From today's Chron:
SAN ANTONIO - After months of internal debate at the Pentagon and in Congress, the U.S. Army has decided to downsize and relocate its Southern Command from Puerto Rico to Fort Sam Houston here, officials said Monday.Overcoming a strong lobbying campaign on behalf of Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Sam Houston prevailed in a protracted competition that will bring about 500 jobs -- and a significant amount of prestige -- to San Antonio. The command oversees all Army operations in the Caribbean and Central and South America, including National Guard and construction activities.
The command, known as Army South, has been headquartered at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, where it was relocated from Panama in 1999. Although military officials pondered leaving the command on the Caribbean island, they began looking for a new home where its current staff of 1,200 could be greatly reduced.
The Pentagon considered other sites in Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, but the selection process was widely considered a two-site competition between Fort Benning and Fort Sam Houston. The victor offered a large underutilized facility -- the old Brooke Army Medical Center [BAMC] -- for the command headquarters.