[Senate Hearing 114-653]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
----------
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10:29 a.m., in room SD-192, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Thad Cochran (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Cochran, Murkowski, Blunt, Daines, Moran,
Tester, Udall, and Schatz.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
National Guard and Reserve
STATEMENT OF GENERAL FRANK J. GRASS, CHIEF, NATIONAL
GUARD BUREAU
opening statement of senator thad cochran
Senator Cochran. Good morning. Welcome to the hearing of
our Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. We are reviewing this
morning the proposed budget for the National Guard and Reserve.
We want to thank all of you who are here to present information
and statements to the committee about the budget request.
We especially appreciate the quality of leadership we have
in our Armed Forces today: General Frank Grass is Chief of the
National Guard Bureau; Major General Brian Neal, Acting
Director of the Air National Guard; Lieutenant General Timothy
Kadavy, who is Director of the Army National Guard; Lieutenant
General Jeffrey Talley, Chief of the Army Reserve; Vice Admiral
Robin Braun, Chief of the Navy Reserve; Lieutenant General
James Jackson, Chief of the Air Force Reserve; and Lieutenant
General Rex McMillian, Commander of Marine Forces Reserve.
The Guard and Reserve, as we all know, provide one-third of
the personnel currently serving in our armed services, and they
continue to be a vital source of contributions to our military
operations overseas and in the defense of our homeland.
Since 2001, the Reserve components have evolved from a
strategic force in reserve to an operational reserve. As they
have evolved, they have maintained a higher state of readiness,
in the event the President or Secretary of Defense calls them
to duty.
Despite fiscal and global uncertainties, our guardsmen and
reservists have done an outstanding job in answering the call
while managing civilian careers in their spare time.
I look forward to hearing about our successes and our
challenges from today's panel of witnesses.
The budget request suggests funding for the Guard and
Reserve, which is contained within the budget request of the
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, at an amount of $46.6
billion for fiscal year 2017. The request is $400 million less
than the current level.
However, evolving requirements for mobilized guardsmen and
reservists make it very important for this Committee to get it
right. And we value the insight and assistance of this
distinguished panel.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Thad Cochran
We are reviewing this morning the proposed budget request for the
National Guard and Reserve. We want to thank all of you are here to
present information and statements to the committee about the budget
request. We especially appreciate the quality of leadership we have in
our Armed Forces today:
--General Frank Grass, Chief of the National Guard;
--Major General Brian Neal, Acting Director of the Air National
Guard;
--Lieutenant General Timothy Kadavy, Director of the Army National
Guard
--Lieutenant General Jeffrey Talley, Chief of the Army Reserve;
--Vice Admiral Robin Braun, Chief of the Navy Reserve;
--Lieutenant General James Jackson, Chief of the Air Force Reserve;
and
--Lieutenant General Rex McMillian, Commander of Marine Forces
Reserve.
The Guard and Reserve provide one-third of the personnel currently
serving in our armed services, and they continue to be vital source of
contributions to our military operations overseas and in the defense of
our homeland.
Since 2001, the Reserve Components have evolved from a strategic
force in reserve to an operational reserve. As they have evolved, they
have maintained a higher state of readiness in the event the President
or Secretary of Defense calls them to duty.
Despite fiscal and global uncertainties, our Guardsmen and
Reservists have done an outstanding job of answering the call while
managing civilian careers. I look forward to hearing about our
successes and our challenges from today's panel of witnesses.
The budget request suggests funding for the Guard and Reserve,
which is contained within the budget requests of the Army, Navy, Marine
Corps, and Air Force, at an amount of $46.6 billion for fiscal year
2017. The request is $400 million less than the current level. However,
evolving requirements for mobilized Guardsmen and Reservists make it
very important for this Committee to ``get it right,'' and we value the
insight and assistance of this distinguished panel.
Senator Cochran. Your full statements, which you have
prepared, will be included at this point in the record. I want
to welcome in this order and let you make opening statements,
the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Frank Grass;
Acting Director of the Air National Guard, Major General Brian
Neal; Director of the Army National Guard, Lieutenant General
Timothy J. Kadavy; Chief of the Army Reserve, Lieutenant
General Jeffrey W. Talley; Chief of the Navy Reserve, Vice
Admiral Robin Braun; Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Lieutenant
General James Jackson; and Commander of the Marine Forces
Reserve, Lieutenant General Rex C. McMillian.
I am very pleased to invite you to make opening statements,
as you see fit. How do you want us to start? General Grass?
General Grass. Chairman, I will go ahead and start, if
that's okay?
Senator Cochran. Thank you.
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF GENERAL FRANK J. GRASS
General Grass. Chairman Cochran, it is a pleasure to be
here today with my Guard and Reserve fellow leaders. I am
honored to represent the more than 453,000 citizen soldiers and
airmen of the Army and Air National Guard and their families,
communities, and employers who support them.
The Guard is tremendously appreciative of this committee's
support. Your investment has resulted in the finest and most
diverse National Guard I've witnessed throughout my career.
In countries such as Afghanistan, Djibouti, Iraq, Kosovo,
Qatar, the Sinai, and many other locations, our guardsmen work
seamlessly with their Active Duty counterparts to ensure
security around the world.
Since 9/11, the Guard has mobilized nearly 780,000 citizen
soldiers and airmen conducting complex operations around the
globe. The experience and capabilities gained from our Federal
mission along with the equipment and leadership skills utilized
overseas yields a highly responsive National Guard here in the
homeland with roughly 4,000 citizen soldiers and airmen and on-
duty each day.
Of course, the success of our warfighting and our homeland
mission are directly linked to our incredible and enduring
partnerships with international, Federal, State, and local
partners.
Our Nation is currently facing unprecedented security
challenges at home and abroad. These challenges come during a
turbulent fiscal environment. Your passage of the Bipartisan
Budget Act brought some much-needed relief.
However, if we return to sequestration levels of funding,
the National Guard will be the smallest that it has been since
the Korean War, and at a time the population of the United
States has doubled.
Your continued investment in training, manning, and
equipping is needed to maintain the readiness of your National
Guard as a combat reserve of the Army and Air Force, the same
force that is called upon by the Governors in times of need in
the homeland.
General Kadavy and General Neal will further elaborate on
specific Army and Air Guard issues, so I won't go into too much
detail. However, I would like to briefly emphasize a few key
programs that need your continued support.
First, a full-time manning program is absolutely critical
to delivering the very foundational levels of readiness needed
during global and homeland crises.
Second, our successful State Partnership Program has
established enduring partnerships with 76 partner countries and
continue to provide these forces in coalition operations
worldwide, and have improved their own interoperability with
U.S. forces.
Third, our counterdrug program is a crucial tool in the
whole-of-government approach to combating transnational
organized crime.
Fourth, the National Guard cyber program provides the
Nation with cutting-edge capabilities to protect our Nation's
critical infrastructure and systems, and utilizes the skills of
our citizen soldiers and airmen gained through their civilian
careers.
Lastly, roughly 140,000 graduates from the National Guard
Youth Challenge program, which provides at-risk youth with an
opportunity to learn skills, get an education, and have an
opportunity in life.
Your support of these programs, as well as other programs
that allow us to accomplish our mission and take care of our
servicemembers, their families, and their communities, is
greatly appreciated.
Recently, the National Commission on the Future of the Army
came out with its recommendations. I thank the commission for
their hard work. Similar to the collaborative effort that
followed the Air Force Commission report in 2014, we are
working diligently as a total Army to build the strongest
ground force possible for the Nation.
I would like to offer my sincere appreciation to acting
Secretary Murphy and to General Mark Milley for their
incredible leadership in this transformative process.
Again, I am honored to be here today representing the men
and women of the National Guard and their families who support
them. I thank you for your continued support.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of General Frank J. Grass
opening remarks
This past fall, I passed my 46th year in uniform and during that
time, I have witnessed extraordinary change--change in our military and
change in the security environment in which we live. The challenge of
maintaining a capable, accessible, and affordable operational National
Guard comes at a pivotal time in our history, where the actions we take
now will set the course for future generations.
As I visit with our citizen soldiers and airmen in our States,
territories and countries where our service members are deployed, I see
the most ready, accessible, and capable Guardsmen and units in my 46
years of service. With continued resourcing, I am confident that we
will always be ready to fight America's wars, secure our homeland, and
continue to forge enduring partnerships.
I visited with Guardsmen forward deployed in Afghanistan, Djibouti,
Iraq, Kosovo, Kuwait, Qatar, and the Sinai and enhancing their combat
skills at the National Training Center, Joint Readiness Training Center
and the Joint Multi-National Training Center in Hohenfels. From Brigade
Combat Teams on the ground to expeditionary wings operating in the
skies, our Guardsmen help ensure regional stability and security while
working seamlessly with our fellow Service members. With nearly 780,000
individual overseas mobilizations since 9/11, the National Guard has
proven, time and again, its readiness and warfighting capabilities.
building global and domestic partnerships
The leadership, individual and unit skill sets developed from doing
complex combat operations enables unsurpassed homeland capabilities and
response. As the original homeland security and defense force, our
unique array of authorities allows us to respond to the needs of the
Nation and the States. Whether assisting victims of natural disasters
such as wildfires, winter storms, or hurricanes, or working hand-in-
hand with State and local leaders and emergency personnel during times
of crises, the National Guard is postured in nearly 2,600 communities
across America and is the first military force to reach the scene.
Recent cyber intrusions and espionage on our businesses and
institutions highlight why cyber is a national priority. The National
Guard is at the cutting edge with its cyber capabilities. The skills
acquired by our Guardsmen in their civilian capacity is an excellent
fit for evolving DOD cyber missions. The National Guard's cyber
capacity will play an integral role as we coordinate with State and
Federal cyber professionals through Army and Air Guard cyber units and
continue to grow our cyber forces.
The National Guard enhances its warfighting and homeland
capabilities through the partnerships that it builds. We forge close
working partnerships with global, Federal, regional, and State
partners. In the global sphere, the National Guard's State Partnership
Program (SPP), established 23 years ago, continues to flourish and has
evolved into enduring partnerships with 76 nations. This program, which
pairs individual U.S. States with partner nations, continues to pay
huge dividends in establishing long-term security and personal
relationships while generating a significant return on investment. For
example, 13 SPP partner nations in have achieved NATO membership.
Overall, National Guard States have conducted 79 co-deployments with
their SPP partners to Afghanistan and Iraq. SPP countries in the Middle
East and Africa, with collaboration of National Guard State
counterparts, are participating in international coalition efforts to
combat terrorist and extremist organizations. In the Western
Hemisphere, the National Guard and its partners work closely on counter
drug programs to help stem the flow of illegal drugs into this country.
A true measure of the program's success is underscored by the
successful transition of many of our SPP partners from security
consumers to security providers, and the enhanced interoperability with
our military.
During this past year, the SPP continued its expansion by
formalizing two new partnerships between Kentucky-Djibouti and
Massachusetts-Kenya. SPP partnerships stand as some of the strongest
and most effective security cooperation relationships in the world. The
SPP delivers wide strategic benefits by reducing the staggering costs
of the U.S. going it alone. These partnerships are grounded in common
interests and shared values. They develop strong bonds of cooperation,
understanding, and trust that enable us to work together effectively to
meet the evolving security challenges of this new century.
We look forward to continued expansion of the program and will work
closely with the Department of Defense, geographic combatant commands,
and the Department of State in addressing future challenges, enhancing
capabilities, promoting interoperability, and furthering the progress
we have made with our partner nations.
In the homeland, we forge close partnerships with local, State, and
Federal agencies to prepare for contingencies and disasters that may
strike at home. We also work with individual geo-specific consortiums
such as those created for the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the New
Madrid Seismic Zone. In our communities, our Guardsmen, in both their
civilian and military roles, are active with programs and services such
as Youth ChalleNGe, Joining Community Forces, and rendering military
funeral honors for veterans. These programs provide critical support to
families and individuals when they need it the most. For example, Youth
ChalleNGe is an alternative program for high-school drop-outs to learn
life skills and earn a high school diploma or equivalency. Since the
start of the ChalleNGe program in 1993, we had more than 140,000
graduates; better posturing high-school drop-outs to becoming more
productive citizens.
The threats we face at home and abroad today are unprecedented in
their scope and variety. The recent terror events of Paris and San
Bernardino, Calif., the rise of China and its ambitions, the regional
challenges posed by a resurgent Russia, cyber attacks on our homeland,
and an exploding migrant and refugee situation that has engulfed the
borders of many nations around the world are just some of the issues we
see in the headlines on every major newspaper around the world.
These global realities are intertwined with changes in our society
that come at extraordinary speed, have undefined borders, and coincide
with a modern American public that has higher expectations of its
military. We face these realities within a daunting fiscal environment
that requires us to balance the need to keep Americans safe against
budgetary constraints and increasing national debt.
Within this security backdrop, it is more important than ever to
ensure America has a resourced National Guard that can be a critical
component of the solution during these uncertain times. The Guard is a
cost-effective, scalable, operational force that preserves capability
and capacity, rather than forcing the Nation to choose between them.
Resourcing the operational National Guard leverages the tremendous
value the Guard provides America with a force ready to meet our
domestic and overseas requirements.
The National Guard is also setting an environmental example within
the DOD. Embracing the motto to ``make training lands accessible to
Soldiers,'' the Florida and Minnesota Army Guard environmental programs
earned DOD-level recognition. Florida's Camp Blanding Joint Training
Center was lauded for their natural resources conservation efforts to
protect 39 threatened and endangered animal and plant species. The
endeavor provided the four military services and State agencies access
to the 73,000-acre training installation. Minnesota's Camp Ripley
earned DOD's highest award for their sustainability initiative to
install solar panels, reducing their installation's energy consumption
by 45 percent. Such money-saving efforts help combat the reduction of
programmed resources and enable greater readiness.
The Army National Guard and the U.S. Army are making the readiness
of the ``Total Army'' a top priority. The Director of the Army National
Guard established four lines of effort designed to enhance that
readiness: leader development; ready forces; operational forces; and
resilient communities. Leader development seeks to mold competent
leaders of character who inspire, plan and execute our dual-mission.
Ready Forces is an effort to ensure we continue to recruit and retain
quality, deployable Soldiers. As an Operational Force, it's imperative
that our resourcing and policies allow the Army Guard to seamlessly
blend with the Army to perform any mission assigned. Finally, our
Soldiers and their families are part of a Resilient Community because
of substantial investments made to programs that support their needs
and recognize their service. As part of each line of effort,
accountability is integral to ensuring our success. Accountability
demands ethical decisionmaking, transparent processes, thorough
oversight and fiscal responsibility.
We need to ensure our Soldiers are trained to project land power
anywhere our Nation requires, within appropriate timeframes. Units
across all three components of the U.S. Army must remain interoperable.
Our military and civilian leaders require and deserve a full range of
options to address the threats and instability our Nation faces today,
both at home and abroad.
The Air National Guard continues to make significant contributions
to our national security at home and abroad. Overseas, the Air National
Guard provides both operational combat and support capabilities to
warfighters that meet our Nation's defense objectives. Guard Airmen
supported more than 9,000 deployment requirements to 56 countries and
on every continent last year. At home, the Air National Guard secures
America's skies as the primary force supporting the North American
Aerospace Defense Command. Simultaneously, Guard Airmen respond daily
to requests from their local communities for assistance during
emergencies and times of need. The Air Guard will continue to answer
our Nation's call by adapting to the Nation's 21st century security
needs.
closing remarks
The National Guard mirrors the communities that it serves and our
people are its foundation. We will continue to embrace diversity and
inclusion to ensure we tap into our entire reservoir of talent. As the
National Guard strives to become a model of fiscal stewardship within
the Department of Defense, we must also continue to do more in
eliminating abuse, harassment, and discrimination. Suicide prevention
will always be a priority and we must do all that we can to ensure we
have the proper education, training, and availability of mental health
professionals to create resilient soldiers and airmen. We must ensure
that we assist returning soldiers and airmen, wounded warriors, and
veterans reintegrate into their communities and honor our fallen
service members. We will continuously examine our actions and progress
through candid and critical assessments from top to bottom. The
National Guard greatly appreciates the resources our Nation invests in
our wide array of effective programs.
It is inspiring to see what the men and women of our National Guard
do for our States, territories, and our Nation. Our soldiers and airmen
continue to show great valor in combat. Our people continue to leave
their jobs and families and report to their armories and bases, and
bring calm after storms, fires, and floods have devastated communities.
And, our Guardsmen strengthen and stabilize regions around the world
while we develop meaningful security partnerships.
As we face the challenges of this new century, the National Guard
is ready to carry out its missions through the capable men and women
who serve. They are part of a proud heritage dating back to 1636--
nearly 400 years of protecting our Nation. I am proud to serve with
each and every Guardsmen. Their dedication and professionalism is truly
remarkable.
I want to thank this Committee for your continued support of our
Citizen-Soldiers, Airmen and their families. I look forward to your
questions.
Senator Cochran. Thank you very much. The next witness is.
General Neal. Sir, Major General Brian Neal, Acting
Director of the Air National Guard.
Senator Cochran. General Neal, welcome.
STATEMENT OF MAJOR GENERAL BRIAN NEAL, ACTING DIRECTOR,
AIR NATIONAL GUARD
General Neal. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you and all the
members who have invited me here today to speak.
I want to start by publicly thanking the over 105,000
dedicated professional men and women of the Air National Guard
for the tremendous job they do every day, both at home and
overseas. I also want to thank you for your support for the Air
National Guard.
When the Air National Guard was created, its primary
mission was to train for the next major conflict. The concept
of training 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year was based on the
original strategic reserve model. Today, the Air Guard is, as
you said, Chairman, an operational reserve, a force that
contributes every day to both the war fight and also provides
surge capacity for crises.
The men and women of the Air National Guard have stepped up
gallantly to meet the demands of the operational reserve force.
As the acting director, it is my job to ensure our Guard
airmen have the resources and training they need to do the jobs
we ask of them. My priorities are, first, support for the 21st
century Guard airmen; second, readiness; and third,
modernization and recapitalization.
Overall, we must ensure that the men and women of the Air
National Guard have the support they need as they balance
civilian careers, family responsibilities, domestic response
needs, and their growing responsibilities to national security.
