The Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll joined officials at the Rock Island Arsenal Monday as the federal government considers possible job cuts at the facility.
Driscoll met with Democratic Rep. Eric Sorensen and Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks on the Arsenal for a tour of the island. The two represent the Illinois and Iowa sides of the Quad-Cities, respectively.
Retaining jobs on the Arsenal has been a hot topic in recent months, considering the Arsenal is among the largest employers in the Quad-Cities region.
On April 30, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent a memo in which he called for restructuring and merging multiple units, including the Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command. Both are headquartered at the Rock Island Arsenal, where combined they employ about 1,500 people.
According to the Rock Island Defense Alliance, a group of community leaders that advocates for the Arsenal, the proposed merger of these two units could eliminate as many as 400 jobs.
At a media event Monday afternoon after the visit, Sorensen said he was excited to welcome Driscoll to the Arsenal to show what kind of jobs are being completed, and how important they are to not only the community but to the fabric of the Army itself.
"I'm always proud to be able to show ... what our neighbors here are able to do on behalf of our nation," he said. "It's our hard working neighbors that support the Army day in and day out."
Miller-Meeks sent a prepared statement, stating the Arsenal has always been a pillar of strength to the Quad-Cities and the country and she was proud to showcase that to the secretary.
“As a 24-year Army veteran, it was an honor to join Secretary Driscoll today and hear directly from the dedicated men and women who keep this installation running," she said. "I remain committed to protecting the Arsenal, supporting its workforce and ensuring it continues to serve our nation for generations to come.”
Sorensen said the visit came at the perfect time, as the Army has not yet presented Congress with what changes it would like to make to the island, just that change is coming.
"To be quite frank, my neighbors' jobs are on the line," he said. "I've joined my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in presenting and pressing for these answers, and I've repeatedly brought this up with Army leaders in the Armed Services Committee as well as the Secretary of the Army. The Trump administration has dragged the Rock Island Arsenal into chaos, and this should not be the case."
As for an answer from the secretary on what the future may hold, Sorensen said the day was spent learning about the Arsenal and what goes on, with an emphasis on how important the workforce is to the Army's overall mission.
"This wasn't for a photo op. The secretary wanted to learn what was going on here, and I believe he was impacted by today's visit in a good way," Sorensen said.
On the tour, Driscoll was able to observe the foundry, speak with First Army leaders and visit the technology center where they were able to see the 3D printers in action. Those experiences, Sorensen said, helped drive home how valuable the Arsenal is to the community.
"He understands a little bit more about the value (of the island)," Sorensen said. "When we look at some jobs that are potentially going to be cut there now, he may have second thoughts about how important the Rock Island Arsenal is, and and figure out what ways we can preserve these jobs, but more importantly, preserve the talent that we have here."
Sorensen said no decisions were made Monday and there is no projected timeline for when the proposed jobs cuts could occur.
A representative from Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's office said his absence from the tour was due to the the Senate voting on the Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill, but the senator has previously encouraged Driscoll to visit.
“When Sec. Driscoll visited the Senate earlier this month, I encouraged him to visit the Rock Island Arsenal to witness first-hand the outstanding work of the men and women equipping our military,” Durbin said in a statement. “As Sec. Driscoll saw today, the Rock Island Arsenal plays an important role in ensuring our nation’s military readiness and in supporting the economy of the Quad-Cities region.”
© 2025 Quad City Times, Davenport, Iowa. Visit www.qctimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
