Military Bases - Processes Used for 1990 Base Closure and Realignment Proposals: Nsiad-91-177 (Paperback)

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the Department of Defense's (DOD) base closure and realignment proposals, focusing on: (1) how DOD selected bases as candidates for closure or realignment; (2) whether the military services developed realistic cost and savings estimates for closing or realigning bases; and (3) the Air Force's process for selecting Eaker Air Force Base (AFB), Arkansas, for closure. GAO found that: (1) DOD did not provide written guidance to the services on how to select bases as candidates for closure or realignment; (2) DOD instructed the services to consider anticipated force structure and budget reductions in selecting candidate bases; (3) the Navy based its candidate selection on suggestions made by knowledgeable officials; (4) the Army and Air Force based candidate selection on various internal assessments and studies conducted during 1989; (5) the Air Force's analysis of Eaker AFB was not as comprehensive as the Commission on Base Realignment and Closure's, which prevented it from properly assessing the adequacy of the analysis; (6) the Air Force selected Eaker AFB for closure based on force structure reductions, wartime support infrastructure, local quality of life, and relocation costs; and (7) some bases may reappear as closure candidates, to be reevaluated against whatever criteria DOD establishes.