Armed Services Freshmen Gun for More Defense Dollars.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.

All seven freshman members of the House Armed Services Committee in the 107th Congress agreed that their prime motivation is to represent their constituents by being strong supporters of the military.

"I believe the number-one priority of the federal government is to protect American lives," said Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla.

Crenshaw sits on the committee along with fellow freshmen Reps. Susan Davis, D-Calif., Rob Simmons, R-Conn., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Jo Ann Davis, R-Va., Ed Schrock, R-Va., Todd Akin, R-Mo. and James Langevin, D-R.I.

They all come from states that have a heavy military presence.

Also relatively new to the committee is second-term Rep. Heather Wilson, RN.M., who became a member of the committee last September following the death of Virginia Republican Rep. Herbert Bateman. In January 2001, Wilson relinquished her seat on the Select Committee on Intelligence to devote more time to the Armed Services Committee.

Crenshaw, Simmons, Schrock, Jo Ann Davis, Susan Davis and Langevin hope that their previous experience in government will assist them in their work on the Armed Services Committee. Crenshaw, Simmons, Schrock, Jo Ann Davis and Susan Davis were members of their state legislatures, while Langevin was Rhode Island's secretary of stare. Crenshaw also served in the Florida State Senate and was president of the State Senate from 1992-1993, while he was involved with the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

Military Background

Five of the new members of the House Armed Services panel have extensive military backgrounds. Mark Kirk, of Illinois, holds the rank of Navy lieutenant commander in a naval reserve officer aviator unit called the Star Warriors, which flies the EA6B Prowler electronic attack aircraft, based at Andrews Alt Force Base.

In December 2000, just after he had been elected to Congress, Kirk was called back to reserve duty to patrol the no-fly zone in Northern Iraq, as part of Operation Northern Watch. Kirk also was called to combat in Yugoslavia, during Operation Allied Force in 1999, and served as the Joint Chiefs of Staffs' senior force analyst during Operation Sharp Guard over Bosnia in 1995. He served as an analyst at the office of the chief of naval operations during Operation Support Democracy in Haiti in 1994.

He completed three tours of duty aboard the USS Stennis, four tours of duty supporting counter-narcotics operations in Panama, and worked at the Office of Naval Intelligence during Operation...