he Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on 15 April 2011 to celebrate the officical opening of its new facility on Ft. George G. Meade. DISA Director Army Lt. Gen. Carroll Pollett hosted the event, held in the conference center of the main building on the 1.1 million-square-foot campus.
“This event is an opportunity for us to show our gratitude to all of our partners who have helped us to get here, and our employees who have made this move successful,” said Lt. Gen. Pollett during the ceremony.
In addition to DISA’s current and former staff, distinguished guests of the event included Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Teri Takai, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Sen. Ben Cardin, and Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown.
DISA’s office complex is now the largest in Anne Arundel County. The campus of seven buildings, on 95 acres, includes its own warehouse, water supply, conference center, education center, and various office and test and evaluation labs. The complex also houses a large dining facility with various cuisines, a health center, and a fitness center with exercise rooms and various cardio and strength training equipment.
Approximately 200 employees transfer from Northern Virginia to the new campus each week. When the phased move is complete in August 2011, more than 4,000 government civilian employees, active duty military, and contractors will work in the new facility.
I want to welcome the DISA employees and their families to Maryland. I know how hard it is to move, and I want you to know I’m on your side,” U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski said. “I fought to get the funding necessary to build the DISA headquarters and the transportation infrastructure to go with it. I will keep fighting for jobs today and jobs tomorrow – high-tech jobs that can never been sent overseas.”
“Maryland has received international recognition as one of the premier 21st Century locations for information technology and technology-based intelligence,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. “This new Defense Information Systems Agency headquarters is first class and will ensure that our nation has the resources it needs to provide our nation’s leaders with the reliable information and communications that are critical to protect our nation.”
“As Ranking Member of the House Committee on Intelligence, I know how critical DISA’s work is in keeping our nation’s defense and intelligence agencies communicating, connected and secure,” said Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger. “DISA is making sure warfighters around the globe have real-time access to secure network information and the technologies that keep them safe. The thousands of jobs DISA will bring with this state-of-the-art building are a great windfall for Maryland and Anne Arundel County and I am proud to call this agency my new constituent.”
“We are fortunate that BRAC is bringing thousands of new jobs to Maryland. I am particularly excited about welcoming DISA because they have established a model telework policy that will help mitigate traffic coming on and off the base,” said Congressman John Sarbanes, who authored a law to promote telework within the federal government.
“I am proud to welcome the Defense Information Systems Agency and its dedicated workers to Maryland,” said Lt. Governor Brown, chair of the Governor’s BRAC Subcabinet in Maryland. “We have been able to make this day a reality due to our strong partnerships with DISA leadership, Maryland’s Congressional Delegation, and the local community. It is an honor to support DISA’s work to provide our brave men and women in uniform with the real time information they need to defend our nation. And DISA’s cutting edge approach to information processing will fit in seamlessly with Maryland’s innovation economy. Base realignment in Maryland means more jobs, a stronger economy and better support for our troops, and I will keep working to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.”