We must make sure our Guard airmen and their families have
access to the spiritual, psychological, and medical support
they may need. Our Guard airmen need equipment that is capable
of integrating seamlessly into the combat environment, and we
must ensure they are trained for the full spectrum of
operations we expect them to perform.
In closing, I want to thank you for your support of the
National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA). NGREA is
essential for the Air National Guard for the accomplishment of
both of its Federal and domestic missions. NGREA keeps our
combat equipment safe, reliable, and compatible within the
combat environment, and it is the Air Guard's primary source
for dual-use equipment needed to respond to domestic
emergencies.
If it were not for NGREA-funded programs, the Air National
Guard would simply not be the force we are today.
Again, thank you for inviting me here today, and I look
forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Major General Brian G. Neal
introduction
The Air National Guard has been at war as an integral and essential
part of the Total Air Force for 25 years. During this time, the men and
women of the Air National Guard have proven to be remarkably adaptive,
versatile, and resilient.
The first Gulf War, Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM, utilized the
forces, tactics and doctrine designed during the Cold War to defend
NATO from an attack by the Warsaw Pact. As a result, the Air National
Guard contributed to the fight as a voluntary, strategic reserve force
augmenting Air Force contingency operations.
The security environment changed significantly after the first Gulf
War. First, the end of the war did not signal an end of hostilities, as
the Air Force launched into a series of airpower-centric operations
including Operations Northern and Southern Watch, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, back to Iraq, and now Syria.
At the same time, the Department of Defense went through a post-Cold
War drawdown and a restructuring of forces including a 33.7 percent cut
in Air Force manpower and a 41.5 percent reduction in aircraft between
1990 and 2015. This restructuring included a change from a forward-
basing posture to a forward-presence strategy, and a shift in the
apportionment of forces within the Total Air Force.
The combination of a continued high-demand for Air Force
capabilities and a decrease in active duty Air Force capacity resulted
in greater reliance upon the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
In 1990, the Air National Guard was 15.1 percent of the Total Air Force
manpower and operated 19.3 percent of the aircraft; by 2015 the Air
Guard contribution had increased to 21.5 percent and 21.4 percent
respectively. For the men and women of the Air National Guard, what
began as volunteering for operational missions during Operation DESERT
SHIELD/STORM evolved into the most significant application of
involuntary mobilization since the Korean War.
For the National Guard, including the Air Guard, the demands of
Overseas Contingency Operations were compounded by increased calls to
protect life and property at home from natural disasters or terrorist
attacks. Federal, State, and local communities began to increasingly
recognize and rely upon the versatility of Guard Airmen to adapt their
training and equipment, designed for the Air Guard's Federal, national
security mission, to assist them in responding to State and local
emergencies--commonly referred to as ``dual-use'' capabilities.
The dedication of the men and women of the Air National Guard has
facilitated the transformation of the Air Guard from a strategic
reserve to an operational reserve. The Air National Guard does not
simply train at home for the next major war, but instead augments the
Total Air Force in day-to-day operations and provides surge capacity
for unforeseen emergencies at home or abroad. Today's Air National
Guard is:
--A Proven Choice in the Warfight;
--A First Choice in Homeland Operations; and
--An Enduring Choice in Building & Maintaining Partnerships.
The men and women of the Air National Guard continue to do a
remarkable job fulfilling the tasks asked of them as an operational
reserve. As leaders, we must ensure that they receive the foundational
support, training and equipment necessary to continue to meet the needs
of the Nation and their communities.
year in review
A Proven Choice in the Warfight
The Air National Guard is integral and essential to the U.S. Air
Force's contribution to our Nation's security; our Guard Airmen's
dedication to the Nation is clearly evident. In 2015, the men and women
of the Air National Guard filled 9,006 combatant command requests for
support deployments to combat zones, and U.S.-based support for combat
operations, many as volunteers. The Air National Guard contributed to
the U.S. Air Force's deterrence and assurance mission with deployments
to U.S. special interest areas such as Japan, South Korea, and Europe--
often back-filling Air Force forward-based units deployed to combat.
While the war on terrorism is predominantly fought overseas, many
Guard Airmen are actively engaged State-side, defending the homeland.
The Air National Guard is the primary force responsible for defending
the airspace over U.S. territory --monitoring radar scopes, manning the
command and control system that coordinates airspace defense, piloting
the fighter aircraft that intercept potential threats and the aerial
refueling tankers that extend the range and endurance of the fighters--
the men and women of the Air National Guard are Always on Mission 24/7/
365.
Guard Airmen are fully engaged in ``reach-back'' missions, i.e.,
missions that use global communications and data links to provide
direct support to deployed warfighters from U.S. locations. Air
National Guard Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) units in California,
North Dakota, Arizona, Texas, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Iowa are
currently flying 14 combat orbits providing armed reconnaissance to
forwarded deployed forces. Units in Tennessee and Iowa are converting
from MQ-1 to MQ-9 RPA and will be operational this year. Four
additional MQ-9 units in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Michigan, and New York
are scheduled to be operational in fiscal year 2017. The intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data collected by the RPAs is
integrated into the joint ISR architecture at the Air Force Distributed
Common Ground Systems (DCGS). Air National Guard DCGS units process,
exploit, and disseminate actionable intelligence from data collected by
a variety of sensors on the U-2, RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9
Reaper, and other ISR platforms.
Cyber security is another global national security mission the men
and women of the Air National Guard support from their home stations.
According to the Department of Defense (DOD) Cyber Strategy of 2015,
the Department will:
--Build and maintain ready forces and capabilities to conduct
cyberspace operations;
--Defend the DOD information network, secure DOD data, and mitigate
risks to DOD missions;
--Be prepared to defend the U.S. Homeland and U.S. vital interests
from disruptive or destructive cyberattacks of significant
consequence;
--Build and maintain viable cyber options and plan to use those
options to control conflict escalation and to shape the
conflict environment at all stages; and
--Build and maintain robust international alliances and partnerships
to deter shared threats and increase international security and
stability.
Over 6,600 Guard Airmen support the 21st century cyber mission. In
2015, 12 Cyber Protection Teams were stood up to identify and counter
threats to critical mission assets in support of USCYBERCOM. Teams
include Cyber Tactics, Test & Evaluation, Cyberspace Command & Control,
Active Cyber Defense, Information Aggressors, three National Mission
Teams and two Cyber Training/Distance Learning Squadrons. Air Guard
``cyber warriors'' support the Total Air Force contribution to the DOD
cyber mission. In order to support both national and domestic needs,
Air National Guard cyber units are geographically distributed among the
ten Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions.
The strategic deterrence mission is a top priority for the Air
Force and the Air National Guard is an active participant. The 131st
Missouri Air National Guard Wing transitioned from F-15s to the B-2
stealth bombers in 2008 and became the first nuclear strategic bombing
wing in the Air National Guard. Today, the 131st Bomb Wing, in a
classic association with the Air Force's 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air
Force Base, is integral to the Air Force Global Strike Command mission.
The Air Guard also supports the strategic deterrence with KC-135 aerial
refueling tankers. In addition, North Dakota Air National Guard
Security Forces help protect two components of the nuclear triad at
Minot Air Force Base.
The men and women of the Air National Guard also assist the Air
Force in its space superiority mission with two Space Warning
Squadrons, two space Command and Control Squadrons, a Space Operations
Squadron, and two Space Control Squadrons. Collectively, Air Guard
Space Squadrons provide missile warning, satellite maneuver,
configuration, and operation for MILSTAR and Advanced Extremely High
Frequency constellation, and space situational awareness in support of
global and theater campaigns.
When our Guard Airmen return from deployment, overseas or at home,
they do not simply return home to their civilian jobs. First, many have
to regain currency in skill-sets that were not used supporting the
current Overseas Contingency Operations. For example, F-15 and F-16
pilots seldom use their air-to-air warfighting skills when deployed to
the Middle East; therefore, they must refresh those skills through both
home-station training and exercises such as Red Flag to regain their
full-spectrum combat qualification. Finally, as members of the National
Guard, our members have additional homeland/domestic commitments.
A First Choice for Homeland Operations
The Air National Guard's responsibilities go beyond fighting
America's wars. As the air component of the National Guard, the men and
women of the Air National Guard are charged to provide for the
protection of life and property and to preserve peace, order, and
public safety. The most visible role of the National Guard is its
response to domestic emergencies: natural disasters such as hurricanes,
floods, blizzards, wildfires, and man-made disasters such as terrorist
attacks and civil unrest. Our Guard Airmen are ready to help their
neighbors in any way, but most often, they employ their dual-use
capabilities, i.e., they adapt their combat equipment and skills to
serve their communities. For example, during winter storm Jonas, the
Air National Guard provided over 5,000 man-hours to their local
communities. Guard Airmen augmented local first responders (emergency
medical, firefighting, search & rescue), manned emergency shelters,
provided emergency transportation for personnel and supplies, and setup
and operated backup power generators and communication networks. As a
result of the Baltimore riots in April 2015, our Air Guard members were
requested by the Governor to assist the overwhelmed law enforcement
officials. Air Guard members utilized crowd control techniques to help
stabilize the situation. In October 2015, South Carolina received
historic rainfall from Hurricane Joaquin and our Air Guard members were
there to assist the community. They executed civil-authority support
missions to preserve the lives and safety of South Carolina residents
and assisted with recovery efforts.
Aside from disasters, Air National Guard emergency response units
assist their communities at home. Units typically include trained
Airmen and equipment for fire response, security, Explosive Ordnance
Disposal (EOD), medical response, and other civil support functions.
Through mutual support agreements, Air Guard organizations are quick to
respond, equipped and manned to support their local civilian
communities. Nearly every day, Air National Guard fire departments are
called upon to augment local fire responses and/or to back-fill local
first responders when out on calls. Air Guard security forces are
routinely asked to assist local police with traffic control after a
major vehicle accident or unexpected road closure. In many areas, the
Air Guard has the only EOD capability available to respond to local
incidents making them an invaluable part of their communities.
An Enduring Choice for Building and Maintaining Long-Term Partnerships
Many people join the Air National Guard because the Guard personnel
system will allow them to serve from their local community. This
assignment stability inherent to the National Guard also enables it to
support enduring relationships both at home and abroad. The Guard
Airmen contribute to a number of programs designed to improve partner
nations capabilities and U.S. interagency cooperation.
The Air National Guard is an active participant in the Department
of Defense State Partnership Program. The State Partnership Program
pairs U.S. States and territories with partner countries in a
cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship. The objectives of the
Program are to build defense relationships that promote specific U.S.
security interests, develop allied and friendly military capabilities
for self-defense and multinational operations, and provide U.S. forces
with peacetime and contingency access to a host nation. Last year Guard
Airmen participated in 119 State Partnership Program events. For
example, the South Carolina Air National Guard worked with the El
Salvador military to help them improve their disaster response
management and capacity; the Maryland Guard helped the Estonian Air
Force improve their airport security and airspace management system;
and, Soldiers and Airmen from Illinois helped the Polish military
establish a noncommissioned officer leadership training program.
In addition to the State Partnership Program, the Air National
Guard conducts formal military training for allies and partners. Last
year, the 162nd Arizona Air National Guard Wing trained 31 F-16 pilots
from Singapore, Indonesia, Norway, Oman, Denmark, Iraq, and Thailand.
The 174th Attack Wing, New York Air National Guard trained 16 airmen
from France and the United Kingdom on MQ-9 maintenance. The 143rd
Airlift Wing of the Rhode Island Air National Guard trained C-130
aircrew members and maintainers from Iraq. Lastly, the 139th Airlift
Wing provided Advanced Airlift Tactics Training to 75 students from
eight allied nations including Japan, New Zealand, Germany, Belgium,
and Australia.
Air Guard members also participate in training programs run by U.S.
allies. Eight Guard noncommissioned officers attended the International
Noncommissioned Leadership Development in Canada and five Air Guard
junior officers attended the International Junior Officer Leadership
Development program in Germany. These programs are run by the
International Air Reserve Symposium, an informal organization of chiefs
of air reserve components from around the world.
Air National Guard units have ongoing interagency partnership
relationships. Of special note is the relationship between the New York
Air National Guard and the National Science Foundation under which
Guard Airmen operate the U.S. Air Force's only ski-equipped C-130s (LC-
130) to provide logistical support to Science Foundation expeditions to
Antarctica and Iceland. While the National Science Foundation provides
the funding for this support, the Air Guard participants gain
invaluable training and experience.
The Air Guard has a long-standing partnership with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. Under this support
agreement, members of the California, North Carolina, and Wyoming Air
National Guard supplement Forest Service aerial firefighting capacity
using C-130 transportable Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS).
Last year, Guard Airmen flew 350.9 hours and dropped 246,000 gallons of
fire retardant on U.S. forest fires.
building for the future
The Air National Guard priorities for this year are our Airmen,
Readiness, and Modernization & Recapitalization. The men and women of
the Air National Guard have done a remarkable job of responding to the
needs of the nation both overseas and at home. Most of today's Airmen
joined the Air National Guard after 9/11 with the full understanding of
the demands of the new Air National Guard. However, the Air National
Guard is now an operational reserve, but stands upon a foundation built
when it was a strategic reserve. This foundation consists of the Air
Guard's infrastructure and organizational manning. If the Air Guard is
to continue as an operational reserve, we must ensure the foundation is
sound. This year's priorities are intended to identify and reset the
foundations for the new Air National Guard.
Support for the 21st Century Guard Airman
While the hard work and dedication of the Guard Airmen, their
families, and their employers made possible the transformation from a
strategic reserve to an operational reserve, they now bear the greatest
burden. We have seen evidence of the stress on our extended Air Guard
family due to repeated deployments and the demands of balancing
military and civilian careers. Much like changing civilian careers or
jobs, we see anxiety in our Airmen as they transition into new
missions, especially in emerging missions such as Remotely Piloted
Aircraft or cyber. We are closely watching for what may be a new
version of post-traumatic stress in those Airmen who are fighting the
war from their home stations, e.g., the Guard Airmen who are targeting
enemy combatants with Remotely Piloted Aircraft and then go home to
``normal'' family life. Additionally, this stress does not end with the
actual operators; it also extends to the Airmen supporting them, their
families and their employers.
We, like all the military services, see changes in the demographics
of our force. The force is younger; only 41 percent of today's Guard
enlisted Airmen are over 35, as compared with 52 percent in 2003. More
of the Guard Airmen are married than in the past, to include our young
enlisted Airmen. We have seen a reduction in the number of enlisted
Airmen joining the Air Guard after serving in the regular, active-duty
military (prior-service). Changes in the Air Guard's demographics
impact recruiting, training, deployments, career progression,
retention, family support programs, physical and mental health
programs, and employer relations--nearly every aspect of the Air
National Guard.
Last year, Congress provided the resources necessary for the Air
Guard to hire Directors of Psychological Health for each wing. The
Directors coordinate the various wellness resources available both in
the military and the local communities, and help Guard Airmen and their
families access these resources. Air National Guard Directors of
Psychological Health provide early intervention, crisis support,
clinical referrals to service members and their families. Airmen and
Family Readiness Program Mangers (AFRPMs) reached nearly 719,000
Airmen/family members through formal and informal contacts in fiscal
year 2014.
The Department of Defense and the Air Force are currently working
on a number of new programs to support and assist military members and
their families, including enhancements to Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response (SAPR), Airmen Family Readiness, and suicide prevention. These
are all excellent programs, but most are designed for the active duty
military with centrally located manpower and infrastructure to
implement the programs. The Air Guard is currently exploring cost
effective ways to export the programs to the Guard's geographically
dispersed, 67 percent traditional or part-time workforce.
The challenging global environment means our Guard Airmen are
busier than ever and the skills required for that environment continue
to become more complex. The traditional model of 1 weekend a month and
2 weeks a year has become overburdened with time consuming ancillary
training programs that take away from our Airmen's availability for
skills training. During 2015, we completed the first year of a 3-year
test of the new Ancillary Training Pilot Program developed by the Air
National Guard. The Ancillary Training Pilot Program has resulted in
added flexibility, greater commander and supervisor involvement and an
80-percent reduction in hours spent outside of core skills training.
The program has been so successful that we are now working with the Air
Force Reserve to implement a similar program for their members.
The Air National Guard's fiscal year 2017 budget request includes
an increase in Air Guard end-strength to an approved steady-state end-
strength of 105,700 through fiscal year 2017. This reflects the full
restoration of A-10 aircraft manpower.
Readiness
The official Department of Defense definition of readiness is,
``The ability of military forces to fight and meet the demands of
assigned missions,'' but the concept is far more complex. The ``demands
of assigned missions'' are not the same for every mission; a unit may
be ready for one mission but not others. There are many variables that
go into the Readiness calculus, including recruiting and retaining
quality manpower, initial skills training, currency training, and
upgrade training, personal readiness including medical and dental
requirement, and equipment availability and mission capability status.
The changing demographics of the Air National Guard, equipment age,
mission changes, operational demand on personnel and equipment,
availability of and funding for formal schools, and many other factors
all impact Air Guard readiness. For example, the Air Guard recruits
non-prior-service Airmen (a member who has not previously served in the
military), the recruits must be sent to Basic Military Training and a
formal school for initial training in their mission specialty. Initial
training is followed by Mission Essential Skills Training to ``season''
the individual Airman, integrate them into their unit, and prepare them
to work with/on the specific equipment assigned to their unit. All this
takes time and money. These recruits must be brought onto active duty,
sent to school, and once back at their unit, given sufficient man-days
to become a productive member of the unit. Airmen require unit
equipment for hands-on training and skilled unit instructors to conduct
the training.
Our demographics are shifting to a younger workforce and we are
beginning to encounter a noticeable decline in the experience levels of
our full time force. An Air National Guard wing's full time force is
the source of training for our traditional Guard members. They are the
key to the maintenance of readiness for our units and their personnel.
An informal look at the experience levels of our full time technician
force in six States showed that 55-percent of permanent technician
pilots have less than 6 years of full-time experience. Experience
levels are declining, at a time when skill complexities required to
accomplish the mission are increasing and aircraft mission capable
rates are lower.
In addition to a declining operator experience level, the
maintenance force is also younger and less experienced. This decrease
in the age and experience among maintenance personnel, coupled with an
aging aircraft fleet that requires more maintenance, creates challenges
to maintaining a mission capable rate at our units sufficient to
maintain the robust flying schedules necessary to keep our younger,
less experienced aviators current and proficient.
