By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer Fri May 6, 4:54 PM ET
WASHINGTON - Thenow foresees a much smaller round of base closings and consolidations, saying it has only half as much surplus space as previously estimated, according to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
That is likely to make the politically touchy subject of base closings less difficult for the Bush administration, although any closures cause angst among the affected communities and their representatives in Congress. Cutting surplus capacity saves billions for the Pentagon.
Rumsfeld is to submit his list of recommended closures and realignments to the independent Base Realignment and Closure Commission no later than May 16, and the commission is required by law to submit its final report toby Sept. 8.
The Pentagon has kept an exceptionally tight lid on information about which bases might be closed or realigned. Rumsfeld is scheduled to testify publicly before the commission on May 16.
For the past few years, the Pentagon has said it had 20 percent to 25 percent more U.S. base capacity than needed for the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
But in a conference call with newspaper editorial writers across the country on Thursday, Rumsfeld said the amount of surplus is not nearly as large as had been estimated, in part because tens of thousands of U.S. troops will be brought home from bases in Asia and Europe.
"Without final figures, I would say the percent will be less than half of the 20 to 25 percent that has been characterized previously," Rumsfeld said, according to two writers who were on the conference call. A third writer confirmed that he said the cuts would be about half previous estimates.
Rumsfeld had previously said the current round of base closings and realignment  the first since 1995  would result in less shrinkage of capacity than the 20 percent to 25 percent figure. But he had not previously said it might be only half that range.
Because bases vary in size and utility, cutting capacity is not the same as cutting a specific number of bases. Rumsfeld has given no estimate of the number of bases that might get cut.
Sen. John Cornyn ( news voting record ), R-Texas, said in an interview Friday that in a meeting on Feb. 8 Rumsfeld told him and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison ( news voting record ) that about 15 percent of base capacity would be eliminated.
In a related development, a congressionally chartered commission that studied the Pentagon's plan for adjusting its troop presence on foreign bases released a report Friday endorsing the concept as "important to our nation and necessary," but advised that it be slowed and re-ordered.
Bush's plan, announced last summer, to bring about 70,000 troops home from Germany and, along with their 100,000 dependents, is a major part of that global force adjustment.
"The timing and synchronization of the overseas basing plan needs further review," the report said, adding, "We foresee great disruption in the overall stability and capability of the force to meet even near term contingencies should we proceed as we currently plan."
The commission said it failed to understand the logic in the Pentagon's plan to begin investing billions to adjust the overseas troop presence before decisions are made about closing domestic bases.
"If unforeseen threats arise in either the near term or the mid term, we could be caught in mid-stride unable to meet them," it said.
A Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said the overseas basing commission's report would be taken under advisement, but he defended the Pentagon plan as having been carefully put together.
The Pentagon estimates that it can save billions of dollars by closing unneeded bases, and base realignments are aimed at advancing the ability of the military services to operate and train together, as well as to save money. While some bases will be cut, others may be expanded.
States and cities are trying to avoid closures by making the case that their bases are crucial for national security.
The Pentagon declined to release a transcript of Rumsfeld's remarks to the editorial writers until their editorials have been published. Three of the writers confirmed in telephone interviews Friday that Rumsfeld made the statement that the reduction in base capacity would be less than half the 20 percent to 25 percent range.
J.R. Labbe, editorial writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, said Rumsfeld was pressed on this point, noting that his words suggested that only 10 percent to 12 percent of capacity would be eliminated in this round of base closings. She said Rumsfeld did not dispute her characterization.
Andrea D. Georgsson, editorial writer for the Houston Chronicle, confirmed that Rumsfeld did not object to the 10 percent to 12 percent estimate, although he did not use those figures in his own comments.
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On the Net:
Overseas Basing Commission at http://www.obc.gov
Defense Department at http://www.defenselink.mil
'''May 14, 2005''' 

Defense Department senior advisers on Base Realignment and Closure
United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced the closure of 33 major military facilities in 22 states around the U.S. When word of the plans to shuffle facilities was released, closing some and expanding others, many community leaders shuddered.

Cities like San Antonio, Texas, a town built on the back of military establishments, fear the possible economic effects. If the city's bases were closed, the city and local businesses could be crippled. The current announcement, however, benefits the city of San Antonio with the expansion of Ft. Sam Houston, despite the closure of two air bases.

Groton, Connecticut, on the other hand faces the closure of a submarine base. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn) claimed the closure was "cruel and unusual punishment." His state would lose 7,133 military jobs as well as 1,041 civilian jobs. Many communities around the nation stand to lose, while others could end up winners, as a result of the announced re-shuffle.