Federal defense bill includes funding for Yuma bases
Service members would get biggest raise in 9 years
The House Armed Services Committee has overwhelmingly approved a $716 billion defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2019, which includes the largest military pay raise in nine years and provides funding for military installations throughout the state, including the two here in Yuma County.
A staunch supporter of the bill, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., said the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) not only secures funding to upgrade the testing ranges at Yuma Proving Ground, it also sets aside money to build 77 new F-35 fighters, some of which will be assigned to squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
“The weather, the airspace, and the network of diverse military facilities make Arizona a premier location for the Department of Defense. The missions at our six military installations are indispensable to our national security and vital to our local communities,” said McSally, who serves on the Committees on Armed Services and Homeland Security. “I fought hard to ensure that this year’s defense bill invests in Arizona’s amazing military assets throughout the state.”
The sprawling budget bill — which still must survive a full House vote later this month and negotiations with the Senate later this year — includes a 2.6 percent pay raise for troops starting in January 2019, as well as the addition of almost 16,000 active-duty troops to the armed forces ranks.
As for Arizona, the bill also includes $163 million for A-10 enhancements and other upgrades, which should keep the jets flying, as well as full funding and acceleration for Compass Call’s cross-decking initia-
tive, and millions for a new Aerospace Ground Equipment facility at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
It authorizes defense officials to spend $4.17 billion to build 77 new F-35 fighters, and allocates $40 million to construct an F-35 aircraft maintenance unit facility at Luke Air Force Base, as well as money to upgrade and modernize the Electronic Proving Ground (EPG) at Ft. Huachuca.
The $58.9 million for YPG and the EPG test facility bases, will be used to for the procurement of advanced threat radar systems to improve open-air range test capabilities for next-generation equipment and aerial armament.
The measure also includes $284.6 million in funding for new AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, which are built in Mesa, and emphasizes the importance of the Western Army Aviation Training Site (WAATS) in Marana to Army attack aviation readiness.
“This bill will infuse resources to update our bases; build more of our needed aircraft like F-35 fighters and Apache attack helicopters; produce more critical munitions like Raytheon’s
Tomahawks; support research and development of next generation weaponry; and keep the A-10 fleet flying for years to come,” McSally said. “If we want to stop seeing tragic and unnecessary training deaths in the news, we
must invest in our military readiness. This bill does just that, and I am honored to have fought and won on so many key investments for our troops.”
The House Armed Services Committee passed the legislation by a 60-1 vote after
more than 14 hours of debate on Wednesday and early Thursday morning.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 5396854. Find him on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.