U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer

President Teddy Roosevelt famously said “speak softly and carry a big stick.” President Franklin Roosevelt referred to the “arsenal of Democracy.” And President Ronald Reagan spoke about “Peace through Strength.” All of these leaders knew the sway of American might to a watching world, but they also knew their words were only as powerful as the people and hardware behind them. North Dakota has a long, proud history of significantly contributing to our national defense.

Minot Air Force Base has been an integral part of our state and its contribution to national defense for several generations of North Dakotans. Its construction began just a few years before I was born and as a lifelong resident of this state, I have seen firsthand its impact on the population, traditions, culture and quality of life in North Dakota.

During my dozen years serving the people of North Dakota in Congress, especially the last six in the Senate on the Senate Armed Services Committee and chair of its Airland Subcommittee, I have been able to also observe Minot Air Force Base from a national and worldwide perspective. As I often say, the importance of Minot Air Force Base on global defense and security cannot be overstated.

The need for strategic military bases along the nation’s northern tier was identified during the Cold War, and the groundbreaking of Minot Air Force Base in 1955 came as the greatest threat facing America was the policies and politics of communist nations. The strategic importance of Minot Air Force Base in the defense of our nation has remained despite historic geopolitical shifts over the last 70 years.

At one time there were six strategic military bases with bombers stationed from Michigan through Montana. Today only two–both in North Dakota–still have runways, Minot and Grand Forks. Minot Air Force Base is the only one with bombers.

The first U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) became operational 66 years ago in 1959, and four years later the first one was installed in Minot. Since then, we have watched nearly 70 years of nuclear deterrence work up close in North Dakota, especially in Minot, which is the only military base in the country to have two legs of the nuclear triad, housing 50-year-old Minuteman IIIs and 70-year-old B-52s.

The airmen and support staff at Minot Air Force Base are second to none in carrying out their missions. Equally strong has been the unwavering support of the Minot community for this base.

The highest Constitutional priority of Congress is to provide for our nation’s defense. In my work on the Senate Armed Services Committee I have fought hard to include wins for North Dakota’s military assets, including Minot Air Force Base. The most recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in December safeguards our nation’s nuclear deterrent capabilities with protections on the number of ICBMs. It secures funding for modernizing ground-based strategic deterrent initiatives and restores nuclear capabilities across the entire B-52 strategic bomber fleet. It also requires a plan for acquiring and deploying up to 450 Sentinel ICBMs.

Supporting our airmen goes beyond simply equipping them to carry out their missions and includes advocating for their well-being. While North Dakotans know and love our rural way of life, it’s often a serious adjustment for these men and women and their families. Last year, the Air Force implemented cold weather pay to help our airmen and their families combat our North Dakota winters. Recent additions to the base, like the addition of the Fitness Center Dome, help boost morale and quality of life–even on the most blustery days.

It is also incumbent on us to not only welcome them, but incorporate them into our communities and workforce, which is why I worked with state leaders to make sure spouses with training and certifications could incorporate their skills into jobs we need. This year’s NDAA includes language I championed expanding mental health services access in rural communities and increasing the number of providers certified by TRICARE in states where current mental health access does not meet its standards. The NDAA also authorizes pay raises of 14.5% for junior enlisted servicemembers and 4.5% for all other servicemembers.

My visit in September to the Royal Air Force Fairford Base in the United Kingdom helped me better appreciate the strategic importance of Minot’s 5th Bomb Wing in European missions and exercises. I saw the facilities where North Dakota airmen stay when deployed in the U.K. and met with wing leadership and partners. This strong partnership and friendship are essential in addressing the challenges we collectively face.

When I hosted then-Norwegian Ambassador Anniken Krutnes in a visit to North Dakota a year ago, we visited about our partnership that goes well beyond our centuries-old shared ancestral and cultural ties. In a discussion about the common defense and national security policies between Norway and the United States, the Ambassador talked about our two nations “flying together” as Norway’s F-35 fighter jets escort flights of the B-52s out of Minot Air Force Base when they participate in joint deterrence exercises against Russian aggression.

The role of Minot Air Force Base airmen in our nation’s commitment to world peace over these past seven decades should be celebrated and never taken for granted. I expect this critical role to continue for decades to come.