Federal Manager's Daily Report

Military value will be the focus in the final selection

criteria to be used in the 2005 round of base realignment

and closures, the Defense Department’s American Forces Press

Service has announced.

Military value means a base’s ability to contribute to

Department of Defense mission capabilities and operational

readiness, according to Philip Grone, Principal Assistant

Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations and

Environment.

The final selection criteria will be based in part on

potential costs, savings, community support, and

environmental considerations. Secretary of Defense Donald

Rumsfeld will make final recommendations on base

realignment and closures to an independent commission in

May 2005, said the report.

There is no target number of base closings but on average

the commission puts excess capacity at around 23 percent,

though that does not necessarily translate to the

percentage of bases to be altered, the ASPS quoted Grone

as saying.