State Input - State Input from the state of Georgia to the BRAC Commission. Includes a CD/DVD, presentation and any other additional information.

State Input - State Input from the State of Georgia to the BRAC Commission. Includes powerpoint presentation with maps, pics, and any other additional information.

State Input - State Input from the Holloman BRAC Task Force to the BRAC Commission. Includes a CD/DVD and a presentation and any other additional information.

State Input - State Input from Hawthorne Army Depot to the BRAC Commission. Includes a presentation and any other additional information.

Department of Defense Clearinghouse Response: DoD Clearinghouse response to a letter from the BRAC Commission to the following request: There appears to be a sufficient discrepancy in the personnel data that Naval Air Station Atlanta reported during the Department of the Nay's scenario data calls that could significantly alter the economic assessment for closing NAS Atlanta. I request the Navy provide a re-certified data call from NAS Atlanta and an updated COBRA run for DON-0068 using the corrected data. (Attached document includes the letter to the Clearinghouse and data in PDF format. Disregard restriction header and footer)

Department of Defense Clearinghouse Resposne: DoD Clearinghouse response to an e-mail from the BRAC Commission regarding the following questions: Question to both the Army and to the Air Force: There is currently a synergy between the Cannon AFB F-16 Wing and Fort Sill related to simultaneous air to ground and artillery training, conceivably simulating fighter loiter time to artillery targeting. If Fort Bliss grew as projected this same synergy could heighten between Cannon and Fort Bliss and the proposed "Net Fires Center" to be established at Ft Sill. Army: Is this synergy important to the Army? Will valuable training opportunities be lost if Cannon AFB Closes? If Cannon AFB closes, will similar Army training opportunities be available with other sources? Air Force: Is this synergy important to the Air Force? Will valuable training opportunities be lost if Cannon AFB Closes? If Cannon AFB closes, will similar Air Force training opportunities be available with other sources

Recommendation to consolidate Defense Information Systems Agency and Establish Joint C4ISR D&A Capability, Relocate Army Headquarters and Field Operating Agencies, Collocate Missile and Space Defense Agencies, Consolidate Army Test anld Evaluation Command (ATEC) Headquarters, Collocate Miscellaneous Army Leased Locations, Relocate Miscellaneous Depment of Navy Leased Locations, Collocate DefenseMi1ita-y Department Adjudication Activities, Collocate Miscellaneous Air Force Leased Locations and National Guard, Headquarters Leased Locations, etc.. .

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The daunting challenges that face the nation in the 21st century establish the need for the transformation of government and demand fundamental changes in how federal agencies should meet these challenges by becoming flatter, more results-oriented, externally focused, partnership-oriented, and employee-enabling organizations. This testimony addresses how the long-term fiscal imbalance facing the United States, along with other significant trends and challenges, establish the case for change and the need to reexamine the base of the federal government; how federal agencies can transform into high-performing organizations; and how multiple approaches and selected initiatives can support the reexamination and transformation of the government and federal agencies to meet these 21st century challenges."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The attempted bombing of Northwest flight 253 in December 2009 underscores the need for effective aviation security programs. Aviation security remains a daunting challenge with hundreds of airports, thousands of aircraft, and thousands of flights daily carrying millions of passengers and pieces of checked baggage. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has spent billions of dollars and implemented a wide range of aviation security initiatives. Three key layers of aviation security are (1) TSA's Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program designed to identify persons who may pose a security risk; (2) airport perimeter and access controls security; and (3) checked baggage screening systems. This testimony provides information on the extent to which TSA has taken actions to validate the scientific basis of SPOT, strengthen airport perimeter security and access controls, and deploy more effective checked baggage screening systems. This statement is based on prior reports GAO issued from September 2009 through July 2011 and selected updates in June and July 2011. GAO analyzed documents on TSA's progress in strengthening aviation security, among other things."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This letter provides additional information about federal financial literacy activities that were addressed in two reports to Congress issued in March 2011, Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue and List of Selected Federal Programs That Have Similar or Overlapping Objectives, Provide Similar Services, or Are Fragmented Across Government Missions. These reports were prepared in response to a statutory requirement to identify federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives, either within departments or governmentwide that have duplicative goals or activities."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress requested information concerning differences in cost estimates for implementing the Department of Defense's (DOD) homosexual conduct policy reported by GAO and a University of California Blue Ribbon Commission (Commission). In February 2005, we estimated that the cost to recruit and train replacements for enlisted servicemembers separated under the policy from fiscal years 1994 through 2003 was about $190.5 million. A year later, the Commission estimated that the cost was at least $363.8 million over the same time period--91 percent more than our estimate. This report answers the following questions: (1) What factors contributed to the difference in estimated costs reported by GAO and the Commission? (2) What factors accounted for the difference in estimated enlistee training costs in our 1998 and 2005 reports?"

