March 2014: Fort Bliss waits to hear how potential budget cuts might affect post

March 6, 2014 Story

Fort Bliss is waiting to hear from the Pentagon about potential budget cuts that may affect the post.

President Obama’s administration plans to cut defense spending to about $495 billion in 2015, $100 billion less than levels proposed last year.

The current plan is to scale back the Army to its smallest size in more than 70 years.

“Our military has always been postured to defend two war simultaneously on two fronts. What we’re going to have to relook at – and these are from higher level army officials – do we have that capability with our force going from greater than 500,000 troops down to 450,000 troops,” said Lt. Col. Lee Peters, of Fort Bliss’ Public Affairs office on Thursday .

With more 4,600 square miles of maneuver and ground training space, Peters said Ft. Bliss remains one of the biggest assets to the army.

The post also receives units from other parts of the county, trains them and deploys them to different operations. Defense units from other countries also train at Bliss.

“We view Fort Bliss as the premiere installation in the U.S. Army,” said Peters.