quote:
Rumsfeld to list bases targeted for closing
Defense chief says savings will be $48 billion over 20 years
Friday, May 13, 2005 Posted: 7:41 AM EDT (1141 GMT)
Rumsfeld says the Defense Department stands ready to assist communities affected by base closings.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled Friday to unveil the Pentagon's list of recommended military base closures -- moves that he says will save the U.S. military nearly $50 billion over two decades.
The defense secretary will present the recommended list of installations to be closed to lawmakers and the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
Rumsfeld kept a tight lid Thursday on details of the much-anticipated list but said it would contain fewer names than expected since additional space will be needed to house U.S. troops now deployed overseas.
"Nonetheless, the changes that will occur will affect a number of communities, communities that have warmly embraced nearby military installations for a good many years -- indeed, in some cases, decades," he said.
"The department will take great care to work with these communities with the respect that they have earned, and the government stands ready with economic assistance."
The closures will save the Pentagon more than $5 billion a year and will produce a net savings of $48 billion over 20 years, Rumsfeld said.
The military has carried out four previous rounds of base closings since 1988. The Pentagon estimates those closures have saved about $40 billion so far.
The nine-member base-closing commission, known as BRAC, is led by former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi.
It will review the Pentagon's recommendations and send them, along with any changes, to the White House by September 8.
The president has until September 23 to approve or reject the list without making changes; if approved, it goes to Congress for a vote.
Base closures can carry huge political ramifications. Democrats and Republicans alike have a lot to lose if hometown bases shut down -- and voters blame the lawmakers for lost jobs. (Full story)
Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the closures were designed in conjunction with efforts to turn the U.S. armed services into lighter, more agile forces.
The closure of several bases is "a necessary part of that," he said.
"It is integral to our ability to structure ourselves to be able to defend this country well into the future," Myers said.
Dat was te verwachten.... ze hebben geld nodig om ergens anders een legeronderdeel te financieren.