Combat Aviation Brigade
Record of Decision to bring CAB to Colorado
History of construction scandals at Fort Carson, Including Balfour Beatty
Bill's Letter to Defense News.com
Analysis of the CAB helicopter crash FOIA
Investigation of building contractors at Fort Carson
Report of Commissioners meet with Col. McLaughlin
DEIS for the CAB announced with December 20 comment deadline (extended to Jan 8)
LATN Low Altitude Training info
PEIS and email to petition to stop the brigade
Maps of landing zones acquired through the Freedom of Information Act
NOTAM for routes for high altitude and low level flights
Army Notice of Intent for an EIS for helicopter training at the PCMS
We have found out that Fort Carson
has
filed for two building permits with Las Animas County, one for a new
helicopter maintenance facility and one for a project to transfer 7 miles
of overhead power lines to underground.
Both are obviously related to helicopter training at the PCMS.
Public comment address for EIS before October 1
Latest updates and talking points on the EIS
Durango Herald article on proposed overflights
Fort Lewis EIS on CAB Brigade
(photos of ILLEGAL construction below)
The Army has decided to bring another brigade to Fort Carson, this one being the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade of 2,800 soldiers and 110 helicopters.
They claim they have not made such a decision, but these documents and photos PROVE that they have.
Overview
- Some time in 2008 the Army put forward a proposal to add 70,000 troops including 3 new Combat Brigades. As things progressed it was decided that one of those new Brigades would be assigned to Fort Carson. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was done which included the possible assignment of a (CAB) to Fort Carson. (see earlier update)
- The EIS process ended on March 27, 2009 and the Record of Decision (ROD) for the project was published in the Federal Register April 8, 2009.
- Meanwhile the Army signed a contract on March 27, 2009, the same date as the EIS was finished, with Bryan Construction. The contract was worth $11.9 million. It is unclear when they actually began the work. Presumably they would have had to do extensive surveying before moving any dirt.
- On April 6, 2009 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates canceled the plan to add 3 new brigades. This action should have called a halt to construction but it did not. Not only did Bryan construction continue their work but on May 29, 2009 Mortenson Construction got a big contract to start work on another piece of the project. Their press release says their work was to be part of construction for the new brigade, the one Gates canceled.
- Sometime in June the Army made official the cancellation of the new brigades which had been announced more than 2 months earlier by Gates.
- All the while construction continued on the supposedly canceled project. One explanation I was given for this was that Gates decision was not official until the Army implemented it. Of course Gates is supposed to be their boss so I don't buy the explanation.
- As the construction continued a new purpose for the construction was being formulated.
- In July the U.S. Congress endorses the Army's solution to the new construction. It will be for a construction project a "couple of years down the road". The source for that is an interview I had with personnel of the Army Corps of Engineers. More on that below.
- Since the construction is for a new purpose there will not be any barracks constructed at the Wilderness Road site. The current barracks were deemed adequate. There is a hitch in this solution. When completed the Brigade using the new facilities will have to commute several miles (5 or 6 I would guess) every day to go to work. No new EIS work was done to include this fact. Apparently some Environmental staff at Fort Carson made an issue of this but got overruled. I've tried to get information on this but have run into a stonewall. Christopher Juniper of the Sustainability Planning unit at FC put it this way " I think you know that the sustainability planners are contractors to the Army and are not authorized to speak for the Army. If we do so, we only put our own livelihood and effectiveness in our jobs in peril, and it is not worth it."
- At this point the Pentagon spigot got turned on full bore and one contract after another got issued by the Army Corps of Engineers. Not sure what the final cost is going to be, but it is in the neighborhood of a couple of hundred million dollars give or take. A core spokesman told me it would all be finished in 6 or 8 months time.
10th CAB conducts high altitude training
For more information
contact the Fort Carson Public Affairs Office at
(719) 526-4143 / 7525 (719) 524-2446. After hours, please contact
the 24-hour Fort Carson Operations Center at 526-5500 and ask for
the On-Call Public Affairs Officer.
