The fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was approved out of the Senate Armed Services Committee, authorizes full funding for two projects at the Fort Drum military base in Upstate New York.
The NDAA includes funding for a new railhead and a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) hangar at Fort Drum.
Fort Drum’s current railhead is outdated and doesn’t meet Department of Defense readiness requirements. Also, Fort Drum currently lacks the facilities to house new Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
New York Sens Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY) pushed for full funding of these projects and will continue to do so as it moves to the Senate appropriations process.
“Securing a new railhead that will increase mission readiness and deployment speed for the world-class troops at Fort Drum is the base’s #1 objective, so I am very pleased the funding authorizations just advanced out of the Armed Services Committee in the NDAA,” Schumer said. “And building a new UAV hangar will be a crucial new asset to enhance Fort Drum’s capabilities in this burgeoning and vital field. Not only would these projects greatly enhance Fort Drum’s mission readiness, they would also bring good-paying construction jobs to the North Country, boosting the regional economy. Fort Drum is both a major asset to the Department of Defense and woven into the very fabric of the North County. I will do all in my power to fight to secure full funding for these desperately-needed projects.”
Schumer and Gillibrand said the $21 million railhead project would improve loading operations at Fort Drum. The new maintenance hangar for UAVs would cost $23 million.
“Fort Drum is an invaluable asset to our country’s national defense, and the railhead and hangar projects are absolutely vital to making sure that the 10th Mountain Division is adequately prepared when called to duty,” Gillibrand said. “As Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Committee, I was proud to fight to ensure these projects were included as a part of the NDAA. The railhead project is central to the 10th Mountain Division’s mission and its completion will help make sure that our troops can do their job. The completion of the hangar project will expand Fort Drum’s capacity to train additional personnel. We are now one step closer to making sure these projects can be completed, and I will work with my colleagues to make sure this makes it into the final NDAA.”