Promoting new opportunities for the fort

Sierra Vista Herald ^ | Bill Hess

[SandRat]

SIERRA VISTA — The synergy between the various functions on Fort Huachuca has always been strong, but it is becoming more so, the fort’s senior leader said.

But other people beyond those who live in close proximity to the post and know its missions have to be told to a wider audience, Maj. Gen. Robert Ashley said.

Speaking to a dinner group of Fort Huachuca 50 members, an organization founded 28 years ago to both support the installation and to ensure its continued use, the commander of the Army Intelligence Center of Excellence said he and other leaders on the post are tying to entice other military units to use the post for training or other operations.

To help show-case the post’s capabilities, a two-and-a-half minute video has been made, which Gen. Ashley showed to the group.

In it there are highlights of the type of training terrain which is available, including the fact the fort has five parachute drop zones and other capabilities which many in the Army don’t know about, Ashley said.

Earlier Kevin Peterson, the president of the Fort Huachuca 50, said one of the major goals of the organization is to find ways to publicize the post’s valuable importance to the Army.

At the event was Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, whose district includes the fort.

Also attending were former Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, who represented the district in which the fort is located for 22 years.

GOP primary hopeful Martha McSally, who is seeking the party’s nod to run against Barber in November, and who is in a three-way primary race, also was in attendance.

As the sitting congressman, Barber also was asked to speak in an official capacity.

After seeing the fort’s video, he asked for a copy of it so he can show it to members of Congress who have no idea where Fort Huachuca is, and what happens on the post to benefit the nation.

Noting senior dense officials, including the Secretary of Defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Army Chief of Staff, are rightfully concerned drastic cuts in the size of the nation’s armed forces and any future sequestrations of military will harm its capabilities to respond to global hot spots.

The challenge is for the local communities, the state and Arizona’s people in Washington, D.C., to ensure the fort receives new missions because of some of the installation’s unique capabilities in the intelligence, communications, testing and training arenas, the congressman said.

“The capabilities of Fort Huachuca are critical. Fort Huachuca is on the front line of the nation’s defense,” Barber said.