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This year Fort Lee also is expecting massive growth if BRAC recommendations are enacted by President Bush. To help provide some insight into how to be prepared for those gains and what to expect as a result, Larry Sexton and Ron Selfors from the communities surrounding Fort Leonard Wood presented a symposium Thursday on understanding mission growth.
"Sharing is not normally found in the BRAC lexicon, especially among states," said Crater Planning District Commission Executive Director Denny Morris, a key figure in Fort Lee's BRAC planning and strategy.
During the 1995 round of BRAC, Selfors served as the deputy garrison commander for Fort Leonard Wood.
"One of the key steps to expansion is the development of a growth management plan," said Selfors. He added that it requires the full participation across the affected region. "As we developed the growth management plan for our area we decided to preserve the quality of life and natural beauty of our area, and to concentrate on four growth areas."
Selfors explained those areas consisted of infill development, immediate growth, future growth areas and rural conservation areas.
Another key in capitalizing on Fort Leonard Wood's growth was communicating the mission, which was especially challenging with some residents. The military installation was hastily built during World War II. Between that war and the Korean War it reverted to a cow pasture. During that war it was once again revitalized, but following the Vietnam War it lost a lot of personnel.
"In 1995 we came out a winner but there was still a fear that we would lose in the next round of BRAC," said Selfors.
In 1995 Fort Leonard Wood had 22,000 people, the Army Engineers School and 25,000 soldiers and civilians were trained there annually. The post had a budget of $65 million a year.
By 1999, the post had the addition of the chemical warfare and military police schools, $230 million in new construction was taking place and there were 4,000 new personnel. The post began to train 40,000 soldiers and civilians per year and now has a budget of $120 million.
Esther Lee, deputy garrison commander at Fort Lee, said that the post's plate is busting over with things that are being planned for the future. Fort Lee will gain the ordinance school currently located in Aberdeen, Md., and the transportation center and school, which is currently located at Fort Eustis in the Hampton Roads area, if BRAC is passed into law as it is currently written.
Additionally, Fort Lee will also see the relocation of the Defense Contract Management Agency to the post. Lee explained that the DCMA purchases all the big equipment for the military, including billion dollar contracts for ships and planes.
"When all is said and done, we'll see an 80 percent increase in staff, permanent soldiers will increase by 51 percent, civilian staff will increase by 56 percent and soldiers in training coming through Fort Lee will increase by 90 percent from current levels," said Lee.
"Businesses want to be positioned now," said David Weisman, president and CEO of Logistics Management Resources Inc. "Businesses are going to be forming relationships with the post now and are going to be putting their people in place now."
Weisman said that some of those businesses looking at locating offices near Fort Lee may include Boeing and other big name corporations.
Lee said that this growth will be a big deal for the surrounding communities as Congressman J. Randy Forbes, R-4th, has described Fort Lee as the economic engine of the region.
* F.M. Wiggins may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 254.
