Ft. Bliss Investment at 5 Billion (El Paso, Beaumont: sales, 2013, insurance) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

Six Foot Three · 03-07-2008, 07:47 AM

I know not everyone is going to benefit but take all you can get El Paso.

I see in the EP Times has an article about how the investment is now up to 5 Billion dollars as i'm glad the feds are doing their part. It stated by 2013 (5 years) the post will grow to 37,000 soildiers and more than 53,000 family members. That's just mind boggelimg. In Alamogordo where Holloman AFB is at they have about 5,000 airmen stationed there and Alamo is stoked at that so 37,000 is pretty good for EP as they will Shop and pay Sales Taxes and Property Taxes etc... I do admit the bad side is Traffic and also School Taxes will be high to built all the new schools.

I just hope the positive outweigh the negatives once the dust settles.

Investment in El Paso grows to $5 billion - El Paso Times

Muhnay · 03-07-2008, 07:51 AM

Them numbers are off.. but thats ok. Maybe something changed since I was working on post and the number got smaller. We shall see though. Thats still a lot of new people in one area.. and they pushed it to 2013 now.. was 2011. I knew they were behind.. but I did not know it was 2 years.

southernbliss · 03-07-2008, 09:19 AM

Sad I kinda like it the way it is now, it is busy on post like it is so to put that many more people here to me is crazy but we will be leaving in 3 years so maybe it will not hurt us to bad. I had to set my son a eye dr appt. well they can see him in 5 wks.! to me that is out there so you tell me it takes 5wks. to get in the eye dr. office now and there are going to move in more people on top of that!! it is not that bad in CO.springs, there it takes about 3wks.

Muhnay · 03-07-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southernbliss

Sad I kinda like it the way it is now, it is busy on post like it is so to put that many more people here to me is crazy but we will be leaving in 3 years so maybe it will not hurt us to bad. I had to set my son a eye dr appt. well they can see him in 5 wks.! to me that is out there so you tell me it takes 5wks. to get in the eye dr. office now and there are going to move in more people on top of that!! it is not that bad in CO.springs, there it takes about 3wks.

Hey Southern, how do you know your leaving in 3 years? You seem so sure, like your husband already has orders. Did he make a contact that in 3 years he would be able to select another post, will he be re-upping in 3 years, and expects to make a change of station as part of his reenlistment demands? Just curious thats all.. you sure do sound like you want out of here pretty fast. Cant blame ya.. Fort Bliss is run like no other military post I have ever been on.. its like its not even Army run.. weird huh.

Well part of the new stuff being built on Biggs is a expansion to Beaumont to help take some of the pressure off the main hospital. I would also look into seeing a civilian eye doctor since the Military one can not see him in a timely manner. I think your Insurance will cover it because of that.. check into it.

Oh just wait till you have to goto Beaumont and have to wait 21 hours to be seen.

southernbliss · 03-07-2008, 10:05 AM

I do not know for a fact we are leaving in 3 years but I know we were told between 2 and 4 years so I am thinking 3years! maybe wishful thinking! and so far bliss has not been what I would call bad I am just use to thinking small and that does not work here! I came from from a place that if you call the dr. today he can see you tomorrow so I just need to get back use to being on a base it has been 5 years since I lived on post in MS. we lived off base due to them having no housing, so it has been a long time for me.
In 3 years we will have been in the army 18 years so I think if we are ready to move on to some where new it will be ok. but you never know I guess how it will turn out we do know we do not want to retire here so and 3to4 years it will be time to get ready for our last post.
Also I like small bases that why we did not go to hood because we have been there and done that to big for my liking!!! I would not talk about hood I will never go there again!!! so far I like bliss alot better I would just like to keep it that way!

Muhnay · 03-07-2008, 10:26 AM

I know what you mean about Hood. Where would you like your last duty station to be? Most people try to get a duty station near where they want to retire. Or would you both return to home of record?

