Fort Monmouth
Encyclopedia
Fort Monmouth was an installation of the Department of the Army in Monmouth County, New Jersey
. The post is surrounded by the communities of Eatontown
, Tinton Falls
and Oceanport
, New Jersey
, and is located about 5 miles from the Atlantic Ocean
. The post covers nearly 1126 acres (4.6 km²) of land, from the Shrewsbury River
on the east, to Route 35
on the west; this area is referred to as 'Main Post'. A separate area (Camp Charles Wood) to the west includes post housing, a golf course, and additional office and laboratory facilities. A rail line, owned by Conrail, runs through Camp Charles Wood and out to Naval Weapons Station Earle
. The post is like a small town, including a Post Exchange (PX), health clinic, gas station and other amentities. Until the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the post was open to the public to drive through; since that time, the post is closed to all but authorized personnel.
The post was home to several units of the U.S. Army Materiel Command and offices of the Army Acquisition Executive (AAE) that research and manage Command and Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities and related technology, as well as an interservice organization designed to coordinate C4ISR, an academic preparatory school, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit, a garrison services unit, an Army health clinic, and a Veterans Administration health clinic. Other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, Federal Emergency Management Agency
and the National Security Agency
, have presences on the post.
The post was selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission
in 2005. Most Army functions and personnel are required and scheduled to be moved to Army facilities in Maryland
and Ohio
by 2011. The fort officially closed on September 15, 2011.
The installation began with the lease of a defunct racetrack by the Army for a training site for officers. The location near Eatontown, with rail sidings out of Hoboken and proximity to the port of Little Silver
was ideal. Known temporarily as Camp Little Silver, it was renamed Camp Alfred Vail shortly after in September 1917. The Chief Signal Officer authorized the purchase of Camp Vail in 1919. The Signal Corps School relocated to Camp Vail from Fort Leavenworth
that year. The Signal Corps Board followed in 1924. In August 1925 the installation was granted permanent status and was renamed Fort Monmouth. It was named in honor of the soldiers of the American Revolutionary War
who died in the Battle of Monmouth
; aptly, it is also located in Monmouth County
. The first permanent building was built in 1928. Other structures were built to house units the Army consolidated at Fort Monmouth.
In 1928, the first radio-equipped meteorological balloon reached the upper atmosphere, a forerunner of weather sounding techniques universally used today. In 1938, the U.S. Army's first radio-based aircraft detection and ranging system (later called radar
) was developed on post. A production model of this equipment detected the oncoming Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor
, but the warning it provided was discounted. In 1946, celestial communications was proved feasible when the radar developed by the Project Diana
team was used to bounce radio signals off the moon.
During the late 20th century, Fort Monmouth was home to the US Army Chaplain Center and School (USACHCS). Enlisted soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and Officers training to become Chaplain Assistants and Chaplains were trained at Fort Monmouth.
, Camp Charles Wood in Tinton Falls, and Camp Evans
in Wall Township
. At its peak during World War II
, Fort Monmouth measured 1,713 acres (6.9 km²), and had billeting space for 1,559 officers and 19,786 enlisted personnel. The Eastern Signal Corps Training Center consisted of the Eastern Signal Corps Schools (enlisted, officer candidate, and officers) and the Replacement Training Center at Camp Charles Wood. The Signal Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS), the major activity on the main post, graduated 21,033 new Signal Corps second lieutenants during the period 1941-1946.
More communications units, including the Pigeon Breeding and Training Center, were consolidated into Fort Monmouth after the war ended. The pigeon service was discontinued in 1957; the birds were either sold at auction or donated to zoos.
Special effects artist Harry Redmond, Jr.
designed and constructed a new film studio for the Army Film Training Lab at Fort Monmouth during World War II.
plans and passing them on to the Soviet Union
. Documents released by Russia after the Cold War
showed that Julius Rosenberg was indeed a spy. In October 1953, Joseph McCarthy
claimed that Julius Rosenberg had set up a wartime spy ring at Fort Monmouth and that the ring might still be in operation. Two Fort Monmouth scientists, Joel Barr
and Alfred Sarant
fled to the Soviet Union
.
The hysteria surrounding Fort Monmouth and the Rosenbergs was not limited to Julius and Ethel; others with last name Rosenberg (or Kaplan) lost their security clearance for no reason other than sharing a name with communists. Moment Magazine explores these investigations and the impact of the Red Scare on New Jersey's scientific community.
of the Army Signal Corps until June 21, 2010 when it was removed for relocation to the U.S. Army Signal Center & School at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
The post was home to the CECOM Life Cycle Management Command (CECOM LCMC), which consists of the following:
Also located on the post were:
Most of the personnel located on the post are civilians employed by DoD, or employees of companies under contract with the DoD.
