Thousands pack Army hearing to discuss future of Fort Drum

Posted 2015-03-23 11:39 by Grunt Report with 0 comments

An overflow crowd of thousands packed into Jefferson Community College on Friday night to show their support for Fort Drum at a public hearing with Pentagon leaders who visited to discuss the future of the base.

The college’s Sturtz Theater quickly filled to standing-room capacity, forcing an overflow crowd to watch a livestream feed in a downstairs gym. Some people had to be called up from the gym in order to speak at the hearing.

For almost three hours, dozens of public officials and ordinary citizens offered testimony to Army leaders — all in support of keeping Fort Drum operating as a thriving military installation.

At the end of the hearing, John P. McLaurin III, the Army’s deputy director of force management, made it clear he was impressed by what he saw Friday. McLaurin said he realizes that Fort Drum enjoys “overwhelming” support from the community.

The speakers talked about Fort Drum’s importance to the community and the potential impact of deep personnel cuts as the Army considers reducing its force by an additional 70,000 soldiers.

Col. Gary Rosenberg, the garrison commander at Fort Drum, thanked the crowd for turning out in big numbers, beginning with a pep rally at 4:30 p.m. before the arrival of top Army officials.

“I’ll tell you, it’s very heartwarming to see this outpouring of support for Fort Drum and its soldiers,” Rosenberg told the audience at the start of the hearing, billed as a “listening session” for Army officials

Rosenberg said the Army brass began the day at Indian River High School, where business and community leaders talked about why Fort Drum is good for the North Country, New York state and the Army.

Fort Drum is home to 17,269 soldiers and 3,799 civilian employees, making it the largest employer at a single site in New York, economic development officials say.

The Army base contributes $1.8 billion per year to the local economy, according to the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, a nonprofit group that advocates for growth around the base.

Read the full article here.