Building a 21st-century military is critical to protect the United States against an ever-evolving threat landscape – especially in the digital era. According to Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., building that resilient military force begins with investments at the U.S. Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence, housed at Fort Gordon in Georgia.
“Cyber is the new frontier every day our nation faces a new type of threat in this domain,” Rep. Allen said today during a House Armed Services Committee. “We must ensure that our cyber warriors have access to the ranges and training environments they need to adequately respond to emerging threats.”
The House Armed Services Committee met today to hear from other members of Congress on their national defense priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24).
The annual bill authorizes the Department of Defense (DoD) spending levels and sets overarching military policy to equip, supply, and train our troops and provide for military families.
Rep. Allen urged his fellow lawmakers to consider including funding for critical cyber needs in the NDAA FY24.
He explains that President Biden’s budget for FY2024 allocates $163 million for the design and construction of the Cyber Center of Excellence. This funding will go towards facility and mission capabilities – including signal school headquarters, cyber commissioner officer academy headquarters, secret training capability for advanced individual training, 38 classrooms, and 38 labs.
However, Rep. Allen emphasized that additional funding is needed for cyber readiness and training to address the full spectrum of cyber threats.
“As you continue to work on crafting a National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, it’s my request that full funding is included for construction of this important facility at Fort Gordon,” Rep Allen said.
In addition, Rep. Allen urged his fellow lawmakers to also consider funding for critical nuclear modernization efforts to ensure the nation’s nuclear deterrent is safe and reliable- currently taking place near the Savannah River in Georgia.
“My district borders the Savannah River site where they are completing critical missions toward nuclear modernization to ensure our nuclear deterrent is safe and reliable. Fully funding the important missions at the Savannah River site is critical,” Rep. Allen said.
