WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., voted in support of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010 Thursday which, among other things, includes about $1.5 million for the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy in Meridian.

The Act provides the nation's armed forces with the weapons, equipment and funds to ensure continued excellence in America’s military performance, according to a news release from Harper's office Thursday. The measure also includes funding for two key Third Congressional District defense projects.

It includes $3.5 million for research of the Advanced, Long Endurance Unattended Ground Sensor Technologies at Mississippi State University and operation of the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy in Meridian.

“I am encouraged by the House’s decision to include funding for these instrumental Mississippi projects,” Harper said. “The unparalleled research conducted at Mississippi State University for the Unattended Ground Sensor will help our military achieve real-time battlefield situational awareness.”

The Unattended Ground Sensor will receive $2 million and aims to achieve and maintain real-time battlefield situational awareness in modern military operations. The reliable and up-to-the-minute technology provides critical support for the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in their global war on terrorism. Specifically, this continued research and development will preserve vital USSOCOM reconnaissance and surveillance missions by providing robust target detection, imaging, tagging and tracking; high bandwidth conversions of communications data, both voice and video; and data exfiltration via satellite communications for display using advanced visualization technologies.

The Regional Counterdrug Training Academy will receive $1.5 million under the same proposal to support the existing facility, staff and support structure. The Meridian based training academy provides counter narcotics training to law enforcement officials from Miss., La., Ala., Ga. and Tenn.

H.R. 3326 represents a 4 percent increase in base DoD spending over the 2009 enacted level and includes a 3.4 percent military pay raise, which is 0.5 percent higher than the President’s budget request.

"Increasing military pay is crucial, especially during a time when so many combat forces are deployed and both troops and their families are making tremendous sacrifices for our freedom," Harper said.

H.R. 3326 also includes $80 million in funds for testing of the Kinetic Energy Interceptor Program, which will allow for completion of the scheduled testing through FY 2009. This missile defense program is designed to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles that are aimed at the United States in the very early stages of their flight.

At the request of the U.S. Air Force, H.R. 3326 fully funds 8 C-27J Cargo Aircraft in FY 2010, which the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian is slated to receive in FY 2015. The aircraft will replace the current KC-135 refueling mission at Key Field, providing the military additional planes for highly critical troop and cargo transport missions.

Funding for the advance procurement of 12 F-22A Raptor Aircraft was stripped from the bill in an amendment offered by U.S. Representative John Murtha (D– Pa.). Portions of this fighter are produced at the Lockheed Martin Subassembly Plant in Meridian.

“I am frustrated to see funding for this program stripped at a time when we should be focusing resources and research into defense programs,” said Harper. “This decision negatively impacts our mission and prevents us from providing the first rate equipment our service men and women deserve.”