Welcome to the Harford BRAC blog

I'm a Bel Air resident, freelance journalist and blogger (publisher of Bel Air News & Views). I decided to start this Harford BRAC blog for those who live in Harford County now and those we're expecting thanks to the military's Base Realignment and Closure plan. Harford County is expecting some 30,000 new jobs to come to this area as a result of the military's plan to streamline its operations and redirect some 8,200 military jobs to Aberdeen Proving Ground.
While BRAC's impact will be felt in many areas of the state, here in Harford County we're in for a lot of changes that are likely to come in a short amount of time. BRAC will bring more jobs, more traffic, more school congestion and more development. I thought I'd start this blog as a kind of clearing house for BRAC information. I'm completely unaffiliated with the military. I'm a stay-at-home mom of two kids doing this blogging while going about our life in Bel Air. But I am concerned about how BRAC will impact Harford County and I thought my position here as a Bel Air resident provided me a good vantage point to start chronicling the coming changes. I'm already concerned about what this influx of new families will mean for our schools. My son is already attending the third grade in one of five trailer classrooms at his elementary school -- built just nine years ago. I'm going to search for BRAC-related news daily and post items of interest here. I'll keep a running list of useful BRAC-related links. I'm hoping that this blog will serve as a resource for those folks who will be moving to the area as a result of the realingment as well as discussion point for those who already live here. I hope that readers will use this space to share their thoughts, ask for information and vent their frustrations (politely). Please let me know if there is anything that should be added to this site. It's a work-in-progress. And please feel free to contribute. Thanks for reading.