Several Items In Defense Bill Set To Benefit Missouri Military

A number of Missouri requests have been included in the 2022 Defense Bill that’s part of a larger funding package being looked at by the US Senate.

Senator Roy Blunt says that includes $160 million dollars in funding for the new Hospital at Fort Leonard Wood, $4 Million dollars towards new barracks and $40 million towards DCIP projects at the Fort.

The bill also includes $70 million in funding for Impact Aid assistance to benefit Whiteman and Fort Leonard Wood area schools.

More from Senator Blunt:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today announced that several Missouri and national priorities were included in the FY2022 Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bills. The bills are part of the larger government funding package that the Senate is expected to consider shortly.

“One of the most important responsibilities of the Congress is to ensure our military has the resources it needs to address the national security threats we face today and to prepare for the challenges we’ll see in the years ahead,” said Blunt. “This bill supports our state’s vital role in our nation’s defense, with significant new investments in defense aviation and a growing geospatial-intelligence footprint anchored by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West headquarters in St. Louis. It strengthens Missouri military installations and surrounding communities with additional funding for the new hospital at Fort Leonard Wood and Impact Aid assistance to benefit Whiteman and Fort Leonard Wood area schools. From keeping our promises to America’s veterans to maintaining the U.S. military’s strategic edge, this bill directs resources to where they are critically needed.”

Following Are Key Blunt-Backed Missouri and National Priorities Included in the Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Funding Legislation:

• Military Pay Raise:The legislation provides a military pay raise of 2.7%.
• AVCRAD:The legislation includes $3.8 million in military construction planning and design funding to support the construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar addition for the Missouri Army National Guard Aviation Classification and Repair Activity Depot in Springfield, Mo.
• Fort Leonard Wood:The bill includes:

• $160 million in additional funding for further construction of a new hospital at Fort Leonard Wood, which will replace the current General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. In June 2020, Blunt celebrated the groundbreaking for the new hospital.

• $4 million in military construction planning and design funding to support the construction of barracks to complete the Advanced Individual Training Battalion complex.

• NGA St. Louis:The bill provides nearly $68 million that can be used to support the rapidly evolving geospatial intelligence ecosystem in St. Louis, including in AI / ML data labeling, cloud architecture, and commercial imagery data analytics. In November 2019, Blunt attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West headquarters in North St. Louis and has long led efforts to ensure the resources are in place to complete the construction of the NGA West headquarters.
• Rosecrans Air National Guard Base:The legislation provides nearly $272 million in funding for C-130H modernization, such as propellers and engines, to meet Air National Guard intra-theater airlift mobility requirements. The bill also includes $1.8 billion in funding for 16 C-130J aircraft for the Air National Guard. Rosecrans Air National Guard Base is the nation’s premier Air National Guard training center for Advanced Airlift Tactical Training.
• Whiteman Air Force Base:The measure provides robust resources for the B-2 and the A-10. In addition, the bill provides more than$2.87 billion in research funding for the B-21, a next generation Air Force bomber that is currently under development.
• Lake City Army Ammunition Plant:The measure includes significant increased funding for small caliber ammunition procurement vital to Lake City, along with an increase of $50 million for Army industrial facilities.Blunt has long championed additional funding, including over $177 million in additional funding in the past, to provide critical support to modernize facilities like Lake City Army Ammunition Plant near Independence, Mo.
• Super Hornets:The legislation provides $900 million in funding for 12 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, which are manufactured in St. Louis, to meet the U.S. Navy’s tactical aviation shortfall.
• F-15EX:The bill includes funding for 12 F-15EX aircraft, which are manufactured in St. Louis, Mo., to meet the U.S. Air Force’s air superiority needs.
• Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP):The measure includes $40 million in funding for DCIP infrastructure projects. Fort Leonard Wood has previously benefited from the DCIP program, which aims to improve the quality of life for service members and their families.
• U.S. Navy MQ-25:The bill provides robust funding for the U.S. Navy MQ-25 program. In 2018, the U.S. Navyawarded Boeing the contract for the MQ-25, a carrier based unmanned aerial refueling aircraft. Boeing subsequently announced that the MQ-25 will be built in St. Louis.
• U.S. Air Force T-7:The legislation includes strong funding for the U.S. Air Force T-7 program. The T-7 trainer, which was designed in St. Louis and will bebuilt there, is a two-seat trainer aircraft that will replace the decades-old T-38 trainer currently in use by the U.S. Air Force.
• Research Investments:The measure provides research funding for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Department of Defense. This funding will support research and development initiatives at the University of Missouri, Missouri State University, and among defense industry leaders across the state.
• Impact Aid:The bill includes $70 million in funding for Impact Aid assistance to benefit Whiteman and Fort Leonard Wood area schools. Department of Defense Supplemental Impact Aid Assistance is critical to local school districts impacted by the presence of federally-owned land.