Letter to John McHugh, Secretary of the Army and General Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff, United States Army - Ft. Riley and Ft. Leavenworth Critical to National Military Strategy and Kansas

Letter

Dear Mr. Secretary and General Odierno:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Army's Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) published in the Federal Register on June 26, 2014. As a delegation with immense pride in the military footprint we represent, we urge your deep and thoughtful consideration for maintaining Fort Leavenworth personnel at current levels.

Fort Leavenworth has earned its title as the "Intellectual Center of the Army" by providing the Army with unparalleled leadership and doctrinal training. Its unique mission and opportunity for growth, including further consolidation of Professional Military Education, could mean long-term cost savings for the Army and priceless benefit to the military's intellectual strength. Fort Leavenworth's assets provide a validation of systems and tactics critical for the Army to complete its mission in today's dynamic threat environment. Further, the United States Disciplinary Barracks is the only high-security detention facility for military personnel adjudicated under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

As host to the Combined Arms Center (CAC), which includes the Army's Center for Lessons Learned, the Command & General Staff College (CGSC), and the Foreign Military Studies Office, Fort Leavenworth's missions and people are irreplaceable. The cost to replicate existing facilities and the potential loss of intellectual capital from cuts to the installation's current manning levels would have long-term implications for the Army. The training centers on Fort Leavenworth have provided the Army with the ability to seamlessly adapt to ever-changing threats. As the global landscape continues to transform, it is crucial that we maintain a training hub which provides soldiers with the ability to alter strategies and tactics.

At Fort Leavenworth, the Lewis & Clark Center provides a cutting-edge technology learning center for current and future Army leaders and international officers. The Kansas delegation has continually supported improvements to the installation, such as the Lewis & Clark Center, to ensure the Army and our allies' best and brightest continue to learn in the finest environment. Fort Leavenworth's connectivity with other Professional Military Education facilities, the Pentagon and warfighters in the field is unsurpassed and supports the continuous evolution of Army doctrine and strategy.

Critical to the mission of educating military leaders are the CGSC and Foreign Military Studies Office. Through critical engagement with foreign officers, Fort Leavenworth's programs are instrumental to strengthening alliances around the world and reinforcing America's posture with partners. These schools perform a vital mission for the Army which cannot be duplicated elsewhere. Professional Military Education has allowed the United States to raise the greatest Army in the world and it vital to our national security going forward. We remain extremely concerned that reductions could impact our military-to-military relationships across the globe by cutting foreign military leaders' future attendance at the CGSC or impeding on annual visitations by foreign national military leaders.

Additionally, Fort Leavenworth is the home to the National Simulation Center, a state of the art facility crucial to integrating live, virtual, constructive, and gaming technology into an Integrated Training Environment. This forward leaning training provides efficiencies which translates into real savings for the federal government and taxpayer. As budgets dwindle, increased ability to conduct complex simulation in coordination with live training is of critical importance to the Army. For example, the Lessons Learned Center at the CAC has developed a coordinated training relationship with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley to provide training operations which validate and test new tactics, systems and programs from the CAC prior to distribution for use in the field by Combatant Commands. This synergy with Fort Riley is vital to saving lives and optimizing training as it enables the Army to "quality control" lessons learned before implementation in the field.

Finally, during the Base Realignment and Closure process in 2005, the Army increased its law enforcement mission at Fort Leavenworth due to the responsibilities executed by the 15th Military Police Brigade which operates the United States Disciplinary Barracks and the Joint Regional Corrections Center. Fort Leavenworth has taken on the difficult responsibility of enforcing UCMJ through incarceration without hesitation. This mission presents a unique set of challenges to the Army and the 15th Military Police Brigade has served with valor. A high caliber of training is required to successfully manage high security inmates. For the mission to continue effectively, it is imperative that personnel and training requirements are not undermined by any recommendations in the SPEA.

Today, Fort Leavenworth sits on 8.8 miles and Fort Leavenworth serves as the largest employer in Leavenworth County with approximately 9,000 military and civilian employees, totaling 21 percent of the local work force. This is a statistic we take seriously. Fort Leavenworth's annual payroll is approximately $500,000 with a direct economic impact of $1,079,537,640. Using an economic multiplier, Fort Leavenworth provides a $2.8 billion economic impact to Kansas which is second only to Fort Riley.

The Delegation understands the difficult budget constraints our nation faces and the tough decisions our Army must make in the future. But these cuts should not be done at the expense of the Army's readiness. We strongly believe that any cuts to Fort Leavenworth would be ill-advised. We remain proud partners and unwavering advocates of the Army's presence in Kansas. The strength of this partnership is without question as we await your assessment. We are confident that you will agree with the immense value Fort Leavenworth, and Fort Riley, present, and that these unique assets must be protected during the Army's current drawdown.

We appreciate your sincere consideration and kindly request you provide the same thoughtful and close consideration to those submitted by the Governor of Kansas and local communities impacted by Fort Leavenworth.