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our work on residential real estate valuations. Real estate valuations, which encompass appraisals and other value estimation methods, play a critical role in mortgage underwriting by providing evidence that the market value of a property is sufficient to help mitigate losses if the borrower is unable to repay the loan. However, recent turmoil in the mortgage market has raised questions about mortgage underwriting practices, including the quality and credibility of some valuations. An investigation into industry appraisal practices by the New York State Attorney General led to an agreement in 2008 between the Attorney General; Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the enterprises); and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which regulates the enterprises. This agreement included the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC), which set forth certain appraiser independence requirements for loans sold to the enterprises and took effect in 2009. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Pub. L. No. 111-203) (the Dodd-Frank Act) directed us to study the effectiveness and impact of various valuation methods and the options available for selecting appraisers, as well as the impact of HVCC. This testimony …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO discussed its February 1999 report on the Department of Defense's (DOD) Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI), focusing on: (1) DOD's progress in establishing an organization to address Gulf War illnesses issues; and (2) the thoroughness of OSAGWI's investigations into and reporting on servicemembers' potential exposure to chemical or biological agents during the Persian Gulf War."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Navy follows the five basic guiding principles for managing risk at the strategic, environmental, and operational levels before making decisions about the placement and operation of its force structure—including the placement of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers on the East Coast of the United States. The Navy does not conduct any unique risk assessment for its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at naval installations; rather, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are high-value assets that are included in the Navy’s overall risk management process. At the strategic level, Office of the Secretary of the Navy and Office of the Chief of Naval Operations headquarters staff have identified and analyzed risks, such as emerging threats from hostile nation-states, which could make demands on homeland defense capabilities. Since 2004, according to Navy officials, the Navy has been using its strategic laydown and dispersal methodology in dividing its force structure and assets between the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. In addition, officials stated that there may be adjustments to the Navy’s current split of assets between the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets based on direction from the President that is reflected in DOD’s January 2012 defense strategic guidance, which …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed proposals for reorganizing the Department of Energy (DOE), focusing on: (1) longstanding weaknesses in DOE's management that GAO has identified over the past several years; (2) the effect that the proposals to deal with national security weaknesses would have on addressing these weaknesses; and (3) a framework for evaluating DOE's missions and possible reorganization."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Improving the federal hiring process is critical given that the executive branch hired nearly 95,000 new employees during fiscal year 2003 and significant hiring may continue over the next few years. In May 2003, GAO issued a report highlighting several key problems in the federal hiring process. That report concluded that the process needed improvement and included recommendations to address the problems. Last month, GAO issued a follow-up to that report and testified before Congress on the status of recent efforts to improve the federal hiring process. As part of this work, GAO also assessed the extent to which federal agencies are using two new hiring flexibilities: category rating and direct-hire authority. Category rating permits an agency manager to select a job candidate placed in a best-qualified category rather than being limited to three candidates under the "rule of three." Direct-hire authority allows an agency to appoint individuals to positions without adherence to certain competitive examination requirements when there is a severe shortage of qualified candidates or a critical hiring need. Today, GAO's statement highlights the extent to which agencies are using the new hiring flexibilities, points out …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Mandated to screen all checked baggage using explosive detection systems at airports by December 31, 2003, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) deployed two types of screening equipment: explosives detection systems (EDS), which use computer-aided tomography X-rays to recognize the characteristics of explosives, and explosives trace detection (ETD) systems, which use chemical analysis to detect traces of explosive material vapors or residues. This testimony discusses (1) TSA's deployment of EDS and ETD systems and the impact of initially deploying these systems, (2) TSA and airport actions to install EDS machines in-line with baggage conveyor systems, and the federal resources made available for this purpose, and (3) actions taken by TSA to optimally deploy checked baggage screening systems."