Base Closings Process Kicks Off

With the next Defense Department base closing exercise now only two years away, DoD has issued guidance to begin preliminary work, with draft selection criteria due by December 31, 2003, and final criteria by February 16, 2004. In his cover memo, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld-who pushed hard for the authority despite congressional resistance-urged components to be enthusiastic about the process. DoD is to make its recommendations to a special commission by May 15, 2005. “I cannot overemphasize the importance of BRAC 2005. This effort requires the focus and prioritization only senior leadership can bring. I am confident we can produce BRAC recommendations that will advance transformation, combat effectiveness, and the efficient use of the taxpayer’s money,” his memo said. In prior base closing exercises, about 100 major facilities and hundreds more smaller ones were either closed or realigned, affecting the jobs of tens of thousands of DoD civilian employees.