Army brigade destined for Texas

  • Published
  • By 402nd Field Artillery Brigade
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  The Army's 402nd Field Artillery Brigade recently received official notification from 1st Army headquarters it will transition from Travis Air Force Base to Fort Bliss, Texas, later this year.

The move is an approved Department of the Army, fully funded, permanent change of station move for active and active guard reserve Soldiers, as well as, civilian employees who elect to relocate.

The brigade staff has been diligently working to develop detailed plans outlining the transition for the brigade as well as for each individual Soldier. Among the most critical elements of this plan is the movement of Soldiers and their families.

In accordance with the First Army Transformation and Bridging Strategy, the 402nd FA will transition from Travis to Fort Bliss, effective Aug. 15. This is the date headquarters is required to be fully functional and established at the new duty location.

The brigade is currently operating as a training brigade, which trains and mobilizes Soldiers in support of overseas contingency operations. Once the brigade fully occupies Fort Bliss, it will begin to make the transition to a limited-operations brigade operational no later than Dec. 31. The 402nd FA will assume limited mission controls that include plan and execute exercises, conduct culminating training events and providing mobilization support. The brigade will assume full operations brigade capability no later than Dec. 31, 2011.

On April 22, the 402nd conducted a town hall-style meeting for civilian personnel, as well as, Soldiers and their families. The forum addressed questions from Soldiers and family members in regard to PCS entitlements, school information and civilian employment.

Newly assigned Soldiers are already receiving orders to report directly to Fort Bliss for duty. Those Soldiers who Human Resources Command determines as ineligible to move with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery will be reassigned to meet the overall needs of the Army; otherwise they will be retained at Travis Air Force Base until retirement.

Soldiers remaining at Travis can expect follow-on assignment instructions, approved retirements or approved separation actions no later than Nov. 15. This is the date when all 402 FA personnel and activities are clear from Travis.

The 402nd Field Artillery Brigade mobilizes to an assigned area of operations to conduct post-mobilization and pre-deployment training in support of the United States Army Reserve Component, the National Guard Bureau, select Air Force and Navy units as designated on orders to mobilize through the brigade's battle space. Throughout the last four years, the brigade has executed a wide variety of missions that the brigade executes simultaneously. The 402nd is a strategic organization that conducts mission-rehearsal exercises using split-base operations with the headquarters element at Travis and a forward element in Fort Bliss.