Bigger Posts Absorb Cuts as Army Downsizes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — In axing a dozen combat brigades in the face of steep spending cuts and the wind-down of two wars, the Army says it's trying to ease the sting by spreading it around.

But one post stands out on the list of 10 installations targeted in Tuesday's announcement of a major restructuring that has been a long time coming: Kentucky's Fort Knox. In losing the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, the famed post an hour south of Louisville will soon know what it's like to be an Army post without a combat brigade.

The elimination of 3rd Brigade means a 43 percent cut to Fort Knox's active duty force. That's far beyond the level of cuts elsewhere.