BRAC 2005 Military Value Principles

The Department of Defense (DOD), in an effort to ensure that military value is the primary consideration in making closure and realignment recommendations, has developed a quantitative analytical foundation to determine military value. The military branches will apply the base realignment and closure (BRAC) selection criteria to rank the facilities for which they have responsibility.

The selection criteria are written broadly, but provide specific elements on which military value judgments are to be made. In October, the Undersecretary of Defense released a memorandum that outlines the specific criteria to be used.

Congress Approves Appropriations

In October, both the House and Senate approved the Conference Report to HR 4200, the “Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005.” The House and Senate approved the $447.2 billion measure by unanimous consent votes October 8 and October 9, respectively. While conferees on the measure refused to include a House-backed provision that would have delayed the 2005 BRAC round by two years, provisions intended to improve the BRAC process to ensure that realignment and closure decisions support the long-term strategic interests of the United States were included.