WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler (Mo.) released a joint statement today after the U.S. Army announced the results of its Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) and plans to reduce active duty soldier end strength from 490,000 to 450,000. As a result of force reductions across 27 other Army installations, the Army announced Fort Leonard Wood will be reduced by 774 uniformed personnel by the end of fiscal year 2017.
“This spring, more than 2,000 Missourians, including local leaders, stakeholders, state and congressional delegations, soldiers and family members, attended the SPEA listening session, marking the second-largest recorded attendance in the country. While budgetary constraints have forced the Army to make difficult decisions, today’s announcement confirms what Missourians already know: Fort Leonard Wood will continue to play a critical role in the training and development of our troops. Key criteria, including an abundance of maneuver and training areas, the absence of encroachment concerns, optimal geographic location, and plenty of community support give Fort Leonard Wood a significant leg up over other installations for future Army missions,” the Missouri lawmakers said.
“Working with installation and Army leadership, in partnership with the Missouri congressional delegation, Missouri has positioned Fort Leonard Wood for the Army of the future, as one of the premier training bases in the country. The announced reductions to active duty personnel, while significant, are lower than the cuts at many other Army posts across the nation and lower than the level of cuts Fort Leonard Wood experienced in 2013. This is a challenging announcement for the Fort Leonard Wood community, but we remain committed in our support for the fort along with its brave soldiers, families and civilians stationed there,” the lawmakers concluded.
