The Army and Air Force are seeking billions of dollars next year to expand training facilities, build new housing and relocate tens of thousands of service members and civilian employees.

The fiscal 2011 budget seeks funds for critical construction projects that will ensure both the Army and Air Force have the facilities needed to support their ongoing missions, leaders from both services told Senate appropriators at an April 22 hearing.

The Army's $7.9 billion request represents the "minimum amount needed" to carry out various initiatives, including adding 74,000 soldiers to the Army by 2013 and transferring roughly one-third of the force to other locations through the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and related actions, said Jerry Hansen, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for strategic infrastructure.

The Army is requesting $891 million to continue a longstanding effort, now in its 18th year, to replace outdated barracks with more modern, dorm-style suites. An additional $191 million will be used to build six new training barracks at four installations: Forts Benning, Bragg, Jackson and Leonard Wood. The Army also is seeking $92 million for new family housing construction, including 64 new homes in Baumholder, Germany.

The Army's military construction request is down from the $11.3 billion received this year, although that's largely because most of the money to comply with BRAC was previously funded. When BRAC funding is excluded, the Army's military construction request for 2011 is up nearly 10 percent compared with this year.

The Air Force is seeking $5.5 billion for construction and related activities in 2011, up nearly 4 percent from 2010. More than half of the request, $3.1 billion, will be used to maintain and repair existing facilities, said Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics.

Another $1.5 billion would be spent on new construction projects, including $23 million for two new Air Force training facilities at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and Camp Guernsey, Wyo., for employees involved in operating, maintaining and securing nuclear weapons.