Three members of Arkansas’ congressional delegation are continuing their efforts to safeguard the Pine Bluff Arsenal, a U.S. Army military installation in Jefferson County. They argue that private sector partners cannot match the facility’s contribution to the munitions supply chain.
U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman visited the Pine Bluff Arsenal with Army officials to emphasize its role in producing white phosphorus munitions, which he stated cannot be produced by other facilities in the United States.
Meanwhile, Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton have been advocating on Capitol Hill for support of facilities within the Pentagon’s organic industrial base rather than relying on external options. “Really, the Army should be looking at how they move operations into the Pine Bluff Arsenal rather than taking operations from the Pine Bluff Arsenal,” Westerman said.
The Pine Bluff Arsenal spans over 13,500 acres and is unique in North America for filling white phosphorus munitions capable of producing smoke. Concerns about its future arise as the Army implements its Transformation Initiative aimed at creating a “leaner, more lethal force.”
A memo from Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested consolidating operations between military installations and exploring leasing opportunities with private entities interested in expanding into the Defense Industrial Base.
Boozman, Cotton, and Westerman sent a letter to Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll warning against downsizing Pine Bluff Arsenal. They argued that the Army should fully utilize existing resources instead of seeking private sector partnerships for munitions needs. “Pine Bluff Arsenal is a solution for these challenges, not some redundant or outdated relic,” they wrote.
In another letter dated May 28, they cautioned Driscoll against circumventing federal law by slowing down arsenal operations. “We’re not sure where some of these original plans came from,” Westerman commented.
Cotton questioned Driscoll during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about costs being a reason for underutilization of army installations. Driscoll explained that budget constraints often make internal expansion too costly.
Westerman highlighted that moving operations elsewhere would be difficult and expensive due to permitting requirements for handling materials like white phosphorus. He also mentioned a misunderstanding within the Army regarding Pine Bluff’s importance in munitions production.
During discussions with Air Force Gen. Daniel Caine and Hegseth at a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting, Cotton emphasized using existing facilities to boost munitions production alongside private industry contributions.
Hegseth agreed on considering all possible sources to enhance munitions supply chains while Caine advocated utilizing current facilities networks.
Driscoll appeared before Senate appropriators discussing next fiscal year’s proposed budget alongside Gen. Randy George. Boozman stressed that commercial bases alone cannot meet demands and requested collaboration on modernizing production at army sites.
“There are probably a couple of threats that if we don’t figure out how to get scalable solutions together, we are going to put our Army in a bad position,” Driscoll told Boozman.
Westerman remains uncertain about when decisions regarding Pine Bluff Arsenal will be finalized but focuses on educating officials about its significance: “There’s not an acceptable time for them to be taking some of these functions away from Pine Bluff Arsenal.”
