A Discussion On BRAC: Responsibly Adjusting DoD’s Infrastructure To Meet Current And Future Needs

Summary: For the past six years, the Department of Defense has repeatedly asked for authorization to conduct a new round of base realignment and closure (BRAC). Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has described BRAC as the “cornerstone” of DoD’s efficiency program and DoD has stated that it has at least 20% excess infrastructure. Yet, citing various concerns, Congress has seen fit to deny authorization for BRAC every single year. The fate of BRAC in the 2018 authorization and appropriation bills is still up in the air. What’s the case for a new round of BRAC? What are the arguments against BRAC and do they have any validity? And are there changes that should be made to the BRAC process, and if so, what are they?