(The Center Square) – Louisiana’s Barksdale Air Force Base is set to receive $116 million under the newly passed National Defense Authorization Act, part of a package of defense authorizations that strengthen the state’s role in the U.S. nuclear deterrence mission.
The U.S. Senate approved the bill 77-20 on Wednesday, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature.
Barksdale’s allocation includes funding for the Weapons Generation Facility, a major infrastructure project designed to support the base’s nuclear operations. The measure also authorizes $18 million for a new dormitory to house personnel supporting that facility and $2.2 million to replace an aging child development center serving military families. The bill further codifies Air Force Global Strike Command, headquartered at Barksdale, as a Major Air Force Command, cementing Louisiana’s role at the core of U.S. strategic defense.
The National Defense Authorization Act is an annual authorization measure, not an appropriation, meaning the approved projects and programs must receive funding in subsequent congressional spending bills.
The bill’s passage coincided with a visit by Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, who met with airmen at Barksdale’s 307th Bomb Wing this week. Healy praised the unit’s dual mission of training and combat operations, noting its role in supporting both B-52 Stratofortress and B-1B Lancer platforms.
The 307th Bomb Wing operates the Air Force’s only B-52 Formal Training Unit and includes the 343rd Bomb Squadron, the Air Force Reserve’s lone nuclear-certified squadron. Col. David Martinez, the wing’s commander, said the visit underscored Barksdale’s importance to the nation’s bomber readiness and the Reserve’s integration with active-duty forces.
