[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8459-8460]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE UNITED STATES ARMY YUMA PROVING GROUND AND ITS 
                COMMANDER, COLONEL REED F. YOUNG, PH.D.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 19, 2014

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the U.S. Army Yuma 
Proving Ground and its Commander, Colonel Reed F. Young, Ph.D.
  The U.S. Army's presence in Yuma dates back to 1850, when Fort Yuma 
was constructed on a hill overlooking the Yuma crossing of the Colorado 
River. Soldiers at Fort Yuma maintained peace with the local Indians 
and protected the important Yuma crossing. That fort operated until 
1883.
  In 1865, a second facility known as the Yuma Quartermaster Depot was 
constructed

[[Page 8460]]

in order to supply Army posts throughout Arizona and western New 
Mexico. That depot was also closed in 1883, and the Army would not 
return to Yuma on a permanent basis until the Second World War.
  Beginning in 1943, the area was host to various bases, depots, and 
training grounds. In 1950, the mission of the facility changed 
drastically to become the nation's premier artillery testing site, 
hosting the longest overland artillery range in the country. The 
installation was renamed Yuma Proving Ground in 1963 during the 
reorganization of the Army. The Yuma Proving Ground has since been home 
to tests of long-range weaponry, the Apache Helicopter, M-1 Abrams 
tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, rockets, mortars, parachute and 
airdrop technologies, global positioning systems (GPS), and even 
automobiles. The Yuma Proving Ground contributes directly to both 
America's national defense and its national economy.
  I must also thank and congratulate Colonel Reed Young, the Commander 
of the Yuma Proving Ground. He assumed command in May 2011. He leads 
over 2,700 military, civilian, and contractor personnel. Colonel Young 
is responsible for research and development of highly-advanced 
technologies valuable to the military, many of which also have civilian 
applications.
  Before taking command of the Yuma Proving Ground, Colonel Young 
served as a Program Manager and Chief of the Technology Integration and 
Outreach Division for the U.S. Army Research Office in Durham, NC. He 
is also a member of the Arizona State Council on the Education for 
Military Children that helps remove barriers for children of military 
families. He is always quite courteous to my staff and me each time we 
visit, taking time out of his day to interact with us. His service to 
our country is exemplary.
  On behalf of the State of Arizona, I want to recognize the Yuma 
Proving Ground for its rich history, and I want to thank Colonel Young 
for his hospitality and dedication to this nation.

                          ____________________