CRREL, 30 Years Retrospective 1986-1991
Abstract
The history of CRREL goes back much further than the 30 years being celebrated by this historical observance. In the 124 years since Alaska was purchased from Russia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been involved in cold regions research and development. During World War n, organizations were created which, in 1961, were brought together to form the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory at Hanover, New Hampshire. At no time in that long history have the forces of change been stronger than they are today. Major changes have occurred on the international scene. The Berlin Wall no longer exists and Germany is again one country. The Warsaw Pact has gone the way of the Wall, and the Cold War has thawed. In early 1991, the United States and a coalition of 33 nations fought one of the most successful military campaigns in the history of warfare in the desert of the Middle East-a war that may reshape military doctrine for years to come. The United States is committed to reducing the size of the military by 1995. Facilities and installations at home are being closed and consolidated. Bases in Europe will close and our national defense strategy of forward-deployed forces will be replaced by a strategy of "forward presence." The Department of Defense is forcing the services to rely on each other to conduct consolidated or coordinated research through Project Reliance. Secretary Cheney has challenged the Department of Defense to be "the Federal leader in agency environmental compliance and protection," and the environment represents the only portion of the Defense budget that will increase over the next five years. Installation commanders are seeing new construction decrease and existing facilities deteriorate, while the money to properly maintain and renovate them may not be forthcoming. Change is occurring at an unprecedented rate and may continue indefinitely.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA635486
Entities
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory