The United States has experienced difficulty in closing military bases to match
the requirements of downsized forces with changed composition. During the decade
of the 1980s, major military base closures were seriously hampered by procedural
requirements established by Congress, to the point that none occurred. The mismatch
between real estate assets and defense requirements grew with the military
downsizing that began late in the Reagan Administration and continued under
Presidents George H. W. Bush and Clinton.
After several legislative efforts to break the deadlock had failed, Congress
established a new base closure procedure in P.L. 100-526, enacted October 24, 1988.
The statute provided for a bipartisan commission, appointed by the Secretary of
Defense, to make recommendations to Congress on closures and realignments to be
voted down or accepted as a whole. The process was successfully implemented, but
produced complaints of partisanship in selecting bases for closure. P.L. 101-510,
enacted November 5, 1990, provided new authority for additional base closure
recommendations by a series of presidentially appointed commissions (with the
advice and consent of the Senate), commonly called Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) commissions. These commissions were to operate in 1991, 1993, and 1995,
after which the authority of the final base closure commission would end.
The four commissions recommended closure of 98 major bases and hundreds
of smaller installations, and the realignment of many other bases and facilities. These
recommendations were estimated to be implemented and completed by the year 2001.
The Department of Defense at one time estimated savings of about $57 billion over
20 years.
At the community level, in turn, implementation of the base closure process
commenced. Congress has amended the base closure legislation several times to
protect and assist communities as they adjust to the social and economic stress
caused by the loss of military installations. Many, but by no means all, communities
appeared to be succeeding in local efforts to replace defense jobs and find new uses
for former military lands and buildings.
After expiration of the authorizing legislation, a number of influential leaders
recommended establishment of a new commission and the closure of additional bases
and facilities. These advocates included the chairman of the 1995 commission, Alan
Dixon, former Defense Secretary William Perry, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman
John Shalikashvili. In Congress, many felt that infrastructure costs diverted money
from modernization and sapped the readiness of America’s armed forces. Against
these pressures to cut military real estate further was caution concerning further
military cuts, as well as the traditional reluctance of Senators and Representatives to
lose federal jobs and disrupt communities in their state or district.
Subsequently, new authorizing legislation by the Congress was required to
reconstitute base closure and realignment through the commission approach.
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