Dealing with the prospect of U.S. Military job losses at Fort Sam Houston, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is lobbying for positions in different states to be relocated to San Antonio.
The Trump Administration is within the midst of restructuring the service department, with plans to mix two San Antonio-based instructions, each positioned at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, and the North Carolina-based Forces Command at Fort Bragg, right into a single headquarters.
Military management’s preliminary suggestions are to maneuver about 200 San Antonio-based troopers to Fort Bragg — whereas roughly 750 positions would stay right here, in line with Jones’ workplace.
Jones stated on Thursday that she offered U.S. Military leaders and Texas’ U.S. Senators with a listing of missions that may very well be “ripe for relocation” rather than the misplaced jobs.
Navigating the potential job losses posed by the Military restructure is an early take a look at for Jones, who beforehand served because the Below Secretary of the Air Drive beneath the Biden Administration and held plenty of high-level navy positions which have given her great perception on the potential restructure.
She’s additionally campaigned exhausting as a Democrat, and has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and the Republican administration pushing the present modifications.
Earlier this month Jones traveled to Washington, D.C., to make her case to Pentagon leaders tasked with the reorganization, in addition to Texas’ Republican leaders on Capitol Hill who may affect the method.
“I’m going to make use of my background, and what I do know, and positively my community to make sure that we’re as proactive as we might be,” Jones stated in an interview Thursday.
The thought of Military jobs leaving the state has alarmed Texas lawmakers, who’ve restricted leverage to cease it as they await a proper announcement within the coming weeks. Jones stated that Texas’ U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, each Republicans, had been good companions on working to maintain positions in San Antonio.
“They want a goal record, and we will most assist ourselves if we might be very particular,” Jones stated.
In a letter shared with the San Antonio Report, Jones instructed that San Antonio may doubtlessly soak up some positions at the moment positioned on the Military Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal close to Huntsville, Alabama, which handles contracts and acquisitions for the department.
“We’ve already acquired a subordinate command associated to contracting,” Jones instructed the Report. “That main headquarters is in a spot the place I do know that they’re busting on the seams at their present location.”
She additionally instructed shifting medical missions, together with some from the Medical Analysis and Improvement Command (USAMRDC), which is headquartered at Fort Detrick in Maryland, to permit the Military to “faucet into [San Antonio’s] world-class medical footprint.”
One other suggestion was to place some “supporting components” of the U.S. Military Mixed Arms Middle, which is positioned in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., nearer to the Military’s Coaching and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in Austin.
“Austin and San Antonio can effectively help the quality-of-service and quality-of-lifefactors vital for troopers and civilians supporting these missions,” Jones wrote.
San Antonio and Bexar County leaders had already been angling to recruit jobs from the Protection Well being Company (DHA) in Falls Church, Va., together with arranging potential amenities at Fort Sam Houston.
Such relocations are fairly delicate since jobs and native investments are on the road — as evidenced by DHA’s total defensiveness in regards to the thought again in 2023.
