Schumer Visits Watertown and Vows to Fight Any Potential Reductions in Army Personnel Stationed at Fort Drum

Statement

Today, at City Hall in Watertown, in the wake of news that the Army plans reductions of their nationwide force, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer vowed to fight any potential reductions in Army personnel at Fort Drum. Schumer said that, even in an era of downsizing and with the potential return of sequestration in 2016, Ft. Drum should be one of the Army's top priorities because of their essential assets. Ft. Drum houses light infantry who are capable of rapid deployment, which fits the Army's stated goal of transitioning to a more highly trained and mobile force. Schumer said that Ft. Drum and the 10th Mountain Division represent the epitome of what the future Army should look like, and he will fight any attempt to reduce their personnel. Schumer discussed the Army's proposed reductions and how he plans to ensure Ft. Drum maintains high levels of staffing -- for both military and civilian employment.

"The 10th Mountain division is exactly the kind of highly-trained, nimble, and tactical unit that the Army wants to be the new standard for our armed forces. So as the Army assesses its need to cut personnel, I will make it loud and clear that Fort Drum should not come within a whiff of those plans. Even as reductions must be made across the country, the military personnel at Ft. Drum should be maintained," said Schumer. "Beyond its importance as a hub of the regional economy, Ft. Drum and the 10thMountain division is one of our country's foremost military units. While there is understandable concern about reductions -- and no doubt there will be battles to fight -- I am confident that Ft. Drum and the 10th Mountain division will play just as instrumental a role in the future of our armed services as they have in the past."

Schumer was joined by Fort Drum Regional Liaison officials, including Carl McLaughlin, Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham and other community members.

Last month, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the Army planned to reduce its national forces over the next two years. The Army's plan is to reduce its Active duty force from 570,000 to approximately 490,000 by the end of 2015 and down to 450,000 by the end of 2019. Schumer also noted that if sequestration was to return in 2016, as it is currently in line to do, the troop levels would have to be cut to as low as 420,000 by 2019. Schumer said that these reductions have been cause for alarm at military installations across the country, but laid out the reasons why Ft. Drum is in a better position than most military outfits and should be spared the brunt of these cuts.

Schumer outlined his plan to maintain as high a level of personnel at Ft. Drum as possible. First, Schumer explained that he was working alongside his Senate colleagues to prevent the return of sequestration in 2016, and thus stave off deeper cuts to the Army personnel levels. This could be dealt with through a budget agreement or through a more targeted legislative vehicle, likely in 2015. Second, Schumer vowed to highlight the 10th Mountain division's exceptional experience and unique assets to top military brass during any phase or proposal period for reductions. Specifically, Schumer underscored his relationship with Secretary of Defense Hagel and Secretary McHugh of the Army, and noted that on repeated occasions he has gone to bat for Ft. Drum directly with these decision-makers. In fact, Schumer was critical in the successful nomination of Secretary of Defense Hagel and made clear to him during that process that keeping Ft. Drum strong is one of his top priorities.

Schumer made the case that Ft. Drum, which houses a rapidly deployable light infantry division, is exactly the type of unit that the Army has planned their future force structure around -- and should not be as susceptible to reductions as other outfits. Schumer dismissed reports that suggest troops could be reduced by significant margins as only draft contingencies that carry little to no weight.

Since 2001, the number of soldiers at Ft. Drum has increased substantially, and now stands at roughly 18,100. Ft. Drum will lose a small number of soldiers during the upcoming Brigade Combat Team (BCT) reorganization process but overall, Ft. Drum will have seen a net growth of roughly 4,500-5,000 soldiers over the past decade. Ft. Drum had an annual economic impact of nearly $1.42 billion in 2013, according to an economic impact statement released earlier this month.

Schumer is also urging the Army to expeditiously sign off on the just-announced contract for ReEnergy Holdings LLC to produce energy from biomass for Ft. Drum for the next 20 years. The Defense Logistics Agency of the Department of Defense has announced its intention to award the contract to ReEnergy, which now must be approved by the Army and the Office of the Secretary of the Defense. Schumer is seeking a more expeditious approval because ReEnergy is in a position to begin supplying power right away, given the importance of making Ft. Drum energy independent. Schumer is working to make Ft. Drum a national example of clean military energy. Schumer has long supported capital projects at Ft. Drum. In the FY2010 budget, Schumer secured $92 million for defense projects at Ft. Drum, and has secured $1.4 million from the federal DOT to connect I-81 to Ft. Drum. Schumer recently helped ensure the $4.7 million hangar for Ft. Drum's reaper drones made it into the Administration's budget.

Schumer continued, "As the war in Afghanistan draws down, and we face continuing budget constraints, we will need to make hard choices about the future of our military, and that includes making smart reductions. But I want to make one thing crystal clear -- reducing personnel at Ft. Drum is not a smart reduction; instead Ft. Drum and the 10th Mountain Division should be the face of a leaner, more effective, and more agile Army."

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