Well Southern get ready to see El Paso differently.. I see buds on my trees, so your about to experience the desert come alive.. I saw some poppies on trans-mountain the other day.. sorry we kinda got off subject..

Have you and your husband gone to the back of Biggs and seen all the construction going on? Biggs is gonna be the new main post.. and Fort Bliss the old main post when its done.. the MP's are getting a brand new facility.. man I wish I could go back to work with the DA Police.. the new facility is gonna be nice, Biggs is gonna be a hoppin place again.

Victor 13 · 03-07-2008, 12:11 PM

That is interesting to hear about the old Biggs Air base. When I was stationed in Ft. Bliss in the late 70's in the Air Cavalry Troop it was out dated back then. A lot of empty space too.

southernbliss · 03-07-2008, 01:06 PM

Posted by Muhnay
I know what you mean about Hood. Where would you like your last duty station to be? Most people try to get a duty station near where they want to retire. Or would you both return to home of record?

Well Southern get ready to see El Paso differently.. I see buds on my trees, so your about to experience the desert come alive.. I saw some poppies on trans-mountain the other day.. sorry we kinda got off subject..

Have you and your husband gone to the back of Biggs and seen all the construction going on? Biggs is gonna be the new main post.. and Fort Bliss the old main post when its done.. the MP's are getting a brand new facility.. man I wish I could go back to work with the DA Police.. the new facility is gonna be nice, Biggs is gonna be a hoppin place again.

I di not like anything about hood beside the day we left!!!!so see I like el paso and bliss, it is not to small and not to big at the same time like I said I have been to places that make el paso seem nice!! and I told my husband when we left I would never go back!!! I mean it, all the green grass in the world could not make me go!!
We want to retire in the south but not MS. that is not going to happen there some times we talk about CO. that is a very nice place but it just cost to much to live there so maybe GA. are SC. seem nice but not for sure yet.

Yes we went to the back it is going to be huge!! we live in biggs so I hope they build a PX here put I have not heard it.
I just hope they can keep up with all the people they are bringing in because like I said it takes 5 wks to see the eye dr. and they are not that many of us here yet!! so I am just thinking did they bite off more than they could chew!!!

HIGH!Lonesome · 03-07-2008, 04:09 PM

I think this is good that the feds throw 5 billion dollars at Fort Bliss , but I'm kinda of curious as to why all in a sudden there's this interest in stationing all these thousands of new troops to Fort Bliss.

5 billion dollars, I wonder how much of this money is really going to stay in El Paso, since there's probably scores of outside bidders and contractors.

Miner72 · 03-07-2008, 06:48 PM

Ft. Bliss sits on the largest military reservation in the world, they needed to find a home for one of the Divisions coming back to the USA, plus many of the brigades that will be part of the new mission. Sixty years ago local, state and federal officials put the reservation together with a plan to make Ft. Bliss a model for the Army.

That never materialized because the feds never allocated the money for infrastructure. Eventually, as you know, the post lost favor in the Pentagon which was evidenced by the move of the 3rd Cav to Colorado. By working with local, state officials, Ft. Bliss, Texas and El Paso made the pitch for expansion. The rest is history.

$3.2 billion has been budgeted for the Future Combative System. $2.3 billion was approved this past fall. That is in addition to the $1.6 billion currently being used for construction at Biggs and the Post. The Feds have come throw. The region is now getting the investment El Paso has always wanted for the Post and the City.

In the fall, I heard a presentation by one of the Post Deputy Commanders. It was revealed that much more growth will come than expected. The Post is prime for an elevation to "A Post of Excellence". It underlined one of the reasons for the growth at the base was the involvement and support of the El Paso community. It was very important to the plan.

There were so many variables mentioned for making the expansion a priority and a reality. For the El Paso community, it is a once in a life time opportunity for building the economic base here. So many communities have jump started their economies by such an event.

For the next twenty years, it will be imperative to take advantage of this event and support the effort 100%. Ft. Bliss and El Paso stand to gain big time. El Paso will have the opportunity to help and support the Post.

I say.....about time.