THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 19, 1995 TAG: 9502190034
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: BASE CLOSINGS:
THE FINAL ROUND
What's at stake for Hampton Roads?
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
WHY IT'S CALLED BRAC
It may resemble the sound of a vulture, which is how many
communities view it, but that's not how ``BRAC'' came to be known by
the wrong acronym.
The advisory panel created to see that the number of military bases
matches the shrinking number of military personnel is formally known
as the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. That would
be ``DBCAR.''
Because DBCAR doesn't roll trippingly off the tongue, ``BRAC''
probably was adapted to be both short and pronounceable, a BRAC
spokesman said.
There is a more substantive explanation for removal of the ``D''
from BRAC, said the spokesman, Charles L. Pizer: ``BRAC is an
independent agency, not part of `Defense,' which is the Pentagon.''
Quipped Pizer, ``It sounds like a good name for something you're not
so sure you like.'' He added quickly, ``While no one likes the
decisions - there are no easy decisions here - the process has
certainly been viewed as fair.''
- Staff report
KEYWORDS: BASE CLOSINGS MILITARY BASES by CNB