
About the Armys Army
THE ARMYS ARMY is the worlds only volunteer organization of citizens and businesses whove pledged their moral, physical and spiritual support to those in the military. Specifically, we will do everything we can to make soldiers and their families feel welcome, appreciated and safe in Cumberland County. We dont just give lip service to the line Support the troops, we live it.
Need more information?
HOW TO RECOGNIZE US
Just look for our emblem and youll find someone whos pledged to watch over those who watch over us.

Business Members
AmeriSpec Home Inspection Service
www.amerispec.net/mclaurin
Cross Creek Mall
Joely Color &Hair Studio
RedPoint Indoor Climbing, CrossFit, MMA
www.climbredpoint.com
Team Harris Real Estate
www.TeamHarris.com
Thirdparty Labs
thirdpartylabs.com
Technical Assistance
Tortuga Travel & Tours
www.latortugatravel.com
Town Of Hope Mills
US Logoworks
www.uslogoworks.com
Individual Members
Chief Of Public Affairs .
Jamie Abdolvand
Stephanie Adams
Dorothy Adams
AnnMarie Adams
Veronica Alexander
Jackie Alexander
Jacqueline "Jacquie" Alford
Angelina Alicea
Martha Alicea
David Allen
Mike Allen
Richard Alpert
Nicole Ameliocasper
Jackie Anders
Elena Angel
Teresa Anthony
Valencia Applewhite
Ti Armstrong
Charles Asbornsen
Lisa Ayeni
Lesley Backus
Michael Bailey
Stephanie Balaam
Tyson Balaam
Zhana Balaam
Tyson Balaam Jr.
Jeanette Baldwin
Robert Barefoot
Malkia Barnes
Chelsea Barnes
Jason Barton
Sasha Bass
Mitzi Bass
Keith Bates
Natalie Beamon
Paul Beard
Randy Beeman
Delatha Bell
Jessie Bellflowers
Judy Bennett
Zina Bennett
Tom Bergamine
Mark Bergman
Audrey T. Berry
Mohammad Bhuiyan
Eunice Bischof-Schild
Michelle Black
Breeden Blackwell
Steve Blanchard
Cheryl Blankenship
Gerard Blanton
Valerie A. Blue
Chris Bostock
Barbara Bowles
Tim Bradshaw
Kathryn Brandon
George Breece
Thomas R. Bridges
Colin Britton
Kathy Brooks
Sidney Brooks
Andre Brothers
Nausear Brown
Gretchen Brown
Ms Brown
AC Brown
Jerome Brown
Mike Bryant
Charles Burden
Cynthia Burgess
Olie Burkes
Rafael Bustamante
Moose Butler
Michelle Butzgy
Jimmy Buxton
Terisa Cain
Jim Caison
Avante Calhoun
Rick Cameron
Nicole Campbell
Christine Campbell
Phil Cannady
Tom Caramanno
Janet Cardassi
Rhiannon Carini
Jackie Carter
Glenda Carter
Melinda Caruso
Kandis Catalan
Benay Anise Cathey
Oliviana Catrone
Berta G. Chang
Curtis Charles
Tony Chavonne
Joanne Chavonne
Denise Cheatham
Denise Chrisman
Eddy Chrisman
Wayne Christian
Irene Christie
Jim Clark
Mark Clark
Sabrina Clinton
Gina Clough
Phyllis Cogdell
Mabel Cole
Alyson Cole
Mary Cole
Toney Coleman
Jan Coley
Deborah Collado
Jermaine Collier
Damaris Colon
Lee Coltrane
Rush Combs
Janet Conway
Debbie Cooper
Kathy M. Cotton
Deborah Couch
