Washington, D.C. - Congressman Neil Abercrombie says the U.S. House tonight approved his request for $10.2 million in construction money for a facility that will help to prevent military vehicles from leaving mud and debris on local roads and highways, particularly in the Wahiawa area of Oahu.

“This funding will be used to build a special washing facility to clear mud from Stryker Armored Vehicles and other military vehicles that often travel from Kahuku Training Area to Schofield Barracks,” said Abercrombie, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces.

“The Army has no facilities that can do this kind of clean up work effectively and efficiently which has impacted our community because of an excessive amount of mud and dirt that has been left behind by different military vehicles using the training area. The washing facility will change that.”

The funding is part of a major appropriations bill that includes $534 million for military construction projects in Hawaii in fiscal year 2008. The bill also includes the largest increase in history for veterans health that will strengthen the quality care for 5.8 million patients and reduce a backlog of 400,000 veterans’ claims by adding 1,800 claims processors.

“Funding veterans health care is an important part of this bill, and it helps us to keep the promises we made to veterans that we would provide them with the high-quality health care when they completed their service to our country,” said Abercrombie. “There have been promises broken in past years, but now it’s time to fulfill them.”

Included in the measure are funds for maintenance for treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury for returning veterans and maintenance for VA health care facilities.

Other provisions in the bill will provide:

• better barracks, housing and training facilities when troops return from combat through an unprecedented $21.5 billion investment in military construction, family housing, and base relocation and closure;
• funds to grow U.S. military forces and to begin the process of adding 65,000 Army, 27,000 Marine, and 9,000 National Guard and Reserve troops; and
• funds to construct 16 new child development centers for military families.

-30-