[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 53854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21679]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for Army 
Growth and Force Structure Realignment To Support Operations in the 
Pacific Theater

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the 
ROD for Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment to Support 
Operations in the Pacific Theater. This ROD announces the Army's 
decisions for growing and realigning U.S. Army forces to support 
operations in the Pacific Theater, which covers more than 50 percent of 
the earth's surface and includes more than 39 countries. Pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the 
Army prepared a Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (SPEIS) that evaluated the potential environmental and 
socioeconomic effects associated with alternatives for Army growth and 
realignment. In the Final SPEIS (published July 24, 2008), the Army 
identified Alternative Two as the preferred alternative for 
implementing growth in U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii (USAG-HI) and 
Alternative Three as the preferred alternative for implementing growth 
in U.S. Army Garrisons in Alaska. The ROD explains that the Army will 
proceed with its preferred alternatives to station approximately 1,980 
new Soldiers in Hawaii and approximately 2,200 in Alaska. This decision 
also validates previous decisions to station a 254 Soldier 
Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) at Fort Lewis, Washington, and 
divert the stationing of a 570 Soldier Maneuver Enhancement Brigade 
(MEB) from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, to Fort Drum, New York. These 
alternatives best support Army-wide modular transformation; support the 
National Defense and Security Strategies; add the necessary Combat 
Support (CS) and Combat Service Support (CSS) Soldiers to Army forces; 
and grow critical support brigades and headquarters to efficiently 
carry out missions in the Pacific Theater. The decisions contained 
within the ROD will result in a total growth of Army forces within the 
Pacific Theater by approximately 4,200 Soldiers and will realign forces 
to improve readiness and responsiveness to meet future challenges.

ADDRESSES: Comments or questions regarding the ROD can be sent to the 
Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Environmental Command, Building E4460, 
Attention: IMAE-PA 5179 Hoadley Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 
21010-5401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public Affairs Office at (410) 436-
2556; facsimile at (410) 436-1693 (during normal business hours Monday 
through Friday).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2007, President Bush asked 
Congress for authority to increase the overall strength of the Army by 
74,200 Soldiers over the next five years. This growth will mitigate 
shortages in units, Soldiers, and time to train that would otherwise 
inhibit the Army from meeting readiness goals and supporting strategic 
requirements. In September 2007, the Secretary of Defense approved the 
Army's proposal to accelerate growth for the Active component and Army 
National Guard. The Army must grow, adjust its force structure, and 
station its units and Soldiers to meet the strategic requirements of 
the contemporary global security environment. To meet these needs, the 
Army has begun moving forward with growth and realignment of its forces 
in the continental U.S. The environmental impacts of these actions were 
studied in 2007 and the final ROD for growth and realignment actions in 
the continental U.S. was issued in January 2008. At that time, the 
unique mission requirements and special needs of the Pacific Theater 
were still being assessed. The Army has carefully considered the 
structure of its forces available to support operations in the Pacific 
Theater, an active operational theater as well as a force provider to 
global mission requirements. This decision is designed to ensure that 
the right capabilities are available to accomplish the wide range of 
theater mission requirements and uphold regional national security 
interests in the Pacific region.
    The Final SPEIS was published in July 2008. It provided the Army 
senior leadership with an assessment of environmental and socioeconomic 
impacts associated with alternatives for implementing the Proposed 
Action, as well as feedback and concerns of the public. This 
information was considered as part of the decision-making process for 
selecting the final stationing locations for new units. Major training 
installations in the continental U.S. as well as garrison stationing 
locations in Hawaii and Alaska were considered for the stationing of 
additional units to support Proposed Action.
    Stationing decisions included in the ROD for Army Growth and Force 
Structure Realignment to Support Operations in the Pacific Theater 
include: (1) The stationing of approximately 1,775 new CSICSS Soldiers 
to include a new MEB headquarters at Fort Richardson, Alaska; (2) The 
stationing of approximately 425 new CS/CSS Soldiers at Fort Wainwright, 
Alaska; (3) The stationing of approximately 1,680 new CS/CSS Soldiers 
including new Military Police and Engineer Brigade Headquarters units 
at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; (4) The stationing of approximately 300 
additional CS/CSS Soldiers at Fort Shafter, Hawaii; (5) The validation 
of the stationing of the ESC at Fort Lewis, Washington; (6) The 
validation of decisions to divert a MEB from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii 
to Fort Drum, New York.
    The full text of the ROD and Final SPEIS are available at http://www.aec.army.mil.

    Dated: September 10, 2008.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. E8-21679 Filed 9-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M