Fort Monmouth was also noted for its SunEagles Golf Course
, one of the better DoD golf courses in the nation.
School-aged children residing on post in grades 9 through 12 attended Monmouth Regional High School
in Tinton Falls
, part of the Monmouth Regional High School District.
in May 2005. BRAC
voted in August 2005 to close the post; its decision was upheld by President George Bush and Congress. An appeal headed by U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone
and Rush D. Holt, Jr.
to remove the post from the list was made to the BRAC commission, but was rejected.
In particular, BRAC recommended:
The DoD estimated the closure of Fort Monmouth would cause the loss of 9,737 jobs (5,272 direct and 4,465 indirect jobs) between 2006 and 2011, leading to a 0.8% increase in unemployment. DoD also calculated the closure and other changes would save it about $1 billion in the long run.
However, in June 2007, an investigation by the Asbury Park Press
revealed that the projected cost of closing Fort Monmouth and moving its research functions to Aberdeen, Maryland
, had doubled from $780 million to $1.5 billion. Add to that the $3.3 billion loss to New Jersey’s economy coupled with the estimated $16 billion it will cost Maryland for needed infrastructure improvements to accommodate the largest job influx since World War II. In addition, recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings have uncovered substantial errors in the Army estimation of BRAC cost savings—in one case turning a projected $1 billion savings into a $31 million savings. In light of these issues, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the BRAC 2005 legislation.
Jon Corzine
signed into law the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Act, which established the Fort Monmouth Revitalization Planning Authority, to plan the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth once it closes. The legislation creating the commission, proposed by State Senator
s Joseph Kyrillos and Ellen Karcher
, received bipartisan support, but only after wrangling in the legislature over its composition and authority. FMERPA completed the Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan in 2008, although an appellate court has thrown out the portion of the plan concerning affordable housing.
FMERPA is no longer active following the creation of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) to provide investment, continuity and economic growth to the communities impacted by the federal government's decision to close Fort Monmouth. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) and Assembly members Joseph Cryan
(D-Union), Albert Coutinho (D-Essex), Angel Fuentes (D-Camden), Annette Quijano (D-Union) and Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset) and signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday, August 17, 2010. FMERA will advance FMERPA's Reuse and Redevelopment Plan for economic development, growth and planning, with a focus on technology-based industries, for the 1,126 acres of real estate at Fort Monmouth following the base closure in September 2011.
The authority holds meetings that rotate between the municipal buildings of Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls, the three towns whose mayors sit on the authority.
As mandated by federal law, the authority must advertise for notices of interest from any state, county, municipal or private, non-profit agency which would provide homeless assistance to Monmouth County residents.
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
. The post is surrounded by the communities of Eatontown
Eatontown, New Jersey
Eatontown is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 12,709.What is now Eatontown was originally incorporated as Eatontown Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 4, 1873, from portions of Ocean Township and...
, Tinton Falls
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 15,053 people, 5,883 households, and 3,976 families residing in the borough. The population density was 965.7 people per square mile . There were 6,211 housing units at an average density of 398.4 per square mile...
and Oceanport
Oceanport, New Jersey
Oceanport is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,832.Oceanport was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1920, from portions of Eatontown Township , based on the results of a...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and is located about 5 miles from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The post covers nearly 1126 acres (4.6 km²) of land, from the Shrewsbury River
Shrewsbury River
The Shrewsbury River is a short stream and navigable estuary, approximately 8 mi long, in central New Jersey in the United States....
on the east, to Route 35
Route 35 (New Jersey)
Route 35 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey, primarily traveling through the easternmost parts of Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. It runs from the entrance to Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township, Ocean County to an intersection with Route 27 in Rahway, Union County...
on the west; this area is referred to as 'Main Post'. A separate area (Camp Charles Wood) to the west includes post housing, a golf course, and additional office and laboratory facilities. A rail line, owned by Conrail, runs through Camp Charles Wood and out to Naval Weapons Station Earle
Naval Weapons Station Earle
Naval Weapons Station Earle is a United States Navy base in New Jersey. Its distinguishing feature is a 2.9-mile pier in Sandy Hook Bay where ammunition can be loaded and unloaded from warships at a safe distance from land....
