By Congressman Mike Turner
This year’s approval of the National Defense Authorization Act by the House of Representatives included several victories for southwest Ohio and for America’s defense. Through the amendment process in the House Armed Services Committee, the committee and the full House have lent their support for key issues that are important to our region, and for adjustments to our national defense policy that strengthen our national defense.
The House Armed Services Committee, and later the full House, endorsed several provisions that should help us maintain and possibly grow jobs in and around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
I also successfully advocated for several provisions in the bill that may have long term implications on our ability to increase job levels in Clinton and Highland Counties in the months and years ahead.
The first measure would expand the hiring authority of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Currently, most employees of the facility have to go through an exhaustive, Pentagon led, hiring process that can take more than a year. The current process does not facilitate the recruitment of the best possible talent – who often are able to secure jobs more quickly in the private sector.
We have also taken the first step toward securing a new mission focused on the development of a research and testing program for unmanned aerial vehicles. The Air Force Research Lab at Wright Patterson is the natural place to base this research program, and we have several facilities -- including the Wilmington Air Park in Clinton County and the Buckeye and Brush Creek Military Operating Areas in Adams and Highland counties -- whose physical locations and geography are well suited for flight testing to demonstrate detect, sense, and avoid technologies needed by these unmanned vehicles in order to increase their effectiveness and utility.
The committee voted overwhelmingly to support two critical provisions I have advocated that will have a positive impact specifically on our men and women in uniform. The first would create a federal law to prohibit state courts from using military deployment as a factor when deciding child custody cases. The second strengthens procedures and training in an effort to reduce sexual assaults in the military and provide new protections to victims of such assaults. This effort was begun in response to the brutal killing of Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach, originally from the Vandalia area, who was killed while stationed at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.
Another provision I championed requires the Obama administration to specifically report to Congress on how it intends to implement missile defenses to protect our homeland and our allies, particularly our European allies. Without providing specific plans, Congress would have been unable to provide oversight and proper funding to ensure that the administration’s defense strategy is working.
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I continue to work to maintain a strong national defense, support our troops, and advocate for our region. The Annual Defense Authorization Act has been an important opportunity to do all of the above.