Pentagon Restores $2.2 Billion for MILCON From Border Wall Fund

The Pentagon announced June 11 it is restoring $2.2 billion of military construction funds that had been reprogrammed to pay for the construction of a wall on the southern border.

The funding covers 66 projects in 11 states, three territories, and 16 countries. Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said in a briefing that the funding was unobligated and comes out of a total of $3.6 billion that had been reprogrammed for the wall in fiscal 2021.

The Trump Administration, beginning in 2019, moved military construction and operations and maintenance money to pay for the construction of the barrier. President Joe Biden, on the day he was inaugurated, issued a proclamation reversing the plan and repurposing the funding. The Pentagon, in April, canceled all border barrier construction projects.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks, in a June 10 memo, said the move to restore funding completes the full Pentagon plan as a result of Biden’s directive.

The memo lists the following total force USAF projects that will receive funding:

LOCATIONFUNDING (in millions)PROJECT
Florida$25.8Fire/crash rescue station
Indiana$9.4Small arms range
Texas$22Camp Bullis dining facility
Utah$24Composite Aircraft Antenna Calibration facility
Wisconsin$10.5Small arms range
Guam$28.6APR-Munitions Storage Igloos Ph. 2
Guam$13.8APR-SATCOM C4I Facility
Guam$2.5PRTC Roads
Germany$15.437th Airlift Squadron Operations/Aircraft Maintenance Unit
Germany$1.8Upgrade hardened aircraft shelters for F-22
Germany$79.1Spangdahlem Elementary School Replacement
Hungary$13.7Increase POL Storage Capacity
Jordan$18.9Air Traffic Control Tower
Jordan$34.3Munitions storage area
Luxembourg$97.1Deployable Airbase System storage
Slovakia$59.9Regional munitions storage area
Slovakia$20.4Airfield upgrades
Slovakia$19.1Increase POL Storage
United Kingdom$26.97Munitions holding area
United Kingdom$16.5Main gate complex
Worldwide$120.9Tactical Mobile Over the Horizon Radar
Data from Department of Defense Memo