Mattis tells Congress that shuttering unnecessary bases could save billions

[Swordsmyth]

Defense Secretary James Mattis wants to review Department of Defense properties after an Oct. 6 report found that 19 percent of military bases are unneeded, he wrote in a letter earlier this month. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, released Mattis' letter and the accompanying report Tuesday.
Mattis is urging closures that would take place under the Base Realignment and Closure program (BRAC). The last round of BRAC evaluations was approved over 14 years ago, in 2005, and the DoD is hoping Congress will allow a new review in 2021.
The push to re-evaluate military bases has been met with frustration from lawmakers who worry about economic and electoral consequences if base closures were to occur in their districts. The Pentagon, meanwhile, estimates that closures would result in billions of dollars in savings.

More at: http://theweek.com/speedreads/731712...-save-billions


If only he meant overseas bases.

[angelatc]

Yeah - betting all the bases are domestic. No need to defend The Homeland when we can just kill people all over the world.

[Zippyjuan]

Don't expect it to result in less defense spending. (He also floated the idea in June).

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/06/12...-closings.html

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis sought congressional approval to start a new round of base closings in 2021. He said the department "currently has more infrastructure capacity than required for operations." That outlook won't change even if the service branches grow in size, he said.

Mattis estimated closing unneeded bases would save $10 billion over a five-year period and said that money could be used to acquire four nuclear submarines or dozens of jet fighters.

The GOP-led Congress rebuffed the Obama administration's requests to reduce the number of military bases. The Army and Air Force said they had vastly more space for training and basing troops than they need and trimming the surplus would generate savings that could be used to strengthen the military.

The savings would average about $2 billion a year in a $600 billion a year budget.

[specsaregood]

Don't expect it to result in less defense spending. (He also floated the idea in June).

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/06/12...-closings.html

The savings would average about $2 billion a year in a $600 billion a year budget.

2billion a year is nothing to dismiss. a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon we're talking some serious cuts.

[Danke]

2billion a year is nothing to dismiss. a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon we're talking some serious cuts.

Somewhere a troll just got paid.

[Origanalist]

Somewhere a troll just got paid.

[timosman]

Somewhere a troll just got paid.

trolls

[Origanalist]

trolls

They share?

[timosman]

They share?

Yeah, a tag team.