Posts Tagged ‘growth communities’

When the Defense Health Headquarters — which will bring all DOD military medical health care operations to one campus — opens in July, about 3,000 employees are expected to exacerbate existing traffic congestion in Fairfax County, Va. Because the facility is located in leased space that already existed, however, the site was not required to meet many rules designed to lessen traffic impacts, reports wtop.com …

The Navy plans to broaden the scope of an ongoing environmental impact study to assess the impact of reducing the number of Marines relocating from Okinawa to Guam, the Joint Guam Program Office said Tuesday. The expanded supplemental EIS — initially intended to identify locations for a live fire training complex — will evaluate new alternatives for locating the Marine’s main base and family housing, and take a fresh look at how changes in the size of the influx will affect Guam’s civil infrastructure …

Guam would eligible for federal assistance to cover the costs of providing increased municipal services and facilities stemming from the relocation of Marine Corps personnel, under a provision in the FY 2013 defense authorization bill approved by the House Armed Services’ Readiness Subcommittee Friday. DOD would be required to determine “that an unfair and excessive financial burden will be incurred by the government of Guam to provide the services and facilities in the absence of the Department of Defense assistance,” according to the provision.

While the House Armed Services’ Readiness Subcommittee on Friday rejected the Pentagon’s request for two new BRAC rounds, at the same time it called for GAO to review how defense communities that experienced significant mission growth in the past handled the associated strains on their transportation infrastructure, schools, utilities and housing. “Now that the Department of Defense has completed its fifth BRAC round and the potential exists for future infrastructure, force structure and installation mission changes, local communities may once again have to manage potentially significant installation change …

The Army will establish a new two-star headquarters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, reflecting the installation’s growth over the past nine years, as well as its strategic importance, Army Secretary John McHugh said Thursday. “The Department of the Army believes this new headquarters will help meet the needs created by the base’s nine years of dynamic growth and its evolving future missions …

Three members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, including the top Democrat and Republican, repeated their concerns Tuesday that the Pentagon has yet to answer questions about the cost, military sustainment and force management, and overall strategy for the Asia-Pacific region after being briefed on a new agreement between the United States and Japan on the planned move of Marines from Okinawa to Guam. “We require additional information regarding how this proposal relates to the broader strategic concept of operations in the region, the Marine Corps’ concept of operations, master plans and alternatives to base realignments on Guam and Okinawa, as well as the positioning of U.S. Air Force units in the Asia-Pacific region …

A measure providing bond money from the state of Alabama to school districts affected by BRAC mission growth was approved in committee this week and is expected to go to the House floor shortly. House Bill 407 would make it easier for school systems to qualify for special renovation or construction bonds by removing the requirement for the schools to first raise their sales or property tax rates …

House lawmakers took advantage of the opportunity offered Tuesday by the Armed Services Committee for non-committee members to discuss their priorities for the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill by calling for the panel to quash planned force structure reductions included in the Air Force’s fiscal 2013 budget request that fall heavily on the Air National Guard. Iowa Rep. Tom Latham questioned the Air Force’s proposal to eliminate the Air National Guard’s 132nd Fighter Wing based in Des Moines, saying the decision would result in an irreversible loss of expertise and experience of Guard personnel who fly and maintain the F-16 …

DOD encountered an array of challenges in implementing BRAC 2005 recommendations, contributing to a base closure round that stood out from the previous four, Brian Lepore, director of defense capabilities and management for GAO, told the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee last week. In contrast to previous rounds which were primarily intended to reduce excess infrastructure, the 2005 round focused on transforming the military and fostering jointness …

Two measures moving in the Alabama legislature could raise the prospect that the Huntsville region’s Redstone Arsenal attracts new missions in a future round of base closures. Senate Bill 245 would make it easier for school systems to qualify for special renovation or construction bonds available to schools affected by mission growth resulting from BRAC 2005 …