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Military Base Closures: Better Planning Needed for Future Reserve Enclaves

GAO-03-723 Published: Jun 27, 2003. Publicly Released: Jun 27, 2003.
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Highlights

While four previous base closure rounds have afforded the Department of Defense (DOD) the opportunity to divest itself of unneeded property, it has, at the same time, retained more than 350,000 acres and nearly 20 million square feet of facilities on enclaves at closed or realigned bases for use by the reserve components. In view of the upcoming 2005 base closure round, GAO undertook this review to ascertain if opportunities exist to improve the decision-making processes used to establish reserve enclaves. Specifically, GAO determined to what extent (1)specific infrastructure needs for reserve enclaves were identified as part of base realignment and closure decision making and (2) estimated costs to operate and maintain enclaves were considered in deriving net estimated savings for realigning or closing bases.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense As part of the new base realignment and closure round scheduled for 2005, the Secretary of Defense should establish provisions to ensure that data provided to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission clearly specify the infrastructure (e.g., acreage and total square footage of facilities) needed for any proposed reserve enclaves.
Closed – Implemented
DOD concurred with the recommendation and recognized the need for improved planning for reserve enclaves as part of BRAC decision making. In planning for the 2005 BRAC round DOD created a joint action process team to estimate the cost of base realignment actions. In May 2004, this team issued a new users manual (COBRA manual) that required the services, in planning for the 2005 round, to identify the facility requirements(e.g., square footage), as well as the costs to sustain and recapitalize any reserve enclaves that may be created as a result of the BRAC 2005 recommendations. The services subsequently provided such data for proposed enclaves in the DOD submissions to the BRAC Commission. This action was precipitated by the GAO report and satisfies the recommended language.
Department of Defense As part of the new base realignment and closure round scheduled for 2005, the Secretary of Defense should establish provisions to ensure that data provided to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission clearly specify the estimated costs to operate and maintain proposed reserve enclaves.
Closed – Implemented
DOD concurred with the recommendation and recognized the need for improved planning for reserve enclaves as part of BRAC decision making. In planning for the 2005 BRAC round, DOD created a joint action process team to estimate the cost of base realignment actions. In May 2004, this team issued a new users manual (COBRA manual) that required the services, in planning for the 2005 round, to identify the facility requirements(e.g., square footage), as well as the costs to sustain and recapitalize any reserve enclaves that may be created as a result of the BRAC 2005 recommendations. The services subsequently provided such data for proposed enclaves in the DOD submissions to the BRAC Commission. This action was precipitated by the GAO report and satisfies the recommended language.

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Topics

Base closuresBase realignmentsDefense capabilitiesDefense cost controlMilitary basesMilitary cost controlProjectionsStrategic planningDecision makingU.S. Army