BELLEVUE — Funding for new facilities at Offutt Air Force Base and better pay for young service members are among the local contributions to the national defense bill that passed the U.S. House this month and heads next for the Senate.

Two members of the state’s all-Republican delegation, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon, said in recent days that the latest version of the National Defense Authorization Act includes specific projects Nebraskans should welcome.

Some parts address renovation and expansion needs at Offutt, one of the state’s top economic engines, where Bacon led the Air Force’s 55th Wing before retiring as a brigadier general.

Offutt highlights in the legislation include $158 million for a new Survivable Airborne Operations Center and $6 million toward a training and professional development center. The bill also includes $5 million for research by the 557th Weather Wing.

Much of the bill echoes a congressional emphasis this year on improving the quality of life of service members and their families, including a 4.5% pay raise.

Bacon’s Panel Focused On Enlisted Pay

Bacon chaired a House panel that focused on boosting pay for junior enlisted. The House bill includes a 19.5% pay bump for them.

The bill also addresses staffing shortages at some of the child care facilities on military bases and spends more on assistance programs for child care for military families.

It also includes provisions similar to what states have started doing in professional licensing, by helping military spouses with professional licenses from another state work where their families are transferred, with fewer delays and tests.

Bacon has called easing the strain on military families one of Congress’ most important jobs. He called families “the foundation of America’s military strength” and said improving their quality of life was “a central national security issue.”

He told the Examiner the military is missing its recruitment goals, partly because of a more competitive economy and partly because military members want better pay and benefits earlier in their careers.

He said those in the military shouldn’t need food stamps to feed their kids in the “strongest country in the world with the strongest military.” The House bill passed 217-199. The Senate expects to take up its version of the bill this summer.

Fischer Emphasized Nuclear Deterrence

Fischer, a ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which voted recently to advance the bill to the floor, highlighted changes tied to modernizing the nation’s nuclear deterrence of major powers, including Russia and China.

Among the changes was an effort to force quicker Navy adoption of new submarine-based nuclear-armed warhead and cruise missile systems, plus $322 million to speed developing the weapons. Fischer also pressed for formal assessment of national missile defense systems.

Her parts of the bill pushed the Pentagon to plan better for restocking munitions for the American military at a time of potential conflict with great powers. Wars in Europe and the Middle East have thinned American stockpiles.

“A dangerous world demands a strong investment in our military, and that’s what our defense bill delivers, both for Nebraska and the country as a whole,” Fischer said in a statement, calling many of the investments “sorely needed” to compete in a multi-polar world.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts and Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith emphasized the importance of funding a military ready to counter both Russia and China. Flood, in a floor statement, said the bill would help slow the Chinese Communist Party.

All emphasized the importance of adding a layer of auditing oversight for military aid to Ukraine.

Questions About Other Provisions

Some critics of the House version of the bill complained that it delved into social issues, including limits on diversity and inclusion education hiring for military training. Others applauded its efforts to protect conservative TV news on bases.

Some Senate Democrats have questioned a Fischer-backed provision requiring the Defense Department to notify Congress when the secretary of Defense is unable to perform his or her duties, a measure tied to the recent medical absence of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Fischer and Bacon prioritized cyber defenses, including an effort to guard command and control centers at U.S. Strategic Command and elsewhere. They and the rest of the delegation also supported more funds for defense research at the University of Nebraska, some of which is tied to StratCom.

Among changes regarding electronic warfare, the bill would order the Defense Department to create a unified command over defensive efforts in cyberspace, and hiring more white-hat hackers.

White-hat hackers are people hired by governments, companies and defense contractors to expose and patch or close gaps in cyber defenses. They are often civilians with special skills who might not otherwise qualify for military service.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/06/25/offutt-air-force-base-stratcom-n...