Gen. Utley: EPG not closing. Role of facility vital to the Army

Sierra Vista Herald ^ | Bill Hess

[SandRat]

FORT HUACHUCA — Without equivocation, Maj. Gen. Peter D. Utley said, “EPG is not closing.”

For some time there has been rumors involving the potential closing of the Electronic Proving Ground, heightened by Department of Defense officials noting the military is being reduced in size.

However, Utley, who heads the Army Test and Evaluation Command to which EPG is subordinate, talked about the post high-tech organization Tuesday during EPG’s 60th anniversary.

At the Antenna Test Facility, where he participated in the ribbon cutting for the new Small Arc Range, the general talked with the Herald/Review after the ceremony.

“The Department of Defense, the Army, we cannot afford to loose EPG’s capabilities,” he said.

While Army officials have noted there will be some cuts coming which has been announced hitting soldiers and civil service employees but not currently addressing contractors, who are a major part of the EPG workforce, the general said the organization provides unique technical testing which would be difficult to replicate.

“EPG is not going anywhere,” Utley emphasized.

[SandRat]

“EPG is not going anywhere,” Utley emphasized.