The Air Guard is continually evaluating and adjusting its military
personnel (MILPERS) and operations & maintenance (O&M) budgets to meet
the dynamic requirements of the Air Force and our Air Guard units. Over
the next year, we plan to closely examine the foundational assumptions
use to resource the Air National Guard to ensure its resourcing matches
its operational posture for the future.
Modernization and Recapitalization
The objective of all recapitalization and modernization programs is
to ensure that an organization's equipment is both safe to operate and
capable of accomplishing the organization's mission. Technically,
recapitalization is trading in old equipment for new and modernization
is updating old equipment. Recapitalization of all components of the
Air Force is primarily the purview of the Air Force in coordination
with the Air National Guard. For the Air National Guard, which operates
some of the oldest Air Force equipment and has both Federal and State
responsibilities, modernization is always a priority. It is vital to
ensure that we maintain the right capabilities. Last year the Air
National Guard equipped 217 F-16C aircraft with the Scorpion Helmet
Mounted Integrated Targeting (HMIT) system. HMIT is an integral piece
of the kill-chain, allowing the pilot to rapidly cue sensors and/or
weapons to targets of interest. This increase in situational awareness,
both day and night, allows Guard pilots to de-conflict operations with
friendly air and ground forces, minimizing fratricide and enhancing
weapons employment.
To improve its capability to respond to domestic emergencies, the
Air Guard procured 21 Mobile Emergency Operations Centers (MEOC). This
equipment provides a rapid response, comprehensive command and control
capability for commanders, first responders, local civil authorities,
and other government agencies. The MEOC assigned to the 127th Wing,
Michigan Air National Guard, served as the chief command and control
outpost for the first 36 hours in response to the Flint, Michigan water
crisis.
The Air National Guard continues to work closely with the Air Force
and Congress on C-130 modernization plans. Ensuring the Air Guard's C-
130 fleet meets U.S. and international air traffic control requirements
by 2020 is one of our top modernization requirements.
conclusion
The men and women of the Air National Guard were instrumental in
transforming the organization from a strategic reserve to an
operational reserve. When one considers all of the wonderful work our
Guard Airmen are doing around the world, it is clear that they are up
to the task, understand this is not their parents' Air National Guard,
and are prepared for this ``new normal.'' However, much of the
foundation upon which this operational reserve Air National Guard was
built and designed was put in place to support a strategic reserve
force. Now that our Guard Airmen have settled into the ``new normal,''
it is time to step back and make sure the foundation can continue to
support the organization. Identifying and modernizing the strategic
reserve foundations of today's operational Air National Guard will take
time, but the changes are necessary to ensure the men and women of the
Air National Guard are able to continue to answer the call.
The Bipartisan Budget Act has provided needed stability and
predictability. However, with a non-sequestered budget, the Air Guard
can begin to address the foundational changes that must be made to
preserve our role as an operational reserve, improve readiness and to
modernize and recapitalize Air Guard capabilities to meet future
security challenges.
Senator Cochran. Thank you, General.
We will now hear from the Director of the Army National
Guard, Lieutenant General Kadavy.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL TIMOTHY J. KADAVY,
DIRECTOR, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
General Kadavy. Thank you, Senator. Chairman Cochran, Vice
Chairman Durbin, distinguished members of the committee, thank
you for allowing me the opportunity to represent the 348,000
soldiers of the Army National Guard.
I am happy to report that the Army National Guard's
relationship with the Army is strong and enduring. We are a
valued and integrated part of the United States Army.
I am working closely with General Milley, General Grass,
Acting Secretary of the Army Murphy, and the Adjutants General
to strengthen our total Army.
The Army National Guard is regularly employed, and when
deployed, goes with the Army's most modern equipment and
training. Soldiers from all three components are continuing to
work side-by-side in exercises and operations around the globe,
including reassuring allies in Europe and the Pacific.
As we move forward, readiness remains our top concern.
Increased training, equipment modernization, continued
commitment for our full-time support requirements, and regular
rotational utilization will ensure our forces continued
readiness.
And when it comes to the Army National Guard, readiness for
combat also translates into readiness for missions at home, as
we recently witnessed with Winter Storm Jonas in this local
area.
I would like to thank the committee for providing us with
the programming and resources we need in order to serve the
Nation, particularly your generous support for the National
Guard and Reserve Equipment Account has enabled us to remain a
modern and interoperable force. Modernization is an ongoing
effort, and your support has been critical in allowing us to
meet that responsibility.
I would also like to thank the members of the National
Commission on the Future of the Army for their hard work. I
want to ensure the committee that we are working with the Army
leadership to assess the commission's recommendations. We take
special interest in recommendations such as multi-component
unit solutions, additional combat training center rotations,
and increased flying hours for training, all of which will
certainly enhance our readiness.
We are also looking closely at the commission's
recommendation for enhanced support to the Pacific and the
European combatant commands. The Army National Guard looks
forward to being part of the Army strategy to support these
commands.
Additionally, we know there is great interest on certain
issues such as the aviation restructure initiative. I can
assure you that we are looking at all of the commission's
recommendations comprehensively and as part of the Army team.
We will present our findings in the near future.
Lastly, with regard to the commission's determination that
a force of 980,000 is minimally sufficient to meet the Nation's
challenges, I agree with General Milley that this places us at
the edge of being able to meet the current strategy.
I would like to close by saying thank you. Thank you for
allowing me to speak before you today and for all that you do
for the soldiers, civilians, and families of the Army National
Guard. I look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Timothy J. Kadavy
introduction
As the combat reserve of the Army, the 342,000 Soldiers of the Army
National Guard are trained and equipped as part of the Total Army to
fight and win America's wars. We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder as
part of the U.S. Army through every major conflict in our Nation's
history, from the Revolutionary War to today's global operations.
Simply stated, the Army National Guard plays an essential role in our
Army's ability to go to war or engage in sustained operations.
Everything we do in the Army National Guard is focused toward
building and sustaining readiness. Investments in Army National Guard
manning, training, and equipping enable us to respond to the Nation's
call to service, whether participating in combat operations abroad or
saving lives and protecting property at home. Reducing the time it
takes for Soldiers and units to be ready for deployment is the primary
concern for all Army National Guard leaders, and is a goal toward which
we are always focused.
priorities and lines of effort
In my first year as Director of the Army National Guard, I have
established five priorities that align our force with General Milley's
vision for the U.S. Army. This will ensure that the Army National Guard
is ready and responsive to the needs of our Army as well as our
Nation's governors. These priorities are: Leader Development, Ensuring
Operational Capability, Maintaining Resourcing and Modernization,
Ensuring Ready Soldiers and Families, and Maintaining Full-Time Support
personnel.
In order to operationalize these five priorities, I have directed
the Army National Guard to focus on four lines of effort: Leader
Development, Ready Forces, Operational Forces, and Resilient
Communities.
Accountability is inherent in these priorities and lines of effort.
In order to maintain the trust of the American people; we must remain
accountable to the Army profession, our civilian leadership, and to
each other. Adherence to Army and Department of Defense standards,
fiscal stewardship and audit readiness, provide the foundation for my
five priorities.
leader development
Leader development is one of my top concerns. Soldiers require
years of training, experience and mentoring to develop into effective
midlevel and senior Army National Guard leaders. You cannot recruit a
battalion commander, sergeant major, or chief warrant officer.
Therefore, we must provide Soldiers with the professional educational
experiences and leadership development opportunities they need to grow
into tomorrow's Army National Guard leaders.
For the Army National Guard, a key component of leader development
is experience in real-world deployments and realistic collective
training. Army National Guard Soldiers have limitedI11opportunities to
lead in real-world operational environments in comparison to their
Active Component counterparts. This is a critical reason why consistent
utilization, as well as planned rotations within the Army's Sustainable
Readiness process are essential to Army National Guard readiness.
Leaders drive the Army's professional culture. I want to ensure
that the Army National Guard develops strong leaders of character. In
order to be effective in combat, Soldiers must trust and respect their
leaders. As we promote leader development as a readiness principle, we
must ensure that accountability and adherence to Army professional
standards remain core tenants.
ready forces
Because the Army is a people-centric force consisting of Soldiers,
Families and Civilians, the first step in building a ready force is to
ensure it is properly manned. Our manning efforts are focused to ensure
that we continue to recruit and retain quality Soldiers. Because of the
nature of attrition and end-strength reductions, we must continue to
recruit new Soldiers even as we reduce the size and structure of the
force.
A force that is manned but not trained cannot be considered ready.
Soldiers that are not educated in their specialties and trained in
their missions are not ready for deployment. Initial Entry Training and
Military Occupational Skills training are essential for individual
Soldier readiness. Individual Soldier training is the foundation for
unit readiness
Additionally, units that have not trained together are placed at
greater risk when conducting combat operations. Modern warfare requires
careful, proficient coordination between units, Services, and allied
militaries. Collective unit training is the means by which Soldiers
learn to work as a cohesive fighting team--that team includes the Army
National Guard.
The Chief of Staff of the Army has emphasized the importance of
Army National Guard collective unit training, and he is considering
additional Combat Training Center rotations for Army National Guard
units. We fully support increases in CTC rotations and other collective
training events. Collective training is critical for leader development
and unit cohesiveness, both of which can quickly erode without
comprehensive unit training events.
Modernized, interoperable equipment is what turns trained Soldiers
and units into effective and capable Army formations. In order for the
Army to fight and win the nation's wars, the Army's equipment and
equipping strategy must provide Soldiers with combat overmatch--the
combination of Soldier skills and advanced equipment that far exceed
enemy capability and capacity.
Today's operating environment is highly complex. The continued
technological advancement of our enemies, coupled with the increasingly
interconnected nature of equipment and computer networks, requires the
Army National Guard to maintain highly modern, interoperable equipment.
With a smaller Total Army, the Nation cannot afford to allow Army
National Guard equipment capabilities to lag behind those of Active
Component formations as we did during the Cold War. Doing so would
reduce combat effectiveness and degrade the Army's ability to operate
seamlessly on the complex battlefields we will face today and tomorrow.
Congress has invested substantial resources to bring the Army
National Guard to equipping parity with the Active Component Army.
Today's Army National Guard is the best equipped, most modern force in
its history. Yet, fiscal constraints have forced the Army to defer
modernization in order to fund readiness, and the impact is very real
for the Army National Guard.
For example, the Army National Guard has 556 of the required 826
modernized UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Over 66 percent of our HMMWV
ground ambulance fleet is modernized, but more than 500 vehicles
require modernization. Our armored combat platforms, including the
Abrams main battle tank, are behind the Active Component in terms of
modernization. The Army National Guard Abrams fleet (with M1A1
variants) is a generation behind the third generation main battle tank
(M1A2 variant) in the Active Component. Additionally, the Army National
Guard is taking risk with critical mobility systems, such as
firefighting, explosive ordinance disposal, and bridging systems.
We request your support of our depot maintenance funding request so
the Army Guard is not forced to defer critical depot overhauls, risking
fleet operational readiness rates for vehicles and equipment. This has
a direct and significant impact on our war-fighting and domestic
response capabilities.
operational forces
Today's Army National Guard is a reflection of the resourcing and
policy decisions to manage the Reserve Component as an Operational
Force. As a component of the U.S. Army, the Army National Guard has
transformed into an interoperable and experienced ground combat force
capable of performing any mission assigned. Since September 11, 2001,
Army National Guard Soldiers have conducted more than 544,000
individual mobilizations in support of Federal missions, with more than
320,000 individual Soldier mobilizations to Iraq and Afghanistan during
that period. In fiscal year 2015, the Army National Guard mobilized
10,123 Soldiers for service around the world. Today, we have
approximately 11,100 Soldiers mobilized both overseas and in the United
States for Federal missions. Many senior leaders within the Department
of Defense, the Administration and Congress have stated publicly that
the Army would not have been able to accomplish its combat missions
without the use of the Army National Guard--and I fully agree. Our
force embodies the spirit of the Army Total Force Policy, and we can
ill afford a return to pre-9/11 readiness levels. At home, the Army
National Guard remains the military's primary domestic responder. In
fiscal year 2015, Army Guard Soldiers served nearly 453,850 duty days
under the command of the Nation's governors, assisting our fellow
citizens during domestic emergencies and aiding Federal authorities in
other critical areas such as counterdrug efforts and security along our
Southwest border. At home and abroad, the Army National Guard is and
will remain an indispensable part of the Army.
Global instability continues to place our Nation's security
interests at risk. The Army deployed forces to more than 140 countries
last year alone. The threat of a large-scale military conflict with
near-peer competitors is growing. Our allies are experiencing
increasing pressure in Europe and Asia. Strong transnational terrorist
organizations continue to destabilize entire regions and to threaten
our security at home.
Within our available resources, the Army National Guard is working
to support national theater engagement priorities in Europe and the
Pacific. For example, we are conducting Overseas Deployment Training
for a battalion task force and engineer forces to support theater
deterrence in U.S. Army Europe, and a battalion task force in support
of U.S. Army Pacific. This prudent employment of Army National Guard
forces can relieve stress on Active Component forces and enable the
Army to preserve the decisive action readiness essential for short
notice contingencies.
Though major combat operations have ceased in Iraq and Afghanistan,
the demand for the Army to perform global missions continues unabated.
In order to respond to these growing requirements, and remain a
credible deterrent to transnational threats, the Army National Guard
must continue to focus on readiness.
resilient communities
Providing support to Soldiers and their families is a critical duty
that we fully embrace. Congress and the Department of Defense have
invested heavily in programs that build resiliency and ensure that
Soldiers and their families get the support they have earned by virtue
of their service to the Nation.
Much work remains in vital areas such as suicide prevention and
intervention. The Army National Guard lost 100 Soldiers to suicide in
calendar year 2015, an increase of 23 from calendar year 2014. The
impact of this national epidemic on our force continues to be a top
priority for Army National Guard leaders. Our efforts to reduce
suicides include: increased Soldier training on suicide warning signs
and intervention, training Soldiers to direct those contemplating
suicide to appropriate healthcare professionals, supporting
partnerships with nonprofit behavioral health organizations and other
community resources, and most importantly, improving the ratio of
healthcare providers to Army Guard Soldiers within our force.
A key toward building resilient Army National Guard communities is
ensuring that Soldiers trust both the Army as an institution, and their
fellow Soldiers and leaders. This is why any instance of sexual assault
or harassment within our ranks is unacceptable. Sexual assault is a
serious crime that leaves victims permanently scarred and severely
erodes Soldier trust and unit readiness. The Army National Guard
continues to support Soldiers through the Army's Sexual Harassment/
Assault Response and Prevention program. We have increased training for
and maintained a staff of sexual assault response professionals. We are
working to encourage reporting by those that experience sexual assault
or harassment, while strengthening the support services that victims of
sexual assault receive.
the president's fiscal year 2017 army national guard budget
The recently passed Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2015 gives the
Army National Guard 2 years of predictable budgets including overseas
contingency funding and military construction starts. We thank Congress
for passing this legislation, as budget stability allows leaders to
make strategic, forward-looking resource allocation decisions.
The President's fiscal year 2017 budget request for the Army Guard
is $15.8 billion and increases funding levels for both Operations and
Maintenance and National Guard Personnel, Army accounts compared to
fiscal year 2016. Although the fiscal year 2017 request provides some
relief, reductions taken in fiscal year 2015 and 2016 require a
continued investment to first restore and then sustain lost readiness.
Reductions in funding in fiscal year 2015 and 2016 have challenged the
Army National Guard to maintain an operational and ready force. The
increased investment in fiscal year 2017 will continue to ensure that
we are able to recruit, retain, and employ high-quality Soldiers for
the Army and our Nation's governors.
Overall, the President's fiscal year 2017 budget provides the Army
National Guard with $515 million over Budget Control Act (BCA) levels.
At $232.9 million, the fiscal year 2017 budget request for National
Guard Military Construction funds only the most critical facility
construction needs for a handful of projects across the Nation.
However, many of our facilities are not modernized. Forty-seven percent
of Army National Guard facilities are over 50 years old. It is
necessary that outyear funding levels increase, as these facilities are
in need of extensive modernization and resourcing.
As highlighted in the recently published Reserve Component
Transformation Master Plan, if future funding levels do not increase we
expect our readiness centers to degrade. Our Facilities Sustainment
Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) program and Base Operations
Support funding are used to maintain existing facilities at minimum
safety and operating standards. Funding for these programs dropped
significantly over the last several years, which reduced our ability to
replace aging infrastructure and preserve existing facilities. The
fiscal year 2017 budget request funds the FSRM program at 72 percent of
the DOD Facility Sustainment Model. This level represents moderate
risk.
understanding arng readiness: full-time support personnel
Institutional Readiness most appropriately describes our ability to
perform the mandatory personnel, administrative, maintenance, and
supply functions as directed by Title 10 and Title 32, United States
Code and Department of Defense policy. The Soldiers and Civilians who
deliver Army programs to our force and their families are our Full-Time
Support personnel. They operate critical systems, maintain equipment,
recruit and retain quality Soldiers, and perform vital administrative
tasks such as paying Soldiers on time and training management. Without
Full-Time Support staff, the Army National Guard simply will not
function at the level the Nation requires.
the national commission on the future of the army
I would like to thank the members of the National Commission on the
Future of the Army for their recommendations to shape the 21st century
Army. I look forward to reviewing and working with Army senior leaders
to implement f the Commission's recommendations. We are one Total Army
team, and I look forward to continuing to strengthen the bonds between
the Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve.
closing remarks
Today's complex security environment requires a ready, credible
ground force to deter aggression, bolster our allies, and when
necessary, to fight and win our Nation's wars. The Army National Guard
is critical to our national security, and provides vital capabilities
to meet the complex challenges our Nation faces at home and abroad.
Wherever the Army goes, the Army National Guard must be ready to
provide trained Soldiers, leaders, and units.
Congress has consistently provided resources to ensure that the
Army National Guard is ready to perform its combat mission. Continued,
investment will ensure that the readiness and experience earned through
14 years of combat will not decay. The Army depends on a fully manned,
well-trained and properly equipped Army National Guard, led by leaders
of character and experience. Governors need personnel and equipment
that are ready to respond every single day, at any hour, in life-
threatening circumstances. For the Army, our Nation, and our States and
territories, Army National Guard readiness is not optional--it's
essential.
