TACOMA — The Army says it plans to add up to nearly 5,700 more active-duty soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The News Tribune of Tacoma reports that the additional troops would arrive through 2015, boosting the local economy while placing further demands on roads, housing and schools.
The number of active-duty soldiers at the base would approach 36,000, a number that does not include Air Force or other service members on the newly consolidated base.
The Army projects that more than 8,600 family members would accompany the new soldiers, according to the final environmental impact statement for the plans.
The growth at the base has been dramatic in the past decade. In 2007, Fort Lewis had some 23,000 soldiers.
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