By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE House Armed Services Committee has passed the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill, which provides $244 million for military construction for Guam.
H.R. 1585, or the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, authorizes defense spending and policy, and includes multiple provisions important to Guam.
All in all, it authorizes $503.8 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2008.
“The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 supports our troops who are serving our nation with dedication,” Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo said, noting that $141.8 billion has been authorized to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for FY 2008.
On Guam, H.R. 1585 includes authorization for military construction on the following projects:
• $10 million to upgrade the Northwest Field infrastructure;
• $5.8 million to build a technical training facility at Northwest Field, Andersen Air Force Base;
• $45.2 million for a fitness center at Naval Base, Guam;
• $59.4 mil-lion to improve security of electrical systems at Naval Base, Guam;
• $51.8 million to build Phase I of the Kilo Wharf extension;
• $31.4 million to build Phase I of a potable water distribution system at Naval Base, Guam; and
• $40.8 million to repair and upgrade the Naval Base, Guam wastewater treatment plant.
In addition, H.R. 1585 includes a provision that authorizes TRICARE recipients requiring non-emergency specialty medical care not available in Guam to have a higher priority than retirees currently have for Space-A or space available seats on military aircraft flights to Hawaii and the mainland.
This provision also requires the Department of Defense to report back to Congress on a long-term solution to the TRICARE medical referral issue for retirees on Guam.
“Since 2005, military retirees in Guam referred off island for specialty medical care have had to travel to Hawaii and California at their own expense because the Department of Defense changed their reimbursement policy. My amendment will help retirees on an interim basis by giving them a higher Space-A priority than they currently have until we can get DoD to fix their TriCare travel reimbursement policy,” Bordallo said.
The measure is now scheduled for floor debate and consideration.