CECOM plans to hire 2,000 new employees by the time it moves to APG

Yesterday's Baltimore Sun had a good story on the massive hiring that will be happening in Maryland as the military moves its Fort Monmouth NJ operations to Aberdeen Proving Ground during the next three years. The story says :

The Communications-Electronics command (CECOM) is planning to hire 2,000 new employees by the time it moves to Aberdeen, the story said, with starting salaries ranging from $30,000 to $60,000, along with generous federal government fringe benefits.

If you're interested, it looks like you can apply for a job at CECOM here:
http://www.monmouth.army.mil/cecom/pandt/jobopport/apply.htm

BRAC job fair today at Harford Community College

The Department of Defense will be using today's BRAC job fair at Harford Community College to find candidates for the federal jobs coming to Aberdeen Proving Ground as a part of the military's Base Realignment and Closure process. The job fair runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the college's Susquehanna Center, 401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air. (Click here to see a map.) According to the City of Aberdeen's website:

The Department of Defense is recruiting experienced Engineers, Contract Specialists, Contract Officers, Management Analysts, Program Analysts, Logisticians, and Program Managers. Meet with DOD Recruiters. Apply for federal jobs located at Aberdeen Proving Ground. For more information contact Stacey Lambert at the Susquehanna Workforce Network 410-939-4240 or slambert@swnetwork.org

The BRAC jobs are coming

A commenter (thank you!) just posted some information on upcoming BRAC job opportunities.

There's a BRAC job fair scheduled at Harford Community College on June 4. The fair is scheduled 2:00 pm—7:00 pm at the college's Susquehanna Center, 401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air, MD 21014. According to the City of Aberdeen's website:

The Department of Defense is recruiting experienced Engineers, Contract Specialists, Contract Officers, Management Analysts, Program Analysts, Logisticians, and Program Managers. Meet with DOD Recruiters. Apply for federal jobs located at Aberdeen Proving Ground. For more information contact Stacey Lambert at 410-939-4240 or slambert@swnetwork.org

(The college is also hosting a Showcase of Aberdeen Proving Ground Technology and R&D Contract Opportunities on June 18 & 19 at the Amoss Center. Click here for more info.)

In other BRAC job news:

The master list of government jobs from Ft. Monmouth to APG is due to arrive at APG sometime before the end of June.

The majority of the Ordnance School move will start in April 09 and will continue to 2011, but the big push will be during 2010 fiscal year to Ft. Lee, VA.

The Government based jobs that are coming from nj ARE slowly starting to show up on USAJobs.com and will increase towards the end of this year.

CACI is the first contractor that will occupy the new OPUS complex.

Officials to break ground Monday on $477 million complex at APG to house Fort Monmouth's communications jobs

Army officials are scheduled to break ground Monday on a $477 million complex at Aberdeen Proving Ground that will house communications jobs that are relocating from Fort Meade. While the Asbury Park Press newspaper continues to report on efforts to prove the closing of the Fort Meade base is costing the government money instead of saving it, it appears APG will be getting ready for the 8,000 jobs expected to come nonetheless. The building will be for C4ISR: mission in command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to a Baltimore Sun story.

"The 1.5-million-square-foot facility, built by Whiting-Turner Contractors, should be ready for occupancy in the fall of 2010, a year ahead of the deadline for the completion of BRAC."

More construction at the 73,000-acre base will start this summer on a test and evaluation center as well as a comprehensive medical research unit, the story said.

Construction began three months ago on a 200-acre business and technology park known as GATE (Government and Technology Enterprise) that will include a 60,000-square-foot laboratory and an 80,000-square- foot office building, according to the Sun.

"The GATE project is part of an 'enhanced-use program,' a nationwide push by the Department of Defense to find new ways of financing maintenance and improvements on military installations during a time when the defense budget is being stretched to support combat operations overseas. Leasing the land helps pay for many of the other base upgrades.

"'One of the reasons we won BRAC is because APG has these lands available for lease,' said James C. Richardson, Harford's economic development director."

