Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced today that millions of dollars in military construction projects for Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island are included in the fiscal year 2005 Military Quality of Life and Department of Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Larsen helped secure the projects and also praised Senator Patty Murray for her efforts, as well.

The bill included $4.01 million for High Performance Magazines for NAS Whidbey Island.

“NAS Whidbey’s World War II era magazines are outdated and do not fit modern munitions,” Larsen said. “This funding will let NAS Whidbey build two new magazines to cut down on response and delivery times and limit handling requirements.”

The bill also included important funding for additional quarters at Naval Station Everett. The bill contains nearly $50 million for building the first phase of Bachelor Enlisted Quarter Homeport Ashore. This project will provide an onshore home as part of the Navy’s Homeport Ashore Program for 818 personnel from the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. Currently, when ships return to homeport, sailors must sleep aboard in bunk beds in cramped spaces with dozens of shipmates. The new modules will contain two-room private sleeping and living areas for up to four people.

“Everett is called the ‘Sailor’s Choice’ because of the excellent quality of life that we provide our sailors and their families,” Larsen said. “This project will boost that quality of life by providing our Carrier sailors with a place to call home when they come ashore.”

Also for NS Everett, the bill includes $600,000 for a Regional Training Center at the base.

“This funding represents the first step toward building a 28,430 square foot training center that will support surface ship training requirements,” Larsen said. “This training center will help make NS Everett a regional leader in Navy simulation training.”

The facility will support sailors assigned to 5 DDG Destroyers, 2 Frigates and the USS Abraham Lincoln.  The facility will also provide training courses not currently available in the region.