{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8a3e2afc-9f3f-4287-a31c-b523b5aad334", "Heitkamp Welcomes Plan to Make ICBM Leader 4-Star Rank, Increase Support For Servicemembers", "2014-05-29", "2014", "2014-05", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "**Click here for a photo of Senator Heitkamp at the Minot Air Force Base this week**\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Coalition, today welcomed the decision by the U.S. Air Force to improve our nations nuclear mission and increase support for servicemembers, such as those at Minot Air Force Base who work every day to keep our nation safe. Heitkamp specifically pressed the Air Force to make changes to improve the lives of ICBM Airmen.\r\nAir Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced that she recommended the Secretary of Defense elevate the Global Strike Command commander to a four-star general, from the current three-star rank. The Air Force also will increase the Air Force Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration from a two-star to a three-star billet.These changes would demonstrate the importance of the ICBM force to the Department of Defense and improve the ability of Global Strike Command to respond to the needs of its servicemembers.\r\nJust as important, the Air Force announced plans to increase the overall ICBM manpower by more than 1,100 personnel to address shortfalls and offer Airmen better quality of life, and introduce several incentives to better attract and retain Airmen in the ICBM field.\r\nHeitkamp, who visited Minot Air Force Base on Tuesday, has repeatedly stressed to Secretary James and other top military leaders the need to develop specific proposals to improve support for the hardworking servicemembers at Minot Air Base. Heitkamp has also repeatedly talked about the overall importance of our ICBMs to national security.\r\nAs I have said all along, we need to invest in our ICBM mission and support the incredible servicemembers who help keep our country safe, and this announcement by the Air Force is a step in the right direction. Secretary James took the time to visit Minot Air Force Base herself and is now following up with real action, said Heitkamp. When I visited the Minot Air Force Base this week, I listened to not just senior leaders there, but also junior officers and enlisted personnel. They are some of our best and brightest, and I will continue working to make sure they have the resources and support they need to do their jobs.\r\nSince joining the Senate, Heitkamp has been a fervent supporter of ICBMs and has been adamant in her opposition to unnecessary reductions in our nuclear forces:\r\n\r\n \r\nHeitkamp and Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) called on the U.S. Department of Defense to follow federal law and halt any move to conduct an environmental study of the ICBM silos at Minot Air Force Base and nationwide, which could potentially lead to the removal of the missiles and closure of the silos.\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8a3e2afc-9f3f-4287-a31c-b523b5aad334"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7002299427986145, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}