Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and 3rd District U.S. Representative Gresham Barrett (R-Westminster) today announced military projects around the third district included in the 2005 Defense Appropriations Conference Report. The Conference Report provides $416.2 billion to the Department of Defense, including $25 billion in emergency spending requested by the President for early fiscal year 2005 costs associated with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation passed both the House of Representatives and Senate and will be sent to the White House. President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days. “South Carolina is in the forefront of developing cutting-edge military technology and equipping our men and women in uniform,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Many people in our state give their time, talent, and even their lives to provide for the defense of freedom throughout the world. The patriotism of South Carolina is unmatched. These projects will help ensure that America continues to have the best trained and equipped fighting force in history.” “There is no doubt that supporting the military and appreciating the freedoms they defend are sewn into the fabric of South Carolina,” said former Army Captain Gresham Barrett. “I'm proud to represent a district where technology exists to improve the capabilities of our military and their quality of life. This funding will help South Carolina businesses continue to ensure that our military is using start of the art equipment.” Local projects in the bill include:

• Easley: $1.75 million to North American Rescue Products for Combat Casualty Care Equipment: Some U.S. Marine Corps medical equipment, especially evacuation litters, is old and not compatible with Navy/NATO equipment and helicopter stanchions. These funds will help in the medical modernization effort.
• Clemson: $3.5 million to Clemson University for Advanced Photonic Composite Research: Modern communications including radar and satellite systems, display technologies, optical fiber networks for telephony and the Internet, rely on materials and devices that can carry and process information in the form of light. The Department of Defense wants to maintain our competitive edge in the technology arena. One way to fulfill this goal is to reduce the size, weight, reliability, and costs to develop of photonic composites.

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