Domenici Questions Army on WSMR Growth Plans
U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today questioned Army officials about the planned growth of White Sands Missile Range and the outlook for funding needed to carry out the deployment of new missions at the southern New Mexico range.
Domenici serves on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee that today questioned Army Secretary Pete Geren and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. on the FY2009 budget requests for the Army.
The President's budget requests $140.7 billion for the Army in FY2009, a $10.5 billion increase from FY2008. Included in this amount is $3.6 billion for the Future Combat Systems (FCS), which is tested at WSMR. It also recommends $15.5 billion for the Grow the Army (GTA) plan which is expected to bring new Army missions and personnel to the test range.
"The Army plans to expand its activities at White Sands Missile Range are good. I'm interested in determining whether the budget submissions are sufficient to back up those plans, both in the near and long term," Domenici said.
Domenici was told that the GTA plan to reflag the 70th Engineer Battalion as the 2nd Engineer Battalion at WSMR is proceeding with an advance placement to be in place in June and for the battalion to be activated in October. This move would increase the Army military population at WSMR by at least 245.
Domenici supported the $71 million in military construction provided in FY2008 to support the Engineering Battalion at WSMR.
However, Domenici questioned when the Army would begin funding to support the proposed GTA plan to relocate a combat brigade to WSMR in 2012 or 2013.
In December, the Army announced its intention to relocate two brigade combat teams now stationed in Germany to WSMR and Fort Bliss in FY2012 and FY2013subject to a pending NEPA review. In addition, the GTA would base the 573rd Clearance Company at WSMR. Army personnel stationed at WSMR could to grow to 6,340 with these moves.
"I understand that there is no funding in the FY2009 request to carry out the plan to relocate a brigade combat team to WSMR. I've asked the Army to tell me what funding is expected to support this relocation and when the Army expects to budget for those needs," Domenici said.