General learns the history, future of park’s innovative research missions and benefit

Gen. Kevin Byrnes, commanding general of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, visited the University of Missouri Technology Park at Fort Leonard Wood Monday.

Along with his visit to the technology park, Byrnes took part in a change of commandment ceremony, ribbon cutting ceremony for the military police starship barracks and the new Coast Guard boat dedication at the Joint Services Park.

The Fort Leonard Wood Regional Commerce and Growth Association hosted his visit.

Larry Sexton, RCGA board member, welcomes Byrnes and Maj. Gen. R.L. Van Antwerp, commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood, to the park.

Rick Prugh, executive vice president of Missouri Enterprise, briefed General Byrnes on the technology park and the Leonard Wood Institute. He began by reviewing the history of the innovative park’s establishment through a unique partnership between the state of Missouri, the University of Missouri, and the Army.

Prugh also discussed details concerning the initial 18,000-square-foot building in the park and the second building recently approved by the University of Missouri and will be ready for occupancy this winter. He pointed out the benefits the park provides to the Army with respect to mission enhancement, reduced operating costs and quality of life. He further stated that the park gives the Army an important surge capability to support new or expanding missions.

“The traditional military construction program often takes five years or more to add infrastructure to an installation,” said Prugh. “The park provides the capability for the Army (or other federal agencies) to rapidly lease needed office, classroom, or laboratory space and implement a new mission well before the military construction program can react.”

Once military construction program space becomes available, it can be utilized for other new missions or for commercial/academic use. The Engineer School recently moved its Terrain Visualization Center into the park. This center now has room to expand and to provide opportunity for related academic, industry and other government agencies to collocate with it.

Prugh also briefed Byrnes on the Leonard Wood Institute and its focus on developing collaborations between government, academic and corporate organizations in support of DOD and Army missions at Fort Leonard Wood.

The institute will be a classical research institute similar to other research institutes located at major DOD science and technology installations, such as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Aberdeen Proving Grounds and Redstone Arsenal.

In expressing strong support for science and technology collaborations support DOD missions, Byrnes said, “We are past the point where we can do things unilaterally.”

He pointed out the Army’s collaborative efforts with the University of Southern California and the movie industry to bring realistic training to Soldiers.

After the briefing, Byrnes and Van Antwerp toured the Terrain Visualization Center. Col. Dave Kingston, director of the TRADOC Program Integration Office for Terrain Data, and his staff showed them some of the early successes resulting from the move of the center to the technology park and the initial collaborations between the TVC, the United States Geological Survey and several of the geospatial companies also located in the tech park.

“This was an important event that gave the region an opportunity to demonstrate to senior Army leadership how well the military, academia and industry work together in the region to support DOD and the Army,” said Sexton. “The tech park and the institute will help Fort Leonard Wood and the region to continue to grow in the years ahead.”

The Fort Leonard Wood Regional Commerce and Growth Association is located in the tech park. As a not-for-profit association, RCGA promotes economic and community development in the Fort Leonard Wood region.

Fort Leonard Wood RCGA meetings are normally held on the second Tuesday of the month, and the public is always invited. The meetings start at 1:30 p.m., at the tech park.

The next meeting will be on July 13. Call 329.8505 to confirm time and place.