General: Fort Bliss could take 20,000 troops from overseas
February 13, 2005
Fort Bliss could accommodate as many as 20,000 troops returning from overseas.
Written by Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News
EL PASO, Texas – Fort Bliss could accommodate as many as 20,000 troops returning from overseas assignments, tripling its current size, post commander Maj. Gen. Michael A. Vane said.
The post already has 12,000 soldiers and is expecting 3,800 to arrive this year as part of the new brigade combat team.
Gen. Vane's comments follow the Defense Department's announcement last year that it would recall at least 70,000 soldiers from overseas. Officials are providing few specifics regarding the domestic or overseas military realignments.
Nevertheless, officials said Fort Bliss is particularly well-positioned to receive more soldiers.
"Texas offers our military unparalleled training capabilities, ample airspace, fewer restrictions on operations and supportive communities – providing the Pentagon a far better value than overseas facilities offer," U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said after a recent briefing with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
The Defense Department is looking at many scenarios for returning troops, and it's not clear how many Fort Bliss will receive.
Mr. Rumsfeld is scheduled on May 16 to announce his plan for the Base Realignment and Closure process, which involves changes within the United States. The Overseas Basing Commission established by Congress is making a separate evaluation of overseas posts and is scheduled to make nonbinding initial recommendations March 31.
Fair Use Notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use", you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.