Hundreds urge Army to keep Fort Carson strong
Hundreds of people packed Centennial Hall in Colorado Springs Tuesday afternoon to show support for Fort Carson.
The Army needs to cut its force structure by at least 40,000 active-duty soldiers and is looking at potentially cutting 16,000 jobs at The Mountain Post.
Army leadership participated in a listening session at Centennial Hall to provide area leaders and citizens a forum to comment on the factors they believe the Army should consider before deciding on a restructuring plan.
Brigadier General Roger Cloutier Jr. stressed that no decision has been made yet.
“What we need to hear is the Fort Carson story and we need to understand the bond that the community has with Fort Carson,” Cloutier said.
Six mayors from around Colorado and dozens of other elected officials attended the session. Gov. John Hickenlooper was first to take the podium to stress the importance of keeping the military community strong in Colorado.
“We do have a long, proud history with the military here in the Centennial state and it has become just an organic part of this community, especially down in El Paso County and southern Colorado,” Hickenlooper said. “The entire state is 100 percent committed to making sure Fort Carson is the best base.”
Losing 16,000 soldiers would reduce the state’s income by $1.7 billion. Area leaders made a case for keeping troops in southern Colorado, touting the high altitude training benefits and the proximity to NORAD and other military installations.
“We have one of the strongest bases in our country,” said Vickie Tonkins, a Colorado Springs citizen. “We can’t let that go.”
Stan Horton, an Army veteran, told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that he was concerned about the impact a reduction of troops would have on area businesses.
“We need to keep Fort Carson because once you start taking away, you never get back,” Horton said. “The city is not prepared to recover from losing this many soldiers at Fort Carson.”
Pentagon leaders are about halfway through visiting 30 Army posts where cuts are being considered. A decision isn’t expected for several months.
