The Army‘s population projections show the troop numbers shrinking to just under 51,000 in the coming years, with upwards of 1,000 fewer contractors and civilians by 2020.

About 1,000 of the lost troops come via the inactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing, which is expected to be finalized next month.

By next year, there should be more Army special operations soldiers on the installation. Growth also is expected within Joint Special Operations Command and among Fort Bragg’s Air Force units.

Those changes will be more than enough to offset the loss of the 440th Airlift Wing and others.

Monica Stevenson, Fort Bragg’s Director of Public Works, said a number of projects were underway to support that growth.

Of the nearly $550 million worth of construction underway on post, the vast majority is tied to special operations units, she said. That includes a redevelopment of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School campus off Ardennes and a build-up of special operations units in Patriot Point, the former ammunition supply point.

“They’re really the ones that are garnering the (military construction) dollars at this point in time,” Stevenson said.

But that doesn’t mean the rest of the installation is quiet.