FORT CARSON, Colo.—The Army says it is considering bringing a helicopter brigade to Fort Carson that would add another 2,800 soldiers to the post, a move that would increase its population to the highest level since World War II.
It announced Friday that Fort Carson is the preferred location for the 120-helicopter brigade and a final decision was expected within 30 days. The brigade would mean the base’s population of soldiers would increase to nearly 30,000, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette.
Fort Carson has grown quickly in recent years. Its population is 27,000, double what it was in 2003. The growth has resulted in hundreds of local jobs and supporters of the helicopter brigade say it would continue to boost the area’s economy.
“This is excellent news,” said U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican from neighboring Colorado Springs. Lamborn, who sits in the House Armed Services Committee, said the brigade addition would benefit the community.
If approved, the helicopter brigade would be formed in 2013 and it could be the Army’s 13th aviation brigade.
One Colorado Springs activist, meanwhile, has launched a campaign called “Stop the Whop Whop” to prevent the Army from bringing the helicopter brigade to the base. Bill Sulzman said he fears the helicopter training would disturb the serenity of the community.
“I’m very disappointed,” he said.
But Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera said the city has been a welcoming place for the military and that attribute has been a main selling point in the past. Rivera and other city leaders have lobbied the military for the brigade.
“The Pentagon knows when they put a unit here in Colorado Springs, it will be taken care of by this community,” he said.
Fort Carson’s commander, Brig. Gen. James Doty, said the community will see a “significant positive economic impact” from the brigade, although they would notice more noise.
He said Fort Carson’s high altitude and treacherous terrain is an ideal training ground for helicopter crews, which have become an important mode of transportation in Afghanistan.
The Gazette reported that the soldiers from the new brigade would also bring an estimated 4,000 family members to Colorado Springs, creating a need for additional construction for housing.
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Information from: The Gazette,