(videos
of this training below)
More training
over Colorado Springs by the 10th CAB from Fort Drum
Combat Aviation Brigade training
Protest of the CAB at the latest Fort Carson "dog 'n pony show"
on Thursday August 26, 2010
The Stop the Whop Whop Campaign advocates that our community consider some alternatives to what is being promoted at Thursday's get together The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG), the cosponsor of the event, is an important cog in the local war machine boosters club. . They are part of the movement that sees Fort Carson growing to at least 40,000 troops in the near future. Current levels are about 26,000. This means more helicopter units, more Army Space Command forces, more Special Forces, more of everything Army, including increased pressure for a huge land grab in Las Animas County.
We say it is time to put on the brakes and start our city heading in a different direction. The world will be better off. The country will be better off. And we in Colorado Springs will be better off. We know it won't be easy. The military industrial complex has our city in its grasp. Government, business, the political structures, almost all elements of our society have adopted a tunnel vision that sees the future as being more of the same. More troops and more budget deficits. Enough is enough. We need some new thinking and planning.
June 11 update:
As you may know Bill Sulzman got a very short notice invitation to go out to Fort Carson Friday, June 11 for a briefing and a drive by tour. This is his report on that meeting:
I thought the time was well spent. Col McLaughlin, Garrison Commander, is an easy guy to talk with. Got more information than I thought I'd get but lots of unanswered questions. Dee McNutt of the Public Information Office was a bit put off with all my direct questions.
Questions and observations:
Why were 4 buildings which were a part of the ICTB and CAB proposal built even though the project was canceled?
The answer here was really astounding. Apparently with just the stroke of a pen money appropriated for a project which was canceled was transferred to an entirely new project. Hundreds of millions of dollars reallocated just like that.
They say the buildings we have pictures of (below) are not connected to the new project. They say they are reserve barracks, rarely used. Right now the Brigade from Fort Drum is staying in them.
After the briefing with McLauglin and McNutt I took a drive with Lt Col Rinnen who showed me at least 6 maybe 8 buildings under construction. None are finished, They are in the same area as the barracks but are situated along a semi circular stretch of what is called Wilderness Road. They were switched from the Brigade which did not come to an existing Brigade (4). Mclaughlin opined that 2 other brigades at FC also need totally new buildings .
Don't look for military spending to go down any time soon.
Of course similar arguments are being made at all the Army Posts, one can be sure. I'm still blown away at how easy it was to switch this kind of money to a totally unrelated project.
Had construction started before the ROD was issued?
This was denied by the public affairs person. I asked for the details of when construction started.
Was construction started after the April 6 announcement canceling the Brigade?
They say it started in about June. Supposedly they'll get back to me on that.
Did NEPA object to the construction going forward?
Dee McNutt said no such thing ever happened. I will pursue this. It contradicts what I've been told. The person who told me otherwise is currently on assignment.
Is there a written record of these discussions?
McNutt says there are no such documents about the NEPA dispute.
Is there a written record of the decision to go ahead and build?
I am supposed to get something on this but I'm not sure I ever will. It sounded like this was really informal, just the stroke of a pen without any detailed analysis.
Were any other elements of the construction foreseen under ICTB built? The answer is yes, the whole row of buildings described above. Everything except the barracks. I didn't get a clear answer on why that was. Of course a lot more money would have been involved. I imagine it will be in an appropriation bill very soon.
Were other elements of BRAC/Transformation canceled when the 4 buildings were built?
No clear answer here. I imagine some of the same kind of slight of hand which happened with the canceled CAB and IBCT happened here, just a stroke of the pen with a lot of dollars attached to it. There was money in the pipeline and they were not about to turn it back to the treasury.
Is the current proposal for Fort Carson to get a Combat Aviation Brigade available in written form?
Can it be obtained?
Didn't get an answer. McNutt said she would get back to me on that and a bunch of other things.
Actually she put me off on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.
Have any noise studies been conducted here?
No answer but there was the suggestion that this would be done in a future EIS. Several times questions were answered by saying the EIS will deal with that.
I'm skeptical.
Are most of the current helicopter flights Special Forces related?
What is the nature of current helicopter training at Fort Carson?
