Congressman Denny Heck reacts to Army announcement on downsizing plans and changes for Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Statement

Following the U.S. Army's announcement on a reduction of 40,000 troops over the next two years, Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.)--who represents Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state--released the following statement:

"I commend the Army for listening to our community. I am especially pleased they kept our two Stryker Brigades intact and that JBLM was not subject to more drastic cuts. We are a proud military community and JBLM will continue to be a vital asset to the United States national security strategy as we rebalance to the Pacific.

"To keep this strong link, we must continue to work at all levels of government to make sure our local infrastructure can meet the needs of civilians and military personnel. Congress must also help soldiers impacted by today's announcement find a path to new careers. I will support robust plans to ease the transition for our servicemembers in our region as well as other regions that were more directly affected by this downsizing."

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