October 01, 2020

Duckworth, Bustos, Loebsack, Durbin, Grassley and Ernst Lead Bi-Partisan, Bicameral Modernization Effort to Utilize Unused Army Property

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) released a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to urge the authorization for the United States Army to launch a pilot program that certain users could access for details about Army real estate.

This tool could resemble a “Zillow.com” for the Army, allowing authorized users to find productive uses for unoccupied land and buildings that would otherwise go unnoticed and unused. 

“Rather than spending more money on new construction or land purchases, governmental agencies could expand into places with pre-existing infrastructure,” the Members wrote. “[V]etted private-sector or academic organizations could work and research alongside the bright men and women of the United States Army. Formerly empty plots could witness the birth of new synergies and collaboration.”

“If successful, this pilot program could quickly be adopted across the Department of Defense, turning a small investment now into potentially millions of dollars in savings later,” the Members continued.

The Rock Island Arsenal hosts the Army’s Advanced and Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence. The Center of Excellence partners military, private-sector, and academic organizations to think outside the box in developing cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities in support of national security. A pilot program like the one Congresswoman Bustos proposed could pave the way for a fresh influx of talent and opportunity into Army installations like the Rock Island Arsenal.

You can view full text of the letter here and below:

September 25, 2020

Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members,

We urge you and the conferees to retain Section 1767 of H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Sec. 1767 is the result of a bipartisan effort to modernize the real-estate management of the Army’s sprawling properties and will help the Army become a more effective fighting force.

Section 1767 would authorize a proof-of-concept: a public tool that catalogs unused real estate across the Army’s installations. With this tool, authorized users could query a database for vacant or otherwise surplus space that they could transition towards more productive use. Rather than spending more money on new construction or land purchases, governmental agencies could expand into places with pre-existing infrastructure; vetted private-sector or academic organizations could work and research alongside the bright men and women of the United States Army. Formerly empty plots could witness the birth of new synergies and collaboration.

If successful, this pilot program could quickly be adopted across the Department of Defense, turning a small investment now into potentially millions of dollars in savings later. Until then however, countless acres and buildings sit idly by across the enterprise. As responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, we must capitalize upon these untapped resources. We thank you for your work so far on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, and we look forward to working with you and your Committees on finding ways to make the military more efficient.

Sincerely,