The U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center in Erie is consolidating and closing on April 7th, 2024, leaving Navy veterans were disappointed with the communication from the center.

Doris Philhower, a U.S. Navy veteran and chief said she received a message saying the center is closing on April 7th.

Navy veterans then began responding saying they want to be there there when it closes but what she noticed was the veterans that were responding were all chiefs.

"Being a chief, you are supposed to look out for your underlings and if this is being spread out by the chiefs who is taking care of the enlisted people," she asked.

Along with Philhower, Navy veterans Ray Barber and Charles Lehr wanted to spread the message of the center closing.

Barber said he and thousands of others went through the center to train and learn and it saddened him to learn that it was closing.

Lehr said said he understood why the center is closing but the communication could have been better.

"To move it and not let us know about it is what we are a little perturbed about because there are a lot of people in this town that are Navy, a lot all over the area and we do not think it is right," Lehr said.