SCHUMER SLAMS RUMORED ‘DOGE’ CUTS TO WATERVLIET ARSENAL WORKFORCE, DEMANDS ARMY IMMEDIATELY REVERSE COURSE & PROTECT CAPITAL REGION WORKERS VITAL TO AMERICA’S NATIONAL SECURITY
Amid Massive Cuts From Trump Admin’s ‘DOGE,’ A Pentagon Proposal Has Emerged To Lay Off 40% Of Watervliet Arsenal Civilian Workers – Nearly 300 In Cap Region, Many Of Whom Are Vets – And Decimate Production
Schumer, In Letter To Head Of Army, Says These Massive Cuts Will Set America’s National Security Back Years, Degrade Army Readiness, Destroy America’s Locally-Sited Industrial Base, & Hurt The Military’s Capacity To Respond To Current And Future Conflicts
Schumer: Watervliet Arsenal Has Built America’s Defense For Over Two Centuries, We Cannot Let This Century Be When It Crumbles
Following reports of Pentagon and ‘DOGE’ directing Watervliet Arsenal to slash its workforce by up to 40%, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted the proposal saying it would undermine Watervliet Arsenal’s production of the top-notch large-caliber cannon tubes, gun barrels, and other critical components for the U.S. Army. In a letter to the Secretary of the Army, Schumer said this is no way to treat the Capital Region workforce, many of whom are veterans, who have dedicated their careers to protecting America’s national security, and our troops, and demanded the Army immediately reverse this proposal.
“‘DOGE’s shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later approach to Watervliet Arsenal’s workforce is the equivalent of sticking one’s head into a cannon to see if it works. This proposal would undermine America’s national security, hurt the Army’s mission readiness, undermine support for our troops in the field, and is an unpatriotic insult to the Capital Region workers who have dedicated their careers to keeping our country safe by supporting the Army. The civilian workforce of the Watervliet Arsenal is not ‘government waste’ – they are what make America great,” said Senator Schumer. “Anyone who has visited Watervliet Arsenal knows that its true gem is its highly-skilled civilian workforce who make top-notch large-caliber cannon tubes, gun barrels, and other critical components for the U.S. Army. These drastic proposed cuts could set America’s wartime preparedness back decades, creating a massive backlog and limiting production in times of crisis. I’m all for cutting waste, but firing hardworking Americans and hurting our national security is not the way to do it. That’s why I’m demanding Secretary Driscoll oppose and immediately reverse any plans to reduce Watervliet Arsenal’s best in the world civilian workforce.”
A combination of proposed cuts from the Pentagon and from Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ would drastically reduce the workforce at Watervliet Arsenal by 40%. The proposed layoffs would result in a reduction of up to 40% of the arsenal’s civilian workforce, and 20% of the laid off workers are veterans. Schumer’s office is in consistent communication with the local union and workers impacted by this proposal. The Albany Times Union reported that cuts would affect project managers, quality control workers, maintenance personnel and public works employees. In a letter to the Secretary of the Army, Schumer said this would hurt Watervliet Arsenal’s capacity to make cannons that the U.S. military relies on to respond to current and future conflicts, degrading the Army’s mission readiness.
“When Secretary Driscoll met with me in early February, I told him how valuable the Watervliet Arsenal is and that he should visit Watervliet Arsenal, now seeing this facility’s work firsthand is more pertinent than ever. Once Secretary Driscoll visits Watervliet, I am certain he will realize the civilian workforce’s unquestionable contributions to national security, namely their unique and irreplaceable expertise honed over 200 years of delivering quality munitions, armaments, and artillery weapons systems to the warfighter,” added Schumer.
