WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) announced U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) will serve as Chairman of the Airland Subcommittee for the 119th Congress.
The subcommittee oversees the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army, giving Cramer direct nexus to North Dakota’s Air Force bases in Grand Forks and Minot. The subcommittee also oversees the National Guard and Reserve. North Dakota has nearly 4,000 Guard soldiers and airmen dispersed across the state in units such as the 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment out of Grand Forks and the 119th Air Wing “Happy Hooligans” in Fargo.
“You couldn’t exaggerate the importance of the Armed Services Committee’s Airland Subcommittee right now,” said Cramer. “It has a central role in ensuring our national defense, and of course North Dakota’s robust defense ecosystem is full of Air Force and Army capabilities directly under the Airland Subcommittee’s jurisdiction. North Dakota’s B-52 bombers, the RQ-4s, the MQ-9s, the UH-60s, and the UH-72 aircraft are all legacy contributions that are mightily important to our first constitutional responsibility, the common defense of the nation. There are future platforms on the horizon requiring great stewardship. I’m really looking forward to leading this important subcommittee and ensuring our servicemembers and our country are properly equipped to address our most pressing threats from our adversaries, and they are a growing group.”
Cramer will also serve on the Senate Armed Services Subcommittees on Strategic Forces, Readiness, and Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
More information can be found here on the SASC website.