Kind Announces $48 Million for Local Military Bases

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) today announced that military bases located in the Third Congressional District will receive $48 million for improvements and renovations under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (H.R. 1). Fort McCoy will receive $14 million for a new family housing facility and $31 million for repairs to its World War II-era barracks, road reconstruction, and a water main.

Camp Williams will receive $2.67 million for renovations, while Army National Guard bases in New Richmond and Onalaska will receive $128,000 and $52,000, respectively.

“I am pleased to see the Department of Defense is undertaking this much-needed effort to improve conditions for the thousands of troops who pass through Fort McCoy and other facilities in Western Wisconsin. I have long advocated for major upgrades to these bases to ensure that when our soldiers are being trained, their safety and health are taken care of,” Rep. Kind said. “I’m happy to see that the recently passed stimulus bill is being put to good use: creating jobs for Wisconsinites while making meaningful investments for our future.”

The money to upgrade the facilities comes from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, enacted by Congress to stimulate the economy.  Rep. Kind supported the measure, which included nearly $7.4 billion for defense-related appropriations. The Department of Defense has allocated $52.14 million to improve and renovate Wisconsin’s military bases.

In 2008, Fort McCoy received $13 million to repair its barracks after Rep. Kind wrote a letter to Army Secretary Pete Geren expressing the need for serious renovations. The two-story wooden barracks were originally designed as temporary housing, intended to last just five years. Of the 276 barracks, less than half had ever been modernized or renovated.