U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, along with Congressman Steve Womack, have announced the allocation of $141 million in additional funding for Ebbing Air National Guard Base. This investment aims to enhance the base’s capacity as a host for the F-35 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mission. The funding is part of the Fiscal Year 2025 full-year continuing resolution.
“This funding represents another critical step forward for Ebbing and the foreign pilot training center in the River Valley,” said Boozman and Cotton. They emphasized that “the FMS mission is not only tremendously beneficial for Fort Smith, the region and our state –– it is also a vital component of our national security strategy.” They affirmed their commitment to ensuring that Ebbing has the necessary resources to support U.S. allies and partners.
Congressman Womack expressed his pride in collaborating with Senators Boozman and Cotton to secure this funding during a challenging year. “The F-35 FMS mission enhances our national security by improving the capabilities of our allies and partners while also delivering meaningful benefits to the surrounding Fort Smith community,” he stated.
The allocated funds will be used for constructing an Academic Training Center, an F-35 bay aircraft maintenance hangar, an F-35 squad operations mission planning facility, as well as designing future projects on base.
Boozman holds the position of Chairman of the Senate Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. Cotton serves as Senate Republican Conference Chairman and is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Womack is part of the House Appropriations Committee.
