Colorado Springs – Proof of this city’s might as a military town lies not only in the strength of its soldiers, cadets and airmen, but also in its numbers.
In Colorado Springs, 30,196 uniformed personnel work at five installations, and 69,166 other people receive paychecks because of defense dollars, said Jeff Crank, vice president of the Greater Colorado Springs Area Chamber of Commerce.
Business and political leaders are optimistic that even more military jobs could come soon.
By May 16, the Pentagon will announce which military installations it plans to close or scale back as part of its Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC, plan.
Colorado Springs’ leaders believe the city could receive new Army and Air Force jobs from bases that will be closed.
A decade ago, the last time the Pentagon closed military bases, city leaders worried publicly. They raised $500,000 for a “Keep Fort Carson” campaign, sent lobbyists to Washington and brought the chief of staff of the Army to Fort Carson to tour the mountain post.
This time, one measure of their confidence is the amount of money raised for a similar campaign: zilch.
“There haven’t been any rumblings that have caused that level of alarm,” said Rocky Scott, chief executive of the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp.
Sen. Wayne Allard, a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he believes all the bases in Colorado will survive.
During the last BRAC process, in 1995, the Army closed Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora and pared operations at Pueblo Chemical Depot.
This time around, active- duty, National Guard and Reserve units could be moved or reconfigured. A brigade at Fort Carson, for instance, could be sent to Texas and a unit from Texas moved to Fort Carson.
“My sense is that we’re in very good shape, for both the Air Force and the Army to benefit,” said Rep. Joel Hefley, Colorado Springs’ longtime representative, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of the subcommittee on readiness, which oversees the base- closure process.
After the BRAC announcement, the Pentagon this summer will announce whether it will close bases in Europe, home to 70,000 U.S. troops.
“I do think the plan is to move two divisions out of Europe,” Hefley said. “I would be amazed if some of that movement didn’t come to Fort Carson. I think it will. I think we may have a net plus on this base-closing process.”
Nearly 15,000 soldiers are stationed at Fort Carson, although most of them are currently serving in Iraq. This fall, an additional 3,700 troops from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry from Korea will be temporarily located at Fort Carson. BRAC will probably determine whether that move will be permanent.
In the decade since the last BRAC, $750 million has been spent to turn Fort Carson into a state-of-the-art training ground. And a $30 million request for fiscal year 2006 to build a buffer zone around the post indicates the Pentagon is planning on Fort Carson being a key training ground for years to come.
“I would say that Fort Carson has become a very modern installation,” said Ed Whitcraft, deputy director of public works for the post. “We’ve torn down a lot of the World War II wood. We have a community, a family atmosphere. It’s much more family-oriented.”
Colorado Springs is also keenly watching any decision regarding Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, Calif.
The base is home to the Space and Missile Center, employs 8,000 engineers and scientists, and oversees a staggering $6 billion a year in federal contracts for space projects.
Last year, Colorado Springs raised $200,000 to study how it compares with other cities, should the base in Los Angeles close.
The study highlighted the solid industrial resources and a highly competitive workforce in the city of about 380,000 but said more must be done to develop academic and research- and-development support for the industry.
Staff writer Erin Emery can be reached at 719-522-1360 or eemery@denverpost.com.