Here are recent headlines about the military in Kansas:Fort Leavenworth(Waynesville Daily Guide) Army plans new brigades: An Army-wide change in the structure of combat forces could bring several new combat support brigades to Fort Leonard Wood. For now, however, the new combat support brigades or CSBs are being tested only in the National Guard and reserve components of the Army and it’s not clear when they will be ready to move beyond planning stages into deployment as a fighting force. Speaking at a May 7 meeting of the Society of American Military Engineers, Lt. Col. Mike Bean said he often receives questions from people who think the Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood, which combines engineer, military police and chemical units, is responsible for the creation of the combat support brigade concept. The concept was actually developed at Fort Leavenworth, Bean said, and is part of Army efforts to transition from a force designed for the large set-piece battlefield combat expected during the Cold War and prepare instead with a smaller modular force to deal with the current threats of global terrorism. “There’s nothing in the Army like this before: multifunctional, in that it will command and control chemical, engineer and military police forces, as well as civil affairs, (explosive ordnance disposal) and other capabilities,” Bean said.Fort Riley ¢ 1st Infantry Division(Pawtucket Times) R.I. National Guard to deploy more troops: After a short lull in deployments, members of the Rhode Island National Guard are once again preparing to head out to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the war on terrorism. This time, a total of 357 members of five different Rhode Island Guard units will be deploying to various roles over the next six months, according to Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, state adjutant general and commanding general of the Rhode Island Guard. … Another 16 members of the 56th Troop Command from Camp Fogarty will deploy to Fort Riley, Kansas, before continuing to duty in Afghanistan where they will help train members of the Afghan Defense Forces.(49abcnews.com) Helicopter crashes at National Training Center: An OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed May 30 at approximately 9 p.m. while on maneuvers at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. The two crewmen in the helicopter sustained non-life threatening injuries in the crash. The pilots and aircraft belong to the 1st Battalion, 6th Cavalry Regiment which is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., but are part of Fort Riley’s Combat Aviation Brigade.