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Date Published: May 27, 2004
House OKs $12 million for Shaw
By KRISTA PIERCE
Item Staff Writer
kristap@theitem.com
The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved a
request for $12 million in funding for improvements at Shaw Air
Force Base and Poinsett Electronic Combat Range, clearing the first
hurdle for three projects, according to U.S. Rep. John
Spratt.
Spratt, D-S.C., announced Wednesday the House
included his request for the $12 million in the defense bill, which
passed May 20 by a vote of 391-34. Next, a conference committee will
convene to iron out the differences between the House and Senate
authorization bills.
“The authorization bill approves the
money but doesn’t release the money,” said Chuck Fant, a spokesman
for Spratt. “The money won’t be released until an appropriations
bill is approved in the fall.”
The bill would authorize up to
$5 million in new military hardware for the Poinsett range, up to
$3.7 million for a new library at Shaw Air Force Base and up to $3.3
million for a sewage outfall line.
“This is something the Air
Force and Shaw Air Force Base have been seeking,” Fant said.
“Congressman Spratt is delighted he was able to get this funding in
the House authorization bill.”
Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen said
the improvements could help protect Shaw in the next round of base
closures.
“It’s positive and it shows, certainly, that the
Air Force has a strong mission there at Shaw,” he said. “I’m as
optimistic as I can be about Shaw.”
The House bill calls for
$5 million to equip the 12,500-acre Poinsett Electronic Combat Range
with the Joint Threat Emitter, an advanced, mobile and rapidly
programmable threat simulator capable of generating all known
ground-based electronic warfare threats, according to Spratt.
“For forces that see action as often as our pilots from Shaw
and McEntire (Air National Guard station), they need this advanced
suppression of enemy air defenses combat training system at
Poinsett,” Spratt said. “This is another feature to help make
Poinsett state-of-the-art.”
McElveen said a new library
facility is sorely needed at Shaw and would complement the new
Education Center on base.
Spratt agrees.
“The existing
library is slightly over 1,000 square meters with an inefficient
layout that does not meet Air Force standards,” Spratt said. “The
new library will provide better work space, better study areas and,
when coupled with the newly constructed education center, will give
Shaw one of the Air Force’s best educational
environments.”
The proposed library would be nearly 19,000
square feet and would replace the existing library facility, which
is housed in a former dining facility constructed in
1953.
The sewer line project calls for the construction of a
26,000-foot discharge line from Shaw to the Wateree River, which
will bring the base into compliance with discharge limits in the new
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System.
Retired
Maj. Gen. Tom Olsen, who heads the Sumter Base Defense Committee,
said House authorization for the three projects is positive for the
base and Poinsett range and “would increase the capacity of Shaw to
perform its overall mission.”
Shaw Air Force Base Commander
Col. Sam Angelella was unavailable for comment.
Contact
Staff Writer Krista Pierce at kristap@theitem.com or
803-774-1272.
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June 21, 2004 
