On an average day in Fiscal Year 98, the Army had over 28,000 soldiers deployed away from their home stations to 76 countries around the world. Our installations provide the support necessary to maintain the trained and ready force needed to meet this challenge. Our fiscal environment largely determines the way we accomplish this important mission. The Army's challenge is to balance readiness with modernization and quality of life for our soldiers, civilians and their families. Our installations play a critical role in both readiness and quality of life.
Installations contribute to near-term readiness by supporting training and deployments.
These same installations support the Army's commitment to quality of life programs, support services and facilities for soldiers and their families. Every day, installation commanders must make difficult decisions to maintain this balance. Creating and taking advantage of efficiencies is one way to maintain this balance. Throughout the Army, efforts are underway to achieve efficiency by reducing and avoiding costs, generating and collecting revenue, streamlining and consolidating operations, and using partnerships and regionalization to reduce infrastructure requirements. We are continuing to look for better ways of doing business, reducing infrastructure and investing in the facilities and program we need to meet the challenges of tomorrow.