LIMESTONE-- Senator Susan Collins today welcomed General Benjamin Griffin, Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command to the former Loring Air Force Base where Maine’s Adjutant General, Major General Bill Libby, led both on a tour of the Maine Military Authority’s Maine Readiness Sustainment Maintenance Center (MRSMC.) General Griffin’s visit to Loring came at the request of Senator Collins, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
This was General Griffin’s first visit to the Limestone facility which employs 550 people and has refurbished over 3,800 Humvees to the Army at a total cost of over $200 million since 1997. In his role as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, General Griffin has jurisdiction over the Army’s Tank and Automotive Command.
“I am so pleased that General Griffin was able to accept my invitation to visit Limestone and learn first-hand the important work being done by the dedicated workforce at the Maine Military Authority,” said Senator Collins. “His personal interest in this facility is testament to the Army’s commitment to the MMA which has completed work on 420 Humvees to date for the Army’s Tank and Automotive Command with a projected savings of $14 million for the taxpayer.”
Last week, Army Secretary Francis Harvey approved the Army Materiel Command’s plan to award a “bridge” contract for refurbishing Humvees to the MRSMC. This month-to-month contract for 42 vehicles per month is expected to run for three months. Senator Collins is committed to working with the Secretary to directly mission the MMA to provide additional work refurbishing vehicles.