. The post is like a small town, including a Post Exchange (PX), health clinic, gas station and other amentities. Until the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the post was open to the public to drive through; since that time, the post is closed to all but authorized personnel.
The post was home to several units of the U.S. Army Materiel Command and offices of the Army Acquisition Executive (AAE) that research and manage Command and Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities and related technology, as well as an interservice organization designed to coordinate C4ISR, an academic preparatory school, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit, a garrison services unit, an Army health clinic, and a Veterans Administration health clinic. Other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
and the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
, have presences on the post.
The post was selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
in 2005. Most Army functions and personnel are required and scheduled to be moved to Army facilities in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
by 2011. The fort officially closed on September 15, 2011.
History
- For more information, see the official U.S. Army CECOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) / Fort Monmouth Historical Office website http://www.monmouth.army.mil/historian/ or Fort Monmouth Timeline http://www.monmouth.army.mil/historian/pubupdates/Fort_Monmouth_Timeline_07_22_05.doc (Microsoft WordMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
document)
The installation began with the lease of a defunct racetrack by the Army for a training site for officers. The location near Eatontown, with rail sidings out of Hoboken and proximity to the port of Little Silver
Little Silver, New Jersey
Little Silver is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,950.Little Silver was established with a Kings Land Grant in 1663 and settled in 1667...
was ideal. Known temporarily as Camp Little Silver, it was renamed Camp Alfred Vail shortly after in September 1917. The Chief Signal Officer authorized the purchase of Camp Vail in 1919. The Signal Corps School relocated to Camp Vail from Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
that year. The Signal Corps Board followed in 1924. In August 1925 the installation was granted permanent status and was renamed Fort Monmouth. It was named in honor of the soldiers of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
who died in the Battle of Monmouth
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court...
; aptly, it is also located in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
. The first permanent building was built in 1928. Other structures were built to house units the Army consolidated at Fort Monmouth.
In 1928, the first radio-equipped meteorological balloon reached the upper atmosphere, a forerunner of weather sounding techniques universally used today. In 1938, the U.S. Army's first radio-based aircraft detection and ranging system (later called radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
) was developed on post. A production model of this equipment detected the oncoming Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, but the warning it provided was discounted. In 1946, celestial communications was proved feasible when the radar developed by the Project Diana
Project Diana
Project Diana, named for the Roman moon goddess Diana — goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the moon — was a project of the US Army Signal Corps to bounce radio signals off the moon and receive the reflected signals...
team was used to bounce radio signals off the moon.
During the late 20th century, Fort Monmouth was home to the US Army Chaplain Center and School (USACHCS). Enlisted soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and Officers training to become Chaplain Assistants and Chaplains were trained at Fort Monmouth.
World War II
Additional property was purchased in 1941 for Camp Coles near Red BankRed Bank, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile . There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0 per square mile...
, Camp Charles Wood in Tinton Falls, and Camp Evans
Camp Evans
Camp Evans, New Jersey is a former military base associated with Fort Monmouth. It is located in Wall Township, although it is often said to be located in Belmar . The property overlooks the Shark River.Camp Evans is named after Lt. Col...
in Wall Township
Wall Township, New Jersey
Wall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 26,164.Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851...
. At its peak during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Fort Monmouth measured 1,713 acres (6.9 km²), and had billeting space for 1,559 officers and 19,786 enlisted personnel. The Eastern Signal Corps Training Center consisted of the Eastern Signal Corps Schools (enlisted, officer candidate, and officers) and the Replacement Training Center at Camp Charles Wood. The Signal Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS), the major activity on the main post, graduated 21,033 new Signal Corps second lieutenants during the period 1941-1946.
More communications units, including the Pigeon Breeding and Training Center, were consolidated into Fort Monmouth after the war ended. The pigeon service was discontinued in 1957; the birds were either sold at auction or donated to zoos.
Special effects artist Harry Redmond, Jr.
Harry Redmond, Jr.
Harry Redmond, Jr. was an American special effects artist and film producer whose career spanned decades in the entertainment industry...
designed and constructed a new film studio for the Army Film Training Lab at Fort Monmouth during World War II.
