WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and U.S. Representative August Pfluger, who both sit on the United States Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, called for a generational investment in the nation’s Military Service Academies (MSAs).
The effort, joined by a bipartisan, bicameral group of congressional board members for West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy, was addressed to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The members urged the retention of several provisions in the final FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to equip the academic institutions that train future officers with the resources to modernize the armed forces.
In the letter, the members advocated for a dedicated funding stream to ensure the MSAs receive consistent and predictable investment in their infrastructure and mission readiness. They also call for strengthening the public-private investment relationship at the Academies by allowing superintendents to contract directly with affiliated nonprofit organizations on campus modernization projects, enabling Academies to more readily leverage philanthropic support alongside federal funding.
“Colorado is proud to be the home of the U.S. Air Force Academy, the premier training institution for the next generation of Airmen and Guardian leaders,” said Hickenlooper. “Investing in these national assets is a no-brainer. It’s an investment in America’s security and future.”
“My experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy shaped who I am and how I serve today. That’s why I’m committed to giving our Service Academies the resources, facilities, faculty, and training they need to develop the finest military leaders in the world. I’m proud to stand with Board of Visitors members from West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy in this effort. Our national defense starts with how well we prepare those who will lead it,” said Pfluger.
Full text of the letter is available below and HERE.
Dear Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, Chairman Rogers, and Ranking Member Smith,
We write as a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress who serve on the Boards of Visitors (BOVs) of the Military Service Academies (MSAs). The MSAs provide exemplary undergraduate education and training to develop the next generation of military leaders. The House-passed Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (FY27 NDAA) contains several provisions that will help ensure that the MSAs have the necessary resources to equip future warfighters with the skills required to defend our country. We urge their retention in conference.
The first provision would establish a dedicated Facilities, Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) funding mechanism for the MSAs. While the House-passed language is scoped just for USAFA, a proposed Senate companion amendment would expand this change to include all MSAs. We advocate for including the latter version in the conferenced text, as this change will support the necessary infrastructure investments to modernize all MSA facilities, which are vital to prepare cadets and midshipmen for the contemporary warfighting environment.
The second provision would strengthen the public-private investment relationship for the MSAs. Specifically, it would allow MSA superintendents to contract with affiliated nonprofit organizations for campus modernization projects to accelerate donor-supported capital projects at the academies. Under current anti-deficiency requirements, academy philanthropic foundations must transfer 100 percent of donor funding to the federal government before construction can begin. Authorizing academy foundations to contract directly for capital construction projects, consistent with the authority exercised by many state university foundations, will level the playing field between the MSAs and public universities, expediting much-needed construction on campuses.
Taken together, these two proposals represent the best path to make a generational investment in our MSAs. Modernized facilities and enhanced programming will ensure our cadets and midshipmen are ready for future warfare. We urge the Committee to include these provisions in the final authorization bill.
Sincerely,
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