HYDE-SMITH HIGHLIGHTS MISS. MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN COMMITTEE-PASSED BILL
Appropriations Bill Recommends $70.4 Million for Work at Camp Shelby, Jackson Airport
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today reported that a committee-passed funding measure would direct more than $70.4 million in military construction projects at the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in Hattiesburg and the 172nd Airlift Wing at the Jackson International Airport.
Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee that approved the FY2022 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Bill, priming the measure for consideration by the full Senate. The bill passed 25-5.
“The Senate MilCon-VA bill would fund several Mississippi projects that have been on the drawing board for a while, all of which are designed to improve the operational efficiency of the military units working and training in our state,” Hyde-Smith said. “I am pleased to help advance the projects for Camp Shelby and the 172nd Airlift Wing, and to move this measure forward to benefit all servicemembers, their families, and veterans.”
The Senate MilCon-VA measure recommends:
- $15.5 million to construct a 52,495-square-foot addition to the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site (MATES) at Camp Shelby to improve National Guard vehicle maintenance and repair.
- $9.3 million to construct a Fire, Crash, and Rescue Station at the Jackson International Airport.
- $34.5 million to construct a 10-megawatt natural gas generation plant connected to the primary substation at Camp Shelby and to install a micro grid control center.
- $11.5 million to place the Camp Shelby electrical distribution infrastructure underground to create a more resilient energy supply system.
Hyde-Smith also described additional items of interests to Mississippi that she worked to include in the Senate bill, including:
- $30 million to support the U.S. Army’s laboratory revitalization program, which would benefit the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg.
- $50 million not included in the President’s budget request to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs grants for construction of state extended care facilities.
- Increased funding for the Armed Forces Retirement Home, which operates facilities in Gulfport and Washington, D.C.
In addition to the MilCon-VA measure, the Appropriations Committee on Wednesday also approved the FY2022 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill and the FY2022 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.
The Senate FY2022 MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill text is available here, while the report accompanying the measure is available here.
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