The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure ("BRAC") proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and the "realignment" (either enlarging or shrinking) of 29 others. On September 15, 2005, President George W. Bush approved the BRAC Commission's recommendations, leaving the fate of the bases in question to the United States Congress. Congress had a maximum of 45 days to reject the proposal by passing a joint resolution of disapproval, or the recommendations automatically enter into effect. Such a resolution (H.J.Res. 65) was introduced to the House of Representatives on September 23, 2005, by Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) (no such resolution was introduced in the Senate). The House took up debate of the resolution on October 26, 2005. The resolution failed to pass, thereby enacting the list of recommendations. The Secretary of Defense must begin implementing the recommendations by September 15, 2007 and complete implementation not later than September 15, 2011. The United States Department of Defense (DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the US Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory in order to save... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by and/or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Congress in Joint Session. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Justifications

Pentagon officials calculated that, if adopted in full by the nine-member BRAC Commission, the recommendations would have saved almost $50 billion over 20 years. The BRAC Commission (officially known as the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission) disputed this claim, pointing out what it considered to be significant flaws in the Department's methodology. The Commission recalculated the 20-year savings of the DOD recommendation list at just above $37 billion. Between late May and late August, the Commission reviewed the list and amended many of the Pentagon's recommendations, removing several major installations from the closure list. The Commission has calculated the overall 20-year savings to the government in carrying out its amended list of recommendations as close to $15 billion. This article is about the United States military building. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ...

Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on May 12, 2005 that the two-year effort to produce the list had several objectives: General Richard B. Myers General Richard Bowman Myers (born March 1, 1942) of the United States Air Force is a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Americas highest ranking military officer. ... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• better integrate active and reserve units
• rearrange forces to be able to act around the globe
• make the military more flexible and agile
• improve cooperation between military service branches while training and fighting (ironically many Air Force combat units have converted to non-combat duties)
• convert unneeded capacity into warfighting capability

The 2005 BRAC round is the fifth since the process was initiated in 1988, and it is the first since 1995. It differs significantly from its predecessors in several respects:

• it is the first with a nine-member commission (the 1991, 1993, and 1995 commissions had eight members)
• it is the only stand-alone round authorized by Congress (the 1988 BRAC round was initiated by the Secretary of Defense, and the 1991-1995 rounds were authorized together in the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990)
• it is the first BRAC round focused on military force transformation, not infrastructure reduction
• it is the only round to form part of a worldwide defense infrastructure review that includes similar examination of U.S. installations overseas
• it is the first BRAC to significantly impact the National Guard, causing several states to file legal proceedings attempting to stay or cause recommendations to be thrown out
• Targeted examples of Joint Bases for closure when creation of joint facilities was stated as a main goal.
• Targeted some of the most decorated units in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq including:

• 102th Fighter Wing The F15s flown by the 101st Fighter Squadron were the first responders on 911
• VMFA-321 based at Andrews AFB, this Marine Reserve squadron flew CAP missions on 911, many members reported for duty long before any official call.
• VFA-201 A Navy Reserve Squadron called to take part in the first Reserve squadron deployment as part of a Carrier Air Wing since the Korean War.

• NAS JRB Willow Grove was slated for closure, even after it was stated a a perfect base for Homeland Security operations. In fact, the US Customs Service flew EP-3 Orion AWACS aircraft from the base immediately following 911. The base had units from every branch of the DOD. Each branch of the DOD was represented at the base across various missions. As such, Willow Grove often was key for joint training missions, A-10s working with F-14s and MAG-49 FACs.

Recommendations

Major bases slated for closure (ordered by branch of the military):

• 14 major Army bases
• 9 major Navy bases
• 10 major Air Force bases

Major facilities slated for closure include: The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... USN redirects here. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ...

