BANGOR, Maine — A key Bangor military facility is in line to be upgraded and northern Maine veterans might get access to more medical care at a Caribou hospital thanks to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee recommendations, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Thursday.
The committee recommended allocating $7.2 million to complete renovations of the Bangor Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing’s fire and rescue facility at Bangor International Airport, Collins said. It also approved $270 million for five health-pilot programs nationwide, including one at Cary Memorial Hospital in Caribou, as part of Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home), according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
“I’m pleased that this bill would fund the urgently needed fire and crash rescue improvements at the 101st Air Refueling Wing in Bangor, supporting those who put their lives on the line to protect our nation,” Collins said in a statement released Thursday.
“This funding would facilitate the wing’s critical missions, such as providing air refueling support to United States Strategic Command as well as logistical and support services to the airport, Bangor community, and State of Maine,” Collins said.
“I believe that this responsible bill is the best possible legislation given our current budgetary guidelines which require that we make tough choices. We must do our best, however, to honor those who have served and sacrificed so much for their country. The programs and benefits available to our veterans are part of a commitment we must preserve,” she added.
Both measures passed as part of a 21-9 vote on Thursday. The bill they are part of now awaits review by the U.S. Senate, Collins said.
Collins, an Appropriations Committee member, raised the funding issue during a March 2015 subcommittee hearing with the U.S. Air Force. She is a senior member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee.
Project ARCH provides veterans health care services through contractual arrangements with non-VA care providers, according to the website. Northern Maine veterans can participate if they live near the hospital and are more than 60 minutes driving time from the nearest VA primary care facility, more than two hours from the nearest VA acute-care facility, and are more than three hours from the nearest tertiary care facility.
The bill addresses other national veterans medical issues, including a $63.3 billion funding allocation toward medical services, medical support and compliance, and a $100 million allocation for state extended care facilities, including Maine Veterans Homes, Collins said.
For the first time, $104 billion also would be allocated in advance for compensation and pension benefits, Collins said.
The bill furthers VA research into the effects of Agent Orange and other toxic exposures that might have occurred to some Maine National Guard members while training at Gagetown in New Brunswick, Collins said.