Defense cuts could force new BRAC rounds

By: Lance Griffin | Dothan Eagle
Published: January 27, 2012

An Army official said Friday that one and possibly two rounds of military base closures could come in response to announced defense budget cuts.

Fort Rucker staved off the worst of the most recent round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 2005, but did lose some jobs and a mission to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

Leaders from various Wiregrass cities and counties, along with retired military personnel, formed the Friends of Fort Rucker in 1994 to promote the post in response to a BRAC round in 1995. The group continues to meet regularly and is prepared for another round if one is called by Congress.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said Friday the Army could request two BRAC rounds.

Odierno said he did not believe the Army would suffer significant losses in additional BRAC rounds.

“The Army went through a very significant BRAC here not too long ago. And we did a fairly significant consolidation within the Army. So for the Army, I believe a follow-on BRAC would not have as much impact on the Army because we've pretty much done what we want to,” Odierno said Friday while speaking to reporters in Washington, D.C.

Former Ozark Mayor Bob Bunting, who serves on the Friends of Fort Rucker, said advocates of the Southeast Alabama post have to remain vigilant.

“Of course we feel that Fort Rucker is indispensable,” Bunting said. “We hope the Army feels it is indispensable too.”

Bunting said the defense cuts will affect Fort Rucker even if the post hangs onto its current missions. Plans are to cut troop strength from 570,000 to 490,000.

Bunting said the primary argument Fort Rucker advocates must make is to convince decision makers that Fort Rucker is the best place to do all military helicopter training.

“The fight on our hands will be expressing that it can be done here just as easy, not only the Army aviators, but for most of the helicopter pilots of the entire free world,” Bunting said. “But if they are talking about consolidating aviation training, the Navy (Whiting Field, Milton, Fla.) will be fighting just as hard as we are.”

Fort Rucker stood to gain from the 2005 BRAC round after the Army recommended moving the Aviation Logistics School — and an estimated 2,300 jobs — here from Fort Eustis, Va. The decision, however, was reversed in the final BRAC Commission report. Meanwhile, Fort Rucker lost the Army Aviation Technical Test Center to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

The Friends of Fort Rucker are planning a trip to Washington on March 5 to meet with legislators.