U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, secured dozens of provisions important to Georgia in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. The bill passed through the Armed Services Committee yesterday and awaits consideration by the full Senate.  

“Our military remains the envy of the world, but the competition is picking up and we cannot be complacent,” said Senator Perdue. “Under President Trump, we have taken strong action to rebuild our military after years of disinvestment. As a result, readiness is on the rise and modernization efforts are underway. With nine military installations, Georgia has a central role in carrying out our National Defense Strategy. This defense bill supports the Advanced Battle Management System coming to Robins Air Force Base, protects the A-10s at Moody, and develops the Columbia-class submarine to be stationed at Kings Bay. It also supports Army cyber training at Fort Gordon, authorizes additional funds to enhance ground robotics capabilities for small units, like those at Fort Benning, and ensures our servicemembers and their families are well taken care of.”

Senator Perdue’s provisions address a range of issues from improving military housing to developing new technologies. Here are some highlights: 

• Requires ABMS Planning: Requires a detailed plan for allocation of ABMS resources to improve current capabilities, establishes JADC2 coordination requirements across the services, and ensures ABMS requirements reflect current E-8C JSTARS capabilities.

• Funds JSTARS Upgrades: Increases funds for JSTARS secure information transmission upgrades.

• Improves Military Housing: Requires DOD to implement recommendations of the DOD Inspector General report on military family housing.

• Prioritizes Accountability: Ensures DOD completes an annual financial audit and directs the Deputy Secretary of Defense to consider incentives that encourage military services to achieve a clean audit. 

• Expands HBCU Research: Increases opportunities for STEM and aerospace education and research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country. 

• Supports Retired Servicemembers: Establishes a 3-year pilot program that allows DOD to hire retired servicemembers within 180 days of retirement.

• Continues Process To Create A Robotics Center: Increases funding for small unit ground robotics capabilities.

• Funds Improvements at Fort Benning: Encourages the Army to prioritize funding for demolition of the Old Martin Army Community Hospital at Fort Benning.

• Privatizes Storm Water: Strongly encourages DOD to use its authority to privatize storm water utilities.

• Accelerates Military Housing Hiring: Authorizes direct hire authority for installation military housing office positions responsible for supervising privatized military housing projects. 

• Supports Military Families: Provides additional funding for Army Child Development Centers and improvements to Army Child Youth Service. 

• Bolsters STARBASE Program: Increases support for STARBASE, a program that aims to improve the knowledge and skills of students in STEM. This program has locations across the state of Georgia. 

• Supports Army Cyber Training: Continues funding growth for the Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon and supports the training of the U.S. Army Cyber Force. 

• Safeguards Georgia MilCon Projects: Authorizes $168 million for three major military construction projects in Georgia, including the Forensic Laboratory at Fort Gillem, Advanced Individual Training Barracks at Fort Gordon, and energy resilience and conservation investments at Fort Benning. 

• Protects A-10 Aircraft: Restores A-10 operation and maintenance funds and establishes a one-year moratorium on A-10 retirement. 

• Advances 5G Development: Establishes a 5G Cross Functional Team to advance the development and adoption of next-generation wireless communication technologies, capabilities, and applications. 

• Protects Intellectual Property: Requires the Secretary to establish, enforce, and track actions being taken to protect defense-sensitive U.S. intellectual property and technology from China. 

• Grows Submarine Construction Workforce: Adds $175 million to expand capabilities of 2nd and 3rd-tier suppliers of submarine industrial base to support development of the Columbia-class submarine to be stationed at Kings Bay.