Coastal Military Affairs Coalition: D.C. Sessions March, 2018

Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach, Hinesville Mayor Allen Brown, City Managers Rob Hernandez and Kenny Howard, Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette, Martin Sullivan, Jr., COL Pete Hoffman, Drew Hunt, and Bill Cathcart met with Georgia’s two Senators (Johnny Isakson and David Perdue) and Representatives Buddy Carter, Austin Scott, and Jody Hice, to discuss the needs and desires for Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.  Top of the desire list was the hoped-for addition of the Army’s planned 16th Armor Brigade Combat Team (ABCT).  Failing that possibility, stationing one of the new Security Forces Assistance Brigades (SFAB) at Fort Stewart, especially with the information from the Army side of our visit, that one of the SFABs might well be Armored, making both it and the 16th ABCT an ideal fit for Fort Stewart.

The following day, we went to the Pentagon for meetings with Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, General James McConville, LTG Mike Murray, Mr. Randy Robinson, and others in attendance (including COL-P John Kline, former 3CAB Commander).  In addition to our stated desire for stationing of an ABCT at Stewart, or an ASFAB, we mentioned the need at Hunter for hanger replacements.  There is money intended for the construction of two new hangers (2022-2023) (CAB & 224 Military Intelligence), but no funds secured yet for the demolition of the existing hangers!  We also spoke of the desire for an Apache Battalion to round out the 3CAB forces, but its doubtful that the one in Germany currently will be returning to the U.S. any time soon, for obvious reasons.

We learned a lot during this combined Savannah-Hinesville visit to these decision-makers, with hopes that the items we discussed will lead to more thought on their part, and result in the assignment of these or other new units to Fort Stewart-Hunter.  Our thanks to our Washington-based military consultants, Bob Hurt and Chris Payne (Hurt-Norton) for putting together these very valuable civilian & military decision-maker sessions.  (March, 2018)