Base Realignment and Closure Commission Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by planning end of the Cold War realignment and closure of military installations . More than 350 installations have been closed in five BRAC rounds : 1989 , 1991 , 1993 , 1995 , and 2005 . Background . The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 after the 1947 reorganization for establishing the National Military Establishment was passed regarding reductions of US military bases , forts , posts , and stations . The subsequent 1950s buildup during for the Cold War ( e . g . , during the Korean War ) resulted in extensive installations such as the widespread number of Permanent System radar stations and Semi Automatic Ground Environment ( SAGE ) control centers . By 1959 , plans for extensive numbers of Cold War installations were cancelled ( e . g . , DoD ' s June 19 , 1959 , Continental Air Defense Program reduced the number of Super Combat Center underground nuclear bunker to 7 ) and in 1958 , US Intercontinental Missiles ( ICMs ) began to replace Strategic Air Command bombers From 1960 - 1964 , the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administration s closed " 574 U . S . military bases around the world " , particularly after President John F . Kennedy was briefed after his inauguration that the Missile gap was not a concern . For example , the North American B - 70 bomber program had been a 1960 presidential campaign issue as contractor facilities were in TBD states , but after both Richard Nixon and Kennedy claimed the 1988 Carlucci Commission . The Carlucci Commission was chartered by the Secretary of Defense on 3 May 1988 and in December 1988 recommended closure of 5 AFBs ( Chanute , George , Mather , Norton , and Pease ) . Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990 . The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990 provided " the basic framework for the transfer and disposal of military installations closed during the base realignment and closure ( BRAC ) process " . The process was created in 1988 to reduce pork barrel politics ] ] with members of Congress that arise when facilities face activity reductions . The most recent process began May 13 , 2005 when the Secretary of Defense forwarded his recommendations for realignments and closures to the Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) Commission . The BRAC is an independent nine - member panel appointed by the President . This panel evaluated the list by taking testimony from interested parties and paying visits to affected bases . The BRAC Commission had the opportunity to add bases to the list , and did so in a July 19 , 2005 hearing . The Commission met their deadline of September 2005 to provide the evaluated list to the President , who approved the list with the condition that the list could only be approved or disapproved in its entirety . On November 7 , 2005 the approved list was then given to Congress which then had the opportunity to disapprove the entire list within 45 days by enacting a resolution of disapproval . This did not happen and the BRAC Commission ’ s recommendations became final . Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commissions . Major facilities slated for closure include : Major facilities slated for realignment include : Twelve Joint Base s were created by merging adjacent installations belonging to different services . An example is Joint Base Lewis - McChord , Washington , combining Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base .