Chuck Hagel Joins Ander Crenshaw on First Coast for Town Hall Meeting

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will be taking part in a town hall event at the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast on Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) on Tuesday with U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla. In a statement on Monday, Crenshaw welcomed Hagel to the First Coast and brought up the subject of furloughs of civilian defense employees.

I welcome Secretary Hagel to Jacksonville and have no doubt the visit will leave him with a lasting impression that Northeast Florida is vital to our national security interests, said Crenshaw. I look forward to attending the town hall-style meeting with him where Im sure the subject of civilian furloughs will be front and center.

In my book, furloughing our critical Navy aviation repair specialists at FRC Southeast is detrimental to our military readiness, Crenshaw added. Civilian defense workforce furloughs are a stark reminder of the devastating and real effects of sequestration, and I hope we can find a solution to reduce the amount of furlough days necessary.

I have long advocated that Congress and the administration come to an agreement and end these across-the-board cuts that are eroding our national security, said Crenshaw in conclusion. Our civilian defense workforce in Florida and across the nation plays a key supporting role in defending our national security and keeping our military forces as strong as they can possibly be at home and around the globe.