Local opinion: Congress should fully fund the FY2027 defense budget

Over the course of my career, I have served in the Air Force, in the Arizona Legislature and as director of several state agencies. One central tenet has followed me throughout my professional career: Be prepared. That principle applies directly to the national security choices before Congress today.

The new Fiscal Year 2027 defense budget request reflects a new reality facing our nation. Gone are the days of simple, symmetric warfare. Now we live in a time of drone swarms, hypersonic missiles, coordinated cyber attacks, and multiple competing superpowers. History teaches us that weakness is provocative. We must remain vigilant and invest in the capabilities required to maintain a strategic advantage.

The 2027 defense budget asks for a lot, but also includes some crucial funding needs, especially those for our nuclear programs. A grave but constant threat facing the United States is our nuclear-armed adversaries, specifically Russia and China. Though the Cold War may be over, both nations are pushing ahead by modernizing their missile forces and building new weapons. While nuclear weapons should never be used, of course, it is imperative that the United States remain in line with our competitors by maintaining our own credible nuclear deterrent.

As a former Air Force intelligence officer, I know the importance of this mission. The Air Force is responsible for a large portion of America’s nuclear deterrent, including the intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) stationed across the plains. For 60 years, Minuteman III missiles have kept America safe by holding our enemies at bay. But these missiles are old, as well as the silos that launch them.

Luckily, there is a solution. The Sentinel modernization program is the next generation of our land-based nuclear deterrent, designed to replace the launch infrastructure and the missiles themselves with modern versions. The program is well underway across our nation, with hundreds of suppliers all working under one large contractor, Northrop Grumman, to test and design the systems. In collaboration with the Air Force, this is a massive creator of jobs, a great economic opportunity across the country, and an absolutely essential step to maintain peace.

For example, in Arizona alone, work on the Sentinel program supports more than 1,500 jobs, many of them within a highly specialized supplier base that depends on sustained investment. These positions provide stable careers, strengthen communities, and create long-term opportunities across the state.

The funding included in the 2027 defense budget will directly continue this important work and sustain those jobs, helping both our state and the country as a whole. On top of the important strategic issues, the budget also supports our troops by providing a pay raise for them as well as other quality-of-life improvements. Above all, the budget ensures our troops will have the munitions and equipment needed to win and return home safely. As a veteran myself and a former director of the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, I believe that passing this budget is one of the most important responsibilities facing Congress this session.

This is ultimately a question of discipline and foresight. Effective deterrence requires consistency. Industrial strength requires long-term commitment. National security requires both.

Arizona continues to contribute to that effort every day. Our workforce is building the systems that protect this country. Our communities sustain the industrial base that makes those systems possible. Congress should meet that same standard.

Passing the FY2027 defense budget in full will strengthen national security, support Arizona jobs, and reinforce the foundation of peace through strength that has guided this country for generations.