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Military Bases: Closure and Realignment Savings Are Significant, but Not Easily Quantified

NSIAD-96-67 Published: Apr 08, 1996. Publicly Released: Apr 18, 1996.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) cost and savings estimates for past base realignment and closure (BRAC) actions, focusing on the: (1) extent to which DOD is achieving actual savings from BRAC; and (2) adequacy of the DOD process for developing the cost and savings estimates reported in its annual budget submissions.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should, at a minimum, explain the methodology used to estimate savings in future BRAC budget submissions. Also, the submissions should note that all BRAC-related costs are not included.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD agreed that the BRAC budget submissions should include an advisory statement that economic assistance and non-DOD costs are not included. DOD also said that it was willing to consider including in its BRAC budget submissions a brief statement explaining that the BRAC budget submissions are based on the initial cost and savings estimates that are subsequently refined through the use of site surveys and updated information to provide budget-quality data. However, DOD has not included these statements in its subsequent BRAC budget submissions.

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Topics

Base closuresBase realignmentsFuture budget projectionsManagement information systemsMilitary basesMilitary budgetsMilitary cost controlMilitary downsizingStatistical methodsU.S. Air Force