June 24, 2008

Three More State Military Construction Projects Approved

Press Release: The House Appropriations Committee today added funds for three more military construction projects in Washington State, raising to $477.57 million the amount budgeted for state military base improvements in the upcoming fiscal year, U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks said Tuesday.

In February the budget submitted to Congress by the Bush Administration contained a record level of $457.7 million slated for military construction work at bases in Washington. The largest portion of that amount, $330 million, was budgeted for work at Fort Lewis, associated with the continued upgrading and expansion of Fort Lewis to house three of the Army's seven Stryker Brigades at the post. 

Today the House Appropriations Committee amended the budget request to include a key infrastructure investment at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Rep. Dicks said. A total of $5.11 million was added for Saltwater Cooling and Fire Protection improvements that will help Bremerton's ship overhaul yard increase the efficiency of fleet modernization work, the congressman said.

The new system will provide an uninterrupted supply of saltwater cooling necessary during overhaul work on nuclear and non-nuclear naval vessels in the yard's Drydock 5 and Drydock 6, he said.

Also added to the Military Construction/VA Appropriations bill today was $8.6 million for a new facility to house the 262nd Information Warfare Aggressor Squad at McChord Air Force Base and $6.16 million for a firefighting facility at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, Rep. Dicks said.
         
The complete budget request for military construction projects in Washington State for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2008, is as follows:

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