Huntsville, Ala. – U.S. Representative Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) joined U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Lieutenant General Henry Obering, and other officials from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency today to help break ground on the third phase of the Von Braun Complex.

Once completed, the third phase of the Von Braun Complex will boast more than 750,000 square feet and will house more than 2,600 personnel.  It will contain administrative office space, an 800-seat auditorium, a cafeteria, a fitness center and a central mechanical plant.  Together with Phases I and II, it will bring together thousands of MDA employees into one centralized location.

“The Missile Defense Agency has been a presence in North Alabama and worked hand-in-hand with the local community in ensuring our National Missile Defense is operating efficiently,” Cramer said. “The work MDA accomplishes has helped the U.S. establish a defensive shield capable of countering the most pressing long and short range threats we currently face.”

Since coming to Congress in 1991, Representative Cramer has been a leading advocate for missile defense.  As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Cramer, along with Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and the other members of the Alabama delegation, has secured more than $211 million for the construction of the Von Braun Complex.