Selfridge Air National Guard Base is getting an upgrade for a $32 million jet fuel storage and delivery system.
It is the base's largest construction contract in history. The project will make it faster and easier to refuel jets.
"The time that it takes to refuel an aircraft is going to be a lot less," Brig. Gen. John D. Slocum of the 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, said. "It will be a point to point type of system. Pull up to the pump versus having to have multiple trucks full it up."
The base will have a 630,000 gallon storage complex, giving them the ability to refuel even the largest aircraft in a more efficient manner.
"This is a big investment by the Department of Defense," said Congresswoman Candice Miller. "I've really been, I guess sort of a pit bull on making sure Selfridge has remained open."
She says there's always a fear of bases closing and military budget cuts, but this fueling project insures a long future for Selfridge.
"The next time there is a BRAC, base realignment and closure commission, the Department of Defense will look at the kind of investments that they've made at the various facilities. So we really think this helps us long term."
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel added, "The economic impact that Selfridge has on the county, this kind of helps us solidify the realty that in to the future this base will continue to be here."
Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2017.
That's after the base's centennial celebrations, scheduled for August of next year.
