San Antonio braces for possible move of Army North and Army South away from JBSA Fort Sam Houston

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There’s a lot of uncertainty in San Antonio about a new plan from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would consolidate two Army commands currently based at Fort Sam Houston.

Hegseth says the new Western Hemisphere Command will combine Army North and Army South into one consolidated operation. Hegseth hasn’t said where this new operation will be based, worrying area leaders that it could lead to major job losses in San Antonio.  

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones recently made a trip to Washington and visited the Pentagon to advocate for Army North and Army South to stay in the Alamo City.

Gina Ortiz Jones speaks to the press on Saturday, June 7, 2025, after her victory.

Congressman Henry Cuellar says he was encouraged by those meetings.

“When the mayor and her team went up to DC, I set up a meeting with the folks from the planning that actually will be making these decisions, and they were very straightforward. Actually, they gave us a lot more information than a lot of people were expecting,” he told TPR.

Congressman Henry Cuellar speaks at a news conference on July 12th, 2025 in San Antonio

Jerry Clayton

/

Texas Public Radio

Congressman Henry Cuellar speaks at a news conference on July 12th, 2025 in San Antonio

Army North’s primary responsibilities are Homeland Defense, emergency preparedness support, and security cooperation activities with Canada and Mexico.

Army South supports security assistance and humanitarian aid in Latin America. 

Cuellar says local leaders have been assured that overall cuts to personnel at Fort Sam Houston will be minimal, and he was told that many personnel would remain here.

“They said they might move about 10%, but the main folks will be here and then we can supplement the expertise we might either come out even, or maybe even do better,” he said.

Kate Kuzminski is the Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security. She said, although the move may push up against the norms of the military, it’s part of a broader strategy to streamline timely operations.

“It’s tied to both these broader reductions in the number of flag and general officers, so it would reduce both the number of general officers that you would need to run the headquarters, and also the layers—which the more layers of senior leadership you have, the longer it takes to make decisions in situations that might be, where time might be of the essence.”

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Hegseth has made it clear that he wants to get rid of so-called “woke” generals, and this move will reduce the number of generals over the commands. Kuzminski says that what constitutes a “woke” general is not really clear.

“So that is a question that remains outstanding both from members of Congress and I think from a number of individuals certainly on the uniform side in the building, what actually qualifies as woke, and it is a nebulous term, right?

And so if there were a clear articulation of what the expectations and the metrics, and the standards are, that are being evaluated to determine whether or not someone is in violation of a stated policy or in a written policy, and that doesn’t currently exist,” she said.

An announcement on the consolidation is expected any day now from the Pentagon. 

Great Job Jerry Clayton & the Team @ Texas Public Radio Source link for sharing this story.

#FROUSA #HillCountryNews #NewBraunfels #ComalCounty #LocalVoices #IndependentMedia

Felicia Ray Owens
Felicia Ray Owenshttps://feliciarayowens.com
Felicia Ray Owens is a media founder, cultural strategist, and civic advocate who creates platforms where power meets lived truth. As the voice behind C4: Coffee. Cocktails. Culture. Conversation and the founder of FROUSA Media, she uses storytelling, public dialogue, and organizing to spotlight the issues that matter most—locally and nationally. A longtime advocate for community wellness and political engagement, Felicia brings experience as a former Precinct Chair and former Chief Communications Officer of Indivisible Hill Country. Her work bridges culture, activism, and healing through curated spaces designed to inspire real change. Learn more at FROUSA.org

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