(a) Authority. Under the provisions of the Surplus Property Act of 1944, as amended, a number of surplus real properties of the United States certified by the Governor of the state in which located and by the Secretary of the Army, Navy or Air Force as the case was, as being suitable and needed for use in training and maintaining civilian components of the Armed Forces under their respective jurisdictions, were conveyed by the Administrator of the War Assets Administration or by the General Services Administration to states, their political subdivisions or tax-supported instrumentalities for such purposes. These conveyances contained a number of covenants, conditions, restrictions and reservations, designed to insure the use and maintenance of the property and appurtenances for the purpose for which conveyed and otherwise to protect the interest of the United States. The Secretary of Defense is authorized by (40 U.S.C. 484(k)(4)(d)) to:
(1) Determine and enforce compliance with the terms, conditions, reservations and restrictions contained in any instrument by which such transfer was made;
(2) Reform, correct, or amend any such instrument by the execution of a corrective, reformative, or amendatory instrument where necessary to correct such instrument or to conform such transfer to the requirements of applicable law; and
(3) Grant releases from any of the terms, conditions, reservations and restrictions contained in, and convey, quitclaim, or release to the transferee or other eligible user any right or interest reserved to the United States by any instrument by which such transfer was made, if he determines that the property so transferred no longer serves the purpose for which it was transferred, or that such release, conveyance, or quitclaim deed will not prevent accomplishment of the purpose for which such property was transferred: Provided, that any such release, conveyance, or quitclaim deed may be granted on, or made subject to, such terms and conditions as he shall deem necessary to protect or advance the interest of the United States.
(b) Authority delegated. The authority vested in the Secretary of Defense under the Act cited in paragraph (a) of this section has been redelegated to the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force, respectively (Department of Defense Directive 5100.10, dated 16 March 1972).