The action evaluated in this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is the closure of Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois. The closure is the result of the recommendations or the Defense Secretary's Commission on Base Realignment and Closure, or legislative requirements in the Base Closure and Realignment Act (Public Law 100-526), and or U.S. Air Force plans to enhance mission readiness and national security. Primarily, the closure of Chanute Air Force Base will involve the transfer of courses to bases designated for realignment and the removal or equipment and personnel. No construction or demolition activities are planned as part or the action. Provisions or the Act preclude the examination or any alternative actions to closure. Consequently, this document will only examine alternate methods or carrying out the closure. Because the Act requires implementation or the closure/realignment, *no action" is not an alternative and is not specifically included. However, Chapter 3 presents the environmental conditions associated with the installation and its operations and will serve as the baseline against which the implementation impacts are judged. This EIS describes conditions with all units currently operational in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 or this document assesses the impacts of the closure or the base (withdrawal of all units.) While the environmental impacts to Chanute Air Force Base caused by the departure of all units are within the scope of this EIS, the environmental impacts caused by the arrival of those units at the new locations are not part of this EIS. Those impacts will be analyzed in separate NEPA documents focusing on impacts and issues at the various receiving bases.