Statewide Tour Of Military And Defense Facilities

Statewide Tour Of Military And Defense Facilities

This week I will embark upon a three-day statewide tour of Ohio's military and defense industry facilities. When I was appointed to the House Armed Services Committee, no other Member of the Ohio congressional delegation (House or Senate) served on the Armed Services Committees. The experiences gained this week will be valuable and educational.

As a Member of HASC and as the Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, a great deal of the most urgent work I do has concerned the War on Terror and the United States' military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq. A number of the futuristic tools that have been used successfully on the battlefields in both Iraq and Afghanistan were developed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The research taking place at Wright-Patterson will ensure the United States continues to have a technological advantage, over those who would choose to do us harm, on the battlefields of tomorrow.

During my first 18 months in Congress I have promoted and advocated for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This was one of my major goals when seeking the Third Congressional District's seat and continues to be one of my goals. The tour of other Ohio military installations and defense facilities will allow me to become better educated and more effective working with my Ohio House colleagues as partners with their communities in the coming year. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee this is a significant responsibility.

Ohio military bases and defense industries provide a significant number of jobs for Ohio families and contribute to the security of our nation. Wright-Patterson is the state's largest single-site employer with approximately 22,000 employees and a payroll in excess of $1 million per year. Wright-Patterson has over 10,000 additional support contractors. In all there are more than 38,000 jobs at the state's defense installations in Dayton, Cleveland, Columbus, Lima, Springfield, Toledo, Mansfield and Youngstown. These bases have an economic impact of over $4 billion a year on the state's economy.

In addition to our military bases, Ohio's Aerospace and Defense industries contributes significantly to our economic and homeland security. According to the most recent data available from the Department of Defense (DoD), Ohio companies received nearly $2.5 billion dollars in prime defense contracts. Ohio ranks eighth nationally in prime defense contracts. Ohio is among the leaders in the aerospace product and parts manufacturing industry (ranking sixth) and in aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing (ranking second). Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to state that
Ohio's military and defense facilities help Ohio families while keeping the country safer.

I plan to visit some of Ohio's most important military installations and defense industry facilities. In the coming year I
will work with my House colleagues and their local communities to do the best possible job to prepare, protect and support local and state interests as the upcoming round of BRAC (base realignment and closures) discussions begin.
During this three day tour I will have the opportunity to review homeland security and economic security issues with key personnel at some of Ohio's military installations and defense facilities. By visiting these facilities, I will be better prepared to contribute as a Member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations. I look forward to reporting my findings when I return.