Tester Secures Funding for C-130 Aircraft Apron in Great Falls

Senator Pushes Air Force to Address MANG's Aircraft Apron Four Years Ahead of Schedule

(Great Falls, Mont.) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after securing $9 million to build a new aircraft apron to park the Montana Air National Guard’s C-130s:

“The men and women of the Montana National Guard represent the very best of Montana while deploying to war zones and battling disasters here at home. This investment will strengthen the mission at the Montana Air National Guard and make sure that our C-130’s stay in fighting shape for years to come.”

Tester, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, met with the Montana Defense Alliance in Great Falls today to deliver the good news.

In May, Tester secured Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson’s verbal commitment that construction for the C-130 apron would be funded by 2023 during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.

Shortly after, he followed up with a letter to Wilson urging the Air Force to address the C-130 apron before 2023. In July, Wilson replied that the project was underway, with estimated construction to begin in 2019 if the project secured funding.

Today, Tester secured that funding in a compromise appropriations bill that will fund military construction, water projects, the Legislative Branch, and the Departments of Energy and Veterans’ Affairs.

After the Senate and House of Representatives passed separate 2019 Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations Bills, both sides met to negotiate any differences and agree on a compromise bill. That bill is expected to pass the Senate and House of Representatives in the coming days before heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law.