Young, Donnelly Lead Indiana Delegation Letter Supporting National Guard Cyber Battalion for Indianapolis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) led a letter today signed by the entire Indiana congressional delegation supporting the Indiana National Guard’s proposal to station a cyber battalion in Indianapolis. A new National Guard cyber battalion in Indianapolis would take advantage of key regional assets and would further strengthen the region’s economy and high-tech sector.
The letter to Lieutenant General Kadavy, Director of the Army National Guard, highlights the skill of members of the Indiana National Guard, as well as the Guard’s size, key units, and optimal facilities.
The Indiana congressional delegation writes, “Adding to these advantages of the Indiana National Guard, a cyber battalion headquartered in the Indianapolis metropolitan area would also benefit from proximity to key academic institutions, a premier Department of Defense laboratory, and a cutting-edge training complex.”
Major General Courtney Carr, the Indiana National Guard Adjutant General, said, “I appreciate the support of our elected leaders. It’s rewarding that they recognize our capability and what a good fit additional cyber structure would be here in Indiana.”
In addition to Senators Young and Donnelly, the letter was signed by the entire Indiana delegation in the House of Representatives: Peter Visclosky (IN-01), Jackie Walorski (IN-02), Jim Banks (IN-03), Todd Rokita (IN-04), Susan Brooks (IN-05), Luke Messer (IN-06), André Carson (IN-07), Larry Bucshon (IN-08), and Trey Hollingsworth (IN-09).
Senator Young serves as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Donnelly serves as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The letter follows Senator Young’s November 27 trip to Fort Meade to visit with members of the Indiana National Guard mobilized to conduct cyber operations, as well as Senator Young’s February 2 visit to the Indiana National Guard’s headquarters in Indianapolis.
To read the full letter, see below or click here.
Dear Lieutenant General Kadavy:
We write to express our strong support for the Indiana National Guard’s proposal to station a cyber battalion in Indiana under the Army National Guard Cyber Brigade’s Concept Plan. The Indiana National Guard is ideally suited to host a cyber battalion.
The Indiana National Guard combines a large Army Guard contingent, key units, and optimal facilities. The Indiana National Guard boasts the fourth largest Army National Guard contingent in the nation, as well as signal and military intelligence units with deep cyber expertise. In addition, the Indiana National Guard owns a 12,000 square foot sensitive compartmented information facility at the Indiana Intelligence Center in Indianapolis. This facility includes over 200 seats-more than enough to support the cyber headquarters battalion.
This distinctive combination of cyber-related assets enables the Indiana National Guard to provide uniquely skilled and valuable support to Army Cyber Command. In fact, more than a dozen members of the Indiana National Guard currently serve at Fort Meade as part of Task Force Echo-conducting cutting-edge strategic cyber missions in direct support of our deployed warfighters.
Adding to these advantages of the Indiana National Guard, a cyber battalion headquartered in the Indianapolis metropolitan area would also benefit from proximity to key academic institutions, a premier Department of Defense laboratory, and a cutting-edge training complex. The Purdue University Cyber Center and Indiana University Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research provide valuable research and support. Nearby Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane is home to leading national experts on cyber security and hardware assurance. The Indiana National Guard’s Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex (MUTC) boasts the Department of Defense’s only live, full-scale cyber range.
For these reasons, we encourage you to consider the merits of the Indiana National Guard’s proposal to station a cyber battalion in Indiana. We fully support their proposal.
Please do not hesitate to let us know if we can be helpful. Thank you for your distinguished service to our country.
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