Panel Backs $62 Million For State Military Projects

More than $62 million has been approved for military construction projects in Idaho, nearly triple the amount given the state in recent years.

Sen. Larry Craig said a House-Senate conference committee approved the funding in a military appropriation bill.

The conference report now goes to the House and Senate for final approval.

Gowen Field at Boise will get $20.8 million in support of the Air National Guard C-130 mission.

The rest of the money goes to Mountain Home Air Force Base, including $11 million to improve housing on the base. Craig said the money will be used to construct an additional 60 housing units, unless the Air Force designates Mountain Home as one of the bases to take part in a new privatization project.

In that case, the funding may be used to upgrade 1,500 existing base units.

Other construction projects approved for the Mountain Home base:

$9.2 million for a B-1 avionics building.

$2.7 million for a new B-1 bomber armament shop.

$6 million for a B-1 squadron operations-aircraft maintenance unit.