Stefanik, Kean, Tenney Renew Push to Invest in Warfighting Capabilities at Fort Drum

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representatives Elise Stefanik (NY-21),Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07), and Claudia Tenney (NY-24) sent a letter to Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the Army, renewing their call for the Army to establish a Close Combat Innovation Cell (CCIC) in partnership with the North Country's 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and Picatinny Arsenal.

"We urge the Army to take the next practical step and allocate $20 million out of last year's budget reconciliation package's $500 million for 'development, production, and integration of' counter-UAS funding to sustain and expand CCIC activities executed by Troika Solutions' Accelerated Capabilities Team (ACT), in direct partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC) at Picatinny Arsenal and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. This is a prudent, immediate-use investment that aligns resources to a proven construct, leverages existing infrastructure and authorities, like OTAs that are supported by President Trump, and delivers near-term operational impact while informing longer-term programmatic decisions," the lawmakers wrote.

Their letter follows the Army's completion of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) briefing and report that confirmed a CCIC would improve close combat lethality and adaptability in contested, multi-domain environments.

Stefanik and Kean previously sent a letter to Driscoll this past October, expressing their support for the Army's Memorandum of Agreement between the 10th Mountain Infantry Division at Fort Drum, U.S. Army's DEVCOM AC, and Picatinny Arsenal to establish a CCIC.

Read today's letter HERE.

Permalink: https://stefanik.house.gov/2026/2/stefanik-kean-tenney-renew-push-to-invest-in-warfighting-capabilities-at-fort-drum