What’s in the defense bill for Georgia?
The National Defense Authorization Act remains somewhat of an anomaly in the modern Congress: It has bipartisan support and its annual renewals arrive on time each year.
The $900 billion package outlines policy for armed forces operations domestically and around the globe and clocks in at roughly 3,000 pages. President Donald Trump signed the 2026 bill into law Dec. 18. It includes 3.8% pay raises for service members, expanded access to child care and additional rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
There is authorization for military aide to allies like Israel and Ukraine. And the bill includes a provision that would slash Defense Department’s travel budget unless Congress receives access to unedited footage of the controversial military strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela.
But there are also millions of dollars authorized for specific projects at Georgia’s 13 active bases and installations. The money would still need to be allocated in a funding bill to come as part of the budget process, but this list gives us an idea of what could be headed to the state.
- Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base: $119 million for a Trident refit facility expansion
- Fort Gillem Army Base: $45 million for an evidence storage building (the base is home to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory)
- Fort Benning Army Base: $22.4 million for a new Dexter Elementary School on base
- Moody Air Force Base: $35 million for 23rd Security Forces Squadron operations facility
- Robins Air Force Base: $28 million for an air traffic control tower
- Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center: $3.8 million for troop camp design
- Air National Guard at Savannah Hilton Head International Airport: $38.4 million for C-130J corrosion control facility and a dining hall facility
- Dobbins Air Reserve Base: $3.2 million for a new entry gate access facility
About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
