Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Related Content
Topic
  • Organizations and Offices
  • Places--Foreign
  • Planning and Strategy
  • Places-Shore Facilities--Bases-Stations-Labs-Installations
  • Regulations and Guidance
  • Places--U.S.
Document Type
  • Finding Aids Glossaries Guides
Wars & Conflicts
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials

Records of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment)

Dates: 1961-2003

Collection Number: AR/468 (Formerly COLL/498)

Finding aid (Word)

Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of records of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment) (ASN/I&E). It contains records and correspondence relating to the development of Navy policies and recommendations regarding the possible closure or realignment of shore facilities and installations, the establishment and implementation of procedures and formal ceremonies for the closure of installations, publications setting out Navy regulations and policies as well as the publication form of Environmental Impact Statements for installations proposed for closure and realignment, and finally the formal documents and official notifications marking the closure and realignment of installations or facilities. The collection also contains records and correspondence regarding the status and future of Navy installations not included in the Base Realignment and Closure process, including the Naval Gunnery Range on Vieques Island in Puerto Rico and Kaho’Olawe Island in Hawaii.

The collection is organized in 13 series.

Series I consists of administrative and policy files relating to the creation, administration, and routine operation of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment). There are five subseries within the series. Within each subseries, the files are labeled to indicate the documents within and organized chronologically.

  • The first subseries–The Assistant Secretary of the Navy’s Office–includes the Charter for the Office of the Assistant Secretary (Installations and Environment) and files setting out office practices, procedures, and policies. It also holds material reflecting the Assistant Secretary’s role in setting Navy policies and in relations with other governmental branches, agencies, and entities.
  • The second subseries–ASN(I&E) and BRAC–holds files relating to the role of the Assistant Secretary in regard to BRAC–Base Realignment and Closure–policies and decisions, including briefing materials on BRAC issues prepared for the Assistant Secretary for his use in meetings with other agencies and with Congress.
  • The third subseries–The Navy and BRAC–contains files held by the Assistant Secretary’s Office that reflect and/or relate to the Department of the Navy’s role in regard to BRAC. These files include background material on past base closures; Navy plans and reports on possible future closures, as well as prepared public statements and testimony by senior Navy officers appearing before Congress.
  • The fourth subseries–DOD and BRAC–contains files held by the Assistant Secretary’s Office relating to or reflecting the role of the Department of Defense with regard to BRAC issues and decisions. These include documents on DOD policy with regard to BRAC implementation, Navy input into the determination of DOD policies related to base closures and the transfer of base closure property to the other services, other government branches or agencies, or to local communities. It also holds material on the impact on the BRAC process of Fiscal Year 1994 budget decisions in Congress.
  • The fifth subseries holds statements and remarks prepared for delivery by the Assistant Secretary in connection with base closures and other significant occasions associated with the U.S. Navy and its history. Included is a collection of Record of Decision and Federal Register Notice documents for the public notification of decisions to close particular bases, installations, or facilities.

Series II contains records held by the Assistant Secretary’s office regarding external (e.g. RAND, Center for Naval Analyses, Booz-Allen) and internal Department of Defense recommendations, evaluations, and assessments of both broad BRAC issues as well as of specific base closure and property transfer cases. Studies in this series are filed by the name of the originating office or organization.

Series III contains material held by the Assistant Secretary’s Office regarding proposed legislation affecting the BRAC process as well as other DOD programs, and DOD regulations and instructions on implementation of BRAC-related base closures and other activities. These are divided into five subseries and organized chronologically.

  • The first subseries holds material relating to the sessions of the 104th Congress.
  • The second subseries holds material relating to the sessions of the 105th Congress.
  • The third subseries holds material relating to Defense Department-generated proposals for legislation relating to or having implications for the BRAC process.
  • The fourth subseries holds DOD instructions, directives, regulations, and legal opinions of the General Counsel all related to implementation of BRAC base closure decisions.
  • The fifth subseries contains DOD-generated manuals, guides, and instructions for the conveyance of base-closure property to local entities under economic development provisions of applicable law and regulation.

Series IV consists of material held by the Assistant Secretary’s Office connected with the work of the Base Realignment and Closure commissions as well as of the DOD Base Reuse Oversight Team (BROT). This material includes general administrative material including contact lists of designated BRAC officers at military/naval installations, schedules and notes on meetings of the commissions, and memoranda regarding the related legislative mandates and guidelines for each commission. These files are labeled to show which activity they reflect and the nature of the material, and are arranged chronologically.

