Gillibrand: Senate committee authorizes $23 million for U.S. Army Reserve training center in Mattydale

MATTYDALE — The Senate Armed Services Committee has authorized $23 million for a new U.S. Army Reserve training center in Mattydale as part of a 2015 defense-spending bill.

The project would provide a new 400-member training facility for 15 Army Reserve units, along with a new maintenance shop in Onondaga County.

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) made the announcement today.

Besides the Armed Services Committee approval, the Senate Appropriations Committee also approved $23 million in spending for the construction, the lawmakers said in the news release.

Lawmakers must authorize it before they can appropriate federal defense spending, according to the joint release.

The full U.S. Senate still has to vote on the funding package.

The training facility will include administrative, education, assembly, library, and physical-fitness areas for 15 Army Reserve units, including the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion, the lawmaker said.

The U.S. Army will also use the funding to construct a maintenance shop with work bays.

The affected units are currently training in a building that is over 50 years old and smaller than the size necessary for the units to “effectively” train for their missions, the lawmakers said.

The maintenance shop is also too small to maintain the wheeled-vehicle fleet necessary for the deployment of several of these units, according to the news release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com