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The Army has announced its preference to add 5,700 soldiers and 8,260 family members to Fort Lewis.

The Department of the Army announces the availability of an FEIS for Fort Lewis and YTC that analyzes the environmental impacts of implementing the decisions in the 2007 Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment Programmatic EIS (also referred to as the Grow The Army PEIS or GTA PEIS) and other ongoing Army realignment and stationing initiatives, such as the potential for Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) stationing that may potentially effect Fort Lewis and YTC.

The Proposed Action could station up to 5,700 Soldiers and their Families at Fort Lewis. The Proposed Action includes the stationing of 1,900 Soldiers directed under the GTA PEIS, the potential additional stationing of up to 1,000 combat service support (CSS) Soldiers, and the potential stationing of a medium Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) of approximately 2,800 Soldiers for a total of up to 5,700 Soldiers.

After reviewing the alternatives analyzed in the FEIS, the Army has identified Alternative 4 as its preferred alternative, which includes all components of the GTA, CSS, and CAB alternatives (up to a total of 5,700 Soldiers and 8,260 family members).

The Army announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic EIS for the proposed growth, realignment and stationing of new and existing Army aviation assets. The proposed action includes the consolidation and reorganization of existing aviation units, and the establishment of one or more Combat Aviation Brigades (CABs). The proposed action will increase the availability of rotary wing assets to meet current and future national security requirements and will allow the Army better to organize existing aviation assets to promote more effective training and force management. The PEIS will evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, which includes the construction and renovation of garrison facilities and additional training needed to support the establishment and realignment of aviation units.

To access the full text of the Federal Register announcements, go online to the Federal Register and search for “Army” and “Fort Lewis” for the FEIS and “Army” and “CAB” for the programmatic EIS. You may need to scroll down a few actions to find the right link.

The FEIS is available on the JBLM Public Works website here.

The chief of staff, Army announced today the following assignment:

Brig. Gen. Lloyd Miles, director, Iraq Training and Advisory Team-Army, U.S. Forces-Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, to deputy commanding general, I Corps and Fort Lewis, Fort Lewis, Wash.

The Mililtary Affairs Committee's monthly Forum featured Joint Base Lewis-McChord Garrison Commander Col. Tommy Brittain (Army) and Deputy Commander Col. Kenny Weldon (Air Force) reporting on the implementation of the joint base operations.

Among the points of information, they announced a new website for Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Complementing this focus on joint basing was Jack Murphy, Associate with Booz, Allen, Hamilton, the local representative for the national effort to implement the 12 joint bases.

The Suburban Times yesterday posted background and a stylebook for the upcoming actualization of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

From its initial days when the citizens of Pierce County taxed themselves to pay - and then donate - lands that became initially Camp Lewis, through a similar effort for Tacoma Airport becoming McChord Field then McChord AFB, these installations have been an integral part of our community.

Whether it's signs on the freeway or the nomenclature used by an ever-changing soldiery on post (who will know no other name), expect and participate in the new name in our community.

The JBLM Growth Coordination Kick-Off Workshop was held Friday at the McGavick Center, Clover Park Technical College.  About 100 attendees were present to begin the process of a Pierce-Thurston Counties collaborative effort with Fort Lewis (source of growth and soon-to-be manager of JBLM). (McChord representatives are participants too.)

The Growth Coordination Plan will identify and analyze community “gaps” that exist in the region in regard to being able to properly handle Ft. Lewis and McChord AFB’s anticipated growth. At the April 9, 2009, Growth Coordination Workshop attended by over 90 Study Area stakeholders, participants identified ten functional areas as elements that needed to be analyzed in detail.

The plan seeks to address such questions as:
1. Where is the future growth going?
2. Do the communities like where future development is headed, and do they have the tools to shape
more desirable growth patterns?
3. Are the communities doing what is necessary to accommodate the needs of the soldiers, airmen and
their families?

The objectives of the Growth Coordination Plan are to:
1. Identify and assess existing conditions
2. Determine future needs of an increased military population
3. Develop short term and long term priorities and potential funding sources to accommodate this
growth
4. Develop planning, coordination and implementation strategies that help achieve the long term
strategic goals of the stakeholders during this period of growth and change
5. Maintain a central point of coordination for all major stakeholders who are impacted by the expansion
of Ft. Lewis
6. Promote regular communication with all local and regional groups and committees that discuss
military installation infrastructure and service issues and concerns
7. Establish a clear set of action steps to local communities about managing future growth and demands
for services

To help keep the general public informed, the JBLM Growth Coordination has set up a publicly-available website.  This website has also been listed among the community links featured on this blog.

Speculation, elation and hope were rampant Thursday when a forecast from Election Data Services (EDS) predicted that Washington would gain a 10th Congressional seat due to probable results from the 2010 Census.

(The U.S. House of Representatives is set at 435 members. Population growth results in reallocation of those seats among gaining and losing states to achieve equal representation.)

