Northwestern cities peg prosperity to army programs.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe

Towns in the Pacific Northwest are hoping the expansion of the Army's Stryker brigades and the development of the Future Combat Systems will lead to continued economic benefits to the area, local officials said.

The town of Kent, for example, features an outpost of the Boeing Co., which has a $21 billion FCS contract. The goal of FCS is to bring a host of new sensor and communications technology to a family of 18 vehicles.

The Army plans on fielding its first full FCS equipped brigade in 2014. However, an experimental brigade of 3,000 soldiers will be formed to test the equipment and produce doctrine for its use. The Army is expected to announce the location of this experimental brigade by the end of 2005, and establish it by 2008.

Tacoma and its suburbs would like the experimental brigade to be one of the Stryker units based in Fort Lewis, which is 25 miles from Kent. Stryker brigades operate the Army's newest armored personnel carrier and are equipped with the latest technologies.

"Any expansion or new units would be celebrated here," said Scott Huntley, spokesman for the city of Tacoma. "Anything they would need in support would be done in a minute ... Any time you see new units, you get a boost in the economy."

The process of placing Army units, however, is not one in which locals play a large part. Other than showing support for troops with events, having easy negotiations with bases over utility bills and easing the disruptions of city employees serving in the National Guard, most of the lobbying is done in Washington, D.C., Huntley said.

"We don't have an economic development with the military in that way," he added. "If we did, I think you'd find the city of Tacoma would bend over backwards if military had any specific needs."

With Fort Lewis handling the introductions of the latest Army vehicles, the installation is gaining valuable experience in integrating new units. The base was the first home of the Stryker program, which was launched in 1999. The vehicle is seen as an intermediary until the FCS manned ground vehicle is developed.

Stryker units will train at Fort Lewis this fall with a new 105mm mounted howitzer, according to Dick Devlin, base spokesman. There is also some talk of making the fort a Stryker "center of excellence," he added.

This year, nearly 2,000 soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Fort Polk, La. and their family members relocated to Fort Lewis. The regiment will be reorganized and trained to become a...