This land was known for successfully growing corn, wheat, and tomatoes, and was a source of plentiful fishing for the canning industry. Ruggles to a fertile farm area on the Chesapeake Bay, 25 miles north of Baltimore. The requirements were that it had to be close to manufacturing and industrial centers, but far enough away that daily munitions testing wouldn't cause issues for the surrounding community. At the time, the nearest proving ground (Sandy Hook at Fort Hancock, New Jersey) was no longer able to conduct major munitions research because it was too close to the New York suburbs, making expansion for munitions testing impossible.Ĭolonel Colden Ruggles, the commanding officer of Sandy Hook, was commissioned to find the new test site. One of the oldest active military weapons testing and training areas in the U.S, APG was established in 1917 to be the new site for U.S Army Ordnance Testing. Drawing on its long history in computing, organizations at APG are at the leading edge of development of new technologies to address one of the major threats to national security today - cybersecurity.Aberdeen Proving Ground has a history steeped in the research, engineering and development of munitions. Aberdeen Proving Ground continues to reinvent itself to meet the demands of the day. With this BRAC came the electronics and communications that realign and complement support for the war-fighter. The growth from BRAC 2005 represents APG's largest expansion since World War II. Today, APG is recognized around the world as a leader in the research, development, testing and evaluation of materiel. The July 1971 merger of Edgewood Arsenal and Aberdeen Proving Ground created a unique combination of activities and missions. On land acquired 16 miles from Aberdeen, the Edgewood Area of APG (formerly known as Edgewood Arsenal) was also developed in 1917 as a chemical weapons, research, development and testing facility. Edgewoodįrom this beginning, APG has grown and evolved into one of the most diversified military installations in the United States. Sandy Hook, NJ, and the Army’s proof and acceptance testing ground for ammunition and cannon since 1874 was being closed and the Chesapeake Bay site was selected as the best suited to carry the mission of testing field artillery. The Army had taken over 69,000 acres of land and water to provide an area for design and testing of ordnance. HistoryĪberdeen Proving Ground was established by order of President Woodrow Wilson on October 20, 1917, six months after the United States entered World War I, and officially opened in December 1917. Considered by military leaders as a "megabase," APG serves as a premiere center for science and technology. Not only has the installation grown larger, its role among military bases changed. More recently, because of the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 and other factors, APG evolved into a hub of research, development, and test and evaluation activity for the joint services. Home to the world's leaders in research, development, testing and evaluation of materiel, APG military and civilian personnel have had a profound impact on the way wars are fought.įor much of its 95-year history, APG was known as a test and evaluation facility for the Army and home to ordnance troops. Aberdeen Proving Ground is one of the most diversified military installations in the United States and the work that takes place at this 72,000-acre complex touches almost every aspect of U.S.
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