Sen. McSally questions Deputy Defense Secretary nominee on maintaining Arizona’s role in national defense

Deputy Secretary of Defense nominee David Norquist recently fielded a series of questions during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing, including queries about commitment to Arizona’s military modernization.

Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) pressed Norquist on Arizona’s role in providing military readiness and secured a commitment he would modernize Arizona’s testing and training ranges to ensure bases there are strong for decades to come.

“Can you commit to partnering with us to specifically address our training and testing ranges to make sure that our military has everything they need – that they’re training like they fight and that we’re modernizing those ranges?” McSally asked.

Norquist responded in the affirmative.

“The threat keeps changing,” Norquist said. “You have to modernize our training to the more modern threat otherwise you’re preparing the pilots for the wrong environment, and so those investments are a keep part of effective training and effective development of the force.”

McSally also inquired about military maintenance and highlighted the innovations being developed at Luke Air Force Base, officials said and met with Norquist earlier this month to discuss his nomination.

An investment in the modernization of Arizona’s testing and training ranges would not only lead to improved military readiness, McSally said, but also to economic opportunities across Arizona.