Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced today that he has secured over $20 million for two facilities at Mountain Home Air Force Base (MHAFB) as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. The legislation is expected to be approved by the House Appropriations Committee later this afternoon.

“Idaho and its people take great pride in Mountain Home Air Force Base and the capabilities it provides to our nation’s defense,” said Congressman Simpson. “This funding will help improve the operations of the base, provide better facilities for its servicemen and women, and ensure the Base remains a vibrant part of our nation’s defense. I am proud to have helped secure these funds and grateful to my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee for approving them.”

The funding is split among the following two projects:

·                     $690,000 is slated to go to the Civil Engineer Maintenance Complex at MHAFB. The funding will be used for planning and design of a replacement facility for civil engineering functions at the base. Those functions are currently dispersed among 10 World War II and Korean War era facilities that are in various stages of disrepair. The existing buildings are a danger to those working in them and adversely affect all daily civil engineering operations.

·                     $20 million is slated to go to the Logistics Readiness Center at MHAFB. Once fully funded, the new Logistics Readiness Center will provide command and control for all materials in-bound and out-bound, including freight processing, packing, crating, and provide bulk and bin storage. These functions are currently dispersed among several buildings because the existing Logistics Supply building is a condemned 53 year-old wooden structure beyond economical repair.

“Mountain Home Air Force Base is not only critical to our nation’s defense, but to the economy of our great State. For that reason, I am intent on supporting the Base as much as I can as a member of the House Appropriations Committee,” said Simpson.

The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill also contains funding for military facilities across the world and a variety of programs assisting our nation’s veterans. A summary of the entire bill is available upon request. The bill now heads to the House floor where approval is expected in the next few weeks.