It is easy to forget just how young our country is, including our military. Almost 75 years ago, the land 50 miles from Round Rock that now occupies Fort Hood was rural farming land, waiting to be transformed into one of our nation’s largest army installations, and premier military post.

What began as Camp Hood and home to the Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center initially housed nearly 38,000 troops and grew to almost 95,000 in less than one year’s time to support WWII. Today, Fort Hood is home to almost 40,000 soldiers, and thousands more civilians, dedicated to defending our great nation.  It is the largest active duty armored post in the United States, and is home to the Garrison Command and III Corps which encompasses the 1^st Cavalry Division, 1^st Army Division West Operational Texas Command and 13 separate brigade level commands.

Fort Hood has been significant in every major war since WWII, deploying units to fight in Korea, Vietnam, Desert Strom, Desert Shield, and for the past thirteen years not a day has gone by without Fort Hood Soldiers deployed   in the Global War on Terror. Soldiers from Fort Hood have also supported major operations worldwide including Grenada, Panama, Honduras, Saudi Arabia, Sinai, Liberia, and Kuwait. Today, more than 7,000 Fort Hood soldiers are deployed or mobilizing for Iraq, Afghanistan, and strategic missions on the Korean Peninsula with another round of deployments just announced to critical areas of operation.

Our national security is mission one for Fort Hood, but to the area, it means even more. The supported population in the region includes Soldiers, families, retirees, and survivors and includes almost 400,000 people. In the latest data (2012), Fort Hood’s direct economic impact on the Texas GDP was $25.3 billion and it is the largest single-site employer in Texas!

I am honored to represent such a vital installation, not only to our nation’s security, but to our overall region’s economy. That is why this past week I led a delegation of Williamson County city, school and county leaders to Fort Hood so they could see firsthand the important work being done less than an hour away. We were able to witness why the training of our Fort Hood Soldiers is vital to the security of our nation and why funding our military at robust levels is critically important. 

I have, and will continue to support our military. Our nation is facing increased global threats from radical Islamic terrorists, unstable nation-states, and aggressive regimes. I will not sit by and allow our national security to be diminished or threatened. It is my solemn vow to ensure that our Army has what it needs to engage with, and destroy all enemies of this great country.

In order for us to win this war on terror and protect our national economy, we must retain the most powerful and best trained military force. The future of our freedoms depend on our continued support for the men and women who proudly serve to protect this great nation, and that includes first and foremost supporting Fort Hood.

Rep. Carter represents Texas District 31, which includes Fort Hood, one of the largest military installations in the free world. He serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, is on the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

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