Pentagon completes draft criteria for 2005 base closings

The Pentagon this week finalized its draft selection criteria for the 2005 round of military base closures.

The draft list was sent to the Federal Register Friday and is expected to be published Monday, according to a Pentagon spokesman, which would trigger a 30-day public comment period.

The final list of criteria must be published and transmitted to the House and Senate Armed Services committees by Feb. 16. The list of draft criteria are defined by military value and other considerations, and include:

• The current and future mission capabilities and the impact on operational readiness of the Defense Department's total force, including the impact on joint warfighting, training, and readiness.
• The availability and condition of land, facilities and associated airspace -- including training areas suitable for maneuver by ground, naval, or air forces throughout diversity of climate and terrain areas and staging areas for the use of the Armed Forces in homeland defense missions -- at both existing and potential receiving locations.
• The ability to accommodate contingency, mobilization, and future total force requirements at both existing and potential receiving locations to support operations and training.
• The cost of operations and the manpower implications.
• The extent and timing of potential costs and savings, including the number of years, beginning with the date of completion of the closure or realignment, for the savings to exceed the costs.
• The economic impact on existing communities in the vicinity of military installations.
• The ability of both the existing and potential receiving communities' infrastructure to support forces, missions, and personnel.
• The environmental impact, including the impact of costs related to potential environmental restoration, waste management, and environmental compliance activities.