Harlingen, RGV Could Play Major Role In Modernizing US Army

From the City of Harlingen:

Posted 1/28/2020

Harlingen and RGV Could Play Major Role in Modernizing the US Army

HARLINGEN, TEXAS–Recently Mayor Chris Boswell joined U.S. Representative Filemon Vela and Army Futures Command General John Murray for a tour of facilities that could be chosen as locations to establish cutting edge technology that will help update the US Army.

The tour was organized by Congressman Vela as a means to highlight the many great things the Rio Grande Valley has to offer the rest of the nation. “Today we visited United Launch Alliance, Space X, and we met with researchers from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley so that we can begin to establish a connection between all the stakeholders here in the Rio Grande Valley and the United States Military.”

Established in 2018, Austin-based Army Futures Command is responsible for developing ideas, requirements, and organizational designs for the Army’s future operating plans specifically in six areas– long-range precision fires, next-generation combat vehicles, future vertical lift platforms, a mobile and expeditionary Army network, air and missile defense capabilities, and Soldier lethality.

Mayor Boswell says this was a fantastic opportunity to show General Murray and his team all the potential opportunities and resources that we have. “There is a lot of innovation going on in the RGV and here in Harlingen as it connects with the UTRGV School of Medicine, the Institute of Neuroscience that is being built here in Harlingen so the research capabilities that we’re developing through UTRGV both their general education and their school of medicine capabilities and the real emphasis that President Baily is making on research and innovation. I don’t think I’ve seen any kind of higher education organization move so quickly and so expeditiously to fully develop research and innovation like UTRGV. Hopefully, this will be another resource that General Murray can draw from as he develops the military of the future.”

General Murray, speaking to the media during a press conference at Valley International Airport said he was impressed with what he saw. “One of my tasks from the Army senior leadership is to find innovation and find new ideas for the Army where ever it may be. So although we’re headquartered in Austin, Texas, this is really a nation-wide search and I have been across the country and seen many of the same things many of the same ideas as I saw today and I’ll just say that there is no place that I have seen more impressive than what I have seen here today. So phenomenal thinking, phenomenal ideas I’ve really been tasked to incorporate that into the Army’s future.”

In reference to UTRGV and research currently being conducted, the general said that in his opinion some of the brightest minds in the country are working on the country’s toughest problems and he looks forward to partnering and looking for opportunities in this region.

This press release was produced by the City of Harlingen. The views expressed here are the author’s own.