Press Releases

Today, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, made the following remarks on the hearing called "Department of Defense Laboratories: Innovation through Science and Engineering in Support of Military Operations." For testimony and to watch the hearing live click here.

"I am pleased to welcome everyone here today for this hearing on the role of the Department of Defense laboratories in supporting military operations. While the Secretary of Defense has been highlighting the need for increased partnerships with commercial providers in Silicon Valley, Boston, and elsewhere, I think it is important to remember that the Defense Department also maintains its own in-house sustained source of innovation.

The Defense Laboratory Enterprise is a robust network of 67 laboratories and engineering centers that are dedicated to providing responsive scientific and engineering advice to support military needs. As we look to make the Department more flexible and adaptable to take on new innovations, it will be vitally important to ensure that the labs maintain the workforce and infrastructure needed to keep them relevant for the future warfighting environment. In looking at that challenge over the past two years as the chairman for this subcommittee, I am not convinced that the Department is doing enough to keep pace with an ever-evolving set of threats.

In order to get a better perspective on all of these issues, I would like to welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses, which includes:

Major General Robert D. McMurry, USAF
Commander
Air Force Research Laboratory

Dr. Jeffery Holland
Director, Engineer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Waterways Experiment Station

Dr. Edward Franchi
Acting Director of Research
Naval Research Laboratory

Dr. Philip Perconti
Acting Director
United States Army Research Laboratory (ARL)"