9-15-2022 1:15pm

Meet the New Garrison Commander of Picatinny Arsenal

Lieutenant Colonel Alex Burgos assumed his new post as Garrison Commander of Picatinny Arsenal in June of this year.

Last night Lt. Col. Burgos joined the Morris County Board of Commissioners at their work session meeting for an introduction and talks about the ongoing community partnerships between Picatinny Arsenal and Morris County Officials. Joining Lt. Col. Burgos was Todd Stawicki, a Management and Program Analyst with Picatinny.

At the work session meeting, Lt. Col. Burgos noted how his command involves a similar role on base as the Commissioners do in the county – overseeing support operations from firefighting and police patrols to public works functions.

Picatinny Arsenal is a complex facility that, under the command of Brigadier General John T. Reim, a Franklinville, NJ native, is largely focused on research, development, acquisition, and lifecycle management of advanced conventional weapon systems and ammunition for the US military.

Lt. Col. Burgos referenced a long-standing tradition between Morris County local towns and Picatinny Arsenal involving mutual aid efforts, adding that the Picatinny firefighters responded to 151 mutual aid calls this year and continue to share services of many other emergency management operations.

“The county has been a great partner in many of our emergency management operations,” Lt. Col. Burgos added, saying he hoped more community partnerships may be developed moving forward.

Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen underscored not only Picatinny’s military and defense significance to the nation, but also its importance to the economy of the region and New Jersey.

“Picatinny, among other important things, is one of the largest employers in Morris County. They have about 6,000 people there, from engineers and scientists to a wide range of professional support personnel. It is a cornerstone of our local economy in Morris County, and it certainly is important for us to know each other,” said Director Selen at the meeting.

The Picatinny base, off NJ-15 in Wharton, Morris County, is credited with supporting another 7,000 jobs off the base, ranging from private contracting firms servicing the base to small businesses dependent on the patronage of Picatinny personnel.

Lt. Col. Burgos echoed recent federal economic estimates that say the base is responsible for generating nearly $1 billion of income for northern New Jersey.

Picatinny, which spans around 6,400 acres in Jefferson and Rockaway townships, was established in September 1880, by what was then known as the U.S. War Department, to produce munitions before moving into testing, research, and development in later years.

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