Washington, D.C. -  Today, US Rep. David Price (NC-04), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Life, received the Department of Defense's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. Among other things, they include the transferring of the more than 100 civilians from the Army Research Office in Durham to Bethesda, Maryland, resulting in the closing of the Durham office.

“I’m disappointed by the recommendation to close the Army Research Office (ARO) in the Triangle,” said Price. “We’ve successfully staved off such efforts in the past, and for good reason: the ARO has a close and productive relationship with neighboring universities and research organizations in RTP, and its location has proved to be of tremendous advantage to the Army’s research operation as a whole.”

Price continued, “We were given no reason to believe that this would or should be part of the current realignment effort, and I will do everything I can to ensure that the BRAC Commission takes a critical second look at this recommendation.”

The recommendations also include the transferring of more than 4,000 personnel from Pope Air Force Base, combined with the addition of a smaller number of Reserve and active duty units. In addition, some Special Forces will be moved from their longtime base in Fort Bragg. The Navy Reserve Center in Asheville will also be closed, as will the US Army Reserve Center in Albermarle.

The North Carolina Congressional delegation will be working closely with local and state leaders, such as Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue, to ensure that the BRAC Commission is made aware of the economic impact of its recommendations statewide.

The BRAC Commission will seek input from interested parties and make a final decision in September.