Constructed in 1813, the Watervliet Arsenal has played a vital role in America’s defense in every major conflict throughout the last 200 years of American history, producing large-caliber cannon tubes, components for several mortar systems, and other mission-critical long-range fires and combat capabilities for the Army. In addition, the facility has a demonstrated track record of supporting emergency projects with accelerated delivery timelines to address emerging capabilities, such as when it produced armor hardening kits for Humvees after they became targets of IED attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 1991, during the Gulf War, the Army found it needed a more robust explosive device to reach Iraq’s deeply buried command and control bunkers. In just 23 days’ time, the Watervliet Arsenal developed and produced the first “Bunker Buster” bombs, by modifying howitzer tubes into 5,000-pound bomb casings. But more than land, equipment, and buildings, the Arsenal represents thousands of great Americans who have proudly served their country since 1813 by supporting our nation’s warfighters and allies for over 200 years.
Schumer’s letter to Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll can be found below:
Dear Secretary Driscoll:
I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding rumored guidance issued by Army Materiel Command (AMC) and Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) to reduce the civilian workforce and impose a hiring freeze at Watervliet Arsenal, a measure that could result in the dismissal of up to 300 probationary and fixed-term employees, nearly 40% of the arsenal’s current end strength. Such a drastic reduction would degrade the Army’s mission readiness, decimate our organic industrial base, and ultimately compromise our capacity to respond to current and future global conflicts. Time and time again the Watervliet Arsenal and its workforce have proven indispensable in maintaining America’s national security and I urge you in the strongest possible terms to immediately reverse consideration of any cuts to its workforce.
Built during the War of 1812, Watervliet Arsenal is the oldest continuously active arsenal in the United States and has been a centerpiece of our nation’s organic industrial base for more than 200 years, serving as the Army’s sole source for large-caliber cannon tube production and sustainment. Since its inception, Watervliet Arsenal has produced munitions, armaments, and components for countless mission-critical artillery weapon systems—including but not limited to barrels and cannon tubes for the M109 Paladin, the M777 howitzer, the M119 howitzer, the M1 Abrams, the M10 Booker, and several mortar systems.
Anyone who has visited Watervliet Arsenal knows that its true gem is its highly skilled 800-person civilian workforce, which possesses unique, irreplaceable expertise that makes the surge production of quality artillery possible. The reduction of such key components of Watervliet’s workforce would have devastating impacts on the Army’s ability to sustain and modernize its firepower and would effectively cripple the Army’s organic industrial base. The arsenal’s civilian workforce represents a reservoir of institutional knowledge and specialized skills that cannot be replaced or replicated elsewhere—a common theme across the TACOM enterprise. If the arsenal’s workload and civilian personnel are not protected, that skillset will inevitably atrophy and regaining that critical technical expertise and level of proficiency will take decades—time that the Army simply cannot afford during large-scale combat or a future military contest against near-peer adversaries.
In every major US conflict over the last two centuries and periods in between, Watervliet Arsenal has been central to the Army’s capacity to deliver long-range fires and other vital combat capabilities to the warfighter, boosting the Force’s lethality and mission readiness in the field. With the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape fueled by rising global tensions and emerging capabilities, the defense industrial base has grown in its strategic importance to our ability to respond to foreign threats and maintain a high readiness posture. As such, any decision to weaken a critical organic industrial base asset that provides direct support to our warfighters would be a grave misstep. If the firing of roughly 40% of Watervliet’s workforce proceeds as planned, it will cause massive production backlogs and delays in artillery weapons system deliveries and decimate organic industrial base capacity to surge production in times of crisis.
Therefore, as I did during our meeting at my Washington, DC office in February, I again urge you to oppose any proposed workforce reductions at Watervliet Arsenal and to prioritize the modernization of its facilities and production streams. In addition, as per your commitment during our conversation, I again urge you to visit Watervliet Arsenal to witness first-hand the ingenious, efficient, and effective manufacturing facilities and production lines that were designed, and have been managed and operated entirely by the arsenal’s civilian employees every day for the last 211 years. Once you do, I am certain you will realize their indispensable contributions to our national security.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions.
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