Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. More than 350 installations have been closed in five BRAC rounds: 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 2005. These five BRAC rounds constitute a combined savings of $12 billion annually.

Background

The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, passed after the 1947 reorganization of the National Military Establishment, reduced the number of

US military bases This is a list of military installations owned or used by the United States Armed Forces currently located in the United States and around the world. This list details only current or recently closed facilities; some defunct facilities are f ...

, forts, posts, and stations. The subsequent 1950s buildup for the

(e.g., during the Korean War) resulted in large numbers of new installations, such as the of Permanent System radar stations and Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) control centers. By 1959, plans for even larger numbers of Cold War installations were canceled (e.g., DoD's June 19, 1959, Continental Air Defense Program reduced the number of Super Combat Center underground nuclear bunkers to 7) and in 1958, US

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...

s (ICBMs) began to replace

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

bombers. From 1960–1964, the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations closed 574 U.S. military bases around the world, particularly after President John F. Kennedy was briefed after his inauguration that the missile gap was not a concern. ;1961 closures: On March 28, 1961 President Kennedy announced the closure of 73 military establishments. ;1964 closures: "In December 1963, Secretary McNamara announced the closure of twenty-six DOD installations or activities in the CONUS". ;1965 closures: Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced 95 base closures/realignments in November 1964: 80 in the United States (33 states & DC) and 15 overseas. Closures included the Portsmouth Navy Yard, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the Springfield Armory, six bomber bases, and 15

Air Defense Command radar stations The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing ...

—a realignment transferred Highlands Air Force Station to the adjacent Highlands Army Air Defense Site. ;1968 Project 693: Project 693 was established by Defense Secretary Clark Clifford during the Vietnam War for reducing programs and personnel, and the project also closed several military installations. ;1969 realignments: The DoD realigned 307 military bases beginning with an announcement in October 1969. ; 1973 closures: 224 closures were announced in 1973. ;1974 Project Concise: Project Concise eliminated most of the Project Nike missile locations which generally each had two sites, a radar station on an elevated landform for guidance and command/control, and a launch area that had launch rails and stored missiles and warheads. A 1976 follow-on program to Concise closed additional installations. ;1983 Grace Commission: The Grace Commission was President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

's "Private Sector Survey" on cost control that concluded that "savings could be made in the military base structure" and recommended establishing an independent commission to study the issue. Public Law 100–526 endorsed the review in October 1988 and authorized the "special commission to recommend base realignments and closures" to the Secretary of Defense and provided relief from NEPA provisions that had hindered the base closure process. ;1988 Carlucci Commission: On 3 May 1988 the Carlucci Commission was chartered by Secretary of Defense

Frank C. Carlucci Frank Charles Carlucci III ( ; October 18, 1930 – June 3, 2018) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the United States Secretary of Defense from 1987 to 1989 in the administration of President Ronald Reagan. He was the f ...

, which in December 1988 recommended to close five Air Force bases:

Chanute Air Force Base Chanute Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force facility, located in Champaign County, Illinois, south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force t ...

in Illinois, George Air Force Base, Mather Air Force Base and Norton Air Force Base in California, and

Pease Air Force Base Pease, in Middle English, was a noun referring to the vegetable pea; see that article for its etymology. The word survives into modern English in pease pudding. Pease may also refer to: People *Pease family (Darlington), a prominent family in ...

in New Hampshire.

Law

The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990 provided "the basic framework for the transfer and disposal of military installations closed during the base realignment and closure (BRAC) process". The process was created in 1988 to reduce

pork barrel ''Pork barrel'', or simply ''pork'', is a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district. The usage originated in American English, and i ...

politics with members of Congress that arise when facilities face activity reductions. The most recent process began May 13, 2005, when Secretary of Defense

Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, government official and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under president Gerald Ford, and again from 2001 to 2006 under Presi ...

forwarded his recommendations for realignments and closures to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. The BRAC is an independent nine-member panel appointed by the President. This panel evaluated the list by taking testimony from interested parties and paying visits to affected bases. The BRAC Commission had the opportunity to add bases to the list, and did so in a July 19, 2005 hearing. The Commission met its deadline of September 2005 to provide the evaluated list to the President, who approved the list with the condition that the list could only be approved or disapproved in its entirety. On November 7, 2005 the approved list was then given to Congress which then had the opportunity to disapprove the entire list within 45 days by enacting a resolution of disapproval. This did not happen and the BRAC Commission's recommendations became final.

