Military bases in Arizona will be receiving millions of dollars in upgrades as part of the United States’ annual defense bill.
According to news releases, U.S. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Martha McSally (R-AZ) helped secure wins for Arizona’s military missions as part of the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020.
The annual defense bill agreed to by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees will fund critical military missions in the United States and Arizona, and will support the state’s service members and their families, among other things.
“I am glad to see all of my key provisions included in the final annual defense bill,” Ms. McSally stated. “As a SASC member, I fought for the priorities that matter to Arizonans and our military bases. This bill reaffirms our commitment to the men and women in uniform by providing the highest pay raise in a decade and protecting military families living on base from greedy contractors who fail to ensure safe living conditions.”
In the Valley, Luke Air Force Base will see over $5 billion for new aircraft and $28 million to install modernized threat emitter equipment capable of providing state-of-the-art training simulations for the base’s F-35 platform.
“The Barry M. Goldwater Range, where the threat simulators will be placed, is currently not resourced to provide for the type of support F-35 pilots need,” said Sean Clements, public affairs officer at Luke AFB. “These new threat simulators will be additive to existing legacy/outdated devices currently on the range in order to provide future F-35 pilots the opportunity to train and develop their proficiency in Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) tactics.”
Officials aid the new threat emitters will be built and installed, but are not expected to be operational until Fiscal Year 2022.
According to officials, Luke AFB produces 70% of the world’s F-35 pilots using the Barry M. Goldwater Range. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program supports over 8,440 direct and indirect jobs in Arizona with an economic impact of nearly $937 million statewide, a release states.
The NDAA also includes $5.4 billion for 60 F-35A aircraft to assist with keeping F-35 training — for which Luke AFB is a major pipeline — at maximum efficiency. An additional $156 million will support advanced procurement for 12 additional F-35A in Fiscal Year 2021 to maintain momentum for the Joint Strike Fighter program.
“We are investing in Arizona’s military missions and in turn increasing our nation’s military readiness,” Ms. McSally stated. “This bill provides key funding for the F-35 mission at Luke AFB, and the A-10 and EC-37 Compass Call missions at Davis-Monthan AFB.
The Marine Air Corps Station in Yuma will receive $90 million to renovate and add to Hanger 95, and new quarters will be built for enlisted troops, totaling nearly $100 million. Officials said the quarters are ahead of schedule and are much needed for safety purposes.
Some $132 million will go towards the A-10, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in the Tucson area, including $100 million for a wing replacement program. The bill also emphasizes the importance of maintaining critical sustainment and modernization funding through 2030. It also funds President Donald Trump’s request of $114 million for another additional EC-37B Compass Call to keep this critical capability on track. The Compass Call fleet is based at Davis-Monthan AFB.
Outside the aircraft, Ms. McSally ensured the NDAA included language to get private housing contractors in line and ensure the military chain of command is also accountable. A few of these include: directing the Department of Defense to come up with a tenant bill of rights; creating a new dispute resolution mechanism for families; allow services to withhold incentive pay; and more funding for housing office personnel/officials to ensure families have a voice.
The NDAA is also set to establish a system by which service members can designate a network of friends and family members who can choose to be notified about resources and information to help better understand what service members may be going through at any particular time.
The U.S. Senate passed Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s Sgt. Daniel Somers Network of Support Act as part of the defense bill.
The Department of Defense and the Red Cross will provide information about benefits and services available to military members, according to Ms. Sinema's office.
The program was inspired by Army Sgt. Daniel Somers, a 20-year-old Phoenix veteran who killed himself after two tours in Iraq and five years fighting the Phoenix VA system for mental health treatment.
“Our servicemembers put their lives on the line to keep Arizona safe and secure, and it is our duty to ensure they have complete access to critical resources," Ms. Sinema stated. "Today’s passage of our Network of Support Act directly engages servicemembers’ loved ones, strengthening support for servicemembers and ensuring they have somewhere to turn in times of need."
Over the past five years, Ms. Sinema has worked with Daniel’s parents, Howard and Jean Somers, to advance legislation to help identify warning signs in service members and help them receive needed care.
That would follow a vote by the Federal Communications Commission to set up a new 3-digit number for people to reach a suicide prevention hotline, making it easier to seek help and reduce the stigma associated with mental health.
Once it’s implemented, people only need to dial 988, similar to calling 911 for emergencies or 311 for city services. Currently, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline uses a 10-digit number, 800-273-TALK (8255). Callers are routed to one of 163 crisis centers, where counselors answered 2.2 million calls last year.
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