Rosenbergs
Julius Rosenberg had worked as a radar inspector at Fort Monmouth in 1942 and 1943. It is from the fort that he was accused and convicted of stealing proximity fuzeProximity fuze
A proximity fuze is a fuze that is designed to detonate an explosive device automatically when the distance to target becomes smaller than a predetermined value or when the target passes through a given plane...
plans and passing them on to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Documents released by Russia after the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
showed that Julius Rosenberg was indeed a spy. In October 1953, Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
claimed that Julius Rosenberg had set up a wartime spy ring at Fort Monmouth and that the ring might still be in operation. Two Fort Monmouth scientists, Joel Barr
Joel Barr
Joel Barr , also Iozef Veniaminovich Berg and Joseph Berg, was part of the Soviet Atomic Spy Ring...
and Alfred Sarant
Alfred Sarant
Alfred Epaminondas Sarant, also known as Filipp Georgievich Staros and Philip Georgievich Staros , was an engineer and a member of the Communist party in New York City in 1944. He was part of the Rosenberg spy ring that reported to Soviet intelligence...
fled to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The hysteria surrounding Fort Monmouth and the Rosenbergs was not limited to Julius and Ethel; others with last name Rosenberg (or Kaplan) lost their security clearance for no reason other than sharing a name with communists. Moment Magazine explores these investigations and the impact of the Red Scare on New Jersey's scientific community.
Final years as an Army post
Before its BRAC closing was announced, Fort Monmouth was the home to the CECOM Life Cycle Management Command (CECOM LCMC). CECOM LCMC was a lead command for the Army in the area of C4ISR development, acquisition and sustainment. Though no longer the home of the US Army Signal Corps (after its move to Ft. Gordon, Georgia in the 1970s), Ft. Monmouth is sometimes referred to as the "Soul of the Signal Corps". It housed the official Time CapsuleTime capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
of the Army Signal Corps until June 21, 2010 when it was removed for relocation to the U.S. Army Signal Center & School at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
The post was home to the CECOM Life Cycle Management Command (CECOM LCMC), which consists of the following:
- Communications Electronics Command (CECOM), which supported and sustained C4ISR systems. Functional support centers of CECOM included the Software Engineering Center (SEC); Information Systems Engineering Command (ISEC); Logistics and Readiness Center (LRC); Central Technical Support Facility (CTSF) and Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD).
- United States Army CECOM Contracting Center (CCCE), which performed market research, solicited, awarded and administered contracts, grants, cooperative agreements and other transactions for communications and electronics systems.
- United States Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) which performed research and development in all areas of C4ISR, including Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), countermeasure equipment against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Shortstop Electronic Protection Systems (SEPS), and sensor systems that provided soldiers with a safe method for rapidly inspecting wells and underground locations.
- Two subordinate offices of the Army Acquisition Executive (AAE); the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications Tactical (PEO C3T); the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S); and elements of the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS).
Also located on the post were:
- the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC), a suborganization of Defense Information Systems AgencyDefense Information Systems AgencyThe Defense Information Systems Agency is a United States Department of Defense agency that provides information technology and communications support to the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, the military Services, and the Combatant Commands.As part of the Base Realignment and...
which coordinated joint interoperability between the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, Special Operations Forces and Combatant Commands (COCOMs);
- the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, which trained 250 cadet candidates each year for admittance and entrance as plebes (freshmen) into the United States Military AcademyUnited States Military AcademyThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, NY. The school was relocated to West Point in 2009.
- the 754th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, which provided emergency response to state and federal authorities throughout New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Pennsylvania, and,
- the Patterson Army Health Clinic which served DoD service members and their families, including those stationed at NWS Earle and USCG Sandy Hook, NJ. It also served more than 7,000 veterans and their families, in support of the Veterans Administration (VA).
Most of the personnel located on the post are civilians employed by DoD, or employees of companies under contract with the DoD.
Fort Monmouth was also noted for its SunEagles Golf Course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, one of the better DoD golf courses in the nation.
School-aged children residing on post in grades 9 through 12 attended Monmouth Regional High School
Monmouth Regional High School
Monmouth Regional High School is a regional, four-year public high school and public school district in Tinton Falls, Monmouth County, New Jersey that serves almost 1,200 students in grades 9 to 12....
in Tinton Falls
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 15,053 people, 5,883 households, and 3,976 families residing in the borough. The population density was 965.7 people per square mile . There were 6,211 housing units at an average density of 398.4 per square mile...
, part of the Monmouth Regional High School District.
