WASHINGTON — The fundamental role of the federal government is the safety and security of the American people, and having a clear defense strategy is critical as we face a growing number of threats to our nation’s security.

This week, my constitutional charge to provide for the common defense expanded with my nomination and subsequent placement onto the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees all defense priorities, military policy and installations across the country.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to fulfill this duty and represent the voices of the 10th District in addressing vital issues of national security.Georgia is a crucial military hub, home to nine installations statewide, including the Cyber Center for Excellence located at Fort Gordon in Augusta and Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins. In fact, there are approximately 106,000 active duty servicemembers currently stationed in Georgia alone — one of the highest populations in the country.

These bases are not only of significant importance to our armed forces, but they also provide thousands of jobs to our regional economy. As a result, it is absolutely vital our state is well represented on the House of Representatives committee that handles military affairs. Since coming to office, I have consistently supported defense policies that improve the training, equipment, readiness strategies, and intelligence-gathering efforts of our military so that Georgians — and all Americans — can be safe here at home.

Time and again, the previous administration demonstrated how inconsequential it deemed providing for our military. Without much-needed upgrades and with continued budget cuts, our military has fallen into disrepair — through no fault of its own. In an era of unprecedented and complex foreign threats, ranging from rogue regimes like North Korea to terrorism stemming from groups like ISIS, anything less than a strategically and properly funded armed forces is simply unacceptable.          

Now that we have a president who understands the importance of military readiness and who has prioritized the support of our active and reserve duty servicemembers, as well as our nation’s veterans, we have taken the first step to building a better and safer America for future generations.

Regardless of the branch, rank or role, our men and women in uniform represent the very best that our country has to offer and deserve our full support. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I’m eager to have a seat at the table when it comes to making important decisions in protecting our homeland and rebuilding our nation’s great military.

Jody Hice represents the 10th District of Georgia, including parts of Newton County, in Congress. He is a Republican from Greene County. Online: hice.house.gov.