Minh Courtney
Donna Cox
Ann Cox
Wesley Crawford
Betty Crawford
Wanda Crawford
Howie Crawley
Jackie Crawley
Freda Cromartie
SoCorro Cruz
Jackey Cruz
Nancy Currin
Ryan Cuthriell
Dena Dail
Steve Daniels
Robin Davenport
Wanda Davis
Felicia Davis
Mildred Davis
Tara Dawdy
Harold Dawson
Roy Day
Darlene Day
Hank Debnam
Susan Dees
Mayor Eddie Dees
Carey Dees
Casey Dees
Eduardo Delgado
Diana Densmore
Natalie Derricott
Kirk Deviere
Fiona Devonish
Latresa Dhanoolal
Meme Diaz
Ashleigh Dippolito
Thomas Dixon
Christy Dobbins
Kathy Doody
Sharon Drake
Jeff Driggers
Angela Duff
Tonika Dunbar
Pamela Dunlap
Carolyn Dunston
Wendy Dyer
Dennis Dyer
Rebecca Eatman-Jackson
Corey Lynn Edens
Reginald Edwards
Charles Eggleston
Pastor Alisa Eggleston
Linda Ellerbe
Lisa Ellis
Lisa Ennis
Jeff Erickson
Natasha Eyada
Kym Faircloth
Jerry Farmer
Lisa Farrar
Stephon Ferguson
Kathy Fitch
Daniel Fitch
Neil Flavin
Linda Fleming
Chris Floyd
Edward Fonteneaux
Melody Foote
Carla Forbes
Marcelle Ford
William T. Ford
Mike Fowler
Monique Fowler
Xiomara Fray
Michael Freeman
Paul Friedrich
Dwayne Fry
Monika Fuller
Martha Gabriel
Craig Gaedig
Tray Gainey
Cramer Gallimore
Jane Gardiner
Dorothy Gates
Paul Gates
Donald Gillilan
Rev. Jaella Glover
Chelsea Goff
Roderick J. Gooden
Elder Malia GoPaul-Robinson
MariAnn Gorman
Bob Gorman
Racheda Grady
Taylor Grady
Gracelyn Graham
Valencia Graham
William Greene
Alicia Griffith
Robert Grover
Harold Gunkel
Terra Gwaltney
DJ Haire
Mandy Hall
Lisa Hall
Danielle Halle
Lucy Ham
Craig Hampton
Eva Hansen
Chelsie Hargrove
Chris Harris
Ronald Harrison
Robert Harter
Sharon Hartman
Nadia Haughton
Molly Hayden
David Hayes
Mac Healy
Katrice Heard
Katherine Hegler
Rick Heicksen
Michael Henrich
Lucas Henry
Ernie Hernandez
Tae Hernandez
Ubaldo Herrera
Rayanne Herrera
Sara Hicks
Napoleon Higgins
Richard Higgins
Bobby Hill
Mary Himes
Clara Hines
John Hodges
Anna Hodges-Smith
Bob Hoff
Kara Hollingsworth
O.C. Holloway
Dontavious Holmes
Becky Hopkins
Tammy Hopkins
Fay Horne
Margaret Hosey
Josie Houghton
Melani Huck
Lou Huddleston
Herbert Humphries
Minister Luella Hunter
Sam Huntington
Hannah Hurley
Bobby Hurst
Burt Hyde
Billy Hylton
Dale Iman
Sophia Irvin
Charlie Irving
James Isham
Deanna Ivey
Carol Ivey
Vernon Jacks
Bethany Jackson
Rhonda Jackson
Priscilla Jackson
Yolanda Jackson
Tangela Janson
Lee Jernigan
Tammy Johnson
Michael Johnson
Sabina Johnson
Joe Johnson
Tanya Johnston
Dean Jones
Myron Jones
Sherree Jones
Laketia Jones
Adlyn B. Jones
Ruth Jones
Paris Jones
Francis Jordan
Bobby Jordan
Carolyn Justice-Hinson
Krysta Kaye
Byron Keaton
Kaawaloa Kekauoha-Taylor
Kourtney Kelly
Koandra Kelly
Anthony Kelly
Mark Kendrick
Jonathan Kennedy
Fred Kersh
Diane King
Brianna King
Richard King
Bernard King Jr.
