The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), formerly the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), is a
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
(DoD)
field activity and the DoD's primary source for assisting communities that are adversely impacted (e.g. loss of employment or contracting opportunities) by Defense program changes, including
base closures or realignments, base expansions, and contract or program cancellations. To assist affected communities, OLDCC manages and directs the Defense Economic Adjustment Program and coordinates the involvement of other
federal agencies.
History
Founded in 1961 under President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
and
Defense Secretary
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the ...
, the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), later the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), was tasked with mitigating the adverse impact on jobs and local economies after a government cost-reduction program closed several
military bases
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and Military operation, operations. A military base always provides ...
. In the late-1960s and early-70s, OEA opened regional offices in major cities nationwide to facilitate federal grant deliveries.
[
In the 1980s, OEA phased out categorical grants (grants with specific categories upon which they can be spent) in favor of block grants (grants with few or no conditions on spending). Regional assistance waned and all offices not on the West Coast were shuttered. No major military bases were closed during the 1980s. In 1988, a new base closure statute was enacted, which was designed to shield the process from political manipulation ( Pork barrel politics, i.e. congresspeople ensuring bases in their states or districts remain open for political gain). The law set up a bipartisan commission that channeled base recommendations to the president; approximately 100 bases were closed and 50 realigned.]
As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure
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 ...
(BRAC) process developed in the late-1980s and 1990s, OEA provided support to many local communities amidst defense industry
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and s ...
cutbacks. OEA's success served as a model for communities within former Soviet States
The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
and new Eastern European
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
countries to better cope with reductions in military spending brought about by the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[
The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA FY2021) included a provision (Section 905) that amended Chapter 4 of ]Title 10 of the United States Code
Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of armed forces in the United States Code.
It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense. Ea ...
to rename OEC the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). The provision took effect upon enactment of the Act on January 1, 2021.[
In 2013, military operations partially subsided as a result of ]budget sequestration
Budget sequestration is a provision of United States law that causes an across-the-board reduction in certain kinds of spending included in the federal budget. Sequestration involves setting a hard cap on the amount of government spending with ...
(spending cuts) imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011
The Budget Control Act of 2011 () is a federal statute enacted by the 112th United States Congress and signed into law by US President Barack Obama on August 2, 2011. The Act brought conclusion to the 2011 US debt-ceiling crisis.
The law inv ...
, harming Defense Department-dependent states and communities. Seeking to avert similar economic slowdowns, OEA Director O'Brien began issuing the “Defense Spending by State” report to help state and local leaders cope with potential loss of Defense contracts through economic diversification or technological innovation and Defense Secretary
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...
Leon Panetta
Leon Edward Panetta (born June 28, 1938) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in several different public office positions, including Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the Office of ...
pledged continuing aid to affected communities.
Executive Order
In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of t ...
14008, issued by President Joe Biden in early 2021, added addressing climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
to OLDCC's goals.[
]
Operations
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation provides technical and financial assistance (referred to as economic adjustment assistance) to states and local communities supporting the mission of the Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
. Such aid is intended to enhance the resiliency and readiness of defense installations and their surrounding communities.[
Economic adjustment assistance provides a community-based context for assessing economic hardships caused by DoD program changes by identifying and evaluating alternative courses of action, identifying resource requirements, and assisting in the preparation of an adjustment strategy or action plan to help communities help themselves. Public and private partnerships are employed in areas such as ]public infrastructure
Public infrastructure is infrastructure owned or available for use by the public (represented by the government). It is distinguishable from generic or private infrastructure in terms of policy, financing, purpose, etc.
Public infrastructure is ...
to help local communities, the residents of which are often employed by or otherwise support military installations, and reduce operating costs
Operating costs or operational costs, are the expenses which are related to the operation of a business, or to the operation of a device, component, piece of equipment or facility. They are the cost of resources used by an organization just to main ...
.[
OLDCC employees have a range of experience in economic and ]community development
The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists ...
, land use planning
Land use planning is the process of regulating the use of land by a central authority. Usually, this is done to promote more desirable social and environmental outcomes as well as a more efficient use of resources. More specifically, the goals ...
