Red River Army Depot:

Cass County Judge

Travis Ransom

A Strategic Asset Worth Protecting

Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced its commitment to streamlining the federal government and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. The new administration has embraced these efforts with significant actions—shutting down some federal agencies altogether and laying off tens of thousands of employees to make government leaner and more responsive.

Our military operations are part of this push for greater efficiency and readiness. While no new Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round has been formally announced, the federal government is actively studying how to modernize and strengthen our military capabilities for today’s global challenges. As part of that effort, the Red River Army Depot (RRAD) is under review.

Decisions about the future of our military bases are made in Washington, D.C., but their impact is felt here at home. RRAD plays a critical role not just for our national defense but also for our regional economy. That’s why Cass County recently passed a resolution expressing strong support for the depot and its mission.

RRAD provides essential capabilities to the U.S. military and our allies. Its infrastructure gives our nation reliable capacity in times of persistent conflict. The vehicles built and repaired at RRAD help ensure our troops maintain decisive overmatch on the battlefield—discouraging our adversaries and protecting American lives.

As our nation prepares for potential large-scale combat operations, the men and women at RRAD work as if their lives depend on it—because they know the lives of our warfighters do. Their work embodies the administration’s commitment to “peace through strength,” and Cass County stands firmly behind them.

Texas Armed Services Scholarship Application Due July 31st

The Texas Armed Services Scholarship (TASSP) encourages students to complete a baccalaureate degree and become members of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast Guard or United States Merchant Marines or to become commissioned officers in any branch of the armed services of the United States. Each state legislator can nominate one person to be awarded the scholarship in accordance with the program’s purpose and guidelines found here: https://reportcenter.highered.texas.gov/agency-publication/ guidelines-manuals/texas-armed-services-scholarshipprogram- fy-2026-guidelines/ To be eligible to receive a TASSP, a student must meet two of these four requirements: 1. Be on track to graduate or have graduated high school with the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP), the distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School program, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program; 2. Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; 3. Have achieved a college readiness score on the SAT or ACT; or4. Be ranked in the top one-third of the prospective high school graduating class or graduated in the top onethird of the high school graduating class.

Please note that if a TASSP student no longer meets the eligibility requirements nor graduates within six years, the scholarship converts into a student loan that must be paid back.

Nominations by state legislators for the 2025-26 academic year must be received by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board no later than September 30, 2025. Rep. VanDeaver tries to nominate a student from House District 1 (HD 1) for the TASSP, but if there are not any eligible students from his legislative district, he will consider nominating someone not from HD1. If you live in HD 1 and are interested in being considered by Rep. VanDeaver please submit the following information to district1.vandeaver@house.texas.gov not later than July 31, 2025: Contact information including full name, date of birth, email address and phone number; Resume; Cover letter; High school and/or college transcript(s); Three references with contact information; and Letter of recommendation. If his office does not receive any requests or inquiries from prospective students from HD 1 by July 31, he will consider nominating a student from outside of HD 1.