Sandy Klotz
Sam Knoll
Valli Kodali
Jim Konneker
Frank Koza
Barbara Lahiff
Daryl Langworthy
Mariten Langworthy
Lucinda Lathrop
Nathan Lathrop
Tracey Laureles
Mary Ellen Lavoie
Kiran Lawrence
Wanda Lee
Pam Leeman
Brent Leftwich
Maggie Leger
Charles A. Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis
Gloria Lietz
Lloyd Lietz
Michelle Lind
Ann Locklear
Sandy Lofton
Keri Londers
Greg Long
Ronnie Love
Tanecia Lowery
Kristie Lozano
Doris Luther
Tammy Lyford
Mark Lynch
Mrs Macaluso
Shanon Madrid
Deidra Mainor
Antonio Mancillas
Brian Manning
Nancy Martin
Beverly Martin
James Martin
Josphat Mashingaidze
Robert Massey
Daisy D. Maxwell
Amber Mayo
Dr. Linda T. McAlister
Timmy McCall
Albertina McClain
Tom McCollum
Cindy McCormick
Linda McDaniel
Janice McDougald
Pam McEvoy
Bob McEvoy
Kera McEvoy
Eleanor McGinnis
Antonio McGriff
Melissa McIntosh
Michelle McIntyre-Brewer
Maureen McKeon
Charles McLaurin
Joyce McLaurin
Virginia McLean
Jasper McMillan
Cassandra McMillion
Adrian McNair
Shirley McNair
Kevin McNaught
Roenitha McNeill
Wanda McPhaul
Peggy McRavin
Joanne Mead
Munish S. Mehta
Naynesh Mehta
Perry Melton
Ed Melvin
Anita Melvin
Nancy Melvin
Wesley Meredith
John Meroski
Karl Merritt
Ken Metcalf
Robert Miarer
Katherine Miller
Phillip E. Miller
Deborah Mintz
Linda Mitchell
Ted Mohn
DAVIN MOMANYI
Steven Moore
Ramona Moore
Al Moore
Mike Moore
Ricardo Morgan
Mark Morrison
Jennifer Morse
Dineen Morton
Judson Morton
Nina Morton
Sharon Moyer
Danita Mudd
Angela Mudd
William Murphy
Mike Nagowski
Jack Nales
Adam Nelson
Cereca Newkirk
Benny Nichols
Gerald Nickelberry
David Nikkel
Mike Noble
Barbara Nubin
Edna Nunnery
Annette Nunnery
James P. O'Garra
Bob O'Sullivan
Richard Oates
Jennifer Oberosler
Brenda Odom
Patrick Oketch
Fidelis Oketch
Starr Oldorff
Jessica Ortiz
Phyllis Owens
Curtis Owens
Lisa Oxendine
Allen Padgett
Rosa Pagan
Gregory Parks
Amanda Patton
Janice Pavlikanidis
Calvin Pee
Jessica Penner
Nicole Perrin
Lewis Perry
Molly Perry
Lander Peterkin Jr.
Doug Peters
Sherry Pettit
Otis Phair
Eunice Pickett
Teresa Pinckney
April Polk
Courtney M. Pollard
Michaela Ponder
Diana Potts-Barber
Caroline Powers
Rose Powers
Grant Price
Kazumi Price
Don Price
Joy Pridgen
George Quigley
Amber Quinn
Deogarcia Quinones
Jackie Raeke
Carlos Ramos
Michael Randall
Steve Randall
Annreed Reed
Mark Regensburger
Dennis Relyea
Lori Reynolds
Michelle Richards
Christi Riggs
Karl Ritz
Karl Ritz
Heather Rivard
Melissa Rivera
Evelyn Rivera
Joe Roberts
Francisco Robinson
Hattie Robinson
Angel Robles
Brion Rockel
Retta Rockel
BEAR A-M Rodgers
Darsweil Rogers
Allen Rogers
Mimi Rogers
Kenneth Rogers
Sandra Rojas
Lisa Roper
Gordon Rose
ANN ROWAN
Teri Lynn Rust
Donald Ruther
Steve Rylander
Jennifer Schaad
Mark Schierling
Derek Scurry
Harold Seiple
Jessica Serico
Scott Sessoms
Sam Sessoms
Timothy Shea
Jami Sheppard
David Shirley
Floyd Shorter
Shannon Shurko
Sally Shutt
Vanessa Simmons
Shakira Simmons
Angel Simms
Donnell J Simon
Joseph Simpson
Pamela Sise
Cassidy Sitton
Theresa Slaughter
Eugene Slocum
David Smith
Kim Smith
John Smith
William Smith
Melissa Smith
Tara Snell
Charlotte Soars
Hecdris Soriano-Collier
Tiffany Spell
Jan Spell
Paula Spivey
Julian Stackhaus
Rollirs Stanford
Jashandra Stearns
Jacqueline Stevenson
Rob Stewart
Partricia Stinson
Theresa Stowell
Denise Strother
Teresa Stubbs
Glenda Stump
Darius Sturdivant
Brenda Sullivan
Kerri Neil Sumner
Tricia Sumner
Claudia Swartz
Shivaun Sweet
Tosha Sykes
Don Talbot
Dawn Tant
Tony Temple
Deborah Tew
Taj Thomas
David Thomas
Ray Thomas
Adolph Thomas
Bryan Thompkins
Marcus Thompson
Dave Thompson
Patty Thompson
Joy Thrash
Tarolyn Thrasher
