SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND URGE ARMY TO SELECT FORT DRUM FOR NEW CORPS HEADQUARTERS; SENATORS SAY FORT DRUM’S WORLD-CLASS PERSONNEL, EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEPLOYABLE READINESS CAPABILITIES MAKE IT THE PERFECT HOME FOR CRITICAL CAPACITY
The Army Is Currently Determining Which Military Installation Should House The Army’s Newest Corps Headquarters; Fort Drum Was Recently Revealed To Be On The Army’s Short List
Schumer, Gillibrand Urge Army To Select The Installation As Soon As Possible, Citing Its Superior Infrastructure And Readiness Investments, Jefferson County’s Ideal Location On The East Coast Near A Major Airport And Fort Drum’s Elite, Skilled Personnel
Schumer, Gillibrand To Army: No Better Home For New Corps HQ Than Storied Fort Drum
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today launched a major push to secure Fort Drum as the home of the Army’s newest Corps Headquarters, to help the Army fulfill the objectives of the U.S. National Defense strategy. Earlier this January, the Army published a list of thirty-one installations, including Fort Drum, as potential homes for this critical mission, and released criteria to select a shorter list of installations. Schumer and Gillibrand argued that, given Fort Drum’s unique combination of operational, personnel, infrastructure, support capacity and cost advantages, it is the ideal location for the new Corps Headquarters, and urged the Army to select the installation as soon as possible.
“Fort Drum is ideally situated to host the Army’s newest Corps Headquarters and undoubtedly deserves to be selected. The existing superior infrastructure at this world-class installation—one of the Army’s very most advanced bases—combined with upcoming infrastructure projects to further enhance deployable readiness, and its highly-skilled and experienced personnel ensure that Fort Drum would be more than capable of housing this new organization,” said Senator Schumer. “I’ll continue doing everything in my power to bring this mission to Fort Drum, to create new, good-paying jobs in the North Country and ensure the Army is able to fulfill the objectives of the National Defense Strategy.”
“Fort Drum is one of the Army’s most strategically important installations and has been a leader in readiness planning and mission execution for decades. It is without a doubt the best positioned to welcome the new Army Corps Headquarters and I urge the Army to select it for this critical duty,” said Senator Gillibrand, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee. “It is home to the most deployed military unit, the 10th Mountain Division, and I have been proud to support infrastructure projects that help ensure that our troops are fully prepared when called to duty. New York’s North Country community works hard to ensure that Fort Drum’s personnel and their families have the resources they need, and I will always fight to support those requirements.”
Schumer and Gillibrand explained that Fort Drum is one of the most advanced Army bases in the nation and that it currently possesses all the capabilities needed to support Operational Command Post (OCP) operations. The base is home to the Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, which serves as the primary departure airfield for the 10th Mountain Division and provides support to military forces at Fort Drum preparing for international contingency operations, including the 20th Air Support Operations Squadron. Additionally, the senators noted, this airfield already serves as a Power Project Platform capability for the Army, enabling the deployment of forces from several dispersed locations to manage crises and enhance regional stability. The senators maintained that the recent infrastructure investments at Fort Drum—which they fought tirelessly to secure—are specifically designed to boost deployable readiness, including a railhead extension and additional unmanned vehicle hangar, have made a base that was already one of the most valuable Army training and deployment locations even more capable of supporting the Army’s needs.
Furthermore, Schumer and Gillibrand noted, Fort Drum is home to skilled and experienced personnel, supporting more than 25,000 military base-related jobs. Additionally, existing in Jefferson County, the installation is based in a region that prioritizes the base and the well-being of its personnel and their families. The senators explained that Fort Drum has demonstrated a legitimate ability to recruit trained Army personnel from the robust network in North Country communities. Jefferson County communities have also fought hard to ensure that the health care, education and housing needs of the military families coming to Fort Drum are fully served. The North Country is an affordable region where families have access to excellent college opportunities and military spouses are able to find good-paying employment. The Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization is also one of the most active community groups in the nation, whose sole focus is supporting the base.
Lastly, as an East Coast Base, Fort Drum is in the most accessible CONUS time zone in terms of supporting European deployment needs. Schumer and Gillibrand said that Fort Drum’s proximity to a large airport in Syracuse with frequent connections to the nation’s largest international airports make it easily accessible for the Army’s movement and logistics needs.
A copy of Schumer and Gillibrand’s letter to the Army appears below.
Dear Secretary McCarthy:
Earlier this month, the United States Army published a candidate list of thirty-one installations, including the Fort Drum military base in Jefferson County, New York, to be considered for the stationing of a fourth Army Corps Headquarters. This is a critical opportunity to allow the Army to fulfill the objectives of the National Defense Strategy, and thus we appreciate the careful consideration you will give to the choice of base.
We write to encourage you to select Fort Drum, given the base’s unique combination of operational, personnel, and support capacity, cost advantages and strong community that make it the ideal location for the next Army Corps headquarters.
Fort Drum is one of the most advanced Army bases in the United States and possesses all the capabilities that make it best in class to support Operational Command Post (OCP) operations. The base is host to the Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, which serves as the primary departure airfield for the 10th Mountain Division and provides support to military forces at Fort Drum preparing for international contingency operations, including the 20th Air Support Operations Squadron. Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield already serves as a Power Projection Platform capability for the Army, enabling the deployment of forces from several dispersed locations to manage crises and enhance regional stability. The recent infrastructure investments at Fort Drum are specifically designed to boost deployable readiness, including a railhead extension and additional unmanned vehicle hangar, have made a base that is already one of the most valuable Army training and deployment locations even more capable of supporting the Army’s needs.
Additionally, Fort Drum is home to skilled and experienced personnel, and based in a region that prioritizes the base, and the wellbeing of its personnel and their families. The base supports more than 25,000 jobs. It has demonstrated an ability to recruit trained Army personnel from the robust network in our communities.
Jefferson County communities have fought hard to ensure that the healthcare, education and housing needs of the military families coming to Fort Drum are fully served. It is an affordable region where families have access to excellent college opportunities and military spouses are able to find employment. The Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization is one of the most active community groups whose sole focus is on supporting the base.
Finally as an East Coast base, Fort Drum is in the most accessible CONUS time zone for supporting European deployment needs. Its closeness to a large airport at Syracuse and New York State location with frequent connections to the country’s largest international airports, make it easily accessible for the Army’s movement and logistics needs.
For all of these reasons, we urge you to select Fort Drum for the U.S. Army’s fourth Army Corps Headquarters. We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to your response.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to our offices with any questions.
Sincerely,
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