202
“This move will not only deal a $175 million blow to Louisiana’s economy, but it will also hurt America’s military readiness.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today rebuked the Biden administration for its decision to reduce active-duty forces by more than 1,200 soldiers at Fort Johnson in Vernon Parish, La.
“President Biden’s Defense Department cares more about pronoun preferences than it does about military readiness. As a result, the Army is seeing the lowest force numbers on record since before World War II. The Biden administration’s solution to this problem is to cut Fort Johnson’s forces by more than 1,200 soldiers. This move will not only deal a $175 million blow to Louisiana’s economy, but it will also hurt America’s military readiness,” said Kennedy.
Background:
- The U.S. Army announced its decision to reduce active-duty personnel at the Fort Johnson base as part of its “Force Structure Transformation” plan. Currently, the Army’s force structure is designed to accommodate 494,000 solders. Due to recruitment shortfalls across the Defense Department, troop levels must be reduced to 470,000 by FY 2029.
- The plan is the Army’s response to record-low recruitment. Under the plan, Fort Johnson is expected to lose 1,211 military soldiers.
- The plan is expected to cost the region $175 million in gross domestic product.
- In 2017, Fort Johnson had a force of 7,792 regular soldiers. By 2029, that number is expected to fall to approximately 6,805 as a result of the Army’s plan to account for low recruitment numbers.