Date: 1996-06-26
Speaker: RICHARD DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: S

Director. National Security Analysis. National Security and International Affairs Divisions. U.S. General Accounting Office. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. DAVIS: The 1995 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commissions (BRAC) recommendations to close Ft. McClellan. AL and move its Military Police (MP) and Chemical Schools to Ft. Leonard Wood. MO. was based on the Defense Departments recommendation that basic training activities at Ft. Leonard Wood be moved elsewhere in order to make room for the additional personnel and activities associated with MP and Chemical training. Subsequent to the adoption of the BRAC 95 recommendations. the Army changed its position and has now opted to keep basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood. Specifically. at the time of the BRAC decision. it was the Armys stated intention to close out basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood and divide that basic training among Forts Jackson. Knox. and Sill. each receiving one basic training battalion of 1.400 to 1.500 soldiers. We are concerned that the FY97 Defense Authorization bill contains $58 million in BRAC IV mlitary construction funds for "unaccompanied enlisted housing" at Fort Leonard Wood. It is our understanding that this $58 million project is being undertaken partly to enable Ft. Leonard Wood to keep Its basic training mission. even though the three posts referred to above have existing capacity to accommodate Ft. Leonard Woods basic training student load. We ask that you review this project against other alternatives available to the Army at lower cost. Specifically. we ask that you: Review a complete list of the military construction projects approved for or anticipated at Ft. Leonard Wood during the five fiscal years beginning with FY97. Identify the current shortfall in unaccompanied enlisted housing at Ft. Leonard Wood. Identify the current basic training student load at Ft. Leonard Wood. Identify the number of unaccompanied enlisted housing spaces that would become available at Ft. Leonard Wood if its current basic training student load were to be relocated. in whole or in pert as originally proposed by the Department of Defense. Review the number of personnel to be transferred from Ft. McClellan to Ft. Leonard Wood in accordance with the BRAC 95 recommendations. Compare the number of unaccompanied enlisted personnel to be transferred pursuant to such recommendations with the number of unaccompanied enlisted housing spaces to be constructed at Fort Leonard Wood using the $58 million presently authorized by the FY97 Defense Authorization bill. Evaluate the availability of unaccompanied enlisted housing at each of the posts identified by BRAC 95 as potential locations for basic training currently being conducted at Ft. Leonard Wood. Identify any military construction costs. if any. associated with the transfer of a basic training battalion to Forts Knox. Jackson. and Sill. respectively. Because the Joint Conference on the FY97 DOD Authorization is likely to conclude by the end of next month. we need to receive your report not later than July 20. 1996. Please direct any questions to John Luddy of Senator Inhofes staff. at 2022241390. Thank you very much for your prompt consideration of this matter. Sincerely.