ARMY STRATEGIC PLAN EMPHASIZES SHEDDING EXCESS SPACE, PREPARING FOR BRAC

Association of Defense Communities: Defense Communities 360

The Army has made preparing for the next round of base closures one of the primary pillars of its new strategic framework for supporting its installation requirements. “Given the time required to prepare for and conduct the analysis and recommendation development, setting conditions for a future BRAC round prior to legislative authorization is critical, “Army Installations 2025” states. The document calls for the service to complete property conveyances from previous rounds, develop guidance to conduct a new BRAC analysis and ensure the accuracy of facilities databases.

The Army also will focus on balancing funding for maintaining needed facilities and eliminating excess by improving the condition of mission support facilities and housing, repurposing or divesting facilities no longer required, and demolishing unneeded facilities. The service has more than 47 million square feet of excess space which could be shed, according to recent analyses. The strategic plan’s other pillars include enhancing installation resiliency, optimizing infrastructure, building the National Museum of the United States Army and improving contingency basing capabilities.