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Defense Bill Sends $224 Million to Colorado
November 15, 2007 5:38 PM
Colorado will receive a quarter-billion dollars in military-related funding from the Defense appropriations act that President Bush signed Monday.
The lion's share, $142 million, goes to the Pueblo Chemical Weapons Depot, to fund de-activation of World War Two era munitions stored there. An international treaty the U.S. signed requires them to be destroyed by 2012, but defense officials say their target date for destruction, with the new funding, is now 2017.
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The bill also allocates $3.2 million to upgrade data networks at Cheyenne Mountain and NORTHCOM headquaters at Peterson Air Force Base. Neighboring Schriever Air Force Base will get $1.6 million to upgrade security, and another two million to buy computers and software related to ballistic missile defense.
On the academic side, the Air Force Academy will get half a million dollars to enhance space and defense studies. And UCCS will get $3.2 million for a new PhD program in Homeland Defense. Reputedly the first PhD program of its kind in the country, the UCCS program is a partnership with the Naval Postgraduate School and Northern Command.
UCCS will get another $1.6 million for development of so-called "STEM Curriculum." This is a partnership with the national Space Education Consortium to come up with a curriculum that can be replicated in schools across the country to expand K-12 students' interest in science, engineering and technology.
A Woodland Park company called Sturman Techonologies will benefit from $800,000 in funding for a project to increase the fuel efficiency of combat vehicles.
Other Colorado projects funded by the Defense Appropriations Bill include research at Colorado State University and National Jewish Medical Center in Denver, and armor and hospital companies in Delta and Montrose. For a complete list of Colorado projects click here
Posted by Eric Whitney on November 15, 2007 5:38 PM | Permalink
