Leahy And Jeffords
Secure Construction Funds
For Vermont National Guard
. . . Funding Bill For New
Information Facility
And Upgraded Firing Range Clears
Congress
WASHINGTON
(Friday, Nov. 18) -- The Vermont National Guard will receive more
than $8 million from the military construction funding bill passed
Friday by the U.S. Senate and House, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and
Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) announced. The funds secured by the two
Vermont senators will be used to build a new Information Systems
Facility at the Guard’s headquarters at Camp Johnson in Colchester
and to upgrade the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho.
The senators
secured $5.6 million for the Information Systems Facility and $3
million for the range improvements in the Conference Report on the
Fiscal Year 2006 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
Appropriations Bill.
The Vermont
National Guard has many key computer systems throughout Camp
Johnson. The new information technologies facility will consolidate
key servers and other computer systems into one secure building,
which will better enable the Vermont National Guard to coordinate
its diverse activities and take on new missions. An additional $3
million will go toward an additional advanced firing range at the
Ethan Allen range, which provides the National Guard a realistic
training ground.
“The Vermont
National Guard is a first-class force with front-line duties, and
our Guard deserves first-class facilities,” said Leahy, a senior
member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the
conference committee that negotiated the final bill. “The new
facility will help take the Vermont National Guard into the 21st
Century. The building will reflect the skill, intelligence and
energy that the members of the Vermont Air and Army Guard bring to
their work every day.”
“I am very
pleased that the Vermont Guard is able to proceed with this
important project,” said Jeffords. “The Vermont Guard has performed
superbly both abroad and at home. They deserve the best technology,
and this facility will support them as they continue to serve
Vermont and the country.”
The legislation
is expected to be signed into law by President Bush as early as
today (Friday).
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