Thank you for your continued support of the Army National Guard.
Senator Cochran. Thank you, General Kadavy.
We will now hear from the Chief of the Army Reserve,
Lieutenant General Jeffrey Talley.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL JEFFREY W. TALLEY,
CHIEF, ARMY RESERVE
General Talley. Chairman Cochran, distinguished members of
the Committee, for now almost 4 years I have been the Chief of
the Army Reserve and Commanding General of the United States
Army Reserve Command. This is my final appearance before your
committee as I will soon return to civilian sector and retire
from America's Army.
I would like to personally thank you, sir, and the
committee for your support of our soldiers and civilians and
families. As you know, citizen soldiers are critical enablers
providing enduring operational capabilities and strategic depth
to the Army and the Joint Force.
Because the Army Reserve comprises the majority of the
Army's combat support and combat service support, the Nation
can afford nothing less than a ready, equipped, and operational
Army Reserve. Maintaining the adequate levels of readiness to
meet existing demands is my primary concern and my current
challenge.
At any given time, between 16,000 and 24,000 Army Reserve
soldiers are on Active Duty in service of missions here at home
or abroad, but we also need to maintain an additional pool of
trained and equipped soldiers annually to support forecasted
requirements.
I strongly believe that full-time support is essential for
readiness in the Army Reserve. Full-time support provides
administrative, medical, training, maintenance, and
mobilization support for Army Reserve units and is absolutely
necessary for generating sustained readiness, a prerequisite
for leader and unit readiness.
Yet the Army Reserve's full-time support program is
currently only resourced to 76 percent of its identified
requirements. We must maintain and, if possible, increase the
Army Reserve's full-time manning support.
One way to increase our full-time support is by placing
regular Army soldiers back into Army Reserve units to augment
the Active Guard and Reserve and military technician force.
This Title 11 program was tested and implemented back in
the 1990s and, in my opinion, should be reinstated. Such an
effort would promote readiness and help reinforce our Army's
Total Force policy across all three components of our great
Army.
Another readiness concern is equipping and modernization. I
am very grateful for the support this committee has provided to
its NGREA appropriations, which has accounted for more than 35
percent of the Army Reserve's equipment procurements between
fiscal year 2013 and fiscal year 2015. Yet equipment
modernization rates for the Army Reserve continue to lag behind
both of our other Army components.
For fiscal year 2016, we were scheduled to receive 3.1
percent of the Army's procurement budget, which is
significantly less than our 9/11 allocation of 6 percent.
Continuing to neglect equipment modernization requirements will
only exacerbate existing capability gaps between the Army
Reserve and the other Army components.
This committee has already heard from Army Chief of Staff
Mark Milley about the importance of the Army Total Force
Policy. I want to reinforce his testimony by emphasizing the
positive impact full implementation of Army Total Force Policy
will have on readiness. Integrating the Active and Reserve
components through cross-component assignments and the use of
our One Army school system ensures consistent standards across
all the components of our Army.
Finally, the importance of funding that account and
providing training days for Army Reserve soldiers cannot be
overstated. While the current level of training days is
sufficient to provide ready forces to meet identified
requirements, the resources are not sufficient to build a force
capable of responding to unforeseen contingencies.
Mr. Chairman, the Army Reserve supports the most capable
Army the world has ever known. This committee's support is
crucial to ensuring that we remain ready to provide support to
the Total Force, as we meet current global requirements,
respond to national emergencies, and mobilize for contingency
operations when our Nation needs us most.
In closing, it has been my distinct honor and pleasure to
lead the men and women of the Army Reserve. I thank you and the
committee for your continued support, and I look forward to
your questions. Twice the citizen and I hope you stay Army
strong.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley
the state of the army reserve
The United States Army Reserve is a global operational reserve
force, providing operational capability and strategic depth to the
Total Army and the Joint Force in support of the National Defense
Strategy and Army commitments worldwide. The Army Reserve comprises 20
percent of the Army's organized units, nearly half the Army's total
maneuver support, and a quarter of its mobilization base expansion
capability.
Globally engaged for more than 14 consecutive years of war, the
Army Reserve has been, and continues to be, an essential element of the
Total Army and the Joint Force, meeting high operational tempo demands,
operating and generating forces as required, and providing predictable
capabilities to global Combatant Commands.
Manned, trained and equipped to enable operational forces, the Army
Reserve provides quick access to trained and ready Soldiers, leaders
and cohesive units, as well as critical enabling capabilities found
nowhere else in the Army or the Joint Force. Since 2001, more than
310,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have been mobilized and deployed across
the globe, to include every major combat zone.
the current and future global security environment
Looking ahead, the United States and its allies face a complex and
dynamic global security environment with enemies that are adaptive and
growing in numbers, lethality, and the ability to threaten vital U.S.
strategic interests around the world. Meeting the defense and security
demands of today and tomorrow will require continued access to, and
reliance upon, the skills, capabilities, and experience of an
operational Army Reserve.
The advantages of a ready and operational Army Reserve are many: A
Federal operational Army Reserve force saves the Army money; reduces
the demand for Active Army capabilities; helps mitigate current Army
capability shortfalls, and allows the Active Component to maximize time
at home between deployments. It provides the depth and scalability
needed to meet current and anticipated requirements of the Combatant
Commands; achieves a cost-efficient balance between the Active Army and
the Army Reserve, using the strengths and capabilities of each to full
advantage; and provides a sufficient base of trained, equipped and
ready Soldiers, leaders and units from which the Active Component can
draw when needed. Most importantly, a ready and operational Army
Reserve provides the critical enabling capabilities combat forces rely
on to initiate, sustain and win prolonged operations. If those
capabilities are not prepared and ready for operational use, the Army
and the Joint Force could fail their missions.
readiness, resourcing our future force, taking care of soldiers
Readiness is the Army Reserve's number one priority. To win in the
complex world of today and tomorrow, we must be ready for the threats
and challenges of the present and the future.
For the past 4 years, the Army Reserve has been building readiness
and preparing for the future primarily through its Plan, Prepare,
Provide readiness model. The ``Plan'' portion of the model regionally
aligns Army Reserve Engagement Cells and Teams to support Army Corps,
Army Service Component Commands, and Combatant Commands as they seek to
prevent conflict across the globe. The ``Prepare'' portion delivers the
military and civilian-acquired skills the Army needs to shape
activities and events. ``Provide'' delivers the combat ready Soldiers,
leaders, and units the Army needs to dominate adversaries and win
decisively.
Our greatest concern is resources. The current demand for Army
Reserve forces is about 25,000 operational troops annually. To generate
that number, at least one third of all Army Reserve forces must be
sufficiently manned, trained and equipped to meet operational
requirements. Without the resources requested in the fiscal year 2017
President's budget to bring those forces to the required level of
readiness, the Army Reserve cannot remain an operational reserve.
Other important areas of concern flow from resourcing and
readiness--to include modernization and the first principles of
readiness: Manning, Training and Equipping. Full Time Support is the
foundational enabler that sustains readiness and allows Soldiers and
units to be rapidly deployable. Training must be integrated among all
three components of the Army to ensure interoperability of our forces.
The Army Reserve has taken risk in equipping and modernizing our force,
and the fiscal year 2017 President's budget represents the minimum
acceptable level of funding which still enables the Army Reserve to
respond to emerging global security threats. Finally, our most
important resource--our Soldiers and their Families--must be supported
with the best possible care, programs and services to ensure their
individual physical and mental readiness and well-being.
All of these challenges can be met by relatively simple solutions:
maintaining Army Reserve Full Time Support at authorized levels,
continued implementation of the Army Total Force Policy, integrating
training for all three components, breaking down barriers to continuum
of service, and sustaining the Federal operational Army Reserve.
serving the army and the nation
The Army Reserve is the dedicated Federal reserve of the Army. It
exists to serve the Army and the Nation, and has always accomplished
its mission. Through two World Wars, a Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, the
Persian Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, and countless other crises,
operations and emergencies, the Warrior Citizens of the Army Reserve
have never failed to answer the Nation's call--and we remain ready for
what comes next.
Today's Army Reserve is the most battle-tested and experienced in
our Nation's history. Whether performing combat, contingency and
security cooperation missions abroad, or saving lives and protecting
property at home, the Army Reserve will continue to offer versatile,
available and effective capabilities to the Army and the Nation at
reduced cost to the American taxpayer.
Ready now, ready in times of crisis, and ready for whatever threats
and challenges lie ahead, the United States Army Reserve is America's
life-saving, life-sustaining Federal Reserve force.
introduction
Today's operational Army Reserve provides the operational
capability and strategic depth the Army needs to support and defend
U.S. interests across the globe.
Since September 11, 2001, more than 310,000 Army Reserve Citizen
Soldiers have mobilized in support of Total Army and Joint Force
requirements.\1\ Today, 41,373 Army Reserve Soldiers, or 20.8 percent
of current Army Reserve end strength of 198,552 \2\ are serving at home
and abroad--17,398 in direct support of Army Service Component Commands
(ASCC) and Combatant Commands (CCMD),\3\ and 23,975 performing training
support missions.\4\
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\1\ G3, USARC, October 14, 2015. DATA SOURCES: MDIS, TOD, TAPDB-R,
RTIMS.
\2\ As of October 14, 2015, from G1, USARC.
\3\ G3, USARC, October 14, 2015. DATA SOURCES: MDIS, TOD, TAPDB-R,
RTIMS. 2,960 Soldiers are working in the Continental United States
(CONUS), while 14,438 Soldiers are deployed abroad and in support of
the Army Service Component Commands, including nearly 780 Soldiers in
Afghanistan, 3,650 in the United States, 2,200 in Kuwait, 940 in Cuba,
309 in Qatar, and 200 in Djibouti.
\4\ USARC G-3/5 via HQDA system ``MDIS'' Mobilization Deployment
Information System o/a 19 May 2015.
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When sustained unified land operations are required, the Army
integrates and synchronizes all of America's military services, but it
can do so only with the support of the Army Reserve which provides most
of the Army's critical technical enablers. These include Petroleum
Pipeline and Terminal Operations, Rail Units, Biological Identification
Detachments, Broadcast Operation Detachments, Civil Affairs, Theater
Engineer Commands, Medical Logistics, and others crucial to opening and
sustaining major operations.
The 2016 Army Reserve Posture Statement outlines specific ways to
meet mission requirements without placing undue stress on the force.
Chief among them are full implementation of Army Total Force Policy,
which will ensure distribution of Army resources among all three
components based on size, mission, and requirements; integrated
training for all three components to ensure the interoperability of our
forces; funding for equipment and modernization to ensure compatibility
and the ability to respond to emerging global security threats; and
programs and services to support the physical and mental readiness of
Soldiers and Families.
Working together, I know we can accomplish these goals, and with
the continued strong support of Congress, the Army Reserve will
continue to protect and defend the Nation at home and abroad, now and
for the foreseeable future.
a global operational reserve force
Today's United States Army Reserve is the Army's sole flexible,
tailorable and accessible Federal Reserve force under Federal control.
Manned, trained, and equipped to enable combat forces, the Army Reserve
provides quick access to trained and ready Soldiers, leaders and
cohesive units with the critical enabling capabilities America's combat
units rely upon to sustain prolonged operations and win decisively and
dominantly.
Ranging in scope from theater-level capabilities vital to major
operations to high-demand career fields difficult to retain on active
duty, these capabilities add the operational flexibility and strategic
depth essential to the Army's ability to prevent and shape events
across the full range of operations in which our Nation is, and will
continue to be, engaged.
Globally engaged for more than 14 consecutive years of war, the
Army Reserve is an integral and essential element of the Total Army and
the Joint Force, meeting high operational tempo demands; operating and
generating forces to support the National Military Strategy and U.S.
commitments worldwide; and providing predictable capabilities to global
combatant commands.
As the only Army component that is also a command, the Army Reserve
is organized under a single officer who has both staff responsibilities
to the Department of the Army as the Chief of Army Reserve and command
authority over most USAR Soldiers as the Commander, U.S. Army Reserve
Command. Because the Chief of the Army Reserve is dual-hatted as
Commander, U.S. Army Reserve Command, there is a great deal of unity of
effort within the Army Reserve. This structure allows the Army Reserve
to integrate into, and directly support, every Army Service Component
Command and Combatant Command across the globe with a footprint that
extends across all 50 States and the District of Columbia, six
Territories, and more than 30 countries.
Since 2001, more than 310,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have been
mobilized and deployed across the globe, to include every major combat
zone. During this time, steady demand for Army Reserve capabilities has
introduced a new paradigm of reliance on the Army Reserve as a critical
part of our national security architecture and an essential partner in
preventing conflict, shaping the strategic environment, and responding
to operational contingencies, to include Theater Security Cooperation,
overseas disaster response, Homeland Defense, and Defense Support of
Civil Authorities.
current and future global security environment
The United States and its allies face a complex and dynamic global
security environment with enemies that are adaptive and growing in
numbers, lethality, and the ability to threaten vital U.S. strategic
interests around the world. Meeting the defense and security demands of
today and tomorrow will require continued access to, and reliance upon,
the skills, capabilities, and experience of an operational Army
Reserve.
The advantages of a ready and operational Army Reserve are many.
When deployed to support operational contingencies and theater
cooperation missions, a Federal operational Army Reserve force saves
the Army money. It reduces the demand for Active Army capabilities,
helps mitigate current Army capability shortfalls, and allows the
Active Component to maximize time at home between deployments. A ready
and operational Army Reserve provides the depth and scalability the
Army needs to meet current and anticipated requirements of the
Combatant Commands. It achieves a cost-efficient balance between the
utilization of Active Army and Army Reserve forces, applying the
strengths and capabilities of each to full advantage, and it provides a
sufficient base of trained, equipped and ready Soldiers, leaders and
units from which the Active Component can draw when needed. Most
importantly, a ready and operational Army Reserve provides the critical
enabling capabilities combat forces rely on to initiate, sustain and
win prolonged operations. If those capabilities are not prepared and
ready for operational use, the Army and the Joint Force could fail
their missions.
readiness, resourcing the future force, taking care of soldiers
Readiness is the Army Reserve's number one priority. To win in the
complex world of today and tomorrow, we must be ready for the threats
and challenges of the present and the future.
The Army Reserve's greatest concern is resources. The current
demand for Army Reserve forces is about 25,000 operational troops
annually. To generate that number, at least one third of all Army
Reserve forces must maintain prescribed levels of readiness for
manning, equipping and training to meet operational requirements.
Without the resources requested in the fiscal year 2017 President's
budget to man, train and equip those forces, the Army Reserve cannot
remain an operational reserve.
Full Time Support is a foundational enabler that sustains readiness
and allows Soldiers and units to be rapidly deployable. Training must
be integrated among all three Army components to ensure
interoperability of our forces. The Army Reserve has taken risk in
equipping and modernizing our force, which may affect our ability to
respond to emerging global security threats. Finally, our most
important resource--our Soldiers, and their families--must be supported
with the best possible care, programs and services to ensure their
individual physical and mental readiness and well-being.
All of these challenges can be met by relatively simple solutions,
including implementing Army Total Force Policy, integrated training for
all three components, and sustaining the operational Army Reserve.
Plan, Prepare and Provide
Plan, Prepare and Provide is the readiness model of the Army
Reserve. Under this model, the Army Reserve provides trained, equipped,
and ready Soldiers and cohesive units to meet global requirements in
support of Unified Land Operations.
The ``Plan'' portion of the readiness model regionally aligns Army
Reserve units to Army Service Component Commands (ASCC) and Combatant
Commands (CCMD). Army Reserve Engagement Cells (ARECs), Army Reserve
Engagement Teams (ARETs),\5\ and direct staff planning support provide
reach-back capability to assist ASCCs and CCMDs with accessing
capability found in Army Reserve forces. ``Prepare'' involves training,
assessing and certifying Soldiers, leaders and units for contingent and
combat missions. ``Provide'' is the act of deploying those trained and
ready Army Reserve Soldiers and units in support of planned or
unforeseen ASCC or CCMD mission requirements under the auspices of Army
Total Force Policy (ATFP).
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\5\ The Army Reserve (USAR) established Army Reserve Engagement
Cells (ARECs) and smaller Army Reserve Engagement Teams (ARETs) at Army
Service Component Commands (ASCCs) at both Army Corps-level commands
and Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs) to facilitate access to USAR
Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF).
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Army Reserve Engagement Cells (ARECs) are technical and tactical
experts who provide direct staff planning support to Army Service
Component Commands and Field Armies. Army Reserve Engagement Teams
(ARETs) are smaller elements that help integrate Army Reserve
capabilities into Combatant Command- and Corps-level plans across war-
fighting functions. Together they address long-term opportunities for
the Army Reserve to support Combatant Commanders, facilitate unit and
individual training, and provide a reach-back conduit to CONUS-based
capabilities.
Army Reserve Engagement Cells and Teams also support the Army's
Regionally Aligned Forces concept for providing Combatant Commanders
with versatile, tailored, responsive and consistently available
military capabilities for planned and emerging missions across the
globe. Currently, 14,438 Army Reserve Soldiers are supporting the
Combatant Commands in missions that include combat support operations
in Afghanistan, Civil Affairs missions in the Horn of Africa,
deterrence operations missions in Kuwait, military police operations at
Guantanamo Bay Cuba, and medical support operations at facilities in
Honduras.\6\
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\6\ G3, USARC, October 14, 2015. DATA SOURCES: MDIS, TOD, TAPDB-R,
RTIMS. 2,960 Soldiers are working in the Continental United States
(CONUS), while 14,438 Soldiers are deployed abroad and in support of
the Army Service Component Commands, including nearly 780 Soldiers in
Afghanistan, 3,650 in the United States, 2,200 in Kuwait, 940 in Cuba,
309 in Qatar, and 200 in Djibouti.
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Under Plan, Prepare and Provide, the Army Reserve delivers
continuous and substantial support to the Combatant Commands, working
seamlessly with Active Component and Army National Guard personnel, as
well as members of the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and
Allied militaries.
Private Public Partnerships
Another way the Army Reserve promotes readiness is through its
Private Public Partnership program (P3). This program was created to
accomplish two objectives: 1) Help Soldiers find employment or advance
their careers in the private sector; and 2) Enhance the individual and
operational readiness of our forces at a time when global challenges
are increasing and budgets are shrinking. The two goals go hand-in-
hand.
