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Joint Armed Services Committee schedules Feb. 11 hearing with 11th Airborne command over potential deployment
Summary
The committee will hear from General Cogbill and others on Feb. 11 after receiving constituent concerns about possible secondment or deployment of the 11th Airborne; senators want clarity on troop numbers and local community impacts.
Senator Kawasaki, co-chair of the Joint Armed Services Committee, said the committee has sent letters to General Cogbill and the congressional delegation seeking information about reports that the 11th Airborne could be seconded or deployed. "Families across the state... want to know if they're gonna suddenly have their spouses be deployed," Kawasaki said, citing concerns from military-dependent communities at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fort Wainwright.
Kawasaki said the committee invited General Cogbill to a hearing on Feb. 11 to explain the potential movement of about 1,500 soldiers, the reasons for any deployment and its likely impacts on local communities and the economy. The committee will also examine what oversight exists for any changes to force posture and whether prior statutory or policy changes affect that oversight.
Kawasaki said the committee is pursuing clarity both for service members' families and for communities that host military installations. The Feb. 11 hearing is intended to provide an opportunity for the command to respond to those questions.