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses issues related to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In hearings conducted from 1990 through 1994, Congress noted that violence against women was a problem of national scope and that the majority of crimes associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking were perpetrated against women. These hearings culminated in the enactment of VAWA in 1994 to address these issues on a national level. VAWA established grant programs within the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) for state, local, and Indian tribal governments and communities. These grants have various purposes, such as providing funding for direct services including emergency shelter, counseling, and legal services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assaults and stalking across all segments of the population. Recipients of funds from these grant programs include, among others, state agencies, tribes, shelters, rape crisis centers, organizations that provide legal services, and hotlines. In 2000, during the reauthorization of VAWA, language was added to the law to provide greater emphasis on dating violence. The 2006 reauthorization of VAWA expanded existing grant programs and added new programs addressing, among …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Protective Service (FPS) is responsible for protecting federal employees and visitors in approximately 9,000 federal facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration (GSA). FPS has a budget of approximately $1 billion and maintains approximately 1,200 full-time employees and about 13,000 contract security guards that help accomplish the agency's facility protection mission. This testimony is based on past reports and testimonies and discusses challenges FPS faces in carrying out its mission with regard to (1) risk management, (2) strategic human capital planning, (3) oversight of its contract guard program, and (4) ensuring that its fee-based funding structure is the appropriate mechanism for funding the agency. GAO also addresses the extent to which FPS has made progress in responding to these challenges. To perform this work, GAO used its key facility protection practices as criteria, visited FPS regions and selected GSA buildings, reviewed training and certification data for FPS's contract guards, and interviewed officials from DHS, GSA, guard contractors, and guards."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed how disability systems in the private sector and other countries encourage and facilitate return to work in three key areas: (1) the eligibility assessment process; (2) work incentives; and (3) staffing practices."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2001, the U.S. airline industry has confronted unprecedented financial losses. Two of the nation's largest airlines--United Airlines and US Airways--went into bankruptcy, terminating their pension plans and passing the unfunded liability to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). PBGC's unfunded liability was $9.6 billion; plan participants lost $5.2 billion in benefits. Considerable debate has ensued over airlines' use of bankruptcy protection as a means to continue operations, often for years. Many in the industry and elsewhere have maintained that airlines' use of this approach is harmful to the industry, in that it allows inefficient carriers to reduce ticket prices below those of their competitors. This debate has received even sharper focus with pension defaults. Critics argue that by not having to meet their pension obligations, airlines in bankruptcy have an advantage that may encourage other companies to take the same approach. GAO is completing a report for the Committee due later this year. Today's testimony presents preliminary observations in three areas: (1) the continued financial difficulties faced by legacy airlines, (2) the effect of bankruptcy on the industry and competitors, and (3) the effect of airline pension …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "USAID obligated and expended most of the ESF assistance to the West Bank and Gaza appropriated for fiscal years 2010 and 2011. Of the total $789 million provided for West Bank and Gaza assistance over the 2 years, USAID had obligated 96 percent and expended 70 percent by the end of April 2012. USAID obligated about $410 million for 26 development projects and $350 million in budget support to the PA over the 2 fiscal years. USAID provided the most assistance to the water resources and infrastructure sector, about 56 percent of total project obligations."

Memorandum of meeting with Labette County, KS community representatives regarding the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant.

Base Visit Input - Supplemental Command Brief from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to the BRAC Commission. Includes a PowerPoint and any other additional information.