GAO: 2011 BRAC Deadline in Question

The Defense Department faces several challenges in meeting the Sept. 15, 2011, deadline to complete reorganization under 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) provisions, according to a Jan. 30 report by the Government Accountability Office. According to the GAO, DoD reports that roughly half of the 800 locations will complete the mandated expansion or closure acts during 2011. Others face roadblocks that all but ensure that the deadline will be missed. The BRAC involves relocating some 123,000 personnel and spending $23 billion on structural improvements to accommodate them. Delays could drive up the price tag considerably and erode the potential savings the BRAC was intended to generate, the GAO stated. For example, the 2009 estimate of one-time costs to implement BRAC was pegged at $32.4 billion, a rise of nearly $13 million over initial projections. Net savings, conversely, are pegged in 2009 at about $4 billion – down from $13.7 billion. The loss of savings could result in the necessity of another BRAC at a later date, the GAO stated.