Washington, D.C. --- With Fort Monmouth preparing to reduce contractor staffing in the face of approximately $11 million in budget cuts this fiscal year, U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) today voiced their opposition to the cuts that will impact support service contractors at the Fort.
Pallone and Holt, co-chairmen of the Save Our Fort Committee, said Fort Monmouth is not being singled out for these cuts. Every Army installation in the nation is facing similar cuts during the 2005 fiscal year, which runs until September 30th, due to overall cuts in the Army wide Installation Management Agency program.
Last week, officials at Fort Monmouth said the $11 million in budget cuts would result in a reduction in the number of contractor employees needed on the base, as well as either the reduction or elimination of several services and programs within the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs.
"At a time when the people at Fort Monmouth are performing critical roles to protect our homeland, it's simply unacceptable that the Defense Department wants to disrupt that successful formula by targeting the jobs of some of the contracting personnel," Pallone said. "The Defense Department should be thanking all of the committed employees at Fort Monmouth for the invaluable services they bring to the fort, rather than sending some a message that they're no longer needed."