Air Force Chief Backs Service-Owned Bases
Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach says the military service chiefs agree each branch should own and run its own installations.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Military
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said the service chiefs have reached consensus that each military service should own and run its own installations. The Pentagon is conducting an internal review of its Joint Basing policy, and no decision to end joint basing has been made.
Why it matters
Each service wants control of its own bases, and Wilsbach said another service leading a base may not keep Air Force interests at the top of its mind. The move would reverse a consolidation program that has faced criticism over whether it delivered its promised savings.
The joint base program consolidated 26 bases, including 11 Air Force installations, into 12 joint installations and was projected to save more than $25 billion annually by 2011. The Government Accountability Office found the program failed to yield projected savings and resulted in a net cost increase, and the Pentagon has not decided whether to end it.
The players
Kenneth S. Wilsbach
Air Force Chief of Staff who announced the service chiefs' consensus that each branch should own and run its own installations, and who hopes to control his own bases late this year or early next year.
David R. Wolfe
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force who said a rollback of joint basing could begin with joint bases where the Navy and Air Force are together.
Government Accountability Office
Congressional watchdog agency that found joint basing failed to yield projected savings and resulted in a net cost increase.
The details
The Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed about a year ago that each service should control its own bases, and Wilsbach spoke at the Airlift/Tanker Association's 2026 Symposium on Nov. 6. Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe said a rollback could begin with joint bases where the Navy and Air Force share installations.
Timeline
2005: Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations created the joint basing program.
2008: Former Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne and former Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley publicly criticized the joint basing concept.
2011: Target year for the projected $25 billion in annual joint basing savings.
About one year before Nov. 6, 2026: The Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed each service should control its own bases.
Nov. 6, 2026: Wilsbach made the consensus statement at the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium in Kissimmee, Fla.
Joint Basing Rollback
The proposed rollback would reverse the consolidation created by the joint basing program that followed 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations. That program was projected to save more than $25 billion annually by 2011, but the Government Accountability Office found it instead produced a net cost increase.
Service members and families stationed at joint installations such as Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and Joint Base San Antonio could see changes in how base support services are managed. No decision has been made, so existing arrangements remain in place for now.
The takeaway
Decisions about how military installations are run affect both operational priorities and the costs taxpayers bear. Readers should watch whether the Pentagon's internal review produces a formal policy change, since the Government Accountability Office's findings bear directly on whether a rollback would save money.
Further reading
Explore more United States military coverage for context on how base management decisions are made.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine.
