Alford Leads Missouri Delegation in Urging Transparency and Continued Investment in Fort Leonard Wood’s Critical Training Mission

Washington, D.C. - This week, U.S. Congressman Mark Alford announced he and members of the Missouri Congressional Delegation have sent a formal letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll seeking clarity and transparency regarding any internal proposals that could affect the future of Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Fort Leonard Wood.

The delegation emphasized that while it strongly supports Army modernization and force optimization efforts, that any changes affecting foundational training missions must be deliberate, fully vetted, and aligned with long-term readiness goals.

"Fort Leonard Wood is not just a Missouri installation-it is a national asset that underpins the Army's ability to train and deploy a ready fighting force," said Congressman Alford. "We fully support efforts to strengthen and modernize the Army, but that must include growing and sustaining the training footprint that produces the engineers, military police, and CBRN specialists our military depends on."

Alford also underscored concerns that incremental personnel or mission shifts could, without proper oversight, effectively alter the installation's role without congressional review.

"There must be full transparency with Congress when it comes to decisions of this magnitude. Any proposal that impacts Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood must be evaluated openly, with clear analysis of readiness, cost, and long-term training capacity to ensure we are strengthening-not weakening-the Army's ability to fight and win," concluded Alford.

The letter requests a detailed briefing from the Department of the Army and the Office of the Secretary of War regarding any ongoing assessments, including impacts on readiness, infrastructure investment, military construction needs, recruiting pipelines, and community effects.

The delegation reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Missouri remains a central hub for military training excellence and that Fort Leonard Wood continues to play a growing role in supporting Army readiness in the years ahead.

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