Pallone/Holt Hold Meeting with State Counter-Terrorism Officials to Discuss Ways Fort Monmouth Can Help Homeland Security Efforts

Fort Monmouth, NJ --- U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6) and Rush D. Holt (NJ-12) hosted a meeting earlier this week at Fort Monmouth to discuss with state counter-terrorism officials how Fort Monmouth's capabilities and technologies can assist the state in the area of Homeland Security. Joining the two congressmen at the meeting at Fort Monmouth's Mallette Hall were officials from the NJ Department of Military Affairs, the NJ Office of Counter Terrorism, the NJ Office of the Attorney General and the NJ State Police.

Fort Monmouth is currently in the design stage of providing homeland security work to the Port Authority of New York - New Jersey, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the National Guard Bureau and Wachovia Bank.

At Monday's meeting, officials from Fort Monmouth showed that by creating a partnership between the state and Fort Monmouth, the state could use the Fort's expertise, and unlike private companies, the Fort's primary goal would be protecting the state rather than turning a profit. Fort Monmouth also would provide the state with "limited liability," access to Department of Defense Technology and project accountability.

Some of the technologies that could immediately be useful to the state include: "Through the Wall Radar," telecommunications reconstitution, continuity of operations, "Laser Doppler Radar," transportation infrastructure security, high tech human body and vehicle scanning and integrated operations centers.

All divisions of the Fort Monmouth community were present at the meeting, including: team C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) which is made up of the CERDEC (Communications-Electronics Research, Development & Engineering Center), the Logistics and Readiness Center (LRC) and the Software Engineering Center (SEC). Team C4ISR gave a detailed presentation showing how its prevention, protection, response and recovery technologies could easily be adapted for the state's homeland security and readiness needs.

"Monday's meeting once again made it clear that Fort Monmouth provides vital services for not only our troops in the field but also in protecting our country," Pallone said. "It only makes sense that our State Joint Terrorism Task Force and our State Office of Homeland Security take advantage of the years of expertise housed at Fort Monmouth to better protect our state from a terrorist attack."

"We need to fully utilize the technological infrastructure and brain trust at Ft. Monmouth not only to equip our troops overseas, but to protect our communities here at home," Holt said. "Ft. Monmouth offers the state of New Jersey a range of partnership opportunities that would strengthen our local security."

The meeting was scheduled after the two New Jersey congressmen and the Save Our Fort Committee, at Governor James McGreevey's request, came up with a list of initiatives that state and local municipalities could implement to enhance Fort Monmouth's military mission and solidify the military installations place as on of the premium facilities in the nation.