Colonel Doniel Moser, garrison commander for White Sands Missile Range, told a legislative committee the installation is balancing a legacy mission with infrastructure and community needs, and highlighted recent energy projects, school building problems and a possible plan to allow public access to the range museum without entering the secure installation.

“Over time, we solidified our reputation as the birthplace of America's missile and space activity,” Moser said, outlining the range’s history and current operations.

Moser described two recent energy projects: a deployed hydrogen-powered nano-grid that provides silent power for remote sensors and a $10,900,000 water-resiliency microgrid that includes a 700‑kilowatt solar array, a 500‑kilowatt natural gas generator and a 500‑kilowatt lithium battery system. He said the microgrid can sustain groundwater well operations for up to 14 days without external power.

Moser said White Sands also marked anniversaries this year — including the 80th anniversary of the Trinity test site on July 16 — and reported an active calendar of public events. He announced a Trinity Site open house on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and reminded the committee the Bataan Memorial Death March will be held March 21, 2026.

School and museum needs

Moser told lawmakers White Sands School, operated by Las Cruces Public Schools, is highly ranked academically but faces urgent infrastructure problems he said include roof damage, asbestos-containing materials, a flooding library and unusable storage buildings. Moser said the school did not receive PSMI program funding in fiscal 2024 and that DoD MilCon or other federal funding would be needed to replace the building.

On the White Sands Missile Range Museum, Moser said national discussions about potential Army museum closures present both a risk and an opportunity: if the Army discontinues some installations’ museums, New Mexico or another local entity might assume stewardship. He described a proposal to build a new access gate to allow museum visitors to enter without accessing the secure installation.

Coordination and community priorities

Moser said Representative Víctor V. (as referenced in the briefing) visited the range last week; he said the visit included an installation tour and discussions about housing, aging infrastructure and school priorities. He also described community partnerships and recent housing satisfaction awards for on-post neighborhoods.

Questions from lawmakers covered range scheduling and coordination with commercial users, funding pathways for school repairs and alternatives for museum stewardship. Moser said he would relay concerns about range scheduling to the White Sands Test Center and take follow-up on potential coordination issues with Spaceport New Mexico.

Ending: Moser closed by inviting committee members to visit White Sands and by urging contacts and potential sponsorships for events such as the Bataan Memorial Death March; he did not request a specific legislative appropriation during the hearing.