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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2005
CONTACT: Chris Paulitz

SENATOR HUTCHISON QUESTIONS BRAC RECOMMENDATION LIST
Despite losses, overall gain will strengthen military installations and communities

WASHINGTON, DC -- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, today released the following statement in response to the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation list released today:

“In the big picture, Texas will keep and enhance its status as a military state, a state that respects and supports the men and women who are serving our country,” Senator Hutchison said. “I spoke with Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England this morning. He has reinforced confidence in Texas’ military installations with an overall statewide gain of more than 6,150 military and civilian jobs.

“Regarding bases slated for major losses and closure, this recommendation list is a first step in the base realignment process and is by no means final. Sen. Cornyn and I are scheduling meetings with local officials on Sunday as the next step in making sure the final recommendations are in the best interest of our national security and local communities,” Sen. Hutchison said. “Texas is the proud home for multiple Army, Navy, Air Force and Reserve and National guard installations. The overall gain of more than 6,000 military and civilian jobs is a show of confidence in Texas’ military resources and facilities from the top leaders of the strongest military in the world.”

Details from the BRAC Recommendations are listed below along with the military and civilian gain and loss figures:

  • Realignment Gains:
    Dyess Air Force Base: 374
    Fort Bliss: 11,501
    Fort Sam Houston: 9,364
    Laughlin Air Force Base: 182
    Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base: 314
    Randolph Air Force Base: 182
    Carswell Naval Air Station: 112

  • Closures:
    Red River Army Depot
    Lone Star Ammunition Plant
    Naval Station Ingleside
    Brooks City-Base
    Defense Finance and Accounting Service, San Antonio

  • Realignment Losses:
    Corpus Christi Army Depot: 92
    Ellington Field: 3
    Fort Hood: 191 (However, Ft. Hood gained nearly 4,000 new personnel via Army transformation over the past two years)
    Lackland Air Force Base: 3,140
    Naval Air Station Corpus Christi: 1, 025
    Sheppard Air Force Base: 2,624

As Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Sen. Hutchison has been a leading advocate for Texas’ military facilities and defender of Texas bases during the current BRAC process. She has consistently urged the Department of Defense to overhaul America’s global base realignment – bringing troops home from overseas before shutting down any U.S. installations.

On May 11, Senator Hutchison invited the 2005 Base BRAC Commission Chairman Anthony Principi to meet with fellow members of the Texas Delegation in her office. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce Chairman Principi to the members of the delegation and to highlight the significant military value of Texas bases.

Sen. Hutchison and Sen. Cornyn attended a February 8 meeting at the Pentagon with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld who told them the adverse impact of the 2005 BRAC process on military bases will be significantly reduced due to foreign reassignments to domestic bases. The Pentagon focused on Europe and Korea and subsequently announced last year that at least 70,000 U.S. troops are scheduled for recall to U.S. bases – with some headed to Texas bases.

Key Dates for BRAC Process

  • Sept. 8:  Deadline for the BRAC commission to make its own base closure recommendations.

  • Sept. 23:  Deadline for a presidential decision on whether to accept or reject the BRAC recommendations in their entirety - the White House's only options. If Bush accepts the plan, it becomes final within 45 legislative days, unless Congress passes a joint resolution to block the entire package.

  • Oct. 20:  If Bush rejects the BRAC recommendations, the commission has until this date to submit a revised list of proposed closures.

  • Nov. 7:  Deadline for the president to approve or disapprove the revised recommendations.

  • April 15, 2006:  The commission terminates.

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