NATANIEL TINGCO
Tracey Titus
Joseph Toby
Ivan Tomes
Gloria Torres
Danielle Torres
Omar Torres
Jimmy Townsend
Jackie Trinchitella
Jackie Tuckey
Annie Tukes
Terris Turner
Sandra Unknown
Jack Vannoy
Sheila Vannoy
Pamela Vanyo
Stanley Victrum
Lina Villar
Jennifer Waddell-Rivers
Todd Waddington
Richard Wagner
Lou Wagner
Erica Walker
Remonia Walker
William Wallace
Terry Walters
Sue Wampler
Wayne Wampler
Gaetana Warren
William Washington
Clinton Weaver
Rhonda Webb
Lisa Webster
Melvin Weeks
John Wermecke
Robert Shaw West
Greg West
Amy Weyhrich
Diane Wheatly
Rachella White
Brad Whited
Joy Whitehead
Cheri Wilcox
Jon Williams
Arnold (ED) Williams
Gloria Williams
Rikesia Williams
Dominique Williams
Robin Williams
Tonya Williams
Mark Williams
Monalisa Williams
Ruth Williams
Simone Wilson
Jacquana Wilson
Sandra Winters
Ronald Wolfe
Dennis Wood
Sue Wooster
Frank Wyble
Joseph Yersak
Whitney York
Charles Young
Leslie Younger
Wanda Younger
Richard Zavesky
Kalli Ziegler
Drew Ziegler
Paula Zimmerman
Why the Armys Army is Important
We cant kid ourselves – its not going to be easy. If we want to keep these families from moving to places like Pinehurst or Raleigh, were going to have to step up. We need to actively demonstrate and prove to these families that theres no other community in the world that welcomes, appreciates and supports them more than Cumberland County. The Armys Army was specifically created for this very purpose. By joining the Armys Army, you can make Cumberland County the most attractive place for prospective military families to live. Dont just say you support the troops – show it. Join the Armys Army for the good of home and your county. The economic fate of Cumberland County rests upon your shoulders.
| Army | ||
| Net Increase: | 17,182 | |
| Military: | 5,377 | |
| Family Members (Mil): | 9,679 | |
| Civilians: | 1,438 | |
| Contractors: | 351 |
Timing estimate:
Military Construction (Milcon) to build suitable headquarters for FORSCOM and USARC will be required prior to the headquarters move to Ft Bragg. Best estimates are that the move will be phased, with the first move in 2008 and completion by 2011. The 4th BCT is already established as facilities are under construction. The 7th SFG move will depend on timing for military construction of new facilities at Eglin AFB. Other transformation changes are on-going.
Pope Air Force Base:
The DoD recommendations were amended by the BRAC Commission to add an active duty Air Operations Group and move the 440th Air Reserve Component Wing from Detroit to Pope AFB. The BRAC actions will relocate 25 C-130Es from Pope AFB to Little Rock AFB and 36 A-10s to Moody AFB, and establish an Air Force reserve/active duty associate unit of 16 C-130H aircraft at Pope. The BRAC Commission rejected the DoD recommendation to eliminate entirely the Air Force command structure at Bragg/Pope and instead directed the establishment of an Air Force Air Operations Group to oversee the associate unit and other airlift functions. The Commissions amendment did not specify how many personnel will be in the group and precisely how it will be structured. The Site Activation Task Force report from June 2006, indicated that the AOG will consist of approximately 1,100 active duty AF personnel. There are approximately 800 active duty AF personnel remaining in tenant units such as the 18th Air Support Operations Group, which directly support Army operations. Including approximately 400 full time Reserve technicians, the Air Force presence at Pope AFB will be close to 2,500 active duty or full time personnel and 1,200 AF reservists.
Timing Estimate:
Air Mobility Command will move the C-130Es that are non-operational or destined for retirement, as soon as possible. Expect anywhere from one third to one half of the fleet to depart in the spring of 2007, with the remaining aircraft departing by the end of 2007 or early 2008. Manpower will be reduced at Pope as this occurs. Best estimate for the wing to stand down is early spring of 2008. The active duty Air Operations Group and the AFRC associate/reserve squadron should both activate as the wing stands down.
| Air Force | ||
| Net Increase: | - 8,389 | |
| Military: | - 3,139 | |
| Family Members (Mil): | - 5,393 | |
| Civilians: | + 143 | |
| Contractors: | + 351 |
| Net Community Impact: | Army and Air Force | |
| Net Increase: | 12,569 | |
| Military: | 2,632 | |
| Family Members (Mil): | 4,995 | |
| Civilians: | 1,405 | |
| Contractors: | 351 |
Key Events and Milestones
September 15, 2005: BRAC Commission legislation, signed by the president of the United States becomes law on November 8, 2005. BRAC actions must commence within one year and be completed within six years, not later than September 15, 2011.
January 24, 2006: Governor Easley invites community and state leaders and hosts initial meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, resulting in formation of the BRAC Regional Task Force.
January, 2006: Stand-up of 4th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) as part of the 82nd Airborne.
September 13-14, 2006: Relocation Fair held at U.S. Army Forces Command Headquarters and U.S. Army Reserve Center Headquarters at Ft. McPherson, Georgia. Representatives from eight of the 11 BRAC RTF counties attended with representatives from Picerne Military Housing, North Carolina Military Business Center, and the North Carolina Dept. of Commerce.
October 4, 2006: BRAC RTF Receives $1.16 million-dollar grant through the Mid-Carolina Council of Governments from the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment to fund the Task Force's growth management planning around the Ft. Bragg and Pope Air Force Base Area.
January 2006 through 2011: Army Transformation; unit activations/inactivations and stationing changes; construct FORSCOM/USARC Headquarters facility; construct Joint Deployment/Mobility facility. Transfer Pope AFB to Ft. Bragg (2,559 AF personnel become tenants on Ft. Bragg).
Early 2008: 43rd Airlift Wing stands-down. 23rd Fighter Group departs for Moody AFB. 440th Air Reserve Component Wing stands up. Active duty Air Operations Group is formed.
Mid-2008: Advance team from FORSCOM Headquarters arrives. Phased moves of FORSCOM/USARC personnel from 2008 to 2011.
Summer 2010: 7th Special Forces Group departs for Eglin AFB.
BRAC FAQs
What is BRAC?
“BRAC” is an acronym that stands for Base Realignment and Closure. It is the congressionally authorized process the Department of Defense (DoD) has previously used to reorganize its base structure to more efficiently and effectively support our forces, increase operational readiness and facilitate new ways of doing business. (The original legislation actually states that the title of the process is Base Closure and Realignment.)
What are some of the major elements of the BRAC 2005 process and what will ensure it will be fair?
The process began with a threat assessment of the future national security environment, followed by the development of a force structure plan and basing requirements to meet these threats. DoD then applied legally mandated selection criteria to determine which installations to recommend for realignment and closure. The Secretary of Defense will publish a report containing his realignment and closure recommendations, forwarding supporting documentation to the independent commission.
What is transformation?
According to the Departments April 2003 Transformation Planning Guidance document, transformation is "a process that shapes the changing nature of military competition and cooperation through new combinations of concepts, capabilities, people and organizations that exploit our nation's advantages and protect against our asymmetric vulnerabilities to sustain our strategic position, which helps underpin peace and stability in the world."
