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WORD ON WASHINGTON
“A Grateful Nation—and More Help for Our Troops”
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May 16, 2011
Dear Friends,
On the evening of Sunday, May 1st, the world learned that justice had been served with the demise of Osama bin Laden. In the days that followed, the world also began to better understand the sheer power and precision of our elite forces. The Navy SEALS and all of our Special Operations forces underscore America’s military might, and a grateful nation paused that night with thankful hearts for those who never gave up in the fight for freedom and justice.
As a Senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee and as Co-Chairman of the Special Operations Forces Caucus, I am extremely proud of our servicemen and women. We must be ever mindful of the sacrifices made each day by their own family members who often pay the price for the freedom we have.
National Military Appreciation Month was designated by Congress to commemorate five special days which are set aside to recognize and remember all of our military men and women and their families who have served our nation now and throughout our history. Loyalty Day (May 1), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 6), VE Day (May 8), Armed Forces Day (May 21), and Memorial Day (May 30) are all part of this month-long remembrance, but each day we live our lives under their safe cloak of protection we should be thankful.
It is also fitting that this same month that we on the House Armed Services Committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2012. I strongly supported this legislation which provides the resources and equipment our troops need and the necessary resources and support their families need at home. I am pleased that we were able to move this bill forward in a bipartisan manner, which reflects the strong commitment we have to our nation’s servicemen and women.
And now, more help for our troops is on the way! North Carolina’s military installations and personnel are paramount to America’s national security, and the NDAA makes key investments here and authorizes $752.9 million for military construction projects in our state. I worked to include specific measures in the bill which directly impact this region, including:
- authorizing an additional $5 million in Special Operations Advanced Technology Development, thereby allowing the Partnership for Defense Innovation in Cumberland County to access this account for the WiFi Testing Center; and
- allowing the use of property associated with the F136 jet engine for the new Joint Strike Fighter, which is supported by the GE Aviation facility in Wilmington;
- providing a permanent waiver for the benefit of pricing for Flame Resistant Rayon, allowing businesses to develop facilities and hire people, which will help Robeson County’s Alamac plant; and
- authorizing an additional $4 million in Readiness for Army simulation training systems in furtherance of national security objectives for UNC’s Experiential Warfare Center.
Our nation’s veterans must also be recognized for their selfless sacrifice. On the first day of the 112th Congress, I re-introduced the Veterans Outreach Improvement Act which has previously passed the U.S. House unanimously. This bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide grants and assistance to state and local veterans agencies to enhance their outreach efforts and better provide assistance for those submitting claims.
Among the many other measures I support to help our veterans and their families are the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act, the Honor Our Fallen Heroes Act, and the Retired Pay Restoration Act. These and other related bills reflect the deep debt of gratitude that we owe the men and women who have defended America.
May is National Military Appreciation Month, and I encourage everyone to thank service members and their families, and may we hold in our hearts the memories of those who have died in defense of America’s ideals. Let us all, a grateful nation, strive to be worthy of those brave souls whose strength, courage and endurance protects us and our great land. May God bless them and their families.
Sincerely,
U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre
Representing the 7th District of North Carolina
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