"The professionals at MMA have demonstrated their value to the Army and to the nation and consistently perform refurbishment on a wide array of military engineering and personnel vehicles, including HMMWVs, at a lower cost than the Army's own depots. We strongly believe that MMA is a vital part of the industrial capacity of the Armed Forces and its extensive capabilities should be fully maximized," wrote the lawmakers.
*Copy of the Letter Follows:
October 2, 2009
The Honorable John McHugh
Secretary of the Army
101 Army Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20310-0101
Dear Secretary McHugh:
Congratulations on your recent confirmation as Secretary of the Army. Given the depth of the challenges facing our nation today, it is more important than ever to have an individual as qualified, accomplished, and committed to our soldiers as you are leading our Army. As you begin your new post, we take this opportunity to reiterate our request that you use the authority granted to your office to mission the Maine Military Authority (MMA), a National Guard Readiness Sustainment Maintenance Center in Limestone, Maine, to provide refurbished tactical and non-tactical vehicles and equipment to all Army commands.
In our August 10, 2009 letter to then-Secretary Geren, we highlighted the authority of your office under 32 U.S.C. Section 113 to direct the Maine Military Authority (MMA) to provide refurbished vehicles and equipment to all Army commands, and urged him to act on that authority. The response that we received on September 8, 2009 from the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, focused on the Army's declining need for recapitalized High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs). Although MMA and HMMWV recapitalization are inextricably associated, our interest and insistence on action in the letter was with respect to leveraging the capabilities of MMA for refurbishment programs throughout the Army, in addition to the HMMWV recapitalization program.
During your nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, you committed to taking a careful look at directing more work to MMA. Such action on this issue would maximize the cost-efficient capabilities of the extraordinary group of workers at the MMA facility, in direct benefit to the Army and to taxpayers. It would also ensure the viability of one of the few industrial facilities in northern Maine. The professionals at MMA have demonstrated their value to the Army and to the nation and consistently perform refurbishment on a wide array of military engineering and personnel vehicles, including HMMWVs, at a lower cost than the Army's own depots. We strongly believe that MMA is a vital part of the industrial capacity of the Armed Forces and its extensive capabilities should be fully utilized.
We must also note that the residents of Aroostook County, Maine, from which MMA draws its proud and dedicated team members, are facing enormous hardships during this deep recession. The unemployment rate for areas of Aroostook County exceeds 12 percent, which is well above the national unemployment rate of 9.8 percent. This troubling statistic highlights the pandemic of job losses over the last decade resulting from major lumber mill, paper mill, and other manufacturing facility closures. Increasing the number of Army commands that can benefit from the skills and talents of the MMA team would sustain what has been a critical component of economic stability for this region of Maine during these very uncertain times.
For nearly 13 years, MMA has provided a well-respected and dependable service to its customers, and it has similarly provided stable employment in northern Maine. This resource, for both the Army and Maine, must be maintained. Ensuring the stability of this valued workforce and quality service is vital to our country. Since its inception, MMA has saved NGB millions of taxpayer dollars by refurbishing field kitchens, bridge boats, fork-lifts, 5-Ton trucks, front end loaders, HMMWVs, and many other vital pieces of military equipment. We have not seen a military vehicle that these talented workers have not been able to refurbish to superior condition. Using the authority provided to you in 32 USC Section 113 to allow other Army commands to utilize MMA would provide similar savings and quality of service to the entire Army.
Again, congratulations on your confirmation, and thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to fully employ Maine's military readiness capabilities in order to provide our fighting forces with the highest quality equipment at the greatest cost savings. The end result will only serve to strengthen the Army.
Sincerely,