Travis Air Force Base Gets Millions in Funds

Travis Air Force Base Gets Millions in Funds
By Reporter Staff

Some $46.4 million in funds for Travis Air Force Base are included in a bill passed Friday by the U.S. House of Representatives on an unanimous vote.

The Conference Report for H.R. 2528, the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2006 is essential, said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Solano, who voted for the proposal.

The Senate has approved the conference report negotiated by members of the House and Senate and the bill will be directed to the President ' desk for signature.

"Travis is essential to our nation's air strength and is a leader in our military engagements abroad," she said. "I am proud of our brave airmen and women at Travis and I am pleased my colleagues voted with me to continue keeping them supplied and prepared to do an outstanding job."

The bill included the following requests for Travis:

• $19 million for the Air Mobility Operations Group (AMOG) Global Reach Deployment Center.

• $1.3 million for C-17 addition/alteration life support.

• $3.2 million for a C-17 addition composite shop.

• $8.1 million for a C-17 maintenance training facility.

The AMOG Deployment Center will provide a maintenance and storage facility for high-value, mobile command and control equipment and will augment the base's rapid deployment capabilities.

Fairfield Mayor-elect Harry Price praised the bill, and Tauscher.

"We are ecstatic with the great success that has been achieved," he said in a press release issued Friday. "Congresswoman Tauscher continues to keep a watchful eye on the troops at Travis. Indeed, both the Active Duty components and 349th Reserve Wing at Travis will benefit from these extraordinary efforts. The $46.4 million will go a long way to ensuring that Travis Air Force Base will continue to be a valuable military asset and the funds will provide further projection from any future Base Realignment and Closure actions."

In addition, Tauscher worked with Senator Dianne Feinstein to secure $10.9 million for a new, state-of-the-art Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) Facility, which will be used for maintenance, service, and storage of equipment used on aircraft. The existing AGE Facility is outmoded and this upgrade will provide for relocation of a key fuel station and storage building closer to mother maintenance facilities, Tauscher said.

Tauscher said she was also able to secure an extra $3.9 million in additional funds beyond the Administration's requests for the C-17 Wheel and Tire Shop, which will help prepare the base for receiving their upcoming fleet of C-17 aircrafts, allowing Travis to continue its mission and play a critical role in the War on Terror.