WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) support for the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has helped Louisiana begin the new year with Congressional authorization for $219 million in military construction projects.

“The NDAA will help pave the way for substantial military investments in our state, in addition to making America more secure, giving troops a deserved pay raise and modernizing our national defense,” said Kennedy.

The Louisiana military projects in the 2022 NDAA include:

• $56 million authorization for constructing new barracks at Fort Polk,
• $55 million authorization for constructing a new joint operations center at Fort Polk,
• $40 million authorization for a weapons generation facility at Barksdale Air Force Base,
• $36 million authorization for the road and gate construction project at Barksdale Air Force Base,
• $18.5 million authorization for constructing the Lake Charles National Guard Readiness Center, and
• $13.8 million authorization for constructing barracks to serve as a training facility for the Louisiana National Guard at Camp Minden.

The NDAA also authorizes $660 million for upgrades to the Air Force B-52 Program. Barksdale Air Force base is home to much of the B-52 fleet.