Last year, eight bases, including Fort Bliss in our district, sustained over a quarter billion dollars in damages while housing Afghan evacuees as part of Operation Allies Welcome. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense (DoD) has chosen not to fully reimburse these bases for their efforts to support Afghan evacuees, leaving them to cover $103.1 million in repair costs out of pocket. While our military continues to feel the strains caused by the withdrawal from Afghanistan, it is essential that these bases are returned to their full operational capacity as soon as possible. That’s why I wrote a letter to the DoD requesting a timeline for when repairs to U.S. military bases damaged by Operation Allies Welcome will be completed. Read the full letter here. |