[CPEO-IRF] BRAC decisions are final now

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

BRAC Deadline Expires; DoD to Begin Closures, Realignments

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2005 – The Base Realignment and Closure Commission's 
recommendations for reshaping the Defense Department's infrastructure 
and force structure officially took effect at 12:01 a.m. today after 
Congress allowed them to pass into law at the mandated Nov. 8 deadline.

The nine-member BRAC panel delivered its final report to President Bush 
Sept. 8, and he, in turn, sent it to Congress for legislative review 
Sept. 15. Congress had 45 legislative days, until Nov. 9, to accept or 
reject the report in its entirety. However, it was not authorized to 
make any changes to the final report.

By statute, the Defense Department now has until Sept. 15, 2007 -- two 
years from the date President Bush sent Congress the BRAC commission's 
final report -- , to begin closing and realigning the installations as 
called for in the report. The process must be completed by Sept. 15, 
2011, DoD officials explained.

The 2005 BRAC recommendations represent the most aggressive BRAC ever 
proposed, affecting more than 800 installations, officials said.

The four previous BRAC rounds -- in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995 - resulted 
in 97 major closures, 55 major realignments and 235 minor actions, 
according to DoD figures. Overall, closing and realigning these 
installations saved taxpayers around $18 billion though fiscal 2001 and 
a further $7 billion per year since, officials said.

BRAC 2005 is being called an important milestone in restructuring DoD's 
domestic base structure to improve efficiency and operational 
capabilities. It also supports plans to move thousands of U.S. forces 
currently serving overseas to within the United States as part of DoD's 
new global positioning strategy, officials said.

After months of study, installation visits and public hearings around 
the country, the nine-member BRAC panel approved 86 percent of DoD's 
original BRAC recommendations -- 119 with no change and another 45 with 
amendments, the panel noted. The panel also rejected 13 recommendations, 
significantly modified another 13, and made five additional closure or 
realignment recommendations on its own initiative.

Of DoD's 33 major closure recommendations, the panel approved 21, 
recommended seven bases be realigned rather than closed, and rejected 
five recommendations outright. In addition, the commission recommended 
closing rather than realigning another installation, for a total of 22 
major closures.

Many of the transformational recommendations in the report, particularly 
those to establish joint operations, will present significant challenges 
as they are implemented, officials acknowledged.

Detailed business plans will be developed for every BRAC recommendation, 
laying out what actions are required to implement them, when they will 
occur, and what resources are needed to put them into effect, officials 
said. Affected services and agencies must submit these plans by Nov. 15 
to the DoD Installation Capabilities Council, which will review them and 
forward them to the Infrastructure Steering Group for approval.

Meanwhile, DoD is poised to begin working with civilian employees and 
communities to be affected by the BRAC decisions. DoD has a long and 
successful history of helping its civilian workers impacted by base 
closings, officials noted. This includes programs that promote 
placement, training, retraining and transition to new positions.

Since 1989, DoD has reduced its civilian work force by 428,400 people, 
with less than 10 percent of those reductions through involuntary 
separations, officials said. DoD's Priority Placement Program, which 
officials call the centerpiece of DoD's Civilian Assistance and 
Re-employment programs, gives defense employees placement priority at 
other DoD facilities.

DoD's Office of Economic Adjustment will take the lead for the federal 
government in helping communities affected by base closures and 
realignments, working cooperatively with the President's Economic 
Adjustment Committee, officials said.

A community conference, to be held in Baltimore Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, 
will focus on many of the issues involved in BRAC 2005 and the programs 
available to address them.

###

For the original press release, as well as links, go to
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051109_3280.html
--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
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