Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) applauded the President for signing the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law. The legislation included several key provisions introduced by Senator Tillis that make critical improvements to Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, provide an across the board pay raise for servicemembers, and implement important reforms that will make life easier for military families. Senator Tillis chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, which has oversight over half of the Pentagon’s budget. On a bipartisan basis, Senator Tillis and his subcommittee colleagues secured an across the board 2.4% pay raise for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.
“I applaud the President for signing the NDAA into law that reaffirms our nation’s commitment to supporting the brave men and women in uniform and reestablishes America’s commitment to a strong national defense and protecting its interest abroad,” said Senator Tillis. “I am proud that my provisions to upgrade to Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point, improve military family readiness, and direct the DoD & VA to collaborate closely on establishing interoperability with the new Electronic Health Record were included. I want to thank my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee for their bipartisan effort that will positively affect our North Carolina installations, servicemembers, and military families.”
The FY2018 NDAA contained the following provisions that were secured by Senator Tillis:
Helping veterans exposed to toxic burn pits
Language from the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) earlier this year that would create a center of excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand the health effects associated with burn pits and treat veterans who become sick after exposure.
Requiring DOD Report on Cyber Security Risks to National Electric Grid
Language from the Securing the Electric Grid to Protect Military Readiness Act of 2017, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) earlier this year that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to issue a one-time report on significant security risks to the national electric grid and the effects of those risks on military readiness.
Modernizing the DoD & VA healthcare collaboration
Earlier this year, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin announced that the VA will adopt the same Electronic Health Record (EHR) system as the Department of Defense for veterans’ medical records.
Tillis’ provisions lay the groundwork for military treatment facilities to provide health care to servicemembers, dependents, veterans and civilians. The services will be able to maintain critical wartime medical readiness skills while also providing state of the art specialty care to medically underserved communities. Tillis’ provisions would require a Comptroller General report of Department of Defense measures to maintain critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers.
Military Family Readiness
Tillis’ provisions authorizes $40 million in supplemental impact aid to local educational agencies with military dependent children and $10 million in impact aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities and $1 million for a pilot program on public-private partnerships for telework facilities to facilitate spousal employment on military installations outside the United States.
FY18 Military Construction Budget for North Carolina
Camp Lejeune
Tillis’ provisions allow Camp Lejeune to make much needed improvements to the living quarters and other essential facilities.
Cherry Point
Tillis’ provisions for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point guarantees the construction of the Vertical Lift Fan Test Facility and secures the future home of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in North Carolina.
Seymour Johnson
Tillis’ provisions pave the way for a squadron of KC-46 Air Force Tankers.
Fort Bragg
“I applaud the President for signing the NDAA into law that reaffirms our nation’s commitment to supporting the brave men and women in uniform and reestablishes America’s commitment to a strong national defense and protecting its interest abroad,” said Senator Tillis. “I am proud that my provisions to upgrade to Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point, improve military family readiness, and direct the DoD & VA to collaborate closely on establishing interoperability with the new Electronic Health Record were included. I want to thank my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee for their bipartisan effort that will positively affect our North Carolina installations, servicemembers, and military families.”
The FY2018 NDAA contained the following provisions that were secured by Senator Tillis:
Helping veterans exposed to toxic burn pits
Language from the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) earlier this year that would create a center of excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand the health effects associated with burn pits and treat veterans who become sick after exposure.
Requiring DOD Report on Cyber Security Risks to National Electric Grid
Language from the Securing the Electric Grid to Protect Military Readiness Act of 2017, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) earlier this year that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to issue a one-time report on significant security risks to the national electric grid and the effects of those risks on military readiness.
Modernizing the DoD & VA healthcare collaboration
Earlier this year, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin announced that the VA will adopt the same Electronic Health Record (EHR) system as the Department of Defense for veterans’ medical records.
Tillis’ provisions lay the groundwork for military treatment facilities to provide health care to servicemembers, dependents, veterans and civilians. The services will be able to maintain critical wartime medical readiness skills while also providing state of the art specialty care to medically underserved communities. Tillis’ provisions would require a Comptroller General report of Department of Defense measures to maintain critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers.
Military Family Readiness
Tillis’ provisions authorizes $40 million in supplemental impact aid to local educational agencies with military dependent children and $10 million in impact aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities and $1 million for a pilot program on public-private partnerships for telework facilities to facilitate spousal employment on military installations outside the United States.
FY18 Military Construction Budget for North Carolina
Camp Lejeune
Tillis’ provisions allow Camp Lejeune to make much needed improvements to the living quarters and other essential facilities.
- $37.983M – Bachelor Enlisted Quarters
- $65.784M – Water Treatment Plant Replacement Hadnot Point
- $15.3M – Ambulatory Care Center Addition (Defense Health Agency)
- $21.4M – Ambulatory Care Center/Dental Clinic (Defense Health Agency)
- $22.0M – Ambulatory Care Center/Dental Clinic (Defense Health Agency)
- $10.8M – SOF Human Performance Training Center (SOCOM)
- $20.539M – SOF Motor Transport Maintenance Facility (SOCOM)
Cherry Point
Tillis’ provisions for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point guarantees the construction of the Vertical Lift Fan Test Facility and secures the future home of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in North Carolina.
- $15.671M – F-35B Vertical Lift Fan Test Facility
Seymour Johnson
Tillis’ provisions pave the way for a squadron of KC-46 Air Force Tankers.
- $6.4M – KC-46A ADAL for Alt Mission Storage
- $20.0M – Tanker Truck Delivery System (Defense Logistics Agency)
Fort Bragg
- $20.26M – SOF Human Performance Training Center (SOCOM)
- $13.518M – SOF Support Battalion Admin Facility (SOCOM)
- $20.0M – SOF Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility (SOCOM)
- $4.0M – SOF Telecom Reliability Improvements (SOCOM)
$57.778M – Total
North Carolina Total
$293,657,000
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