The transfer of the first wave of workers from Fort Monmouth, N.J., to Aberdeen Proving Ground hinges on whether the secretary of the Army believes the move would weaken the U.S. war on terrorism, officials said.
About 50 people from the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center at Fort Monmouth were scheduled to come to Maryland last week to tour the area. They would be among the first to move to Aberdeen under the Base Realignment and Closure process.
But George Mercer, Aberdeen Proving Ground spokesman, said the tour was canceled and the transfer put on hold by officials in the Army Materiel Command, who said the move needed to be approved bythe secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, in a report to Congress, expected in December.
Monmouth and New Jersey officials continued fighting the move to APG.
“There are things going on here at Fort Monmouth that they can?t duplicate at Aberdeen,” said John Poitras, president of the union representing many Fort Monmouth employees. “How are we going to do it better down there if we?re already doing the best up here?”
Poitras said he believed moving Monmouth?s functions to Aberdeen would reduce the base?s ability to support the military.
“There?s an asterisk in the BRAC law that says BRAC movements can?t negatively affect the global war on terror,” said James Richardson, director of Harford?s economic development department, which had been scheduled to lead last week?s tour.
Richardson and other Maryland officials say Geren will file a report only if he believes the move would have a negative effect, and his inaction on the matter would mean the transfer can occur.
Maryland planners and politicians have vowed to move forward with their preparations for the expected transfer of nearly 9,000 jobs from Fort Monmouth to Aberdeen.
“We?ve done tons of planning on how to best transition to Aberdeen Proving Ground with the least impact on the war fighter,” said Kashia Simmons, a spokesman for the Monmouth unit whose tour was canceled.
