United for Peace of Pierce County, WA - We nonviolently oppose the reliance on unilateral military actions rather than cooperative diplomacy.

A military construction bill providing for $378 million for projects at Fort Lewis passed the U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday. -- "Fort Lewis is now considered one of the Army’s mega-posts, along with Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and Fort Hood in Texas," commented the News Tribune (Tacoma, WA). -- "With three Stryker brigades and the shift of troops back to the United States from Germany, roughly 30,000 troops are expected to be based at Fort Lewis," Les Blumenthal reported. -- BACKGROUND: But does the News Tribune really know how many troops and family members depend on Fort Lewis? -- Blumenthal states that "Fort Lewis also serves 65,000 family members, a number expected to hit 80,000 in the next six years," but we admit to our doubts about the reliability of these statistics. -- The figure cited by the News Tribune would appear to be derived from information that appeared in an article by Carol Smith entitled "More child care promised at Fort Lewis" that was posted on the web site of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on Nov. 2, 2007. -- "Fort Lewis serves about 65,000 family members, both on and off post, said Garrison Commander Col. Cynthia Murphy.&nbnsp; That number is expected to hit 80,000 by 2013," wrote Smith. -- What was Col. Murphy's source for this figure, which we have been unable to find in any official document? -- Could it have been Olympia realtor Jeff Maurice of ReMax, who states on his web site that "Ft. Lewis services 65,000 military dependents, civilians, and retirees"? -- But "family members" is not the same as "military dependents, civilians, and retirees." -- The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce states the same thing. -- But according to the official web site of Fort Lewis, "Fort Lewis has more than 25,000 soldiers and civilian workers. The post supports 120,000(+) retirees and more than 29,000 family members living both on and off post." -- That's pretty vague. -- The web site Global Security also reproduces these figures. --&nbnsp; Adding these numbers together produces more that 174,000 soldiers, civilian workers, family members, and retirees. -- Where did these figures come from? -- The number 120,000 appears on the commercial web site FortLewisHousing.com states that "More than 120,000 Soldiers, Family members and Retirees fall within Madigan's 40-mile catchment area." -- It also appears on a U.S. Navy web site, in a text of uncertain date that states: "More than 19,000 soldiers, 29,000 family members, 120,000 retirees and approximately 5,000 civilian personnel train, work, and live at Ft. Lewis," which adds up to 173,000. -- A February 2007 ARI Technologies study posted online states that "Fort Lewis is the largest Army installation in the Pacific Northwest, ranking fifth in the state in size (86,000 acres) and serving 31,000 military personnel (Active/Reserve/National Guard); 11,000 Civilians; 125,000 retirees; and 80,000 family members of active duty military in Washington State," figures that add up to 246,000. -- Are you still following? -- In a Mar. 19, 2007, story published in the Seattle Times, reporter Hal Bernton said that "As the Stryker program has expanded, the number of active-duty soldiers assigned to Fort Lewis has grown from less than 22,000 before the war started to more than 27,000. By the end of this year, the population will climb to 30,000 active-duty soldiers as the third Stryker brigade expands to full strength." -- Bernton also said that "The civilian payroll also has swelled, partially because of the hiring of contractors to support the Stryker brigades. There have been more than 2,000 new hires, bringing the civilian work force to more than 10,700." -- The statements by Bernton, usually a reliable source, suggests that Les Blumenthal is a bit behind. -- In any case, none of these statements is sourced in any way, and we conclude our investigation in a state of great undertainty, since many of these figures would appear to derive from one form of boosterism or another promoting real estate or commercial interests....

WASHINGTON -- The House late Tuesday passed a mammoth military construction bill that provides $378 million for projects at Fort Lewis.

The increase would cover the cost of additional housing and operation projects resulting from the decision to add 65,000 soldiers to the Army’s active-duty force in the next several years.

Fort Lewis is now considered one of the Army’s mega-posts, along with Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky and Fort Hood in Texas. With three Stryker brigades and the shift of troops back to the United States from Germany, roughly 30,000 troops are expected to be based at Fort Lewis. Other additional units include a new artillery and rocket brigade and a Special Forces aviation battalion.

Fort Lewis also serves 65,000 family members, a number expected to hit 80,000 in the next six years.

Overall, the final version of the military construction bill includes $672 million for the Army, Navy, and Air Force bases in Washington state, said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. Dicks said that’s the largest amount he can remember during his more than 30 years in the House.

“We had a great year,” Dicks said. “This is another clear indicator of the Army’s high priority for Fort Lewis, which has now become the fourth-largest Army base in the nation.”

Though the Pentagon hasn’t indicated where the troops being added under the “Grow the Army” program will be based, Dicks said it seemed logical that some would come to Fort Lewis.

“The assumption is there will be more troops at Fort Lewis,” he said, adding that among other things the base could become the top Special Operations facility on the West Coast.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on military construction and Veterans Affairs, said the additional money for Fort Lewis would “enhance training, invest in the base’s future and improve the quality of life for our service members and their families.”

“With Fort Lewis leading the fight in Iraq, it is critical that the Pentagon invests in their training facility here at home,” she said.

The Senate is expected to take final action on the bill later this week, though President Bush has threatened a veto because the $64.7 billion military construction/VA bill has been coupled with a $150.7 billion measure for labor, human services and education.

Bush has said he would sign a stand-alone military bill, but he opposes the labor/human services/education measure because it is $9.8 billion above what he’d requested.

“I hope he doesn’t veto,” said Dicks. “It would be a mistake. If he does, we will have to separate them.”

In February, the Pentagon asked Congress to provide $205 million for construction projects at Fort Lewis. An additional $173 million has now been added, mostly at the request of the Army.

• $102 million for an additional Stryker Brigade complex
• $5 million for an indoor range
• $21 million for a medical-dental clinic
• $47 million for a Special Operations Command Battalion operations complex
• $30 million for a Special Operations Command Battalion support complex
• $14.6 million for a railroad yard upgrade
• $32 million for an additional barracks
• $62 million for unit operations facilities
• $51 million for additional unit operations facilities
• $10.6 million for a child development center
• $3.3 million for a fueling facility
• $29 million for a digital multipurpose range complex at the Army’s Yakima Firing Center