Most Army Reserve Soldiers are traditional Reservists, which means
they maintain full time jobs in the private sector. Those jobs
encompass more than 148 different career fields that correspond to core
military capabilities, including medical, legal, aviation,
transportation, chemical, civil affairs, logistics, quartermaster,
signal, military intelligence, firefighters and military police.
The Private Public Partnership program merges the best of Army
training with civilian professional development and Title 10 training
to enhance the skills and competencies of Soldiers and leaders at both
the civilian and military levels, and advance the operational readiness
of our forces--at little or no cost to the taxpayer.
Using an innovative mix of support initiatives, P3 provides mind/
body/spirit programs to enhance individual readiness, job-specific
credentialing to enhance leader readiness; and private sector
partnering and training to enhance unit readiness to meet specific
global needs. The program benefits Soldiers by enhancing their civilian
skills and experience. It benefits employers by providing the highly
skilled and motivated employees needed to improve the productivity,
capability, and resident expertise of their businesses and
organizations, and; it benefits the Army Reserve because those enhanced
skills and capabilities will improve the operational readiness of our
forces.
Manning: Army Reserve Full-Time Support (FTS) and Personnel Challenges
Today, more than 50 percent of the Army resides in the Reserve
Components. Overseas Contingency Operations, Homeland Defense
deployments and Domestic response missions are significant undertakings
that require Soldiers and units to be ready with little or no notice.
The key enabler that allows Army Reserve Citizen Soldiers to be
rapidly deployable and sustains unit readiness is the Full Time Support
(FTS) program. There are two objectives of FTS. The first is to improve
Reserve Component readiness and mobilization/deployment planning and
preparation by performing the foundational activities required to
support readiness. Full Time Support provides individual and unit
support for day-to-day administration, personnel, medical, training,
recruiting, mobilization, and other functions required to sustain an
Operational Reserve. The second objective is to provide Active Guard
and Reserve (AGR) personnel to Army organizations in support of Reserve
Component missions.\7\
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\7\ AR 135--2, Army National Guard and Army Reserve Full-Time
Support, 1 June 1990, Page 5.
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Roughly 25 percent of Army Reserve AGR personnel support the Joint
Staff, Combatant Commands, Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA)
and major Army Commands. Thus, the FTS program is a critical resource
that enables the Total Army and Joint Force to exercise Mission
Command.
The need to fully resource the Army Reserve FTS program is well-
documented in multiple sources, including a 2009 Government
Accountability Office (GAO) report, and a 2011 U.S. Army Audit Agency
report, which found that Army Reserve commands did not have sufficient
FTS to perform their missions.\8\ While FTS exemplifies Army Total
Force Policy, active Army participation through Title XI9 \9\ is below
the level established in current law.
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\8\ Inspector General of the United States Department of Defense
Semi-Annual Report to the Congress, October 1, 2011--March 31, 2012,
p.66. GAO report number GAO-09-898, September 17, 2009. http://
www.governmentattic.org/11docs/AAA-2012AnnualPerfReport.pdf.
\9\ Title XI is the term commonly used to refer to active component
advisers assigned to units of the selected reserve. Section 414(c)(1)
of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal years 1992 and
1993 established the Program for Active Component Support of Reserves.
10 U.S.C. 12001 Note requires assignment of not less than 3,500 active
component personnel to serve as advisors under the program.
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Army Total Force Policy
Army Total Force Policy (ATFP) allows the Army to take a holistic
approach to adjusting processes and procedures to better manage Active
and Reserve Components as a Total Force. More specifically, it allows
the Army to organize, man, train, sustain, and equip the Total Army as
one integrated force across all Army components, and ensures uniformity
in training and readiness oversight.
A primary tenet of the Army Total Force Policy and DODD 1200.17,
Managing the Reserve Components as an Operational Force, is the
integration of Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component (RC)
organizations to the greatest extent practicable. This includes the use
of cross-component assignments--AC to RC and RC to AC--and the One Army
School System (OASS). The One Army School Systems is the best way to
maintain Army-wide individual readiness and it ensures consistent
standards across all components. OASS standardizes Army individual
education regardless of component and saves resources by offering
geographical convenience.
The Army Reserve supports Army Total Force Policy in numerous ways,
including multi-component units, Continuum of Service, and the One Army
School System (OASS). Multi-component units promote informal leader
development, share training opportunities, develop staff functionality,
and communicate lessons learned. The OASS ensures Soldiers are able to
attend Professional Military Education training, regardless of
component, on time and to standard.
Maintaining the right mix of forces and professional personnel with
experience and relevant skills is essential to the Army Reserve's
ability to provide operational and strategic depth to the Army and the
Total Force. Although the Army Reserve is fully integrated into ATFP
planning efforts, additional changes to processes and procedures are
needed to progress toward full implementation of Army Total Force
Policy.
Training
To maintain the operational readiness gained over the past 14
years, the Army Reserve's collective training strategy will require
consistent funding. While our Combat Support Training Program is
designed to meet Combatant Commander requirements; some Army Reserve
units will require additional training days due to the complexity of
their particular missions. To date, the Army Reserve has managed to
fund training for critical units, but additional resources will be
required in the future to support increased readiness standards and
demand.
Another negative impact on current and future readiness is the
Army's significant backlog of Professional Military Education and
Military Occupational Specialty Qualification training. Increased
funding and implementation of the Select Train Educate Promote Policy
in fiscal year 2016 should reduce backlogs in the Army's non-
commissioned officer education and Professional Military Education
systems, although expanding course lengths, course complexity, and
other enrollment issues create challenges for Citizen-Soldier
participation.
Equipping and Modernization
As with training, equipping requires sustained and predictable
funding to maintain a fully operational Army Reserve. Sequestration has
adversely impacted critical Army Reserve capabilities leading to a 60
percent reduction in new procurement funding over the last 5 years.
Although the Army Reserve represents nearly 20 percent of the Total
Army, it received less than 3.5 percent of the Total Army's fiscal year
2016 equipment procurement budget. Funding constraints further risk
widening compatibility gaps, which jeopardize the Army Reserve's
ability to support the Joint Force.
Resourcing constraints stemming from sequestration forces the Army
Reserve to retain older equipment longer to compensate for delayed and
cancelled procurements of enabler programs. This risks compatibility
among Army formations and within supported units, and degrades
capabilities needed to respond to emerging global security threats.
Risk is particularly acute for the Army Reserve in Mission Command
Systems such as the Army Battle Command System, Command Post of the
Future, Blue Force Tracker and others, as 90 percent of these systems
are incompatible with those of the Joint Force.
Despite funding constraints, Army Reserve Equipment On Hand
slightly improved through the redistribution of existing legacy
equipment to offset deferring investments in technologically compatible
systems not funded in the base equipping budget.
Using funds provided in the National Guard and Reserve Equipment
Account (NGREA), the Army Reserve is postured to procure Critical Dual
Use (CDU) items in support of Homeland Defense (HD) and Defense Support
of Civil Authorities (DSCA).
Sequestration's negative resourcing trends and adverse effects can
be reversed by supporting the budget's dedicated and sustained funding
for preserving an operational Army Reserve that is compatible with, and
fully integrated into, the Total Army and Joint Force.
Employment of the Operational Army Reserve
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 expanded the ability
of the Army Reserve to assist in domestic emergencies. Section 12304a
of title 10 U.S. Code allows the Army Reserve to provide life-saving,
life-sustaining capabilities for Defense Support of Civil Authorities
(DSCA) for up to 120 days in response to a Governor's request. These
expanded authorities are a perfect fit with the Army Reserve's
immediately-accessible capabilities that support an expeditionary Army
and Joint Force. Army Reserve civilian-enhanced military skills and
technical capabilities are present in more than 1,100 communities
across the Nation.
In addition, the Army Reserve is well postured to provide critical
and complementary response capabilities in support of civil authorities
under Immediate Response Authority. A large portion of the Army's
medical, engineer, and logistical capabilities reside within the Army
Reserve.\10\ The Army Reserve provides 100 percent of the Army's
Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers (EPLOs). These EPLOs integrate
DOD life-saving capabilities with other Federal agencies, State and
local governments, and nongovernmental organizations during disaster
responses within the Homeland. The Army Reserve is also fully
integrated into the standing Department of Defense task force postured
for rapid deployment to provide Federal support for specific Civil
Defense missions involving a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and
Nuclear (CRBN) event.
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\10\ 10 By 2017 nearly 55 percent of all Army operational medical
forces will reside within the Army Reserve. Our Expeditionary
Sustainment Commands (ESCs) and Army Reserve elements from the Surface
Deployment and Distribution Command deploy to locations devoid of
infrastructure to open seaports, while our logistics and supply chain
personnel are experts at moving life-saving materiel and services into
affected areas. A significant portion of the Army's full spectrum
engineer capability resides within the Army Reserve, with many of these
capabilities almost exclusively or predominately within the Army
Reserve. Army Reserve medical evacuation helicopters can rapidly
transport patients to critical care facilities. Our fixed and rotary
wing aircrafts rapidly deliver life-sustaining supplies, equipment, and
construction material into devastated areas.
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The use of section 12304b authority helps the Army meet global
requirements, enables predictable access to the Reserve Components,
supports Army Total Force Policy, and maintains an operational reserve
force.\11\ The critical enabling capabilities resident in the Army
Reserve must be maximized to provide the most effective support to the
Nation at home and abroad. Fully funding the President's Budget request
for 12304b reserve component activations will improve the USAR's
ability to support Army and Joint force requirements and improve Army
Reserve readiness while preserving that of the Regular Army.
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\11\ From October 2014 through September 2015, the Army processed
mobilizations under 12304b authority for 1,656 Soldiers from 269 units
to support preplanned missions for five U.S. Combatant Commands. These
missions took place in nine countries: Liberia (14), Egypt (445),
Germany (9), Kosovo (490), the United States (511), Belize (1),
Dominican Republic (12), Honduras (171) and Peru (3). The missions
included Air Defense; CBRNE; Counterterrorism Partnerships; Peace
Keeping; Stability Operations; and Theater Security Cooperation
support.
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Taking Care of Soldiers and Families
Without a doubt, the first and most essential element of readiness
is people--Soldiers and Families--and that is where the collective
strength of the Army and the Army Reserve resides.
Army Reserve Family Programs provide a host of services to
Soldiers, Family members, command teams and Civilians throughout the
geographically dispersed Army Reserve community.\12\ Available 24 hours
a day via phone or email, the Fort Family Outreach and Support Center
provides a clear path to command and community resources, with
comprehensive and confidential information, assistance, and referrals
for every aspect of military life.\13\ The Army Reserve Volunteer
Program promotes and strengthens volunteerism by uniting community
volunteer efforts, enhancing volunteer career mobility, and
establishing volunteer partnerships. Our Survivor Outreach Services
Program maintains a Family's connection with the Army Family in times
of loss, regardless of the fallen member's duty status or component.
Child and Youth Services helps geographically dispersed Soldiers and
Families find affordable childcare and youth supervision options within
local communities. Army Family Team Building is a readiness training
program to educate Army Families about military life.
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\12\ Army Reserve Family Programs; database available online at:
http://arfp.org/programs.
\13\ The Fort Family Outreach and Support Center at http://
arfp.org/fortfamily.html or via the Fort Family phone number at 1-866-
345-8248 provides live, relevant, and responsive information to support
Army Reserve Soldiers and Families. Available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, and 365 days a year, it provides unit and community-based
solutions that connects people to people. Assistance is provided during
times of crisis as well as routine assistance for other immediate needs
to help maintain Soldier and Family readiness and resiliency. By
pinpointing Families in need and local community resources, the Fort
Family Outreach and Support Center can quickly connect the Soldier and
Family to resources, providing installation-commensurate services in
the geographic location of the crisis. Fort Family Outreach and Support
Center has established a community-based capacity by engaging our
Nation's ``Sea of Goodwill'' to support Soldiers and Families close to
their residence. Simply stated, Fort Family via web or phone connects
Soldiers and Families with the right service at the right time.
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The military readiness within Army Reserve commands depends upon
the readiness and resiliency of our Army Reserve Soldiers and Families.
Army Reserve Family Programs helps make that possible for the 254,297
Army Reserve Family Members (89,265 spouses, 145,086 dependents under
18 years of age, and 19,946 dependents 19 years and older) in the force
today.\14\
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\14\ 2015 Demographics--Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense
Manpower Data Center.
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Suicide Prevention
The Army Reserve has devoted much time, energy and effort to
preventing suicide in our ranks,\15\ and preventing suicide remains a
top priority of the Army Reserve.\16\ We are committed to providing the
best resources and training available to assist our community-based
Soldiers, Civilians, and Families in times of financial, spiritual,
physical, or personal stress.\17\ The Army Reserve will continue to
emphasize proactive prevention and intervention training already in use
throughout the Army Reserve,\18\ Working together, we can and will
mitigate the risk to our formations to the best of our collective
ability.
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\15\ G1, United States Army Reserve Command. For example, we placed
36 Suicide Prevention Program Managers (SPPMS) term positions and
increased access to counselors and resources across our formations,
with an emphasis on reducing the stigma associated with personal,
Family, or behavioral health issues. To date, we have hired 31 of these
36 suicide prevention program managers--a good news story. Vacant
Positions exist in five commands: the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment
Command (ESC), 4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC), 364th
Expeditionary Sustainment Command, 94th Training Command, and Military
Intelligence Readiness Command (MIRC).
\16\ G1, United States Army Reserve Command, 13 JAN 15. In Calendar
Year 2014, the Army Reserve realized a 30 percent decrease of Army
Reserve Soldier suicides from Calendar Year 2013. In Calendar Year
2015, however, year to date Soldier Suicides exceeded YTD Soldier
suicides of all preceding Calendar Years. While there is no universal
set of factors leading to a suicidal event, the detailed analyses of
Army Reserve 15-6 investigations of suicidal events continue to
identify the same stressors. For example, many Soldiers who died by
suicide are male, single, junior-enlisted Soldiers that have never
deployed, are unemployed, and are suffering from relationship and
financial, and substance abuse challenges. We continue to face the same
complex challenges of any geographically dispersed force in combating
this problem, which is we lack frequent physical contact with our
Soldiers and have limited access to military installation support. We
also recognize that many Soldiers continue to face life challenges and
need our help.
\17\ For example, the United States Army Reserve developed five
best practices to combat the issue of suicide within our ranks. First,
we mandated personal contact with Soldiers and Family members between
Battle Assemblies. This is a particular challenge for a geographically
dispersed force that requires creative solutions to overcome. Second,
we tried to establish enduring cultural change, systems, and processes
that integrate resilience into our Soldiers and Families. Third, we
emphasized attention to ``newly'' assigned Soldiers to ensure their
transition is a positive one. Fourth, we promoted and advertised local
resources (e.g., Fort Family) that help address the issue. Finally, we
encouraged public, command recognition of Soldiers who intervened and
took action to prevent a suicide and help a Soldier or a Family member
(e.g., the ``Promoting Life'' Awards Program). G1, United States Army
Reserve Command.
\18\ For example, Army Reserve initiatives to prevent the tragedy
of suicide include: Ask, Care, Escort Suicide Intervention Training
(ACE-SI) for Unit Junior Leaders and First-Line Supervisors; Applied
Suicide Intervention Skills Training for Trainers (ASIST T4T) for Unit
first responders and ASIST T2 (2-day training) for Gatekeepers; a
Leader Guide and Battle Buddy Computer Application; and additional
education and awareness at Pre-Command Courses. G1, United States Army
Reserve Command.
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Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention
The Army is committed to reducing, and eventually eliminating,
sexual assault within the ranks through a comprehensive Sexual
Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Campaign Plan that
is focused on prevention, enhancing prosecution, investigation, victim
advocacy, assessment and accountability. As an integral part of the
Total Army, the Army Reserve remains committed to preventing,
deterring, and responding to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in
its ranks via a multifaceted approach.\19\ Our adoption of a more
aggressive focus and stance on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault has
had a demonstrated positive impact in the force.\20\ We are fully
committed to maintaining an environment free of sexual harassment and
sexual assault throughout the Army Reserve.
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\19\ The Army Reserve established four full-time Special Victim
Counsel (SVCs) positions, located at each of the four Regional Support
Commands; 42 Troop Program Unit (TPU) SVCs, located at the Army Reserve
General Officer Commands (GOCOMs); and 27 SVCs, located within each
Legal Operation Detachment. The Army Reserve also established 50 full-
time Sexual Assault Response Coordinator/Victim Advocate (SARC/VA)
positions that span the footprint of the Army Reserve. Although 43 of
the 50 SARC/VA positions are currently filled, they are staffed with
personnel in a MILTECH and AGR status. Previously, the Army Reserve
maintained five hotlines listed on the Department of Defense (DOD) Safe
Helpline website, which were accessible for referral through the
Helpline operators. To improve responsiveness, accessibility and
breadth of resources, the Army Reserve consolidated all hotlines under
the Fort Family Outreach and Support Center. The Army Reserve routinely
participates in and hosts forums and panels at all levels of command in
the Army. This includes meetings with the HQDA SHARP Program Office and
the SHARP Academy to improve Army Reserve participation in policy
formulation, training, and future developments. The Army Reserve also
utilizes improved analytics to inform current and future mitigation
efforts. Finally, our adoption of a more aggressive focus and stance on
Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault demonstrated a positive impact in
the force. We are fully committed to maintaining an environment free of
sexual harassment and sexual assault throughout the Army Reserve.
\20\ We are making great strides in improving our training
capabilities across the Army Reserve. In fact, we were able to provide
Army Central Command (ARCENT) with a trainer to teach an eighty-hour
SHARP course in Afghanistan. The Army Reserve has the flexibility to
augment the Army because we identified 12 Command SARCs to cross train
as instructors through the SHARP Academy. We also now have the
capability to run 26 of our own 80-hour training courses this fiscal
year compared to only three in the last fiscal year. A deeper bench of
Army Reserve SARC instructors allows us to provide more reserve
component specific examples and information to students while
simultaneously alleviating strain on active component school seat
quotas. While there is always more work to be done to prevent Sexual
Harassment and Sexual Assault, we remain laser-focused on doing
everything possible to reduce, and eventually eliminate, sexual assault
from the ranks.