• Fort McPherson, Georgia
• Fort Gillem, Georgia
• Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut (removed from list August 24, 2005)
• Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire (removed from list August 26, 2005)
• Naval Air Station Brunswick in Maine
• Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota (removed from list August 26, 2005)
• Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico (temporarily removed from closure August 26, 2005, pending review of new mission assignment)
• Fort Monmouth in New Jersey
• Defense Finance and Accounting Service in New York
• Fort Monroe, Virginia
• Willow Grove Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base in Pennsylvania
• Naval Station Ingleside, Texas

Major facilities slated for realignment include: Fort McPherson is a U.S. Army base located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia. ... Fort Gillem is a U.S. Army military base located in Forest Park, Georgia, on the southwest edge of Atlanta. ... The town of Groton, Connecticut is host to SUBASE New London and the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Largest metro area Hartford Area  Ranked 48th  - Total 5,543[2] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Portsmouth Naval Shipyard The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navys ships. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area  Ranked 46th  - Total 9,359 sq mi (24,239 km²)  - Width 68 miles (110 km)  - Length 190 miles (305 km)  - % water 3. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Naval Air Station Brunswick is a United States Navy airfield in Brunswick, Maine—the only one in New England. ... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base near Rapid City, South Dakota and is home to the B-1B Lancer. ... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,163 sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Curry County, New Mexico. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ft. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), an agency of the United States Department of Defense, provides finance and accounting services for the military and other members of defense. ... NY redirects here. ... Satellite Photo of Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, Virginia (also known as Fortress Monroe) is a military installation located at Old Point Comfort on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads on the Chesapeake Bay in eastern Virginia in the United States. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base, Willow Grove began in 1926 when Harold Pitcairn constructed a hangar and a grass airstrip in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Naval Station Ingleside is a United States Navy base in Ingleside, Texas, on the northern shore of Corpus Christi Bay, 20 miles northeast of the city of Corpus Christi, about 150 miles south of San Antonio, and approximately 200 miles south of Houston. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

• Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
• Army Human Resource Command (HRC) in Missouri
• Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois
• Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia (extent contingent on reopening the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Florida)
• Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota
• Eielson Air Force Base and Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska
• Rome Laboratory in New York

The process of closing bases and moving people and activities must begin within two years and end within six years and would incur considerable initial cost. Somewhat less than half of the eventual savings would come directly from eliminating the cost of running closed bases. More than half would come from consolidating administrative, technical, and industrial services; and by increasing the amount of joint military services and facilities available for education, training, intelligence, medical, supply and storage. This article is about the U.S. Army medical center/hospital (not the research institute). ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: , Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - D.C. Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Naval Station Great Lakes is the United States Navys Headquarters Command for training issues, located in North Chicago, Illinois. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Naval Air Station Oceana IATA: NTU, ICAO: KNTU), also known as NAS Oceana, is a military airport located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a United States Navy Master Jet Base (a base that offers 24 hour service and fuel). ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Naval Air Station Cecil Field or NAS Cecil Field (IATA: VQQ, ICAO: KVQQ, FAA LID: VQQ) was a United States Navy base, located in Duval County, Florida. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Grand Forks Air Force Base (Grand Forks AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Eielson Air Force Base (IATA: EIL, ICAO: PAEI) is located in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. ... A Japanese F-15 takes off from Elmendorf during a joint exercise. ... Official language(s) English[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... The Rome Laboratory, formerly known as the Rome Air Development Center, is a research and development lab run by the US Air Force located at Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY. One of four superlabs run by the Air Force, the Rome Lab is tasked with generic research, as opposed to... NY redirects here. ...

External links

Wikinews has related news:

U.S. Defense Secretary announces closures and expansions of military bases

• 2005 BRAC Commission official website
• Department of Defense BRAC 2005 official website
• Detailed DOD BRAC Recommendations (in PDF format)
• Short summary of closure and realignment impacts by state (in PDF format) - MSNBC
• "BRAC 2005: Closings, Realignments to Reshape Infrastructure" article
• "BRAC 2005: Rumsfeld Recommends 5 to 11 Percent Cut in Infrastructure" article