Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) was a process by a United States federal government commission to increase the efficiency of the United States Department of Defense by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end of the Cold War. Over 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 U.S. military bases, forts, posts, and stations. The subsequent 1950s buildup for the Cold War (e.g., during the Korean War) resulted in large numbers of new installations, such as the 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). In 1958, U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) began to replace Strategic Air Command bombers. From 1960 to 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 Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the Springfield Armory, six bomber bases, and 15 Air Defense Command radar stations—a realignment transferred Highlands Air Force Station to the adjacent Highlands Army Air Defense Site.
1968 Project 693 Project 693Defense Agencies Summary: DoD Project 693, nd, fldr FY 1969 Budget, box 71, ASD(C) files, OSD Hist. 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'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 May 3, 1988, the Carlucci Commission was chartered by Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, which in December 1988 recommended closing five Air Force bases: Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, George Air Force Base, Mather Air Force Base and Norton Air Force Base in California, and Pease Air Force Base 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 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 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 visiting 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 it could only be approved or disapproved in its entirety. On November 7, 2005, the approved list was then given to Congress, who 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.
Closures and realignments 1988 The 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:
Alabama Army Ammunition Plant Army Materials Technology Laboratory Army Reserve Center Gaithersburg Bennett Army National Guard Facility Cameron Station Cape St. George Chanute Air Force Base Coosa River Storage Annex Defense Mapping Agency site Herndon, Virginia Former Nike Site at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Fort Bliss (realigned) Fort Des Moines Fort Detrick (realigned) Fort Dix (realigned as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst) Fort Douglas Fort Holabird Fort Meade (realigned) 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 Jefferson Proving Ground Kapalama Military Reservation Phase III Lexington Army Depot Lexington-Bluegrass Army Depot Mather Air Force Base Navajo Depot Activity (turned over to the Arizona Army National Guard) Naval Hospital Philadelphia Naval Reserve Center Coconut Grove Naval Station Galveston Naval Station Lake Charles Naval Station New York Naval Station Puget Sound Naval Station San Francisco (realigned) New Orleans Military Ocean Terminal Nike Washington-Baltimore Norton Air Force Base Pease Air Force Base (realigned as Pease Air National Guard Base) Pontiac Storage Facility Presidio of San Francisco Pueblo Army Depot (realigned) Salton Sea Test Base St. Louis Area Support Center Wherry housing Tacony Warehouse Umatilla Army Depot (realigned)
1990 In 1990, the Navy considered cutting 34 military installations.
In accordance with Pub. L. 101-510, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommended the closure of Military Ocean Terminal, Bayonne, New Jersey, and the Oakland Army Base, California, and relocation of MTMC Western Area and MTMC Eastern Area Headquarters to a location to be determined by the Army. The U.S. Army selected Fort Eustis, Virginia, as the preliminary site. Fort Eutis would become the new home of MTMC CONUS Command.
1991 The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:
Beale Air Force Base (realigned) Bergstrom Air Force Base Carswell Air Force Base (turned over to the United States Navy Reserve and realigned as Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth) Castle Air Force Base Eaker Air Force Base England Air Force Base Fleet Combat Direction Systems Support Activity San Diego (realigned) Fort Benjamin Harrison Fort Chaffee (unchanged in 1991, turned over to the Arkansas Army National Guard during 1995 BRAC) Fort Devens (turned over to the United States Army Reserve and realigned as Devens Reserve Forces Training Area) Fort Ord Fort Rucker (realigned) Grissom Air Force Base (realigned as Grissom Air Reserve Base) Hunters Point Annex Integrated Combat Systems Test Facility San Diego Letterman Army Institute of Research (disestablished) 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 (realigned as Moffett Federal Airfield, to include Moffett Field Air National Guard Base) Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center San Diego Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center Vallejo Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center Naval Space Systems Activity Los Angeles Naval Station Long Beach Naval Station Philadelphia Naval Station Puget Sound Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (realigned) Naval Air Station Point Mugu Philadelphia Naval Yard Presidio of Monterey (realigned) Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base Rickenbacker Air Force Base (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 included:
Anniston Army Depot (realigned) Camp Evans Fort Wingate Griffiss Air Force Base Homestead Air Force Base (realigned as Homestead Air Reserve Base) K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base March Air Force Base (realigned as March Air Reserve Base) Mare Island Naval Shipyard Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Naval Air Station Agana Naval Air Station Alameda Naval Air Station Barbers Point Naval Air Station Cecil Field Naval Air Station Dallas (realigned as Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex) Naval Air Station Glenview Naval Air Warfare Center Trenton Naval Aviation Depot Alameda 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 Naval Station Argentia Naval Station Charleston Naval Station Mobile Naval Station Staten Island Naval Station Treasure Island Naval Supply Center, Oakland Naval Training Center Orlando Naval Training Center Orlando, McCoy Annex Naval Underwater Sound Reference Laboratory, Orlando Naval Training Center San Diego Newark Air Force Base (privatized as Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center with USAF tenants) O'Hare Air Reserve Station Plattsburgh Air Force Base Vint Hill Farms Station Williams Air Force Base
1995 The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included:
Camp Bonneville Castle Air Force Base Fitzsimons Army Medical Center Fort Chaffee (turned over to the Arkansas National Guard) Fort Greely (realigned) Fort Indiantown Gap (turned over to the Pennsylvania National Guard) Fort McClellan Fort Barfoot (turned over to the Virginia National Guard) Fort Ritchie Kelly Air Force Base (realigned as Kelly Field) Letterkenny Army Depot McClellan Air Force Base (portion retained as Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento) Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne Naval Air Facility Adak Naval Air Station South Weymouth Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Warminster Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Indianapolis Naval Reserve Center Fayetteville Naval Reserve Center Fort Smith Naval Reserve Center Huntsville Naval Shipyard, Long Beach Naval Supply Center, Oakland Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Oakland Army Base Ontario Air National Guard Station Red River Army Depot Reese Air Force Base Roslyn Air National Guard Station Savanna Army Depot Activity Seneca Army Depot Ship Repair Facility, Guam Sierra Army Depot (realigned) Stratford Army Engine Plant
2005