They acknowledged that some of the flights are Special Forces related. On question 2 it was said that the only choppers stationed here now are Apache's.
(the video and sightings of the UH-60 Black Hawk Combat Assault copters and the OH-6A Cayuse Light Observation helicopters seen recently came wit the Fort Drum CAB)
My driver on the tour Lt Col Rinnen said these choppers regularly do off Post training out in the Falcon area and they deal with complaints, including some recently. He agreed that these flights would become more frequent if a full brigade of 110 helicopters is assigned here. Col Mcluaghlin said he had recently met with Broadmoor area residents to deal with their concerns, whatever that means.
Where is the mountain location used as a landing strip for high altitude flights?
I got a dodgy answer here. I sounds like there is more than one location. The only one I got info on is one located outside Gypsum, CO, very near Vail.
Are these the flights that have generated complaints from Broadmoor area residents?
Are these the flights that have generated complaints from mountain hikers and campers?
The answer was yes.
Is the current Fort Drum unit training a model for the kind of exercises which would happen if the CAB comes?
Actually if a CAB comes there would still be visiting brigades who would come to train at high altitude.
How often would those major exercises occur?
Probably every
few months or so. No change. The day to day CAB training would
be added into the mix.
Do the various Section 6 building requests/permits related to PCMS (clam shell structures and underground power line constuction require any Environmental review? EA?
I got one, a "Record of Environmental Consideration for the power lines not the buildings, . . Very perfunctory. No problem. No EA reqired. There is an interesting deadline set. "If the project is not initiated within 180 days, this review is outdated and the activity must be resubmitted to the PCMS Coordinator."
The date on the document is Jan 14, 2010, so something should start happening soon, or not.
Under what authority are they going forward given that the ICTB snd CAB were cancelled and the Transformation EIS is under Federal Court review? Where does that court case stand?
Here I got the answer that this was routine updating of facilities. It was said that it has been in the works for a long time. The steel buildings have been stored in crates there for several years apparently.
Didn't get a clear answer about the court case.
Has there been a report back to the various county commissioners who attended the Fort Carson sponsored meeting in March?
McLaughlin said the earliest to expect that reply would be December. He did mention that he had just looked at the historic ranch sites 2 days ago and was rethinking the decision to use them in mock training exercises. Not exactly sure what that means.
Is the Army still waiting in the wings to go forward with PCMS expansion if congress lifts the moratorium?
Very fudgy answer.
McLauglin repeated the standard line about Eminent Domain. We had a discussion about the nuances of that question.
He got the point.
I mentioned the meeting on the 19th. He seemed to be saying he would like to be there but it didn't sound like he would be.
He emphasized that he has been in regular communication with the Las Animas County Commissioners, especially Gary Hill.
This below is dated May 29, 2009 and the underlined sentence makes it clear they are talking about facilities for the 47th Brigade which is the one cancelled by Gates on April 6. 2009, 7 weeks before.
U.S. Army Fort Carson Expansion
Base closures bring more troops, construction windfall to Colorado Springs
BRAC re-stationing of U.S. Army troops has launched a five-year construction boom for Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.
However, some of the planned expansion may be delayed or shelved because of the Army's June cancellation of plans to add a fifth combat brigade, the 47th Brigade currently stationed in Germany, to Fort Carson. The decision, part of budget-cutting directives from the White House, could erase an additional 4,600 anticipated jobs in construction and on the base over the next four years. It could also put in limbo $187 million of the Army’s construction plans for Fort Carson, which include a new dining hall, barracks and brigade headquarters.
Since 2007, the Army has spent $198 million in contracts for buildings and infrastructure in preparation for the 47th Brigade's move to Colorado Springs. The additional funding required for projects related to restationing the 47th Brigade is approximately $390 million, according to Rep. Lamborn's office.
The brigade was scheduled to arrive in Fort Carson between 2011 and 2013, a move that would have increased the number of soldiers on the base to 29,600. The increase will now be closer to 25,000.
This is from a June 9 meeting Note the highlighted and underlined paragraph. It mentions that Wilderness Road construction is "continuing" Obviousdly then it was underway.
