A $6.6 million contract will help maintain Army equipment at Fort Hood, Congressman John Carter (R-TX) announced Thursday.

The work, awarded by the Department of the Army, will be performed by Mississippi-based L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace.

"This contract not only will help improve Fort Hood in my district, but it will help ensure the safety and success of our country’s soldiers all over the world," Carter said.

Specifically, the contract will help provide maintenance support on Army equipment, left behind equipment, deployed equipment and to the Field Logistics Readiness Center. All of the work will be performed at Fort Hood, and the contract runs through Oct. 1, 2010.

"Without this type of maintenance contract, we would not have the caliber of equipment and facilities that we have today," Carter said.

L-3 Vertex provides aviation and aerospace technical services, primarily for U.S. Government customers. The company has more than 11,000 employees at 300 locations worldwide.