The following is an excerpt from a letter written by our Savannah Chamber of Commerce CEO, Bill Hubbard. This is a big deal to our community, so we wanted to share the information. ~SH-D Our nation’s military is reaching a critical point as the Pentagon is being forced to propose drastic cuts that will ultimately threaten our local installations. Our troops need your help. As a follow-up to the Department of the Armys recent assessment of Ft. Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield, a team from the Department of the Army in Washington, D.C., will visit our community to receive citizen input prior to making further decisions regarding the future of our bases. This is the Coastal Georgia community’s important opportunity to show the Army how much we value our installations and the men and women who serve here. We hope you will join us November 17 at 6 p.m. in Liberty County at the Performing Arts Center, 2140 East Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville, to voice your support. The assessment could reduce our nation’s troop size from approximately 560,000 to 420,000 by 2020, causing Ft. Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield to lose up to 16,000 soldiers and hundreds of civilian workers. With more than 28,800 military and civilian personnel in the area contributing to a $5.6 billion economic impact, this loss will be devastating to those who serve, to our community and to the nation as a whole because of the tactical and strategic value provided by these local bases. Of course this effort alone will not provide a guarantee, but it is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. We must continue to look for ways to help ensure we keep this important strategic and economic resource in our community.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:34:27 +0000