Luttrell, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Prevent Deactivation of ECABs

May 18, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON — Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), alongside Reps. Jeff Crank (R-CO) and Derek Tran (D-CA), introduced the Prohibit Deactivation of the ECABs Act of 2026 . This legislation would limit the use of certain funds for the deactivation of U.S. Army Reserve Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigades (ECABs), which provide critical aviation capabilities such as air assault, MEDEVAC (medical evacuation), and other aviation support. The U.S. Army plans to deactivate the ECABs on September 15, 2026, despite replacement capability not being available until 2030. "Our Army Reserve units are doing critical work and deserve certainty as they execute their missions,” said Luttrell. “Deactivating the ECABs before a replacement capability is set creates an unacceptable gap in our force structure and gambles with our nation’s readiness. This legislation ensures our posture doesn’t waver throughout this transition while mitigating operational risk.” "The 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade headquartered at Fort Carson is vital to the mission and support for local search and rescue operations in conjunction with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office,” said Crank. “Deactivating the Brigade would weaken the Army's ability to surge capabilities in conflict and leave Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District's emergency responders shorthanded. By introducing the Prohibit Deactivation of the ECABs Act, we are ensuring that the Department of War has a plan to recapitalize capabilities, resources, and personnel of the Brigades to support warfighters, preserve expertise, and protect Coloradans." "The medical evacuation unit at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos is a critical asset for emergency and disaster relief missions, serving communities across Southern California. Deactivating these flying units without a clear plan for how the service intends to fill the capability gap will hurt our communities at home and diminish our readiness to respond to global conflicts,” said Tran. "The soldiers and civilians impacted by this drawdown have not been given meaningful options to continue their service. Trained pilots and experienced personnel are leaving the force because they have not been given a clear plan for their futures. We have invested so much in training and equipping highly qualified service members, and now we are letting them walk away. I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Prohibit Deactivation of the ECABs Act to ensure that the Department of Defense presents a credible plan to recapitalize these capabilities, retain this expertise, and ensure that our military readiness remains at its peak." The proposed deactivation would have significant workforce consequences across multiple states and installations. In Conroe, Texas, the ECAB mission employs about 400 soldiers and 100 civilians who would be impacted by deactivation. At Joint Forces Training Base-Los Alamitos in California, 150 soldiers and 34 civilians would be impacted. At Fort Carson, Colorado, an additional 126 soldiers would be impacted. Read the full bill here .