LEESVILLE, La.-Fort Polk Progress conducted a Strategic Planning Session Jan. 8, at Northwestern State University’s Leesville/Fort Polk campus.  

The planning session included educational stakeholders from the local, regional, state and national levels.  

“The goal of the planning session was to create a strategic plan that will ensure that our military partners are aware of our current achievements as well as our plans for continued success,” said Fort Polk Progress Chairman Michael Reese.   Those in attendance were:  

LEESVILLE, La.-Fort Polk Progress is confident that the Vernon Parish School District can withstand the scrutiny called for by Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno in an Oct. 31 article published by the Army Times. In the article, Odierno said the Army would soon begin evaluating the performance of public schools near its installations in order to pressure officials to make improvements.

“We have to identify those schools that are under-performing, whether it be elementary schools, middle schools or high schools,” Odierno is quoted as saying in the article as he addresses a family forum at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting. “I’ve actually asked for an evaluation of every school outside of every Army installation.” Odierno made it very clear that the evaluations would be part of the criteria in future force structure decisions.

In a meeting of the Vernon Parish School Board Tuesday evening, Michael Reese, chairman of Fort Polk Progress, addressed the board, congratulating the district on its current successes and informing them of the Fort Polk Progress Education Initiative.

Fort Polk Progress is set to honor U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-New Orleans) for her efforts on behalf of Fort Polk at a special luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 13 at the Landmark Hotel, located at 3080 Colony Blvd in Leesville.

Tickets for the event are $18 per person and should be purchased ahead of time by calling the Vernon Parish Chamber of Commerce at 337-238-0349; the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce at 318-442-6671; the Beauregard Parish Chamber of Commerce at 337-463-5533; or the SWLA Economic Development Alliance at 337-433-3632.

In response to thousands of comments people from across the nation submitted to the Department of the Army concerning possible troop reductions at Fort Polk, Army officials have scheduled a Community Listening Meeting for 5 p.m. Monday, April 15 at the United Pentecostal Church in Leesville.

LEESVILLE-Leaders from Vernon and Rapides parishes were encouraged Tuesday morning at the receipt of a letter from the state’s Congressional Delegation. The Delegation, addressing Secretary of the Army John McHugh, detailed the importance of Fort Polk as a cost-effective training facility for the nation’s military. 

Leesville Mayor Robert Rose said, “Our City is thankful for the unanimous and prompt response of our Congressional Delegation. It is encouraging to see that our federal leaders from all parts of Louisiana recognize the immense impact Fort Polk has on our nation’s defense as well as our state’s economy.”

The letter was in direct response to the Department of the Army’s pending force structure realignment that would reduce the Army’s total end-strength from 562,000 at the end of fiscal year 2012 to 490,000 by fiscal year 2020.

Area residents are encouraged to submit their own comments concerning the force structure realignment toUSARMY.JBSA.AEC.MBX@mail.mil. A sample letter can be found at leesville la.gov; www.englandairpark.org; andplanvernonparish.org. 

A copy of the letter to McHugh from the Louisiana Congressional Delegation can also be found at leesvillela.gov andwww.englandairpark.org.