Commissions

1988

The

1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1988 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It recommended closing 17 major United States military bases. ...

included: * Alabama Army Ammunition Plant * Army Materials Technology Laboratory *

Army Reserve Center Gaithersburg An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

* Bennett Army National Guard Facility * Cameron Station *

Cape St. George Cape St. George is the southernmost point on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. It was the namesake for the Battle of Cape St. George, fought on 26 November 1943, between New Ireland and Buka. History During World War II Saint Ge ...

Coosa River Storage Annex Coosa may refer to: * Coosa, Mississippi * Coosa River * Coosa County, Alabama * Coosa chiefdom, which was visited by Hernando de Soto. * Coosa High School Coosa High School is a public high school in unincorporated area, unincorporated Floyd Count ...

* Defense Mapping Agency site Herndon, Virginia *Former Nike Site at the Aberdeen Proving Ground * Fort Bliss (Realign) * Fort Des Moines * Fort Detrick (Realign) *

Fort Dix Fort Dix, the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Army post. It is located south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force A ...

(Realign as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst) * Fort Douglas * Fort Holabird * Fort Meade (Realign) * Fort Monmouth * Fort Sheridan * Fort Wingate Ammunition Storage Depot * Fort Wingate * George Air Force Base * Hamilton Army Airfield * Indiana Army Ammunition Plant *

Irwin Support Detachment Annex Irwin may refer to: Places ;United States * Irwin, California * Irwin, Idaho * Irwin, Illinois * Irwin, Iowa * Irwin, Nebraska * Irwin, Ohio * Irwin, Pennsylvania * Irwin, South Carolina * Irwin County, Georgia * Irwin Township, Venango County, Pe ...

* Jefferson Proving Ground * Kapalama Military Reservation Phase III * Lexington Army Depot * Lexington-Bluegrass Army Depot * Mather Air Force Base *

Navajo Depot Activity Camp Navajo was originally opened in 1942 in Bellemont, Arizona. It was originally designated Navajo Ordnance Depot, and its primary use was the storage of ammunition used in the Pacific Theater of World War II. It was renamed Navajo Army Depot in ...

(Turned over to the

Arizona Army National Guard The Arizona Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau. Arizona Army National Gu ...

) * Naval Hospital Philadelphia *

Naval Reserve Center Coconut Grove A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

* Naval Station Galveston * Naval Station Lake Charles * Naval Station New York * Naval Station Puget Sound * Naval Station San Francisco (Realign) * New Orleans Military Ocean Terminal *

Nike Washington-Baltimore The following is a list of Nike missile sites operated by the United States Army. This article lists sites in the United States, most responsible to Army Air Defense Command; however, the Army also deployed Nike missiles to Europe as part of the ...

* Norton Air Force Base *

(Realign as Pease Air National Guard Base) *

Pontiac Storage Facility The Pontiac Storage Facility is a former storage facility of the United States Army that stored equipment for the Detroit Arsenal located in Pontiac, Michigan. It was closed as part of the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 1988 Base ...

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...

* Pueblo Army Depot (Realign) *

Salton Sea Test Base The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly saline body of water in Riverside and Imperial counties at the southern end of the U.S. state of California. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the Salton Trough that stretches to the Gulf o ...

* St. Louis Area Support Center Wherry housing * Tacony Warehouse *

Umatilla Army Depot The Umatilla Chemical Depot, (UMCD) based in Umatilla, Oregon, was a U.S. Army installation in the United States that stored chemical weapons. The chemical weapons originally stored at the depot consisted of various live munitions and storage con ...

(Realign)

1990

In 1990, the Navy considered cutting 34 military installations.

