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WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) this week joined the Georgia congressional delegation in urging the Pentagon to consider Georgia as home to the new Futures Command of the U.S. Army.
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, the delegation seized on Esper’s comments in his testimony before the U.S. Committee on Armed Services on Dec. 7, 2017, that our soldiers’ future success depends upon the Army’s efforts to reform and modernize now.
In 2017, the Army announced it would begin to focus on six modernization efforts to improve its performance to better combat modern-day threats. This modernization effort includes a new Futures Command to lead the restructuring of how the Army researches, develops, and procures new equipment. The Army has also acknowledged that the home of the new command must be a city with access to academia and business expertise.
“The Georgia delegation applauds your efforts in modernizing the U.S. Army and improving the acquisition process to give our soldiers the needed equipment to fight, and overwhelmingly win, in combat,” the letter reads.
The letter goes on to emphasize that Atlanta, as the largest hub for the private sector and innovation in the Southeast region, is home to an array of advantageous assets to the U.S. Army.
“Members of Congress from Georgia are dedicated to supporting our servicemen and women, and in doing so, we urge you to fully consider the numerous resources available to Futures Command in Atlanta,” the letter continues.
Georgia and the metro Atlanta region could support the Army’s mission with technology resources and experts, world-class academia in the fields of science, technology and business, the world’s largest airport, excellent quality of life and strong support of all branches of the U.S. Department of Defense with more than a dozen military installations across the state.
In addition to Ferguson, the letter was signed by Senators Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Congressmen Buddy Carter (R-Ga), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), John Lewis (D-Ga.), Karen Handel (R-Ga.), Rob Woodall (R-Ga.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), Rick Allen (R-Ga.), David Scott (D-Ga.) and Tom Graves (R-Ga.).
The full text of the letter is below.
March 14, 2018
The Honorable Mark T. Esper
Secretary of the Army
1400 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-1400>
Dear Dr. Esper,
We encourage your consideration of the Atlanta metro area as the home for the Army’s Futures Command. The Georgia delegation applauds your efforts in modernizing the U.S. Army and improving the acquisition process to give our soldiers the needed equipment to fight and overwhelmingly win in combat. We agree with your remarks before the Senate Armed Services Committee that our soldiers will succeed or fail based on our efforts to reform and modernize now. Members of Congress from Georgia are dedicated to supporting our service men and women, and in doing so, we urge you to fully consider the numerous resources available to Futures Command in Atlanta, GA.
As the largest hub for the private sector and innovation in the Southeast region, Atlanta is already the home to numerous technological resources and Fortune 500 companies. Atlanta continues to attract technology industry leaders like Lockheed-Martin, Northrop Grumman, L-3 Communications, and Honeywell. Georgia is home to over 17,000 tech companies and is the 5th-largest IT employment cluster in the U.S. (200,000 high-tech professionals). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is located in Atlanta, and can provide opportunities to cross-load knowledge in biotech and biological threats. Atlanta was ranked seventh in the American Innovation Cities Index by 2thinknow. Further, Atlanta is home to the third-most Fortune 500 companies of any U.S. city, giving the U.S. Army access to a wealth of modernized business practices.
Atlanta provides access to world-class academia in the fields of science, technology, and business. Georgia Tech has six colleges and 28 schools focusing on Computing, Design, Engineering, Sciences, Business, and Liberal Arts. Georgia Tech’s engineering programs have consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the nation according to US News and World Report. This includes #1 in Industrial/Manufacturing, and #2 in Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical engineering. The Institute for Information Security & Privacy, in conjunction with Georgia Tech’s Research Institute, aligns the expertise of 200 researchers and nine labs to collaborate on cybersecurity and facilitates the synchronization of academia, industry, and government in pursuit of improved national security. Georgia State University, in downtown Atlanta, attracts 51,000 students from across the U.S. and world, and provides more than 250 degree programs in 100 fields of study. U.S. News and World Report ranked it as the #4 most innovative university in the United States
Georgia has a long military history and has always been supportive of all branches of services in the DoD. Georgia has Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine bases located throughout the state with many DoD facilities located less than two hours away from Atlanta. Fort Benning, already home to two cross-functional teams, and Fort Gordon, home to the Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence, are both only a short drive from Atlanta. These critical facilities can provide numerous resources for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation activities. Dobbins Air Reserve Base and Fort Gillem are located within the Atlanta metro area and could provide access to readily available DoD infrastructure if needed.
Atlanta is already home to major multinational corporations because of its ease of access. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest, and most efficient, airport in the world. Atlanta International Airport is a domestic and global gateway for non-stop flights to 150 domestic and almost 70 international destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The airport is committed to expanding and modernizing its cargo operations which would enable more efficient logistics throughput for Futures Command.
Finally, quality of life is a premier factor for the many companies which choose to call Atlanta home. The cost of living in the metro Atlanta area is notably more affordable than other large cities with similar resources. One survey ranks the cost of living below other major tech-centric cities like New York, Washington DC, Seattle, Berkeley, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Denver, and Chicago. The Army can attract highly talented individuals at a fraction of the cost compared to other metropolitan areas. These savings will allow the Army to re-invest in acquiring capital and updating current infrastructure to bring in professionals who are used to operating in state of the art facilities.
We thank you and your team for your continued support of Georgia, and for trusting us to return in kind. It is our strongest conviction that Atlanta, and the entire state of Georgia, can continue a proud military history with Futures Command. Modernizing the Army is critical to maintaining readiness and global superiority in support of our national defense. Your serious consideration of Atlanta as a future home for Futures Command is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
David Perdue
Earl L. “Buddy” Carter
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr
A. Drew Ferguson, IV DMD
Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.
John Lewis
Karen Handel
Rob Woodall
Austin Scott
Doug Collins
Jody Hice
Barry Loudermilk
Rick W. Allen
David Scott
Tom Graves