Patty Murray: “As we work to complete the Defense authorization bill, we are reminded of our obligation to the brave men and women of…”

“As we work to complete the Defense authorization bill, we are reminded of our obligation to the brave men and women of our military. They are protecting us at home and abroad. Congress must make sure they have the equipment and resources they need. Two years ago, our country was attacked. Suddenly, we have to project sustained military force around the world, and we had to protect our skies at home--and we had to do it quickly. But as our tanker fleet embarked on more than 30,000 air refueling missions, we found that our 43-year-old tanker fleet was outdated, too often down for repairs, and too expensive to maintain. This conference report provides the Air Force with the ability to begin recapitalizing this crucial fleet, with 100 new KC-767 air refueling tankers. These tankers will enable our air crews to do their jobs more effectively, more efficiently and more safely.”