BRAC...... Again

[oldpop2000]

Well, here we go again. BRAC or base realignment and closure commission. Oh how politicians hate BRAC's although they know it is important for saving funds. It's ok in other peoples districts, just not mine.


www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2016/04/25/pentagon_congress_at_odds_over_base_closings_130382.html



I went through a BRAC and it was hilarious on a Saturday to find out the depot at North Island survived due to a procedural error. The day before they closed Alameda Naval Air Station, then the next day decided to leave the Alameda Naval Air Depot intact; not going to work. You close the base, everything goes with it. So NI depot stayed alive. Oh you have to keep in touch with this over the coming years, it gets so funny and stupid. The Pentagon is trying to close useless bases and conserve infrastructure funds, while the Congress is trying to keep their own, alive for their district or state. It get's funny.

[steel selachian]

Yup. One of the recent targets for BRAC has been the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station in my hometown, which has been fought pretty vigorously by the local congressional reps - last I heard it was taken off the BRAC list. It hosts a Reserve airlift wing with C-130Hs and a Pennsylvania ANG KC-135T refueling wing.

Happens outside of the congressional level too. If I recall, when the Navy was drawing down its F-14 squadrons in the 1990s the sister squadrons VF-84 Jolly Rogers and VF-41 Black Aces were on the chopping block, with one of the two slated for retirement. Theoretically, VF-41 should have been disestablished as VF-84 was the TARPS-capable unit. Apparently however the officer responsible for the decision was a former VF-41 pilot and chose to keep VF-41 at the expense of VF-84, which was the only case where a TARPS-capable squadron was disbanded.