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other issues
Medical and Dental Readiness
The Army Reserve has made significant improvements in medical and
dental readiness through multiple initiatives.\21\ These improvements
have resulted in an overall increase in dental readiness from 50 to 86
percent. Currently, less than 6 percent of the Army Reserve are non-
deployable due to a dental condition.\22\ The Army Reserve has
leveraged information technology systems which improve visibility of
unit medical readiness, facilitate reporting, and simplify processes
for commanders to manage unit readiness and the ability of Soldiers to
deploy. Medical and dental readiness must remain fully funded to
maintain an operational reserve, capable of consistently providing
access to its key enablers.
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\21\ Improvements through multiple initiatives, including the Army
Reserve Medical Management Center (AR-MMC), the Army Selected Reserve
Dental Readiness System (ASDRS), and by leveraging improvements in
medical and dental readiness tracking and reporting systems. Surgeon,
OCAR. The AR-MMC provides case management for Soldiers with medically
non-deployable conditions until their condition is resolved or the
Soldier reaches their Medical Retention Decision Point (MRDP). If the
Soldier reaches their MRDP, the Army Reserve, AR-MMC, and Army Medical
Command work together to provide improved processes for those Army
Reserve Soldiers requiring entry into the Integrated Disability
Evaluation System (IDES). The ASDRS continues to ensure dental
treatment for Soldiers whose dental conditions make them non-
deployable. Implementing a requirement for annual medical and dental
assessments in 2008 improved our ability to adequately determine the
medical and dental readiness of the force. Additional initiatives
include; Decrease Non-compliance (reduce medical indeterminate),
Improve Dental Readiness, Reduce Medical Non-Deployable, Reduce Medical
Readiness Turbulence, and Improve Medical Readiness Reporting
(Visibility).
\22\ Surgeon, OCAR. The Army Reserve goal for dental non-deployable
is less than 3 percent of the force (5,940 of the 198K end strength).
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Army Reserve Network
Army Reserve Network--the Army Reserve's information technology
infrastructure--supports geographically dispersed Army Reserve
Soldiers, leaders, and units in making timely, informed decisions, and
it supports organizational agility, lethality and sustainability. To
accomplish this, the Army Reserve Network must be a secure, standard-
based, reliable and adaptable environment that provides access at the
point of need to the tactical edge. Maintaining our technological
advantage, however, is a constant challenge in an enduring operational
Army Reserve. By improving and maintaining an Army Reserve Network that
is agile and rapidly leverages advances in technology, the Army Reserve
will have opportunities to provide enhanced capabilities that will
benefit the Total Army and the Joint Force.
Military Construction, Army Reserve (MCAR)
Military Construction, Army Reserve (MCAR) funding supports Army
Reserve readiness and provides for replacement of failing or failed
facilities. At current funding levels, Army Reserve facility inventory
is on a 200-year replacement cycle. If the current fiscal environment
continues in the out years, facility shortfalls will impact the Army
Reserve's ability to recruit and retain quality Soldiers.
Base Operations Support (BOS)
Base Operations Support (BOS) funding provides information
technology, communications, logistics, life, health and safety
services, range and facility maintenance, civilian salaries, and force
protection and environmental stewardship. Accordingly, BOS supports
components critical to building readiness in the Army Reserve.
Army Reserve Cyber Capabilities
The Army Reserve committed more than 800 Soldiers directly, and
3,500 Soldiers indirectly, to support cyberspace operations.\23\ As
threats and technologies evolve, the civilian skills that Army Reserve
Soldiers possess will continue to enable our formations to provide a
highly specialized talent pool to meet current needs and develop
emerging capabilities.\24\
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\23\ OCAR G-3/5/7 (FWD). These 3,500 Soldiers come from signal
units that provide defensive cyber operations support to DODIN. These
3,500 positions supporting signal cyber operations encompass Soldiers
assigned to perform a Cyber Security mission set. The 1545 by fiscal
year 2016 represent those assigned to cyber units performing cyber as
their primary mission. The rest encompass the Signal Soldiers assigned
down to the unit level who perform their cyber security mission in
support of the overall DOD information network. While not assigned as
``cyber'' Soldiers, their oversight and defense of the network must
comply with the cyber effort in order to enable our layered defense.
\24\ Staff Sergeant Lydia Seaborn, the first female Cyber Soldier
in the U.S. Army Reserve, best exemplifies this point. In a year of
ground-breaking achievements for women in the military, Staff Sergeant
Seaborn recently became the first Army Reserve female graduate from the
25D Cyber Network Defender military occupational specialty course at
Fort Gordon, GA. SSG Seaborn's achievement was only intensified by the
fact that she also became the first female Distinguished Honor Graduate
and the first Troop Program Unit (TPU) Army Reserve Soldier to graduate
the active duty Army MOS producing school. SSG Seaborn, a Florida
native who currently works at the Library of Congress as a Security
Advisor, personifies the utility gained in both the private and public
sectors from Army Reserve Citizen-Soldiers. In her Civilian career, SSG
Seaborn ``provides oversight for the Library's Continuous Monitoring
Program, and serves as the liaison for all annual audits. In her
Reserve capacity, SSG Seaborn has been a ``system administrator, a
domain admin, an Information System Security Officer, an Intrusion
Detection analyst, an Organizational Inspection Program Auditor, and
most recently, . . . a Forensic Analyst with a small dabble in . . .
Malware training.'' The unit she serves in now ``supports an ongoing
initiative that provides security and network monitoring, incident
response and forensic analysis in the field to various middle-eastern
countries to include Kuwait and Afghanistan . . . Every year there is
a deployment rotation and our Soldiers go overseas to provide Cyber
security expertise that is needed.''
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Today, the Army Reserve is committed to building 10 cyber
protection teams, an Army Reserve Cyber Training Element with advanced
research and opposing force teams, and to providing highly skilled
cyber warriors to the 1st Information Operations Command, the Defense
Information Systems Agency, and the United States Army Cyber Command
headquarters--a commitment of more than 800 Citizen Soldiers in support
of cyberspace operations.\25\ This force structure effort is budget
neutral, which benefits both the Army and the Nation.
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\25\ OCAR G-3/5/7 (FWD). These 800 Army Reserve Cyber Soldiers are
current Army Reserve assets plus TAA 1620 wedge (ARCOG, Wedge ( four
hundred), DISA ARE, and 1st IO Command 'ARE'). One Hundred Eight of
these Soldiers will serve in the Army Reserve Cyber Training Element.
Four Hundred Sixty-Nine of these Soldiers will serve in the Army
Reserve Cyber Operations Group.
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As the Army continues to develop its cyber needs, the Army Reserve
will continue to grow its cyber force through the Total Army Analysis
process. We will also continue to collaborate with all Cyber Mission
Force partners to develop new and innovative training strategies, to
include public and private partnerships with academia, industry and
government, to lessen the length of time needed for training future
cyber warriors by leveraging civilian-acquired education and work
experience.
Fiscally Efficient and Cost Effective
The Army Reserve is an efficient and cost effective reserve force,
providing 20 percent of the Army's total force for less than 6 percent
of the Army's budget. Most of the technical capabilities the Army needs
but can't afford to retain on active duty are resident in the Army
Reserve, which means their skills are kept sharp at little or no cost
to the Department of Defense. The Army Reserve has the lowest amount of
headquarters overhead (less than 1 percent) and accomplishes its
mission with only 14 percent of the component serving as full time
support--six percent less than the average across all Service reserve
components.
Sustaining the Operational Army Reserve
The benefits of an operational Army Reserve are clear: A Federal
operational Army Reserve saves money by providing predictability for
the proper forecasting of resources to meet the training, sustaining,
manning and equipping thresholds required to provide a steady flow of
tailorable capabilities to the Joint Force. It helps the Army mitigate
current capability shortfalls, and provides expert capability and
invaluable experience indispensable to both current and future
conflicts.
Using the Army Reserve in security cooperation missions reduces the
demand for active Army capabilities. It allows the Active Component to
maximize time at home between deployments; provides the Army Reserve
with the opportunity to employ and refine its multi-functional skills;
and because the Army Reserve is not full time force, the Army saves
money by utilizing it in an established cyclic manner that provides
predictability for the Combatant Commands, the Army, and Soldiers, as
well as their Families and employers.
Most importantly, an operational Army Reserve entirely under
Federal control provides quick access to trained and ready forces and
the critical enabling capabilities Total Army and Joint Force combat
forces rely on to sustain prolonged operations. If the Army Reserve's
enabling capabilities are not prepared and ready for operational use,
the Army and the Joint Force could fail their missions.
The policies to maintain an operational Army Reserve are already in
place. Chief among them is Army Total Force Policy which calls for the
Service Secretaries of all the Military Departments to man, train and
equip their Active and Reserve components as an integrated operational
force to provide predictable, recurring and sustainable capabilities.
Full implementation of Army Total Force Policy is key, and that
includes Total Army Training and the One Army School System, which
ensures that Soldiers are able to attend Professional Military
Education training on time and to standard. Next in importance is
maintaining requested FTS resourcing levels.
An operational and sufficiently-resourced Army Reserve is the best
way to fulfill both current and anticipated mission requirements
consistent with available and estimated future resources. It provides
depth and scalability to meet current and anticipated requirements of
the Combatant Commands, and achieves a cost-efficient balance between
the Active Component and the Army Reserve using the strengths and
capabilities of each to full advantage. It ensures capacity needed to
support homeland missions, and provides a sufficient base of trained,
equipped and ready forces from which the Active Component can draw when
needed; helps the Army better manage strategic and operational risk,
and maintains the invaluable expertise and experience gained since
September 11, 2001.
Today's Army Reserve is the most battle-tested and experienced in
our Nation's history. As the dedicated Federal reserve of the Army, the
Army Reserve exists to serve the Army and the Nation, and has never
failed to accomplish its mission. Ready now, ready in times of crisis,
and ready for whatever threats and challenges lie ahead, the United
States Army Reserve is America's life-saving, life-sustaining Federal
reserve force.
Senator Cochran. Thank you, General Talley, we appreciate
your participation in the hearing.
We now call on the Chief of Navy Reserve, Vice Admiral
Robin R. Braun.
STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL ROBIN R. BRAUN, CHIEF, NAVY
RESERVE
Admiral Braun. Chairman Cochran and distinguished members
of the subcommittee, as Chief of Navy Reserve, it is my
distinct honor to report on the state of the Nation's Navy
Reserve and our citizen sailors who selflessly contribute to
the national defense. With us today is my dynamic Navy Reserve
Force Master Chief, CJ Mitchell.
The Navy Reserve proudly provides trained, equipped, and
ready sailors to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Force. As an
essential component of the Navy, the Navy Reserve is cost-
efficient and mission-effective, providing operational
capability, strategic depth, and surge capacity, both overseas
and at home, across the full spectrum of naval missions.
Navy Reserve readiness is built on our integrated force
structure and the operational support that is routinely
provided by our sailors. In any given week, 25 percent of the
Navy Reserve is delivering support to the Navy around the
globe, generating readiness as a regular product of the way we
do business.
The Navy Reserve is able to respond rapidly because surge
is simply an extension of how we operate on a daily basis.
Our 60,000 citizen sailors come from all walks of life, and
they represent every State and territory in the union. Since 9/
11, more than 75,000 mobilizations have been executed. And
today, more than 2,100 of our citizen sailors are mobilized
around the globe in places like Afghanistan and Djibouti.
The Navy Reserve's readiness engine is driven by our
sailors' ability to provide routine and predictable operational
support to their Active component commands.
The primary funding used to support this is discretionary
RPN (Reserve Personnel Navy), which is also valued for the
immediacy with which it can be allocated to support emergent
requirements.
There are, however, mission areas where we are facing
increasing risk. Aircraft recapitalization is absolutely the
number one equipping priority of the Navy Reserve. Fiscal
constraints demand that we focus on extending the service life
of our hardware. However, each has a finite lifespan.
Even when we are able to extend the life of legacy
equipment, such as our F-18, P-3, and C-20 aircraft, we cannot
overcome the resulting interoperability barriers, increased
maintenance, and obsolescence issues.
For example, procurement of the C-40A cargo and passenger
aircraft began in 1997 as a replacement for C-9 and C-20
aircraft. The C-40A represents the most capable, cost-
efficient, and responsive option to support the Navy's forward-
deployed operational posture.
The C-40A requirement is 17 aircraft and, to date, 15 have
been procured. The final two C-40s will enable the Navy to
divest of our C-20s and sustain the air logistics required for
a forward-deployed naval force.
On behalf of all the dedicated citizen sailors who serve
our Nation in our great Navy, I thank the members of the
Committee for your support, and I look forward to your
questions.
Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral Robin R. Braun
introduction
Chairman Cochran, Ranking Member Durbin, and distinguished Members
of the Subcommittee, as Chief of Navy Reserve it is my distinct honor
to report to you on the state of the Nation's Navy Reserve and our
Sailors, who selflessly contribute to the national defense. The Navy
Reserve proudly provides trained, equipped and ready Sailors to the
Navy, Marine Corps and Joint Force. As an essential component of the
Navy, the Navy Reserve is cost-efficient and mission-effective
providing operational capability, strategic depth and surge capacity,
both overseas and at home, across the full spectrum of naval missions.
Today's Navy Reserve is comprised of 57,400 Citizen Sailors from
every State and territory. Since 2001, these dedicated men and women
have mobilized over 75,000 times to every theater of operations,
including 2,537 personnel in fiscal year 2015. On behalf of the Navy
Reserve, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for your continued
support.
today's force structure
Today's force structure is the result of Navy's imperative to
improve the interoperability and operational effectiveness of the Navy
Reserve in the months following 9-11. In 2002 the Navy commissioned a
study to redesign, integrate and better utilize the Navy Reserve. The
resulting plan was titled Active-Reserve Integration (ARI) and included
a Zero Based Review of each billet to eliminate inefficiencies and
optimize mission effectiveness. As a result, force structure
initiatives were implemented to drive integration and Navy Reserve end
strength was reduced by nearly 20 percent from fiscal year 2003-2006.
Since then, due to warfighting capability and capacity tradeoffs
balancing risk and resources, Navy Reserve end strength has continued
to decline, leveling off in fiscal year 2016 at 57,400 for a total end
strength reduction of 32 percent since 2001.
permeability
One of the most significant outcomes of the Navy's ARI process is
the permeability between the active component (AC) and reserve
component (RC).
As a direct result of the RC force structure realignment, most
Reserve Sailors now routinely work and train alongside their AC
counterparts. Due to the high levels of personnel and mission readiness
attained as a result of this synergy, our Sailors are able to provide a
rapid response to calls for support from the Navy and Joint Force,
often on a moment's notice.
Additionally, where appropriate, our hardware units are aligned and
integrated with active component training and deployment cycles. These
RC units, comprised of military professionals with extensive
operational experience, act as force multipliers through mission
augmentation and surge capacity where and when needed. This is one of
the most cost-efficient and mission-effective models available across
all reserve components today.
citizen sailors
Reserve Sailors support the Navy's mission by leveraging their
unique combination of civilian and military experience to provide value
to the Navy in critical mission areas. Their civilian skill sets add
invaluable expertise to our Force, and conversely, their military
training and professional development make them more capable leaders in
their civilian communities. Citizens who serve in the Navy Reserve
strengthen the bond with the American public while inspiring families,
employers and communities to support military service.
The Navy Reserve leverages the service of thousands of men and
women in uniform as they transition from active duty. This ability to
retain their training and experience is a critical element in managing
talent in the Navy Reserve and is vital to the future of the Total
Force. When in uniform, Reserve Sailors blend seamlessly with their AC
counterparts, operating as one team. When out of uniform and serving in
the civilian sector, our Sailors learn and hone skills that provide the
Navy an asymmetric advantage when combined with their military
training.
Whether a tradesman, first responder, executive, or licensed
professional, the Navy has long benefitted from the civilian experience
and maturity of RC Sailors. Moving forward, we are focused on
developing and improving our processes so we can more consistently
leverage RC Sailors' civilian skills.
Military commanders often comment that the value of Reserve
Sailors' civilian expertise enhances their military service. As one
Joint Task Force Commander noted, ``The background and contemporary
industry knowledge members of the Navy Reserve bring to my organization
cannot be overstated--they bring a unique set of skills which
consistently results in a better solution or product when they work
side-by-side with their active duty counterparts, government civilians
and contractors.'' This unique combination of civilian and military
experience and skills provided by Reserve Sailors offers the diversity
of thought and insight which inspires innovation and acts as a force
multiplier.
integrated fleet support
Over the past year, the Navy routinely responded to combatant
commander requirements with tailored Reserve units and personnel. Our
force structure provides integration options ranging from the
mobilization of an entire unit to the activation of a single Individual
Augmentee (IA) Sailor. This model delivers increased flexibility and
depth to the Total Force, and the experience gained by Navy Reserve
Sailors through mobilizations and operational support missions
maintains high readiness levels and enhances interoperability with the
AC and the Joint Force.
The Navy also continues to leverage RC capacity in support of day-
to-day fleet operations. RC Sailors fill manning gaps at sea, bolster
understaffed shipyards, and are utilized in daily production as well as
surge response. As an example, within the training and education
commands they serve as Recruit Division Commanders at Recruit Training
Command, and as instructor pilots in aviation training squadrons and
are able to expand their support when demand for student throughput
increases.
The dynamic nature of the global security environment demands a
Navy that can generate forces and capabilities with the agility and
adaptability to respond to both persistent and emerging threats. As a
result, the Navy Reserve continuously assesses and refines its mission
sets. For instance, in 2015 we continued to support operations in
Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance, Air Logistics, Expeditionary
Combat, Shipyard Maintenance, and Funeral Honors. We are well
positioned to continue delivering operational capacity and capability
in an agile and adaptable manner well into the future.
Serving in support of their strategic depth role, Navy Reserve P-3C
squadrons are augmenting deployment requirements for AC maritime patrol
squadrons in the Pacific Command Area of Responsibility (AOR). This
operational deployment of RC capacity is enabling the AC to transition
from the legacy P-3C to the new P-8A aircraft. Navy began utilizing RC
maritime patrol in this capacity in 2013 and will sustain P-3C
operations through 2020.
