The Defense Department is trying again to get Congress’s approval for a new round of base closings. The idea has been a hard sell ever since a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round approved in 2004 cost more than $35 billion to achieve roughly $4 billion in future annual savings, according to a report in Military Times.
John Conger, acting assistant secretary of defense for installations, told members of the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that the last BRAC was focused more on rebalancing the force than cutting costs. Defense officials estimate that the new round they are seeking could save about $2 billion annually in reduced upkeep costs.
“We look at the next round as an efficiency-driven one,” Conger said. “In such a budget environment as we have today, it only makes sense to avoid spending money on excess.”
