FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2007
CONTACT: Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Announces the Army will Send 14,000 Troops to Fort Bliss, Fort Hood
“Grow the Army” Initiative will Bring New Troops to the Base over the next Five Years
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Ranking Member on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced that the Army will base at least 14,000 new troops to two Texas military installations.
“I spoke with General Cody this morning about the Army’s future growth plans and what that will mean for our Texas bases,” said Sen. Hutchison. “I have worked and advocated strongly for bringing troops home from overseas and today the Army has announced they will bring 14,000 new troops to Texas. Also, the Army will rotate the 1st Armored Division from Germany to Ft. Bliss beginning in 2010.”
The “Grow the Army” initiative will take place from 2009-2013 and will roll out six new Brigade Combat teams and eight new Supporting Brigades. Of the six new Brigade Combat teams, two will be stationed at Ft. Bliss, bringing 9,227 troops to the base by the end of the 2013 fiscal year. Once complete, the base’s total population (soldier and civilian) will be 39,569.
Of the eight new Supporting Brigades, two of them will be stationed at Ft. Hood. With the establishment of a Sustainment Brigade and an Air Defense Brigade, Ft. Hood will remain at its optimum 50,000 troop level. The two new Supporting Brigades will bring an additional 3,273 troops to the base by the end of the 2013 fiscal year, bringing the overall base population (soldier and civilian) to 49,632.
Two years ago, when it was announced that Ft. Hood would lose 5,000 troops, Sen. Hutchison met with Gen. Peter Schoomaker, then the Army Chief of Staff, in an attempt to maximize the efficiency of the base. The base runs most efficient at or near 50,000 troops.
With the help of the completion of the “Grow the Army” initiative, troop levels in Texas will have risen by 33,000.
Sen. Hutchison has been focused on realigning our military bases overseas and introduced and passed the Military Facility Structure Review Act in 2003. This bipartisan legislation established a congressional commission to study the use of U.S. military facilities abroad. The Overseas Basing Commission examined the mission and future use of overseas bases to determine if our overseas basing fits with current and future needs.
Sen. Hutchison is the Ranking Member on the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee and also serves on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
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