Rep. Vasquez Demands Action on Delayed Army Funding to Modernize Housing at White Sands Missile Range

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to Army Secretary Driscoll and Army Installation Management Command urging the Department to disperse $7 million dollars to make much needed improvements to housing infrastructure for our active duty military members that live and work at White Sands Missile Range. The funding was expected last summer but remains undelivered, despite assurance that these funds would be dispersed soon from General Mingus at a House Armed Services Committee hearing in May.

“Service members at White Sands train tirelessly, work hard, and selflessly serve their country while living in outdated housing that is decades past its prime,” said Vasquez. “The Department of Defense must make sure our service members have a much better standard of living if we are to reach our peak readiness potential. Further delays to modernize on-base housing – funding that has long been promised – continues to hurt morale and shortchanges our military’s most important asset: its soldiers.

White Sands Missile Range is the premier site for weapons development and testing. Many of its housing units were built shortly after the end of World War II and require urgent and extensive improvements. Many rural bases, like White Sands Missile Range, are often overlooked and face more red tape for infrastructure improvements compared to larger bases located in urban areas.

This letter calls on the U.S. Army to take action and immediately disperse these funds to begin upgrades to the housing on base to ensure service members and their families have safe, comfortable living arrangements. Additionally, it requests that the U.S. Army provides Vasquez with a brief on the status of these funds no later than August 1, 2025.

Rep. Vasquez is committed to honoring the heroes that protect our nation by securing federal resources that enhance both the operational strength of New Mexico’s military installations and the quality of life for service members and their families.

You can find the full text of the letter below:

Dear Secretary Driscoll and Lieutenant General Jones,

 I write to you urging the Army’s Installation Management Command (IMCOM) to immediately disperse delayed funds to improve the quality of on-base housing at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). WSMR and Fort Bliss were scheduled to receive approximately $7 million in the summer of 2024 for housing modernization, but that funding never materialized. On May 6th, 2025 General Mingus testified in the House Armed Services Committee that WSMR would “see movement on [the funding] shortly” - it has been nine weeks since General Mingus’ testimony and WSMR has still not received their funding. 

WSMR is the Department of Defense’s (DOD) premier research, development, test, and evaluation (RDTE) site. DOD is reliant on WSMR to develop and test new weapons systems that prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow, but the success of this testing ecosystem falls on the shoulders of the service members who live and work on base. Despite working and living in aging and run-down infrastructure decades past its intended service life, the personnel at WSMR continue to do a world-class job in service to our nation. 

It’s no secret that DOD has a housing quality issue, and unfortunately rural installations like WSMR are often the most delayed and overlooked. With many of the buildings at WSMR constructed in the years following World War II, much of the legacy housing on-base is outdated and needs significant upgrades. When service members and their families don’t have a safe or comfortable place to rest their heads at night, they can’t accomplish their mission - and that jeopardizes our readiness and national security. 

Given DOD’s significant reliance on WSMR for their RDTE, I am concerned about the delay in disbursement of funds from IMCOM to upgrade legacy housing and the impact that is having on our readiness. Following the assurance from General Mingus that we can expect that funding shortly, I request the Army take actions to make this funding immediately available to WSMR and to provide me with a briefing on the status of this funding no later than August 1st, 2025. 

Thank you again for your service and for your attention to this important matter.

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