Heart of Texas Defense Alliance reports possible Fort Hood growth, aquifer-storage project and small modular reactor pilot

Keith Sledd, executive director of the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance, presented the organization’s quarterly activity report to Copperas Cove council on Sept. 2. His update covered multiple regional defense-related items that could affect the city and surrounding counties.

Sledd said the Army’s FY26 draft budget includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members and that the Army plans to increase personnel strength by about 12,000 soldiers, which could add roughly 300–400 soldiers at the local installation and bring additional family members to the area. He noted modernization and unit conversions planned over the next year.

Sledd noted the Highway 9 ramps project is expected to be contracted soon and that the ribbon-cutting for the railhead energy-resiliency project should occur around October. He said the coordinated board selected phase 1 of an aquifer recovery and storage system as a project to pursue with no additional local cost-share required from member jurisdictions.

On a longer-term technology note, Sledd discussed Department of Defense interest in small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) as backup power sources for military installations. He said one SMR design is in testing in Idaho, five installations were selected as potential pilot sites and Fort Hood is one of the installations under consideration. Sledd said a decision on siting pilots could come by January–February and that DOD expects one SMR in operation within three years of final selections.

Sledd also summarized state legislative matters affecting installations and military families, including changes to military spouse licensure and other items of interest to the defense community.

Council received the report; Sledd took questions but no council action on the report was required.