Army Official: More Closures Needed

The Army needs to close more unnecessary bases and get rid of underused property, the service’s installations chief told the Senate Armed Services Committee during an April 2 hearing. “Our strategy is to consolidate on larger, more capable installations, divest older and inadequate infrastructure, and investing in the remaining footprint, in order to provide adequate facilities to accomplish our mission while meeting the needs of our soldiers and their families,” said Katherine G. Hammack, assistant secretary for installations, energy, and environment. Hammack delivered her remarks while presenting the Army’s proposed 2015 $1.3-billion military construction budget. The need for a new base realignment and closure (BRAC) process is necessitated by the planned reduction in force, she said.