Ensuring the CNMI Benefits from Defense Spending and Development
This week, I met with Patrick O’Brien, Director of the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) and his team to discuss the ongoing projects they are supporting in the CNMI. OLDCC has been very active in supporting projects that advance our infrastructure capacity and ensure that the CNMI is prepared for planned Department of Defense developments. We explored ways OLDCC can better engage with the broader CNMI community and how its resources can best help address the unique challenges we face as we work toward economic recovery. During our meeting, they shared the latest snapshot of Defense Spending in the CNMI, showing that in FY 2023, the DoD spent $317 million in the islands, with $5.8 million in grants and $562,000 in personnel spending.