Fort Carson Regional Growth Plan
Transportation and Planning/Zoning Partnership Group Meeting
16 June 2009 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Mr. Orphan reported that construction on Wilderness Road is continuing as planned despite the 47th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) not coming. Other Fort Carson units will utilize these facilities. There are some discussions about eliminating funding for the construction on Wilderness Rd., but no official decision has been made and construction continues to this day.
Bill Sulzman at the CAB Town Hall (pt1)
pt 2:
pt3:
pt4:
pt5:
pt6:
videos courtesy of Loring Wirbel
Back story
In 2007 the Army was issued a mandate to grow by 70,00 troops.
The relevant part of that was to be the creation of 3 new IBCT's (Infantry Brigade Combat Teams). At the same time there was a push to create at least 2 more CAB's (Combat Aviation Brigades). Fort Carson was a candidate to get one of each and some additional support troops for both units.
To that end in early 2008 the local NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) branch at Fort Carson began the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) process. Other bases were in the running for the new units and were doing their own EISs. The process of the EIS ran its course taking almost a year. By early 2009 the final stages of the EIS were underway and a Record of Decision (ROD) was issued for comment.
Key parts of that decision are highlighted below.
The illegal barracks were not initially designed to be for the CAB. The ROD says that the CAB at Fort Carson had been canceled before the ROD was issued. Those barracks were to be for the new IBCT brigade.
On April 6, 2009 Secretary Gates canceled all the new IBCT's (brigades) and instead said the additional 70,000 soldiers would be added to existing units to build up their strength.
Now the illegal barracks are being described as part of the package to attract a CAB once again. It's a classic case of reverse engineering. The project for which they were designed was canceled April 6, 2009.
The most egregious violation here is that the ROD actually became final on April 9, 2009, 3 days AFTER Gates canceled the whole project.
The Documents
First on May 8, 2008, the Army files notice to "grow the Army" at Fort with BCarsonOTH the 3,900 Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) AND the 2,800 Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB).
This includes construction of live-fire ranges at BOTH Fort Carson AND the PCMS
Army Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for GTA
Release 08-056
Army Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Grow the Army Actions at Fort Carson, Colo.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — As part of the Grow the Army effort, the U. S. Army intends to prepare an EIS to analyze (1) the environmental and socioeconomic impacts resulting from the decision to station a new Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson and (2) Fort Carson's Butts Army Airfield as a potential location for stationing a Combat Aviation Brigade in the future.
NEPA Coordinator
1638 Elwell Street, Building 6236, Fort Carson, CO 80913-4000
E-mail: pcmsdecamnepa@conus.army.mil or carsdecamnepa@conus.army.mil
Then the March 27, 2009 decision to bring 3,900 in the Infantry Brigade Combat Team IBCT, which states "the Army has decided NOT to station a Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) at Fort Carson at this time", but to proceed with "all facets" of "the proposed action".
This is the FINAL EIS completed under NEPA laws before construction can be started.
This FINAL EIS also includes training at the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS).
Federal Register: April
8, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 66)]
[Notices]
[Page 15944-15945]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08ap09-42]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Availability for the Record of Decision (ROD) for
Implementation of Fort Carson Grow the Army (GTA) Stationing
Decisions
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA).
SUMMARY: The Executive Director of the Army's Installation
Management
Command has reviewed the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(FElS)
for Implementation of Fort Carson Grow the Army Stationing
Decisions
and has made the decision to proceed with all facets of the
Proposed
Action, with the exception that the Army
has decided not to station a
Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) at Fort Carson at this time.
Implementation of the Proposed Action involves the stationing
of
approximately 3,900 additional Soldiers at Fort Carson, the
construction of new Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) facilities
at
the Operational Readiness Training Center site, demolition
of old
facilities and construction of new facilities in Fort Carson's
cantonment area, and additional training
at Fort Carson and the Pinon
Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS). This alternative is summarized
in the
Army's ROD and described fully in Chapter 2 of the FEIS.
