Schmitt seeks additional funding for Rosecrans security

By Chris Fortune

Rosecrans Air National Guard Base secured $2 million for security improvements thanks to an act signed into law in December, and one U.S. senator is already working to bring in more funding to keep safety a priority at the base.

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, is looking to secure another $2 million in funding for Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. The Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA provided the initial $2 million for an Entry Control Point.

Airport General Manager Julius Rice said the existing gate is dated, and the funding for the Entry Control Point will bring the standards of the 139th Airlift Wing to the same standards as an active-duty Air Force base.

“It’ll be a much nicer entry to the base with better facilities for the defenders that are manning it and a better ability as far as checkpoints of vehicles coming on and off the base,” he said.

The plan is to continue focusing on additional security in the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA.

“We’ll continue that work into the next NDAA this year to make sure that we have all the assets available for that enhanced security,” Schmitt said. “Really to make sure it’s the safest place possible for the men and women who serve our country and work there and serve a critical role.”

Schmitt said he advocates for Missouri Air National Guard members at Rosecrans out of gratitude for the job they do.

“When you think about the threats around the world or when we have natural disasters here at home, you know, Rosecrans and the men and women that serve there serve a very, very important function and critical mission,” he said.

Last September, Schmitt toured Rosecrans, where he learned about the needs of the base.

“Engaging with the men and women who serve there — how passionate they are about what they do — you know, it leaves you with an impression,” he said. “We got a briefing from everybody and the leadership team there.”

Similarly to his September visit to Rosecrans, the threat of a government shutdown looms again with a funding deadline of Jan. 19 approaching.

“I think what’s unfortunate is, you know, I’ve been here for a year, and we’ve spent about eight hours in that whole year — and that’s not an exaggeration — eight hours debating any appropriation bills in the United States Senate,” he said.

Members of Congress returned from holiday break this week, but now they have more on their plate than a Thanksgiving dinner, which Schmitt attributed to not having the chance to move individual appropriation bills forward.

“It’s just fundamentally unfair to the people we represent to say that, you know, two or three people are going to say, ‘Here is a continuing resolution,’ or ‘Here is an omnibus bill,’ and ‘You either support this or you support a government shutdown,’” he said. “I mean, that’s a false choice. I think people deserve better than that.”