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Sen.
Salazar Announces Colorado Military Installations to Receive Over $600
Million from Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations
Bill
WASHINGTON,
DC- Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar announced that
Colorado’s military installations would receive over $600 million from
the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of
2008 (H.R. 2642), which the Senate is considering this week. Overall,
the bill would provide $109.2 billion in appropriations for military
construction, military family housing and veteran’s affairs programs
throughout the country.
“I want to ensure
that our men and women in uniform have the best training opportunities
possible to keep our Nation strong,” said Senator Salazar.
“This is a very important piece of legislation to our Nation and to
the many military installations in Colorado that make our state a crown
jewel in our homeland security and National defense,” said
Senator Salazar.
Below are highlights
of specific projects included in the Military Construction and Veterans
Appropriations Bill that are critical to Colorado:
Fitzsimons VA Hospital
Senator Salazar secured $61.3 million for the Fitzsimons VA Hospital
to begin construction on the parking structure and the energy plant.
Senator Salazar is pushing to move the full $548 million authorization
through the Veterans Affairs Committee to allow completion of the project.
Supporting Fort
Carson Families Coming to Colorado Springs
Senator Salazar fought to include $470 million in military construction
funds for Fort Carson to accommodate the arrival of an additional 12,000
active duty and 18,360 active duty family members that are currently
moving to Fort Carson, or coming in the next two years. Fort Carson
is adding two brigades and will be the new headquarters of the 4th Infantry
Division, which is moving from Fort Hood, Texas.
- $90 million for a brigade
combat team complex for the 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at
Fort Carson;
- $27 million for an addition
to Evans Army Hospital at Fort Carson that will provide more space
for administrative and clinical functions, including more beds for
maternity care, psychiatric care, and emergency care;
- $53 million for construction
of barracks;
- $4.9 million for the
construction of an indoor range for the 10th Special Forces Group
to provide realistic training in an all-weather weapons training facility;
- $8.3 million for a Defense
Access Road, to provide access to the Arrival/Departure Air Control
Group at Peterson AFB, which will allow an Initial Ready Company of
personnel, equipment, and materials to deploy anywhere in the world
in 24 hours;
- $13.5 million for construction
of a facility support operations, training, vehicle and equipment
maintenance for the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron at Fort Carson
- $72 million for Fort
Carson’s unit operation facilities;
- $20 million for construction
of a Division Headquarters Complex at Fort Carson, to house the 4th
Infantry Division, which is moving from Fort Hood;
- $13.2 million for a
vehicle maintenance facility at Fort Carson to support a brigade combat
team that is moving to Fort Carson as a result of BRAC; and
- $54 million for a new
troop health clinic at Fort Carson that will provide outpatient health
and dental care
Space Operations
at Schriever Air Force Base
Senator Salazar worked to include $24.5 million for construction of
an Air and Space Integration Facility, which will house Air Force Space
Command’s lead units for space innovation, which are conducting a variety
of testing and space integration to support Air Force Operations.
Training Cadets
at the United States Air Force Academy
Senator Salazar succeeded in including $15 million for upgrades to academic
facilities at the U.S. Air Force Academy, including a renovation of
the cadet library, lecture halls, and cadet support areas. The project
will modernize deteriorating facilities and remove dangers from asbestos
and lead paint.
Chemical Weapons
Destruction at Pueblo Chemical Depot
Senator Salazar succeeded in securing over $35 million for continued
clean-up at the Pueblo Depot. This increment of funding will be used
for construction of destruction facilities, with the goal of completing
destruction by 2012. “I will continue to push the Department of Defense
to proceed as expeditiously and safely as possible because the citizens
of Pueblo deserve no less,” said Senator Salazar.
Supporting National
Guard and Reserves at Buckley AFB
Senator Salazar succeeded in adding $7.3 million to replace the outdated
squadron operations facility that houses the F-16’s of the 140th Air
Wing of the Colorado National Guard. He also worked to provide $10 million
for utility infrastructure improvements at Buckley Air Force Base, to
prepare for construction and renovation of facilities to support the
Air Reserve Personnel Center and the 926th Air Force Reserve that is
relocating from New Orleans.
Senator Salazar will also
be offering the following amendments to the Military Construction and
Veteran’s Administration Appropriations Act:
- Salazar
Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site Amendment (SA2662):
Senator
Salazar’s amendment prohibits funding for expansion for Fiscal Year
2008.
- Salazar-Allard
Pueblo Chemical Depot Amendment (SA2670): Senator Salazar’s
amendment would add $32 million for military construction at the Pueblo
Chemical Depot. The Department of Defense has certified that it could
use these funds in Fiscal Year 2008 to speed completion of chemical
weapons destruction. This additional funding would allow the depot
to build the Agent Processing Building (APB), the Energetics Reconfiguration
Building (ERB), and the Control and Support Building (CSB), and allow
for completion of construction of a utility building before October,
2008. This would raise the total funding for Pueblo Chemical Depot
for Fiscal Year 2008 to $67 million for building construction and
$132.4 million for acquiring weapon destruction equipment.
- Allard-Salazar
Fitzsimons Amendment:
Would allow the City of Aurora to transfer a parcel of land to the
Veterans’ Administration (VA) as a part of the Fitzsimons Hospital
campus. In 1995, as a consequence of BRAC, the swimming pool on the
Fitzsimons campus was conveyed to the City of Aurora under a public
benefit conveyance from the Department of Interior. It is essential
that the VA be allowed to acquire this piece of property in order
to proceed with construction. The VA, in agreement with the City of
Aurora, is seeking language that would permit the direct transfer
of the land from the City to the VA.
- Tester-Salazar
Mileage Reimbursement for Veterans (SA2668):
Would provide $125 million to support a long-overdue mileage reimbursement
increase for veterans to 28.5 cents per mile. Currently, veterans
living in rural areas who travel long distances to receive medical
care are only reimbursed at 11 cents per mile.
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