Com-Central.net

- TrevorLarkum

Most of Bovington's money comes from the National Lottery - I don't know if there's a US equivalent. This year they're planning a 40,000 sq ft storage building with workshop and conservation facility. It's designed to hold 120 vehicles, and be accessible to the public.

Trevor, unfortunately there is no US equivalent - and frankly I think the Ordnance Museum would be happy to just have a facility of the caliber of the Bovington's _old_ tank museum, before the lottery. That was pretty much a story of the "rich getting richer" IMO...

Neil

Interesting... It looks like the cut (according to the conference report) called the Army on moving the museums under BRAC, but not funding them under BRAC... Problem is (not stated below), all BRAC efforts have to be completed by September 30 this year (not sure how the ongoing CR vs actual Appropriations affects that).

On the flipside, the language is extremely supportive of the museums (a little surprising to me) - just not how the Army tried to fund them.

www.hopewellnews.com/a...3155.shtml

Museum ops. support building funds cut from 2011 budget
By Sarah Steele Wilson, Hopewell News
Mar 11, 2011, 13:52

FORT LEE One of the effects of the Base Realignment and Closure policy on Fort Lee has been the arrival of the Ordnance Corps and School. Since 2009, artifacts from the United States Army Ordnance Museum have been making their way from Aberdeen Proving Ground as part of that move. A massive T-12 Bomb and an Artillery Piece called Anzio Annie are some of the most recent arrivals to Fort Lee.

While there were plans to build a new Ordnance Museum at Fort Lee to house the collection of historic weaponry, those plans may have to be put on hold.

According to Randy Forbes Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant Joe Hack, funds for the project were included in the President's FY2011 budget request, but were cut by the United States Senate in the National Defense Authorization Act. Senate Bill 3454 lists a $30 million dollar request for Museum Operations Support Building in 2011, which was cut in its entirety.

Hack said that the House of Representatives has banned all earmarks for this congressional session and that this type of project would be considered an earmark. He said the Army did not request funds for this project in their FY2012 budget request.

Hack also sent an excerpt from the conference report that explains the cut.

"We strongly support the Army's objective to properly preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance as these collections not only inform the general public of the proud legacy and history of the Army, but also inspire younger generations to military service. As such, we are concerned that the Army's current plan will prohibit the general public from viewing these outstanding collections at their new locations until museums are constructed with privately-raised resources.

In addition, if these collections are deemed by the Department of the Army as critical to the relocation and operation of the three schools, the facilities should be funded from accounts established to carry out BRAC construction. As such, we strongly encourage the Department of the Army to develop a plan that will allow the relocation of these museum artifacts and collections in a way that satisfies the law, meets the training and education needs of the Department of the Army, and continues to afford the general public the opportunity to view these critical representations of American history."

As for how the lack of a museum may affect the ordnance artifacts, Ordnance Museum Director Chris Semancik emailed the following statement.

"The lack of a proper facility to preserve and house these artifacts, as well as grant access to them by the students of the U.S Army Ordnance School and other DoD affiliated agencies, could have negative impacts on the established program of instruction for the study of technological history and heritage of the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. It is important that our Soldiers have a professional education that includes lessons learned from the deployment and maintenance of the ordnance systems of the past."

Hi Folks!

- Doug_Kibbey

- Garry_Redmon

The Patton Museum was built over several years in phases, the funding of which came from private donations through the Patton Museum Foundation. It was then signed over to the Army.
Garry

Which amounts to quite a burn for the people/organizations who donated thinking they were funding a legacy institution only to see the major part of it relocated. I wonder how many of them will be eager to donate again to support the re-creation of facility they thought was paid for?

Here at Ft Bliss the Air Defense Assocation (ADA)was doing a good job supporting the museum. When Air Defense moved to Ft Still and took most of the items that the ADA had help restore, the Assocation turned it's back on the 1st AD version of the museum and all of it's help has vanished. Even the gift shop closed back in January. 75% of their profits went to the museum.

Per the Museum Director, for the first time in 13 years he is broke. He has no funds for repairing or fixing up any of the 1st AD vehicles. The Center for Military History pays his and the Curators salaries, Ft Bliss does basic building repairs and covers the utilites. Anything else comes from public support. Except for a motorcycle club that has repainted the M1IP, this museum has no support.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Somewhat similar story at APG. The Ordnance Museum Foundation has turned it's back on the Ordnance Museum and rebranded itself as the "Aberdeen Military Museum Foundation" to support the residual "Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum" that will have the leftovers and CECOM stuff... If there's to be a new foundation it will have to be started anew...