Should the DoD Continue to Have a Base Realignment and Closure Process

Base Realignment and Closing Commission BRAC is the congressionally authorized process DoD has previously used to reorganize its base structure to more efficiently and effectively support our forces, increase operational readiness and facilitate new ways of doing business. The government used this mechanism to make difficult decisions regarding which domestic military bases should be closed or realigned. The DoD estimates that a future BRAC round could generate approximately 7 billion in annual recurring savings in todays dollars. Resources currently being spent on excess installation infrastructure could be allocated to higher priority requirements, such as efforts to modernize weapons, enhance quality of life, and improve readiness. Yet, the politics of military base closures are particularly difficult in a political system like that of the United States, where all politics is local where congressional committees with jurisdiction over military bases tend to over-represent districts containing bases and where gridlock and inaction are institutionally privileged.