$112K approved for base projects

By Anthony V. Coppola, Staff Writer
   Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force Base and the Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station will receive upgrades thanks to the recent approval of over $112 million by the U.S. House of Representatives.
   The funds are part of the $503 billion 2008 Defense Authorization bill that was approved 370-49 on Dec. 12 by the House.
   McGuire will see three construction phases under the new bill, including a $37 million, 141,502-square-foot helicopter hangar space and Marine Air Group Headquarters; a $20.6 million, 76,832-square-foot Navy Reserve and Marine Reserve Training Center; and a $27.6 million, 131,330-square-foot Navy Aircraft Operations and Maintenance facility.
   At Fort Dix, the base is authorized to receive $17 million for an Army Reserve maintenance project. Its purpose would be to service tanks, Humvees and military trucks, according the office of U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd. The bases are located within his district. There is also $5.9 million in the budget for a Tactical Training Base. It is the first phase of a permanent, 15,600-square-foot mini-base that simulates typical overseas camp settings for up to 2,500 soldiers preparing for deployment.
   The upgrades at Lakehurst are expected to provide a $4.1 million joint installation road improvement project to rebuild and improve the road between Fort Dix and Lakehurst. The road is designed to ease traffic between the eastern and western side of the new joint base.
   ”This is the most appropriated funding we’ve ever seen for our three bases,” Mr. Saxton said. “The impact on the South Jersey economy will be felt for years. This opens the door for construction jobs, and work that can be bid on by local companies. Even more importantly, the projects will help create America’s only Army-Air Force-Navy joint base that is designed for the future.”
   A significant number of new jobs are expected as a result of the construction, both in terms of actual building and workers occupying finished buildings, according to Jeff Sagnip, a spokesman for Mr. Saxton’s office. When the Department of Defense decided to combine the three bases in 2005, it was determined the plan would generate $300 million in new construction projects over the next six to 10 years.