9/15/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- After more than six years of execution, the Air Force successfully completed its 2005 Base Realignment and Closure program, Air Force officials announced Sept. 15.
All 64 of the Air Force BRAC recommendations enacted into law Nov. 9, 2005, are now complete. Air Force BRAC Program Management Office members finalized the 401 actions required to implement the 64 BRAC recommendations on time and within the $3.8 billion budget. This up-front investment will result in $1.4 billion in annual savings.
"The Headquarters Air Force BRAC team worked in unison with teams at each major command to execute all requirements of this congressional mandate," said Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations. "I am extremely proud to be part of this team and their remarkable effort to maximize the Air Force's ability to work smarter in today's economic environment while safeguarding national security."
The Air Force BRAC 2005 recommendations directed seven closures and 63 realignments affecting 122 installations, officials said. In completing the Air Force recommendations, the BRAC program management office members accomplished Air Force objectives to maximize warfighting capability, realign infrastructure, eliminate excess physical capacity and capitalize on opportunities for joint activities. This was accomplished by aligning current weapon systems force structure with available infrastructure to more efficiently and effectively support forces, increase operational readiness and improve the way the Air Force does business.
"Although BRAC 2005 did not completely meet the Air Force's infrastructure reduction requirements, we are more streamlined and better positioned to provide America's continued dominance in air, space and cyberspace," Ferguson said. Environmental remediation and cleanup will continue at closed installations until the property is transferred to local communities or other government entities.
(Courtesy of the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs)
Comments
9/16/2011 8:06:35 AM ET Ahh more confusion The first paragraph states the Air Force successfully completed its 2005 Base Realignment and Closure program. Fine. But in the last paragraph they appear to change their tune by saying BRAC 2005 did not completely meet the Air Force's infrastructure reduction requirements. I guess it all depends on how you define success.
I.M. Notsure, Pentagon
9/15/2011 6:54:39 PM ET It really puzzle me that the government can spend 3.8 billion dollars to save 1.4 billion and figure that the Defense budget comes out ahead but they don't even mention that there was a 2.6 billion dollar outlay that was spend trying to save that original 3.8 billion. The other thing i will comment on is all the supposed savings that the military services supposely saved when all jobs that the grunts use to do are now being done by civilians who get payed many more dollars than those low ranking military grunts get. Plus, when those civilians work overtime that costs our defense department more. After all, those grunts were on 24/7 for their pay when civilians aren't neither are those civilians ready to go TDY ALL OVER THE WORLD WITHOUT ALL THE EXTRA PAYS.