, real estate redevelopment, federal real property programs, military programs, and worker adjustment. Project managers also bring a working knowledge of other federal agencies and their respective programs to help communities put together an adjustment program combining federal, state, local, and private resources.
OLDCC also administers a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) program to encourage cooperative land use planning between military installations and the surrounding communities where civilian encroachment is likely to impair the operations of an installation. In these instances, the Office may provide technical and financial assistance to state and local governments to achieve compatible land use and development activities near Department facilities. A JLUS is funded by an OLDCC grant and contributions from the local government (the "JLUS sponsor"); such studies seek to balance military installation and local community needs by increasing stakeholder communication and joint planning to ensure compatibility.
Programs
OLDCC operates six "programs of assistance" aimed at helping local Defense-supporting communities:[
* Community Investment Program: Funds ]public services
A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...
(e.g. infrastructure, utilities
A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and ...
, schools, medical care) for Department personnel and their families. Further divided into four program lines:
** Mission Growth: Supplies grants
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
* Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
*Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
*Grant, Inyo County, ...
to state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
and local governments to finance adjustments in public services and infrastructure in response to base establishments or expansions.
** Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI): Funds construction, renovation, repair, and expansion of public schools located on military bases
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and Military operation, operations. A military base always provides ...
. Despite their location, these schools are operated by local authorities
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
.
** Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Associated with Medical Facilities: Funds improvements in accessibility of military medical centers at expanding installations.
** Civilian Infrastructure on the Territory of Guam: Funds public water
Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...
and wastewater treatment infrastructure and historic preservation
Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...
efforts on Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
, an American territory closely tied to the military.
* Downsizing Program: After base closures or reductions, deploys project managers to select local redevelopment authorities (LRAs) to represent community members to local, state, and federal agencies. The project manager and LRA develop plans to revitalize the local economy, seek private and public investment, and support affected workers and businesses.
* Industry Resilience Program: Alongside state and local partners, helps defense manufacturers diversify products, attract investment, and develop new technologies. Additionally, enhances defense-industrial company resilience and potency through cybersecurity
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, t ...
, modernization, and worker training assistance.
* Military Installation Sustainability Program: Funds state and local government improvement of installation sustainability (i.e. resilience against natural disasters or adverse environmental changes such as climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
and pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
). Delivers grants to states, private landowners, and others and drafts plans and provides assistance in finding solutions to light pollution
Light pollution is the presence of unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive use of artificial Visible spectrum, lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting, during the day ...
, urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
, endangered species management, energy security
Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to (relatively) cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven d ...
threats, etc.
* Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP): Funds community infrastructure to support Defense personnel and families.
* Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP): Supports long-term community investments in national security innovation and defense manufacturing industrial ecosystem capability expansion (i.e. funding research and development in defense-critical technologies).
Selected activities
Below is an incomplete listing of projects funded by OLDCC. When known, the specific program behind the funding is given.
In September 2020, DMCSP awarded a $3.7 million grant to the University of Alabama in Huntsville
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is a public research university in Huntsville, Alabama. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and comprises nine colleges: arts, humanities & social scienc ...
to fund aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...
, missile, and ground vehicle modernization in the Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
Defense Advanced Manufacturing Community (a group of 22 counties and major military areas such as Redstone Arsenal).[
Also in September 2020, DCIP awarded a $1.4 million grant to the city of Sierra Vista, Arizona to construct an ]emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
substation serving Fort Huachuca military members.[
In June 2021, OLDCC provided 80% (roughly $24.4 million) of the $30.5 million construction costs of a new elementary school in ]Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...
, Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
.
In July 2021, the Industry Resilience Program provided $1.5 million to the state of Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, with $1.026 million going to the GENEDGE Alliance (a Virginia manufacturing development organization) to help at least 85 small defense companies afford compliance with Defense Department cybersecurity standards
IT security standards or cyber security standards are techniques generally outlined in published materials that attempt to protect the cyber environment of a user or organization. This environment includes users themselves, networks, devices, all ...
and $474,000 going to the Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia w ...
-run Maritime Industrial Base Ecosystem (MIBE) initiative, which seeks to modernize and sustain maritime training pipelines to support the shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befo ...
and ship repair workforces.
