Budget has 9 projects at Drum

WASHINGTON — Fort Drum is in line for another flurry of building, with the Obama administration requesting $228.8 million for seven Army construction projects in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, plus more than $20 million for two Air Force projects.

The fiscal 2011 defense budget unveiled Monday includes $61 million for a battalion complex, $55 million for a transient training barracks and $55 million for the first phase of a new brigade complex, the biggest projects proposed at the home of the 10th Mountain Division.

The other requests include $18.5 million for a training aids center, $16.5 million for an aircraft maintenance hangar, $14.6 for an aircraft fuel storage facility and $8.2 million for an infantry squad battle course.

In addition, the Pentagon requested $20.4 million for a 20th Air Support Operations Squadron complex and $2.5 million for the Air National Guard's Total Force Integration-Reaper Infrastructure Support at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

The Air National Guard project builds on improvements championed by Rep. Daniel Maffei, D-Syracuse, who secured $2.7 million this year for a maintenance hangar and a supporting launch and recovery element ground control station at Fort Drum, for use by the 174th Fighter Wing from Syracuse.

Fort Drum is targeted for increased construction even as the Army overall is in line for a slight decrease, reflecting its key role for the Army and the renewed commitment there after the 2005 base closure round.

Total Army construction is budgeted at $4.08 billion for fiscal 2011.

Although the budget is merely a request, it sets the stage for congressional budget writers. Generally, construction projects the Pentagon requests at Fort Drum are included in the congressional spending plan, and lawmakers add a few others.