Strong and healthy partnerships are critical to success in nearly aspect of life. The cities of Central Texas surrounding Fort Hood are no exception. These communities provide support for Soldiers and their Families, forming lasting relationships that truly make the Fort Hood region "The Great Place."
The American Heritage Dictionary defines partnership as "a relationship between individuals or groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal.” Cooperation is the key word in this definition, one that is apparent in the truly unique existing partnership between the cities surrounding Fort Hood.
When I returned to Fort Hood in summer of 2014 to serve as the Deputy Commanding General of III Corps and Fort Hood, I was extremely pleased to see the wonderful changes that had occurred since my departure in 2005. During those nine years away, the growth in the region as well as improvements on Fort Hood were simply amazing, and one of the primary reasons my family and I made the decision to retire here. The close working relationships between Fort Hood leadership, Soldiers and their Families with the communities in Central Texas was unlike any other I had witnessed in 36 years of service.
There is a prevailing belief within the cities and counties that surround Fort Hood that the success of Fort Hood and the Soldiers and their Families, who are willing to defend our country and its freedoms, deserve the best the communities can offer, which ultimately will also make the communities and the region better too. In essence, a partnership between multiple entities with a shared responsibility to achieve a specified goal was evident between the region and Fort Hood and the improvements throughout the region were a clear evidence of the success of this partnership.
Fort Hood is currently engaging in an Army Community Partnership program sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. This program is designed to look at ways to develop partnerships with local communities to create efficiencies and generate much needed savings for Fort Hood, and create revenue opportunities for the communities. The program is modeled after other successful partnership efforts that deserve mentioning, including:
Fort Hood worked with the Texas A&M University System to provide 672 acres to build the Texas A&M University-Central Texas campus. This resulted in the development of an upper-level university right here in Central Texas that works closely with Central Texas College and Killeen Independent School District to provide a full range of educational opportunities for Soldiers, Family members, and others who reside here in the region.
Community leaders worked hard with federally elected officials in DC (Congressmen Chet Edwards and John Carter) to obtain funding for the new Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center (CRDAMC) on Fort Hood. This state-of-the-art facility opened in April 2016 and greatly enhances the already tremendous medical care provided to all who live in and around Fort Hood.
Significant improvements have been made to the transportation network throughout the region that have enhanced the power projection capability of Fort Hood to transport equipment to the ports of Beaumont and Corpus Christi for deployment. This was a result of extensive partnering between the local communities, Fort Hood, the Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG), the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDoT), and the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition. Together, these organizations brought well over $400 million in road network improvements to the region, which has increased safety, distribution, and economic opportunities. Earlier this year it was announced that US Highway 190 will soon be designated I-14, a major success for the area with unlimited opportunities in the future.
Current ongoing studies (the Joint Land Use Study - JLUS and the Force Reduction Assessment - FRA) were the result of grants provided by the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and in direct coordination with Fort Hood. The JLUS, at the request of Fort Hood, is being sponsored by the City of Killeen and is designed to ensure any current or future development or encroachment outside the limits of Fort Hood will not impede or impact current or future training as the Soldiers prepare for operational missions. The FRA, also sponsored by the City of Killeen, is designed to provide the region with a detailed look at potential impacts to the region based on the pending reductions on Fort Hood (3,350 positions) associated with the Army's reduction from 490,000 to 450,000 Soldiers. Both of these will help Fort Hood and the region better prepare for any future decisions made by the Army or Department of Defense in terms of force structure or training requirements, while helping the communities continue to find ways to better support Fort Hood and enhance their own economic opportunities.
The most recent successful partnership for the region was the awarding of a Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) from the State of Texas. This program, sponsored by the Texas Military Preparedness Commission (TMPC) of the Governor's office, recently provided $30 million dollars to support 9 different projects throughout the State, one of which was here at Fort Hood/Killeen. The City of Killeen is the sponsor and the project is to renovate and repair the existing Army Radar Approach Control (ARAC) facility on Fort Hood at the Joint Use Fort Hood - Killeen Regional Airport. This facility is responsible for all of the airspace within a 60 mile radius of the airport and also essential for the controlling of all live fire operations on Fort Hood. Without this facility the Soldiers could not train on Fort Hood, military aircraft could not land or take off from Fort Hood, and rotary wing aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) would not be able to fly. This would have a significant impact on Fort Hood's ability to train and deploy their Soldiers and ultimately cost the Army and government hundreds of millions of dollars to do this elsewhere. The City of Killeen, working closely with Fort Hood and other members of the region, were able to win a DEAAG award for $3.475 million dollars, that when coupled with funds from Fort Hood, the Killeen Economic Development Corporation, and in kind services from the City of Killeen, will result in this facility being fully renovated and repaired to current standards to support today's training and airport operations.
All of these, and many more, are examples of the power of partnerships that when done alone probably would not have been achieved. The relationships and partnerships that exist between Fort Hood and the surrounding communities is like no other, and it is these relationships and partnerships that will ensure the continued success and growth for both Fort Hood and the Central Texas region in the years to come.
Written By: Kendall Cox, Executive Director, Heart of Texas Defense Alliance
Published in the Greater Killeen Business Quarterly 2016 Restaurant & Catering Guide