Such enthusiasm (despondency elsewhere) is most understandable given the power of Congressional representation and the allocations of federal dollars based on populations.

However, a quick review of the EDS forecast and the underlying U.S. Census's American Community Survey (ACS) engenders concern. The EDS news release's tables contain the notation: "No Military Overseas factored in." The issue of this seemingly obscure note is that the Census Bureau allocates the count of deployed soldiers to their home of record, an adjustment that takes place later in the population allocation.

Fort Lewis currently has about 18,000 soldiers deployed, returning in June, 2010, past the April 1, 2010 Census count date. Those soldiers and about 1.23 dependents each could count for Washington's lead of 24,592 persons as forecast by EDS.

Much of the state's populations gain, especially of recent years (that have propelled it past contender Oregon for a Congressional seat gain), has come with the incremental realignment of about 13,000 soldiers, plus families, to Fort Lewis since 2004. Since speculation focuses on the north Thurston County area as a rapidly growing location, note should be made that soldiers and their families are increasingly choosing that area for off post housing.

The cause of concern is that Census uses deployed soldiers' home of record for allocating population. Text in the EDS news release addresses this issue by saying military reallocation shouldn't change the results. What's left unclear is if ACS or the EDS deducted deployed soldiers from local posts from their respective estimate and forecast. That potential reduction occurs along with the unknown factor of whether soldiers' families remained in this area during their breadwinner's deployment or chose to return to the extended families of either spouse.

Before we all cry foul, we should remember that Washington's 9th Congressional seat was won during the 1990 Census because of soldiers deployed from Massachusetts and were not counted there. The Supreme Court eventually upheld the Census rule to allocate by home of record to Washington's gain and Massachusetts' loss.

The Army announced today the planned activation of the 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group.

This force structure action represents a net increase of 432 military authorizations and four civilian authorizations at Fort Lewis, Wash., and two civilian authorizations at Yakima Training Center, Wash.

Implementation of these changes is expected to be completed in August 2011.

The showing was light from community interests at the Ft. Lewis public meeting for presentation and comments about alternatives to increase post strength up to 5,700 soldiers and 110 helicopters.

Three public meetings are scheduled for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Fort Lewis Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment (GTA DEIS).

The three meetings are:

September 29
6pm-8pm
Lacey Community Center
6729 Pacific Ave., SE
Lacey, WA 98503

September 30
6pm - 8pm
Hal Holmes Community Center
209 North Ruby Street
Ellensburg, WA 98926

October 1
6pm - 8pm
Howard Johnson Plaza
9 North 9th Street
Yakima, WA 98901

The GTA DEIS analyzes the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of implementing the Army's stationing and realignment decisions i the 2007 "Grow the Army" Programmatic EIS and other ongoing initiatives affecting Fort Lewis and the Yakima Training Center. The actions analyzed are:

1. increase active duty strength at Ft. Lewis by about 1,900 soldiers;
2. stationing about 1,000 Combat Service Support soldiers of quartermaster, medical, transportation, headquarters or other CSS units;
3. stationing of a medium Combat Aviation Brigade of about 2,800 soldiers and 110 helicopters.

These actions can be taken independently of one another.
Comments must be received or postmarked by October 26 to be fully considered. Written comments or requests for more info to:
Department of the Army, Public Works, ATTN: IMWE-LEW-PWE (B Van Hoesen), Bldg. 2012 Liggett Ave., Box 339500, MS 17, Fort Lewis, WA 98433-9500
or:
Mr. Bill Van Hoesen or fax: 253-966-4985.

The first community checkup on the DoD/OEA (Office of Economic Adjustment) community planning grant was presented to a joint meeting of the Tacoma-Pierce County and Lakewood Chambers' Military Affairs Committees this morning.

Dan Penrose, Project Manager for the City of Lakewood, the designated regional lead agency, gave members an overview of the significance of the defense industry presence in the South Sound region.

Actually a set of two grant awards, Lakewood is addressing I-5 transportation alternatives and a growth coordination plan. The transportation alternatives grant was begun in March 2009 with a final report expected Summer 2010. The $1.3 million growth coordination plan award was made in August 2009 with project completion planned for December 2010.

Although these planning dollars don't fix our physical infrastructure needs, they are a first step in getting them "shovel-ready," for the documented "ask" the community will need to prepare for our Congressional delegation.

Today, Col. Thomas H. Brittain assumed command of the garrison at Ft. Lewis. Col. Brittain was previously a student at the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, PA.

Congressman Adam Smith reported today he voted in support of H.R. 2647, the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2010 military activities including the Department of Defense, the national security programs of the Department of Energy, military construction projects and other defense and military personnel activities related to U.S. national security efforts.

