Army decides to relocate units to other posts in troop increase
By KEVIN HOWE
Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 12/20/2007 09:06:10 AM PST
Fort Hunter Liggett in southern Monterey County is out of the running as an active Army brigade base.
The Army on Wednesday announced 19 decisions involving stationing troops to meet President Bush’s plan to increase Army troop strength by 74,200 soldiers, including the stationing of six new infantry brigade combat teams, eight support brigades and other smaller combat support units.
Fort Hunter Liggett had been considered as a possible site for such a brigade, but the Army has decided to station the new brigades at other posts, according to Army spokesman Maj. Thomas McCuin at the Pentagon.
The Army will relocate the 1st Armored Division from Germany to Fort Bliss, Texas, and the 1st Infantry Division from Germany to Fort Riley, Kan., and Fort Knox, Ky., by September 2011.
8 units activated|
The Army currently has 42 active brigade combat teams, which will increase to 48 such teams stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., Fort Bliss, Fort Stewart, Ga., and White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
The Army will also activate eight support brigades and restation two others at Fort Hood, Texas; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; Fort Bliss; Fort Richardson, Alaska; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Polk, La.; and Fort Drum, N.Y.
The Army will also station approximately 30,000 soldiers in combat support and combat service support units throughout the United States as well as various overseas locations, McCuin said.
Combat training center Fort Hunter Liggett will become the first of four combat support training centers to teach combat skills to reserve soldiers during their three-week annual active duty obligation, including weapons training, familiarization and qualification firing. Others are planned at Fort Dix, N.J.; Fort McCoy, Wis.; and a site to be named.
Last month, the Army Reserve broke ground on a new headquarters building at Fort Hunter Liggett for the 91st Operations Group, which will operate the combat support training center.
Kevin Howe can be reached at 646-4416 or khowe@montereyherald.com.
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