Fischer Addresses Offutt Infrastructure Projects, POW/MIA Lab

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Department of Defense officials on the status of flood recovery projects and the failure to request funding for a new laboratory for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) at Offutt Air Force Base. Download video of Fischer’s questioning here Download audio of Fischer’s questioning here Fischer’s questioning on Offutt infrastructure : FISCHER: General Bell, I appreciated our conversation yesterday on the importance of completing that flood recovery project that we have at Offutt. We have airmen and civilians that are working out of a building originally built as a bomber factory in World War II. As new facilities are being constructed and are being outfitted, do you have an estimate for when these new facilities are going to be completed? BELL: Senator Fischer, thank you for that question. Yes, of course, the floods that took place there were disastrous. The national disaster recovery plan for Offutt had seven different MILCON projects that were part of them. Four of them are complete. Three more are still in work with an estimated completion of September of [20]28 and I can certainly give you more details on those. Fischer’s questioning on POW/MIA lab : FISCHER: Mr. Marks, I'm very disappointed that the department has chosen not to include a MILCON request for a new laboratory for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The DPAA’s current laboratory at Offutt is housed in a World War II bomber factory that needs to be demolished. This agency has a sacred mission, and that's to account for missing service members in part of a solemn commitment to this country, and that it makes to service members willing to give their lives for the defense of our country. And failing to prioritize the construction of the agency's new lab is really at odds with that commitment. Mr. Marks, since the DPAA is a defense wide agency, it has a unique military construction prioritization. Will you commit to working with my office to ensure that the department understands this mission and the new laboratory is properly prioritized in future fiscal years? MARKS: Senator, absolutely. So, I've been to the one, not only in Hawaii, but also at Offutt. I'm very, very familiar. It is one of our most sacred, if not the most sacred, mission that we do have. And the director happens to be a personal friend of mine. We've spoken frequently about this. I will absolutely commit to look not only into this, but I'll follow back up with you to ensure that we're putting a proper priority on it to the best of our ability. Today’s hearing was convened by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs to examine the fiscal year 2027 military construction and family housing budget. The following Department of Defense officials testified at the hearing: The Honorable Dale Marks , Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of Defense Lieutenant General Michelle Donahue , Deputy Chief of Staff for Army Logistics, United States Army Rear Admiral Timothy Brown , Director, Logistics Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka , Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics, United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General Kenyon Bell , Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, United States Air Force Ms. Kathryn Kolbe , Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Installations and Logistics, United States Space Force ###