The Department of the Army announced Tuesday that the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) at Fort Drum will be among a dozen BCTs that will be inactivated as part of a reorganization plan.
The move comes as part of force structure and stationing decisions associated with the reduction of 80,000 active-duty Soldiers, resulting in an Army end-strength of 490,000 by 2017. The reductions are consistent with fiscal constraints resulting from the Budget Control Act of 2011 and defense planning guidance issued in 2012.
"After a long period of study by the Department of the Army, we now know that the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division will be inactivated by fiscal year 2017," said Maj. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division (LI) commander.
Under the plan, the Army will make the following changes to its force structure:
- Reorganize infantry and armor brigade combat teams to restore the third maneuver battalion and increase engineer and fires capability.
- Reduce active component BCTs from 45 modular to 33 reorganized BCTs.
-Continue growth in aviation, special operations, missile defense and cyber capabilities.
The 3rd BCT was activated at Fort Drum on Sept. 24, 2004.
"Since then, they have deployed three times to Afghanistan (in 2006, 2009 and 2011), with one more deployment anticipated before inactivation," Townsend said.
"The Soldiers of 3rd BCT epitomize the combined spirit of the legendary Spartans of ancient Greece and the courageous 10th Mountain veterans of World War II," he continued. "Their history will be recorded and remembered as our history; the heroism, expertise and sacrifice of the Spartan Brigade will not be forgotten."
With the planned reorganization, Townsend said he anticipates the net loss of Soldiers to be between 1,500 and 2,000 at Fort Drum.
"Even with the loss of a brigade, I don't expect the overall reduction to have a significant impact here at Fort Drum, as we expect additional maneuver battalions to be assigned to our remaining brigades," he said. "After the addition of these units to the remaining brigades, we expect the net loss to be somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 Soldiers."
In addition to Fort Drum, the Army plans to inactivate a BCT at each of the following locations by 2017: Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Knox, Ky.; Fort Riley, Kan.; Fort Stewart, Ga., and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Two BCTs, stationed at Baumholder and Grafenwoehr, Germany, will complete their inactivation in fiscal year 2013, leaving two BCTs in Europe to fulfill strategic commitments.
Despite the reduction in the number of Soldiers, Townsend said Fort Drum's future as the home of the 10th Mountain Division remains strong.
"Fort Drum remains one of the newest, most sustainable, state-of-the-art installations in our nation's Army," he said. "With the last decade of installation improvements, it is well known that we are among the most capable for training opportunities and Family support services. These will be the drivers of the 10th Mountain's continued mission success here at Fort Drum for a long time to come.
"The dedication of our civilian workforce and the patriotism and support of our surrounding communities allows Fort Drum to be more than a training and deployment facility -- it is our home," he added. "We ask for your continued support to your 10th Mountain Division and to your Fort Drum."
(Department of the Army and Fort Drum Public Affairs Office)
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