$59 million allocated from federal defense budget for Battle Creek projects
A newly signed National Defense Authorization Act includes nearly $60 million for military infrastructure projects in Battle Creek.
The bill includes $10 million for facility improvements to the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base and $49 million for a new Marine Corps Operations Support Center.
The bill also includes some money for remediation of PFAS chemicals found at Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field and money to continue STARBASE, a youth program to promote the education of K-12 students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The program is offered at the air guard base.
The bill also increases pay by 2.7% for military service members and the civilian employees of the Department of Defense.
The bill’s provisions include a total of nearly $144 million in investments for the construction of new military facilities across Michigan: $28 million in upgrades at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, $23 million to support infrastructure at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena County, $16 million in facility improvements at Camp Grayling Maneuver Readiness Center in Crawford County and $10 million in facility improvements at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base in Calhoun County.
Camp Grayling will also receive $5.7 million through the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program which will allow for the construction of a natural gas energy generation facility. The bill also provides $12 million to construct an Army Reserve Center in Southfield and $49 million for a new Marine Corps Operations Support Center in Battle Creek.
The $49 million will be used for a new training facility for the Marine Corps reservists including a new vehicle maintenance facility to extend the life of the vehicles they house.
The $10 million for the Air Guard base will be used to construct a new main gate and entrance facility on Skyline Road on the west side of the base.
The current base entrance on Dickman Road causes traffic congestion and a security risk during drill weekends by creating a backlog of vehicles attempting to enter the facility, according to Battle Creek Unlimited.
The new entrance will meet current facility security and anti-terrorism protocols.
The annual budget of $768.2 billion was signed this week by President Joe Biden.
“The Battle Creek community applauds the hard work and alignment of many, including Senator Gary Peters, and the Michigan National Guard, who helped the State secure $144 million in this year’s NDAA for strategic military investments throughout the State. The two strategic, $59 million investments in Battle Creek will not only strengthen our historical military presence, which is vital to our local economy but will also position the defense community for growth in Battle Creek,” said Joe Sobieralski, President & CEO, Battle Creek Unlimited.
Mayor Mark Behnke also applauded the appropriation of the funds.
“As a community, we have a long history of supporting our military. This appropriation helps continue good relationships as well as an excellent investment for the future, not just for our military infrastructure, but also our community,” Behnke said.
Language in the bill also prohibits the retirement of the A-10 Warthog fighter. The 107th Fighter Squadron, an A-10 Warthog squadron assigned to Selfridge Air National Guard Base, will continue its mission into the next fiscal year.
“The national defense bill is critical to maintaining our competitiveness on the global stage – particularly as other nations, like the Chinese government, look to expand their influence,” Peters said in a statement. The Democratic Senator is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“I’m pleased this bipartisan bill was signed into law – which not only helps solidify the Department of Defense’s commitment to Michigan – but provides a pay raise for service members, helps address PFAS contamination and supports innovative military research and development that’s happening in Michigan.”
Contact Trace Christenson at 269-966-0685 or tchrist@battlecreekenquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek projects get $59M allocated from federal defense budget
