Along the Virginia Beach oceanfront, visitors and residents find their way to the sandy beaches, favorite restaurants, concerts, and other activities by street number. Whether heading to the 24th Street stage, the 31st Street park, the pier by 14th Street, or to Grommet Island park at 2nd Street street signs provide orientation for residents and tourists.

For those of us who grew up in Hampton Roads, these street signs are more than just numbers — they bookmark the memories of where we played as children, or for me, where Shirley and I strolled on one of our first dates. Even for the casual passerby, these street signs serve as important guides. They remind you of where you have been and direct you to where you are going.

Our Constitution serves as a sign, too, providing valuable markers as we move forward as a nation. The articles and amendments in our Constitution serve to orient our nation, reminding us of our purpose and place as a country. They are meant to direct our decisions here in Congress. They help us with reflection, choice and debate.

Recently however, many have come to view the Constitution as merely a series of suggestions rather than an absolute guide, particularly as it relates to providing for our common defense.

Every day we see 21st-century threats become more clear. News of uprisings, ISIS attacks, regional tensions and aggressive actions by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea paint a clear picture of the national security challenges we will continue to face in the coming decades.

But the commitment we make to national defense stretches far beyond our own national security. A robust national defense is essential to securing U.S. interests across the globe.

But we are not prepared to face these global challenges, largely because we are failing to adequately achieve Article 1, Section 8 in our Constitution, which commands us to “raise and support Armies…To provide and maintain a Navy.”

The administration has failed to fully provide the resources needed to face 21st century threats. Reckless cuts to our national defense have placed U.S. national security in danger.

The threat assessments I receive in briefings and hearings as Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee continue to get worse. The patterns are escalating.

Just this year, Russian aircraft repeatedly buzzed the destroyer USS Donald Cook, Iran seized two U.S. Navy vessels and 10 American sailors (violating international law), North Korea continues to conduct missile tests, and China is rapidly building up its military power.

Yet our defense budget and resources are getting tighter. In 1990, the U.S. had a 570-ship Navy; today we have 272. The U.S. had 76 Army combat brigades in 1990; today we are on a path to 32. Two decades ago, the Air Force had twice as many fighter and bomber aircraft as today.

We do not have a comprehensive missile defense system. We have yet to clearly define our regional interests and strategy with respect to the Asia-Pacific region. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines lack the resources they need to successfully accomplish their missions and return home safely.

It’s not enough to talk about raising armies and maintaining navies. Our Founding Fathers deemed Article I, Section 8 so important that they made it a constitutionally mandated priority. They chose this level of commitment, because they knew that without a strong national security, our fledgling nation would falter. Something as unique and vulnerable as the American experiment deserved – and still deserves – the strongest protection.

We have a responsibility to be economical about our defense budget dollars, particularly as it relates to waste, but this doesn’t mean we have to cheapen the constitutional command to provide for a common defense.  Without the bolstering weight of a robust, capable, and agile military, the United States risks losing its powerful diplomatic influence in the world.

We would be foolish to ignore this command. A strong defense means a strong America.

Congressman J. Randy Forbes represents Virginia’s Fourth District, which includes Suffolk, in the U.S. House of Representatives. Visit his website at forbes.house.gov.