Rubio Campaign Press Release - Marco Rubio's Plans to Keep Us Safe Are Good for Florida, Too

How Florida Will Lead in Marco's Plan to Keep America Safe

March 13, 2016

By Lt. Col. Dennis Freytes, U.S. Army, Retired, Former Commander of Infantry, Special Forces, Airborne and other units; and Former Professor of Military Science and Commandant of ROTC Officer School at the University of Puerto Rico.

Under President Obama, we have faced the dual threats of indiscriminate defense budget cuts and a proliferation of external challengers such as Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea. ISIS reminds us of the dangers of an unstable Middle East, and the continuing war in Afghanistan requires a sustained U.S. presence.

An increasingly dangerous world requires that our next President be a Commander-in-Chief who understands the threats that we face and is willing to do what is necessary to keep Americans safe. That is why I am supporting Marco Rubio for President.

Marco will make it a priority to rebuild our military. President Obama's defense cuts have negatively impacted the readiness of our men and women in uniform. Distressingly, the services show readiness levels under 50%. Less than half of Air Force fighter squadrons and only a third of Army brigade combat teams are combat ready, and the Navy could only field one-third of the necessary carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups within 30 days.

During Marco's time in the Senate, he has consistently fought to maintain the strength of our national defense during drastic across the board cuts. Over the past three years, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has included over $400 million for Florida's military bases. Marco has consistently supported these bills to ensure all the necessary resources to our men and women in uniform. He was the lead sponsor on amendments to increase military pay for three years in a row. Just last year, he sponsored authorization for a land exchange at Naval Outlying Field, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, and he has supported military construction at Eglin Air Force Base.

Moreover, Marco has been a longtime friend of America's special operations forces, the tip of the spear for the U.S. military, which we are proud to say, are based at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa. His votes for each NDAA are votes to improve and sustain the facilities that house these units.

Tampa is also home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), one of our nation's Combatant Commands responsible for military operations in the Middle East including the fight to destroy ISIL. As a member the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees, Marco has worked closely with CENTCOM to ensure the U.S. destroys terrorists that threaten us and and protects American interests.

Marco has also fought to increase the size of our Navy. The Navy is required to maintain at least 300 ships, so when we had only 285 active ships in 2012, Marco fought to prevent the early retirement of several Ticonderoga class cruisers stationed at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville. These ships are each manned by 300 enlisted sailors and 30 officers and have been toured by young ROTC midshipmen from the University of Florida as they prepare to become surface warfare officers. He supported the Navy's decision to station at least six Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) alongside those cruisers and cosponsored an amendment to help protect and even expand NS Mayport by instructing the Pentagon to review the costs of program cuts and retirements and to consider stationing more destroyers at the port. As President, Marco Rubio will fulfill the Navy's requirement for strategic dispersal and provide the funding necessary to permanently homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Jacksonville.

Investing in modernization helps maintain our comparative advantage against the array of new challenges we face, and Marco is committed to undertaking this task. He has supported full funding for the next generations of our naval fleet, including the Littoral Combat Ship, the Virginia Class Submarine, and the Ohio Replacement program.

Further, Marco has fought to advance high level weapons testing and development and maintain these capabilities at Eglin Air Force Base, where the 96th Test Wing tests critical munitions and valuable electronic combat systems.

Marco has also worked to ensure that our veterans get the best care and treatment possible after they return home. As President, he will continue this fight and bring accountability to the Veterans Administration so that those who sacrificed for our country are never left behind.

Our great state of Florida has played an important role in defending America, and if we elect Marco Rubio as our next Commander-in-Chief we can continue to work together to keep America safe and free and ensure that this is another American Century.