The National Defense Act signing sends tens of thousands to Michigan.
Maintaining our armed forces is one of the most important aspects of national security. Especially as countries like China and Russia continue to try and expand their reach. This military investment doesn’t stop with fortifying military infrastructure, it also includes a pay raise for both military service members and the civilian Department of Defense workers.
The act also includes a 3-year pilot program that allows TRICARE beneficiaries to receive their medications from an in-network, retail pharmacy rather than being required to obtain them from pharmacies at military bases or relying on the Postal Service while also creating a basic needs allowance to help low-income military families put food on the table.
Here’s where the majority of Michigan’s $144 million goes to:
- $28 million in upgrades at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County
- $23 million to support infrastructure at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena County
- $16 million in facility improvements at Camp Grayling Maneuver Readiness Center in Crawford County
- $10 million in facility improvements at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base in Calhoun County
- Camp Grayling will also receive $5.7 million through the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program
- The bill also provides $12 million to construct an Army Reserve Center in Southfield
- $49.09 million for a new Naval Operations Support Center in Battle Creek
The annual budget, which totals $768.2 billion, authorizes an additional $9.9 billion for defense needs outside the bill’s traditional jurisdiction, bringing the overall price tag to $777 billion.
Additionally, the bill includes $476 million to address PFAS contamination to include environmental remediation and restoration, the creation of a PFAS Task Force, the establishment of a mandatory report to be delivered to Congress outlining efforts to remediate PFAS exposure at 50 sites across the country. A portion of those funds will be used for remedying PFAS chemicals that have been found at the Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field.
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