Lawton residents not surprised Fort Sill would grow under plan

Saturday, May 14th 2005, 11:47 am

By: News On 6

LAWTON, Okla. (AP) _ Randy Whitney delivered a box of package lunches Friday to tellers at the Fort Sill National Bank and wondered how much his restaurant business will grow when 3,600 new jobs are added to nearby Fort Sill.

``It's great for our economy. It's gonna be great for me,'' Whitney said as he stood near a ``We Support Our Troops'' sign hanging from the bank's main entrance in downtown Lawton.

Whitney, operator of Fat Randy's restaurant, said he delivers meals to the Army post and expects his business to blossom now that the Pentagon has scheduled Fort Sill for expansion.

``Busy today _ payday Friday,'' said Whitney, who opened his business just under two months ago. ``It's way blown my expectations already.''

None of Oklahoma's major military bases were included on the Pentagon list released Friday of facilities recommended for closure nationwide. The state will gain nearly 4,000 jobs.

The Pentagon said the 3,600-person increase at Fort Sill would actually equate to an estimated gain of 5,731 jobs for the Lawton area because increased on-base employment will generate off-base jobs.

In terms of job creation, Lawton is one of the biggest winners of all cities affected by the Pentagon base closure announcement with about a 9 percent increase.

``At the end of the day, it's Lawton that won the prize,'' Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said at a news conference attended by business leaders and city and state officials.

``This happens because the community has made the military feel welcome,'' Cole said.

``It's just a great day. It means we're still growing,'' said Lawton Mayor John Purcell Jr. But Purcell said the growth could strain public infrastructure and place new demands on housing in the city of 94,000.

``Housing may be an issue we're going to have to take a really good look at now,'' Purcell said.

Fort Sill will be the home of a new ``Net Fires'' training center that will combine Fort Sill's Field Artillery Center with the Air Defense Artillery School and Air Defense Artillery Brigade now based at Fort Bliss, Texas.

``These are huge gains for us. They secure our future,'' Cole said.

The Pentagon's announcement brought a smile to the face of Maj. Gen. David P. Valcourt, commander of Fort Sill.

``Friday the 13th is not a bad day at Fort Sill,'' Valcourt said referring to superstition surrounding Friday's date.

Valcourt said Fort Sill's new mission will involve training in the long-range Patriot missile system and low-altitude air defenses. Capabilities from both the artillery and air defense schools are needed to protect troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said.

``Fort Sill will gain a new importance as the Net Fires Center,'' Valcourt said. ``It becomes a focal point for one of the most critical aspects of Army combat capability _ the combat soldier.''

Fort Sill will also lose missions in the realignment, including a correctional facility, an artillery fires brigade and defense finance and accounting personnel.

Lawton residents, many of them retired soldiers, said they never worried that Fort Sill might be scaled back or closed in the BRAC process.

``That's the only artillery post there is,'' said retired Staff Sgt. Walter Harkless. ``Where is it going to go?''

In a park nearby, an illuminated sign, flanked by large wooden toy soldiers, spelled out the words ``Welcome Home Troops.''

``Sill deserves the expansion. Sill has been the foundation for the artillery corps and it should continue,'' said retired Col. Eugene E. McDowell.

``The locals have fully supported Sill,'' McDowell said. ``Without Sill, there wouldn't be a Lawton.''