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Army aims to stabilize units in BRAC process

The Army has identified several personnel management protocols to govern the massive movement of soldiers and units that will take place over the next three years as part of the base closure and realignment process.

Under BRAC and a companion force expansion program, about one-third of the Army’s units — 380,000 soldiers and family members — and more than 300 camps and stations will feel the effects of the service’s largest organization change since World War II.

With those changes looming, officials with Human Resources Command have identified several management policies to ensure that:

• Units moving to a new location do so in a ready status.

• Units identified to close a base are adequately manned to perform closure.

• Soldiers who are identified for movement receive reassignment orders that are timely and in accordance with the needs of the Army.

The protocols issued by Human Resources Command in mid-July in MilPer Message 08-187 include guidance for managing officers and enlisted soldiers.

Enlisted soldiers

For example, enlisted soldiers will be stabilized at BRAC installations at least 12 months before their unit’s movement.

Soldiers who move within the U.S. will be stabilized at their new location for at least 12 months.

Soldiers who are slated to move from one stateside post to another must have at least 24 months retainability upon arriving at their new installation.

The requirement can be waived on a case-by-case basis to 12 months by HRC’s director of enlisted personnel management.

Career soldiers who have more than six months until their scheduled separation or retirement date who do not volunteer for early separation will be required to make a permanent change of station move if the service-remaining requirement is waived by HRC.

The Army will attempt to renegotiate enlistment and re-enlistment contracts that are affected by BRAC closures.

However, “reassignment actions required by BRAC closures are not a basis for voiding these contracts,” according to the HRC directive of July 15.

The guidance further stipulates that soldiers enlisted under contracts that promised an initial assignment to a specific unit, station or area of choice “will be required to move with the BRAC unit.”

Officers

HRC has directed that officers in BRAC units be stabilized for 12 months before their unit’s move date, and for 12 months upon arrival at their new duty station.

However, officers who are assigned to inactivating units who must be reassigned before completing stabilization will be retained on the same installation, provided there are requirements for their rank and specialty.

If not, “the officer will be reassigned in accordance with the needs of the Army,” according to the HRC directive.

HRC’s Officer Personnel Management Directorate will oversee the management of all active-duty officers except those in the grades of colonel, and those assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and Chaplain Corps.

Colonels affected by BRAC will be managed by the Senior Leader Development office, and chaplains and JAG officers by their respective career branches.

Officers in units are scheduled to move will move with the unit or:

• Be cross-leveled to another unit in the same country (if overseas) or to a unit on the same installation, or

• Be issued reassignment orders based on leader development considerations, or the needs of the Army.