Fort Drum in New York gets missile defense site designation from DoD

The U.S. Department of Defense designated Fort Drum in Jefferson County, N.Y., as an East Coast Missile Defense Site.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) commended the choice.

“I am proud to announce that after years of leading the effort on behalf of Fort Drum on the House Armed Services Committee, the Department of Defense has announced that Fort Drum is the preferred designation for an East Coast Missile Defense Site,” Stefanik said. “Since day one in office, I have served as the number one advocate for Fort Drum and our region and worked every day to achieve this designation.”

The Department of Defense points out that there is no current need for this type of missile defense system and they have no current plans to build one.

“I led the effort to unite much of the New York Congressional Delegation around the selection of Fort Drum as the preferred site, and I thank my colleagues for their support. I also want to thank the countless community groups, including Advocate Drum (FDRLO), state elected officials, and the tens of thousands of families for their advocacy on behalf of our region. Most of all, thank you to the troops of the 10th Mountain Division for their service to our nation,” Stefanik said.

Stefanik has advocated for this designation since she took office. She included language into the NDAA that requires the Secretary of Defense to designate an interceptor site for potential future deployment in the continental United States.