Congressman Smith cited these authorizations he requested for funding:

· $9,000,000 – Military Construction to construct a joint base access road between Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base.
· $2,500,000 – Tacoma Trauma Trust for trauma training of military medical personnel at local civilian hospitals
· $2,500,000 – Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center to re-establish a fifth counter-drug training center, which would be located at Camp Murray, Washington
· $2,000,000 – Quest Integrated to develop new inspection methods and procedures using magneto-optic imaging for F-15s that will eliminate the need to disassemble part of the aircraft.
· $1,800,000 – Sagem Morpho to develop a portable device that will be used by operators in the field to search, capture, and identity latent fingerprints.
· $1,200,000 – Evergreen Recycling to conduct a comprehensive analysis to reduce the amount of landfill waste at Ft. Lewis.

The bill must now be approved by the Senate and signed by the President before it becomes law.

Defense was the watchword for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s 24th annual Washington-to-Washington, D.C. visit. The local delegation was focused on defense issues with extended visits in the Pentagon and with most of the state’s Congressional delegation.

We discussed with our Congressional Delegation and various Departments in the Executive Branch, support for Boeing with the tanker issue, school facilities at Fort Lewis and growth impacts of Fort Lewis.

The delegation was comprised of Pierce County business leaders and civic officials ranging from corporations and family-owned businesses along with officials from the Port of Tacoma and the cities of Tacoma and Lakewood.

Today, the DoD announced details of more than 850 additional facility improvement projects funded by the ARRA. The $835 million budget for these new projects represents the remaining funds of the first ARRA infrastructure investment list.

These projects will be conducted at Army and Army National Guard facilities. This amount is in addition to the funding allocations of the stimulus bill first announced on March 20, 2009.

For a complete list of old and new projects go to this website. Washington state has new projects #2167-2179, totaling $27,562,000 increased monies over the earlier list. Ft. Lewis: $24,554,000; Yakima: $3,008,000.

Ft. Lewis's Reflection Park is on the Pierce County budget for $10,000 in funding reports Dick Muri, Pierce County Councilmember.

“Pierce County has a long history of memorializing our military heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. This small appropriation is a good start to constructing the memorial park at Fort Lewis,” Muri says.

Reflection Park is to be six acres in the heart of Fort Lewis. Although at the Army post, all uniformed Services: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Washington State National Guard, will be honored.

The Park will memorialize the names of fallen servicemen and women with ties to Washington state. The memorial will span all major conflicts, coincident with the history of Fort Lewis, from the Great War (WW I) through the current conflict with provision for future sacrifices.

Lakewood today began a regional coordinated response to the growth occurring - and more ahead - at Fort Lewis.

About 30 agencies and 84 registered attendees spent this morning understanding the issues of education, transportation, housing, utilities & emergency services and quality of life/support network along with consideration of economic opportunities and workforce development. The session was facilitated by Erika Schmidt, Pres., Frause.



Thanks: Ft. Lewis


Issue synopses were presented by:

• Tom Knight, Deputy Garrison Commander, Ft. Lewis



• Gaylord Higa, Deputy Base Civil Engineer, 62nd AW, McChord AFB



• Amanda Fagan, Project Manager, Office of Economic Adjustment/DoD



• James A. Noone, Clark & Weinstock

Fort Lewis has been an exceptional story in the region's economy. But that growth has been invisible to most. To some extent, its growth has been hidden by deployments and to some extent its growth has been hidden in this large metropolitan area. But grow Ft. Lewis has to a giant economic force!

Local governments are awakening to that invisible force, recognizing that it has needs and impacts just as any other major employer does. The purpose of today's event was to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing those needs for the benefits of soldiers, their families and all their friends and neighbors around the installation.

Today's activity was a follow-up and expansion of an OEA-approved grant to Lakewood focused on the Lakewood-Ft. Lewis segment of Interstate 5. After the many agencies representatives spent brainstorming time on the issue categories, and a report-back session, forum organizers promised a compilation and opportunity to contribute further. A next session is planned for September.

With the inexorable progress down the road to Joint Basing for various installations - and especially for us here in the PNW, it pays to be attentive to discussions of Joint Basing.

The GAO (Government Accountability Office) has just released a new report on the standards and costs at Joint Bases. If you've not noticed, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (or McLewis as the wags would have it) is in our horizon, and its component parts do make mention in the GAO report.

The bottom line is that DoD is underfunding base sustainability. At McChord, the GAO found 82% of standard service levels met while at Ft. Lewis, 65% of current service levels met the standard. For 2008, the Army budgeted at 89% and the Air Force at 90% of sustainment requirements.

One could only hope that the current levels of funding anticipated from ARRA (Stimulus Bill) will catch up that funding shortfall.

Fort Lewis, McChord AFB, the Army Reserve and Camp Murray all scored at least some monies in the Stimulus Bill. You can review all the states' projects, identified by project with details at this website.

The Defense Department received $7.4 billion under the law, with $5.9 billion going for construction and repair projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law last month.