BRAC commissioners worry about retention in guard, reserves

Members of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission questioned Pentagon leaders Monday about their recommendation to consolidate National Guard and Reserve bases around the country, stating that such a move might exacerbate the force's recruitment and retention problems.

The decision, made as part of the 2005 base closure and realignment round, could strain some troops' ability to report for weekend drill duties, commission members told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers during a hearing on Capitol Hill.

"I really think you're going to have a serious problem," said former Rep. James Bilbray, D-Nev., one of nine BRAC commissioners.

Commission chairman Anthony Principi expressed similar concerns, but not all of the commissioners opposed the recommendations for the Reserve component. Retired Army Gen. James Hill called it a "monumental step forward."

After more than two years of analysis, the Pentagon announced Friday it wants to shutter around 400 National Guard and Reserve installations, including 211 Army National Guard bases and 176 Army Reserve facilities. Plans call for the military to consolidate those into 125 new Armed Forces Centers scattered around the country.

The Pentagon also wants to move aircraft out of 22 Air National Guard units, leaving highly trained pilots and aircraft technicians with other missions. The aircraft would be moved to other Guard units.

During testimony, Pentagon officials said the decisions were made after consulting adjutant generals around the country, who largely backed the consolidation plan.

On Friday, National Guard Bureau Chief Lt. Gen. Steven Blum said he supported the recommendations, and believed it could help boost new recruits if the centers are located in recruitment-rich communities.

"We ought not think of population as static," Rumsfeld said Monday.

The goal, department officials said, is to lengthen troops' commutes to Guard and Reserve bases by no more than 50 miles.

Myers conceded, however, that the support of Blum and other high-ranking reserve-component officers "does not mean it's going to sit well with everyone."

The Reserve Officers Association has said it is concerned about the Pentagon's recommendations, and fears that the impact on travel time to drilling stations could be much more dramatic than expected.

"By closing so many facilities, reservists and Guardsmen may be required to travel hundreds of miles to drill every month," the association said in a statement. "Many of these servicemen and women ... may choose to leave the military. The result could be a loss of skills and experience the military desperately needs."

Officials at the National Guard Association of the United States still are analyzing the BRAC list and discussing the recommendations with adjutant generals around the country, according to a source. The decision regarding the Air National Guard is particularly tricky for the organization, with one state gaining from another's loss.

The closure of National Guard bases could add fuel to talk of lawsuits in Illinois and other states, based on a provision of federal law that requires a governor's permission to close a Guard facility.

The Pentagon "will try to satisfy folks who feel they have a legal case," but similar attempts at blocking closures in the past have not held up, said Michael Wynne, the department's undersecretary for acquisition, logistics and technology.

Meanwhile, commissioners said they are still awaiting 10 volumes of information from the Pentagon, which were not delivered as expected on Friday because of concerns over classified information. Pentagon officials will send those volumes to the commission by the end of the week, officials said.

The commission will review the Pentagon's decision throughout the summer, then submit its own list to the White House by Sept. 8.