Program No. 390 

10/15/97 

From the Center for Defense Information, the Question of the Week: "To Close or Not to Close Bases?" 

In its May 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review, the Pentagon said it would not be able to find the $60 billion it claims it needs annually to modernize the force unless two major changes are authorized by Congress. 

The first is to scuttle the current "60-40" rule under which 60% of all maintenance of military equipment must be performed in government facilities. This, of course, is a red flag for Congress because many in both chambers use their ability to get defense work as justification for votes and PAC money. 

The second major change the Pentagon wants Congress to make is to authorize two more base closing rounds. The Pentagon points out that force structure has declined by 36% since the end of the Cold War but infrastructure by only 22%. Defense officials say that additional base closings would yield $2.7 billion in annual savings in addition to the $5.6 billion from earlier closings. --- Congress refused. 

However, five months after the QDR, there seems to be a sea change--in the Pentagon, not Congress. John Hamre, the new Deputy Secretary of Defense, now says that the Pentagon will have a better chance of reaching its $60 billion a year modernization goal if bases are not closed. 

Confused? It's simple. If bases aren't closed, the military won't have to pay short term environmental cleanup and other costs of turning bases over to local communities. Of course, in the meantime, taxpayers are shelling out $2.7 billion annually for unneeded bases and communities are denied the opportunity to attract new industries and better paying jobs. 

Such short term thinking lacks any vision and all sense. If this is an example of the new Pentagon thinking for the new millenium, it looks like we are in for more of the same old 20^th century Pentagon waste and mismanagement. 

For the Center for Defense Information, I'm Colonel Dan Smith, U.S. Army retired. If you would like more information on this or other military topics, please call us at 1-800-CDI-3334 or visit our web site at www.cdi.org.