The recently passed 2025 National Defense Authorization Act benefits local military installations at Naval Air Station Fallon and Hawthorne. (Steve Ranson/NNG file photo)By Steve Ranson, Nevada News Group
Northern Nevada benefitted from Wednesday’s passage of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act with Naval Air Station Fallon and the Hawthorne Army Depot receiving funding to enhance the training at the two installations.
The $985 billion bill now goes to the president’s desk for his signature.
The NDAA authorizes $48.3 million as part of the Fallon Range Training Complex modernization to pay ranchers for their land permits. The bill also provides an additional $45 million to accelerate the modernization, which was approved in the 2023 NDAA.
Another $45 million will accelerate the construction of training facilities at the naval air station as part of the modernization.
Funding will also go toward a new small arms training range at Hawthorne, which is 135 miles southeast of Reno and 67 miles south of Fallon.
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., became aware of the critical need for Nevada to build its own small arms training range two years ago when she learned soldiers from the Nevada National Guard had to travel hundreds of miles out of state for their training.
“The financial cost to transport soldiers out of state far exceeds the cost of building a range in-state, and I am pleased the Army is following through on its commitment to me to do so,” she said in 2022.
Rosen, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the average cost of a unit to travel out of state for its weapons training has cost a half-million dollars. In order to meet annual weapons qualifications, soldiers and airmen have traveled to bases in California, Arizona, Utah and Arizona to receive their specialized training with the M-16 and M-4 rifles and M-9 pistols.
“When I found out our soldiers had to travel hundreds of miles out of state to train, I knew we had to do something to fix this,” Rosen said. “The financial cost to transport soldiers out of state far exceeds the cost of building a range in-state, and I am pleased the Army is following through on its commitment to me to do so.”
“Now, our soldiers will be able to meet their annual requirements in Nevada, at greater convenience to them and at a lower cost to taxpayers,” Rosen said.
The Army had revamped its training in 2019 for soldiers using small arms and added tougher standards and “combat-like rigor” to test marksmanship.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Rosen said the NDAA will provide the resources the military needs and deserves.
In Southern Nevada, the NDAA will improve military nutrition on Nevada bases including Creech and Nellis Air Force bases.
“This legislation will increase wages for servicemembers, protect against Iranian aggression and modernize technology and facilis across Nevada and the country,” Rosen said. “I’ll keep working across the aisle to support our troops and fight for our state’s priorities.”
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said it was critical for Congress to pass the NDAA.
“I voted to deliver vital support to Nevada’s military families, invest in our military bases, and bolster our state’s critical mineral industries, which are essential for our national defense supply chains,” she said.
Cortez Masto added the NDAA will boost the United States’ global competitiveness and support its allies and partners abroad.
Other provisions of the 2025 NDAA include the following:
- A 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% pay raise for all other service members.
- Expanded child care benefits for military families as well as increased funding to help the U.S. combat foreign influence operations, boost America’s global competitiveness, and support our allies and partners abroad.
- Ensure no funding was include to restart the failed Yucca Mountain project in southern Nevada.
- Increase the number of days of paid military leave available to federal employees who are also reserve service members. This includes the National Guard, the Army Reserve, and the Air Force Reserve.
- Protect access to contraception for service members. The bill ensures birth control is available without a copay under Tricare for service members and their families.
Republican Congressman Mark Amodei, NV-02, whose district encompasses the Fallon and Hawthorne installations, said the 2025 NDAA enhances strategic deterrence, promotes next-generation capabilities and prioritizes American military superiority.
“This year’s NDAA makes long overdue investments in our servicemembers’ quality of life, including pay raises, housing improvements, and access to health care," Amodei said. "This isn’t just a moral obligation – it’s a national security imperative. Our all-volunteer military force is the foundation of our military strength, and we must do all we can do to protect and preserve it.
“Not only will this NDAA strengthen the readiness of our military, but it also ensures our servicemembers are equipped with the resources they need by investing in next-generation weaponry and technology, modernizing the nuclear triad, enhancing U.S. military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, and cutting wasteful and inefficient Pentagon programs.”
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