Senator Campbell Applauds $5 Million Grant For Port San Antonio

“The funding they received today from the Governor’s Office will hopefully increase the vitality of these installations to Central and South Texas…”

AUSTIN, TX –  State Senator Donna Campbell applauded the decision of Governor Abbott’s Military Preparedness Commission to award $5 million in funding from the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant Program (DEAAG) to Port San Antonio and Kelly Air Field, calling it one of her top legislative priorities.

“Port San Antonio and JBSA play an important role in our area’s economy, so it’s critical we find ways at the state level to support them. The funding they received today from the Governor’s Office will hopefully increase the vitality of these installations to Central and South Texas,” said Senator Campbell, who also serves as Chairwoman of the Veteran Affairs and Border Security Committee. “I fought hard to keep these critical dollars in our state budget, and today that decision paid off for the people of San Antonio.”

The DEAAG program assists defense communities that may be negatively impacted by future rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). The grant money will be invested in infrastructure projects and other initiatives to increase the military value of installations in Texas, thereby guarding against future rounds of BRAC.

In 2015, the Legislature made $30 million in grants available. This year, $20 million was allocated. Port San Antonio and Kelly Air Field received $5 million, the most of any installation in Texas.

“Protecting Texas’ military future is vital to the well-being of our state and our nation. I thank Governor Abbott and the commission for their leadership to ensure the continued success of our military mission and support for military families of the Lone Star State,” Senator Campbell stated.

Other entities and bases that will receive grant money for FY 2018-19 are Bell County for Fort Hood, the City of Corpus Christi & NAS Corpus Christi, Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, NAS Kingsville, Dyess AFB in Abilene, and Shepard AFB in Wichita Falls.