Delaware military assets get funding in federal defense bill

The measure will fund upgrades at Dover Air Force Base, including a new $39 million hangar and new schools to serve children in the DAFB community.

The U.S. Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed in the U.S. House last week. 

The NDAA for 2017 includes $83 million in funding for projects in Delaware. At Dover Air Force Base, $39 million is earmarked to build a new maintenance aircraft hangar for the base’s C-5 cargo planes. Another $41 million will fund construction of new buildings for Welsh Elementary and Dover Middle schools, which serve children of those stationed at DAFB. 

“No mission is more important than ensuring that our aircraft are well maintained and fully capable of delivering military supplies to our forces halfway across the world,” Delaware U.S. Senator Tom Carper said. “I am delighted that the last hurdle to building a new C-5 maintenance hangar has been cleared with the passage of this bill.”

The money will also help fund the efforts to modernize the Delaware Air National Guard’s C-130H planes, based at the New Castle Guard base. 

The NDAA also includes a 2.1 percent pay raise for military personnel. “The bill will improve the quality of life for military families in Delaware and support new construction and enhanced operations at Dover and New Castle in the coming year,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware.

President Obama is expected to sign the spending bill into law in the coming weeks.