House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) have sent a letter to Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll in support of a proposal to invest in warfighting capabilities at Fort Drum. The letter addresses the Army’s Memorandum of Agreement involving the 10th Mountain Infantry Division at Fort Drum, the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC), and Picatinny Arsenal, with plans to establish a Close Combat Innovation Cell (CCIC).
In their letter, Stefanik and Kean wrote: “The CCIC will allow DEVCOM AC and the DEVCOM AC Accelerated Capabilities Team (ACT) to develop new systems in close coordination with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and Picatinny Arsenal to ensure the technologies it develops are useful to the warfighter in complex battlefield environments. One of the first innovation projects under the CCIC is set to be Project STARLING. This project will develop, produce, and field up to 100 3D-printed small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for employment within a light infantry brigade combat team. The goal of these systems is to expand the tactical reconnaissance and targeting capabilities of the 10th Mountain Division.”
This action follows Stefanik’s earlier work advancing the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, where she included several provisions aimed at supporting Fort Drum, the 10th Mountain Division, military families in Upstate New York and North Country, as well as national defense.
Elise Stefanik has represented New York’s 21st district in Congress since 2015 after replacing Bill Owens. She was born in Albany, New York in 1984 and lives in Schuylerville. Stefanik graduated from Harvard University with an AB degree.
The full text of the letter can be read at https://stefanik.house.gov/2025/10/stefanik-and-kean-send-letter-to-army-secretary-driscoll-expressing-support-for-proposal-to-invest-in-warfighting-capabilities-at-fort-drum.
