“They are doing the most critical work possible to keep us safe,” he added.
Tuesday’s visit was McCarthy’s third to Wright-Patterson in less than two years. The leader of House Republicans, McCarthy, whose district includes Edwards Air Force Base, visited in July 2020 and last June, taking questions at the Hope Hotel afterwards all three times.
In January, Turner was appointed ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, with McCarthy’s blessing.
The National Space Intelligence Center is expected to start operations in coming weeks at Wright-Patterson, borrowing two squadrons from NASIC to support the newest military branch, the U.S. Space Force, with intelligence on threats in space.
“NASIC is critical to the intelligence infrastructure that we have, both looking at our allies and their support, and our adversaries and what they’re doing,” Turner said at the Hope Hotel. “NASIC remains to critical to that. The space component that is going to be established under NASIC is going to help us solidify and continue that work, right here at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.”
Asked if they were briefed on NASIC and Air Force efforts to assist Ukraine in its defense against the three-month-old Russian invasion, McCarthy said” “There are some things I can talk about and some things I can’t.”
But the Russian Army must be stopped, he added.
“I believe the people of Ukraine can win this battle,” the GOP leader said. “The sooner it happens the better off we’ll be.”
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