Col. Bruce E. Haselden, Garrison commander at WRAMC, said focusing on customers ó beneficiaries and staff ó remains his and the Garrisonís primary goal as Walter Reed continues to meet BRAC challenges.

ìWarriors in Transition are the focal point on this 113-acre installation,î Haselden said. He added that the Garrison, Walter Reed and the nation have a ìvery important missionî in taking care of WTs and their Families.

ìWeíre trying to provide [a positive] quality-of-life environment for the folks in uniforms and all our employees,î Haselden said. ìWeíre spending a lot of money to make Walter Reed a better place.î

Despite BRAC 2005 law calling for the closure of WRAMCís main campus by Sept. 15, 2011, thereís a mandate that there be no decline in services at Walter Reed until that time. Haselden said this is why the Army opened the multi-million-dollar Military Advanced Training Center for amputee rehabilitation at Walter Reed last fall, and WRAMC received approximately $70 million during the last couple of years to repair and sustain infrastructure of its facilities.

Randy Treiber, WRAMCís base transition coordinator, said that details are still being worked concerning job status of Garrison staff as a result of BRAC, including incentives to keep people here until WRAMCís main campus closes.

Treiber said as 2011 nears, events will begin to increase at WRAMC in regards to BRAC. ìWeíre about half-way through the BRAC process and there are still a lot [things] that havenít been decided, and probably the big one out there is the manning document. That along with the construction really drives a lot of things that pertain to the Garrison.î

Treiber pointed out that as part of the BRAC 2005 requirements, WRAMC officially transferred authority of the Forest Glen and Glen Haven annexes to Fort Detrick, Md., during a ceremony Oct. 9.

Authority of the entire Walter Reed police and firefighting forces also transferred to Fort Detrick, Treiber explained.

Stephen Brooks, deputy Garrison commander, said itís natural for people to have anxiety when discussing of BRAC. ìI would recommend people try not to worry about it so much. There are so many things put in place to protect the workforce here. [Employees] need to remember weíre in the middle of Washington, D.C. and the National Capital Region where there is the largest density of federal jobs anywhere in the world. The deputy secretary of defense has guaranteed everyone a follow-on job if they want it.î He said the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Program will be available to some employees, as well as the Priority Placement Program.

ìA week doesnít go by that a national leader doesnít come here and theyíre not just looking out for the wounded warriors, they want to know about the employees, too,î Brooks said. ìEven though itís natural to have some anxiety [about BRAC], itís also an opportunity. The glass can be half empty or half full, and our job is to make it half full.î