Will border wall funding affect Fort Bragg projects?

Whether $86.2 million in military construction projects at Fort Bragg are subject to funding cuts or being diverted to support President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration and border wall remains to be determined.

Last month, the Pentagon released a list of more than $12.8 billion worth of military construction projects that officials are reviewing to determine which ones are eligible to potentially fund portion’s of a wall at the southern border.

The list includes several projects at Fort Bragg: about $33 million to replace Butner Elementary School, $10 million for a dining facility and about $43 million for special operations forces facilities and training equipment at the installation.

A fact sheet with the list states that military construction projects that have already been awarded or will be awarded this fiscal year will not be impacted. Military housing, barracks and dormitory projects also will not be impacted.

“The pool of potential military construction projects from which funding could be reallocated to support the construction of border barriers are solely projects with award dates after Sept. 30,” the document states.

Based on that criteria, officials with the North Carolina Military Business Center said they do not think Fort Bragg’s projects are subject to the possible cuts.

The center is a business development entity of the North Carolina Community College System that works to increase federal revenues for North Carolina businesses. It works to leverage military and other federal business opportunities “to expand the economy, grow jobs and improve the quality of life in North Carolina.”

The Fort Bragg projects mentioned in the Pentagon’s list were referenced in past budgets as early as fiscal 2015-16, said Scott Dorney, executive director of the North Carolina Military Business Center.

“If the project hasn’t been finished yet, or money hasn’t been obligated yet, that was a question whether that project was vulnerable, but by the criteria that was put out and our reading of the projects, three projects in North Carolina are potentially vulnerable,” Dorney said.

None of those are at Fort Bragg.

The North Carolina Military Business Center said it believes projects at Camp Lejeune and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base — all with award dates after Sept. 30 or in 2020 — could be vulnerable.

“As long as they award those projects, or those projects are anticipated to be awarded before Sept. 30, 2019, they should not be vulnerable,” he said.

Many of the North Carolina projects in the document have been forecast years in advance, with estimates and Army and Department of Defense review before being put into the president’s budget, Dorney said.

Other groups interpret the document differently.

In a news release last week, Progress Action NC estimated that $181.4 million from Camp Lejeune, $154 million from Cherry Point Marine Air Station, $86.2 million from Fort Bragg and $49.5 million from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base face potential cuts.

A representative of Progress Action NC could not be reached to comment for this story.

Fort Bragg officials referred questions related to projects on the list to U.S. Army Installation Management Command.

Officials at U.S. Army Installation Management Command referred questions to the Department of Defense.

Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a spokesman for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said no decisions have been made about military construction projects and provided the fact sheet and same list of projects released last month.

The fact sheet states that if the department’s fiscal 2020 budget is enacted on time, no projects identified for use under the emergency declaration would be delayed or canceled.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, whose district includes Fort Bragg, also said the released list does not mean Fort Bragg will be impacted and no decisions have been made.

In a provided statement, Hudson said he supports Trump’s efforts to secure the border.

“I continue to ask the administration not to use already allocated military construction funds that our troops and their families need at Fort Bragg,”Hudson said. “I’ve talked with President Trump and told him how important these resources are to soldiers and their families here at Fort Bragg.”

Hudson’s spokeswoman said Robert McMahon, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, has said that authorized military construction projects will not be canceled and while some may be deferred, there will be a request to replenish those accounts.

She said if Congress enacts next year’s budget on time and as requested by the administration, construction projects should proceed on schedule.