Tucson, Ariz. – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated Pilkington Commercial Company on its newly announced Pentagon contract for $10,030,000 to build a new Special Operations Forces Free Fall Simulator Facility in Yuma. The project, for which Grijalva had specifically requested funding in previous years, will be built at Yuma Proving Ground and will allow soldiers to train realistically for air operations without traveling to the current facility at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

“This is a needed project that’s going to create jobs in Southern Arizona, reduce military transportation costs, and make training easier for a lot of armed services personnel,” Grijalva said. “Yuma is one of the leading Army training centers in the country, and putting this facility here is a wise use of our resources. I’m proud to have supported this project for many years and couldn’t be happier that it’s being funded at this critical time.”

According to the Army’s project submission data, the wind tunnel at Ft. Bragg is undersized for practicing modern free fall techniques and requires extensive annual maintenance. The new facility in Yuma will allow for better training at reduced long-term cost.

The estimated completion date for construction is Dec. 30, 2013. For more information, call Pilkington Commercial at (928) 317-0345.