U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz wants Gen. Ray Odierno, Army chief of staff, to pay particular attention to Hawaii’s strategic importance during a visit by Odierno to Oahu this week.
"In light of your upcoming visit to Hawaii, I urge you to consider the strategic value that sustaining force structure in the state provides the Army in the Asia Pacific," Schatz said in a Feb. 5 letter to Odierno.
Schatz’s letter notes that the Army chief is expected to visit Fort Shafter and Schofield Barracks on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Hawaii Democrat said he knows the Army faces "hard choices" as it shrinks to between 440,000 to 450,000 soldiers by the end of fiscal 2017 or 2018.
"I recognize that Congress is making these decisions harder as it threatens sequestration in fiscal year 2016 that could force the Army to cut its active component end strength to 420,000 soldiers," Schatz said.
Schatz said he is working with colleagues to "remove the threat of these arbitrary, across-the-board spending cuts so the Army can avoid making strategically unwise reductions to the force."
The Army is considering a maximum cut of 19,800 soldiers and civilians from Schofield and Fort Shafter.
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard also warned of sequestration’s "potential devastating impact" to military readiness, particularly that of the Army. Gabbard, a Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, an Alabama Republican, sent a letter to congressional colleagues stating, "Inaction (on sequestration) will put us further down the path of undermining our national security, local economies, and the livelihoods of military families."
Considering the national security threat faced today, and uncertain threats of tomorrow, Congress should not allow a dramatic reduction in the Army’s end strength, the two lawmakers said.
The letter states Army active-duty strength will stand at 490,000 soldiers by October — down from 570,000 in 2010.
"We did not anticipate the requirement to send soldiers to Europe to face a resurgent Russia, or back to Iraq to face the rising threat from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, or to Africa to support the international effort to battle Ebola," the lawmakers said.
A national security discussion is needed to "decide what we want the Army to do in the next 10 years before we consider further Army reductions," the pair said.
