" to use Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia as a second processing center for refugees arriving from Kosovo.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Wald said that if the current refugee facility at Fort Dix, New Jersey, "fills up the 4,200 (person) capacity," the Pentagon may move some of the refugees to Fort A.P. Hill near Fredericksburg, Virginia, to await their relocation to private residences.

Both Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Dix are Army bases.

The refugees would probably still fly into New Jersey and then be transported to Fort A.P. Hill if necessary, said Wald, who is vice director for strategic planning and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"They haven't made the final determination. This is just contingency planning for now," Wald added.

Wald said that the movement of refugees out of Kosovo, "has slowed down significantly," but that 1,500 had crossed the border into Macedonia during the past 48 hours.

CNN's Chris Plante contributed to this report.

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