ADDRESSES: For specific questions, please contact: Fort Carson
National
Environmental Policy Act Coordinator, 1638 Elwell Street, Bldg
6236,
Fort Carson, CO 80913-4000 or e-mail CARSDECAMNEPAconus.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Dee McNutt, Fort Carson
Public
Affairs Office at (719) 526-1269, during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FElS assessed the potential
environmental consequences of three alternatives for implementing
GTA
at Fort Carson and PCMS. All alternatives included constructing
new
facilities at Fort Carson to support an IBCT and other combat
support
units, the potential stationing of a CAB, upgrading ranges
at Fort
Carson, and increased use of live fire training ranges and
maneuver
areas at Fort Carson and PCMS. The Proposed Action and alternatives
do
not include the expansion of PCMS or any construction at PCMS.
The ROD
incorporates analyses contained in the FEIS, including comments
provided during formal comment and review periods. The ROD
evaluates
the ability of each alternative to meet the Purpose and Need
for the
Proposed Action and outlines mitigation commitments. The Proposed
Action was selected as it is best able to meet the Army's needs
while
sustaining the environment. A fuller rationale for the decision
can be
found in the ROD which is available for public review at
http://www.aec.army.mil.
Dated: March 27, 2009.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Environment, Safety
and
Occupational Health.
The last paragraph quoted below makes it very plain that if the GTA (Grow the Army) brigade were to be canceled (which it was) the construction could NOT GO FORWARD.
The NEPA (The National Environmental Act) coordinator at Fort Carson lodged a formal complaint when the construction continued after a decision by Secreatary Gates to cancel the IBCT brigade.
RECORD OF DECISION
(ROD) FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FORT CARSON GROW THE ARMY STATIONING
DECISIONS
Executive Summary: As the Army's Executive Director of
the Installation Management Command (IMCOM), I have reviewed
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Implementation
of Fort Carson Grow the Army (GTA) Stationing Decisions.
The FEIS adequately evaluates the potential environmental and socio-economic effects associated with the stationing of an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) and Combat Support/Combat Service Support (CS/CSS) Units at Fort Carson, Colorado. Although the FEIS evaluated impacts of the potential stationing of a Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), the Army has decided not to station a CAB at Fort Carson at this time. If such a decision is made in the future, the Army would complete the appropriate level of environmental analysis required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at that time. The FEIS, published on February 6, 2009, is incorporated by reference in this ROD.
This
ROD explains that the Army will proceed with its preferred alternative
identified in the FEIS, construction of new facilities to support
additional Soldiers and their Families, constructing and/or
upgrading ranges, and supporting additional training of the IBCT
and CS/CSS units.
The
siting location of IBCT facilities will be within the footprint
identified as the Operational Readiness Training Complex (ORTC)
presented in the FEIS as the Army's preferred alternative. This
alternative best supports the living and training
requirements of the Army troops stationed at Fort Carson.
This decision will result in a total growth at Fort Carson of
approximately 3,900 Soldiers.
Implementation
of this decision will improve readiness and responsiveness of
the Army to meet future challenges while rebalancing mission
requirements with available forces.
implemented. Force structure, assigned personnel, and equipment
would be as they would exist after the implementation of the
Transformation activities studied in the 2007 Fort Carson and
PCMS Transformation EISs (i.e., BRAC 2005, Global Defense Posture
Realignment (GDPR), and Army Modular Force).
Facility construction and training activities would occur as needed to support those Transformation activities and would undergo separate NEPA review if such analysis has not already occurred prior to implementation in accordance with regulations and current practice. Therefore, the No-Action Alternative does not include construction of new facilities to support the IBCT, support units, or potential CAB.
The Photos
Construction for the Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) is complete, as we can see from these satellite photos:
Low level satellite photo
Map of the area
The buildings that have no LEGAL purpose (9471, 9472, 9473, 9474) are NOT included on the signs above
But here they are, and as the cranes PROVE, construction continues
Constructed AFTER their legal and stated purpose was cancelled
Ready for 2,800-3,900 soldiers, with 110 helicopters, flying over Colorado Springs day and night, firing live rounds on Fort Carson AND the PCMS and starting endless fires, NONE of which has been approved by any law.