U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) voted for passage of the Servicemember Quality of Life and National Defense Authorization Act which allocates billions to Missouri defense projects, including updates to Fort Leonard Wood’s training barracks and new weapons systems for Whiteman Air Force Base.
Senator Hawley led the charge to strip a preliminary provision in this year’s defense bill that would have registered women for the draft. This language was notably dropped from final text of the legislation.
The bill also supports a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and increases pay for all other military members by 4.5 percent.
Specific Missouri investments include:
- Nearly $2.5 billion for the F-15EX program produced in St. Louis.
- Roughly $2 billion for the B-21 Raider, many of which will be based at Whiteman Air Force Base.
- $120 million for new training barracks at Fort Leonard Wood.
- $19.5 million for new fueling stations at Whiteman Air Force Base.
- More than $4 million for small and medium caliber ammunition produced at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence.