Gov. Abbott Awards $26M to Texas Military Communities, Including Laughlin AFB

Governor Greg Abbott announced over $26 million in grant funding for infrastructure projects in military communities through the Texas Military Preparedness Commission's DEAAG program on March 26, with Val Verde County receiving $5 million of that total to upgrade the airfield lighting system at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio to Federal Aviation Administration standards.

The Laughlin project will fund modernization of the base's airfield lighting to meet "current and future USAF missions," according to the governor's office. Laughlin is the largest pilot training base in the U.S. Air Force, and as of 2023 employs 3,043 direct workers, including 1,309 active-duty military personnel. The Texas Comptroller's office estimates the population directly affiliated with Laughlin contributed at least $1.7 billion to the Texas economy in 2023.

"Texas is home to over 1.7 million veterans and active duty, reserve personnel, and their families," Abbott said. "These funds will help ensure Texas military facilities, including our 15 major military installations, are up-to-date with the latest technology to enhance the safety and well-being of Texans and Americans by increasing water access and equipment resiliency. I thank the Texas Military Preparedness Commission for their continued service in supporting our servicemembers so that we can best prepare our state to defend its critical infrastructure."

The grants are structured as reimbursements administered through the Texas Military Preparedness Commission, which sits within the governor's office. The funds are intended to support military installations in Texas and protect jobs in communities that may be impacted by any future Base Realignment and Closure process or other basing decisions; the TMPC advises the governor and legislature on defense and military issues and works to preserve, protect, expand, and attract new military missions and installations in Texas.

Val Verde County is no stranger to the DEAAG program. In the FY 2024-2025 cycle, the county received $3.6 million through the same program to fund construction of aircraft sunshades at Laughlin Air Force Base. The new $5 million award for lighting modernization represents a larger commitment and targets the base's core flight operations infrastructure.

Among the other recipients in this first round of FY 2026-2027 awards: the Ark-Tex Council of Governments will receive $5 million tied to Red River Army Depot to support the U.S. Military's small unmanned aircraft systems requirements; Bell County lands $4.5 million for an Aquifer Storage and Recovery system at Fort Hood; the City of El Paso receives $4 million to increase water production capacity at Fort Bliss's Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant; and the City of Corpus Christi gets $2.074 million to replace aging wastewater collection pipes at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. The five disclosed recipients together account for roughly $20.6 million of the over $26 million announced, indicating additional awards are part of the full grant list.

With this first round of FY 2026-2027 grants, Governor Abbott has awarded over $172 million in grants to military communities through the DEAAG program since 2015. The commission is composed of 13 members serving six-year staggered terms, typically representing an installation in their community.

For Laughlin, upgraded airfield lighting aligned to FAA standards carries operational weight well beyond compliance. Approximately 400 new military pilots earn their wings at Laughlin each year through an intensive 52-week course, and the base's pilots log roughly 80,000 flight hours and 55,000 sorties annually across T-6 Texan II, T-38C Talon, and T-1A Jayhawk aircraft. Keeping that volume of flight operations running safely under evolving Air Force requirements makes the lighting upgrade a foundational investment in the base's long-term viability in Del Rio.