Defense Stimulus 2

The Pentagon today released the details behind $835 million worth of improvement projects for 850 defense facilities across the country funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The $835 million "represents the balance of the ARRA funds provided to the DOD for construction and repair projects," according to a Defense Department statement, which adds:

All of the new projects will be conducted at Army and Army National Guard facilities in 37 states and the District of Columbia. More than half of the $835 million will be spent in five states: Texas ($155 million), Kentucky ($83 million), North Carolina ($83 million), Oklahoma ($66 million) and Hawaii ($59 million). In addition to making much-needed improvements to military installations, an additional $346 million will be spent on energy-related projects enabling the DOD to lead the way in the national effort to achieve greater energy independence.

Representing less than 1 percent of the entire $787 billion ARRA package, the overall $7.4 billion investment in defense-related projects will further the legislation’s stated goal of stimulating the American economy through job creation, while improving the quality of life for service members, their families, and DOD civilian workers.

In March, the Pentagon issued details on $5.9 billion in funding for nearly 3,000 military construction projects funded by ARRA, out of which $300 million would go "to develop energy-efficient technologies."

Click here to view the full DOD report to Congress issued this week.