Just so you know SOME of us in Colorado Springs are DEEPLY angered by the anti-military stupidity of the entire Colorado Springs Congressional Delegation,(less ineffective Lamborn), here is what I sent by fax to Congressman Salazar and a similar one to Rep Musgrave. And another one to ALL Colorado's delegation who voted for Musgrave's and Salazars motion

I was Chief of Staff at Carson in the early 70s (and before that the G-3 responsible for planning field training and after that a Mech Infantry Battalion and Brigade Commander with Tank Battalions ) when both the El Paso County Commissioners on a 2-1 vote DENIED Carson even Rancho Colorado land, and then the Pueblo County Commissioners DENIED Carson the ability to expand to the FEDERAL reservoir for needed cross-water (the Elbe in Europe) training, for ALL the newly arrived 4th Division Tracks which carried ALL the Infantry Squads in the Division were amphibious - and had to train for Europe!

Where the hell are the senior military officers from El Paso County who UNDERSTAND MECHANIZED WARFARE TRAINING NEEDS speaking up? Where the hell are the really loud voices of the Local Politicians? Or the Chamber of Commerce? I'll tell you. They don't give a damn for the TRAINING needs of the Army at Carson, only that they POUR FEDERAL DOLLARS INTO EL PASO COUNTY. They want a goddamn FREE LUNCH!

Where the hell is a really in depth Gazette piece about how and why Carson was made a permanent Fort after McNamara was ready to shut it down in 1965 in the FIRST Place and then got its first MECHANIZED Division, and why then it HAD TO EXPAND, and then why it HAD TO BUY PINON CANON IN THE FIRST PLACE OR BE SHUT DOWN DURING THE FIRST BRAC CLOSINGS, FOR LACK OF TRAINING SPACE ON CARSON AND INCURRED THEN HUGE COSTS TO TRAIN SO FAR AWAY FROM THE POST? Where is the in-depth look at the needs of Colorado's AND the surrounding states NATIONAL GUARD which has to train on Carson? Where is the parallel look at the needs for HELICOPTER BATTLEFIELD OPERATIONS? And where is the reporting on WHY the Army says it not only needs the expansion but WHY and WHERE (urban encroachment) there are damned few alternatives posts!

Am I the only damned local retired warrior who understands WAR and what it takes to prepare to FIGHT them across the ENTIRE SPECTRUM of warfare - nuclear, stand up tank and mechanized combat ala Desert Storm, to large scale Insurgencies requiring Mechanized transportation?

I'll be the first in line to outspokenly demand Carson be SHUT DOWN no matter WHAT that will do to the El Paso County economy which NEVER, since I grew up here in the 1930s has been able to make a buck OTHER than sucking at the Federal Military Payroll Teat, if I conclude that what is shorted is ARMY TRAINING SPACE FOR SOLDIERS AND THEIR OFFICERS AND HEADQUARTERS around here.

Dave Hughes dave@oldcolo.com

By fax to Udall, Degette, Tancredo, Perlmutter

I AM FURIOUS AT YOUR ANTI-COLORADO MILITARY ACTIONS IN CONGRESS YESTERDAY! HERE IS WHAT I SENT TO CONGRESSMAN SALAZAR. I AM ASHAMED I AM A COLORADO NATIVE AND 27 YEARS AND TWO WARS AS A SOLDIER FROM COLORADO.

Congressman Salazar

Today June 15th, the Denver Post printed the story of Colorado resident Lt David Tiedeman so bravely fighting in Iraq he was awarded the Silver Star.

At the same time you made that despicable move in Congress to prevent the Army from doing what ALL ARMIES have to do to be able to fight and win and KEEP THEIR CASUALTIES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

How and where do you suppose Lt Tiedeman and his soldiers got their superior training that permitted them to fight, win, and survive in Iraq? It sure wasn't by playing war games on an Xbox computer at home in Watkins. It had to be on large live fire Army training areas and ranges. The Army in Iraq has also to fight from Tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers - which have to have much larger training areas than what was good enough for just Infantry soldiers in past wars. You don't have a military clue!

I ought to know. As a native Coloradoan from a ranch family who won Silver Stars in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and a Distinguished Service Cross over 50 years ago, and who as a senior officer had to train mechanized troops and YOUR COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD in the early 70s, on INADEQUATE-SPACE Fort Carson, I know the Army is only asking for what it really needs for readiness for our future wars and for the training of the 10,000 Army troops it HAD planned to add to Fort Carson. With your actions I hope the Army yanks back that Commitment and starts to shut down Fort Carson TOTALLY. Colorado, including Pueblo does NOT deserve them. There is NO FREE LUNCH, Congressman. You can't take their dollars and then deny them what they need. Are you so oblivious to what it takes to train our modern military forces that you are totally ignorant of the truth of the old Army saying: 'More sweat, less blood' Your motto has become defacto 'Less Training, More Blood!'

I am getting more and more ashamed of Coloradoans - who don't even have to serve in the military or risk their necks in times of war, but LOVE the huge Federal dollars that flow into Colorado from the US Military. But who are now also so willing to turn their back on the Army - which to me are its SOLDIERS - you know, those who have to fight and die, not Washington bureaucrats. I am NOW doubly ashamed to admit I grew up for years in PUEBLO. For you have now made it an ANTI-US-MILITARY town.

Are you so dense you think the Army is just trying to expand for the hell of it? Or are you - as I think - just piling on a 'popular' issue? You seem to have TOTALLY forgotton your CONSTITUIONAL DUTY TO 'raise and maintain' the Army in you advocacy of ONLY the ranchers case. Try taking that position from El Paso County who has Fort Carson, and who was BLOCKED BY PUEBLO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN 1971 from Expanding from its southern boundary to the FEDERAL Pueblo Reservoir which it needed for tracked combat vehicle cross water training. Greedy Pueblo then considered FEDERAL Pueblo Reservoir as its PRIVATE LAKE. The ONLY REASON THE ARMY HAD TO BUY PINON CANYON WAS BECAUSE OF THE OPPOSITION FROM SOUTHERN COLORADO TO ITS ADJACENT EXPANSION. So to hell with the Army, then, as now. And now, even though those ranchers also graze on FEDERAL Land, don't let the Soldiers get trained. SOLDIERS DON'T COUNT.

If you succeed in blocking the Army from getting what it needs, I will do ALL I CAN among ALL MY WEST POINT ARMY FRIENDS, FROM 2d Lieutenants to 4 star Generals, active AND Retired, and all publications ABOUT the Army, to bad mouth COLORADO AS A PLACE TO STATION ANY TROOPS or pour in ANY Federal Dollars. And try to get the Army to take ALL future Army dollars from Colorado and put them in Texas where Texans are grateful for the income, REALLY support our military services. And are willing to sacrifice SOME things from the few, to prepare to defend the many.

I am so angry at you, Congressman Salazar, I suggest you move to secede Southern Colorado from the United States, raise your damned OWN Army to defend 'your' ranchers. They don't DESERVE to be defended by those whom they will not support.

You have now made a life long enemy of me Comgressman Salazar. I won't forget what you tried to do to destroy MY ARMY. Its sure as hell is not YOURS anymore.

Colonel Retired David Hughes Class of 1950 West Point

Commander and Chief of Staff Fort Carson 1970s

Named Distinguished West Point Graduate 2004.

6 N 24th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904

719-660-5764 cell

719-636-2040 home

dave@oldcolo.com