A North Carolina congressman posed questions to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Daniel Caine at a hearing about the Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Defense budget proposal, which has not yet been fully released.
Congressman Don Davis focused his questions on how the U.S. Department of Defense can ensure Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is positioned to maintain and expand both its training and combat missions as a leader in overseas deployment.
He said, “The airmen and military families who make the base what it is today have been there for deployments more than 50 percent of the time, during war and peace.” He added because of its history, the base must be a top candidate for an expanded combat mission as the nation moves forward with next-generation air defense.
Congressman Don Davis is the vice ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and sits on the Subcommittees on Tactical Air and Land Forces and Readiness. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1994 and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
