News & Press Releases
Photos
August 28, 2009 - Senator Webb meets with staff and receives a tour of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth.
Visit the Photo Gallery!
Print
Email
ShareProviding for a Strong National Defense
I have worked closely with my colleagues in the Senate to maintain a strong national defense program and to support the Commonwealth of Virginia’s many important contributions to our nation’s security. Our support for a 3.9 percent across-the-board pay raise for military personnel in fiscal year 2009, for example, reflects our common commitment to attend to their welfare as well as their families.
Because more than eight years of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have greatly increased the wear and tear on our ground vehicles, weapons, and aircraft, I support provisions in the defense authorization and appropriations bills to modernize and recapitalize the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. I also supported increases to the personnel end strength of both the Army and Marine Corps so they are able to meet their increased operational commitments in a way that does not place disproportionately heavy burdens on the shoulders of our service members.
As the debate on U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan continues, I have advocated policies and programs that will protect the welfare of our troops and their families. In 2007 I introduced legislation requiring that active duty troops have at least the same time at home as the length of their previous tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The legislation also provided that no unit or member of a Reserve component, including the National Guard, could be redeployed to Iraq or Afghanistan within three years of their previous deployment. Supporting our troops means addressing the strain that they and their families now experience due to frequent and extended combat tours.
A strong viable Navy is high on my list of defense priorities. The key to the Navy’s future—and to the business health of the more than 500 companies in the Commonwealth associated with ship construction and repair—is a stable and affordable shipbuilding plan.
I have sought additional funding, advance procurement, and multiyear acquisition authority for critical shipbuilding programs. The size of the Navy’s fleet has fallen to a 90-year low with just over 280 ships—an insufficient number to meet our national security requirements. The Navy’s long-range shipbuilding plan calls for 313 ships, but we should view this as a floor—the minimum number of ships necessary for the Navy to meet its global commitments in our uncertain world. I personally believe the number should be substantially higher.
I have advocated full funding for the Army’s Future Combat Systems, supported the modernization of tactical aircraft, and advocated other programs aimed at improving the readiness and combat capability of our air, sea, and ground forces.
Maintaining a strong national defense also requires Congress to exercise its constitutional authority to provide strong oversight of the Department of Defense to ensure taxpayer dollars are invested properly. I have led efforts to achieve greater transparency and accountability in a number of important areas, including the investigation of the Army’s testing of body armor, the material condition of the Navy’s four naval shipyards, Department of Defense strategic communications, and wartime-support contracting.
Because more than eight years of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have greatly increased the wear and tear on our ground vehicles, weapons, and aircraft, I support provisions in the defense authorization and appropriations bills to modernize and recapitalize the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. I also supported increases to the personnel end strength of both the Army and Marine Corps so they are able to meet their increased operational commitments in a way that does not place disproportionately heavy burdens on the shoulders of our service members.
As the debate on U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan continues, I have advocated policies and programs that will protect the welfare of our troops and their families. In 2007 I introduced legislation requiring that active duty troops have at least the same time at home as the length of their previous tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The legislation also provided that no unit or member of a Reserve component, including the National Guard, could be redeployed to Iraq or Afghanistan within three years of their previous deployment. Supporting our troops means addressing the strain that they and their families now experience due to frequent and extended combat tours.
A strong viable Navy is high on my list of defense priorities. The key to the Navy’s future—and to the business health of the more than 500 companies in the Commonwealth associated with ship construction and repair—is a stable and affordable shipbuilding plan.
I have sought additional funding, advance procurement, and multiyear acquisition authority for critical shipbuilding programs. The size of the Navy’s fleet has fallen to a 90-year low with just over 280 ships—an insufficient number to meet our national security requirements. The Navy’s long-range shipbuilding plan calls for 313 ships, but we should view this as a floor—the minimum number of ships necessary for the Navy to meet its global commitments in our uncertain world. I personally believe the number should be substantially higher.
I have advocated full funding for the Army’s Future Combat Systems, supported the modernization of tactical aircraft, and advocated other programs aimed at improving the readiness and combat capability of our air, sea, and ground forces.
Maintaining a strong national defense also requires Congress to exercise its constitutional authority to provide strong oversight of the Department of Defense to ensure taxpayer dollars are invested properly. I have led efforts to achieve greater transparency and accountability in a number of important areas, including the investigation of the Army’s testing of body armor, the material condition of the Navy’s four naval shipyards, Department of Defense strategic communications, and wartime-support contracting.