Base-closing panel sets first meeting
Base Realignment and Closure Commission will kick off May 3.
The 2005 Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission, led by former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, will be sworn in prior to the panel's first public hearing May 3, according to congressional sources.
The hearing will be held to prepare for the Pentagon's list of recommended base closures, scheduled to be released May 16.
The panel will hear testimony from Barry Holman, director of defense capabilities and management for the Government Accountability Office, and Daniel Else, a defense analyst with the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Division of the Congressional Research Service.
The witnesses are expected to provide background on the process, including a general overview of BRAC, the history of previous commissions and specifics regarding how the Pentagon creates its base closure list.