Army Releases $3 Million for NJ Technology Center PDF Print
Wednesday, 01 September 2010 00:00

Holt, Pallone, Lautenberg, and Menendez Secured Funding to Keep Fort Monmouth Jobs in NJ

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Reps. Rush Holt (NJ-12) and Frank Pallone (NJ-6) and U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez today announced that the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded $2.995 million for the newly created New Jersey Technology Center. Last year, the legislators secured the funding in the federal defense budget, but the Department of Defense needed to finalize the funding before it could reach the Center. Earlier this year, the two Representatives and two Senators met with John McHugh, Secretary of the Army, and approval of the funding was one of the issues they raised.

The funding will provide employment opportunities for thousands of skilled Fort Monmouth employees through contracts with the Army. At the Center, they will be able to continue to provide technical and programmatic support for the U.S. military.

 

Said Holt: “The funding we secured, which is now being awarded, is an investment that will put to work the talented men and women – the scientists, engineers, and acquisition specialists – who, for decades, have helped provide our troops with the communications and intelligence support they need. The New Jersey Technology Center will be a jobs center for years to come.”

Said Pallone: “The men and women employed at Fort Monmouth are highly skilled and dedicated workers who perform important duties in support of America’s troops and national security. “These funds will be literally ‘put to work’ by creating jobs that use their skills and serve these important needs. These are high-tech jobs that should contribute to a growing technology sector that serves the local and regional economy for years to come.”

Said Lautenberg: “This federal funding will provide good-paying jobs in New Jersey and help maintain a highly-skilled workforce in the region. This Center will create opportunities for the talented men and women at Fort Monmouth to remain involved in cutting-edge work that provides vital technology and innovation to our military and helps protect our troops.”

Said Menendez: “This funding will help create jobs and help ensure our state retains high skilled workers that contribute to our state’s competitiveness and innovation capacity. The scientists, engineers, and technicians that the New Jersey Technology Center will employ will be among the most prepared and talented in our state and will have the important responsibility of supporting the U.S. military. I was proud to help secure this funding and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our local economy and our national security.”

Using the expertise of highly-skilled former Fort Monmouth workers remaining in New Jersey and other recruited experts, the Technology Center’s mission is to keep and grow high skill, high technology jobs in New Jersey in the fields of science and engineering. Support would include, but not be limited to, intelligence and communications support to the warfighter, and other missions of Fort Monmouth employees. The Technology Center will also use the skills of these workers to expand into the other areas such as homeland security and renewable energy.

Said Amy Fitzgerald, Director of Monmouth County Economic and Workforce Development: “The award of this grant from the U.S. Army will encourage the retention and addition of high tech, high skill jobs in the Monmouth area, after the closure of Fort Monmouth. It is critical for the region to retain the highly skilled workers who choose not to move. I thank the Representatives and Senators for their efforts to secure this funding.”

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