Sen. Cruz Op-Ed in Austin American-Statesman: Army Futures Command center poised for success in Austin
‘The Army couldn’t have made a better choice than Texas’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) penned an op-ed for the Austin American-Statesman on Tuesday applauding the Army’s decision to select Austin as the host for the new Army Futures Command (AFC). As the leading advocate for Texas to host the new Army Futures Command, Sen. Cruz penned a letter to Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, and a letter to Secretary of the Army Mark Esper advocating for the Army’s expansion into Texas. Today, Sen. Cruz met with Under Secretary McCarthy to discuss getting AFC up and running in Austin.
Read the op-ed in its entirety here and below:
Army Futures Command center poised for success in Austin
Austin American-Statesman
July 24, 2018
By: Senator Ted Cruz
Last week, the United States Army announced that it had selected Austin as the site of the new Army’s Futures Command (AFC), a new four-star command charged with modernizing the Army and streamlining its adoption of new weapons and technology.
The Army couldn’t have made a better choice than Texas. Austin is at the heart of our booming technology sector, and I am honored to have worked hard to bring the AFC to the Lone Star State, along with its jobs, economic opportunities, and even more incentives for businesses to relocate to Texas.
As part of the largest Army reorganization in 45 years, the AFC will help the Army adopt new technology and explore 21st-century solutions more efficiently. The AFC will implement cross-functional teams that correspond with the Army’s top six modernization priorities: long-range precision fires, next-generation combat vehicles, future vertical lift, the network, air-and-missile defense, and soldier lethality.
Across these various priorities, the AFC has been given the responsibility of modernizing the Army for the future and integrating emerging technologies to meet emerging threats. And from our universities to our defense industrial base partners and our rapidly growing technology sector, Texas is ready to partner with the Army and propel the force into the future.
The Austin area is home to 6,500 high-tech companies — an innovation ecosystem with 36 incubators and accelerators, and dozens of companies that supply all manner of advanced technology to our military. There are tens of thousands of students and hundreds of thousands of veterans in the area.
But our military won’t be the only beneficiary from this new relationship; Texans will prosper as well. The AFC will bring over 500 jobs to Austin, split between civilian and active-duty roles, as well as many more economic opportunities for Texas businesses to support and supply the Command while serving its employees.
With the innovation and business growth occurring around our state, our many high-tech companies, and dozens of enterprises that supply all manner of advanced technology to our military, Texas is uniquely positioned to ensure the Army succeeds in this new mission. As the AFC is established, I am eager to continue working with the Army and state and local officials to ensure our men and women in uniform are given the resources they need to fulfill their mission and protect our country.
I am proud to have advocated vigorously for Texas to host the AFC. I joined with my fellow Senator John Cornyn in urging the Army to bring the AFC to Texas, and I made the case directly to Army Secretary Mark Esper and to Army Under Secretary Ryan McCarthy that Austin was the best fit in the country for this new vanguard for the Army’s future. And I’m deeply gratified that our efforts have borne fruit.
Our brave soldiers deserve the best technology and support possible to defeat and deter potential threats to America. Our forward looking, pro-growth state has been recognized as the ideal laboratory for making these plans a reality. I know the people of Texas are the best folks for the job, and I’m glad that we and the nation will benefit from hosting the new Army’s Futures Command in Austin.
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