Federal legislation has been passed that directs more than $83 million for military construction projects in Mississippi.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed the FY2024 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Bill, which will allocate the funds for work being done at the Columbus Air Force Base, Keesler Air Force Base, and Army and Air National Guard Bases.
“I’ve worked with my colleagues on the committee to support projects to improve the readiness and operational efficiency of active duty and reserve bases in Mississippi,” Hyde-Smith said. “These Mississippi projects and support for veterans will, I believe, fare well as the Senate and House work toward a single bill that can be signed into law.”
Funding is expected to go toward:
- $30 million to construct a T-7A Based Training System Facility at Columbus Air Force Base.
- $22 million to complete the National Guard Readiness Center in Southaven.
- $9.5 million to construct a T-7A Unit Maintenance Training Facility at Columbus Air Force Base.
- $8 million to complete the Fire, Crash, and Rescue Station at Jackson International Airport.
- $4.6 million to construct a T-7A Egress Shop at Columbus Air Force Base.
- $4.85 million to construct a T-7A Hush House Pad at Columbus Air Force Base.
- $2.16 million to complete planning and design of the Army Aviation Support Facility 3 in Meridian.
- $1.96 million to complete planning and design of an Air Traffic Control Tower at Keesler Air Force Base.
Senate passage makes the legislation available for conference committee negotiations to reconcile differences with a House-passed MilCon-VA measure.
The legislation also increases funding for the Armed Forces Retirement Home, which operates facilities in Gulfport and Washington, D.C. Overall, the bill would provide $296.5 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs for FY2024.
