March 12,2008:
The U.S. Army is moving the 1st Armored Division to Ft Bliss, in Texas.
Since 1971, the division had been based in Europe. Since the end of the Cold
War, the U.S. has withdrawn about 80 percent of the forces it has stationed in
Europe since the end of World War II. For over 60 years, Ft Bliss was the home
of missile research, and the training of troops to handle them, mainly
anti-aircraft missiles. But now Ft Bliss will be reconfigured to house an
armored division as well. This involves building barracks, support and administrative buildings, as well as
training areas. This will cost over $4 billion dollars. That's about how much
it costs to equip an armored division, and train the troops to man it. It costs
over two billion dollars a year to maintain an armored division. Most of that
goes to payroll and troops support.