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October 22, 2009 – Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson announced today that he has been named the new chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, which has oversight responsibilities that include the nation’s nuclear and strategic forces, and military space, intelligence and cyber warfare programs. The subcommittee also has oversight of U.S. Strategic Command near Omaha.
“I have very much enjoyed working to address the needs of our military service men and women, and their families, over the last several years as chairman of the Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee. I am equally excited with this new role. America faces new national security opportunities and challenges in the 21st Century, and our plate will be full on the strategic forces subcommittee. Among issues I expect we’ll tackle are a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia, missile defense, and ensuring our nuclear and strategic forces are prepared to meet emerging or continuing threats to our nation’s safety and security.”
Nelson was named chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee as a result of the recent appointment to the Armed Services Committee of Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., and Sen. Paul Kirk Jr., D-Mass. Nelson stepped down as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel to accept the strategic forces chairmanship.
The strategic forces subcommittee’s responsibilities include: nuclear and strategic forces, ballistic missile defense; intelligence programs, space programs, information warfare programs; and Department of Energy defense-related nuclear and environmental programs.
The committee has oversight of a number of budgets including: procurement and research and development for Defense Department nuclear and strategic forces, missile defense and space systems; Department of Energy Defense Programs; and intelligence activities such as the National Intelligence Program and the Military Intelligence Program.
The subcommittee has oversight of these commands, agencies and activities: U.S. Strategic Command: military space commands; Missile Defense Agency; National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; and Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska has several missions key to national defense. They include: to deter attacks on vital U.S. interests, to ensure U.S. freedom of action in space and cyberspace, to provide nuclear information to the military, to synchronize global missile defense plans and operations and to combat the use of weapons of mass destruction.
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