Two bills sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-GA, that were included in the National Defense Authorization Act seek to help to expand and strengthen Georgia military bases for the future.
One bill was the Robins Air Force Base Battle Management Enhancement Act, which would house three new missions for the Air Force, including E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node squadron operations; Battle Management Control Squadron operations; and a Group Headquarters for a Spectrum Warfare Group.
“I am working for Middle Georgia every single day, and of course that means working to upgrade Robins Air Force Base. I am pleased to announce that I passed my legislation to upgrade facilities on Robins with bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats,” Ossoff said. “This is crucial to our national security to make sure the men and women who serve at Robins have the facilities and infrastructure they need to do their jobs keeping our nation safe.”
Robins is home to the perpetually on-the-cusp A-10 aircraft, as well as the actively phasing out JSTARS (Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System). JSTARS could be phased out completely within the next two years and the future of the A-10 is still up in the air but it could be phased out by 2030. The addition of the Battle Management Combined Operations Complex will help to cushion the blow from the retirement of the two long-time fleets.
The other bill will help to strengthen Fort Gordon’s cyber center and its ability to address cybersecurity threats. The bill provides funding for new classrooms and a modernization of the center, enhancing its capabilities and accommodating the country’s growing cyber workforce.
“The Cyber Center for Excellence on Post is a world-class facility that is crucial to U.S. national security, and the Georgians who serve there are heroes who need the infrastructure, space and facilities necessary to do their jobs to maximum effectiveness,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why I wrote and passed this law with bipartisan support to secure these upgrades for Ft. Gordon.”
Fort Gordon is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Command, established in 2010 and part of the broader military cyber efforts. The U.S. is, unsurprisingly, the most targeted country for cyberattacks in the world. Russia, China and North Korea all are home to governments that actively support cyber activity – among others – and the U.S. is the number one target. Besides cyber activity that targets the federal government or military, Fort Gordon also helps to guard against activity like the City of Atlanta ransomware attack. That attack originated out of Iran, reportedly not directed by the government, but caused widespread problems, including the permanent deletion of many legal documents and police dashcam files. Thanks to this, the judicial system was in disarray for weeks.
Thanks to the future of warfare and international relations, Fort Gordon’s importance is only increasing and the base will be able to serve as an economic driver for the Augusta area for decades.
