Base Realignment and Closure


Base Realignment and Closure was a process by a United States federal government commission 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.

Background

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 resulted in large numbers of new installations, such as the Permanent System radar stations and Semi-Automatic Ground Environment control centers. By 1959, plans for even larger numbers of Cold War installations were canceled. In 1958, U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles 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.
;1961 closures: On March 28, 1961, President Kennedy announced the closure of 73 military establishments.
;1964 closures: "In December 1963, Secretary McNamara announced the closure of twenty-six DOD installations or activities in the CONUS".
;1965 closures: Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced 95 base closures/realignments in November 1964: 80 in the United States and 15 overseas. 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.
;1968 Project 693: Project 693 was established by Defense Secretary Clark Clifford during the Vietnam War for reducing programs and personnel, and the project also closed several military installations.
;1969 realignments: The DoD realigned 307 military bases beginning with an announcement in October 1969.
; 1973 closures: 224 closures were announced in 1973.
;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.
;1988 Carlucci Commission: On May 3, 1988, the Carlucci Commission was chartered by Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, 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.

Law

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 process". The process was created in 1988 to reduce pork barrel politics with members of Congress that arise when facilities face activity reductions.
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 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.

Closures and realignments

1988

The 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:
In 1990, the Navy considered cutting 34 military installations.
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.

1991

The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:
The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:
The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included: