ACTION REQUEST: EUROPEAN BASE CLOSURES - ROUND 58

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 014934 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019 TAGS: BE MARR PREL NATO SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: EUROPEAN BASE CLOSURES - ROUND 58 - HOST NATION CONSULTATION, BELGIUM REF: A. RND 58 EUCOM NOMINATION MESSAGE 121710Z DEC 08 ¶B. DODI 4165.69 6 APR 05 Classified By: EUR/RPM Director Bruce Turner for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST FOR EMBASSY BRUSSELS. POST IS REQUESTED TO UNDERTAKE HOST NATION CONSULTATONS AT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL REGARDING RETURN OF 10 BUILDINGS AT FLORENNES AIR BASE, AS IDENTIFIED IN PARAGRAPH 2. THIS IS THE 58TH ROUND IN A SERIES OF EUROPEAN BASE CLOSURES RECOMMENDED FOR RETURN OR PARTIAL RETURN BY COMMANDER, U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND. POST IS REQUESTED TO REPORT RESULTS OF HOST NATION CONSULTATIONS AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE. WHEN POST'S RESPONSE IS RECEIVED, OSD WILL SEEK DEPSECDEF APPROVAL FOR THE REALIGNMENTS. AFTER THE APPROVAL, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AND PA GUIDANCE WILL BE PROMULGATED (COORDINATED BY DOD AND STATE) AND FACILITY RETURN ACTIVITIES WILL COMMENCE. ¶2. (C) IN ACCORDANCE WITH DOD INSTRUCTION 4165.69 REALIGNMENT OF DOD SITES OVERSEAS (REF B),COMMANDER, U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND HAS NOMINATED A SITE IN BELGIUM FOR RETURN TO THE HOST NATION. THE SPECIFIC SITE NOMINATED IS FLORENNES AIR BASE AND THE RETURN IS FOR ONLY 10 BUILDINGS, WHICH CURRENTLY HOUSE THE NATO TACTICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM WILL BE RELOCATING TO SPAIN IN JUNE 2009. ¶3. (C) ANTICIPATED ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS SAVINGS BY THIS REALIGNMENT ARE APPROXIMATELY $1.88M/YEAR. ¶4. (U) INFORMATION WILL BE DECLASSIFIED UPON PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. OSD/ISA-EUR POLICY POC IS MR. ANDREW L. WINTERNITZ, COMMERCIAL 1-703-571-9631 (DSN 671); OSD/ATL POC IS MR. RICK FLANSBURG, 703-571-9065; JS STAFF POC IS LCDR MARK SEIP, 703-695-6297(DSN 225); HQ EUCOM REALIGNMENT POC IS MR. AL LEW, ECJ4-EN, COMMERCIAL 49-711-680-8664, DSN 430-8664; USAFE POC IS MR. ANTHONY DUNO, COMMERCIAL 49-06371-47-6300. CLINTON