Marco Rubio Honors 75th Anniversary of NAS Jax

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., praised NAS Jacksonville as that Navy post marks its 75th anniversary. 

Rubio released the following statement on Tuesday:

Our state is blessed with servicemen and women who answer the call to serve our nation in uniform. We are home to some of the country’s leading military bases and command centers, including Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
 
Over the past 75 years, the men and women of NAS Jacksonville are a big reason why the Jacksonville region has been one of the greatest military communities that you’ll find anywhere in this country.
 
When I visited the station in 2013 and met with the sailors and airmen there, we talked about the P-8 Poseidon and the anti-submarine warfare mission that all of you carry out.  That visit reaffirmed how proud I am of all the work that’s done in Jacksonville on a daily basis and also how important it is that we make sure our national security is never shortchanged by the games Washington often plays when it comes to funding our defense needs. Funding our national security is the first and most important priority the federal government has.
 
I want to thank all of the sailors and airmen based at NAS – and all who have served there before – for their hard work and dedication to protecting our freedoms and way of life.
 
The world is as dangerous as ever, with imminent threats to our national security arising daily. But American leadership is as indispensable as ever, and our military needs to be strong, and guided by a foreign policy and national security strategy based on American strength and on moral clarity. Our men and women in uniform deserve leaders with a clear understanding of the American ideals that make our nation great – the very ideals they put their lives on the line for every single day.
 
I would like to congratulate NAS Jacksonville on this occasion for its many years of service. May it continue to be successful for years to come.