Fong Announces $10.95 Million to Build Aviation Maintenance Training Facility Supporting Edwards AFB

Image September 22, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) announced a $10,948,971 federal grant has been awarded to the Muroc Joint Unified School District to construct a hangar and educational facility supporting Edwards Air Force Base (AFB). Congressman Fong has long advocated for this funding, which was awarded through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). Last year, in a bipartisan letter of support for the School District's application, he made the case that Edwards AFB's expanding portfolio of next-generation test and evaluation missions depends on a steady pipeline of credentialed aviation maintenance technicians that the installation's remote Mojave Desert location makes difficult to sustain. Congressmen Jay Obernolte (CA-23) and George Whitesides (CA-27) joined him in this effort. "From Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in 1947, to testing the B-21 Raider and F-47 today, Edwards Air Force Base is the crown jewel of American aerospace innovation,” said Congressman Fong. “Sustaining the critical missions happening here requires a skilled, local workforce, and this facility delivers exactly that. Under the leadership of Superintendent Kevin Cordes, Muroc Joint Unified School District is developing the next generation of America’s defense and aerospace workforce. I fought for this funding because the success of Edwards is a national security imperative with far reaching benefits for our region, our economy, and our country." "This grant allows the district to build a state-of-the-art facility befitting our growing airframe maintenance technology program to support students and the community for years to come,” said Trevor Walker, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Muroc Joint Unified School District. “Edwards Air Force Base plays a critical role in our national defense, and maintaining that mission requires a highly skilled aviation workforce,” said Rep. Jay Obernolte. “This new facility will give students access to hands-on technical training while building a pipeline of qualified workers to support both Edwards and our broader aerospace community. I was pleased to support Muroc Joint Unified School District’s application, and I look forward to seeing this project become a reality.” “I was proud to advocate for Edwards Air Force Base to receive a grant that will boost our local economy by helping meet the growing demand for aircraft maintenance personnel and manufacturers,” said Rep. George Whitesides. “Our area is home to some of the most cutting-edge aircraft development in the country, making state-of-the-art equipment for NASA and our nation’s military, and this federal funding is a huge win for local job opportunities and our national defense. Having run an aerospace company in the Antelope Valley, I know the importance of well-trained manufacturers, and I am happy to have helped bring this grant home for our local industries.” “The OLDCC grant comes at a pivotal time for the Aerospace Valley, helping train the skilled technical workforce needed to support mission success at Edwards AFB and across the broader region,” said Justin Salters, California lead for Griffiss Institute. “We appreciate the positive impacts this investment will generate for our airmen, their families, and the broader community, who will gain access to a state-of-the-art training facility.” Specifically, the grant will fund construction of a state-of-the-art 8,160-square-foot Aviation Maintenance Technology Training Facility designed to house an expanded Aviation Maintenance Technology program and a new FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant credentialing program. The facility will serve high school students during the day and active-duty personnel, military spouses, veterans, and local civilians during evenings and weekends through a partnership between the Muroc Joint Unified School District, Cerro Coso Community College, and other community partners. The new facility will also relieve pressure on existing local programs that currently have waitlists for aviation maintenance students. The Aircraft Maintenance Technology Training Program at Desert Junior-Senior High School has already demonstrated success, placing graduates into aviation maintenance careers in both the civilian and military sectors. The new facility will allow the program to expand course offerings and help enable graduates to enter the aviation workforce with the qualifications needed to immediately contribute to Edwards AFB and the surrounding defense ecosystem. This builds upon an investment of nearly $180 million , of which $142.5 million was federal funding, into the Muroc Joint Unified School District. This funding led to the construction of new facilities for Forbes Elementary, Desert Junior Senior High, and Irving L. Branch Elementary. Edwards AFB sits at the heart of the Aerospace Valley alongside Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Naval Air Station Lemoore, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, and Mojave Air and Space Port. Together, these installations form one of the most strategically vital aerospace corridors in the world, and all depend on a consistent pipeline of technical talent that this facility is designed to build locally. ### Issues : Congress Economy Education