Army groups considered closing Fort Sill

Monday, June 20th 2005, 10:48 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Before recommending that Fort Sill be expanded the Pentagon considered moving the field artillery training from the base at Lawton to Fort Bliss in Texas and possibly closing Fort Sill.

But officials determined closing Fort Sill would be more expensive than keeping it open and decided to move the air defense artillery training from Fort Bliss to Fort Sill.

The recommendation means more than 3,600 additional jobs at Fort Sill and combines artillery training at one base. It also creates space at Fort Bliss that's needed for thousands of troops being moved from overseas to the Texas base.

Despite losing the artillery training to Oklahoma, Fort Bliss still stands to gain about 11,500 military and civilian jobs from other areas.

The Base Closure and Realignment Commission will now review the Pentagon list and send its recommendations to President Bush. The president must give Congress a list by September 23rd and Congress will have 45 days to act on it.