One of Congress’ most important constitutional duties, and a responsibility I take very seriously, is to provide for the common defense. These past few years alone have taught us we face barbaric terrorists like ISIS and murderous regimes like Iran who seek to destroy our country and our way of life. As tragedy unfolds across the globe, it’s vital that we create and maintain a strong system for defense both within our borders and abroad. In order to be effective on any battlefield, we must continue to provide the funding and tools our men and women in uniform need to do their jobs as successfully as possible.

With this in mind, the House passed a conservative, responsible National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 (NDAA), the key mechanism to provide funding and authorities for our military. The NDAA is a critical component to supporting our troops with the tools they need in the most cost-effective manner. This year’s bill reflects my priority to minimize the burden on the taxpayer while maintaining our ability to take the fight to the enemy and win. It includes cost-saving reforms to the Department of Defense, including reforming the military acquisition process, to increase effectiveness and efficiency and get more bang for our tax dollars. In addition, it provides our military personnel and their families the benefits they have earned.

As the House considered the NDAA, much of my attention was focused on maintaining operations at the 440th Airlift Wing at Fort Bragg. The 440th is absolutely critical to conducting the type of training that Fort Bragg’s Airborne and Special Operations Forces rely on to carry out their unique, high-risk missions and keep our nation safe. I was proud to co-sponsor an amendment to the NDAA with my colleague, Rep. Renee Ellmers, to keep the 440th operating. We know closing the 440th would take the air out of the Airborne and Special Forces, which is why we passed an amendment to prohibit funds from being used to deactivate the 440th until the Secretary of Defense proves that this movement will have no impact on our readiness. Shrinking Fort Bragg’s footprint in any way is unacceptable, which is why fighting the closure of this critical Airlift Wing has been a priority of mine.

Another component of providing for our security is guaranteeing peace and safety within our borders. At home, we are fortunate for the courage of 900,000 police officers – protecting our families, our homes and our communities. Every day, these law enforcement officers leave their homes and courageously put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe and enforce our laws. Last week, during National Police Week, I was honored to help pay tribute to those we have lost in the line of duty. I met with the family of Sergeant Jeff Greene, a fallen Union County Sheriff’s Deputy. Law enforcement officers like Deputy Greene wear their badges with honor and bravery to protect our community and make a positive difference. I was honored to help pay tribute to his memory, honor his service and share my humble gratitude and respect.

Rest assured, I will work tirelessly to ensure that our men and women in uniform, both at home and on the front lines, are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. They swore an oath to defend our country and protect our communities, and we must continue to show our gratitude to them for their service. Our men and women in uniform represent the best our nation has to offer, and I am proud to support them in Congress.