C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger: “as Congressman from Maryland's Second Congressional district home to Aberdeen and Fort Meade . . . I know what it means…”

“as Congressman from Maryland's Second Congressional district home to Aberdeen and Fort Meade . . . I know what it means to represent our brave military men and women who continue to defend this nation abroad and here at home. Many who protect us do so with weapons . . . and many protect us in other ways. . . Fort Detrick is the premier military base for medical and biological research. The men and women that work at the Detrick have led the way in infectious disease and chemical warfare research. Detrick began as a chemical research facility housing the research branch of The Army Chemical Warfare Service. It is also the home to the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (AFMIC). Detrick is also home to U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID). These state of the art laboratories are continuing to develop vaccines and treatments to defend against offensive bioweapons. USAMRIID also has a large staff dedicated to finding cures for cancer. I am proud that the United States has dedicated a military base to these problems and I am proud it is in the my home state of Maryland. It is imperative in this day of terrorism to be prepared for the new chemical and biological weapons. Today I am happy to honor the 60 years of research that Detrick has provided for the National Security of this Nation.”