By Congressman Gene Taylor - Wayne County News, September 30, 2010

Camp Shelby is a military treasure for South Mississippi and our nation. When I first got elected to Congress, however, the fate of the base was far from certain.

At that time, our nation had two types of military bases: Those that grew and those that closed.
One of the first controversial issues I dealt with concerned expanding Camp Shelby into the adjacent DeSoto National Forrest. I was determined to ensure Camp Shelby would grow and worked diligently to add the 32,000 acres of land the base needed. Since that time, Congress has invested quite a bit of money into the facility.

Over the last 10 years alone, I have worked to secure more than $45 million in federal funding, which has turned Camp Shelby from an underutilized military training facility to one of the nation's premier training bases for National Guard troops deploying to the Middle East.

With this funding, Camp Shelby has upgraded its firing range, built a tank range capable of maneuvering four tanks at a time, and construct- ed the only Guard and Reserve C-17 Combat Assault strip. It has also constructed a Military Operation in Urban Terrain Training Facility, which contains a live-fire shoot house and provides an opportunity for troops to conduct realistic training operations in a simulated urban environment.

Since 2004, Camp Shelby has trained about 140,000 soldiers — mostly Guardsmen — before their deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, about 20 percent of the Guard and Reserves who were coming to Camp Shelby for training did not have health insurance from an employer. Many soldiers showed up with medical and dental problems that had to be treated before they could be deployed. These medical treatments delayed the training and deployment of entire units.

To solve this critical problem for our military, I led the effort in Congress to give members of the National Guard and Reserves the option to enroll in Tricare health insurance. I forced the issue that led to enactment of Tricare for Guard and Reserves in 2006.

When South Mississippi soldiers expressed concerns about shortages of essential equipment, I have gone straight to the Pentagon to ensure they get everything they requested. When I became chairman of the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee in 2007, my first official act was to call a hearing to investigate the status of the Defense Department's purchase of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.

MRAPs have increased protections from Improvised Explosive Devices — the leading cause of death and injury to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. My colleagues and I on the House Armed Services Committee authorized full funding for Army and Marine Corps requirements to provide 16,238 MRAP vehicles by the end of 2007.MRAPs are the vehicle of choice of wheeled patrol in Iraq and Afghanistan. To expand Camp Shelby's training capacity, I worked to get the 37 MRAPs and simulators that Camp Shelby now has. With these MRAPs, our troops "train as they fight."

Camp Shelby directly employs 3,850 people. The base provides tremendous revenue to stores, res- taurants, and hotels throughout the Hattiesburg area.

Camp Shelby contributes greatly to the vibrant local economy inside the Pine Belt.

Decisions have consequences. Fighting to keep Camp Shelby open, working to secure the land to grow the base, and ensuring the necessary funding for its expansion are among my most important decisions for our district and our nation.

Today, Camp Shelby stands as a military treasure in South Mississippi and our nation we can all be proud to claim.

Editor's note: Congressman Gene Taylor represents Mississippi's Fourth District in the United States House of Representatives.