Washington, D.C. – May 22, 2009  – In an Information Paper by the Department of Defense (DoD) requested by Congressmen Murphy (PA-18), Doyle (PA-14), Altmire (PA-04), and Senators Specter (D-PA) and Casey (D-PA), the DoD announced final approval to construct a new commissary in Southwestern Pennsylvania. 
 
“We’ve worked a long time now to ensure that local military families have easy access to the Defense Department services they need and deserve.  Today’s news represents a major victory for those families,” said Congressman Doyle. “While the Commissary is the largest of the facilities that have been threatened by the closure of the C.E. Kelley base, a number of other services are at stake as well – and their future remains in flux.  I will continue to work with the rest of the delegation to ensure that local military personnel and their families don’t have to leave Southwestern Pennsylvania to get access to these services.”
 
 “After many years of hard work I am pleased and excited to announce we have received full and final approval from the Department of Defense to construct a new Commissary and P/X in Pittsburgh,” said Murphy.  “This is great news for the hundreds of thousands military members and their families, who will now continue to have the services that were guaranteed to them. We have asked them to make sacrifices in defense of our nation, which include cuts in pay from what many would make in the private sector. Their families should not have to sacrifice more.  Without a commissary in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the next closest one is four hours away roundtrip. For many veterans and families with a loved one currently serving overseas this trip is next to impossible to make. Keeping a commissary here is a huge success.”
 
 “I am proud that after years of hard work, we have obtained final approval from the Department of Defense ensuring there will be a Commissary in western Pennsylvania,” Altmire said. “Our veterans and military families deserve to have a quality Commissary close to home and now that is exactly what they will have.”
 
“This is great news for southwestern Pennsylvania and our military families, particularly at a time when the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have placed a strain on our Active, Guard and Reserve personnel,” Senator Specter said.  “Maintaining a commissary is absolutely invaluable to the military and their families who rely on the important services the facility provides.” 
 
“I am pleased to hear of the recent DoD approval of the construction of the new Commissary,” said Senator Casey.  “This is a step in the right direction to ensure that our troops, veterans and their families have access to services they deserve.  The delegation has been diligently working to ensure that our military and veterans have access to Commissary and Post Exchange Services.  There is more work to be done on this project and we are determined to see it completed.”  
 
Since 2005, the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation and State and County officials have been working together to build a new Commissary and Post Exchange on the Pittsburgh International Airport property.  A total of $12.2 million in federal funding has been secured for the building of a new Commissary and Post Exchange in the region.  There are currently 168,000 eligible veterans and active military the facility will service from Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland.    
 
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