ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — A delegation from the office of Congressman C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger visited APG last week to get a better understanding of the research and development, testing, acquisition and sustainment efforts on the installation that support Army readiness.
APG is part of Ruppersberger’s district — the second congressional district of Maryland — which also contains portions of Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Howard counties.
The visit gives APG organizations the opportunity to share how they support the warfighter and what their shortfalls are, so that when questions come up about budgets and allocations in Congress, the local representative and his team are well informed about how to fight for their share.
APG Senior Commander Maj. Gen. Mitchell Kilgo said it may be an uphill battle to get APG additional funding because of the installation’s low Soldier population. But he said it’s important for the delegation to understand how the installation contributes to Army modernization and readiness.
“The big message here is understanding what’s here at this proving ground and how vast it touches,” he said. “You touch almost all your portfolios in some way or another here at APG with all the integrations of the functions that happen here.”
APG Garrison Commander Col. Timothy Druell explained his role in how the garrison synchronizes installation services on behalf of senior commanders in accordance with Army priorities, with a focus on facilities and Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
He said APG is postured well moving forward, in part, because of the contaminated demolition program taking place on APG South (Edgewood) that will ultimately give the Army hundreds of acres of ready land that could be available for Base Realignment and Closure or Military Construction projects.
Elliott Phaup, a military legislative assistant in Ruppersberger’s office, said he appreciated being able to tour the installation, and as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, he hopes to return more frequently. He also encouraged the APG team to keep the rest of the Maryland state delegation informed about APG’s future.
“You all do a lot of great work up here,” he said. “Anything that you all need, we’re here to engage.”
CECOM presentation
During the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command portion of the visit, Kilgo, who is also the commanding general of CECOM, and CECOM Deputy to the Commanding General Larry Muzzelo spoke about how CECOM and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or C5ISR, efforts support warfighters on the frontlines.
To do so, Kilgo walked through the six organizations within CECOM and described their capabilities. He also explained CECOM key initiatives in hardware and software, as well as challenges and opportunities the command faces.
Kilgo said CECOM and the C5ISR campus play critical roles in modernization and sustainment of Army hardware and software.
“Cradle to grave, everything in the C5ISR portfolio you’re touching here at APG and this campus,” he said.
Other stops
Additional stops on the two-day visit included visits and briefs with the Army Public Health Center; Kirk U.S. Army Health Clinic; the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense; U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity; Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense; Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives; the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Chemical Biological Center; 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command; DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory; Aberdeen Test Center; the Army Futures Command’s Network Cross-Functional Team; and the DEVCOM C5ISR Center.
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