ACTION

The activities necessary to implement final and approved recommendations of the Commission to close or realign military installations. Actions can include the acquisition of such land, the construction of such replacement facilities, the performance of such activities, and the conduct of such advance planning and design as may be required to transfer functions from a military installation being closed or realigned to another military installation.

An “action” is also frequently referred to as a “BRAC action” or “Final Action.”

Source: Base Closure Law, Section 2905(a)A

BRAC

“BRAC” is an acronym that stands for “Base Realignment and Closure.” It refers to the process the Department of Defense (DoD) has used to reorganize its installation infrastructure to more efficiently and effectively support its force structure, increase operational readiness, and facilitate new ways of doing business.

BRAC is also frequently used colloquially to refer to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission as the “BRAC Commission,” even though the Commission’s initials are technically “DBCRC.” Thus, “BRAC” by itself refers to the DoD part of the base closure process, but “BRAC Commission” refers to the independent Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

Source: 2005 Commission; Department of Defense

CLOSE / CLOSURE

BRAC action in which all missions or activities of a certain installation have ceased or have been relocated. All personnel positions (military, civilian, and contractor) will either be eliminated or relocated, except for personnel required for caretaking, conducting any ongoing environmental cleanup and disposal of the base, or remaining in authorized enclaves.

Source: Department of Defense

CLOSE, EXCEPT

The vast majority of the missions at an installation will cease or be relocated. Almost all military, civilian, and contractor personnel jobs will be either eliminated or relocated. All but a small portion of the base will be declared excess and the property disposed.

The small portion retained will often be facilities in an enclave for use by the reserve components or a specialized facility that is expensive and/or difficult to rebuild elsewhere. Generally, active component management of the base will cease. Outlying, unmanned ranges or training areas retained for reserve component use do not count against the small portion retained. Closure (missions ceasing or relocating) and property disposal are separate actions under Public Law 101-510.

Source: 1995 Commission Report

DISESTABLISH

Term used to describe a planned action that eliminates missions, units, or activities. Fighter wings are inactivated, and/or a mission at a base is terminated. In some cases, a “disestablished” mission does not directly translate into lost jobs for a community, because the personnel are simply reassigned to new or different missions at the same installation.

Source: Department of Defense; 1995 Commission Report

GAIN, RECEIVING BASE

A base that receives additional missions, units, or activities that are being relocated from a closing or realigning base. In cases where the base is both gaining and losing missions, the base is a gainer or receiving base if it will experience a total net increase of military and civilian personnel.

Source: Department of Defense; 1995 Commission Report

INACTIVATE / MOTHBALL / LAYAWAY

Terms used when retention of facilities and real estate at a closing or realigning base is necessary to meet the future mobilization, surge, or contingency needs of the Department of Defense. Bases, or portions of bases, that are considered mothballed will not be excessed and disposed. It is possible they could be leased for interim economic uses. Congress sharply limited the ability of the Department to inactivate bases during the 2005 BRAC round.

Source: Department of Defense; 1995 Commission Report; 2005 Commission

INSTALLATION (AKA FACILITY OR BASE)

A military base, camp, post, station, yard, center, homeport facility for any ship, or other activity under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense, including leased space, that is controlled by, or primarily supports, DoD’s activities.

Source: Base Closure Law

LOSING INSTALLATION

An installation from which missions, units, or activities would cease or be relocated pursuant to a closure or realignment recommendation. An installation can be a losing installation for one recommendation and a receiving installation for a different recommendation.

Source: Government Accountability Office, GAO‑05‑785 Military Bases

REALIGNMENT

An action that both reduces and relocates functions and military/civilian personnel positions but does not include a reduction in force resulting from workload adjustments, reduced personnel or funding levels, or skill imbalances. Only a portion of the base may be excessed and the property disposed, with realignment (missions ceasing or relocating) and property disposal being separate actions under Public Law 101-510. In cases where the base is both gaining and losing missions, the base is being realigned if it will experience a net reduction of DoD military and/or civilian personnel. In such situations, it is possible that no property will be excessed.

Source: Base Closure Law; Department of Defense

RECEIVING INSTALLATION

An installation to which missions, units, or activities would be relocated pursuant to a closure or realignment recommendation. An installation can be a receiving installation for one recommendation and a losing installation for a different recommendation.

Source: Government Accountability Office, GAO‑05‑785, Military Bases

REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (OR LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY)

In the case of an installation to be closed or realigned under the base closure law, the term “redevelopment authority” means an entity (including an entity established by a State or local government) recognized by the Secretary of Defense as the entity responsible for developing the redevelopment plan with respect to the installation or for directing the implementation of such plan.

Source: Department of Defense

REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

In the case of an installation to be closed or realigned under the base closure law, the term “redevelopment plan” means a plan that (A) is agreed to by the local redevelopment authority with respect to the installation and (B) provides for the reuse or redevelopment of the real property and personal property of the installation that is available for such reuse and redevelopment as a result of the closure or realignment of the installation.

Source: Department of Defense

RELOCATE

The term used to describe the movement of missions, units, or activities from a closing or realigning base to another base. Units or missions do not realign from a closing or a realigning base to another base; they relocate.

Source: Department of Defense