With far less fanfare than greeted the kickoff of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process back in May, the final recommendations of the BRAC commission became law, when Congress failed to reject the list within 45 days after lawmakers received the package from President Bush. DOD can now begin closing and realigning 22 major bases and 33 other large facilities across the country.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…