Army Considers 4,300 APG Job Cuts; Harford Issues 'Call to Action'

The public is encouraged to rally around Aberdeen Proving Ground at an upcoming meeting entitled “Call to Action” about potential job cuts at the military post in Harford County.

In response to budgetary constraints coming down from the Department of Defense, the Army last month issued recommendations for realigning its operations by 2020. It intended to reduce its forces from 562,000 to 490,000 with a 2013 plan but now intends to scale back to approximately 440–450,000 because of fiscal constraints, according to its proposal contained in the Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment.

The proposal recommended trimming 4,300 jobs over the next six years at the proving ground, where it said there were 12,335 permanent party soldiers and Army civilians in 2013.

Approximately 3,021 additional jobs would be lost as a result of the Army cuts, according to the proposal, which said more than 9,000 jobs were part of the base’s “total working population,” which includes students and trainees, contractors, civilians and other military service providers.

In all, the Army estimated approximately 7,321 jobs would be lost.

That could cause a ripple effect for Harford County, where Aberdeen Proving Ground is the largest employer, according to the Harford County Office of Economic Development. The next largest employer is Harford County Public Schools, with more than 5,000 employees, which may also be affected.

Since students at APG go off post for their education, schools that students from the proving ground attend would experience “minor to significant impacts” because of declining enrollment, and may lose federal dollars they would otherwise have been eligible for due to military connections, according to the proposal. The document outlined those with the largest attendance: Roye Williams, Churchville and Meadowvale elementary schools; Aberdeen, Havre de Grace and Bel Air middle schools; and Aberdeen, Havre de Grace and Patterson Mill high schools. There were several others as well.

Not all impacts from the job cuts would be negative, according to the proposal. Wildlife would be less disturbed with habitats having “more time to recover” between testing, the Army said, facilities would require less maintenance due to less testing, runoff would be reduced because new construction would not occur and traffic congestion would be eased in the area.

Harford County’s Director of Economic Development Jim Richardson will moderate a panel discussion on Aug. 4 at Aberdeen High School designed to educate the public about the Army’s proposal.

Following introductory remarks by Harford County Executive David Craig and Aberdeen Mayor Michael Bennett, these officials will discuss the proposal and its possible impacts on greater Aberdeen: Managing Director of the Office of Military and Federal Affairs in the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Brig. Gen. J. Michael Hayes (retired U.S. Marine Corps); Army Alliance President Jill McClune; Harford County Economic Development Advisory Board Chair Eric McLauchlin, Esq. ; and Army Alliance Board of Directors member Brian M. Simmons.

The Chesapeake Science and Research Corridor and Army Alliance are hosting the “Call to Action” forum to educate the public about the proposal from 6–8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 4, at Aberdeen High School, 251 Paradise Road, in Aberdeen.