Department of the Army January 7, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Army announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment. This ROD announces the Army's decisions for growing and realigning U.S. Army forces within the Continental United States (CONUS). Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Army prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) that evaluated the potential environmental and socio- economic effects associated with alternatives for Army growth and realignment. In the Final PEIS, which was published on 26 OCT, 2007, the Army identified Alternative Three as the preferred alternative. The Record of Decision explains that the Army will proceed with its preferred alternative, Alternative Three. This alternative best supports Army Modular Transformation; implements Global Defense Posture Realignment (GDPR) decisions; adds the necessary Combat Support and Combat Service Support Soldiers to the Active and Reserve components of the Army; and grows the Army by six Active component Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) and fifteen Active and Reserve component support brigades. Each of the BCTs will be Infantry BCTs. In addition, the PEIS analysis was used to relocate a Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB) headquarters and two Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (HBCTs). The HBCTs will be activated in Germany and retained until FY12 and FY13 before returning to the United States. A return of these BCTs to the United States is not a part of previous decisions to implement Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005. This decision and analysis within this PEIS do not include BRAC 2005 stationing actions, which are considered part of the baseline condition for analysis. This decision will result in a total growth in Army forces by approximately 74,200 Soldiers, and will realign forces to improve readiness and responsiveness to meet future challenges.