Congressmen Turner, McCarthy tour secured intelligence facility at WPAFB

The highest-ranking Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives toured Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to see the latest work to protect America from its enemies.

House Minority Kevin McCarthy joined Dayton Congressman Mike Turner for a tour of top-secret spots at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.

The two leaders held a press conference after the tour and talked about Wright-Patterson and Dayton’s important role in protecting the United States.

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Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a secure facility all the time with fences and secured checkpoints. But the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, but the best you can do is catch a glimpse of the center through the bars of a fence.

Turner and McCarthy with security clearance went inside NASIC and got to see the work that is being done.

“Kevin is getting classified briefings on what our adversaries are doing, how Wright-Patterson Air Force Base plays a role in that and how were trying to respond to those threats,” Turner said.

Turner is the highest-ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. McCarthy is the highest-ranking Republican in the House of Representative.

The only news cameras known to have been inside NASIC was CBS News’ David Martin and his crew who did a story on NASIC for 60 Minutes in 2017.

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Martin learned about the hundreds of photo analysts rock scientists, engineers and intelligence analysts that gather the top-secret information our leaders need to make sound decisions.

They watch for potential nuclear weapon development, check out troop movements or missile launches around the world and sift through hundreds of thousands of intelligence reports.

Turner and McCarthy said the work done at NASIC and Wright-Patterson should not be partisan.

“Talk about these issues. They are American issues, protecting all Americans,” McCarthy said.

The lawmakers then spoke about a couple of world issues the country’s leaders need dependable intelligence on.

One question dealt with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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“The Ukrainian people don’t ask American men and women to fight. They just want to have the weapons to defend themselves,” McCarthy said.

Another question deal with what President Biden was recently asked – the military threat China poses to its neighbor Taiwan.

“You have to make sure Taiwan is able to defend themselves. They have a number of weapons they’d like. I think that gets delivered,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said one thing he learned on his tour with Turner is that the people at NASIC and Wright-Patterson are delivering the high-level intelligence needed by the country’s leaders.