White Sands is ideal for hosting new Army unit

We applaud our congressional delegation’s request to Secretary of the Army Mark Esper and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley to locate one of the Army’s five new Security Force Assistance Brigades at White Sands Missile Range, a move that could bring more than 500 active-duty soldiers to the sprawling facility.

With the U.S. military increasingly serving in “assist and advise” roles to foreign nations working to set up their own military and governments, units that specialize in that role are essential to both their and our nations’ security. Recognizing the need, the Army has created the SFA Brigades to fill that role.

White Sands lost its last deployable Army unit when the 2nd Engineering Battalion was deactivated in 2013, costing the missile range 535 full-time soldiers. Since then, the Army facility has undergone $170 million worth of improvements and is immediately available to host new units, including a 134,000-acre maneuver training area near Fort Bliss in El Paso.

With the Pentagon considering a potential Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process — which usually consolidates units and training and closes excess infrastructure — bases with unused facilities can be particularly vulnerable. White Sands is far too valuable to our state’s economy and, with its restricted airspace, to national security to miss any opportunities for boots on the ground that keep it economically vibrant and viable.

Fortunately, Esper told the delegation he would give the proposal “full consideration.” That should put White Sands in the running and give its leadership the opportunity to seal the deal.