WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 5 -- The Army will spend a total of $378 million this year for construction projects at Fort Lewis with funding from the final version of the Military Construction/VA appropriations bill, Senator Patty Murray and Rep. Norm Dicks said.

          Both lawmakers serve on the Military Construction/VA appropriations subcommittee, and they were part of a House-Senate conference panel that developed the compromise version of the spending bill this week.

          The total represents a substantial boost from the amount initially contained in the Pentagon's budget request of $205 million at Fort Lewis in Fiscal Year 2008.  Added to the original request was $173 million for specific housing and operations projects related to the Army's fast-track growth program that will add 35,000 soldiers to the active force in the next few years, in addition to $10,600 for a Child Development Center and $3.3 million for a fueling facility. 

          The boost in spending at Fort Lewis bring to $672 million the total amount that the Pentagon will spend for construction activities at Washington State military bases. 

          "This is another clear indicator of the Army's high priority for Fort Lewis, which has now become the third largest Army base in the nation," Rep. Dicks said.  He noted Fort Lewis was the site of the initial deployment of the new highly-mobile Stryker brigade concept, and it is now home to three of the Army's seven Stryker brigades.

          [Sen. Murray??]

          The following is a complete listing of military construction expenditures that have been agreed to by the House-Senate appropriations conference committee: