U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY-01) met on Capitol Hill Tuesday with delegates from the Citizens for Fort Campbell. The group met with Congressional Members from the Kentucky and Tennessee delegations to express support for Fort Campbell and to address several concerns related to the Army’s recently released Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA).
On Jan. 20, an SPEA listening session will be held at Fort Campbell to provide an opportunity for community members and those affected by the potential cutbacks to voice their concerns and opinions regarding the impact on jobs, businesses, and the local economy. The SPEA, while being a ‘worst case scenario’ situation, could, if fully implemented by the Army, cost Fort Campbell thousands of soldiers and civilian personnel jobs. In addition to the economic impact to communities surrounding Fort Campbell each year, a force cut of the magnitude in the worst case scenario would be a financial hardship on the entire region and a threat to national security, Whitfield believes.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to those who took the time to come to Washington to discuss this important issue that has such a major impact on the First District of Kentucky,” said Whitfield. “I will continue to adamantly oppose any efforts to reduce troops and services to the level suggested by this assessment, and will do everything in my power to fight for the men, women, and families stationed at Fort Campbell, and the communities that support them. Given the threats currently facing America, our nation’s commitment to security, defense operations, and military personnel must remain strong, and I will continue to make the Fort Campbell community a top priority.”