MILITARY
BRAC basic training
The 2005 Base Closure and Realignment law mandates the following changes at Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base by 2011. Some have already occurred.
|
RELATED Latest BRAC news |
- U.S. Army Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command will move to Fort Bragg.
- The 82nd Airborne Division added a fourth brigade combat team.
- The 7th Special Forces Group will move to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to be with Air Force special operations forces.
- The Army will take ownership of Pope Air Force Base.
- The 440th Airlift Wing relocated to Pope Air Force Base from Milwaukee.
- The 23rd Fighter Group will relocate to Moody Air Force Base at Valdosta, Ga.
Changing the community
During the next five years, Fort Bragg growth can add 20,000 people to southeastern North Carolina and add high-tech opportunities to an economy that is losing agricultural and manufacturing jobs.
Two major headquarters, Army Forces Command, known as FORSCOM, and Army Reserve Command, will move to Fort Bragg by 2011.
Higher profile post
- With the addition of a four-star and three-star headquarters, Fort Bragg will gain in prestige.
- Fort Bragg probably will have more Army generals than anywhere outside the Pentagon.
Who We Are
Sgt. Jean Vereen How long have you lived in the area? She grew up here, graduated from Seventy-First High School and later joined the Army. She has been back at Fort Bragg for the past four years. How do you get involved in the community? Kick-boxing, rock climbing and baby-sitting. Vereen, an occupational therapist, also is the coordinator of the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program at Womack Army Medical Center. She coordinates recreation activities, volunteer opportunities and sporting events for soldiers. Tip: The Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program at Fort Bragg plans recreational and leisure activities. For more information, call 396-2348. |
Preparing for growth
- The Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base BRAC Regional Task Forces has brought together officials from 11 surrounding counties to work with the military and prepare for growth.
- The Department of Labor has given a $5 million grant to help prepare workers for jobs that might range from construction to information technology.
- About $2.2 billion in construction is expected on Fort Bragg in coming years. Electricians and masons will be in demand. There could be a downside for homeowners who want to get small jobs done.
- Real estate developers are looking forward to an influx of higher-salaried workers. BRAC is supposed to bring in a lot of folks with salaries in the $70,000-$80,000 range.
- Defense contractors are quietly beefing up their presence locally in anticipation of being well-placed for the arrival of the four-star command that oversees most combat-ready forces in the United States.
Preparing for challenges
- The construction industry will be booming, but will there be enough skilled labor available?
- The road network must be improved. Planners are concerned about the Spring Lake bottleneck where traffic could back up between Fort Bragg and high-growth areas in Harnett County.
- Law enforcement officials are concerned about how they can improve communications and services to meet the demands of growth. The higher profile increases security concerns around the installation.
- School officials are worried about crowding, especially in Cumberland County districts near Fort Bragg. Harnett County is being caught in a squeeze between Research Triangle growth in the north and military growth in the south.
- There also are concerns that the Fayetteville area does not have hotels and airport service to accommodate the needs of a high-level headquarters that has been able to call upon the resources of Atlanta.
Gains and losses
- The 2005 Base Closure and Realignment law calls for the Army to take over Pope Air Force Base.
- Pope eventually will become Fort Bragg's Pope Army Airfield. The Air Force Reserve will own the airplanes, which also will be flown by active-duty personnel. The Air Force presence of 5,000 to 6,000 probably will shrink by about half.
- Fort Bragg will lose the 7th Special Forces Group to Eglin Air Force Base.
Updated: August, 2007