It’s a bit of deja vu from October 2016 – approximately 4000 soldiers assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, are set to deploy to Europe this fall.
In October, it was 3500 soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division to the Republic of Korea.
Nonetheless, the impact to the local region will be similar. A study conducted by the Matrix Design Group last fall determined that nearly half of the economy in the Flint Hills Region is tied to military spending.
In October, Military Affairs Council Director John Seitz said that he was confident that families of the deployed soldiers would stay in the local community.
“With these nine month deployments, school cycles and all, it forces families to make the decision about staying here,” said Seitz. “We have to to do exactly, what we’ve been doing all along – take care of them; make sure that [we] look out for them.”
Those same principles and ideas likely apply now as well.
Seven months ago, the concern was the impact to the economy…today, it may have an impact on voters for a new high school.
USD 475 Geary County Schools received an $11.8 Heavy Impact Aid payment from the Federal Government, one piece in a proposed plan to pursue a new high school project. While this is good news; could the potential fluctuation in the number of students in the District have an impact on voters who will be needed to pass a bond issue election to get state aid funding for the new high school?
USD 475 has proposed a new high school project at a new site with no increase to the mil levy – or no responsibility to the local taxpayer.
Troops have begun redeploying to Fort Riley, with approximately 800 from the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division returning in the last month.
Mayor Phyllis Fitzgerald has released the following statement regarding the news of the deployment: “Based upon my limited knowledge of the recent deployment announcement, I can say that we absolutely support the military’s mission and hope they all come home safely. And for the families that remain in the area, if they should require assistance we will do all we can to help.”