Third Army making final preparations for Shaw move Published Feb. 25, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Beth Lake Third Army Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- A relocation expo designed to educate Soldiers and family members moving to the Shaw area is scheduled for March 4 at Fort McPherson, Ga., at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. In addition, an open house will also be held here on March 18. Community representatives from chambers of commerce, municipal governments and school boards from the communities surrounding Shaw have been invited to orient Third Army personnel about the upcoming move. "As the move draws closer, Third Army is committed to ensuring its Soldiers, family members and civilians are well informed about the closure of Fort McPherson and the facilities, surroundings and opportunities the Shaw/Sumter community offers," said Lt. Col. Jim Lechner, Third Army deputy chief of staff for strategic relocation. Third Army operates five headquarters worldwide to include Atlanta, Kuwait, ARCENT Support Element-Iraq, ARCENT Support Element-Afghanistan, and since last summer Shaw Air Force Base. As a command whose forces are deployed on a regular basis in 12 of the 20 countries in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, many Third Army personnel who come to here will be processed into the unit and sent on to forward operations, with their families living in local communities. Many Third Army personnel will transfer to Shaw from Third Army's headquarters at Fort McPherson, however some will also transfer from other duty stations Army-wide. "The bulk of our forces will arrive at Shaw AFB between April and July," Lechner said. "Upon completion of Third Army's move, approximately 1,400 new Soldiers and civilians in the workforce will have moved to Shaw AFB and the communities in and around it."