Stewart-Hunter Garrison Budget 101: Training Readiness Funds

FORT STEWART, Ga. Aca,!" Last week I introduced you to the sub-activity groups through which the Garrison receives funding authority from its higher headquarters. SAG 131 pays for Base Operations such as civilian pay, service contracts and utilities. SAG 132 pays for the construction of and repairs to real property. SAG 135 funds overseas contingency operations. SAG 115 pays mechanics\' salaries that repair tactical vehicles and equipment, and SAG 333 funds Army Continuing Education counselor salaries in the education center. There are many other SAGs, but the key is that these "pots of money" come down separate for a specific purpose and cannot be intermingled. This week I want to focus on SAG 121 - Training Readiness Funds. Similar to SAG 131, the majority of SAG 121 funds go to labor. Over 150 Army Civilians and 21 contractors at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield take $10.6 million home per year in paychecks. These civilians and contractors almost all work for the Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. They work on the weapons qualification ranges; maintain over 280,000 acres of roads and training areas; operate Hunter, Wright and Evans Army Airfields; man the air traffic control towers; maintain and issue training aid devices like MILES equipment and run the operations of the directorate headquarters. The Fort Stewart training areas provide qualification ranges for every weapon in the 3rd Infantry Division inventory plus Multiple Rocket Launching Systems, convoy defense live fire, shoot houses, urban mock villages, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and a joint bombing impact area for Air Force jets. The second largest portion of SAG 121 funding goes to range, training area and airfield contracts. This includes Integrated Training Area Management contracts to improve drop zones, landing zones and dirt roads. Other contractors assist with operating the Red Cloud Range Complex for tanks and Bradleys, all three airfields and various other weapons qualifications ranges. The remaining balance and smallest portion of $18 million in the yearly SAG 121 budget goes to equipment, supplies, training devices, simulations, travel and fuel. As you can tell, SAG 121 is an important "pot of money" used to expertly train Soldiers for combat, keep them safe on the battlefield and prepare them for success in defense of America.