Why is DoD transforming?
Over time, the defense strategy calls for the transformation of the U.S. Defense establishment. Transformation is at the heart of this strategy. To transform DoD, we need to change its culture in many important areas. Our budgeting, acquisition, personnel and management systems must be able to operate in a world that changes rapidly. Without change, the current defense program will only become more expensive in the future and DoD will forfeit many of the opportunities available today.
How is BRAC transformational?
BRAC provides a singular opportunity to reshape our infrastructure to optimize military readiness. The 2005 BRAC process will help find innovative ways to consolidate, realign or find alternative uses for current facilities to ensure that the U.S. continues to field the best-prepared and best-equipped military in the world. BRAC 2005 will also enable the U.S. military to better match facilities to forces, meet the threats and challenges of a new century and make the wisest use of limited defense dollars.
What benefit does the Department anticipate from a future BRAC round?
The Department will be able to divest itself of unnecessary installation infrastructure and use the resultant savings for improving fighting capabilities and quality of life for military forces. This will allow the Department to rationalize installation infrastructure with 21st century national security imperatives.
How will BRAC 2005 be different from past rounds?
BRAC 2005 is dramatically different from previous rounds. Because we are on our fifth round of BRAC, the nature of the excess capacity has changed. Most of the excess capacity today is more fragmented and often in the form of underused facilities. This suggests that savings can be achieved by sharing facilities to a greater extent. Excess capacity is defined as underused or unused facilities and/or infrastructure. Today, greater emphasis is being placed on reshaping the Department as opposed to simple cost cutting. There also is greater emphasis on jointness--selecting the appropriate organizations from two or more services to share facilities in the right location can significantly improve combat effectiveness while reducing costs. It also generates a more powerful military through appropriate basing. Jointness at every level will play a much greater role in this round of BRAC.
Why do we need a BRAC round?
The Departments position that significant excess capacity remains in the defense infrastructure is supported by independent agencies. The specific level of excess is very dependent on the assumptions used in the analysis. Past experience indicates that more extensive study of joint basing use and cross-service functional analysis could further increase the level of excess through better utilization of the remaining infrastructure.
The Department estimates that a future BRAC round, based on the costs and savings experiences of BRACs 93/95 and a reduction in installation infrastructure of approximately 20 percent, could generate approximately $7 billion of annual recurring savings in todays dollars. Resources currently being spent on excess installation infrastructure could be allocated to higher priority requirements, such as efforts to modernize weapons, enhance quality of life, and improve readiness.
Additionally, another BRAC round will afford the Department a significant transformation opportunity. September 11, 2001, reinforced the imperative to convert excess capacity into warfighting ability. The performance of our forces in Iraq underscores the benefit of transformational war fighting. The Department must be allowed to reconfigure its infrastructure to best support the transformation of our warfighting capability. The Department must be allowed the opportunity to assess its installation infrastructure to ensure it is best sized and placed to support emerging mission requirements for our national security needs.
Why would we close U.S. installations before we close overseas installations?
BRAC, of course, only applies to our military facilities in the United States. As we transform the Department, we didn't think it made much sense to look just at our domestic facilities so we coupled the BRAC process with our Global Force Posture Review, which in essence is a BRAC process for our internationally-based forces. The result is the relocation of troops to the United States from abroad and several other related changes made domestically to ensure unit cohesion, as well as realignment for the 21st century. (Dollar amounts will be available when the secretary's recommendations are announced.)
How much has been saved through previous BRAC rounds?
The four previous BRAC rounds have eliminated approximately 20 percent of DoD's capacity that existed in 1988 and, through 2001, produced net savings of approximately $17.7 billion, which includes the cost of environmental cleanup. Recurring savings beyond 2001 are approximately $7 billion annually. In independent studies conducted over previous years, both the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office have consistently supported the department's view that realigning and closing unneeded military installations produces savings that far exceed costs.
Will communities or states that were impacted by past base closures be protected in future base closure rounds? Would their past losses be calculated in determining "cumulative economic impact?"
