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3lnitd Stat& senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
August 15, 2005
Chairman Principi and Commissioners
2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission
2521 South Clark Street
Suite 600
Arlington, Virginia 22202
Dear Chairman Principi and BRAC Commissioners:
We are writing to present additional evidence for your consideration regarding the
Base Realignment and Closure recommendation to close Human Resource Center (HRC)
facilities in St. Louis, MO., Alexandria, VA., and Indianapolis, IN., and consolidate HRC
operations at Fort Knox.
The Commission was presented a strong case highlighting serious errors in the
Army recommendation at the June 20 hearing in St. Louis. We appreciate the attention
paid to these details by BRAC commissioners, and particularly the immediate follow up
to clarify facts presented by panel experts. This letter presents details and information
resulting from a follow-up visit to the Alexandria HRC directed by BRAC commissioners
after the hearing, which we believe should be part of the official written record.
Through this consolidation the Army estimated $1.9 billion of cost-savings to
eliminate duplicate systems, services and facilities while improving the overall service
mission, and eliminate high-cost lease payments to third-party property owners in favor
of facilities on DOD-owned military base property. Both are commendable goals.
However, the Army review to meet these goals is deeply flawed, and did not consider key
information that would have supported a simpler, more effective solution with
significantly higher savings and at far less cost to the taxpayer and the Department.
The Army recommendation is flawed in several respects. First, it did not
investigate whether the needed facilities to accommodate the HRC mission exist at Fort
Knox. After the hearing, staff from the General Services Administration (GSA) Missouri
Heartland Region traveled to Washington D.C./Alexandria, VA. to meet with Army and
BRAC staff to further review HRC facility needs and construction costs at Fort Knox.
Based on these discussions, GSA estimates that construction of a new 1 million square
foot facility needed to consolidate HRC in one location would cost the Army a minimum
of $300 million. The Army agrees with GSA that these facilities do not currently exist in
Fort Knox, Kentucky. HRC consolidation in Fort Knox would, under these estimates,
consume 15 percent of the total BRAC construction budget.
Second, the Army stressed to GSA that there cannot be one day of down time in
servicing the records of our soldiers - especially as we face growing demands for recruits
