Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) has called on the U.S. Army to consider not only maintaining but expanding its operational presence and personnel at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. This request comes as the Army weighs merging U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South into a single “Western Hemisphere Command.”
In a letter addressed to Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, Gonzales highlighted San Antonio’s strategic advantages, including its proximity to the southern border, established partnerships with homeland security entities, connections with military allies in Latin America, and a robust cyber ecosystem that includes NSA Texas, Texas Cyber Command, and Air Forces Cyber.
Gonzales wrote: “I write…to urge your consideration of not only retaining, but expanding, operational elements and personnel at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio to support the new mission set at hand.
“As a combat veteran and retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, I respect and understand the critical need to enhance efficiency across our armed forces, and I commend the Army Transformation Initiative for its intent to streamline operations and eliminate redundancies across the service. To that end, I strongly believe the City of San Antonio, known as “Military City, U.S.A.”, can be of even greater use to strengthen the Army’s overall strategic posture.
“With the Western Hemisphere Command ‘focused on homeland defense and partnership with our Western Hemisphere allies,’ Fort Sam Houston is uniquely positioned to serve as a central pillar for operations supporting this mission. This is especially true as the Department of War prioritizes efforts to counter-narco-trafficking and the transnational and foreign terrorist organizations that enable it. To meet these challenges, Army South’s longstanding partnerships—including with militaries in Chile, Honduras, and Panama, as well as through cooperation with Joint Task Force-Bravo at Soto Cano Air Base and Naval Station Guantanamo Bay—provide built-in muscle memory at Fort Sam Houston for interoperability with foreign forces and forward operations that project power across the hemisphere.
“Moreover, expanding key operational elements of the Western Hemisphere Command at Fort Sam Houston would further strengthen coordination with initiatives like Joint Task Force-Southern Border, as San Antonio’s proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border makes Fort Sam Houston vital to defending the homeland. At the same time, cybersecurity cannot be forgotten in the Western Hemisphere Command’s homeland defense mission. It is no secret that the United States faces increasingly sophisticated and coordinated cyber threats from both nation-state and non-state actors…
“The United States can and must maintain a secure and stable hemisphere, and I encourage you to consider the many ways that San Antonio can continue supporting this goal with an expanded operational footprint through the new Western Hemisphere Command,” penned Congressman Tony Gonzales.
Gonzales has also led legislative efforts related to this issue. His amendment—supported by all members of San Antonio’s congressional delegation—was included in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (FY26). The amendment instructs defense officials to factor in San Antonio’s military infrastructure when considering consolidating Army North and South commands.
Tony Gonzales has demonstrated strong electoral support over recent election cycles: In 2024 he defeated Santos Limon with 62.3% of votes; in 2022 he won against John Lira with 55.9%; in 2020 he prevailed over Gina Ortiz Jones by securing 50.6%.
