Today, the Department of Defense acting inspector general, Thomas Gimble, notified the President and Congress that the State of Florida had not met the requirements of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Commission regarding the relocation of the East Coast Master Jet Base from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., to Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 authorized the independent Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission to conduct a round of installation reviews, realignments, and closures to begin in 2005. These actions by the BRAC Commission are to transform military infrastructure in order to maximize warfighting capability and improve financial efficiency. The process is governed by law, specifically the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990.

The notification by the inspector general is required by Recommendation # 193 of the 2005 BRAC Report. In his notification to the President and Congress, Gimble stated, "Because the State of Florida did not take the actions required in Recommendation #193, I am not able to certify compliance with the BRAC criteria."

The inspector general's report can be accessed at the following Web site at http://www.dodig.osd.mil/Audit/reports/index.html .