BRAC FAQ

The purpose of BRAC 2005 is to enable the Department of Defense to realize greater efficiencies and promote transformation by realigning infrastructure with future defense strategy. BRAC-directed activities seek to eliminate excess physical capacity to maximize operational capability. In doing so, DoD can free up badly needed funding to enable weapon system recapitalization and technological investment.

BRAC 2005 directives represent a big win for Wright-Patterson AFB and the Dayton area. About 1,200 new military and civilian positions will come to the base with the numerous transitions of units from bases in states such as Texas, Florida, Arizona, New York and Massachusetts. Arriving units will support missions in the areas of aerospace medicine research, human performance and sensors research. Approximately $332 million in construction and renovation will take place to prepare facilities to house the new missions. Overall, BRAC 2005 further amplifies Wright-Patterson’s critical role to the Air Force and national security, further enhances the business climate and promises to build even greater base-community partnerships on a number of fronts.

Arriving missions include:

• Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory from Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida.
• Human Effectiveness Directorate from Brooks City Base to join other Human Effectiveness elements already at Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB. This is the first step toward the creation of the 711 Human Performance Wing under AFRL.
• 311 Human Systems Wing’s Performance Enhancement Directorate moves from Brooks City Base, Texas, to the 711 HPW under AFRL.
• Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine moves from Brooks City Base to the 711 HPW AFRL.
• Air Force Institute of Operational Health from Brooks City Base to the 711 HPW under AFRL. Will combine with AFSAM.
• 77 Aeronautical Systems Group element moves from Brooks City Base and will fall under the 77 Aeronautical Systems Wing, Aeronautical Systems Center.
• Human Effectiveness unit from Mesa, Arizona, to the 711 HPW.
• Sensors Directorate from Hanscom AFB, Mass., to join existing Sensors units under AFRL.
• Sensors Directorate from Rome, New York, to join existing sensors units under AFRL, completing Sensors consolidation.
• 49 Aeromedical Dental Operations Squadron, a physiological training unit currently under Air Combat Command, to HPW under AFRL.

 

Departing missions include:

• 665 Aeronautical Systems Squadron – V-22 related development and acquisition to Pax River, Maryland. (completed)
• 780 Test Squadron under AFMC’s 46 Test Wing – Live Fire Testing to China Lake, Calif. (completed)
• AFMC’s PKT – Defense Logistics Readiness Procurement to Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.
• 88 ABW Civilian Personnel to Randolph AFB, Texas.
• AFRL Information Directorate to Rome Research Site, New York.

Approximately $332 million in construction and renovation will be performed in Area B of the base to prepare facilities for new missions. A new one-million square foot facility will be constructed to house the 711 Human Performance Wing. Overall, total projected BRAC funding for Wright-Patt is about $413 million, representing about 49 percent of the $842 million total for Air Force Materiel Command.

About 1,200 positions will transition to Wright-Patterson AFB, with a net gain of approximately 1,100 positions after departing missions are taken into account.

Historically speaking, a small percentage of people actually move to the new location (less than 30 percent). With the BRAC 2005 decision, San Antonio is gaining about 10,000 authorizations. While we will attempt to persuade as many of our knowledgeable people to move as we possibly can, we understand not many will choose to relocate due to availability of positions in their local area.

Of the 1,200 new positions coming to Wright-Patterson AFB, approximately half are civilian positions. AFRL positions will require approximately 1/3 bachelor’s degree holders, 1/3 master’s degree holders and 1/3 PhD holders.

All moves must be completed by September 2011 with no mission disruption.

USAFSAM teaches primarily USAF Aerospace Medicine students in residence classes. The largest group (by numbers of student training days) is the enlisted apprentice courses in Aerospace Physiology, Bioenvironmental Engineering,  and Public Health.

Officers entering the Aerospace Medicine career fields also attend their AFSC-awarding courses here including the Aerospace Medicine Primary (for Flight Surgeons), Bioenvironmental Engineering, Public Health and Aerospace Physiology. All Flight Nurse and Air Evacuation Technician training is conducted within the school. Other aircrew training also includes Critical Care Air Transport training for technicians and physicians.

The school offers a large number of advanced and field courses including responding to aircraft accidents and incidents, expeditionary medical training, decontamination, advanced measurements, and Global Medicine. The students remaining the longest are the Residence in Aerospace Medicine Students, or RAMS. RAMS fill permanent party billets and remain co-located with the school for two or three years completing programs in Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, or General Preventive Medicine.

In addition to courses that are conducted at the school, the school conducts courses in concert with medical trauma centers in Baltimore, Cincinnati, and St Louis. Finally, the Defense Institute for Medical Operations offers 19 courses for government and military students in countries around the world. To date they have held classes in over 60 countries. All told, the school teaches between 5,000 and 7,000 students a year.

Human Systems enhances the performance of Airmen by maximizing human and team capability through aerospace medicine knowledge, operational force health protection, surveillance, response, technology and full integration with Air Force systems across areas of aeronautical systems, air armament, space and command and control.