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USARSO headquarters moving to Texas

by Jonathan Williamson

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Sept. 18, 2002) - U.S. Army South will move its headquarters from Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, during the 2003 Fiscal Year.

The move is a result of an overall headquarters realignment assessment that aims to provide the Army with greater efficiency and personnel savings, said Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White.

Upon completion of the move, USARSO will become a major subordinate command of U.S. Army Forces Command. This will allow USARSO to reduce its number of personnel from 400 to 300 as well as much of its headquarters overhead.

About 100 positions, mostly military, can now be reassigned to support new structures and the Army's transformation, officials said. Additional personnel savings are expected in the future as the garrison support agencies are restructured, officials said.

The move will cost an estimated $45 million, officials said. And the Army will make "every reasonable effort" to avoid negative repercussions for Department of the Army civilians whose positions are eliminated as a result of the move, officials added.

Despite several members of Congress offering to host USARSO at sites within their constituencies, Fort Sam Houston was chosen "because of its availability of facilities and qualified workers, its relative accessibility to U.S. Southern Command and Latin America, and its ability to provide garrison support to USARSO without significant augmentation or construction," officials said

About $125 million in new construction at Fort Buchanan will be saved as a result of the move, officials, and more money will be saved over time.

"More savings will be realized as the new USARSO structure takes its position in existing facilities on a more robust and mature military installation in Sam Houston ... where operating expenses and a low local cost of living will benefit the Army and personnel alike," stated Army guidance on the move.

Because of the increase of personnel being stationed at Fort Sam Houston, an environmental assessment of the area will be required.

The move is not a result of anti-American sentiment on Puerto Rico, nor does the move represent the United States neglecting foreign relations to the south, Army officials said.

"Our commitment to our friends and allies among the Caribbean Island Nations, Central America and South America, is as strong as ever," stated Army guidance. "We've seen democracy and stability improve greatly over the past two decades throughout the Southern part of the Western Hemisphere."

Having USARSO at Fort Buchanan created transportation problems, which contributed to the move, officials said. It became apparent that although Puerto Rico was physically located in the Southern Command area of responsibility, to reach the main Central and South American countries required flying to the continental United States to get there.

Groups that may depart Fort Buchanan with USARSO include the 56th Signal Battalion, an aviation detachment, and the 202nd Military Intelligence Detachment.

Other posts considered for USARSO headquarters included: Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort McPherson, Ga.; Fort Jackson, S.C.; Fort Polk, La.; Fort Sill, Okla.; and Fort Chaffee, Ark.