The State of Georgia is home to nine military installations and hundreds of thousands of active duty military personnel, veterans, civilian employees, retirees, contractors and their families. Making sure their concerns are addressed is one of the most important priorities for our United States Senators.  

These are the individuals who are essential to a strong national defense. To that end, we are fortunate to have such a tireless advocate for the men and women of our armed forces and those who support them past and present in Senator David Perdue.  

I worked for Senator Sam Nunn on the Senate Armed Services Committee for 24 years, including as staff director of the Committee. Senator Nunn and I were deeply engaged in all of the Georgia military issues, and our state is extremely fortunate Senator Perdue is following in the footsteps of the accomplishments of both Senator Nunn and Senator Saxby Chambliss who preceded him. Georgia’s contribution to our national defense continues to lead the nation in terms of those who serve and the Georgia military bases—which range from the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, to the Army Cyber Command HQ at Fort Gordon, to the logistics hub of the United States Air Force at Robins, to the our most important strategic nuclear deterrent at King’s Bay—and we need to ensure that our senators continue this strong focus into the future.  

A Houston County native, Senator Perdue grew up just miles away from Robins Air Force Base and my hometown of Macon. Since taking office, he’s stood up time and again for Georgians who serve and have served, and he’s worked to ensure that their concerns are met with action in Congress. 

This year and last year, when Congress was working on its National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Senator Perdue was able to secure dozens of priorities for Georgia servicemen and servicewomen ensuring that Georgia military installations like Robins, Benning and King’s Bay were protected and strengthened as part of the NDAA.

Improving military housing has also been a top priority for Senator Perdue. In the 2019 NDAA, he supported the passage of a tenant bills of right and a standard for lead-based paint inspections, among other provisions to ensure our military families have access to safe, quality housing on base. 

Senator Perdue also understands the importance of military spouses who often face challenges navigating military life, especially with finding employment, while supporting their families and service members. He introduced and passed multiple measures to improve employment opportunities for military spouses so they can not only maintain steady employment, but thrive. 

As a highly successful businessman, Senator Perdue has also fought to ensure taxpayer dollars spent on our Department of Defense are being used as effectively as possible. That’s why he’s advocated for the first ever DoD audit, so that our military can become even more efficient in fulfilling its mission at a lower cost to the American people.

He knows we must focus not only on the threats of today but also the challenges of tomorrow. That’s why Senator Perdue has championed President Trump’s creation of the United States Space Force, to allow the United States to protect itself as we look to the stars. Senator Perdue has also supported efforts to improve cybersecurity and to equip our military to handle threats from foreign actors like China and Russia who have used cyberspace to threaten our interests. Senator Perdue is one of the very few Senators with first-hand expertise on China which poses the greatest military, economic and political threats to our future.

Senator David Perdue has proven himself to be a true friend of the men and women of our armed forces. No one has worked harder since 2015 to fight for those who protect our country. We need him to stay in office so he can continue his remarkable accomplishment for Georgia military members, their families, and all those who have contributed to our national security.

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Arnold L. Punaro is a retired Marine Corps Major General from Macon and is currently CEO of the Punaro Group, a Washington-based consulting firm. He served on active duty as an infantry platoon commander in Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor and the Purple Heart.