Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced during his second visit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) today that Army will establish a new headquarters at the area base.

"This new headquarters will provide command and control for several brigade-size units, many of which have been activated since 2003," McHugh said during a press conference at I Corps Headquarters.

The new unit will be designated Headquarters, 7^th Infantry Division and will be led by a two-star general officer.

"The dynamic growth over the past decade, combined with their regional significance in our ability to protect and defend the Pacific region makes JBLM's new headquarters important to the Army and the nation," the secretary added.

McHugh emphasized that the Department of the Army thinks the new headquarters will help meet the needs created by JBLM's nine years of dynamic growth and its evolving future missions.

The new organization will provide oversight for personnel, equipment, training and readiness of the three Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, a Combat Aviation Brigade and a Fire Brigade - totaling about 17,000 Soldiers.

Since 2003, the roles of I Corps and JBLM have evolved to keep pace with current operations of the Army, Air Force and Department of Defense. 

Over the past nine years, JBLM has grown by about 15,000 Soldiers and 22,000 family members.

When asked if the current negative publicity surrounding the actions of some JBLM Soldiers had any impact on the decision to create the 7^th ID, McHugh directly answered, "It is not."

The unit's 250 personnel - including three general officers - will begin to arrive at JBLM over the summer. 

The formal activation of Headquarters, 7^th Infantry Division is scheduled for October 1, 2012.