U.S. ARMY ANNOUNCES BASING NEWLY-ESTABLISHED DATA OPERATIONS COMMAND AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, FOLLOWING SENATOR ALSOBROOKS AND TEAM MARYLAND’S ADVOCACY

April 23, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) led the Maryland Congressional Delegation in advocating for the Army to select Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Maryland as the Army installation to permanently host the newly-established Army Data Operations Command (ADOC). In February, Senator Alsobrooks led Maryland's Congressional Delegation - Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-Md.-05), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.-07), Andy Harris (R-Md.-01), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-04), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-03), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.-06), and Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (D-Md.-02) - in writing to Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll, urging the Army to entrust this critically important mission to APG and Maryland's talented and driven national security workforce.

Read more about the announcement in the Baltimore Sun here.

This important creation is critical to our national security, and as the lawmakers wrote, "Ensuring this command is based in proximity to other related commands is crucial to the long-term impact of the Army's digital transformation."

"As you know, the ADOC was specifically designed to address critical gaps in data standards, capture, processing, and aggregation that are fundamental to the success of Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2). By centralizing efforts to build the Army's data ecosystem, the ADOC will support data operations and engineering work across the Army's modernization initiatives. The rapid establishment of this command underscores the urgency and importance of a mission that APG has already proven it can support," wrote the lawmakers.

"The Army established the ADOC at Aberdeen Proving Ground because the necessary talent and infrastructure were already there; for those same reasons of efficiency, expertise, and proven success, it must remain. The Maryland Delegation offers its strong support for this course of action and remains committed to aiding the Army's digital transformation," continued the lawmakers.

See here or below for the full letter from February 4, 2026:

Dear Secretary Driscoll:

We write to express our support for permanently basing the newly established Army Data Operations Command (ADOC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland. Based on the new Command's foundational link to APG and the Army's modernization priorities, we believe APG is a proven and logical choice to ensure the ADOC's success. Ensuring this command is based in proximity to other related commands is crucial to the long-term impact of the Army's digital transformation.

As you know, the ADOC was specifically designed to address critical gaps in data standards, capture, processing, and aggregation that are fundamental to the success of Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2). By centralizing efforts to build the Army's data ecosystem, the ADOC will support data operations and engineering work across the Army's modernization initiatives. The rapid establishment of this command underscores the urgency and importance of a mission that APG has already proven it can support.

Aberdeen Proving Ground has already been central to the ADOC's performance. The command's ability to stand up and immediately contribute to Army priorities is a direct result of the unique capabilities and dedicated personnel resident at APG. The Army achieved an Initial Operational Capability for the ADOC in December 2025, a notable accomplishment in just a few months. Critically, this standup was made possible by using the Mission Command Support Center (MCSC) located at APG. As a result, the APG-based ADOC is already providing immediate, mission-critical support to the ongoing NGC2 pilots for the 4th and 25th Infantry Divisions.

We recognize the Army is now evaluating the final organizational structure and permanent location for the ADOC. We firmly believe that permanently basing ADOC at APG is the most efficient and logical course of action. This decision would capitalize on the momentum, expertise, and infrastructure already in place, avoiding the significant disruption, cost, and operational risk of relocating a developing, mission-critical organization.

Basing the ADOC permanently at APG would allow the Army to consolidate its critical data and network modernization efforts within Maryland's robust defense ecosystem, leveraging APG's data expertise. This approach avoids further organizational fragmentation and offers an effective path to achieving Full Operational Capability for the ADOC.

The Army established the ADOC at Aberdeen Proving Ground because the necessary talent and infrastructure were already there; for those same reasons of efficiency, expertise, and proven success, it must remain. The Maryland Delegation offers its strong support for this course of action and remains committed to aiding the Army's digital transformation.

Sincerely,

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