Over the last several weeks, three American servicemembers have made the ultimate sacrifice.

West Virginia Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died during an assignment to our nation’s capital while Iowa National Guard Sgts. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard gave their lives defending our freedom on a counter-terrorism deployment in Syria. 

These heroes laid down their lives to protect America and our interests. This holiday season, we should take special care to pray for and think of their loved ones as well as the other U.S. personnel injured in these deadly attacks.

Their service and sacrifice are the definition of patriotism. They remind us that there are high costs associated with safeguarding our liberty and way of life.

As such, Congress must never fail to provide our military with the tools, resources and strategic advantages necessary for the safety of our servicemembers and the security of this country.

I am pleased that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle still make that a priority. For evidence, look no further than passage of theNational Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 this past week. This critical legislation paves the way for significant investments to ensure we are prepared to meet global security threats and challenges in addition to delivering crucial quality of life support for servicemembers and their families. 

Supplying the capabilities to fully carry out a peace through strength agenda was the main objective with this year’s NDAA, which this bill does.

From reforming and streamlining defense acquisitions to accelerating expansion of the defense industrial base, including abundant munitions, to enhancing the military’s cooperation for border security activities –– this year’s version was tailored to emphasize lethality, revitalization and readiness. 

It also advances changes to better the daily lives of our troops, their spouses and children. That includes a 3.8 percent pay raise as well as housing improvements and access to more childcare and educational benefits. This aspect should not be overlooked since we know that the quality of life is a major factor in whether Americans join and continue serving in uniform. I look forward to seeing these new programs in action and how military families benefit.

Arkansas’s Congressional Delegation also worked hard to ensure our state’s national security installations, missions and industries were boosted in this NDAA.

Aside from robust new initiatives for each service branch that help strengthen their ability to deter threats or win confrontations, we secured some direct and important infusions into Natural State-based defense efforts. 

Pine Bluff Arsenal will play a larger part in supporting the organic industrial base with new and modernized production lines. Little Rock Air Force Base’s 189th Airlift Wing will continue to thrive as the leading tactical airlift installation in the country with expanded training capacity. The National Guard Marksmanship Training Center located at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock will now permanently call Arkansas home. And private sector contractors in Camden gain high confidence in further investing to meet integral munitions needs.

Red River Army Depot just across the border in Texas, with a strong contingent of Arkansas residents among its workforce, is also poised to become a major producer of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) – or drones – for national security uses. 

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the good this NDAA will do for our armed forces, national security posture and fellow Americans. It is what our servicemembers deserve, and I was honored to help bring it to the finish line with strong bipartisan consensus.