COLUMBUS, GA. -- The Columbus area is preparing for a population boom as soldiers and civilians are set to arrive from military installations around the world to staff the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning.

The federal government announced in 2005 that the U.S. Army Armor School and Center would be relocating to the base from Fort Knox in Kentucky. But it's taken time to make all the arrangements for the restructuring under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure plan.

Soldiers, civilian workers and some family members are expected to start arriving in March. The pace is expected to quicken in May when school lets out and families with children arrive. By mid-September, Fort Benning is projected to have as many as 28,000 more troops, civilian staffers and spouses with children.