The Department must consider all military installations equally, without regard to whether the installation has been previously considered or proposed for closure or realignment. Additionally, the Department will adhere to the statutory requirements regarding the selection criteria that will be used in the BRAC process, of which military value is the primary consideration. In doing so, the Department will consider "the economic impact on existing communities in the vicinity of military installations." Application and evaluation of economic impacts will be consistently and fairly applied.
How have local communities affected by installation closures fared overall?
Base Realignments and Closures cause near-term social and economic disruption. However, there are many success stories from previous closures. A base closure can actually be an economic opportunity, especially when all elements of a community work together. While each closure or realignment has different consequences and/or results, some recent examples include:
An example of a position a potential relocator might hold would be a colonel within FORSCOM, the largest command of the United States Army. In this role, the colonel would oversee the training, mobilization, deployment, sustaining and reconstitution of 5,000 combat-ready Army forces capable of responding rapidly to crises worldwide.
There are thousands of high-level colonels and their families who will be faced with the dilemma of choosing between two options: be transferred to Fort Bragg and hold their current position and salary or find something else to do. For them, moving isn't the issue, making the right decision is. Whats more, with the military comes the civilian contractors and other employees who will no longer have a base to call home.
Given that many hold high-ranking, serious jobs, most of the target is fairly affluent and, with a median income of $80,000, is used to a comfortable lifestyle. Their families mean a lot to them, and most have children and some even have grandchildren. In addition to the military, spouses will more than likely find a job somewhere in the area, as well as evaluate housing, schools, entertainment options, neighborhood safety, etc.
Many came through Bragg as privates or in some other capacity during Vietnam, and still hold onto Fayettevilles bad reputation as FayetteNam. Strip clubs, pawnshops, used car dealerships taking advantage of them – they were all there, and its not something we can hide from. As they rely heavily on word-of-mouth from colleagues, friends, realtors and the Internet, there is a persistent aura of negativity surrounding Fayetteville that our surrounding counties arent faced with, and one that we as a community must work together to combat. A quick scan of the web reveals the ugly – this quote was taken from a forum as a response to what Fayetteville is like: Its not an attractive, clean or peaceful place to live. Our competitors do their best to sell a dream of a better place to live – vacation at home, close to everything, city living, while we must overcome perception. Perceptions, not facts, are the primary driver.
According to one military wife, Home is where the Army sends us. When making a moving decision, theyre forced to wade through an overwhelming plethora of choices when all they want is a nice affordable house and services they can use. While theres no substitute for being here, were giving them the tools that make the decision simpler.
We are a nurturing community built around an understanding of their lifestyle, one that truly makes Cumberland County feel like home, and thats the mission of the Armys Army.
Fayetteville/Cumberland County has changed and once someone visits, they know it. From available services and amenities, such as theater productions, museums, parks, trails, golf courses and a host of events, theyll have a tough time choosing what to do in their free time. Of all the areas competing for their attention, were the one thats been through the trenches with them time after time. In addition to a short commute, our infrastructure for their arrival is already in place... and we know how to cater to their families to make them feel special. With programs like Fayetteville Cares, Police Deployment House Checks and family support groups, theyll see exactly how our strength is in our people, and most of us are just like them.
Here in Fayetteville, were not interested in the notion of a military town as a pass-through community and a look at the statistics proves it. Fayetteville has the third largest veteran population in the U.S. and the highest concentration of Vietnam vets, so we mean it when we say we want them to stick around.
Be a Heros Hero. Sign Up Today.
How You Can Help
There is no mandatory list of duties our members must perform. However, there are a number of activities, services and programs that need volunteers. If youre interested, there are a million ways you can help.
To find out specifically what you can do, whos signed up and more information about BRAC, contact us today.
Jobs and needs that YOU can help fill when you join the Army's Army:
I, _______, do solemnly swear to give
my moral, physical and spiritual support
to the American soldier and his family.
It is my honor to
serve those who serve the United States.
It is my duty to watch over those who watch
over us. I recognize the Armys Army
emblem as a symbol of admiration, pride and
support for those in the armed services
and will do my best to champion these ideals
for which it stands.
To the men and women of the armed
services and their families,
I voluntarily offer my unwavering
assistance, friendship and
encouragement whenever called upon.
