Site Essentials
- » Site Introduction
- » Comment Policy
- » Stryker Brigade 101
- » FAQ
- » Thank The Troops
- » Support Our Site
- » Contact Us
- » Terms & Conditions
In Memoriam
Browse Archives
Search Archives
Subscribe to SBN
Browse Our Shop
Awards
[Link to Full Article]
By ROBERT BURNS, AP MILITARY WRITER
WASHINGTON -- From the moment Congress grudgingly accepted the Pentagon's request for a new round of base closings in 2005, military officials have insisted that no base would get a free pass. It doesn't matter how big the base is or where it's located.
"All installations are on the table," the Pentagon's lead official on base closings, Raymond DuBois, told reporters on Dec. 20, 2002. "All installations are going to be judged equally."
That is technically true. It also is politically useful, given lawmakers' fear of voter backlash from losing the economic benefit of bases in their state. The reality, however, is that some bases are nearly untouchable.
Among the examples:
-Fort Lewis, Wash. It is home to a first-of-its-kind fighting force known as a Stryker brigade combat team, assembled to meet the Army's vision of how best to organize for wars of the 21st century. One Stryker brigade is now in Iraq. Lewis also is home to a second Stryker brigade that is preparing to go to Iraq this year. Lewis has the added advantage of being adjacent to McChord Air Force Base, which can airlift the Stryker brigades.
About a dozen miles south of Tacoma, Lewis is the only Army base on the West Coast of the continental United States with major land combat forces and easy access to long-range airlift.