By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1585, or the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, with all the provisions pertaining to military construction on Guam remaining intact.
The legislation authorizes defense spending and policy for 2008, and contains multiple provisions important to Guam.
The centerpiece of the bill is the funding provided for military readiness, which includes $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment, as well as increased training funds for units to improve their readiness levels.
“We ask our men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces to make many sacrifices to serve our country and to defend our way of life. As such, we must provide our Armed Forces with the best training and equipment available. In particular, we must be mindful of the dual missions of our Guard personnel and reservists,” Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said in reaction to the pass age of the bill.
She added that the funding represented in this bill would help Guam Guard personnel perform their unique missions more efficiently and effectively.
The following authorization for Guam military construction spending remained intact in the bill:
* $59.4 million to improve security of electrical systems at Naval Base Guam;
* $57.2 million to replace Naval Family Housing on Guam;
* $51.8 million to build Phase I of the Kilo Wharf extension;
* $45.2 million for a fitness center at Naval Base Guam;
* $40.8 million to repair and upgrade the Naval Base Guam wastewater treatment plant;
* $31.4 million to build Phase I of a potable water distribution system at Naval Base Guam;
* $10 million for infrastructure at Northwest Field; and
* $5.8 million to build a technical training facility at Northwest Field.
The bill also sustains 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 (space available) seats on military aircraft flights to Hawaii and the mainland.