BRAC List 2005: Any word if this is true?

[thebluto]

I was sent an e-mail last night with the following BRAC List. I haven't seen it in the news or listed anywhere else. Anyone know if it's fact or fiction?


Latest BRAC list from
Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Intelligence Oversight)
CLOSURES FOR 2005
BRAC List - Just off the Press
Army bases currently proposed for closure or realignment in 2005
include:
* Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
* Detroit Arsenal, Michigan
* Fort Belvoir, Virginia
* Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico
* Fort McPherson/Gillem, Georgia
* Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
* Fort Monroe, Virginia
* Fort Polk, Louisiana (to realign)
* Fort Richardson, Alaska
* Fort Sam Houston, Texas
* Fort Shafter, Hawaii
* Lima Army Tank Plant, Ohio
* Natick Soldier Center, Massachusetts
* Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey
* Redstone Arsenal, Alabama
* Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois
* Sierra Army Depot, California
* Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona
Air Force base closures and realignments include:
* Altus AFB, Oklahoma
* Beale AFB, California
* Brooks AFB, Texas
* Cannon AFB, New Mexico
* Columbus AFB, Mississippi
* Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
* Goodfellow AFB, Texas
* Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota
* Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts
* Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
* Los Angeles AFB, California
* McConnell AFB, Kansas
* Nellis AFB, Nevada (to realign)
* Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina (to realign)
* Shaw AFB, South Carolina
* Vance AFB, Oklahoma
The Air Force will lose 2,260 military and 2,839 civilian manpower
positions, and 1,055 reserve drill authorizations next year, according
to the 2004 force-structure announcement released July 23. Many bases,
both active duty and reserve component, are affected by the realignment.
In many cases, units will gain aircraft and missions, while others will
pare down.
Besides manpower reductions, the realignment formally announces the
retirement of the C-9A Nightingale and KC-135E Stratotanker aircraft.
According to Air Force officials, the 20 C-9s are being retired because
of reduced-patient movement, range limitations and increasing
maintenance and upgrade costs. The aeromedical evacuation mission will
become a requirements-based system using all passenger-capable aircraft.
The service will retire 44 of the Air National Guard and Air Force
Reserve Command's 43-year-old KC-135Es next year, replacing them with 24
KC-135Rs from the active-duty fleet. By the end of fiscal 2006, the Air
Force will have retired 68 of the KC-135Es.
Naval base closures and realignments include:
* Ingleside Naval Station, Texas
* Naval Postgraduate School, California
* Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi
* Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, New Jersey
* Naval Recreation Station Solomons Island,
* Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, Indiana
* Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Virginia
* Navy Supply Corps School, Georgia
* New Orleans Naval Support Activity, Louisiana
* Pascagoula Naval Station, Mississippi
* Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New Hampshire
* Saratoga Springs Naval Support Unit, New York
Marine base closures and realignments include:
* Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia
* Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California (realignment)
* Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California
* Marine Corps Mountain Warfare School, California
* Marine Reserve Support Unit, Kansas City
* Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California (realign or close).

 

[HoursHore]

I think that is the list of bases they will look at, study, and vote on to submit the final list to congress. Then Congress gets its vote.

Closing 2 UPT bases and 2 Tanker bases seems like madness.

Just a guess

 

[GasPasser]

From my limited view, I've seen some of these locations survive the last BRAC, so it is not surprising to see them again. As for tanker bases, I had heard speculation that the USAF wanted to pull out of some of it's northern tier bases....with the cold war over, there's no a need for so many tankers there, and the cost of cold wx ops. I think the E model retirements are to turn up the heat on the need for the KC-767, or KC-X. I'm also surprised about 2 UPT base closures (1 closure would be plenty). I'm surprised to see ALtus on that list.

It may be a good early list, but until it is official, I wouldn't put any money on it.

Bluto, love the advar.

 

[Merlin'05]

I'm sorry that I don't have any links anymore, but this list was proven to be a hoax a number of months back.

 

[pkober]

Anyone have any rumors about ANG bases?

CLAMBAKE

 

[CCDiscoB]

Anyone have any rumors about ANG bases?

Not yet, but there will be many of them from what I hear. Especially if a state has two fighter units.

I know Meridian is def. on the list....

They were supposed to be on the list last time but that was when Trent Lott was in charge. Nothing will save that "garden" location. Not meant to be a Navy vs. AF slam, I've been there, that place is hurting.

 

[talondriver]

Columbus is on there. WOOHOO!!!!

My guess is either NMM or CBM will go.

Anyone wanna buy a house?

 

[theither]

The way the BRAC law is written this time is that it's an all or nothing affair. DOD submits the list to congress and they have to approve it in fulll or disapprove it. This takes the politics out of it. We'll see...

 

[theither]

Again, whatever DOD recommends to congress, whether it's closure, realignment etc. Congress votes ya or na on the submission. If disaproved then it goes back to DOD for redo and resubmit, apparently until congress gets what it likes. This takes the political horse trading out of the pix and the sometimes transfer of bases from one DOD component to the next, like we've seen on previous bracs. This is how I understand it, as explained by our base CO during a dept head meeting.

 

[Otto]

I wouldn't put a whole lot of credit in this list. The officiallistwill be published in May '05 and until then, its all rumors. They justopened Moody as a UPT base and now they're going to closeVance? Cmon!(of course this is the government)

 

[Birdstrike]

Something else to consider....whatever "closes" according to BRAC may remain as an "enclave" for the reserves and whoever else chooses to locate there. Which means it lives on in another life. March AFB is a good example and there's a myriad of others. A base by any other name...is an enclave.

 

[Purpledog]

I spent 3 long years teaching in NMM. There is no way they can close that base. We would often have 8+ planes in the pattern which just doesn't work in a carrier pattern especially since students can't fly a straight track upwind. Now take that mess all down to Kville? No way, too much traffic. Airspace and traffic pattern issues should kill any attempt to combine bases. If it doesn't the studs will suffer because they will be going to the ship the first time with a lot less bounces. Often times checking into the working area we would have to wait for a section to open up. There just isn't enough room in the S. Tx airspace to put another two training squadrons unless they (Feds) give us some back. Politicians are in charge though so who knows.

 

[MarineGrunt]

CBM isn't going anywhere. We just opened up a brand new "state of the art" RAPCON last week, the new tower is half way built and the outside runway is in the process of re-construction. Not to mention that we are slated to get the T-6 soon, which is probably why CBM made the list (for realignment, not closure).

But thats just me...

 

[hawg2hawk]

CBM isn't going anywhere. We just opened up a brandnew "state of the art" RAPCON last week, the new tower is half waybuilt and the outside runway is in the process of re-construction. Notto mention that we are slated to get the T-6 soon, which is probablywhy CBM made the list (for realignment, not closure).

But thats just me...

All that matters not at all to the BRAC. Imagine Malmstrom AFB'ssurprise when they lost their wing of KC-135s not too long afterspending an unbelievable amount of money on new hangars, runwayrenovation, and so forth. Malmstrom's runway is not even opennow.
On a similar note, after spending the previous 4 years and untoldmillions of dollars to activate an A-10 unit and move 2 rescuesquadrons to Moody AFB to create a composite rescue wing, the BRACclosed down all 4 fighter squadrons and opened up shop for UPT andIFF.
Money already spent ain't a guarantee of anything.