Funding Peters Secured Will Help Upgrade Critical Infrastructure, Improve Resiliency at Selfridge

As we mark Veteran's Day we look back at recent funding secured by the Senator:

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) announced that Harrison Township will receive $1,366,576 to upgrade critical water infrastructure that supports operations at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The funding will help Harrison Township – which provides essential water services to Selfridge and its surrounding areas – revamp the sanitation sewer systems that service the base to protect water flow and ensure Selfridge remains operational during power outages. This investment from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program will make Selfridge more resilient, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly – all factors that the Defense Department considers when determining where to place new missions and units. Peters helped secure the funding in the national defense bill through his work on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Peters also supported Harrison Township’s application, writing a letter to the Defense Department in support of this project in June 2023. 

“As the largest military installation in our state, Selfridge Air National Guard Base is vital to Michigan’s defense footprint, national security, and economy,” said Senator Peters, a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and member of the Armed Services Committee. “I’ve made it a top priority to ensure Selfridge gets the resources it needs to remain at the forefront of our national defense strategy, and I’m pleased to announce this new investment will help position the base for the future and make it more resilient.” 

Peters — who drilled at Selfridge while serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve — has been a champion for Selfridge. In May, he participated in the groundbreaking for a new $28 million aircraft hangar made by possible by federal funding Peters secured through his work on the Senate Armed Services Committee. The new 41,900 square-foot facility will transform two hangars into a new hangar equipped for fighter maintenance. The new facility will house maintenance on the main level and leadership/staff offices and classrooms on the second floor. Peters has also continued to push to secure a new fighter jet mission at Selfridge. In April, Peters convened a bipartisan, bicameral meeting with U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI), the Michigan congressional delegation, and U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall to continue to push for a new, long-term fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. This meeting came after the Senators led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Secretary Kendall calling for a new mission at Selfridge. Peters, Stabenow, and the delegation have also introduced companion resolutions in the Senate and House to highlight the contributions of Selfridge. 

Peters and Stabenow previously secured significant commitments from the Department of Defense, including a pledge that Selfridge will continue to play a “critical and ongoing role for our national security.” 

Selfridge supports approximately 5,000 military and civilian jobs and generates an estimated $850 million in economic impact statewide.

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