WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 11, 2005) -- With anticipation building at military installations and communities across the United States this week for the pending Base Realignment and Closure announcement by the Department of Defense, the Army has joined DoD in using the World Wide Web to get word out to the public as quickly as possible.

The Department of Defense established its Web site at www.dod.mil/brac, with the Army providing additional information at http://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/braco.htm

These Web sites will provide constantly updated information on the impact of BRAC for specific installations and answers to many questions people have about the process.

The upcoming base closures will be far different and more aggressive than those in the late 1980s and 1990s said officials at the BRAC Office. Where the prior BRAC rounds were primarily focused on saving money, the BRAC 2005 process is primarily focused on transformation and creating a more nimble and adaptable Army.

Officials said military value defined as the installation’s ability to contribute to future missions, joint missions and operational readiness, is the primary focus for analyzing installations. The selection criteria also consider potential costs and savings, community support and environmental considerations.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has called for this round of BRAC to examine joint basing and operational opportunities where they add military value. The 2005 BRAC process will identify innovative ways to consolidate, realign, or find alternative uses for current facilities to ensure that the United States continues to have the best prepared and best equipped military in the world.

Officials said BRAC 2005, unlike prior BRAC rounds, will also include potential realignment and closures of United States Army Reserve and Army National Guard facilities. The focus will be on consolidating and realigning reserve-component facilities to maximize savings, reduce footprints, and enhance the mobilization process, they said.

As with the active component, officials said the RC will look for joint stationing opportunities both within the Army and with other service reserve components.