President Obama will ask Congress to approve more military base closures

Panetta said the number of domestic bases poses a “fundamental problem” that must be addressed as the Defense Department embarks on a multiyear plan to shrink the military.

At a Pentagon news conference, Panetta said, “As we draw down the force, we've got to take a look at the infrastructure that's supporting the remaining force, and the reality is that we're going to have to be able to reduce that infrastructure.”

The secretary said the base realignment and closure process — commonly referred to as BRAC — was the “best approach politically on Capitol Hill.”

The process — used in 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 2005 — was designed to put the tough decisions in the hands of an independent commission with little political interference. About 120 bases were closed in those rounds, and hundreds more were realigned, either losing or gaining work.

Oklahoma has three U.S. Air Force bases — Tinker, in the Oklahoma City area; Altus; and Vance, near Enid. It also has a U.S. Army post, Fort Sill, and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.