The Navy Reserve's Fleet Logistics Support Wing (FLSW) provides 100
percent of the Navy's intra-theater air logistics capability. FLSW
aircraft and flight crews are essential to sustaining maritime
operations, transporting naval personnel and priority cargo to forward
deployed units throughout the world. For example, when USS Donald Cook
(DDG-75) experienced an engineering casualty that prevented them from
accomplishing their CENTCOM assigned mission in support of Operation
INHERENT RESOLVE, a FLSW aircraft was able to launch on short-notice,
transporting approximately 2,000 pounds of high-priority parts to Souda
Bay, Greece thereby enabling Cook to rapidly return to a fully mission
capable status. In fiscal year 2015 FLSW transported more than 121,000
naval personnel and nearly 25 million pounds of cargo in support of
Fleet operations.
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) serves as the functional
command for the Navy's expeditionary force. The Reserve Component,
which comprises 50 percent of all NECC forces, is integrated into the
global deployment schedule. Navy Reserve Construction Battalions and
Coastal Riverine Squadrons represent two communities within NECC.
In 2015, Navy Reserve Construction Battalion Seabees continued to
mobilize in support of overseas contingency operations, deploying
nearly 800 Reserve Sailors to the CENTCOM and AFRICOM AORs to provide
expeditionary construction, forward operating base maintenance, host
nation infrastructure improvements, and support for Special Operations
Forces.
Reserve Coastal Riverine Squadrons (CRS) are responsible for the
Navy's High Value Unit (HVU) escort mission and have conducted over
1,022 HVU Escort missions to date, providing afloat escort security for
Navy vessels at strategic ports in the Continental United States.
Additionally, CRS personnel continued to mobilize in fiscal year 2015,
providing maritime security for port visits, underway replenishments,
and chokepoint transits in the Middle East.
Navy Reserve Surge Maintenance Units (SurgeMain) are an
augmentation workforce providing skilled labor vital to Navy's shipyard
mission. Over 1,400 SurgeMain Sailors provided 14,090 man-days of
critical support in fiscal year 2015, contributing to fleet operational
readiness. These units have been instrumental in mitigating risk by
filling capability and manpower gaps created as a result of an
increased shipyard workload and civilian workforce attrition. SurgeMain
Sailors often bring new perspectives to problem solving as well as best
practices from their civilian experience at a significant cost savings.
For instance, in 2015 SurgeMain Sailors helped Norfolk Naval Shipyard
complete planned maintenance on USS George Bush (CVN 77). The SurgeMain
team responded to this request within just two weeks and delivered over
1,200 man-days of production support over a two-month period, thereby,
enabling on-time completion of construction.
Here at home, there is no duty that we treat with more respect,
humility and distinction than rendering final honors for our fallen
veterans. In fiscal year 2015 the Navy Reserve performed 74 percent of
all Navy funeral honors, supporting more than 43,000 services. By
virtue of our geographic dispersion, Navy Reserve personnel are well-
positioned to provide the vast majority of Navy funeral honors for our
veterans across the country.
readiness
The Navy Reserve's primary mission is to provide mobilization ready
Sailors, available at a moment's notice, to the Navy, Marine Corps and
Joint Force. Navy Reserve Sailors train to the same standards as their
active component counterparts, maintaining high levels of mobilization
and medical readiness. In addition, individual Sailor participation
rates are monitored to ensure all Selected Reserve members meet minimum
annual requirements as well as any additional training that may be
dictated by their operational commanders.
The Navy Reserve's ability to maintain consistently high levels of
readiness is the result of a combination of our integrated force
structure, enforcement of military standards, and the operational
support our Sailors routinely perform. In any given week nearly 25
percent of the Navy Reserve is delivering operational support to the
Navy and the Joint Force across the globe, generating readiness as a
regular product of the way we do business. The Navy Reserve is poised
and able to respond rapidly to operational surge demand signals because
a surge is simply an extension of how we operate on a daily basis. In
fact, Navy relies on RC Sailors to fill 75 percent of Individual
Augmentation mobilizations in support of the Joint Force. Over 75,000
mobilizations since 9/11 bear witness to the success and effectiveness
of this force generation model.
The Navy Reserve's readiness engine is driven by our Sailors'
ability to provide routine and predictable operational support to their
AC commands. Discretionary Reserve Personnel, Navy (RPN) funding in the
President's Budget for fiscal year 2017 is the primary means by which
we resource this operational support to the fleet and Joint Force. As
historical execution rates demonstrate, this funding is vital in
maintaining force readiness, training, and interoperability with the
AC, and is valued for the immediacy with which it can be allocated to
support emergent requirements.
end strength
An essential metric of any AC/RC mix analysis is personnel end
strength. The Navy Reserve has historically ended every year with
greater than 99 percent of our authorized end strength. While focusing
on placing each Sailor in the right billet, we consider qualifications,
experience and training, and in so doing maximize the effectiveness of
each Sailor's assignment. As we consider Navy Reserve end strength we
strive to forecast the skills and experience needed in the RC to meet
future global mission requirements. As previously mentioned, Navy
Reserve end strength has been reduced by 32 percent since 2003. Our
current authorized end strength of 57,400 represents a lean force.
Although programmed to increase slightly over the next 2 fiscal years,
any further reductions in end strength will increase risk in our
ability to meet all required mission sets. While the Navy Reserve
continues to source approximately 75 percent of Navy's Joint IA
requirements, the state of global unrest suggests that Overseas
Contingency Operations, security cooperation activities and emergent
commitments are expected to be enduring aspects of our national
maritime posture. Sufficient end strength also allows us to refit,
retrain and reequip units with ready personnel to meet operational
requirements and short-notice crisis response.
equipping
Almost 15 years of increased operational tempo within a constrained
procurement environment have taken a toll on the aircraft and equipment
our Sailors operate. In order to safely accomplish our assigned
missions and seamlessly integrate with the AC, the Navy Reserve depends
on the availability of modern, reliable hardware. As the Navy continues
to prioritize investments in advanced aircraft, weapons systems and
equipment we must ensure that RC procurement is likewise adequately
resourced in order to maintain safety and interoperability. Should an
equipment interoperability gap between the AC and RC develop, it will
be challenging to integrate RC units and Sailors with their AC
counterparts.
Aircraft recapitalization is absolutely our number one equipping
priority. It is critical for the Navy Reserve's required operational
support to the Naval Aviation Enterprise. Fiscal constraints have
created an environment where we must be increasingly focused on
extending the service life of our infrastructure and hardware; however,
each has a finite lifespan and we accept increasing risk as we approach
that limit. Compounding the situation are the long process times at our
aviation depot level maintenance facilities caused by reductions in the
skilled work force.
Even when we are able to extend the life of legacy equipment such
as F/A-18A+, P-3C and C-20G aircraft, we cannot overcome the resulting
interoperability barriers, increased maintenance costs and obsolescence
issues associated with extending the service life of these legacy
aircraft. For example, four squadrons from the Navy Reserve Tactical
Support Wing (TSW) provide adversary training to the Fleet and assist
in Fleet Replacement aircrew production. Two of these squadrons, VFA-
204 and VFC-12, are equipped with F/A-18A+ aircraft and also serve as
the Navy's carrier-capable strategic reserve strike fighter element.
They accomplish some of their readiness requirements concurrently with
filling an essential fleet operational support role of providing
dedicated adversary support, also known as ``Red Air'', for Fleet
Replacement Squadrons and deploying carrier air wings. Effective air-
to-air training requires a skilled Red Air opponent and these squadrons
provide the Navy's recognized experts in advanced air combat tactics.
VFA-204, based in New Orleans, and VFC-12, based in Virginia Beach,
operate legacy F/A-18A+ Hornets that are nearing the end of their
service life. As a group, the aircraft assigned to VFA-204 and VFC-12
represent the oldest Hornets in the Navy, resulting in increased
interoperability gaps as well as increased maintenance challenges.
Replacement aircraft will be necessary in the future in order to retain
the tactical expertise resident in these squadrons.
The Navy's surge capacity within the Maritime Patrol and
Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) consists of two RC patrol squadrons that
operate legacy P-3C Orion aircraft. As AC patrol squadrons transition
from the P-3C to the new P-8A Poseidon, these RC squadrons have been
relied upon to fill operational and capability gaps in both deployed
and homeland defense roles. Navy Reserve VP deployments began in 2013
and are scheduled to continue through 2020. To retain surge capacity in
the maritime patrol mission, reserve patrol squadrons must transition
to the P-8A aircraft in the future.
The Fleet Logistics Support Wing executes the Navy Unique Fleet
Essential Airlift mission to provide responsive, flexible, and rapid
deployable air logistics support required to sustain combat operations
at sea. The aircraft that support this mission are the C-40A, C-130T
and C-20G. Procurement of the C-40A began in 1997 as a replacement for
Navy Reserve's fleet of legacy C-9 and C-20G aircraft. The wartime
requirement for the C-40A was assessed to be 23 aircraft; however the
risk adjusted inventory objective was determined to be 17 aircraft. To
date the Navy Reserve has taken possession of 14 C-40As with the 15th
airframe due for delivery in fiscal year 2017. The C-40A offers
increased range, payload, reliability, cost effectiveness and the
unique capability of carrying hazardous cargo and passengers
simultaneously. The C-40A aircraft represents the most cost-effective,
responsive, and flexible option for Fleet air logistics support.
access
The Navy has grown dependent on regular and reliable access to the
RC over the past decade. Under the Presidential Declaration of National
Emergency (DNE), the services and combatant commanders have benefitted
from involuntary access to the RC via Title 10 USC 12302 authority. In
a global environment that requires the ability to rapidly respond to
emergent threats and requirements, it is imperative that leaders have
access authorities that optimize involuntary access, flexibility and
responsiveness for both the AC and RC in order to maximize Total Force
resourcing and effectiveness. When there is no longer a need for an
annual DNE, involuntary mobilization access to the RC is under Title 10
USC 12304b authority, which provides access only for preplanned
missions in support of combatant commander requirements.
facilities
The Navy Reserve operates six region headquarters (Reserve
Component Commands), two Joint Reserve Bases and 123 Navy Operational
Support Centers (NOSCs). These facilities serve Navy Reserve Sailors
and are located in all 50 States as well as Puerto Rico and Guam. Our
NOSCs reside both on and off DOD installations as a mix of stand-alone
NOSCs, Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Centers and joint Armed Forces Reserve
Centers.
As part of the Navy's active-reserve integration efforts, the Navy
Reserve consolidated many of its facilities, closing 23 percent of
NOSCs since 2005. Where able, we have partnered with other service
components to relocate NOSCs onto military installations to leverage
existing infrastructure and force protection resources. We have also
partnered with other service components to establish joint reserve
facilities. The resulting optimal footprint has allowed us to make best
use of limited military construction and facilities sustainment funding
in order to provide an environment for our Sailors to maintain their
mobilization, training and readiness standards.
As a part of the Navy's Energy Program for Security and
Independence, the Navy Reserve continues to seek opportunities to gain
energy efficiencies through facilities modernization and new
construction. When we are able to invest our limited funds in Military
Construction, Navy Reserve projects, we focus on building modern,
energy-efficient, and technologically current facilities. Our plans
prioritize vacating obsolete buildings, such as those currently
occupied by NOSC Augusta, Georgia and NOSC Reno, Nevada. They also
support the modernization and construction of two Joint Reserve
Intelligence Centers. These facilities are ``hubs'' of intelligence
expertise that facilitate direct support to forward deployed
warfighters and are a critical part of the Joint Intelligence Program.
Each year we direct our Facilities Sustainment, Repair and
Modernization funds to address the highest priority modernization and
repair projects. However, in any given year we may only address a
portion of our total facilities sustainment requirement. We often need
to re-prioritize to maintain adequate facilities, as they are necessary
to keep Navy Reserve Sailors ready to mobilize and deploy forward. Your
continued support represents an essential investment in the future
health and readiness of Navy Reserve Sailors.
force protection (physical security)
NOSC Armed Security
Soon after the attack at Navy Operational Support Center
Chattanooga on July 16, 2015 that claimed the lives of five Reserve
Service members, the Navy Reserve embarked on an effort to provide
armed security for our 71 NOSCs located outside the confines of a major
military installation. Assisting in this process are 77 qualified
Selected Reserve Master-at-Arms Sailors who maintain the NOSC weapons
programs and train select NOSC personnel on Rules for Use of Force and
Pre-Planned Responses. To date, more than 178 Reserve Sailors have
attended Security Reaction Force Basic School and are qualified to
serve as armed watch standers. These Sailors protect their respective
facility during working hours and on drill weekends.
NOSC Assessments
Additionally, in coordination with Navy Installations Command and
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, the Navy Reserve is conducting a
broad Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) assessment of all off-
installation NOSCs to identify measures to enhance our force protection
posture. These physical security surveys are ongoing and will be
complete by June 2016.
Fiscal year 2016 funds were appropriated to increase physical
security at Recruiting Centers and will most assuredly improve force
protection measures for recruiters. In fiscal year 2016 the Navy
Reserve will strive to strengthen physical security at our NOSCs in an
effort to begin mitigating the security concerns identified during the
ATFP assessments. We will schedule installation of enhanced force
protection measures based on risk and vulnerability levels.
health of the force
As Navy Reserve end strength increases in fiscal year 2017, our
recruiting goals will increase as well. To further expand transition
opportunities for AC Sailors to join our team, we have an ongoing
effort to broaden Continuum of Service (CoS) options that enable AC
Sailors to transition to the RC. At the same time, we are advertising
opportunities for RC Sailors in specific ratings and year groups, to
transition from RC to undermanned AC ratings on either a temporary or
permanent basis. Last year 292 RC enlisted Sailors permanently
transferred to the AC, 89 of which were Master at Arms, meeting an
increased force protection demand signal from the Fleet. These CoS
options enable the Navy to retain valued skills and experience while
supporting the professional needs and desires of our Sailors.
The Navy Reserve employs a focused bonus strategy to selectively
target the specific skills and experience needed by the Navy. Selective
Reenlistment Bonuses, affiliation and enlistment bonuses are utilized
to improve retention and recruitment of enlisted Sailors in specific
specialties. Officer affiliation bonuses and special pays are used to
maintain or increase manning levels by targeting pay grades in critical
and undermanned skill sets.
Persistent challenges to meeting accession goals for Unrestricted
Line (URL) officers and medical officers continued in fiscal year 2015.
Overall, the Navy was able to attain 90 percent of RC officer
recruiting goals. However, specific skillsets that remain challenging
include SEALs (43 percent attained), Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) (84
percent), pilots (88 percent), Judge Advocate General (42 percent),
nurses (73 percent) and physicians (76 percent). Since all RC
Unrestricted Line officers are accessed from the active component,
continued high active component retention has severely limited the size
of the recruiting pool. As a result, reserve affiliation bonuses are
offered to officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), SEAL,
and Navy Aviation Communities. Additionally, the Navy Reserve is
authorized to use a limited Critical Skills Retention Bonus for Naval
Special Warfare/SEAL officers in an effort to reduce attrition in that
critical community.
Accessing Health Care Professionals--specifically surgeons,
anesthesiologists and perioperative nurses--continues to present a
greater recruiting challenge. Navy Reserve uses current statutory
authorities to apply targeted special and incentive pays and resources
to attract and retain medical professionals in critically undermanned
wartime specialties. These recruiting and retention incentives are
still necessary to help partially offset a potential income loss while
on active duty, as well as some of the negative impacts of
mobilizations on civilian medical practices.
resilience programs
Serving in the Navy Reserve requires our Citizen Sailors to balance
many priorities associated with their civilian jobs, family
commitments, and duties as a part-time Sailor. The Navy Reserve
utilizes several tools to help Sailors manage the stressors that can
accompany this busy lifestyle. All Reserve Sailors receive an annual
mental health assessment as part of the Navy's Periodic Health
Assessment (PHA). Additionally, the Navy Reserve's Psychological Health
Outreach Program (PHOP) ensures all Reserve Sailors have access to
appropriate psychological healthcare services. PHOP counselors provide
Operational Stress Control (OSC) briefings and behavioral health
screenings to Reserve Sailors across the Nation. Our new Resiliency
Check-in tool allows PHOP counselors to provide one-on-one behavioral
health assessments that include on-the-spot initial and follow-up
referrals when needed. This minimizes any perceived stigma to seeking
help and is a proven way to ensure Sailors have access to the mental
healthcare they need. Referrals to non-medical counseling support
military families with a variety of common concerns that can accompany
the military lifestyle, including the stress related to family
separation, continuous deployments, and post-mobilization
reintegration.
All deploying Sailors participate in Pre-Deployment Health
Assessments (PDHA) and Post-Deployment Health Reassessments (PDHRA),
which can help identify mental health issues requiring attention. The
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) supports Reserve Sailors and
their families through all phases of the deployment cycle. A key
program within the YRRP is the Returning Warrior Workshop, which
focuses on the reintegration process for service members and their
spouse/family member, and helps identify Sailors in need of follow-on
care. Continued support for our fiscal year 2017 funding request for
the YRRP is vital to our continuum of care.
prevention programs
Navy Reserve resilience and suicide prevention programs connect
with other military and community programs to promote the mission-ready
Sailor. Decreasing the stigma of seeking mental health services remains
a priority, as does resiliency training and educating service members
to seek help in times of need. While the Navy Reserve suicide rate
remained relatively unchanged from 2014 to 2015, we are committed to
identifying any trends that can lead to a greater awareness of
impending destructive behavior by our shipmates. Most suicides continue
to be connected to life stressors not unique to military service. RC
members are offered numerous resources available to them and have
unique access to the PHOP team. We are dedicated to guaranteeing that
our shipmates have the best resources and care, as well as concerned
and engaged leadership, to positively impact their psychological well-
being.
The Navy Reserve fosters a climate that is intolerant of sexual
assault and other unacceptable behaviors such as sexist language,
sexual harassment and misconduct, unlawful discrimination and hazing.
We promote a culture of dignity and respect for all, and emphasize the
importance of living by the Navy's Core Values of Honor, Courage and
Commitment--both on and off duty. To further our Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response (SAPR) efforts, we recently released guidance
to clarify proper handling of SAPR issues unique to Reserve Sailors. We
have also continued to focus on empowering Sailors to intervene and
take action to stop behaviors contradictory to our Core Values and Navy
Ethos. We promulgated Department of Navy Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response Office (SAPRO) videos of Navy leaders and victims discussing
the impact of sexual assault, and we have invited Pure Praxis, a live
scenario-based performance troupe, to deliver training at many NOSCs
this fiscal year. Pure Praxis' presentation allows Sailors to learn and
practice intervention techniques in a safe environment, better
preparing them to ``Step Up and Step In''. The Navy Reserve is
committed to preventing sexual assault by training Sailors to intervene
in unethical situations, while further improving victim response and
care.