Series V contains the records held by the Assistant Secretary’s Office on the BRAC commission’s review of and recommendations regarding specific bases, facilities, and installations. These files are organized alphabetically by the geographic name of the installation and chronologically within the set of files associated with a specific base or installation. The case files hold material that can include official memoranda on the current and prospective value of the named base or facility, memoranda implementing a final BRAC recommendation regarding the named base or installation, draft and final Environmental Impact Statements assessing the named base or installation, communications exchanged with local U.S. or with foreign governments having political jurisdiction over the area surrounding the base or installation, press reporting on the BRAC recommendation and proposals from the local community for the future of the base or installation, and collected correspondence from the general public, local governments, and members of Congress regarding the BRAC review and recommendations made affecting the named Navy and Marine bases.

Series VI contains the files of correspondence held by the Assistant Secretary’s office relating to the work and the recommendations of the base closure and realignment commissions. This correspondence includes internal memoranda regarding both general BRAC implementation and discussion of specific bases or installations, as well as applications from other services, federal agencies, or local governments wanting to receive base closure properties. It also contains memoranda and correspondence regarding possible Navy and Marine Corps recommendations for future base and realignment commissions. These are labeled to clearly indicate the nature of the documents held within each file and arranged chronologically. There is also one subseries containing press reports collected in 1995 and again in 2001 by the Assistant Secretary’s Office, assessing the work of the Base Realignment and Closure commission.

Series VII consists of legislation as well as Environmental Protection Agency and DOD regulations, instructions, and policy statements on the environmental aspects and issues in the implementation of base closure and realignment commission recommendations. These include environmental cleanup, environmental protection practices and policies, as well as the clean up of unexploded ordnance (UXO). These are arranged chronologically.

Series VIII holds California State and local jurisdiction prepared reports related to the implementation of base closure and realignment commission recommendations in the State of California. These are arranged chronologically.

Series IX contains the Assistant Secretary’s office collection of BRAC related publications. These include the final BRAC Commission Reports recommending base closures and realignments, DOD and Navy Reports providing their respective recommendations regarding base closures and realignments, DOD manuals for the implementation of base closure decisions, GAO reviews of the BRAC commissions’ activities, DOD guidelines and manuals for implementation of commission recommendations, and the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements on shore installations recommended for closure or realignment. The former are arranged chronologically, while a separate subseries contains the Environmental Impact Statements, arranged alphabetically by geographic name attached to the shore installation.

Series X contains the files held by the Assistant Secretary’s Office relating to Puerto Rico and the training installations and firing ranges on Vieques Island. This series includes three subseries:

  • The first subseries contains memoranda and correspondence held by the Assistant Secretary relating to his participation in the White House Interagency Working Group (WHIG) on Puerto Rico, arranged chronologically.
  • The second series, White House Working Group Correspondence, contains copies of exchanges of correspondence taken for action by the WHIG and requiring input from the Assistant Secretary and the Navy, as well as official internal memoranda addressing the various issues related to Puerto Rico and the Vieques Island installations arranged chronologically.
  • The third subseries contains the Assistant Secretary’s own correspondence relating to Puerto Rico and the Vieques Island installations, including official memoranda internal to DOD or the USG addressing various aspects of the Vieques Island issue, arranged chronologically.

Series XI contains the records held by the Assistant Secretary’s Office regarding training and firing installations on the Hawaiian island of Kaho'Olawe Island. This includes briefing materials, reports, correspondence and official documents relating to the closure of firing ranges and training installations on Kaho'Olawe Island, Hawaii and the islands transfer to the Hawaiian Islands, arranged chronologically. There are two subseries:

  • The first subseries contains the Secretary of the Navy’s Annual Reports to Congress regarding Kaho’Olawe Island, arranged chronologically.
  • The second subseries contains correspondence and press reporting on the training facilities, their transfer, and related issues in Hawaii collected by the Assistant Secretary’s office, arranged chronologically.

Series XII contains material held by the Assistant Secretary’s office regarding U.S. Navy involvement in the location, preservation, and eventual recovery of H.L. Hunley, the Confederate submarine lost in action during the Civil War, as well as its eventual public exhibit. This includes copies of correspondence, Navy General Counsel's Officer papers, and official documents implementing arrangements to support the preservation and recovery of the wreck. These are arranged chronologically.

Series XIII consists of oversize maps, charts, and photographs. This series is housed in Map case 7, Drawers 9 and 10. It is arranged in four subseries: Mounted Maps, Maps, Mounted Aerial Photographs, and Mounted Posters. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically by place-name with the exception of the final subseries, which contains a single poster commemorating Alameda Naval Air Station.


Preferred Citation

Records of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment), Archives Branch, Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

Published: Mon Oct 18 11:56:41 EDT 2021