In February 2021, OLDCC funding allowed the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to conduct a study of its defense industry (much like Guam, Hawaii's Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
location makes it strategically important and military-tied). State officials were able to move towards developing a new agency to attract local businesses to defense contracts, using military funds to diversify the Hawaiian economy, and planning ahead in the event of a defense spending decrease.
Organization
OLDCC is a Department of Defense field activity under the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD); more specifically, it is under the purview of the (OUSD(A&S)).[ The Under Secretary also appoints the director of OLDCC.]
While headquartered in Arlington, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...
, OLDCC retains a Western Regional Office in Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
headed by Deputy Director, Western Regional Office/Program Manager Gary Kuwabara.[
]
Director
The director of OLDCC is, by statute, appointed by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and must be a federal civilian employee or private individual with "experience in the interagency in the Executive Branch ndexperience in the administration and management of Federal grants programs." He or she is charged with operating the Office and ensuring appropriate aid is sent to Defense-supporting communities.[ The director serves '' ex officio'' as Executive Director of the Economic Adjustment Committee, a body composed of various federal department heads and other agency leaders or their representatives that coordinates interagency economic assistance in response to Defense program changes.]
The current director is Patrick O'Brien, an economic development
In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...
expert and former HUD
Hud or HUD may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman
* ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film
* ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program
Places
* Hud, Fa ...
employee.[
]
Programs and director subordinates
The various subordinates of the director of OLDCC head various programs and internal subdivisions of the office. Below is a list of subgroups/programs and their respective leaders:
* Community Investment Program - Program Director, Community Investment; currently (as of August 2021) Sigmund "Sig" Csicsery
* Downsizing Program - Deputy Program Director, BRAC & Downsizing; currently Elizabeth "Liz" Chimienti
* Industry Resilience Program - Program Director, Industry Resilience; currently Michael Gilroy
* Military Installation Sustainability Program - Program Director, Military Installation Sustainability; currently David R. Kennedy
* Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) - ''Unknown''
* Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP) - ''Unknown''
Below is a list of senior offices not directly affiliated with the above six programs:
* Deputy Director for Integration, currently Doug Brown
* Deputy Director for Programs, currently Daniel Glasson
* Deputy Director for Compliance, currently James P. Holland
* Program Director for Intergovernmental Affairs, currently Tara Butler
* Deputy Director, Western Regional Office/Program Manager, currently Gary Kuwabara
* Associate Director, currently William Van Houten[
]
Economic Assistance Committee
The Economic Adjustment Committee (EAC) is a body composed of various federal department heads and other agency leaders (or their designees) that coordinates interagency economic assistance in response to Defense program changes. It is not a part of OLDCC, but works closely with the Office. With a membership similar to but greater than that of a typical presidential cabinet, the EAC's current roster of 22 is as follows:
* Secretary of Agriculture
* Attorney General (head of the Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
)
* Secretary of Commerce
* Secretary of Defense
* Secretary of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
* Secretary of Energy
The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when Pr ...
* Secretary of Health and Human Services
The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
* Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The United States secretary of housing and urban development (or HUD secretary) is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the president's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the presidential line of succe ...
* Secretary of the Interior
* Secretary of Labor
* Secretary of State
* Secretary of Transportation
* Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
* Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The United States secretary of veterans affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and national veterans' memorials and cemeteries. The secretary is a me ...
* Secretary of Homeland Security
The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the U ...
* Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers
* Director of the Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, poli ...
(OMB)
* Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
* Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and is thus responsible for enforcing the nation's Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, as well as numerous other environ ...
(EPA)
* Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA)
* Administrator of the Small Business Administration
The administrator of the Small Business Administration is the head of the Small Business Administration of the United States Government. President Barack Obama announced in January 2012 that he would elevate the SBA administrator into the Cabine ...
(SBA)
* Postmaster General
A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having a government official responsib ...
(head of USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...
)[
Additionally, the Director of the Office of the Local Defense Community Cooperation serves as the EAC's Executive Director][
]
References
External links
*
United States Department of Defense agencies
{{US-gov-stub