The Army is ramping up security at Fort Bliss, its sprawling West Texas post near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The tighter security will include random vehicle checks and limiting access to Defense Department personnel at some gates.
Fort Bliss Commanding Officer Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty said Tuesday that the measures are being taken after a military assessment found the base was not fully in compliance with Department of Defense directives.
"In layman's terms, in a good old infantryman's terms ... we are improving our foxhole. Are you tracking me? When you go into an area you assess where you are. I made my assessment and now I'm improving my position," he said.
Twitty said that being out of compliance means that if something happened at Fort Bliss, the Army would not be able to control anyone going in and out of the installation.
The move comes a week after the leaders of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees warned that the United States is being eyed as a target by militants of the group that calls itself the Islamic State. The new security measures also come ahead of the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in Washington and New York.
However, Twitty said the timing was a coincidence.
In a statement last week, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said there is no credible or specific threat to the homeland by that extremist group.
Twitty said he's talked to local and federal law enforcement agencies and has not received information about a threat to the installation.
"I do not know of any threat against Fort Bliss and I do not know of any threat against El Paso, and so because I'm doing things differently don't perceive there is a threat against Fort Bliss," Twitty said.
Twitty acknowledged the timing of the announcement about ramping up security on post was not the best.
"If there was a threat to Fort Bliss I would move toward all means possible. But I just don't see a threat and we have various agencies that we can tap into," Twitty said.
Early next year, he said, the installation will perform a drill involving all local and military law enforcement agencies and hospitals.
The post is working to improve security conditions after a sudden growth of residential and work facilities over the past few years that left increasing security measures for later.
He said the base needs extra road lanes to provide dedicated access to civilians and military personnel at some of the post's 17 gates and adequate space for random vehicle inspections.
Showing posts with label Fort Bliss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Bliss. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Bliss
From the Fort Bliss Monitor, Feb 18, 2010
Book chronicles history of Buffalo Soldiers, by Army Scholarship Foundation
The Army Scholarship Foundation Press announces publication of “The Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas,” authored by U.S. Army veteran Jeffrey W. Gault.
The book chronicles the storied history of the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry and the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry regiments during their service on the frontier and into the 20th century, and focuses on their service at Fort Bliss and El Paso.
It has been ten years since the dedication of the Buffalo Soldier Monument at Fort Bliss, and the book tells the story behind the construction of the monument, and describes the efforts of a small group of selfless and dedicated volunteers of the Buffalo Soldier Memorial Association who made this monument a reality.
Life on the frontier was hard for the Buffalo Soldiers, and the living conditions at Fort Bliss and many other posts were austere. The Soldiers generally constructed and maintained their own barracks, which had dirt floors and sod or thatched roofs. The Soldiers cared for their horses and mules, repaired their own clothing, gear and equipment, and were largely responsible for their own quality of life.
As they deployed across the vast Southwest, the Buffalo Soldiers proved themselves to be skilled and tenacious fighters. Although tasked to cover vast regions with limited numbers of men, they more than held their own in helping to quell the Indians and pacify the hostile territories. Despite frequent discrimination and hatred from those whom they were tasked to protect, the Buffalo Soldiers served with distinction.
The Buffalo Soldiers served intermittently at and in the vicinity of Fort Bliss and El Paso for nearly 50 years. Although never assigned in large numbers, they nevertheless often represented the bulk of the Soldiers assigned at the post, and they made an indelible mark on the history of the area.
Gault served at Fort Bliss from 1990 until his retirement from the Army in 1999, with two deployments to the Middle East during this timeframe. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and was the first garrison commander of Fort Bliss.
“The Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas” is now available at the Fort Bliss Museum gift shop. It is also available by mail from the Army Scholarship Foundation Press at 11700 Preston Road, Suite 660-301, Dallas, Texas 75230 or from the Army Scholarship Foundation Web site at www.ArmyScholarshipFoundation.org.
Proceeds from the book are being donated to the Army Scholarship Foundation, which provides academic scholarships to Army family members.
Book chronicles history of Buffalo Soldiers, by Army Scholarship Foundation
The Army Scholarship Foundation Press announces publication of “The Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas,” authored by U.S. Army veteran Jeffrey W. Gault.
The book chronicles the storied history of the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry and the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry regiments during their service on the frontier and into the 20th century, and focuses on their service at Fort Bliss and El Paso.
It has been ten years since the dedication of the Buffalo Soldier Monument at Fort Bliss, and the book tells the story behind the construction of the monument, and describes the efforts of a small group of selfless and dedicated volunteers of the Buffalo Soldier Memorial Association who made this monument a reality.
Life on the frontier was hard for the Buffalo Soldiers, and the living conditions at Fort Bliss and many other posts were austere. The Soldiers generally constructed and maintained their own barracks, which had dirt floors and sod or thatched roofs. The Soldiers cared for their horses and mules, repaired their own clothing, gear and equipment, and were largely responsible for their own quality of life.
As they deployed across the vast Southwest, the Buffalo Soldiers proved themselves to be skilled and tenacious fighters. Although tasked to cover vast regions with limited numbers of men, they more than held their own in helping to quell the Indians and pacify the hostile territories. Despite frequent discrimination and hatred from those whom they were tasked to protect, the Buffalo Soldiers served with distinction.
The Buffalo Soldiers served intermittently at and in the vicinity of Fort Bliss and El Paso for nearly 50 years. Although never assigned in large numbers, they nevertheless often represented the bulk of the Soldiers assigned at the post, and they made an indelible mark on the history of the area.
Gault served at Fort Bliss from 1990 until his retirement from the Army in 1999, with two deployments to the Middle East during this timeframe. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and was the first garrison commander of Fort Bliss.
“The Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas” is now available at the Fort Bliss Museum gift shop. It is also available by mail from the Army Scholarship Foundation Press at 11700 Preston Road, Suite 660-301, Dallas, Texas 75230 or from the Army Scholarship Foundation Web site at www.ArmyScholarshipFoundation.org.
Proceeds from the book are being donated to the Army Scholarship Foundation, which provides academic scholarships to Army family members.
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