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Defense Appropriations Bill Passed by House Includes Linder Priorities
Funding for Dobbins Upgrades Was Top Focus in Linder’s Meetings with Subcommittee Chairman Lewis
October 12, 2002
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation funding the Department of Defense (DOD) for the next fiscal year, and upgrades for Dobbins Air Reserve Base (ARB) were among the $6 million in priorities specifically requested by Congressman John Linder (R-Georgia) to be included in the final legislation.
“President Bush has made national defense our highest budget priority, and these programs will go a long way toward ensuring that our servicemen and women have the most up-to-date equipment and training available,” said Linder, who met with Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-California) on several occasions to advocate for the program funding. “I am pleased that Chairman Lewis recognized the importance of this funding, and I look forward to working with him again next year on issues of concern to military personnel in Georgia and across the country.”
H.R. 5010 includes $2.5 million for Dobbins ARB to upgrade the 94th Airlift Wing’s flight simulators, used to train aircrew members of the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, and U.S. Air Force Reserve on the C-130 aircraft. Upgrades to these simulators will double pilot production capability by allowing pilots to conduct full training in nearly half the time, and are projected to save the federal government between $3 million and $6 million annually.
The conference report also includes $2.5 million that Linder requested to upgrade the Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) program for Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (J-STARS) aircraft, which will directly benefit the 93rd Air Control Wing at Georgia’s Robins Air Force Base. Robins houses a growing number of J-STARS aircraft, which are modified Boeing 707s that use radar and other technology to monitor ground activity in all weather conditions.
An additional $1 million in funding requested by Linder was included for the Air Force’s Scope Command Program. This program will modernize radio equipment used by the White House Communications Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. intelligence organizations.
The final conference report also includes $4 billion for 23 new F-22 “Raptor” stealth fighter aircraft that had been sought by Linder and Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), and funding for future procurement of 40 C-130J aircraft.
The legislation appropriates a total of $355.1 billion in defense spending for Fiscal Year 2003, an increase of more than $37 billion over the previous year. The conference report, which passed the House by a vote of 409-14, is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Bush.
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