Reports from the Texas Workforce Commission indicated 200 civilian jobs would be cut at Fort Hood, but the contractor involved says that's not so.
Northrop Grumman's contract as range control provider did end, but another company will take over.
Still some military contractors face uncertainty, and that could affect the local economy.
Former contractor Jimmy James worked in Iraq for six years before settling in Belton to open his gym, CrossFit 254.
He says seeing his job hang in the balance is a feeling he knows all too well.
"We really never knew at the time until the placing of the bids was over with, and then they'd make a formal announcement says, yeah you'll keep your job, or we're going to be making cut backs," said James.
Now many of his former coworkers are either moving home or getting reassigned to Afghanistan, but President Obama hopes to withdraw troops from there by 2014.
Here at Fort Hood, around 240 defense contractors employ about 7-thousand people.
"We do expect there to be some reductions in those jobs, though, because the war is winding down," said John Crutchfield with the Killeen Chamber of Commerce.
He says many of those positions were taken over by civilians when soldiers deployed, but that as they return, the jobs will go away.
"It's a transition we have to make but it's an important part of our economy, no question about that," Crutchfield said.
And though the weight of not knowing is off Jimmy James' shoulders, he's still pulling for his friends overseas.
"It's very stressful, and with U.S. troops leaving, I don't feel safe with them being over there," said James.
Reporter: Sophia Stamas sstamas@kcentv.com
Photographer: Chris Buford
