Release courtesy of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce
Las Cruces, NM, May 30, 2011 – Beginning on Monday, June 26, the United States Army will begin large-scale testing of 30 different systems and networks at White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss. The Network Integration Evaluation (NIE), as it is known, will bring together 3,800 soldiers from Fort Bliss’ 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division with 2,000 soldiers, government employees and contract personnel from WSMR, Fort Bliss, Fort Hood and other installations.
Army agencies will test and evaluate the 30 different systems while the soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division use the systems in various tactical scenarios throughout WSMR and Fort Bliss. The testing operations will take place 24 hours per day Monday through Friday each week. During the weekend, Fort Bliss soldiers will return home, however, the majority of the 2,000 testers and evaluators will remain in area hotels.
Because of the influx of military and contract personnel, the communities of Las Cruces, El Paso and Alamogordo can expect increased business in area hotels, rental car companies, restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores, as well as an increase in business to businesses such as FedEx Office and copy centers around the WSMR area. The testing and evaluation will also cause an increase in military vehicle traffic on the roads between WSMR and Fort Bliss and an increase in regular vehicle traffic around the WSMR entrance points and Las Cruces.
The NIE will run through July 15. The Department of Defense plans to host the NIE on a semi-annual basis in the future. For more information about the NIE, contact the WSMR Public Affairs Office at 678-1134.