1991

The

1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The preliminary 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1991 as part of the ongoing Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The list recommended closing 28 major United States m ...

included: * Beale Air Force Base (Realign) * Bergstrom Air Force Base * Carswell Air Force Base (Turned over to the United States Navy Reserve and realign as Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth) * Castle Air Force Base *

Eaker Air Force Base Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. It was located nort ...

* England Air Force Base * Fleet Combat Direction Systems Support Activity San Diego (Realign) * Fort Benjamin Harrison * Fort Chaffee (Turned over to the Arkansas Army National Guard) * Fort Devens (Turned over to United States Army Reserve realign as Devens Reserve Forces Training Area) * Fort Ord * Fort Rucker (Realigned) * Grissom Air Force Base (Realign as Grissom Air Reserve Base) *

Hunters Point Annex Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

* Integrated Combat Systems Test Facility San Diego * Letterman Army Institute of Research (Disestablish) * Loring Air Force Base * Lowry Air Force Base * Marine Corps Air Station Tustin * Myrtle Beach Air Force Base * Naval Air Station Chase Field * Naval Air Station Moffett Field *

Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster was a U.S. Navy military installation located in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Ivyland, Pennsylvania. For most of its existence (1949–1993), the base was known as the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Warm ...

Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center San Diego A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

* Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center Vallejo *

Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...

Naval Space Systems Activity Los Angeles A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

Naval Station Long Beach The Long Beach Naval Shipyard (Long Beach NSY or LBNSY), which closed in 1997, was located on Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles, approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles Internation ...

* Naval Station Philadelphia * Naval Station Puget Sound *

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is a large military installation in California that supports the research, testing and evaluation programs of the United States Navy. It is part of Navy Region Southwest under Commander, Navy Installat ...

(Realign) * Naval Air Station Point Mugu * Philadelphia Naval Yard * Presidio of Monterey * Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base *

Rickenbacker Air Force Base Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation located near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. It is the home of ...

(Portion realigned as Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base) * Sacramento Army Depot * Williams Air Force Base * Wurtsmith Air Force Base

1993

The

1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1993 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It recommended closing 33 major United States military bases. ...

included: *

Anniston Army Depot Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) is a major United States Army facility for the production and repair of ground combat vehicles, overhaul of Small Arms Weapon Systems and the storage of chemical weapons, a.k.a. the Anniston Chemical Activity. The depot ...

(Realign) * Camp Evans * Fort Wingate * Griffiss Air Force Base * Homestead Air Force Base (Realign as Homestead Air Reserve Base) * K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base * March Air Force Base (Realign as

March Air Reserve Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...

) *

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...

Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located next to the community of El Toro, near Irvine, California. Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps Aviation on the West Coast ...

* Naval Air Station Agana * Naval Air Station Alameda * Naval Air Station Barbers Point * Naval Air Station Cecil Field * Naval Air Station Dallas (Realign as

Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex The Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex or Grand Prairie AFRC (formerly Naval Air Station Dallas or Hensley Field) is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station located on Mountain Creek Lake in southwest Dallas. The installation wa ...

) * Naval Air Station Glenview *

Naval Air Warfare Center Trenton Naval Air Warfare Center Trenton is the former site of United States Navy facility in the West Trenton section of Ewing Township, New Jersey, just outside the city of Trenton. Opened during the final year of the Korean War in 1953, the center ...

Naval Aviation Depot Alameda Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay. NAS Alameda had two runways: 13–31 measuring and 07-25 measuring . Two helicopter pads and a control tower were a ...

* Naval Aviation Depot Norfolk * Naval Aviation Depot Pensacola * Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center, Saint Inigoes * Naval Hospital Charleston * Naval Hospital Oakland * Naval Hospital Orlando * Naval Reserve Center Gadsden *

Naval Reserve Center Montgomery A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...

* Naval Station Charleston * Naval Station Mobile * Naval Station Staten Island * Naval Station Treasure Island *

Naval Supply Center, Oakland The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Oakland was a supply facility operated by the U.S. Navy in Oakland, California. During World War II, it was a major source of supplies and war materials for ships operating in the Pacific. The Depot had it ...

