The Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) is the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) primary source for assisting communities that are adversely impacted by Defense program changes, including base closures or realignments, base expansions, and contract or program cancellations. To assist affected communities, OEA manages and directs the Defense Economic Adjustment Program, and coordinates the involvement of other Federal Agencies.

Economic adjustment assistance provides a community-based context for assessing economic hardships caused by DoD program changes by identifying and evaluating alternative courses of action, identifying resource requirements, and assisting in the preparation of an adjustment strategy or action plan to help communities help themselves.

OEA staff has a range of experience in economic and community development, land use planning, real estate redevelopment, federal real property programs, military programs, and worker adjustment. Project managers also bring a working knowledge of other Federal agencies and their respective programs to help communities put together an adjustment program combining Federal, State, local and private resources.

OEA also administers a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) program, to encourage cooperative land use planning between military installations and the surrounding communities where civilian encroachment is likely to impair the operations of an installation. In these instances, OEA may provide technical and financial assistance to State and local governments to achieve compatible land use and development activities near Defense facilities.