Red River Regional, representing southern military bases, becomes 26th member chapter for NDIA
ARLINGTON, VA – The National Defense Industrial Association officially welcomes the Red River Regional Chapter to its fold, making it the 26th chapter of the defense and national security member organization.
Centered in Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, the Red River Regional Chapter represents parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas that several military installations call home, said Chapter President Brian Burgess.
“These installations all enjoy very strong community relationships and support organizations,” Burgess said. “Members from several support groups in the region recognized that NDIA, with its national presence and government-industry programs, would expand the opportunities for the communities to support their installations.”
Burgess said the chapter has two main goals at this time: offer a variety of opportunities for the government and industry to exchange information, and foster a greater understanding of the installation missions in the region.
Barksdale Air Force Base, for instance, in Bossier Parish, northwest Louisiana, is the nation’s focal point for strategic stability operations – such as deterring competitors, supporting U.S. partners, controlling escalation, and managing global crises – and long-range strike. The Army’s Fort Polk in Vernon Parish, LA, is home of the Joint Readiness Training Center, where all armed forces preparing to deploy for stabilization operations learn their jobs. The Red River Army Depot of Bowie County, TX, is an industrial complex that remanufactures, rebuilds, and repairs wheeled and tracked vehicles and recertifies Patriot and Hawk missiles.
“We are excited to stand up the NDIA Red River Regional Chapter,” said Frank Michael, NDIA’s senior vice president of program development. “This chapter will capture the military-industrial interests of Northwest Louisiana, East Texas, and Southern Arkansas. It enjoys tremendous support from the local Shreveport-Bossier community and will provide a tremendous platform for dialogue, engagement, and collaboration with our warfighters and their critical mission at Barksdale Air Force Base, Fort Polk, and other installations in the chapter's catchment area.”
NDIA calls its chapters the foundation of the association. Located in areas of concentrated defense work, the chapters work with government and industry on important discussions of local issues and matters of national defense.
As the Red River Regional chapter ramps up activity, Burgess said among its first actions will be a networking event in August, a government and industry day sometime in the fall, and a reception during the Air Force Global Strike Symposium in November.
For more information about the Red River Regional Chapter, contact Brian Burgess brian.burgess@praeses.com. For more information about NDIA, contact Evamarie Socha esocha@ndia.org.