Base Realignment and Closure

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)^[1][2] was a process^[3] by a United States federal government commission^[4] to increase the efficiency of the United States Department of Defense by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end of the Cold War. Over 350 installations have been closed in five BRAC rounds: 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 2005. These five BRAC rounds constitute a combined savings of $12 billion annually.^[5]

The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, passed after the 1947 reorganization of the National Military Establishment, reduced the number of U.S. military bases, forts, posts, and stations. The subsequent 1950s buildup for the Cold War (e.g., during the Korean War) resulted in large numbers of new installations, such as the Permanent System radar stations and Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) control centers. By 1959, plans for even larger numbers of Cold War installations were canceled (e.g., DoD's June 19, 1959, Continental Air Defense Program reduced the number of Super Combat Center underground nuclear bunkers to 7). In 1958, U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) began to replace Strategic Air Command bombers. From 1960 to 1964, the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations closed 574 U.S. military bases around the world, particularly after President John F. Kennedy was briefed after his inauguration that the missile gap was not a concern.^[6]

1961 closures

On March 28, 1961, President Kennedy announced the closure of 73 military establishments.^[7][8]

1964 closures

"In December 1963, Secretary McNamara announced the closure of twenty-six DOD installations or activities in the CONUS".^[9]: 134

1965 closures

Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced 95 base closures/realignments in November 1964: 80 in the United States (33 states & DC) and 15 overseas.^[6] Closures included the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the Springfield Armory, six bomber bases, and 15 Air Defense Command radar stations—a realignment transferred Highlands Air Force Station to the adjacent Highlands Army Air Defense Site.^[6]

1968 Project 693

Project 693^[10] was established by Defense Secretary Clark Clifford during the Vietnam War for reducing programs and personnel, and the project also closed several military installations.^[11]

1969 realignments

The DoD realigned 307 military bases beginning with an announcement in October 1969.^[12]

1973 closures

224 closures were announced in 1973.^[13][14]

1974 Project Concise

Project Concise eliminated most of the Project Nike missile locations which generally each had two sites, a radar station on an elevated landform for guidance and command/control, and a launch area that had launch rails and stored missiles and warheads. A 1976 follow-on program to Concise closed additional installations.

1983 Grace Commission

The Grace Commission was President Ronald Reagan's "Private Sector Survey" on cost control that concluded that "savings could be made in the military base structure" and recommended establishing an independent commission to study the issue. Public Law 100–526 endorsed the review in October 1988 and authorized the "special commission to recommend base realignments and closures" to the Secretary of Defense and provided relief from NEPA provisions that had hindered the base closure process.^[9]: 156

1988 Carlucci Commission

On May 3, 1988, the Carlucci Commission was chartered by Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci,^[9]: 156 which in December 1988 recommended closing five Air Force bases: Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, George Air Force Base, Mather Air Force Base and Norton Air Force Base in California, and Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire.^[9]: 161

The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990 provided "the basic framework for the transfer and disposal of military installations closed during the base realignment and closure (BRAC) process".^[3] The process was created in 1988 to reduce pork barrel politics with members of Congress that arise when facilities face activity reductions.^[15]

The most recent process began May 13, 2005, when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld forwarded his recommendations for realignments and closures to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. The BRAC is an independent nine-member panel appointed by the President. This panel evaluated the list by taking testimony from interested parties and visiting affected bases. The BRAC Commission had the opportunity to add bases to the list and did so in a July 19, 2005, hearing. The Commission met its deadline of September 2005 to provide the evaluated list to the President, who approved the list with the condition that it could only be approved or disapproved in its entirety. On November 7, 2005, the approved list was then given to Congress, who had the opportunity to disapprove the entire list within 45 days by enacting a resolution of disapproval. This did not happen, and the BRAC Commission's recommendations became final.

The 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:^[16]

In 1990, the Navy considered cutting 34 military installations.^[17]

In accordance with Pub. L. 101-510, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommended the closure of Military Ocean Terminal, Bayonne, New Jersey, and the Oakland Army Base, California, and relocation of MTMC Western Area and MTMC Eastern Area Headquarters to a location to be determined by the Army. The U.S. Army selected Fort Eustis, Virginia, as the preliminary site. Fort Eutis would become the new home of MTMC CONUS Command.

The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:^[16]

The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:^[16][18]

The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:^[16][19]

The Pentagon released its proposed list for the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission on May 13, 2005 (a date given the moniker "BRAC Friday," a pun on Black Friday). After an extensive series of public hearings, analysis of DoD-supplied supporting data, and solicitation of comments from the public, the list of recommendations was revised by the 9-member Defense Base Closure and Realignments Commission in two days of public markups and votes on individual recommendations (the proceedings were broadcast by C-SPAN and are available for review on the network's website). The Commission submitted its revised list to the President on September 8, 2005. The President approved the list and notified Congress on September 15. The House of Representatives took up a joint resolution to disapprove the recommendations on October 26, but the resolution failed to pass. The recommendations were thereby enacted. The Secretary of Defense must implement the recommendations no later than September 15, 2011.

Twenty-six bases were realigned into 12 joint bases, with each joint base's installation support being led by the Army, the Air Force, or the Navy.^[20] An example is Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington, combining Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base.

The 2005 Commission recommended that Congress authorize another BRAC round in 2015 and every eight years thereafter.^[21] On May 10, 2012, the House Armed Services Committee rejected calls by the Pentagon for base closures outside of a 2015 round by a 44 to 18 vote.^[22] Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had called for two rounds of base closures while at the same time arguing that the alternative of the sequester would be a "meat-ax" approach to cuts which would "hollow out" military forces.^[23]

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 specifically prohibits authorization of future BRAC rounds.^[24]

In May 2014, it was attempted to fund another round of BRAC, although funding was not approved in a vote in May of that year.^[25]

In March 2015, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment addressed the possibility of a future BRAC, indicating that the DOD, Defense Secretary Ash Carter was requesting authority to conduct another BRAC.^[26]

In September 2015, at the tenth anniversary of the end of the most recent BRAC commission report, its former chairman Anthony Principi wrote, "Now is the time to do what's right for our men and women in uniform. Spending dollars on infrastructure that does not serve their needs is inexcusable."^[27]

The following is a chronological timeline of authorizations for U.S. Congressional legislation related to U.S. defense installation realignments and military base closures.

• Joint bases of the United States military
• Loss of Strength Gradient
• Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

• "Collection: Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission" at the UNT Digital Library