La., U.S. Army open door to Fort Polk expansion

The U.S. Army expects to complete the purchase of 4,900 acres at Fort Polk that will allow it to expand training at the Leesville-area base, says Louisiana Economic Development. With the exception of state government, Fort Polk is already the largest employer in Louisiana, with more than 16,000 military and civilian jobs associated with a U.S. Army installation that generates an estimated annual economic impact of $1.8 billion. In September, the state announced an investment of $25.3 million in infrastructure improvements in the Fort Polk area over the next three years. Those improvements to transportation routes and utilities are designed to help expand the local economy and maximize conditions to attract more military units to Fort Polk. With the state’s support, the Army continues to pursue a long-term strategy of expanding Fort Polk’s physical assets, LED says. Ultimately, the Army would like to expand the installation’s footprint by 50% with the purchase of an additional 100,000 acres. Fort Polk currently covers more than 194,000 acres, and the February purchase would be the first major step in pursuing the long-term land goal. The first 4,900 acres planned for purchase are south of Peason Ridge, a training area located in northern Vernon Parish. Of all brigade combat teams deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, 50% of them initially train at Fort Polk, which is home to 10,000 military personnel and 6,300 civilian employees.