The No. 1 question in Sumter these days is this: Where will the Army park its tanks among the sleek, needle-nose fighters at Shaw Air Force Base?

The Army, though, will not be bringing tanks — or even a rusty howitzer — to Shaw. Instead, soldiers in the 3rd Army headquarters, which the Pentagon wants to move to Shaw from Fort Gillem in Atlanta, will be moving desks and computers to Sumter.

But while Sumter can look forward to welcoming 817 soldiers, hard work lies ahead to ensure the community can employ their spouses, house the troops’ families and teach their children, local leaders said.

Sumter County Council chairman Louis Flemming is optimistic the community can rally to the aid of the Army, due to arrive in 2008, provided the base-closing commission, president and Congress approve the Pentagon’s recommendation.

“We can struggle together and make jobs and the fundamentals of education available to our new citizens,” Flemming said.

A HOME FOR THE 3RD

Then, there is the issue of where to put the 3rd Army’s headquarters.

Shaw officials are looking for a suitable location on the air base, said Tom Olsen, the former Shaw commander who has led Sumter’s efforts to spare Shaw from the base-closing ax.

The Army prefers to be near the 9th Air Force headquarters, already at Shaw, because the two work hand in hand to direct U.S. ground and air forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Preliminary cost estimates for a new building for the Army range between $20 million and $40 million, Olsen said.

JOBS FOR DEPENDENTS

Officials estimate the influx of troops will boost Sumter’s population by about 3,000. The town has about 43,000 residents now.

Just finding jobs for Army dependents who want to work will be a tall order. Sumter County has lost 1,600 jobs in the past year, and its jobless rate is more than 9 percent.

“Hopefully, our commercial and retail (businesses) are going to expand to meet the expectations of not only new folks but to give existing citizens more variety, as well,” said Grier Blackwelder, president of the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce.

But finding well-paid industrial jobs could be a challenge for the troops’ families. In the past year, Sumter has been hit with a string of plant closings.

• Bosch will cut 820 jobs by 2006 when it closes a brake plant, sending the jobs to Mexico.

• Federal-Mogul slashed 535 jobs in Sumter and Orangeburg as it moved production to Mexico and Missouri.

• Vaughan-Bassett, a furniture maker, closed its plant, eliminating 350 jobs.

Olsen estimates the community will have to find 800 to 1,000 jobs for the troops’ dependents.

It’s also possible some of those dependents might join as many as 2,500 Sumter residents who travel outside the county to work.

HOUSING FOR SOLDIERS

Housing will be another issue.

A public-private venture is replacing about 1,700 housing units on Shaw Air Force Base, Olsen said. Initial plans called for 970 new units, but that number could be increased to accommodate the influx of Army families.

Olsen added some of the troops might choose to live in nearby communities like Columbia, about 35 miles west of Sumter.

Congress will have to authorize construction of quarters for the three-star and one-star Army commanders, said Olsen, a retired Air Force major general. The military requires general officers and base commanders to live on base because they might be needed in an emergency.

CLASSES FOR NEW STUDENTS

Between 300 and 400 new students are expected to enroll in Sumter County schools when the Army arrives, Flemming said.

It is not certain where those children will live, so both of Sumter County’s school districts will have to be ready, Flemming said.

Reach Crumbo at (803) 771-8503 or ccrumbo@thestate.com.