Army to Deactivate Brigade at Fort Carson

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The U.S. Army yesterday announced plans to deactivate one of Fort Carson’s four Brigade Combat Teams by 2017.  The move would affect nearly 4,000 soldiers, but as KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, it’s not yet clear how many positions the Colorado Springs Army post would actually lose.

Fort Carson spokesman Lt. Col. Armando Hernandez says the Mountain Post won’t lose the entire brigade. The details haven’t been announced, but he says units within the 3rd Brigade Combat Team will likely remain at Fort Carson.  Hernandez says it really amounts to losing the team’s headquarters, and notes the decision isn’t final yet.

"But if all this does go into the effect you’re looking at really a net loss of 100- 150 soldiers. If that happens."  

Congressman Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs estimates Fort Carson would lose about 750 soldiers in the restructuring, but he says previous decisions to move units to Fort Carson means a net gain of 1,800 troops. In all, the Army announced plans to deactivate brigades at 12 bases.