WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Steve Austria (OH-7) announced that at his request, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MILCON) Chairman John Culberson (TX-7) will tour Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on Friday, October 28. Congressman Austria, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, is the only MILCON Subcommittee member from Ohio and has been tasked with the oversight of military construction projects in the Ohio region, including Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by Chairman Culberson. 
 

As a member of the MILCON Subcommittee, Austria will have a seat at the table in deciding which military construction projects should be funded and which should be delayed or eliminated with current federal budget constraints. Austria will also be tasked in working with Ohio’s local and state officials as they work to attract new missions that bring jobs to WPAFB and the Miami Valley.

“Wright-Patterson Air Force Base continues to be a premier military base in support of our national defense,” Congressman Austria said. “Having Chairman Culberson visit the base will give the Wright-Patt community a great opportunity to showcase why we are at the forefront of many new innovations, research, and technology that provide vital resources to the warfighter."

“The men and women of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base play an essential role in the defense of our nation,” Chairman Culberson said. “It is a privilege to work alongside Speaker John Boehner and my House colleagues in support of our men and women in uniform, and to strengthen America’s economy by growing jobs and protecting vital assets like Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.”
 

During the tour, Austria plans to highlight the important MILCON related priorities at WPAFB.  Including:

• The need to an expand of the Foreign Material Lab at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC);
• Increased research lab needs at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT);
• The Air Force Research Lab, which includes the 711th Human Performance Wing and was the largest MILCON project at WPAFB since World War II; and
• Force protection and air field maintenance issues.
• The military facilities located in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District include Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Springfield Air National Guard Base, the Air and Army National Guard Bases and the Navy Reserve Center at Rickenbacker International Airport, and Defense Supply Center Columbus.

The Subcommittee controls funding for the Department of Defense related to military construction; facilities sustainment; restoration and modernization; military family housing construction, operation and maintenance; and Base Realignment and Closure Account (BRAC). The subcommittee also oversees all funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
 

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