James M. Jeffords: “I am pleased to be offering, with my colleague Senator Patrick Leahy, an amendment to the Department of Defense…”

“I am pleased to be offering, with my colleague Senator Patrick Leahy, an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill to provide for the construction of a combined support and maintenance shop [CSMS] at Camp Johnson, VT. This project is to be constructed in Colchester, VT and used by the Vermont National Guard to meet its support level maintenance mission. The quantity, size and type of equipment now assigned to the Vermont Army National Guard have required them to propose the construction of this CSMS. The new facility will have administrative offices and allied shops as well as special bays for maintenance work on all types of vehicles. The design money for this project was approved by the Congress last year. The Vermont Army National Guard has stretched the limits of the current facility which was built over 40 years ago, in 1956. The current facility has very significant shortfalls in all office and shop areas. The existing work bays cannot accommodate the M-1 tank. In addition, essential maintenance and maintenance training is consistently delayed due to the lack of space. Without the construction of a new facility readiness of the Vermont Army National Guard will be adversely affected. In order to assure that the Vermont Army National Guard is ready at all times to meet the needs of our nation's defense, Senator Leahy and I have worked together on this project.”