The Heart of Texas Defense Alliance (HOTDA) is a regional nonprofit formed in response to an expressed need by the communities of central Texas most affected by the activities of Fort Hood.  HOTDA promotes the importance and sustainability of Ft. Hood and all defense related industries, organizations and institutions in the Central Texas area defined as Bell, Coryell and Lampasas Counties.

Their latest Veterans Inventory Report Q1 FY10 report covers the period of October through December 2009. 

These are nice little facts:

• Fort Hood’s economic impact in 2007 is estimated at $10.9 billion statewide; $4.4 billion of that money had a direct impact across central Texas.
• One out of every 10 active duty soldiers in the Army is assigned to Fort Hood.
• Since the beginning of the global war on terror, Fort Hood has surged in capacity to an authorized strength over 53,000 soldiers, reaching a troop strength peak of 55,800 in March 2008, and is currently at 42,707.
• Fort Hood is ranked No. 1 among the Army’s 97 installations in terms of “future” capability.

Fort Hood was named for the famous Confederate General John Bell Hood, an outstanding leader who gained recognition during the Civil War as the commander of Hood's Texas Brigade. The original site was selected in 1941, and construction of South Camp Hood began in 1942. North Camp Hood, located 17 miles to the north, was established shortly after the first land acquisition and the founding of the cantonment area. South Camp Hood was designated as Fort Hood, a permanent installation, in 1951. North Camp Hood became North Fort Hood and what is now West Fort Hood was formerly a U.S. Air Force Base. The U.S. Air Force ran both the airfield and the base from 1947 to 1952. From 1952 to 1969, the U.S. Army under the Defense Atomic Support Agency ran the facilities. It became part of Fort Hood in 1969.