* Naval Training Center Orlando *

Naval Training Center San Diego Naval Training Center San Diego (NTC San Diego) (1923–1997) is a former United States Navy base located at the north end of San Diego Bay, commonly known as "boot camp". The Naval Training Center site is listed on the National Register of His ...

* Newark Air Force Base * O'Hare Air Reserve Station *

Plattsburgh Air Force Base Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) base covering 3,447 acres (13.7 km²) in the extreme northeast corner of New York, located on the western shore of Lake Champlain opposite Burlingto ...

* Vint Hill Farms Station * Williams Air Force Base

1995

The

1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1995 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It recommended closing 32 major United States military bases. ...

included: * Bergstrom Air Force Base * Camp Bonneville * Castle Air Force Base * Fitzsimons Army Medical Center * Fort Chaffee (Turned over to the Arkansas National Guard) * Fort Greely (Realign) *

Fort Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and National Guard Training Center primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. A portion of the installation is located in eastern Daup ...

(Turned over to the Pennsylvania National Guard) * Fort McClellan * Fort Pickett (Turned over to the Virginia National Guard) * Fort Ritchie *

Kelly Air Force Base Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

(realigned as Kelly Field) * Letterkenny Army Depot * McClellan Air Force Base * Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne *

Naval Air Facility Adak Naval Air Facility Adak , was a United States Navy airport located west of Adak, on Adak Island in the U.S. state of Alaska.. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 11 February 2010. After its closure in 1997, it was reopened as Adak Airpor ...

* Naval Air Station South Weymouth *

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Warminster Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster was a U.S. Navy military installation located in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Ivyland, Pennsylvania. For most of its existence (1949–1993), the base was known as the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Warm ...

Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Indianapolis Naval Air Warfare Center, Indianapolis (NAWC) is a former United States Navy facility in Warren Township, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. The plant opened in 1942, covering and employing some 3,000 in avionics research and development. The facility ...

* Naval Reserve Center Fayetteville * Naval Reserve Center Fort Smith * Naval Reserve Center Huntsville * Naval Shipyard, Long Beach *

* Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division * Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division * Oakland Army Base *

Ontario Air National Guard Station Ontario Air National Guard Station is a former California Air National Guard facility located alongside Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California. Origins in World War II Ontario Army Air Field was established before World War II. It i ...

* Red River Army Depot * Reese Air Force Base * Roslyn Air National Guard Station * Savanna Army Depot Activity *

Seneca Army Depot The former Seneca Army Depot occupied between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake in Seneca County, New York. It was used as a munitions storage and disposal facility by the United States Army from 1941 until the 1990s. The Depot was listed in the ...

Ship Repair Facility, Guam Naval Base Guam is a strategic U.S. naval base located on Apra Harbor and occupying the Orote Peninsula. In 2009, it was combined with Andersen Air Force Base to form Joint Region Marianas, which is a Navy-controlled joint base. The Ship Repa ...

Sierra Army Depot Sierra Army Depot (SIAD) is a United States Army post and military equipment storage facility located near the unincorporated community of Herlong, California. It was built in 1942 as one of several ammunition storage facilities located far en ...

(Realign) *

Stratford Army Engine Plant The Stratford Army Engine Plant (SAEP) was a Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command installation and manufacturing facility located in Stratford, Connecticut, where it was sited along the Housatoni ...

2005

The Pentagon released its proposed list for the

2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It was the fifth Base Realignment and Closure ("BRAC") proposal generated since the process was created in ...

on May 13, 2005 (a date given the moniker "BRAC Friday," a pun on Black Friday). After an extensive series of public hearings, analysis of DoD-supplied supporting data, and solicitation of comments from the public, the list of recommendations was revised by the 9-member Defense Base Closure and Realignments Commission in two days of public markups and votes on individual recommendations (the proceedings were broadcast by

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...

and are available for review on the network's website). The Commission submitted its revised list to the President on September 8, 2005. The President approved the list and signalled his approval to Congress on September 15. The House of Representatives took up a joint resolution to disapprove the recommendations on October 26, but the resolution failed to pass. The recommendations were thereby enacted. The

Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

must implement the recommendations no later than September 15, 2011. Major facilities slated for closure included: * Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, renamed Brooks City-Base after San Antonio assumed control * Defense Finance and Accounting Service, New York (removed from list 2005) *

Ellsworth Air Force Base Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder, South Dakota, Box Elder. The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assi ...

