U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) uniformed senior leaders have become active in the community within days of their arrival, participating in multiple local events in the new year.

From ceremonies commemorating the accomplishments of past soldiers to public lectures about the proving ground's current mission, this year has seen the YPG command team make more appearances in the local community.

“I believe that the relationship between a facility and its community is extremely important, especially when our employees live in that community,” said Col. John Nelson, YPG commander. “Understanding how Yuma supports Yuma Proving Ground and its employees and identifying ways in which YPG can support the community will be of great benefit to leaders.”

On January 13, Nelson spoke at a ceremony commemorating the 1847 crossing of the Colorado River by the U.S. Army's West Mormon Battalion. The annual ceremony, held at Yuma's West Wetland Park, honors the soldiers of what would become Yuma's first Army battalion. YPG Command Sergeant Major Mark Millare also attended. After six months of harsh poverty traversing difficult terrain, the battalion's major and most lasting contribution to American history was the creation and navigation of an all-weather southern passage to California that could sustain horse-drawn traffic. It was a success.

On February 10, Lt. Col. Shane Deling, commander of the U.S. Army Yuma Test Center (YTC), served as the keynote speaker at the 28th Annual Camp Bowes Day Commemoration Ceremony held in the Town of Bowes, La Paz County. YPG was the last active Army installation at the World War II-era California-Arizona Desert Training Range, which also included Camp Bowes. The YPG's modern mission is his 13 million candle power arc mounted on the turret of his M3 tank at Camp He Bowes during World War II. His searchlight canal be his defense. There is a direct link to his 1940s soldiers who tested the. This system was never put into operation, but at the time it was the Army's second-highest secret project after the Manhattan Project.

“I'm proud that the work done today at the Yuma Test Center is at the forefront of our current Army transformation efforts,” Deling said during the ceremony. “The state-of-the-art artillery, combat vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles we are testing today at the Yuma Test Center will help our Army maintain overwhelming power against aggressor nations around the world and ensure our security well into the future. We guarantee that we will protect the people who have served, from the “Greatest Generation” soldiers who saved the world during World War II to all the soldiers who have served in the decades since. This is an initiative that I feel is consistent with the spirit of each generation of soldiers. ”

Three days later, Mr. Millare gave a presentation at the Foothills Branch of the Yuma County Library, where he interacted with the Yuma community, talked about the testing site's location at the forefront of the Army's modernization efforts and its excellent record of safety and environmental management, and drew attention from the audience. answered the question. .

“I look forward to any opportunity to tell the Army's story,” Mirale said. “The opportunity to do that is always worth your time.”