A call for regional support in the face of possible troop reductions at Fort Leonard Wood brought more than 2,300 responses, an organization said late last week.
The Sustainable Ozarks Partnership (SOP), a non-profit organization that focuses on the four counties surrounding Fort Leonard Wood, offered its appreciation as the U.S. Army proposes to reduce its end strength from 562,000 active duty troops at the end of fiscal year 2012 to 490,000 by fiscal year 2020. The plan would impact FLW with a reduction of up to 3,900 soldiers and Army civilians. This would be a loss of 41 percent of the fort’s permanent staff. The model the Army uses also projects a loss of 450 direct and 504 indirect jobs in the region.
The thrust of most of the letters was that the proposed reductions would have a devastating effect on the communities surrounding FLW and that growing, not reducing, the fort’s mission and resources made much more sense. The response by the SOP pointed to significant flaws in the Army’s study and the conclusion that the withdrawal of forces from Fort Leonard Wood would have no significant impact. That letter is accessible online at www.SustainableOzarks.org.
“The number and thoughtfulness of responses from our communities and our state send a clear message — we know the value of Fort Leonard Wood to national defense, and we are proud of our long and sustained support our military neighbors,” said Steve Tupper, chairman of the SOP. “We salute every citizen who took the time and effort to send a response.”
Sustainable Ozarks Partnership identifies and helps implement major programs and projects that improve and sustain the quality of life in the region and enable continued growth of Fort Leonard Wood. More information can be found at the SOP website.