Brown Announces Nearly $38 Million in Funding for Miami Valley in Key Defense Bill

Statement

Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Senate-passed FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report includes more than $58 million for military construction projects in the Miami Valley. The House-Senate NDAA conference report now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. It includes:

$24 Million to build a Child Development Center,

$19 Million to build an Army training center, and

$4.7 Million to build a base-wide microgrid at the Springfield-Beckley Airport.

This investment in a new child care center at Wright-Patterson illustrates our commitment to the families at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base who are waiting for access to on base child care. The new facility will provide child care services for Wright-Patt's workforce in a safe and healthy environment.

The Army Reserve Training Center will improve training and readiness, by consolidating older training facilities from separate locations in the Dayton area to Wright-Patt. The new construction will include updated facilities to meet training needs.

The microgrid project at the Springfield Beckley Airport is authorized under the Department's Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program, and will help save energy and reduce DoD's operating costs.

"These key investments will ensure that everyone at Wright-Patt can continue to do their critical national security missions. Their work keeps us safe and helps power the Miami Valley's local economy, and the new child development center will improve their lives. The project at Springfield Beckley is an important step to make sure the base is energy efficient ," said Brown.

Brown has long been a strong advocate for Wright-Patt in Dayton:

Last year, Brown helped secure more than $58 million for military construction projects at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

In December 2019, Brown successfully secured a number of key investments for Wright-Patt in a spending package that was signed into law, including resources to support critical research and development programs run out of Wright-Patt's Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), funds to support military construction of Wright-Patt's new National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), and resources to support improvements and rehabilitation efforts for Wright-Patt's historic Brick Quarters Housing District.

In 2018, Brown was able to help secure more funding for NASIC construction than ever before, when the NDAA authorized $182 million for phase one and two of NASIC's expansion. The project received an appropriation authorization of $61 million for Fiscal Year 2019 to begin construction.

Brown also wrote to then-DOD Secretary Jim Mattis in 2018, calling for an investment at NASIC, along with other Ohio priorities. And in 2017, Brown spoke to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson about investing in construction needs at the base. Prior to that, in 2017, Brown -- as co-chair of the Senate Air Force Caucus -- brought his Republican caucus co-chair Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Armed Services Committee Members Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to visit Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and tour the facility. Together, Brown and Portman highlighted critical research and development work done at the base in support of the Air Force and national security.

Brown also met with Sec. Mattis in 2017 to outline Ohio military priorities. During the meeting, Brown invited Mattis to visit Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air National Guard 178th Wing in Springfield.

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