The Pentagon will ask Congress to authorize two more rounds of BRAC—first in 2013 and then again in 2015, said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley. “We know it’s not a very popular [issue],” he said Thursday during an AFA-sponsored speech in Arlington, Va. He continued, “We know it’s a very difficult process for Congress and all concerned, but we think the responsible thing to do is to table the proposal and Congress will deal with it as they see fit.” BRAC 2005 simply left behind too much infrastructure, focusing instead on realignments, said Donley. Since then, the Air Force has reduced its fleet by hundreds of airplanes and hopes to cut an additional 286 aircraft as the Defense Department adjusts to projected budget cuts of some $487 billion over the next 10 years. The Air Force fulfilled its 2005 BRAC mandates last September, executing seven closures and 63 realignments. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said that round left the service with more than 20 percent excess infrastructure.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.