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

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint secured more than $79 million for military construction projects in South Carolina in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2006 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill. “As we have recently witnessed, the men and women of our armed forces have a dual role in protecting this nation,” said Graham. “They defend our interests abroad and are called upon to respond in times of crisis at home. The projects funded in this bill recognize the dual nature of our military and demonstrate a commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities for training and medical care.” "South Carolina is the best place in the nation for the military to live, train, and support our global war on terror and this bill helps ensure we continue this tradition," said Senator DeMint. "Our men and women in uniform risk their lives to protect us, and they deserve our highest support." The bill provides $10,298,000 for the South Carolina National Guard Readiness Center in Charleston. This project will be constructed in partnership with The Citadel and will be located on its campus. The Center will serve as the headquarters of the 218th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) and will serve as an emergency operations center in the event of a hurricane or flood. The Citadel will contribute 25 percent of the total project cost. Other projects in the bill include:

• $35,000,000 for a consolidated medical clinic in Charleston.
• $15,524,000 for the Army Reserve Center in Greenville.
• $9,730,000 for the U.S. Central Command Air Forces Communications Squadron Facility at Shaw Air Force Base.
• $6,424,000 for the Marine Corps Reserve Center in Charleston.
• $2,583,000 for the fitness center at Charleston Air Force Base.

The bill must now be approved by a joint House/Senate conference committee and signed into law by the President. ####