Closure by BRAC
Fort Monmouth was recommended for closure by the PentagonThe Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
in May 2005. BRAC
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
voted in August 2005 to close the post; its decision was upheld by President George Bush and Congress. An appeal headed by U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone
Frank Pallone
Frank Pallone, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously represented the 3rd district from 1988 to 1993.-Early life, education, and early political career:...
and Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Rush Dew Holt, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently the only Quaker in Congress.-Early life and education :Rush D. Holt was born to Rush D...
to remove the post from the list was made to the BRAC commission, but was rejected.
In particular, BRAC recommended:
- Relocate the US Army Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) to West Point, NY.
- Relocate the Joint Network Management System (JNMS) program, part of the Product Management Office for Network Operations - Current Force (PM NetOps-CF) to Fort Meade, MD.
- Relocate the Budget/Funding, Contracting, Cataloging, Requisition Processing, Customer Services, Item Management, Stock Control, Weapon System Secondary Item Support, Requirements Determination, Integrated Materiel Management Technical Support Inventory Control Point functions for Consumable Items to Defense Supply Center Columbus, OH, and reestablish them as Defense Logistics Agency Inventory Control Point functions.
- Relocate the procurement management and related support functions for depot level repairables to Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD, and designate them as Inventory Control Point functions, detachment of Defense Supply Center, Columbus, OH, and
- Relocate the remaining integrated materiel management, user, and related support functions to Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, along with Information Systems, Sensors, Electronic Warfare, and Electronics Research and Development & Acquisition (RDA).
- Relocate the elements of the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) and consolidate into the existing PEO EIS facilities at Fort Belvoir, VA.
The DoD estimated the closure of Fort Monmouth would cause the loss of 9,737 jobs (5,272 direct and 4,465 indirect jobs) between 2006 and 2011, leading to a 0.8% increase in unemployment. DoD also calculated the closure and other changes would save it about $1 billion in the long run.
However, in June 2007, an investigation by the Asbury Park Press
Asbury Park Press
The Asbury Park Press is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state...
revealed that the projected cost of closing Fort Monmouth and moving its research functions to Aberdeen, Maryland
Aberdeen, Maryland
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,842 people, 5,475 households, and 3,712 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,166.2 people per square mile . There were 5,894 housing units at an average density of 922.4 per square mile...
, had doubled from $780 million to $1.5 billion. Add to that the $3.3 billion loss to New Jersey’s economy coupled with the estimated $16 billion it will cost Maryland for needed infrastructure improvements to accommodate the largest job influx since World War II. In addition, recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings have uncovered substantial errors in the Army estimation of BRAC cost savings—in one case turning a projected $1 billion savings into a $31 million savings. In light of these issues, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the BRAC 2005 legislation.
- Final closure ceremony held on September 15, 2011
Redevelopment
On April 28, 2006, Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
signed into law the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Act, which established the Fort Monmouth Revitalization Planning Authority, to plan the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth once it closes. The legislation creating the commission, proposed by State Senator
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
s Joseph Kyrillos and Ellen Karcher
Ellen Karcher
Ellen Karcher is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey State Senate from 2004 until 2008, where she represented the 12th Legislative District....
, received bipartisan support, but only after wrangling in the legislature over its composition and authority. FMERPA completed the Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan in 2008, although an appellate court has thrown out the portion of the plan concerning affordable housing.
FMERPA is no longer active following the creation of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) to provide investment, continuity and economic growth to the communities impacted by the federal government's decision to close Fort Monmouth. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) and Assembly members Joseph Cryan
Joseph Cryan
Joseph Cryan is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where he represents the 20th Legislative District...
(D-Union), Albert Coutinho (D-Essex), Angel Fuentes (D-Camden), Annette Quijano (D-Union) and Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset) and signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday, August 17, 2010. FMERA will advance FMERPA's Reuse and Redevelopment Plan for economic development, growth and planning, with a focus on technology-based industries, for the 1,126 acres of real estate at Fort Monmouth following the base closure in September 2011.
The authority holds meetings that rotate between the municipal buildings of Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls, the three towns whose mayors sit on the authority.
As mandated by federal law, the authority must advertise for notices of interest from any state, county, municipal or private, non-profit agency which would provide homeless assistance to Monmouth County residents.
External links
- U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command/ Fort Monmouth Historical Office website
- Fort Monmouth website
- Information BRAC
- Battle for Fort Monmouth, a series of articles on the closing of Fort Monmouth by BRAC and the unsuccessful attempt to keep it open, published in the Asbury Park PressAsbury Park PressThe Asbury Park Press is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state...
, accessed May 19, 2009 - http://www.monmouth.army.mil/historian/pubupdates/ConciseHistory_Fall2007.pdf