Fort Carson leaders and Pentagon brass will hold a Colorado Springs meeting Feb. 3 to hear public reaction to a proposal that could cut up to 16,000 soldiers at the post.
The meeting will allow locals "to provide area leaders and citizens a forum to comment on the factors they believe Army leadership should consider when making decisions about force reductions and restructuring that could affect the Pikes Peak region," the Army said.
Last year, the Army announced proposed cuts of up 16,000 soldiers at 30 installations including Fort Carson. The move, Army leaders said, will allow the brass freedom to pick targets for a cut of 40,000 soldiers designed to trim the Army's roster to 450,000 active-duty soldiers.
Locals have waged a letter-writing campaign to the Pentagon urging leaders to spare Colorado Springs from the cuts, which were driven by sequestration budget restrictions from Congress that would carve $500 billion in Pentagon spending over 10 years.
Those cuts come on top of a planned $400 billion Pentagon reduction.
"The Army must reduce and reorganize its force structure to achieve the fiscal reductions required by the Budget Control Act of 2011, while staying postured to best meet the nation's defense needs," Fort Carson said.
While experts say it's unlikely that Fort Carson would lose the full 16,000 of its 24,500 soldiers, a cut is likely with declines in military spending. Any sizable cut would hurt the Pikes Peak region's economy, as it is estimated that 50 cents of every local payroll dollar comes from the Pentagon to troops, contractors and related jobs.
Leaders of the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance's Military Affairs Council said they want to use the meeting as a demonstration of support for the post and its soldiers.
"We need to show not only that Colorado Springs supports Fort Carson but that the state supports Fort Carson as well," said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Wes Clark, who sits on the alliance panel.
Efforts are underway statewide to battle Pentagon budget cuts.
The state has secured a lobbyist to twist arms in Congress to keep troops in Colorado along with securing military contracts for the state. State lawmakers in 2014 also called for a study to demonstrate the military's impact in Colorado.
Clark said showing military leaders local love for the troops is a factor that could play a big role
"It would be our hope that we have a community turnout that's really supportive," he said.
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