[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9371]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FORT GEORGE G. MEADE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN P. SARBANES

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2017

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th 
anniversary of Fort George G. Meade. For a century, Fort Meade has been 
an integral part of both our national security system as well as the 
Maryland community.
  First constructed to house troops shipping off to fight in World War 
I, Camp Meade--as it was then known--was named for Civil War hero Major 
General George Gordon Meade, whose victory at the Battle of Gettysburg 
halted the Confederacy's invasion of the Union and turned the tide of 
the war. Over the course of World War I, more than 400,000 service 
members left from Camp Meade to fight in the war.
  During the interwar period, Fort Meade housed the Army Tank School as 
well as the Experimental Motorized Forces. During World War II, 
approximately 3.5 million soldiers trained at Fort Meade, which was 
also used to house Italian and German prisoners of war.
  After WWII, the Fort reverted to peacetime activities. The Fort's 
importance grew when the Second U.S. Army moved to Fort Meade, and 
again when the First U.S. Army merged with the Second and moved to Fort 
Meade. In 1953, the Fort became the first to deploy the Nike I 
antiaircraft missile system. Later renamed the Nike Ajax, the Nike I 
was the world's first surface-to-air missile defense system and was 
designed to protect the capital region from Soviet bombers.
  The Cold War period initiated a shift at the base to a greater 
intelligence focus. Fort Meade has been vital to the intelligence 
mission of the United States since the 1950s, when it became the 
headquarters for the National Security Agency (NSA). The Fort's mission 
expanded in 1995 when the Defense Information School moved there. Since 
that time the School has expanded to include both the Defense Visual 
Information School and the Defense Photography School. More recently US 
Cyber Command was moved to Fort Meade. Today, six cyber headquarters 
are housed at Fort Meade, making it the epicenter of our 21st century 
defense.
  The 2005 BRAC ushered in some of the most significant growth in the 
history of the Fort. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), 
which provides complete information technology services to the 
Department of Defense, moved its headquarters to Fort Meade, bringing 
4,300 workers to a new 1.1 million-square-foot headquarters. The 
Defense Media Activity and Defense Adjudication Activities also 
relocated to the base, bringing a combined total of over 1,300 
positions employees with them. The continued growth of Fort Meade 
during a time of downsizing and shrinking budgets speaks to its 
efficacy and its essential mission.
  The NSA presence at Fort Meade makes the base one of the most 
important to the security of our nation. The work done by thousands of 
Marylanders at the Fort every day is crucial for maintaining day to day 
IT stability for all Americans and disrupting terrorist networks and 
plans. In addition to its vital impact on our nation's intelligence 
mission, Fort Meade has sent many active duty service members abroad. 
Collectively, around 2,700 personnel from 42 units were deployed from 
the base during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
  I also want to emphasize the enormous impact Fort George G. Meade has 
on the economy of our state. Fort Meade employs over 56,000 personnel 
across 119 agencies and has a supported population of over 145,000, 
providing a significant boost to the local economy. Fort George G. 
Meade is the largest employer in Maryland, the fifth-largest employment 
center in the state, and has the third-largest workforce of any U.S. 
Army installation.
  In the past 100 years, Fort Meade has made a profound impact on 
Maryland, the United States, and the world. I am confident that legacy 
will continue over the next 100 years and beyond, and once again 
congratulate Fort George G. Meade and all who have served there on this 
momentous anniversary.

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