Stimulation

The National Guard Bureau is welcoming its share of the latest stimulus legislation and readying to make use of it.

According to a new analysis prepared by the NGB's Office of Legislative Liaison last week, the bureau has already “identified $1.2 billion worth of shovel-ready Army and Air National Guard military construction projects.

“This includes $382 million of Army National Guard projects and $352.5 million of Air National Guard projects,” the document reads. “The Army National Guard can immediately execute $368 million in facilities maintenance while the Air National Guard can execute $30.4 million in facilities maintenance.”

The analysis says the Senate National Guard Caucus last month pushed Senate leaders to include Guard military construction funding in the economic stimulus package, signed into law Feb. 17.

Included in the package is $266.3 million in operations and maintenance funding and $50 million in military construction money for the Army Guard, while the Air Guard received $25.8 million for O&M and $50 million for military construction, according to the document.

In urging support for Guard funding, the Senate caucus letter “noted that the National Guard is a community-based force with more than 3,200 Army and Air National Guard facilities spread across the nation,” the analysis says. “Improving and updating these facilities not only increases military readiness and homeland security but strengthens infrastructure which connects citizens to their military.”