Congressman Gonzalez Joins House Armed Services Hearing to Advocate for Facility Upgrades and Job Security at Coastal Bend Military Installations
Contact: Alexis Torres
Washington, D.C.—As the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) begins crafting the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) asked the Committee to prioritize federal investments in Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville and the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD). Both military installations drive the economy in South Texas, employ thousands of Coastal Bend workers, and play a crucial role in military readiness and national security.
During the HASC Member Day hearing, Congressman Gonzalez specifically advocated for two NAS Kingsville priorities: The construction of a new “Pass & Tag Facility” to expedite visitor credentialing, and the replacement of the current Fire Station Training Facility, to meet safety standards and expand the space to accommodate modern firefighting equipment.
Congressman Gonzalez also addressed the significant reduction in workforce and workload at CCAD, urging the Committee to ensure the United States Army protects thousands of jobs rather than shifting repair work traditionally done at the depot to private contractors. Last month, the Congressman accompanied Army Undersecretary Michael Obadal on a visit to CCAD to discuss these concerns and inquire about the status of an expected $174 million federal investment.
Congressman Gonzalez’s remarks can be viewed here, and a transcript is available below:
Thank you, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith, for holding today’s Member Day hearing.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak before the Committee to discuss several important military installations in South Texas, including Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville and Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD).
Naval Air Station Kingsville has played a critical role in training the next generation of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators since it first opened its doors in 1942. Today, it is home to Training Air Wing Two and trains nearly half of the Navy and Marine Corps’ tactical jet pilots each year. NAS Kingsville also employs over 4,000 people and contributed around $1 billion to the Texas economy in 2024.
As you can see, NAS Kingsville plays a crucial role in national security and the local economy as well as across the nation. That is why Congress must address several pressing infrastructure issues – one is a really pressing issue, and that is a “Pass & Tag Facility” and Fire Station Training Facility.
The installation’s current Pass & Tag facility is located 1.3 miles beyond the South Entry Control Point (ECP), requiring gate security personnel to escort visitors and contractors over a mile into the installation before they can obtain credentials.
The level of access before proper vetting poses significant security risks for NAS Kingsville, delays vehicle entry into the base, and places administrative burdens on security personnel.
Another important infrastructure issue we must address is its fire station, which was built in 1956 and is in desperate need of renovation and replacement.
The current facility is way too small to accommodate modern firefighting equipment and is plagued by a variety of issues, including leaking roofs, mold, and ineffective climate control—in case I need to remind anyone here, it gets incredibly hot in this region of the state.
For years, NAS Kingsville Command has requested funding to complete the new “Pass & Tag Facility” and “Fire Station Training Facility.” However, they have been unsuccessful as the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) requires projects to be included in the “Futures Years Defense Program” or “Unfunded Priority List” to be eligible for this type of funding.
I urge you and your colleagues to include language in this year’s NDAA highlighting these two essential projects and include these projects in these lists.
I’d also like to take a moment and highlight another very important issue for South Texas – and that is the declining workload at Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD).
As you know, Corpus Christi Army Depot, which currently employs over 2,000 highly skilled workers, is the U.S. Army’s premier facility responsible for the repair, overhaul, and modernization of helicopters and rotary-wing aircraft. As the world’s largest helicopter repair facility, the depot is vitally important for our military readiness.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the Corpus Christi Army Depot on March 6th alongside Undersecretary Michael A. Obadal to see firsthand the essential work that the depot performs.
Despite the fact that the depot’s highly skilled workforce is vitally important to American national security, the amount of repair work assigned to the depot and the number of people employed there has dropped dramatically over the years. Just in the past decade, we’ve lost about 3,000 or 4,000 jobs having billions of dollars impacted. Most of these jobs are veterans who have served our country in uniform.
Allowing depots like Corpus Christi Army Depot to decline risks permanently degrading an important military capability that gives the Organic Industrial Base (OIB) the surge capacity needed during a time of war or conflict.
The 50/50 rule has not really worked in this base. They do it as an overall purview of different bases. We’ve lost 3,000 jobs; we have about 2,000 that we’re trying to save. These are highly skilled, very well trained, individuals. As I said, most of them come from our military branches.
I think there’s so much more that can be done in this base, especially in terms of new industries like drone capacity or bringing in helicopter repairs from different branches to this facility. There is no place with more trained personnel in the world than Corpus Christi when it comes to helicopter repair—and certainly, moving into this new drone industry.
I urge the Committee to please look into Corpus Christi. I'd be happy to tour the base with y’all and show you the incredible people who work there and the things that have been done for generations.
I appreciate the opportunity to testify before you. I love that this is a committee where bipartisanship still works. I think making sure that our bases have cutting edge facilities and that we continue taking care of the people is in everyone’s national interest.