JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – The Pentagon is expected to announce Thursday 1,250 active duty positions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord will be eliminated, a congressional source tells KING 5 News.
That number is unconfirmed. A formal announcement is expected at 10 a.m. Thursday as the Army is expected to eliminate 40,000 active duty positions and 17,000 civilian staff worldwide.
The source says the two Stryker brigades at JBLM are expected to remain intact.
"I commend the Army for listening to our community. I am especially pleased they kept our two Stryker Brigades intact and that JBLM was not subject to more drastic cuts," said Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash. "We are a proud military community and JBLM will continue to be a vital asset to the United States national security strategy as we rebalance to the Pacific.
Heck called on Congress to help soldiers find a path toward a new career.
It's not clear how many civilian positions at JBLM will be cut.
An Army spokesperson said 4,721 military positions have been eliminated at JBLM since 2012.
The Army also says it is moving its western medical headquarters from JBLM to Hawaii. The Western Regional Medical Command, which is in charge of Army hospitals in 20 Western states, has about 165 employees led by a major general.
A two-star general position will be relocated to Honolulu, home of the Army's Pacific headquarters. The medical commander would oversee health care and find ways to support military engagements along the Pacific Rim with foreign allies.
A deputy commander will remain at JBLM and would focus on patient care throughout the Pacific, which includes Madigan and Army hospitals in Alaska.
Army officials say civilian employees will be given opportunities to move to Hawaii.
Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy said the personnel reduction at JBLM was less than officials had expected.
"Last summer, the Army was considering reducing the population at JBLM by 11,000, so to have confirmation from our congressional delegation that the actual reduction will be only a tenth of that is outstanding news. This goes to show that we continue to be a global pivot point in the United States' military strategy," McCarthy said in a released statement.
KING 5's Natalie Brand contributed to this report
