Washington, District of Columbia – ASSA Names Honorable Rob Wittman as the 2017 Honorable Thad Cochran Leadership Award Recipient
The American Shipbuilding Suppliers Association (ASSA) named the Honorable Rob Wittman First District of Virginia as their 2017 recipient of the Honorable Thad Cochran Leadership Award at their Congressional Reception held in Washington D.C. March 8th.
The ASSA established this annual award as a way to honor the leadership of Senator Cochran for his continued and unwavering support to those large and small businesses that provide the critical technologies and components necessary to build Navy and Coast Guard ships, which are critical to U.S. national security.
The Honorable Thad Cochran Leadership Award is given annually to a public servant nominated by the ASSA membership who demonstrates dedication and commitment to supporting and maintaining a robust shipbuilding supplier industrial base. “We are proud to honor Rob Wittman as our first recipient of the Honorable Thad Cochran Leadership Award,” said Stephen Cobb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASSA. “He has been a staunch advocate for our country’s shipbuilding industrial base and we appreciate his hard work and dedication to our industry.”
Congressman Rob Wittman has served on the House Armed Services Committee since 2007 and is currently Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. As Chairman, he is responsible for the research, development, acquisition, and sustainment of Navy and Marine Corps programs, as well as the Air Force’s bombers, tankers, and tactical airlift fleets. Prior to the 115th Congress, he served as Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, which oversees military readiness, training, logistics and maintenance issues and programs, military construction, installations and family housing issues, and the BRAC process.
Hailing from Montross, Virginia, Chairman Wittman is a strong advocate of growing our Navy to 355 ships and recapitalizing our Air Force assets, which will allow the military to deter our adversaries, support our allies, and respond to threats around the globe.
Chairman Wittman believes in a strong national defense, which includes a healthy and robust shipbuilding industrial base- ready to answer the nation’s call to deliver more ships with advanced technologies.
Chairman Wittman is a key voice on defense spending in Congress, calling for an end to defense “sequestration” cuts that threaten our men and women in uniform and have detrimental effects on our nation’s military readiness. Along with his colleagues, Chairman Wittman is a champion of our nation’s warfighters and veterans.