Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) sent a letter to Secretary of the Army John McHugh and General Raymond Odierno, Chief of Staff of the Army, highlighting the importance of Fort Leonard Wood. Smith’s letter is part of a preemptive effort to fight potential operations and personnel cuts during the Army’s Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA).

Click HERE to read Smith’s letter opposing operations and personnel cuts at

Fort Leonard Wood

“As the military strives to become leaner, smaller, tailorable, and scalable, I encourage you to focus on the importance of FLW to the security of our nation. The well-established resources at Fort Leonard Wood, the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School, the Engineer School, and the Military Police School, have been front-and-center in developing our military leaders. This must continue to be a number one priority as we strive to maintain a globally responsive military. Having these schools and training centers at FLW, which is strategically located in the center of the United States, makes them uniquely accessible by air, rail and road, and they play a vital role in securing and protecting our homeland,” states Smith’s letter.

Smith noted Fort Leonard Wood’s importance to Central Missouri.

“I am pleased to represent my constituents in the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri when offering my unwavering support for Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri in response to the Army’s Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA),” Smith wrote. “As you are aware, Fort Leonard Wood (FLW) is in Pulaski County, which is a neighboring county to the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri. Many constituents in my District work or serve at FLW, and are understandably concerned about the projected loss of 5,400 military and civilian positions by 2020 due to potential budget cuts.”

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