Substitute for House Concurrent Resolution No. 3.

            A concurrent resolution to urge the U.S. Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency to select the Fort Custer Training Center as the location for a new ground based interceptor ballistic missile defense mission.

            Whereas, The Fort Custer Training Center is one of four sites being considered for a new ground based interceptor ballistic missile defense mission. Fort Custer is a 7,500 acre Michigan National Guard installation that supports all branches of the Armed Services as well as law enforcement agencies and Federal partners.  The training center and the nearby Air National Guard Base are integral to the economy of Southwest Michigan providing more than $22 million in total wages and salaries and $26 million in gross regional product. The community surrounding the Fort Custer Training Center embraces the soldiers and their families, supporting their missions and realizing how important their duties are to our nation; and

            Whereas, The Fort Custer Training Center is nationally recognized by the Department of Defense for its superior environmental stewardship, having won numerous environmental and energy awards from the Department of the Army; and the selection of the ground based interceptor ballistic missile defense mission will rely heavily on the Installation’s ability to support the mission and protect the environment; therefore Fort Custer’s respect for the environment makes it a logical choice for the site selection; and

            Whereas, The final site selection must be based upon the Installation's ability to support the mission of the ground based interceptor ballistic missile defense mission, but the cost to U.S. taxpayers to complete that mission should be important in the site selection process for the U.S. Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency. Fort Custer can support the mission and will provide the best value for U.S. taxpayers; and

            Whereas, The selection of the training center as the location for a new ground based interceptor ballistic missile defense mission would have significant economic impact on the region. An estimated $700 million in new construction and 2,100 new direct and associated jobs could be realized in the Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties if the defense system were built here. An analysis prepared by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research advises the project would have a $3.2 billion economic impact on the region's economy; and

            Whereas, The ground based interceptor ballistic missile defense system is the key defense tool protecting our state and nation from ballistic missile attacks. The placement of the ballistic missile defense system in Battle Creek will take full advantage of Fort Custer's strategic location and security. Michigan is prepared to support the construction and operation of the new missile defense system, as well as the military personnel who will maintain it; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, (the Senate concurring), That we urge the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency to select the Fort Custer Training Center as the location for a new ground based interceptor ballistic missile defense mission; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the United States Missile Defense Agency, the United States Secretary of Defense, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.