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Last updated on Thursday, June 7, 2018
(PERU) - Grissom Air Reserve Base in Peru stands to receive $21.5 million for expansion projects as part of the military funding bill now working its way through Congress.
Fox59 news reports, the funding, included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, would be used to expand current facilities and construct a new structure on the base, according to Public Affairs Director Doug Hays.
Hays says $12.1 million would be used to convert a nose dock, which can house all but the tail of a massive KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, into a full hangar that can cover the entire plane. The hangars and nose docks are where technicians clean and service the largest unit of KC-135 aircraft in the Air Force Reserve Command. Most of the time, Hays says nose docks are sufficient for servicing the aircraft. But completely covering the large planes has its benefits.
Hays says $9.4 million will be used to build a new facility for the 49th Aerial Port Squadron. The squadron has grown over the last 20 years and is currently sharing a facility with another unit on the base.
Grissom Air Reserve Base is well known for its mid-flight refueling and humanitarian aid missions. Hays says the project funding allocation demonstrates Grissom's importance in the U.S. military.
Republican Representative Jim Banks, who represents Indiana's 3rd District, says expansion at Grissom is part of ongoing efforts to build up America's military as a deterrent to countries like North Korea.
The federal funding bill passed House of Representatives on a bipartisan vote of 351 to 66. It has passed the Senate Armed Services Committee and is expected to go to the full Senate for debate as early as this week.
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