National Defense: The Backbone Of Our America
Last week, I flew with Defense Orientation Conference Association colleagues to Tucson for area military installation visits, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service briefings. First stop, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, home to the 12th Air Force, the air component of U.S. Southern Command, with stationing of active, guard and reserve assets, along with a large Combat Operations Center, from which our Haitian air relief effort was directed, and "The Bone Yard," the 26-hundred acre repository for retired military aircraft. Next stop, Fort Huachuca, just 8-miles from the Mexican Border. This legendary post covers over 70-thousand square miles of research and training area, along with sizeable, restricted air-space, all supporting highly-classified signals, intelligence and cyber-security work, along with initial-phase training for operators of our Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, increasingly in demand by combat commanders.
Finally, extensive briefings by seasoned, Tucson-sector, Border Protection personnel, from both the Field Operations Officer side, those who monitor people and cargo at our borders' official Ports of Entry, and from the Border Patrol side, agents responsible for surveillance, patrol, and apprehension along the vast stretches between Entry Ports.
No question, militarily, we're blessed with the world's most-advanced systems, in the hands of the brightest and best-trained men and women, who continue to join, deploy and re-up, despite a dangerous planet in persistent turmoil. Reality dictates that our Number 1 priority must be the defense of our nation. We have the world's most capable people and equipment to ensure it, but incessant, short-sighted military budget cuts erode that vital ability and readiness, especially with the sky-high, ops-tempo demanded today. As for our southern border, more on that next time.
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