Martha Roby: New commander at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker this week will host a change of command ceremony, a time honored military tradition marking a transition of leadership. Major General William Gayler will officially assume command of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker taking the place of the departing commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy. I want to thank Maj. Gen. Lundy for his exemplary leadership at Fort Rucker for the past two years. Fort Rucker is an important post, not just for the Wiregrass region and the State of Alabama, but for our nation and its defense. Every Army aviator is trained at Fort Rucker. Despite the changing landscape of the modern battlefield, Army aviation has remained an essential component of warfare, and Fort Rucker has dutifully delivered the best-trained aviators for assignments all over the world. Commanders like Maj. Gen. Lundy have an enormous responsibility of fulfilling that vital mission while dealing with any number of challenges. Maj. Gen. Lundy’s command of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence came during an especially difficult time, as budget cuts forced military leaders to make tough decisions. It was about this time last year when many feared steep reductions by the Army would significantly affect the post and the surrounding community. Thankfully, the Army’s force reduction had minimal impact on Fort Rucker, and particularly the aviation student load and flight training hours. I can tell you that having Maj. Gen. Lundy’s steady leadership during such moments of uncertainty has been invaluable. The Army has not yet announced Maj. Gen. Lundy’s next assignment. Wherever it is, that organization will be gaining an exceptional leader. Fort Rucker’s new commander, Maj. Gen. William Gayler is a Georgia native who most recently served as the Deputy Commanding General for the U.S. Army in Europe and Commander of U.S. Army NATO. Maj. Gen. Gayler is a Master Army Aviator and has a distinguished service career that includes deployments in Desert Storm, Bosnia conflict, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also no stranger to Fort Rucker, having previously served in multiple assignments including Aide-de-Camp to the commanding general. On behalf of Alabama’s Second Congressional District, I am pleased to welcome Maj. Gen. Gayler back to our state and wish him the best as he begins his command of Fort Rucker. I look forward to working with him as I have past commanders in supporting the important mission at the Army Aviation Center of Excellence. It is my great honor to serve a district that is home to two of our nation’s finest military installations: Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass and Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery. Supporting our military and serving veterans remain top priorities for me in Congress and some of the most rewarding parts of my job. • • • Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Riley, and their two children.
Martha Roby: Provide for the common defense
Good news: the House of Representatives passed the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA is the annual bill that authorizes spending and policy for the entire military, including programs and efforts at installations in Alabama. This one wasn’t easy, as ill-advised cuts in recent years have left Congress and military leaders with difficult choices. However, I’m pleased to report that this NDAA does right by our troops and authorizes necessary spending levels for the coming year. Specific to Fort Rucker, this year’s NDAA authorizes: $187 million for the procurement of 28 new Lakota helicopters for the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker; $47 million for elementary school improvements on post at Fort Rucker. Specific to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, the NDAA authorizes: Critical funding for C-130 aircraft improvements, including $75 million for Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) installation and $33.2 million for C-130 engine upgrades; A $10 million budget increase for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which has a facility at Gunter; $7.6 million to replace the squadron operations facility at Dannelly Field; $33 million for elementary and middle school renovations at Maxwell Air Force Base; and $75 million in cyber operations procurement for the Commander of United States Cyber Command (CYBERCOM). Maxwell’s Air University recently launched the Air Force Cyber College which is focused on instruction in this emerging front of global warfare. The bill also contains important authorizations for military personnel, including a 1.3 percent pay raise for troops, $281 million in funding to ensure commissaries stay open; and empowering commanders to permit service members to carry firearms at installations, reserve centers, and recruiting centers. Overall the 2016 NDAA authorizes $611.9 billion, which includes both the base Department of Defense budget and funds for Overseas Contingency Operations. This is a great deal of taxpayer money, no question. But, I strongly believe that Congress must fulfill its Constitutional responsibility to “provide for the common defense” of this nation by equipping our Armed Forces with everything they need to fight the enemy and deter threats. In fact, one of my top priorities as your Representative in Congress has been to fight against harmful cuts to our military that erode our readiness capabilities and compromise national security. Unfortunately, President Obama had previously threatened to veto this legislation, and some in the Senate may still try to block it. That will not stop me from fighting to get it passed. Over the last year I have been actively building a bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers to make the case for protecting national defense in the budget. Working together, we will fight to build pressure on the Senate and President Obama to enact this 2016 NDAA into law and then follow it with a defense appropriations bill that fills in this funding authority structure. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is currently serving her third term.