, South Dakota (removed from list August 26, 2005) * Fort Gillem, Georgia *

Fort McPherson Fort McPherson was a U.S. Army military base located in Atlanta, Georgia, bordering the northern edge of the city of East Point, Georgia. It was the headquarters for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Southeast Region; the U.S. Ar ...

, Georgia * Fort Monmouth, New Jersey * Fort Monroe, Virginia * Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine * Naval Air Station Willow Grove Joint Reserve Base, Pennsylvania * Naval Station Ingleside, Texas *

Naval Station Pascagoula Naval Station Pascagoula (NAVSTA Pascagoula) was a base of the United States Navy, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Pascagoula, Mississippi. The base officially closed 15 November 2006. The base's property, on Singing River Island in the Mississippi S ...

, Mississippi * Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut (removed from list August 24, 2005) * Navy Supply Corps School * Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts (removed from list August 26, 2005) * Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine (removed from list August 26, 2005) Major facilities slated for realignment include: * Army Human Resource Command (HRC), Missouri, moving to the

Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...

Military Installation in Kentucky * Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico * Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska * Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska * Fort Belvoir, Virginia * Fort Meade, Maryland * Fort Rucker, Alabama, Aviation Technical Test Center moving to the

Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal (RSA) is a United States Army post and a census-designated place (CDP) adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a garrison f ...

, Alabama and combining with the

Redstone Technical Test Center The Redstone Technical Test Center (RTTC) was one of the eight test centers that comprise the Developmental Test Command of the United States Army Test and Evaluation Command. RTTC conducted flight-testing of small rockets and guided missiles, and ...

to form Redstone Test Center * Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota * Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia (extent contingent on reopening the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Florida) *

Naval Station Great Lakes Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes) is the home of the United States Navy's only recruit training, boot camp, located near North Chicago, Illinois, North Chicago, in Lake County, Illinois. Important tenant commands include the Recruit ...

, Illinois * Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina (Transferred to U.S. Army as Pope Army Airfield and merged with

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

) * Rome Laboratory, New York * Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 26 bases were re-aligned into 12 joint bases, with each joint base's installation support being led by the Army, the Air Force, or the Navy. An example is Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington, combining

Fort Lewis Fort Lewis may refer to: *Fort Lewis (Colorado), a former United States Army post (1878–1891) in the U.S. State of Colorado **Fort Lewis College, a college in the Durango, Colorado, United States **Fort Lewis Skyhawks, athletic teams of Fort Lewi ...

and McChord Air Force Base.

2015

The 2005 Commission recommended that Congress authorize another BRAC round in 2015, and then every eight years thereafter. On May 10, 2012, the House Armed Services Committee rejected Pentagon calls for base closures outside of a 2015 round by a 44 to 18 vote. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had called for two rounds of base closures, while at the same time arguing that the alternative of the sequester would be a "meat-ax" approach to cuts which would "hollow out" military forces. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 specifically prohibits authorization of future BRAC rounds. In May 2014, it was attempted to fund another round of BRAC, although funding was not approved in a vote in May of that year. In March 2015, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment addressed the possibility of a future BRAC, indicating that the DOD, Defense Secretary Ash Carter was requesting authority to conduct another BRAC. In September 2015, at the tenth anniversary of the end of the most recent BRAC commission report, its former chairman

Anthony J. Principi Anthony Joseph Principi (born April 16, 1944) is the former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2001, and resigned on January 26, 2005. He Chaired the 2005 Defense Base Closure ...

wrote "now is the time to do what’s right for our men and women in uniform. Spending dollars on infrastructure that does not serve their needs is inexcusable."

Appropriations

The following is a chronological timeline of authorizations for U.S. Congressional legislation related to US defense installation realignments and military base closures.

References

External links

"Collection: Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission" at the UNT Digital Library
{{Authority control Base Realignment and Closure Commission United States defense policymaking Lists of United States military installations Installations of the U.S. Department of Defense Military Superfund sites