FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2001
CONTACT: Lisette McSoud Mondello
SENATOR HUTCHISON ADDRESSES FORT HOOD DEDICATION CEREMONY
Joins Rep. Chet Edwards to Announce New Military Housing Initiatives
FORT HOOD, TX -- Thousands of Army families are a step closer to living in improved housing at Fort Hood, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said today at a dedication ceremony for a new soldier education center.
The Residential Communities Initiative at Fort Hood has been approved by the four respective congressional committees that have reviewed it, the senator announced. Under the $4 billion plan, 973 new homes will be constructed and 4,939 homes will be renovated over the next five years. Plans call for the eventual construction of 593 more new homes will be constructed and an additional 5,319 are to be renovated.
"This initiative means a better quality of life for the men and women who serve in our armed forces, and better living for their families, who also make sacrifices," Senator Hutchison said. "I was pleased to join Representative Chet Edwards, the force behind this project in the U.S. House, to make this housing initiative a reality."
"I want to thank and congratulate Senator Hutchison for her overall commitment to improving the quality of life for military families and for her strong leadership in support of the Fort Hood project," Representative Edwards said.
Senator Hutchison serves on the Appropriations Committee in the Senate, and is the top Republican on its military construction subcommittee. Representative Edwards serves on the Appropriations Committee in the House, and is the second-highest ranking Democrat on its military construction subcommittee. The Appropriations committees are coveted assignments in both chambers because their members set the government's annual spending levels.
The project will be completed faster because it is a public/private partnership, the legislators said. The Army is reforming its housing renovation contracting procedures to allow the private sector to become an active partner in providing quality housing for military families.
Senator Hutchison and Representative Edwards also toured the new CSM Walter W. Krueger Soldier Development Facility on Friday, which will provide state-of-the-art training and education in modern classrooms.
Senator Hutchison said the relationship between the military and the community is a special one in Central Texas, and the Center's dedication is "a physical manifestation of that relationship and sense of community."
"The Center honors the spirit that has made this area strong and successful," she said. "Sergeant Major Krueger spent much of his career here at Fort Hood, where he was known for taking care of his soldiers. He may no longer be with us, but with this development center, the Sergeant Major will continue to take care of his soldiers for many years to come."
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