Earmarks: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs

Lincoln Airbase Joint Forces Headquarters
Purpose: for design costs associated with the Lincoln Airbase Joint Force Headquarters entry control point and road. 
Amount Requested: $450,000
Suggested Recipient: Nebraska National Guard
Suggested Location: Lincoln Airbase, Lincoln, Nebraska
Taxpayer Interest: funding would facilitate necessary study to examine how to effectively secure the base, minimize accident risk factors, and facilitate efficient traffic flow.

Offutt Air Force Base Improvements
Purpose/Description: Authorize all work necessary to construct new entry road and privately-owned vehicle (POV) inspection area, associated roadway, and Overwatch Facility and associated infrastructure, including lighting, landscaping, and fencing at Kenney and Bellevue Gates.
Amount Requested: $11,000,000
Suggested Recipient: United States Air Force
Suggested Location: Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
Taxpayer Interest: Project is needed to comply with U.S. Department of Defense entry control standards and provide increased force protection, security, safety, and traffic flow.

National Guard Readiness Center, Mead, NE
Purpose/Description: This project is to provide a Readiness Center, of permanent type construction, to serve the peace time missions of the assigned units. The proposed site for the project is on Federally owned property. This project is part of "Grow the Force" funding.
Amount Requested: $11,400,000
Suggested Recipient: Nebraska Army National Guard
Suggested Location: Mead, Nebraska
Taxpayer Interest: Completion of this project is required to provide required space for 1 unit with a required strength of 150 soldiers. This new Readiness Center will provide the necessary administrative, training, kitchen, locker room and storage areas required to achieve proficiency in their respective areas of training. The proposed site for the project is on 1194 acres of Federally owned property.

National Guard Readiness Center, Lincoln, NE
Purpose/Description: renovate a former US Army Reserve Training Center located in Lincoln, NE that will provide needed Readiness Center space for Nebraska Army National Guard and save costs by re-utilizing existing federal facilities that have fallen into disrepair.
Amount Requested: $3,300,000
Suggested Recipient: Nebraska Army National Guard
Suggested Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Taxpayer Interest: The Nebraska Army National Guard currently has a requirement deficit of 145,000 square feet in readiness center space. In addition, renovation of this facility will allow for the permanent stationing of the 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB), a new Grow-The-Army unit, to a facility with enough space to function and complete assigned missions. Units stationed at the Lincoln metropolitan area, the second most populated area of the State, are particularly affected by the shortage of space. The Pershing facility will move the BfSB out of the 1776 Armory at the Lincoln Complex, opening space for units currently stationed at the Lincoln Airbase and maximizing training potential for mission accomplishment. The new facility will be remodeled on federally leased ground of approximately 3.2 acres.

Omaha VA Medical Center
Purpose/Description:  as noted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, this project is for construction and renovation of a healthcare facility which will include construction of a new hospital including inpatient bed units, surgical suites and expanded space for clinical and administrative services.
Amount Requested: $56,000,000
Suggested Recipient: Department of Veterans Affairs
Suggested Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Taxpayer Interest:  Quoting the VA, the central goal of this project is to, “honor those who have served by providing a safe, secure medical center in a right-sized building.”  This project addresses significant deficiencies that exist at the current VA hospital in Omaha as determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The VA has noted deficiencies such as insufficient space and failing HVAC and electrical systems that will be remedied with the construction and renovation associated with this project.

STRATCOM Headquarters
Additionally, Senator Nelson continues to work closely with leaders at the Department of Defense and STRATCOM as well as his colleagues in the Senate to ensure necessary resources are available so that STRACOM can continue to fulfill its mission.  To this end, Senator Nelson has supported and advocated for the inclusion of $10 million for continued planning and design of the new STRATCOM Headquarters facility, as requested in the President’s Budget.  Under current plans, the new STRATCOM Headquarters is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in fiscal year 2016.  The FY11 Military Construction-VA appropriations bill adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 15, 2010 includes $10 million to complete necessary planning and design of this critical facility.

Updated 7.30.10