June 17, 2009

McIntyre Announces $1.12 Billion For North Carolina Bases

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, announced today that more than $1.12 billion for military construction projects for North Carolina military installations has been approved in the 2010 National Defense Authorization bill. 

In noting the benefits to Southeastern North Carolina’s bases, Congressman McIntyre stated, “This is a win-win for our military installations and the communities that support them!  The 2010 funding includes a grand total of $274 million for Fort Bragg to continue improvements at this premier installation, and Camp Lejeune will receive $685 million.”

Furthermore, the bill authorizes $550.4 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DoE).  The bill also authorizes $130 billion to support overseas contingency operations during fiscal year 2010. 

This defense bill reflects our commitment to support U.S. service members and to provide the necessary resources to keep Americans safe and protect our national interests.  The provisions of this year’s defense bill promote our main policy objectives: restoring military readiness; taking care of our troops and their families; focusing on our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and on redeployment from Iraq; eliminating waste and recovering savings through acquisition reform; and maintaining robust oversight of the Department of Defense.  

 After more than seven years of war, we must sustain our efforts to restore military readiness in order to meet current military challenges and prepare for the future.  The bill provides $11 billion for Army reset, $2 billion for Marine Corps reset, and $6.9 billion to address equipment shortfalls in the National Guard and Reserve.  Addressing urgent issues such as dilapidated military barracks and to keep defense facilities in good working order, the bill adds $450 million for Army barracks improvements and $762 million to fully meet sustainment requirements for base facilities and infrastructure. 

To boost readiness and reduce the strain on our forces, the bill increases the size of the military by 15,000 Army troops, 8,000 Marines, 14,650 Air Force personnel, and 2,477 Navy sailors, which reflects the President’s budget request.

To improve the quality of life for our forces and their families, the bill provides a 3.4 percent pay raise for all service members, continuing our efforts to reduce the pay raise gap between the uniformed services and the private sector. The bill extends the authority for the Defense Department to offer bonuses and incentive pay, expands TRICARE health coverage to reserve component members and their families for 180 days prior to mobilization, and also provides $1.95 billion for family housing programs to support and expand the quality housing our military families deserve. 

To improve the benefits available to wounded warriors, the bill provides travel and transportation for three designated persons, including non-family members, to visit hospitalized service members.  The bill also enables seriously injured service members to use a non-medical attendant for help with daily living or during travel for medical treatment. 

The military construction projects include all those contained in the original budget request with the addition of specific projects I requested that will benefit the district and the state, which are starred below.

Fort Bragg

Automated Multipurpose Machine Gun                                                                      $4,350,000
Company Operations Facility                                                                                    $3,300,000
Simulations Center                                                                                                    $50,000,000
Transient Training Barracks Complex                                                                        $16,500,000
Vehicle Maintenance Shop                                                                                        $19,500,000
Vehicle Maintenance Shop                                                                                        $17,500,000
Albritton JHS Addition                                                                                             $3,439,000
Consolidated Health Clinic                                                                                        $26,386,000
Health Clinic                                                                                                             $31,272,000
Special Operations Forces (SOF) Battalion & Company Headquarters                       $15,500,000
SOF Battalion Headquarters Facility                                                                          $13,000,000
SOF Military Working Dog Facility                                                                           $1,125,000
SOF Military Working Dog Facility                                                                           $3,046,000
SOF Operations Addition North                                                                                $27,513,000
SOF Operations Support Addition                                                                             $13,756,000
SOF TUAV Hangar                                                                                                   $2,948,000
Special Ops Prep & Conditioning Course                                                                   $24,600,000
TOTAL                                                                                                                     $273,735,000

Camp Lejeune

4th Infantry Battalion Ops Complex                                                                            $55,150,000
BEQ – Wallace Creek                                                                                                $34,160,000
BEQ – Wallace Creek                                                                                                $43,480,000
BEQ – Wallace Creek                                                                                                $44,390,000
BEQ – Wallace Creek                                                                                                $44,390,000
BEQ – Wallace Creek                                                                                                $42,110,000
Consolidated Info Tech/Telecom Complex                                                                 $46,120,000
Field Training Fac. – Devil Dog – SOI                                                                        $37,170,000
Maintenance/Ops Complex                                                                                         $52,390,000
MP Working Dog Kennel – Relocation                                                                        $8,370,000
New Base Entry Point and Road (Phase I)                                                                   $79,150,000
Physical Fitness Center                                                                                               $39,760,000
Pre-Trial Detainee Facility                                                                                           $18,580,000
Road Network – Wallace Creek                                                                                  $15,130,000
SOI – East Facilities – Camp Geiger                                                                           $56,940,000
Utility Expansion – Courthouse Bay                                                                            $56,280,000
SOF Academic Instruction Facility Expansion                                                             $11,791,000
TOTAL                                                                                                                     $685,361,000

Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station

EMS/Fire Vehicle Facility                                                                                           $10,600,000
Ordnance Magazines                                                                                                  $12,360,000
TOTAL                                                                                                                     $22,960,000

New River Air Station (USMC)

Apron Expansion (Phase 2)                                                                                        $35,600,000
Gymnasium/Outdoor Pool                                                                                          $19,920,000
Parallel Taxiway                                                                                                         $17,870,000
Tactical Support Van Pad Addition                                                                            $5,490,000
VMMT-204 Maintenance Hangar – Phase 3                                                                $28,210,000
TOTAL                                                                                                                     $107,090,000

*Acid Alkaline Direct Methanol Fuel Cell                                                                    $5,000,000
- to accomplish a three-phase project to achieve DOD’s goal of a lightweight power source.

*Partnership for Defense Innovation Wi-Fi Laboratory Assessment Center                  $3,500,000
- for the completion, testing and validation of a Tactical PSYOP Situational Awareness System that will provide psychological affairs forces capability to maintain situational awareness to support operations.

*NC National Guard Family Assistance Centers                                                          $1,600,000
- to allow the NCNG to provide consistent support and services to the families of members of the NCNG and the Armed Services.

*Admin, Gen Purpose (Army Field Spt Bde-CE)                                                        $720,000
-to construct a general purpose administrative facility to house the Army Field Support Brigade, CONUS- East of the Army Material Command.

*Tactical Unmanned Aerial System Support Facility                                                   $6,038,000
-to assist the NCNG with the training and mobilization readiness requirement for unmanned systems. 

McIntyre is Vice -Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, and  is a member of the Air and Land Forces.