In 2017, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) was selected to serve as the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, where he has worked on a bipartisan basis to oversee Department of Defense (DOD) personnel policies, including compensation, benefits, education and healthcare for servicemembers, their families, and DOD civilian employees.
In addition, he has used his position on the Senate Armed Services Committee over the last three years to champion North Carolina’s military installations – including Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, and Seymour Johnson – and has advanced initiatives that reaffirm North Carolina’s status as the nation’s tip of the spear.
Senator Tillis’ top priorities on the Armed Services Committee.
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Senator Tillis’ bipartisan focus as chairman of the Personnel Subcommittee.
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Senator Tillis on the impact the 2018 NDAA will have for servicemembers.
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Senator Tillis has worked to improve the quality of life for soldiers and their families at Camp Lejeune.
Senator Tillis secured provisions in the FY2018 NDAA to make much-needed improvements to the living quarters and other essential facilities at Camp Lejeune, including over $100 million for the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters and a Water Treatment Plan Replacement.
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“Tillis said his visits to North Carolina’s military installations helped shape the direction of the NDAA. The visits and discussions with military leaders helped set priorities for the bill, he said. At Camp Lejeune, Tillis said there was a clear case of haves and have-nots in on-base housing and other facilities. He said he heard stories of Marines coming into work on their days off to repair roofs and covering desks to protect working spaces from the elements. |
Senator Tillis has been dedicated to providing proper medical care to our men and women in uniform.
Earlier this year, Senator Tillis visited Camp Lejeune and announced a plan to improve trauma care at Camp Lejeune that could benefit both the Marine Corps and Eastern North Carolina residents and will change Camp Lejeune base hospital from Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune to Navy Medical Center Camp Lejeune.
| “U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced a plan Wednesday to improve trauma care at Camp Lejeune, a tweak that could benefit both the Marine Corps and Eastern North Carolina residents. While the trauma plan will likely take at least five months to come to fruition, the senator also immediately announced the change of the base hospital from Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune to Navy Medical Center Camp Lejeune. As soon as later this year, the medical center could be prepared to offer trauma care to civilians -- an effort Tillis and military professionals believe will give Marine medical personnel hands-on experience effectively preparing them for combat. The hospital would then partner with local healthcare providers, highlighted by Onslow Memorial Hospital, to offer rehabilitation. ‘When we think about readiness, we generally think about the soldier on the battlefield,’ said Tillis, who visited Camp Lejeune Wednesday. ‘We don’t think about everything else that has to happen to ensure the soldier returns home as safe and healthy as possible.’” (Jacksonville Daily News, 6/1/2017) |
As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Tillis has held hearings on Military Family Readiness Programs and Concussions.
In February, Senator Tillis held a hearing to receive testimony on the Department of Defense single servicemember and military family readiness programs. Senator Tillis questioned military leaders about the need to improve childcare services for military families, as well as military initiatives to expand employment opportunities for military spouses.
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Senator Tillis also held a hearing to bring attention to the importance of research, diagnosis, and treatment for traumatic brain injury/concussion in servicemembers.
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Senator Tillis has worked to grow Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Senator Tillis secured $15 million for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point that guarantees the construction of the Vertical Lift Fan Test Facility and ensures the future home of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in North Carolina.
Senator Tillis also secured over $25 million that paves the way for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base so home a squadron of KC-46 Air Force Tankers. Earlier this year, the United States Air Force selected Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as the Main Operating Base for a KC-46A Pegasus Air Refueling Squadron
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“North Carolina will house a new generation of Air Force tankers designed for midflight refueling of aircraft. It’s been two years since the Air Force picked Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as its preferred location for a KC-46A Pegasus Air Refueling Squadron. Now it’s official. The base’s environmental assessment has been completed and, pending delivery by Boeing, the 12 tanker aircraft could be at Seymour Johnson by 2020, the Air Force confirmed Wednesday.” (Raleigh N&O, 9/13/2017) |
Senator Tillis has advocated on behalf of military families.
Another provision secured by Senator Tillis in the FY2018 NDAA authorizes $40 million in supplemental impact aid to local educational agencies with military dependent children and $10 million in impact aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities and $1 million for a pilot program on public-private partnerships for telework facilities to facilitate spousal employment on military installations outside the United States.
Senator Tillis has been creating opportunities for servicemembers to find jobs.
In September, Senator Tillis co-introduced legislation that is awaiting signature by the President that streamlines and eases the burden on the process whereby active-duty military, reservists and veterans apply for their commercial driver’s license. The new law will allow the experience they gained serving our nation in a civilian capacity and not force them to go through a duplicative credentialing process to obtain a commercial driver’s license.
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Sen. Thom Tillis has joined with senators from Texas and Massachusetts to introduce a bill that would simplify the process for troops and veterans to apply for a commercial driver’s license. Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, and Sens. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, and Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced The Jobs for our Heroes Act of 2017. According to officials, the legislation ‘streamlines and eases the burden on the process whereby active-duty military, reservists and veterans apply for their commercial driver’s license.’ The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015 provided similar benefits for veterans applying for a CDL, according to Tillis’ office. The Jobs for our Heroes Act of 2017 would permanently extend those same benefits to those still in uniform. (Fayetteville Observer, 6/25/2017) |
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