Durbin Meets with Incoming Commander at Rock Island Arsenal, Major General Robert Radin

Press Release

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Major General Robert Radin who will be taking over command of the Army Sustainment Command that is headquartered at Rock Island Arsenal in Rock Island, Illinois.

"The Rock Island Arsenal is vital to our nation's defense and the region's economy," Durbin said. "Major General Radin is a respected commander who brings valuable experience to his new position. He and I discussed the importance of maintaining the Arsenal's role as a critical national security asset in our nation's defense."

Major General Robert Radin will assume the position as Commanding General of the Army Sustainment Command on July 25, 2007. Major General Radin will also be the senior mission commander and will oversee all of activities at the Rock Island Arsenal. This position is currently held by Major General Jerome Johnson. Radin, a West Point graduate, is returning to Rock Island where he previously commanded the Joint Munitions Command from 2003-2005. He is currently the Chief of Staff for Operations at the Army Material Command at Ft. Belvoir.

The Army Sustainment Command, tasked with improving logistical support to soldiers on the battlefield, opened its headquarters at Rock Island Arsenal in September 2006. It is part of the Army Material Command and continues to work on improving the speed of delivery and the efficiency of maintaining materials and equipment.

Rock Island Arsenal is our only remaining Army foundry and metal manufacturing facility. When American soldiers began facing improvised explosive devices on the roads of Iraq, private industry could not keep up with the speed and innovation needed to produce protective armor; Rock Island did - producing steel armor kits for Humvees and other vehicles. In the Military Construction Appropriations bill that was recently approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, Durbin secured $3.35 million in funding to both finish remodeling the existing Rock Island Arsenal Fire and Police Station and complete the remaining 4,000 square feet of the new addition. Durbin originally secured $7.4 million for this project in the 2006 Budget.

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