John Conger, acting assistant defense secretary for energy, installations and environment, told a House appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday that another round of base realignments and closures would help save money, DoD News reported Wednesday.Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. writes Conger said the U.S. Army and Air Force found the military services have an excess infrastructure capacity of up to 30 percent based on their force size.
“With considerable force structure decreases since 2005, we must look for ways to divest excess bases and to reduce the cost of supporting our smaller force structure,” Conger told lawmakers during the House subcommittee hearing.
He added that DoD has provided Congress with a report that projects the department could save more than $500 million if the agency conducts a BRAC of military installations across Europe, according to DoD News.
During his testimony, Conger also noted the agency is open to working with lawmakers to ensure BRAC initiatives address efficiency and cost issues.
Marshall reports President Barack Obama’s proposed defense budget allocates almost $2 billion for military construction projects and another $2.5 billion to fund facility sustainment and recapitalization efforts, according to DoD News.
