Fort Drum to lose 28 soldiers under troop reductions – WCAX.COM Local

Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she was pleased with the outcome.

The Army is expected to announce details later today about its plan to restructure, reducing its active-duty force from 490,000 to 450,000 within two years.

In a March visit to Fort Drum, which is home to 38,000 soldiers and their families, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told soldiers that Fort Drum isn’t going anywhere because it is critical to the Army. The news was confirmed by a member of the Military Affairs Commission.

FORT DRUM, New York – FORT Drum is the engine that drives the North Country economy.

The post gains a divisional artillery command and an engineer support company.

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division will remain at Fort Polk. Charles E. Schumer’s office, which cited discussions the senator had with the Pentagon.

A hundred thousand dollars of the funds will also go toward the Development Authority of the North Country to help local governments plan and coordinate projects with Fort Drum officials.

“While I am opposed to any reductions, I am glad that the cuts are limited and that the Army recognizes the importance of Fort Carson to its own mission”, Gardner said.

UPDATE: Mayor John Suthers has issued a statement regarding the cuts at Fort Carson.

Reductions to Army staff aren’t necessarily over, though.

The cuts are part of a draw down nationally of 40,000 troops, the Pentagon said.

“We must redouble our efforts to end the arbitrary sequester cuts that continue to wreak havoc on our national defense”, Stefanik said. It’s nearly too good to be true, considering the cut could have eliminated up to 16,000 troops, or about two-thirds of those stationed at the Mountain Post.

Samaritan Hospital in Watertown is one of the North Country’s largest hospitals.

The Congressional delegations of states who have seen significant cuts were notified first, as mentioned by media reports, and it appears that those with the highest number of reductions were contacted in descending order. “I think the voices of our constituents and of men and women and community members who live in the region really did influence this process”.