GAO has said its analysis of DoD’s fiscal 2011 budget update relating to the 2005 round of base realignment and closures shows that one-time implementation costs grew from $21 billion originally estimated by the BRAC commission to about $35.1 billion, an increase of 67 percent, largely due to increased construction costs.
GAO compared the 2005 estimates to DoD’s fiscal 2011 budget submission and found that 14 of 182 BRAC recommendations accounted for about 72 percent of the cost increase, or about $10.2 billion.
It said its analysis of those 14 recommendations shows that increased construction costs resulted primarily from additional building projects and additions to planned projects, which DoD deemed necessary after implementation began.
For example, one-time costs for realigning the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency more than doubled from $1.1 billion to $2.6 billion, with military construction accounting for nearly $726 million of that increase due to additional supporting facilities the agency identified as essential to the mission, according to GAO-12-709R.
It said that due primarily to the large increase in one-time implementation costs, the 20-year net present value DoD can expect by implementing the 2005 BRAC recommendations has decreased by 72 percent – from $35.6 billion to about $10 billion.
Air Force Gives Out Productivity, Innovator Awards
The Air Force has announced four winners of its productivity and exceptional innovator awards in recognition of individuals or groups that create resource-saving improvements that save at least $1 million.
According to the Air Force Personnel Center, a team from an operations support squadron at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma received an award for improving mobility and deployment capabilities for Combat Air Forces control and reporting centers. The team reduced equipment requirements for deployments by 54 percent, saving the Air Force about $18.4 million, while cutting airlift requirements.
A team from an operations support squadron at Altus AFB in Oklahoma saved over $75.2 million dollars in the last three years by designing a self-contained schedule eliminating inefficiencies in air refueling to save the Air Force about $14.2 million annually.
A team from the Air Force Special Operations Command’s Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments Directorate at Hurlburt Field in Florida was recognized for reclaiming 40mm guns from training ranges that are specific to the AC-130 Gunship rather than having them re-manufactured in a costly small batch – saving about $8 million.
Master Sgt. Kurt Hollensteiner from the 437th aircraft maintenance squadron at Joint Base in South Carolina was also recognized for implementing fault code changes to a troubleshooting technical order, saving $144,000, leading to additional savings across the Air Force’s C-17 community worldwide.