At last week’s hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on the fiscal 2013 budget request, the topic of BRAC came up often, with lawmakers questioning the rationale behind the Pentagon’s proposal for two more rounds a common refrain. A comment from Rep. Mac Thornberry was typical: “The 2005 round of BRAC will not even break even until 2018, according to GAO …
The senior military officer in Alaska told state lawmakers this week that Eielson Air Force Base will continue to play a critical role if the Air Force carries out a proposal to relocate the Fairbanks installation’s 18th Aggressor Squadron to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Eielson will keep its Air National Guard air refueling unit and host multiple Red Flag Alaska training exercises each year …
For communities trying to handicap the chances that Congress will grant the Pentagon’s request for one or two base closure rounds, one argument working against a new BRAC round is that at a time when DOD desperately needs to find ways to slash the budget here and now, why would the administration propose an undertaking that would seem to cost money in the short term, with the prospect of savings likely to occur only further down the road …
At a hearing Wednesday of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Candice Miller wondered whether the Department of Homeland Security had missed an opportunity to acquire property at some of the installations closed during the last round of BRAC. To avoid that outcome in the future, Miller asked Janet Napolitano, secretary of homeland security, to keep that option in mind if DOD conducts BRAC rounds in 2013 and 2015 …
Five members of the Senate Armed Services Committee indicated they were either concerned about or opposed to another round of BRAC during a hearing Tuesday on the Pentagon’s fiscal 2013 budget request. Chairman Carl Levin said DOD should first consolidate its bases in Europe before scrutinizing its domestic infrastructure …
Is DOD counting on gaining Congress’ acquiescence for at least one of the two BRAC rounds it plans to request? At Monday’s news briefing, Comptroller Robert Hale reiterated that DOD officials did not include in their future years defense plan an estimate of the costs or saving associated with two BRAC rounds, primarily because the ability to conduct a new BRAC depends on getting a green light from Congress …
Funding for the military construction line item — excluding family housing — would drop $1.8 billion to $9.6 billion under the budget proposal for fiscal 2013, potentially marking the second straight year milcon spending suffers a substantial decline. Milcon spending fell $3.4 billion in FY 2012 to $11.4 billion, with much of the change stemming from the sharp drop-off in BRAC spending …
OEA would assist communities affected by the loss of weapons manufacturing jobs as well as those preparing to accommodate an influx of troops returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, under the fiscal 2013 budget request DOD released Monday. The request includes $12.0 million to support reductions in force structure and weapons procurement throughout the nation, funding needed so that OEA can help affected communities coordinate a local, state and federal response …
Local officials are viewing the announcement that Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal will include $28 million in the state’s fiscal 2013 budget to invest at the former Fort McPherson as the perfect impetus to accelerate the site’s redevelopment. “No one sees the state as the savior for this, but it can provide the bait to bring in people and business …
After meeting with senior Air Force leaders last week, Pennsylvania lawmakers criticized the service’s recommendation to close the Air Force Reserve’s 911th Airlift Wing without first completing a technical analysis. “The Air Force admitted there is no analysis showing that closure of the 911th is the best decision on behalf of the taxpayers. I understand restructuring is difficult, but it must be done impartially, with Congress’ approval, and only after all relevant information has been analyzed …