Heinrich Meets with White Sands Missile Range Leadership

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, met with White Sands Missile Range Senior Commander Colonel Andrew R. Morgan, Command Sergeant Major Hermes F. Acevedo, U.S. Navy Commander Patrick D. Smith, Chief of Staff Patrick Curran, and U.S. Navy Detachment Site Director Abran Parra to receive an update on the range's critical role in national defense, energy infrastructure, and southern New Mexico's regional economy.

In the meeting, Heinrich underscored White Sands' critical role in strengthening New Mexico jobs and advancing emerging technologies. Heinrich also reaffirmed his strong commitment to support our servicemembers and secure the investments they need to complete their mission and keep our country safe.

In the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Heinrich successfully passed into law $38.5 million for White Sands Missile Range. Throughout his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Heinrich has secured a total of $192.01 million for White Sands Missile Range.

Heinrich has delivered a total of more than $1.5 billion for military construction projects at defense installations in New Mexico over the course of his career in Congress.

"Delivering for our service members and cementing New Mexico's role as a leader in national security is a responsibility I take very seriously," said Heinrich. "Through my tenure in Congress, I have made advancing our defense capabilities a top priority. White Sands Missile Range supports high-quality jobs that New Mexicans can build their families around and is critical to advancing our leadership in emerging defense and space capabilities. I will keep working to secure investments in New Mexico's military installations, and strengthen our state's economy and our defense assets for decades to come."

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) meets with White Sands Missile Range leadership to receive an update on the range's critical role in strengthening New Mexico jobs and advancing our national security, April 10, 2026.

Heinrich has long championed policy provisions that benefit New Mexico's service members, national laboratories, and defense missions - including White Sands Missile Range.

Heinrich was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, where he served on the House Armed Services Committee, and was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012, where he previously served on the Senate Armed Services Committee from 2013 to 2020 and as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee from 2021 to 2022. He is also a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

In the FY26 NDAA, Heinrich successfully passed into law his TRICARE Travel Improvement Act to ensure active-duty service members and their families can be reimbursed when they travel for medical care. Before Heinrich's TRICARE Travel Improvement Act was signed into law, families stationed at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base had to travel nearly 100 miles to El Paso, Texas, for specialist medical care, but were denied reimbursement because they were just under the 100-mile threshold. Heinrich's legislation changed this to ensure fairness for military families serving in remote areas by lowering the travel reimbursement threshold under TRICARE Prime from 100 miles to 75 miles for military families.

Heinrich also passed into law a 3.8 percent pay raise for service members. This builds off of a 14.5 percent pay raise for the most junior-ranking enlisted service members, and a 4.5 percent pay raise for the rest of the force in the FY25 NDAA.

Additionally, Heinrich passed into law over $182 million for the DoD's Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program. Cannon Air Force Base, Melrose Air Force Range, and White Sands Missile Range utilize the REPI Program to prevent encroachment and preserve their testing and training missions. The program as a whole is critical to assisting military installations and ranges as they are increasingly impacted by extreme weather, flooding, wildfires, drought, and other threats to resilience.

Furthermore, Heinrich passed into law the Downwinder Commemoration Act to recognize the harm endured by New Mexico's Downwinders following the 1945 Trinity Test - the first nuclear detonation in U.S. history. The bill directs the DoD to place commemorative monuments in publicly accessible areas at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base in the Downwinders' honor.

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