The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) was one of five Army organizations at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Maryland to partner with the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 178 to create a labor-management forum.

Participating organizations and the local federal employee union signed the charter May 27 at a ceremony held at the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM), at APG North. The four other Army partners are USARDECOM, the Army Contracting Command-APG (ACC-APG), the CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity (CARA), and the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC).

Col. Kevin Pitzer, USAMRICD deputy commander, represented Col. Bruce Schoneboom at the event. Pitzer called it an honor to be signing the charter, which he said, "will strengthen already strong ties [the USAMRICD] has with the union."

He also said the forum will be an important tool in working through future anticipated budget issues.

The other Army officials signing were RDECOM Director Dale A. Ormond; CARA Director Christopher K. Chesney; ACC-APG Director Bryon J. Young; and Suzanne Milchling, representing ECBC Director Joseph Wienand.

Among the union representatives at the ceremony were NFFE National President William Dougan and Lisa G. Foust, president of NFFE Local 178.

"I applaud your joint commitment to work together," said Dougan.

Dougan also said the charter will, "make government more effective in delivering the services the American public expects."