Posted on 08/25/2005 8:00:36 PM PDT by xzins
1st ID goes to Ft Riley, Kansas.
1st Armored Division takes over Ft Bliss, Texas.
Air Defense Artillery vacates Ft Bliss and Air Defense and regular Artillery create combined Fires mission at Ft Sill.
> ... 1st Infantry Division and 1st Armored Division
> Return to the US from Germany.
Do we finally have an "exit strategy" for Germany?
Someone needs to dig up Roosevelt and demand a date.
thanks for the heads up on this. It is big!
I was just up at Brunswick a week ago with my cousins. We rented a house right under the landing path to the base. You can see P-3's and C-130's landing all day, we even saw four F-14's fly in. It'll be bad for the area when its closed, its the 2nd largest employer in Maine.
My daughter is part of the 1st ID at Fort Riley. Because of this move, her group will be getting brand new barracks, or so they're told, when they return from Iraq next year.
There has been talk of moving platform type bases to Poland, Bulgaria, Czech, etc., but everyone always assumed it would be either the 1st ID or 1st AD remaining for that mission with the other returning to the states.
This means that any of the cohort-type units of action can occupy these forward bases for some period of time (6 months/year?)
I'm not sure of the terminology, but because Fort Riley was on the first call list for being deployed for Iraq, and some have been there 2-3 times, they're going on a 18-24 month stabalization period. Maybe this is in part to prepare for the troops to come home from Germany?
Yes, I think you've nailed it.
It will be a huge process to close bases and relocate from Germany. They have huge facilities all around the Wuerzberg area.
Schroeder is probably spinning in his political grave.
And add to the Germany troops returning, there are about 3000 troops scheduled to return to the States early next year from Iraq. The last time I was on base, January 2005, there was a lot of construction going on near the troops barracks. This move must have been planned for a long time. I'm sure all the families coming home will be happy to be back. On a side note, if you haven't had a chance and are in the neighborhood, Fort Riley has some awesome museums to visit.
I was stationed at Ft Riley from 95-96 with duty at KSU in Manhattan. In conjunction with studies at KSU, I had to perform counseling for families at Ft Riley.
I really liked the area.
BTW, Kansas isn't all that flat....at least that section isn't!
"Kansas isn't all that flat"
The first time I went to base, I ended up coming in after dark. I was really suprised at the terrain. And thank you for serving. Custer Hill is/was going through major construction. The entire 'loop' road was redone within the last year.
I'm not a fan of Junction City or Manahattan, but love the base. We even climbed up on that atomic cannon. :)
The news in El Paso is to expect 20,000 soldiers in the next few years. In addition to 1AD, we're supposed to be getting an additional brigade, but I don't know from where.
The article talks about units above division (Corps elements) coming with the division. I'd suspect some type of aviation brigade.
Just checked the local paper article. 16,000 from 1AD, and 3,800 from the 4th Brigade, 1st Cav. They're already arriving.
We are supposedly going to land part of the new housing contract for Ft. Bliss. It starts towards the end of next year. 6 Billion contract.
It is amazing that all of this is happening and that it hasn't been fully realized (announced?) by the Army in Europe.
If they lose the 1st AD and the 1st ID, they lose Both of the only 2 divisions that reside on that continent ... both in Germany. 1AD is out of Wiesbaden and 1ID is out of Wuerzberg.
To send 1AD to Ft Bliss is a stroke of genius on the army's part.
The closing of the sub base was the biggest shocker of the base closings.
That was denied wasn't it?
The base sub, until that decision was reversed might have been the big news, but now, in my opinion, it's the return of the 1ID and the 1AD from Europe to Ft Riley and Ft Bliss, respectively.
Not to mention the big boon that Hell Hole called El Paso, TX will receive from so much new development. The Army's contract is just for military housing, think of all the commercial property and feeder residential property that will be built as well.
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