Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara)
Key federal funding for the construction of a new education center at Vandenberg Air Force Base and a training facility at Naval Base Ventura County was included in H.R. 2055, the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction-VA Appropriations bill that was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives June 14 by a vote of 411-5, Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, reported in a media release.
Funding levels for these projects are not finalized until the Senate passes its version of the bill and differences between the versions are worked out in conference, Capps reported. The legislation would then be sent to the President for his signature.
“It’s our country’s responsibility to ensure that our military men and women are adequately prepared, and it is essential that they receive instruction and training in top notch facilities. These construction projects will provide them with that and I’m pleased this funding has been included in this bill. I’ll keep working to ensure these bases receive all the funding they need in the final bill because we have to make sure our troops have the best facilities possible to do the tough and indispensible work we ask of them,” Capps stated.
The House-approved Military Construction-VA appropriations bill includes $14.2 million for the construction of a new education center at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The new center will provide facilities to promote the academic and professional development of the officers, airmen, and civilian workers at the installation, as well as contain classrooms equipped with distance learning capabilities, an auditorium, computer science and engineering laboratory, and student break room. The facilities currently in use are 50 years old and do not sufficiently promote the educational development of the men and women stationed at Vandenberg, Capps reported.
The legislation also includes $15.38 million for an E-2D Aircrew Training Facility at Naval Base Ventura County. The new training facility would include an operational flight trainer and combat information simulators and a weapons system trainer, in addition to classrooms, an auditorium, and other necessary workspace. Sustainable design principles would be incorporated into the new training facility, and it would meet LEED ratings, cutting down on energy consumption.