Army Cuts Coming to Colorado

Fort Carson will feel the squeeze:

The economic stakes are big for the region, which is struggling to recover from the recession and already dealing with other defense cuts and a failed foray into oil-and-gas drilling.

The plan calls for the U.S. Army to eliminate a 3,800-soldier brigade at Fort Carson and transfer a large but unspecified number of the soldiers to other brigades on post.

The Gazette newspaper in Colorado Springs estimates the net result of the changes could be a loss of about 1,500 soldiers by 2017, down to 24,500 from 26,000.

The move also would put the Army further away from a previously announced plan to keep growing the base to approximately 29,500 soldiers.

Whatever we do, don’t cut the Navy.