Base Realignment and Closure

Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory in order to save money on operations and maintenance, aimed at achieving maximum efficiency in line with Congressional and DoD objectives. More than 350 installations have been closed in four BRAC rounds: 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1995. The most recent round of BRAC completed in the fall of 2005 and with the commission's recommendations became law in November of 2005.

History

The BRAC process was developed in an attempt to achieve the government's goal of closing and realigning military installations despite the political challenges which often arise when facilities face reduction or elimination. Because a military base can bring millions of dollars in federal money to its surrounding area each year, challenges raised by members of Congress from affected districts make such initiatives very difficult. Congress created the BRAC process in 1988 as a politically palatable method to pursue such needed goals.

Process

The process begins when Pentagon officials submit a list of bases to be closed, shrunk, or enlarged. This was accomplished on 13 May, 2005. An independent nine-member commission, the BRAC Commission, evaluated the list by taking testimony from interested parties and paying visits to affected bases. The BRAC Commission had the opportunity to add bases to the list and did so in a 19 July, 2005 hearing. By September 2005, the commission must submit its list to the President, who must either approve or disapprove the list in its entirety. If approved, the list then goes to Congress no later than 7 November, 2005. Congress has the opportunity to disapprove the entire list within 45 days by enacting a resolution of disapproval - if Congress does not enact such a resolution, the BRAC recommendations are final.

BRAC Rounds

Past Rounds

1989
1991
1993
1995

BRAC 2005

For full coverage, see Base Realignment and Closure, 2005

The Pentagon released its proposed list for BRAC 2005 (see Base Realignment and Closure, 2005) on May 13, 2005 (a date given the moniker "BRAC 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 signalled his approval to 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 not later than September 15, 2011.

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