BRAC has already brought 500 new residents to Harford County

Harford County Executive David Craig told a crowd of 300 who attended last night's BRAC Town Hall meeting at the Aberdeen High School auditorium that 500 new residents have already come to Harford County as a result of BRAC, according to a report on abc2news.com. In addition, the story said:

"County officials told them that eight intersections near the Proving Ground will have to be improved, most of them along Rt. 40. Other roads that lead to the base, including Rt. 22, will have to be widened."

Officials said 8,000 new jobs would be moved from Fort Monmouth N.J. to Aberdeen Proving Ground. And, if the people who currently hold those jobs don't make the move, then there would be a lot of job openings at APG. They also said the sheriff's department staff would need to increase and the jail would need to be expanded. The county's water capacity would have to more than double by 2020.

"But Craig said Harford County residents will not be asked to pay for it all with an increase in their property taxes. 'We’re not anticipating an increase in taxes because of the capital improvements we need to make, or because of the operational improvements,' he said"

The story did not mention where the rest of the money would come from.

Big BRAC meeting coming up Monday, March 10

Transportation, schools and crime are among the topics expected to be covered during a BRAC town hall meeting scheduled 6:30 p.m. March 10 at the Aberdeen High School auditorium. A Baltimore Sun story reports speakers at the meeting are to include:

• Garrison commander Col. Jeffrey Weissman, who will give a BRAC progress report
• Harford County Sheriff Jesse Bane, who will speak on safety issues
• Harford County Economic Development Director James C. Richardson, who will discuss how his office is assisting people and organizations moving to Harford County
• County Executive David R. Craig, who will lead a forum on BRAC questions

Also to be discussed are a transportation center near Aberdeen and road construction priorities and the new Homeland Security Magnet Program in Harford County schools.

The nationwide military base expansion could bring as many as 10,000 new jobs to Aberdeen Proving Ground within the next three years, according to the Sun story.

The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Harford County Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059 or visit them on the web at www.harfordbusiness.org.

State highway planners seek more public input on APG intersection improvements

State highway planners looking to improve the intersection of U.S. 40 and Route 715 near the entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground presented four options to the approximately 100 people who attended a public meeting last Tuesday night. According to a story in today's Baltimore Sun:

"Options include two loop ramps from U.S. 40, a cloverleaf and additional lanes."

The story says the costs range from $34 million to $48.8 million and the project has not yet received funding:

"With funding, we could start construction in about three years," said Stephen M. Ches, transportation engineer manager and project manager. "First, there will be design and environmental studies. It will take two to three years to build."

The proposed highway improvements "could affect as many as 18 properties along the heavily commercial strip of U.S. 40. Preliminary studies have identified the potential impact on streams, but environmental research will be needed to determine the effects on wetlands," the story says.

The story says that some of the people who attended asked officials whether Route 715 would be extended to Interstate 95 and they were told that was not part of the plan. The story went on to quote Aberdeen Mayor Michael Bennett saying: "It will have to be done sometime."

The State Highway Administration is allowing 30 more days for the public to comment on the project:

Information: 410-545-8835 or 888-228-5003. The designs will be available soon at www. marylandroads.com, where there is room for comment. (I didn't see them there yet. If you do, please let me know and I'll include a link.)





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Jan. 15 public meeting scheduled on BRAC-related road improvements planned for U.S. Route 40 at MD 715

The Dagger Press blog reports that a public meeting is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 15 to discuss upcoming improvements to the U.S. Route 40 (Pulaski Highway) at MD 715 (Short Lane/Maryland Boulevard) Interchange near Aberdeen. The meeting, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT) and the State Highway Administration (SHA) will be held at Bakerfield Elementary School, 36 Baker Street, Aberdeen.

According to the report in The Dagger Press:

"The main objective of this project is to improve the operational characteristics of the interchange and provide additional capacity for the future Base Realignment and Closure expansion."

"Although there will be no formal presentation, citizens can acquaint themselves with the project, review studies made, and see the various options currently under consideration by walking through the displays at their own pace. There will be SHA representatives available to discuss the current plans and answer questions."

For more information, click here to read the post at The Dagger Press.