WESTERN SKIES - February 26, 2005

*** NEWSCAST ***

ERIC WHITNEY: Fifty-two hundred troops from Fort Carson's Third Armored Cavalry Regiment will ship out for Iraq in a matter of days. This will be the second tour of combat duty in less than three years for about sixty percent of the unit. As difficult as that is, a lot of the soldiers say they're ready to go back.

And that includes one young officer who is unique in the entire Army. thirty-two year old Captain Dave Rozelle lost most of right foot to a landmine on his first tour. He'll be the first combat amputee to serve in Iraq a second time.

Rozelle, whose rehabilitation included competing in the New York Marathon, says he doesn't feel like he's disabled.

DAVE ROZELLE: In fact I feel completely limitless. I really feel like I'm healed and I'm ready. I feel completely able.

WHITNEY: That includes feeling able to lead his troops, who he says have full confidence in his ability to lead.

ROZELLE: I think they think I'm a little crazy. Especially the young guys who really don't have the sense of duty and the warrior ethos yet. They think "God, this guy had the chance to retire as a captain." That's, you know, a pretty significant amount of money to a young enlisted soldier. But it's not about the money, it's about the dedication to duty and my service to my country. I wouldn't cash that in for any amount.

[Sound of brass band playing "Battle Hymn of the Republic"]

WHITNEY: Captain Dave Rozelle was among the several hundred troops who assembled for a farewell ceremony at Fort Carson last week. The Army won't say exactly where the soldiers are going, or exactly when they'll leave, but they are headed for Iraq, and will begin leaving soon. Their tour is expected to last at least twelve to eighteen months.

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WHITNEY: Colorado's rural communities are facing a giant: President Bush's proposed budget. Counties with a lot of federal land stand to suffer if it passes. Jon Wilson reports on why many local governments are watching Bush's proposed budget closely.

JON WILSON: The more federal land that's in a county, the less property tax revenue the county receives. That's because the county doesn't have the right to tax federal land. But the government reimburses counties for lost property tax. Congress decides how much those payments in lieu of taxes, or PILT, add up to.

This year, President Bush is proposing a twelve percent cut in PILT. That's a big deal in places like Park County. The county has only fifteen thousand people, but a lot of federal land. Park could lose more than a hundred thousand dollars of its PILT money. County Commissioner, Leni Walker, says the local government depends on these payments for basic needs.

LENI WALKER: We're a small rural county, and a hundred thousand dollars lost to us is significant. This would be a serious issue for rural communities, particularly when we can't make it up with other tax bases. Sixty percent of property is federal land. We have no way to make that up if they take it away.

WILSON: Statewide, Colorado stands to lose two million dollars in PILT payments if Congress approves the president's budget. Representatives Mark Udall and John Salazar are pushing legislation that would not only prevent cuts, but increase payments in lieu of taxes.

For Western Skies, I'm Jon Wilson.