Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) announced today that he secured a $5.8 million grant for the Lenoir Field Maintenance Shop through the FY06 Transportation, Treasury, HUD, the Judiciary, and the District of Columbia Appropriations Act. The project was originally slated for implementation in FY 2008, but Congressman McHenry requested it be moved forward to FY 2006 because of environmental and safety issues.

“The Lenoir Field Maintenance Shop plays a crucial role in supporting the National Guard units of Western North Carolina,” said Congressman Patrick McHenry. “These funds go toward updating their facilities and giving the National Guard the necessary tools to do their job.”

The new facility is required to meet current Field Maintenance requirements to support National Guard units located in Western North Carolina. The project scope for the proposed facility was recently increased to make it a regional maintenance complex based on its critical location and mission need. The current Field Maintenance Shop is located in a major development area that has flooded 45 – 50 times since 1977, posing a substantial environmental and safety risk. The Lenoir Field Maintenance Shop was listed as the North Carolina National Guard Adjunct General’s number one priority.

"Congressman McHenry has really done the NC National Guard and the citizens of Western NC a great service by moving this project forward." said Maj. Gen. William E. Ingram Jr., the Adjutant General of the NC National Guard. "His ability to get the funding moved up to this fiscal year from 2008 will enable us to make a smooth transition out of the old building to a new state of the art regional maintenance facility in a much better location. This will have a positive impact on our capabilities to serve the citizens of Western NC and the nation."

Congressman McHenry wrote a letter of support to the Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life earlier this year. President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law this week.