House Armed Services Committee Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) is joining congressional colleagues in touring military bases damaged by Hurricane Florence.
Garamendi will be accompanied by Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) and Maj. Gen. Vincent Coglianese, Marine Corps Installations Command.
The effort will allow an opportunity to inspect the damage sustained by Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. The delegation will also observe housing units at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., in the wake of the privatized military housing crisis.
“This trip will provide crucial insight into the support and resources we must provide to help these installations recover,” Garamendi said. “We must ensure the Department of Defense is adequately prepared to respond to the global climate crisis and develops a plan to increase resiliency and build installations out of harm’s way.”
Garamendi said the estimated cost to repair Camp Lejeune alone is over $3.6 billion, maintaining it is incumbent upon elected officials to use the information gathered on the
trip to enact policies that will minimize the risk and damage in future events.
“Our delegation will also observe privatized housing units following numerous reports of substandard living conditions for service members and their families in privatized military housing across the country,” Garamendi said. “I led a hearing on this matter on the Readiness Subcommittee and now I want to observe the issue firsthand. I want to ensure military families have access to the best possible living conditions and that the Department of Defense is taking appropriate measures to address these issues.”