Pentagon Seeks \$200 Million Shift to Fund 20-Mile Border Wall at Arizona Military Training Range

The Pentagon has requested congressional approval to reallocate $200 million in funding originally designated for military infrastructure projects—including barracks, aircraft hangars, and military-operated elementary schools—to construct a 20-mile-long, 30-foot-high barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona.

According to a letter sent to Congress on May 28, the proposed wall would replace an existing mesh barrier at the Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR), a 1.9 million-acre desert training complex near the border jointly used by the Air Force and Marine Corps. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the permanent structure, complete with gates and a patrol lane, is “necessary to obtain full operational control of the border,” and was deemed “vital to national security” by the civilian leaders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The funding reallocation plan, known as “reprogramming,” would draw from unspent appropriations dating back to fiscal year 2021. Each of the military branches involved—the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force—would contribute \$50 million. The Pentagon’s letter described the reallocated funds as “savings” from projects that cost less than initially estimated.

Specific projects targeted for reallocation include over \$11 million from a Marine barracks complex and bachelor enlisted quarters at Kadena Air Base in Japan, along with additional millions from an F-35 Lightning II hangar in California, a V-22 Osprey airfield in Virginia, and two military-run elementary schools in Germany and Kentucky.

This move follows a broader Pentagon trend under President Donald Trump's administration, where \$1 billion intended for Army barracks was previously redirected to support troop deployments to the U.S.-Mexico border, reflecting the military's expanding role in immigration enforcement.

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A 2023 report from Luke Air Force Base, which controls a portion of BMGR, noted the range’s proximity to the border subjects it to undocumented migrant activity and smuggling, leading to patrols by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

Earlier in July, the Pentagon also requisitioned 140 miles of federal land in Arizona, including near BMGR, as part of a wider effort to bolster border security and prevent crossings amid the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown.

When contacted on Monday by Military.com regarding whether border activity was the reason for the funding shift, a Pentagon representative acknowledged receipt of the questions but did not provide a response by the time of publication.