The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Developmental test and Evaluation, and Director of the Test Resource Management Center, Dr. David Brown, made his first trip to U.S. Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll (USAG-KA), in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, July 27. Accompanying him were Bruce Bailey, deputy director, Test and Evaluation Range Oversight, Test Resource Management Center, and William Colson, director of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and Army Strategic Command.
Brown provides advocacy and strategic guidance for the Department of Defense test ranges, which include the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS) located on Kwajalein. Brown is responsible for DT&E policy and guidance in support of the acquisition of major Department of Defense (DoD) weapons systems. The purpose of the tour was to gain a better understanding of RTS capabilities and issues to help them better execute their advocacy, oversight and strategic functions.
"We are the OSD advocates for the test capabilities at the Test Site, and I can't tell you how useful it is having a first-hand knowledge of the test capabilities (and the great people providing that support) for this task," Bailey said.
During their four days on Kwajalein, the group met with USAG-KA Commander Col. Michael Larsen for a command briefing and discussion about the strategic importance of the island garrison, the community here and their support functions for DoD personnel, contractors, families and Marshallese workforce.
The visitors flew to the islands of Roi-Namur for a closer look at the radar and support operations there, and on to smaller remote islands used for the security and defense of the United States.
They also toured the Kwajalein-based Missile Range Instrumentation ship KRMSS 'Worthy.' The vessel was a Stalwart class modified tactical auxiliary general ocean surveillance ship by the U.S. Navy, and is now operated by the U.S. Army in Kwajalein.
"This is an amazing ship, and a very unique asset for us," Brown said during his tour of the vessel. "Kwajalein (the whole garrison) is much more than I expected it to be, and I am excited to see how RTS and our other space and satellite surveillance elements work together here."
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