Charles Skelton: “As we begin the 107th Congress and our debate turns to our national security, I want to remind our colleagues that we…”

“As we begin the 107th Congress and our debate turns to our national security, I want to remind our colleagues that we must remain vigilant in protecting the greatest asset in our defense arsenal, our military personnel. Without our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, we cannot sail our ships, fly our fighters, or put boots on the ground to protect our Nation's interests here and abroad. Our highly qualified, well-trained military personnel are the core of our Nation's defense. I am concerned that the new administration will rush to fund high visibility weapons systems with important political constituencies, like the National Missile Defense, at the expense of ensuring that our military personnel remain the best in the world. I believe we must make every effort to continue to recruit quality service members to ensure the continued success of our Armed Forces. With the good economic times, rising numbers of high school graduates going on to college, low unemployment, myriad job opportunities in the private sector, and a whole host of other factors, it is no secret that the military services have been experiencing difficulties in recruiting and retaining enough qualified individuals.”