U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry Presented NDIA Eisenhower Award

Rep. William “Mac” Thornberry, R-Texas accepts the 2017 NDIA Dwight D. Eisenhower Award

Arlington, VA., May 18, 2017

The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) honored Rep. William “Mac” Thornberry, R-Texas with the 2017 Dwight D. Eisenhower Award May 18, in recognition of his commitment to ensuring that the men and women of the armed forces are ready to defend the nation.

“There is no higher calling and nothing more noble that we can do with our lives than help protect our fellow citizens and provide security for our country,” Thornberry, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told the audience at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City as he accepted the Eisenhower award.

Thornberry praised the innovators he has come to meet at factories and laboratories as he traveled across the country, and expressed particular respect for the uniformed service members who “experiment and try to figure out what they’re going to do with the latest technology.

He also entreated the audience to embrace his pursuit of acquisition reform, in a climate defined by a high operations tempo and tight, uncertain budgets.

“Our responsibility in Congress is to push for – and sometimes require – a degree of change that yes, taxpayers get more value for their money. Yes, so that we have the panoply of capabilities we need to protect the country in a world of complex threats,” Thornberry said.

“But for me, more than anything else, we have a moral obligation to see that the men and women we send out on mission have the very best equipment, the very best training, and the very best support that the nation can provide them,” Thornberry said.

Earlier in the evening, Navy Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward C. Byers Jr., who earned the Medal of Honor for valor he displayed during a December, 2012 hostage-rescue operation in Afghanistan, discussed the importance of effective leadership.

“If you don’t have respect amongst your peers and your team, you’ll never be able to lead,” Byers said, citing comrades – including some who had fallen in the line of duty – who served as role models for him.

“Don’t waive on your commitment to your word or your team,” Byers said. “Stress gives birth to the best ideas. It’s only through failing that we grow.”

Photos from the event are available at the following link: http://bit.ly/NDIA_Eisenhower_Award

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Topics: General