ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - The raising of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command and Evaluation Center flags in front of the new ATEC headquarters building symbolized the accomplishment of yet another Base Realignment and Closure goal for an Aberdeen Proving Ground organization.
The youngest ATEC employees were chosen to hoist the flags, indicating the newness and perceived longevity of the command.
Maj. Gen. Genaro Dellarocco hosted the official opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the new headquarters building Sept. 22.
Guests included Lt. Gen. William Troy, director of the Army Staff; Walt Hollis, former Deputy Under-secretary of the Army for Operations Research; retired Maj. Gen. Roger Nadeau, former ATEC commander; Brig. Gen. Dean Ertwine, former commander of the U.S. Army Developmental Test Command and Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District Commander Col. Dave Anderson.
The Baltimore District of USACE managed the design and construction of the building.
Civilian guests included a representative of Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley who presented a state proclamation, as well as staffers from the offices of Senator Ben Cardin and Congressman
C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger.
Maryland delegate Glen Glass, Harford County Council member Chad Shrodes, City of Aberdeen Mayor Michael Bennett, Bryant Foulger and Brent Pratt of Foulger-Pratt Construction, and Bernard Michel, president of the Army Alliance, were also in attendance.
Dellarocco called the event "a very proud moment in ATEC history" and a "significant step in the ATEC Transformation" due to the increased fidelity in technical oversight and integrated capabilities that resulted from the combining of three headquarters elements in one building.
"We weathered difficult challenges …but ATEC leaders made it happen thanks to theworkforce," he said. "Today we begin writing a new chapter. "
Calling the building "the most beautiful on APG," Dellarocco thanked APG Garrison Commander Col. Orlando Ortiz; Deputy Garrison Commander for Transformation Col. Andrew Nelson, and Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Rhoades, calling their support "phenomenal." He said it was now time to continue supporting America's most prized asset--the Soldier.
"We're glad that ATEC headquarters has joined the proud APG history and we're happy to call this home," he said.
Troy said the beauty of the building should indicate to the people who work there how important they are to the Army.
"Not a lot of organizations hold the integrity of the Army in its hands but you do," he told ATEC employees. "You make sure the tools we put in the hands of Soldiers are exactly what they are
supposed to be. The result is you have a better organization now than when [BRAC] started."
Dellarocco presented awards to 15 ATEC employees for their performance as members of the BRAC Team from June 2005 to September 2011. They included Cheryl Renee Bitner, Patricia Hooker, Theresa Humphries, Eric Kauffman, Mary Kirk, Rachel Lewis, William Nelson, Katherine Newman, Cleon Raynor, Satish Sharma, Judith Tredway, Michael Vogt, Maria Welsh and Gregory Wood.
The 380th Army Band, an Army Reserve unit from the 99th Regional Support Command in Richmond, Va., provided the program's music and the Aberdeen High School choir sang the national anthem. ATEC Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Harry Rauch presented the invocation.
As a result of BRAC 2005, ATEC headquarters and the U.S. Army Evaluation Center located in Alexandria, Va., were directed to relocate to APG and to consolidate with elements of the command already stationed there by Sept. 15, 2011.
When Maj. Gen. Genaro Dellarocco assumed command of ATEC in October 2010, he accelerated the process, establishing a headquarters presence at APG and changing the headquarters employee reporting date to April 2011. Dellarocco accelerated the transformation with a goal of delivering capabilities to the Warfighter cheaper, better and faster.
ATEC, DTC and AEC headquarters staff have been consolidated within the new headquarters building to allow for the elimination of redundant positions. Test managers were reassigned from DTC to AEC to strengthen the test expertise of the command's evaluators and improve integration and coordination between developmental testing and operational testing.
The AEC flag level leadership now includes a general officer as well as a member of the Senior Executive Service.
ATEC has played a major role in Army Transformation since its formation and plays an increasingly important role in the Army's Network Integration Evaluations and support of the Warfighter.
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