Friends of Fort Rucker plea for public support at sequestration forum

Retired Brig. Gen. Rod Wolfe is asking for your help.

Wolfe, chairman of the Friends of Fort Rucker group, wants the public to pack the Fort Rucker Post Theatre Feb. 23 to show support as a team from the U.S. Army will be gathering information to present to Congress ahead of proposed sequestration cuts.

“We need the public there,” said Wolfe. “We need your help. We need to show up and interact with the team.”

Sequestration hits could mean the loss of approximately $600 million from the annual post budget, from $1.5 billion to roughly $900 million. Nine hundred pilots are trained at Fort Rucker ever year, but that number could drop below 600 if sequestration takes effect as scheduled.

Wolfe also said 3,000 direct jobs could be lost if the proposed 40-percent cut happens, but the larger scope could effect five times as many.

“The 3,000 direct jobs will touch every segment of Fort Rucker,” Wolfe said. “Those in uniform, Department of Army Civilians and contractors. The communities around the post are also going to feel it with the loss of others – the residual and indirect jobs - that number could be as high as 15,000. Those numbers are unacceptable.”

The Army team will attempt to gather information from the local communities to make a presentation to Congress later in the year.

“That team has one mission,” Wolfe said. “That mission is to come in, to talk with the communities and the citizens of the Wiregrass. What they are trying to find out is the answer to this question: ‘If sequestration kicks in on 1 October of this year- as it currently is going to happen because it is the law – what impact will it have on your communities and on the Wiregrass citizens?’ Come and be with us at one of the events while this team is here.”

The post theatre seats approximately 800 people, however the event will be live streamed to an overflow area for citizens who were unable to get a seat to ask questions and give statements. The event begins at 6 p.m., and a valid picture ID is required to gain access to post.