Contact: Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Friday, November 7, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC Senator Kit Bond announced today that $50.62 million in military construction projects for Missouri has made it through the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives has passed the fiscal year 2004 Military Appropriations Conference Report and final adoption in the Senate is expected soon.

"I am extremely pleased to announce the House/Senate Conference on the Military Construction Appropriations Bill has reached a final agreement" said Bond, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, "As our soldiers defend our freedom on U.S. soil and abroad, we have an obligation to provide them with the necessary facilities to train and fight."

Over the past year, Senator Bond has worked to secure $45.67 million out of the total amount that will be spent for the following Missouri projects included in the final bill:

* $11,600,000 for the Whiteman AFB Education Center. This center will enhance the quality of life for the servicemen and women and their families at Whiteman Air Force Base.

* $8,000,000 for the Air National Guard: Rosecrans Field: Air Traffic Control Training Complex. This facility will provide a home for Air Traffic Control personnel operating from Rosecrans Field, St. Joseph, MO who have been serving proudly and deployed in support of the Global War on Terror.

* $7,849,000 for the expansion of the Missouri-Aviation Classification and Repair Activity Depot at Springfield, MO. The MO-AVCRAD provides support for aviation assets in a 14 state region as well as critical aviation support for the National Guard and the United States Army.

* $18,221,000 for military family housing at Whiteman, AFB.

In addition to the projects Bond fought for, Missouri will receive an additional $4,947,000 for the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Dexter. Bond was encouraged to see continued investment in the State's National Guard Armories, which are a centerpiece for many communities.

Senator Bond also drafted legislative language urging the Army to expedite the development of the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Responder Training Facility at Fort Leonard Wood. Currently, there are no dedicated facilities at Fort Leonard Wood for WMD responder training. Such a facility is critical to continuing homeland security training and making Missourians and Americans more secure.

Senator Bond was pleased the bill includes language recognizing a growing concern over strains at mobilization sites and the treatment of Guardsmen and Reservists which he confirmed based on a recent staff investigation. The language directs the Army Chief-of-Staff to submit a report that assesses the current situation and makes recommendations for improvements. In addition to his investigation and recent meetings with high-level Department of Defense officials, Bond and fellow National Guard Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) yesterday asked the Government Accounting Office to conduct a comprehensive study of all Army mobilization sites to determine the adequacy of medical care, housing and the standards of care for both active and Reserve military personnel.

Senator Bond, a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, served Missouri twice as Governor and now continues his service to the state in his third term in the United States Senate.