One of the discoveries of the recent military audit is that the Pentagon has significantly fewer buildings than what is listed in its books. This finding may change ongoing requests for base closures and other measures. In the Navy, the audit revealed that 6.5% of building infrastructure had been demolished or replaced without being removed from the books. In the Army, all buildings were accounted for but were improperly classified concerning their condition and usability. “The accuracy of this matters,” said the Pentagon comptroller and CFO. “It drives and it plays a role in decision making.” Pentagon leaders under Obama and Trump, including former SecDef Mattis in 2017, have argued for a reduction to military infrastructure, but it has been 12 years since the last Congressional passage of a Base Realignment and Closing round, as such closings are politically dangerous for the politicians with the basis in their districts. One analyst highlighted an underlying problem driving the issue, saying that “in local communities, [military construction] issues are huge. At the national level, military construction issues are pretty obscure.”
Source: Pentagon Owns Fewer Buildings Than Previously Thought: Audit – Defense One
