Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times

AF’s construction budget to nearly double

About $2.4 billion is headed to the Air Force for new or better dormitories, fitness centers, training centers, control towers and runways.

The service’s slice of fiscal 2010 military construction funds includes $1.45 billion for the active-duty force, $371 million for the Air National Guard, $112 million for the Reserve and $475 million for key bases in Afghanistan. The Air Force’s fiscal 2009 share was $1.12 billion for the active force, $243 million for the Guard and $37 million for the Reserve.

For all the services, the military construction budget is $13.5 billion. About $11.8 billion will go to the active-duty components.

The totals do not include money set aside for family housing construction, base realignment and closure, and study, planning, design and engineering services for future projects.

Final approval of the funds came Dec. 13, when the Senate passed the 2010 consolidated appropriations bill. President Barack Obama also must sign off on the measure.

A glance at a handful of the Air Force’s higher price-tag projects:

* $109 million for a basic training classroom and dining complex and recruit dormitory at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

* $84.2 million for F-35 Lightning structures and a 96-room dormitory at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

* $65 million for a close-air support apron and an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance apron at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan.

* $61 million for a cargo helicopter apron and a tactical airlift apron at Kandahar.

* $60 million for work on a multi-use complex at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

* $43 million for air base development at Palanquero Air Base, Colombia.

* $41.9 million for combat search-and-rescue HC-130J Hercules structures and a 144-room dormitory at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

* $37.5 million for an unmanned aerial system formal training unit at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.

* $27 million for an information technology complex at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

* $26 million for a Guard F-22 Raptor low observable/composite repair center at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

* $23.5 million for a fitness center at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

* $21.2 million to expand U.S. Air Forces Central headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

* $20.3 million for taxiway repairs at Altus Air Force Base, Okla.

* $17.6 million to expand the Cadet Fitness Center at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

* $16 million for a 120-room dormitory at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

* $14.5 million to expand the deployment center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.

* $13.8 million for a cargo terminal at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.

* $12.6 million for an F-22 Raptor weapons load training center at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

* $10 million for missile procedures training operations at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.