The population at Fort Sill is scheduled to grow by more than 400 personnel by the end of 2017 as the southwestern Oklahoma post gains two artillery battalions.
The two Forces Command battalions will bring 834 soldiers to the post and about 800 dependents. That gain will be offset, however, by the loss of roughly 290 civilian jobs and 116 military positions, reported the Oklahoman.
The post has about 10,000 active-duty, National Guard and Reserve positions and 5,000 civilians. Fort Sill benefitted tremendously from the 2005 round of base closures when the Air Defense Artillery School and two artillery brigades relocated there.
Another change coming to the post later this year could be converting the Reynolds Army Community Hospital (RACH) to a health clinic, which would provide only out-patient services. The change would force service members and their families to rely more or private physicians in the TRICARE network in the Lawton area.
“We are dedicated to the care of our patients,” RACH Commander Col. Kenneth Lemons said in a press release. “We’ll be laser-focused on our primary care and out-patient services. Patients will still have the normal primary care services, specialty out-patient services and prescriptions at RACH,” Lemons said.
Fort Sill also will be reducing from three brigade headquarters elements to two. In response, installation officials have proposed splitting the battalions from the basic training brigade between the two remaining brigade headquarters. The change is not expected to affect the number of trainees coming to Fort Sill for basic training.
“As we’ve seen here at Fort Sill in years past, change gives us the opportunity to remain a critical piece of the future Army,” said Major General John Rossi, commanding general of the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill.
Shared From: Dan Cohen