Tours St. Inigoes with Rear Admiral Wayne Shear
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steny Hoyer released the following statement today after meeting with some of the top officials at the Department of Defense yesterday. This is another in a continued series of visits Congressman Hoyer has made to the Pentagon to meet with officials to discuss the military installations he represents. Hoyer has conducted these meetings to educate Pentagon decision makers on the important work conducted at Pax River, Indian Head and St. Inigoes and to talk with them about specific issues of concern to our military installations.
On Friday, March 25, Congressman Hoyer visited St. Inigoes with Rear Admiral Wayne Shear to acquaint him with the facility and the work being done there. This visit was arranged after a meeting Rep. Hoyer had with Admiral Christopher Weaver at the Pentagon earlier this year.
“The 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is going to be very challenging since Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, has said that we need to eliminate close to 25 percent of our capacity. This is why I continue to meet with decision makers at the Pentagon as part of my ongoing efforts to educate our nation’s military leaders about the unique military and homeland security capabilities at Southern Maryland’s defense installations. I have been conducting these meetings over the past several years because they provide me with an effective opportunity to make clear the vital role Southern Maryland’s military installations play in keeping our homeland safe and secure.
“We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to consolidate missions at Indian Head and Pax River over the past four BRAC rounds. Furthermore, the Congress has funded numerous exclusive projects at our installations in order to capitalize on the advanced and innovative talents at work at Pax River, St. Inigoes and Indian Head – a clear expression of the critical role they play in helping our nation meet the threats and challenges of a new century. This investment has constructed a deliberate and effective symmetry that benefits and serves all branches of the military and maximizes military effectiveness.
“As the BRAC process continues to move forward, I remain committed to working to ensure that there is no doubt in the mind of the Defense Department that these valuable bases serve an important role in securing our nation and provide unmatched and advanced technical expertise for our military.”
Yesterday, Congressman Hoyer met with BJ Penn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment, and Dr. Ron Sega, the OSD Director of Defense Research and Engineering.