Senator Johnny Isakson is the chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and his office issued the following Wednesday:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Contact: Isakson Press Office, 202-224-7777
Perdue Press Office, 202-224-3521
Carter Press Office, 202-834-0386
Isakson, Perdue, Carter Applaud Army Announcement for Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart’s 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to be converted to Armor Brigade Combat team
WASHINGTON
– U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., and
U.S. Representative Buddy Carter,
R-Ga.-01, today applauded the decision by the U.S. Army to create a new
Armor Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Ga.
The
Army will convert 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to an
Armor Brigade Combat team. The conversion is set to begin in summer
2017. This will be the second Armor Brigade Combat
team located at Fort Stewart. Currently there are nine active duty
Armor Brigade Combat Teams and five National Guard Armor Brigade Combat
Teams stationed throughout the United States.
“The addition of another Armor
Brigade Combat Team to Fort Stewart’s 3rd Infantry Division continues to
highlight Georgia’s role in our nation’s ability to project power and
provide security
assurance to our allies,” said Isakson.
“This decision by the U.S. Army underscores our ability to host
critical strategic assets capable of deterrence around the world.”
“The Army’s announcement is great news and exhibits a continued commitment to our nation’s defense capabilities in Georgia,”
said Perdue. “The
additional armored brigade at Fort Stewart provides us with a more
lethal army, increasing our ability to counter the rise of Russian
aggression against our European
allies as well as other threats around the globe. This is a testament
to the proficiency and growing capability of all the dedicated military
and civilian personnel at Fort Stewart.”
“This
announcement is great news for our community as well as our national
security as it strengthens the capabilities of the 3rd Infantry Division
and Fort Stewart,”
said Carter.
"As the threats we face around the world continue to increase and
evolve, the additional Armored Brigade Combat team will be critical in
addressing them. Without question,
this decision is a direct reflection of the great work of the fine men
and women on post. Fort Stewart remains one of the premier Army
installations in the nation, and I will continue to work to ensure Fort
Stewart keeps growing.”
As
the security situation in Europe continues to deteriorate, the U.S.
Department of Defense is reassessing its posture and ability to respond
to those threats. Due to basing decisions and budget
constraints, the U.S. no longer has permanent armor assets, such as
tanks, stationed in Europe.
To
accommodate for this deficit, Regionally Aligned Forces were
established to provide the United States and our allies with additional
security assurance by rotating forces through Europe and
other areas of the world. The 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd
Infantry Division, at Fort Stewart recently returned home from the
Regionally Aligned Forces mission in October where they participated in
joint exercises with NATO partner nations in response
to Russia’s actions in the Ukraine.
Growing threats from near-peer
adversaries in Europe and elsewhere around the world have increased the
demand for additional armored units to defend U.S. interests and our
allies. The Army’s
conversion of the Armor Brigade Combat team at Fort Stewart brings the
total number of Armor Brigade Combat units located throughout the United
States to 15.
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