Lewis-McChord Shrinks by 7,000 Soldiers

The Army will cut a Stryker Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, WA. The reduction is part of an upcoming change in the base’s force structure, which is set to shrink from 33,645 to 26,500 (a loss of over 7,000 soldiers). The cuts are part of a broader Army downsizing that will reduce active-duty personnel in the nation to 490,000 by 2017 from a peak of 570,000 in 2010. Since 9/11, Lewis-McChord has added 19,528 Army soldiers.

The Stryker brigades have been the most high-profile units at Lewis-McChord. Fort Lewis served for years as the major testing ground for the eight-wheeled Strykers, which were fielded as a new generation of Army vehicles.

Read more at The Seattle Times