The Victims' Legal Counsel (VLC) program provides sexual assault
victims with a dedicated attorney to help explain the investigation and
military justice process, and protect the victim's legal rights and
interests. The Navy Reserve has played an important role in the VLC
program since its inception in August 2013 by consistently filling VLC
billets with Reserve judge advocates. Many Reserve judge advocates
provide similar services in their civilian careers and are uniquely
qualified to provide legal assistance to sexual assault victims in
need. A trusted VLC program made up of experienced, dedicated judge
advocates encourages reporting by giving victims the confidence that
their rights will be protected.
new & expanding missions
Navy continues to assess the role of its reserve component as it
fields new weapons systems and capabilities. Deliberate investments in
RC manpower, training and equipment can be cost-wise for Navy as a
whole. New and expanding missions include cyber warfare, unmanned
systems and SurgeMain.
As the cyber warfare threat continues to grow, the Navy Reserve is
growing in its capacity to counter those threats. Our Reserve
Information Warfare Community is part of the Cyber Mission Force
integration strategy, and will grow by over 300 personnel within the
FYDP. Moving forward, Commander, U. S. Fleet Cyber Command will
continue to assess requirements for Reserve integration into Navy's
Cyber Mission Force, to include additional billets, and the potential
for creating Reserve Cyber Mission Support Units or Detachments.
With reliance on unmanned systems continuing to expand, the Navy
Reserve is well positioned to provide remote operator support, as this
planned and periodic operating construct is a perfect fit for RC
Sailors. For instance, the Navy Reserve maintains two Navy Special
Warfare SEAL Teams to provide additional capacity to the AC. In 2015,
the teams began adding unmanned aircraft systems to their mission
inventory to meet the increasing requirement for expeditionary
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Reserve
Sailors will help man these ISR detachments on a rotational basis.
The value SurgeMain Sailors add to the ability of Navy shipyards to
improve fleet readiness has prompted Navy to increase its investment in
RC SurgeMain manpower. Over the next few years, our shipyard
augmentation workforce is forecast to grow to 1,856 personnel, an
increase of 394 billets, which is a testament to the success of the
SurgeMain program and the skill and dedication of its Sailors.
conclusion
The Navy Reserve is well postured to meet the challenges of the
future and will remain fully trained and ready in support of Navy's
``Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority''. In the words of the
Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, ``We are one Navy
Team--comprised of a diverse mix of active duty and reserve Sailors,
Navy civilians, and our families...'' The synergistic relationship
within the Navy team fosters an environment that inspires the core
attributes of integrity, accountability, initiative and toughness. The
Navy Reserve's unique force structure and force-generation model, which
has evolved over the past decade, serves as a testament to our
commitment to the principle of ``one team, one fight''.
The resources to provide consistent and predictable operational
support are the cornerstone of maintaining our readiness and
permeability with the AC. This has proven to be one of the most agile,
efficient and cost effective models available across all services'
reserve components today, and your continued support of RPN funding is
greatly appreciated. Equally as important is your support for
authorities that ensure viable access to the RC in order to optimize
both flexibility and predictability to the AC and RC.
Procurement has been, and will continue to be one of our most acute
challenges, particularly in the current fiscally-constrained
environment. Aircraft recapitalization in several mission areas remains
a great concern. As we consider future investments in the Naval
Aviation Enterprise, balancing cost and risk with capacity, capability
and wholeness will be of utmost importance.
The Navy Reserve remains seamlessly integrated as a key component
of the Navy team, providing accessible forces, strategic depth and
surge capacity. We must remain properly manned, trained and equipped to
provide rapid response to a vast array of missions, from exercise
support to disaster relief and combat operations. We serve in an era of
rapid technological advances within an evolving geo-political
environment, challenged by new and emerging threats that include
violent extremism, cyber-attacks, social unrest, and the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction. These challenges will invariably test
the limits of our Nations' military capabilities, and will require
agile surge forces capable of providing rapid global response at any
time. With your continued support the Navy Reserve will remain a
critical element of Navy's ability to conduct prompt and sustained
combat operations, preserve America's strategic influence in key
regions, and decisively defeat any enemy in the maritime domain.
Senator Cochran. Thank you very much, Admiral, for your
participation and your leadership.
We now call on Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Lieutenant
General James Jackson. Welcome.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES F. JACKSON,
CHIEF, AIR FORCE RESERVE
General Jackson. Chairman Cochran, distinguished members of
the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before
you today. I am honored to be here representing the American
citizen airmen as Chief of the Air Force Reserve and Commander
of the Air Force Reserve Command. I am extremely proud of our
69,000 Reserve airmen who defend our Nation every day.
In today's rapidly shifting security environment, we must
maintain a Reserve force capable of seamlessly supporting the
Joint fight while keeping a keen eye to the future to ensure
our Air Force is effectively postured to meet any threat.
Our Air Force Reserve story continues to be written. As we
sit here today, over 5,000 Air Force reservists are supporting
combatant commanders around the globe. This year, we ushered in
the first F-35s at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. We performed more
than 48,000 mandates in support of worldwide intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements. We began
preparing for the first KC-46 Reserve unit beddown at Seymour
Johnson Air Force Base. And we increased the number of command
opportunities across components, helping develop true Total
Force leaders.
In short, your Air Force Reserve remains a vital part of
our three component Air Force team.
Reservists continue to prove themselves in operations
around the world, and we are committed to recruiting the right
people, men and women, who possess the training and skills
needed to succeed in the technologically demanding domains of
air, space, and cyberspace. We continue to excel in these
areas.
For example, last month, the 19th Space Operations Squadron
supported the final global positioning satellite 2F launch, a
milestone for the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation
but also one that impacts the lives of every American.
The daily contributions of our highly experienced
reservists provide essential capacity and support of missions
critical to the Air Force and our Nation.
This year, the Air Force Reserve recruited over 8,000
citizen airmen. More than 68 percent of those servicemembers
were prior service. These new reservists possess the experience
that we need, and they represent a significant return on the
investment and cost savings to our Nation.
We also accepted applications from over 80 Reserve Officer
Training Corps cadets to join our team and initiated an
innovative pilot program to offer constructive credit waivers
for cyber professionals who possess the skills and training
from the civilian environment that our Air Force needs. These
efforts will help ensure we provide the right force right now
and in the future.
However, recruiting and retaining airmen with the right
training and skills is not enough. As you heard from the
leaders before me, our Air Force is faced with capability and
capacity gaps. Our Total Force has become too small, and we
must reverse this glide scope in all three components.
Modernization and recapitalization of our weapons systems
must remain a top priority, even in the face of tough budget
challenges. The maintenance and corrosion issues on our HC-130
aircraft used for personnel recovery and combat search and
rescue missions provides a stark reminder of what is at stake
when we fail to recapitalize aging fleets in a timely manner.
In the same respect, the Air Force Reserve must continue to
modernize our legacy F-16, KC-135, and C-130H is to remain
operationally relevant and fully mission capable.
The committee's support of the sustained National Guard and
Reserve Equipment appropriations is critical to our
modernization efforts.
Our Reserve airmen remain my top priority. We must continue
to fund the Air Force Reserve's Wingmen Toolkit and the Yellow
Ribbon program. Last year, over 8,000 Reserve members and their
families benefited from attending a Yellow Ribbon event.
To maintain a strong national defense, we are focused on
building the future Air Force Reserve that we need as a Nation,
recapitalizing and modernizing our aging fleet, and taking care
of our people. With this committee's continued support, sir, we
will remain an indispensable and strong component of the most
capable Air Force in the world.
Thank you for your continued support and your support
during my tenure as Chief of the Air Force Reserve, and we
appreciate your support of our citizen airmen. I stand ready to
answer your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General James F. Jackson
introduction
Chairman Cochran, Vice-Chairman Durbin, and distinguished members
of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before
you today. I am honored to represent America's nearly 70,000 Citizen
Airmen as the Chief of Air Force Reserve and Commander, Air Force
Reserve Command (AFRC). The Air Force Reserve is an integral partner in
our Nation's defense, providing daily operational capability, strategic
depth and surge capacity to our Air Force. These men and women are
stationed locally and serving globally each day. I am extremely proud
of the fact that combatant commanders utilize our combat-ready Reserve
Airman to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace.
Our members come from every walk of life and for nearly 68 years,
they have raised their hands to volunteer to protect this Nation. From
the Korean War to Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, the Air Force Reserve has
deployed men and women in combat operations across the globe. We are
proud of our continued dedication and support to not only contingency
operations, but also to humanitarian crises, natural disasters and
steady-state operations. The Air Force Reserve is part of the national
security solution, and we are a proud member of our three component Air
Force team. By leveraging our Citizen Airmen's military and civilian
experience, expertise and training, the Air Force Reserve remains a
flexible and capable partner in today's joint fight.
The Air Force continues to face the challenges of increasing
requirements and decreasing capabilities. This dilemma is not unique to
the Air Force, but it is certainly a threat to the security of our
Nation. The Air Force Reserve is part of the solution to these defense
challenges. We are a hedge against risk and a cost-efficient and
mission-effective force that is postured to respond to emerging threats
at a moment's notice. I will describe our challenges and solutions in
terms of mission, manpower, modernization and MILCON.
The tension in Ukraine, the instability in Southwest Asia, Chinese
adventurism in the Pacific and the terrorist attacks on France prove we
must continue to focus on building the future force we need to protect
our country. We enable the Air Force to adapt and respond to rapid
change through assured access to a pool of nearly 70,000 Federal
Reserve Airmen who are trained and ready to provide the same
capabilities as our active component, but at a fraction of the cost.
The Air Force Reserve provides flexibility through our ability to
adjust reservist participation rates based on demand. We are not
primarily a full-time force, but we can participate full-time when
needed. It is this flexibility and capacity that makes the Air Force
Reserve a critical partner in our Total Force team and a hedge against
risk.
Our daily and continuous operational capability is
indistinguishable from the active component and is part of what makes
us such a valuable partner. The Air Force Reserve participates in every
Air Force core function. Our Citizen Airmen can be ready to deploy
within 72 hours, and integrate seamlessly with our active component
counterparts. Last year our Citizen Airmen performed nearly 1.5 million
man-days and filled more than 3,000 Air Expeditionary Force (AEF)
taskings. The Air Force Reserve plays a key role in making our Air
Force an agile and inclusive force ready for tomorrow's fight. With our
current focus on building the future force we need, modernizing and
recapitalizing our fleet, and developing our team, the Air Force
Reserve will remain operationally ready and relevant to the fight.
manpower
Two of the Air Force Reserve's focus areas are building the future
force and developing the team. Both of these endeavors rely on manpower
and require a continued focus on the recruitment, retention and
development of our Citizen Airmen. The work done through the Total
Force Continuum (TFC) has helped identify gaps between warfighter
requirements and the available forces.
To effectively maintain our force, we must focus on efforts to
attract, recruit and retain the highest quality Citizen Airmen. One of
our top recruiting priorities continues to be capturing Airmen
transitioning from the active component. The Air Force Reserve remains
a catcher's mitt for talent, and allows our Airmen to continue to
serve. The vast majority of Air Force Reservists bring a wealth of
operational experience and mission expertise they gained while on
active duty. Retaining these Airmen also results in a significant cost-
savings, since most prior-service members require very little training.
Last year, 68 percent of our recruits were prior service of which 58
percent were prior active component Air Force members. This means we
were able to leverage the initial DOD investment made in training and
seasoning, saving the American taxpayer countless dollars and
harnessing the experience and knowledge these Airmen bring to the
fight.
For 15 consecutive years, the Air Force Reserve has met its
recruiting goals. Our retention rates remain incredibly high at 86.5
percent, which is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of
our force. Yet we know that these recruitment and retention success
stories will only continue if we invest the time and money into
recruiting the right men and women into the Air Force Reserve. As with
our aircraft, we have to continue to modernize our manning models to
meet future mission requirements and reach a new generation of Citizen
Airmen.
We also continue to implement innovative accession models. To be
successful in the future we must creatively harness the manpower and
talent to support existing and emerging mission requirements. For
instance, last year we were able to directly access 26 cadets from
Reserve Officer Training Corps programs and we look to grow that number
this year. We are also looking at ways to implement constructive credit
and training waivers to recruit already-trained professionals,
particularly in the cyberspace and ISR career fields.
If the last decade of conflict has taught us anything, it is that
combatant commanders need timely and accurate ISR support. Air Force
Reserve units contribute daily to Air Force ISR operations by providing
capability in human intelligence, signals intelligence, imagery
intelligence, targeting, airborne ISR and crypto-linguist support. As
with cyberspace and space operations, intelligence operations are
uniquely suited to a part-time force that often has civilian expertise
or skills also. Our ability to leverage Airmen in a surge capacity,
that already have the training and experience in these areas, provides
the Air Force more flexibility in today's fight and more capacity for
future conflicts.
In order to support growing demand for ISR, Air Force Reserve
Command has three new units in the fiscal year 2017 President's Budget
request. First, the 20th Intelligence Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base
(AFB), Nebraska, will support Air Combat Command's 363rd ISR Wing by
providing steady state and surge capacity in intelligence collection,
analysis, and dissemination of specialized target materials. Two
additional classic associate units will be associated with U.S. Cyber
Command's Cyber Mission Force requirements, the 41st Intelligence
Squadron and 75th Intelligence Squadron. These units, located at Fort
Meade, Maryland, and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, will conduct
digital network intelligence in support of computer network
exploitation efforts.
When we look at the current warfighter environment, cyberspace is
arguably the most rapidly-evolving and highly contested domain. Our
network is constantly being tested by our adversaries and we need to
protect our information and our people from cyber intrusions and
attacks. We must build a force that understands our vulnerabilities and
how to employ cyberspace capabilities to support our operational
requirements and defend our Nation. As the military continues to
develop capabilities that utilize cyberspace technology, we must
recruit and train a force with superior understanding of this domain.
The Air Force Reserve is creating opportunities to access
cyberspace experts to ensure we always have the capacity and capability
to operate in this contested operational environment. In order to
recruit the right men and women, the Air Force Reserve is developing a
beta program to offer constructive credit, up to 3 years, to potential
cyberspace operators who have the experience and training needed to be
successful in this domain.
Currently the Air Force is also facing a challenge in aviation
career fields, where retention is difficult. The combination of decades
of high operations tempo along with the increase in commercial aviation
hiring has made it challenging for the Air Force to recruit and retain
aviators. The Air Force Reserve provides part of the solution for this
manning challenge. The inherent flexibility of our part-time career
options is attractive to separating active component Airmen, allowing
us to retain critical training investment and combat experience. We
also offer a flexible option for college graduates who want to serve
our Nation, but not necessarily in a full-time capacity. Reservists
also help bridge the gaps in aviation career fields, particularly in
the training roles that benefit from our member's longevity and
experience.
Training remains a foundational aspect of Air Force operations, one
that depends on the manpower and the experience the Air Force Reserve
offers. By leveraging our continuity and experience in the training
environment, we minimize cost and we set our newest Airmen up for
future success. The Air Force Reserve provides capability in a number
of training roles and we are looking to grow these capabilities in the
future. One of the challenges the active component faces is high
turnover in personnel, particularly in instructor positions. In fiscal
year 2017, the active component will not be able to fill all of the
billets required to support these missions. In order to fill that gap,
we are expanding our participation in the adversary air mission at
Tyndall AFB, Florida, the aggressor mission at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and
the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals training mission at Columbus
AFB, Mississippi, Randolph AFB, Texas and Sheppard AFB, Texas. We
provide more than 20 percent of the full-time Undergraduate Flying
Training instructors, in addition to our part-time force. Our members
provide continuity and experience and are a linchpin of the Air Force
training mission. It is our recruitment and retention of experienced
Airmen that makes this possible.
Citizen Airmen represent a superb value, not only to the Air Force
in terms of operational capability, but also to the American taxpayer
in terms of financial savings. The life-cycle cost of a part-time
Reserve Airman is less than 60 percent of the life-cycle cost
associated with an active duty Airman. Due to the fact that almost 75
percent of our force is part-time, the Air Force Reserve is an
extremely cost-efficient force. The capacity and affordability the Air
Force Reserve brings with our part-time, combat-proven force, helps us
mitigate some of the risk associated with current Air Force manpower
deficiencies.
Our Citizen Airmen are our most valued asset. Taking care of our
Reservists and their families is an essential part of maintaining a
healthy force. We must provide the resources, training and support to
ensure our Airmen are connected and have the supportive environments
they need to thrive throughout their careers. One of the challenges
with providing critical services for our Citizen Airman is that over
half of Reservists live more than 50 miles from the units where they
are assigned. This means many members and dependents do not have ready
access to support agencies. We must provide resources that Airmen and
their families can use even if they are not near a base.
One such initiative and support tool is the Wingman Toolkit website
and mobile app that the Air Force Reserve launched in 2010. All three
Air Force components are now using this tool, which provides resources
our Airmen need to foster mental, physical, spiritual and social well-
being. This year we are utilizing the toolkit to introduce our
``Wingman Day'' and resiliency programs that Airmen can use to help get
connected.
The key to fostering strong and resilient Citizen Airmen is
maintaining a healthy reserve-work-life balance, something that is
unique to the reserve component. Our Airmen must balance the demands of
a military career and family, but unlike their active duty
counterparts, most also shoulder the additional burden of balancing
civilian careers. It is critical that we continue to fund support
programs that help our Citizen Airmen remain resilient and connected to
each other, their families and their communities.
We are also proud of the progress we have made in growing our Key
Spouse Program, which is a commander and family program designed to
enhance readiness and ensure a sense of Air Force community. We
currently have more than 300 Key Spouses trained and ready to support
our Airmen and their families. This program encourages spouses and
families to take an active role in our local communities and base
events. By strengthening the bonds between Airmen, their families, co-
workers and communities through this type of program, we are building a
stronger and more resilient force.
I also want to thank this committee for continued support of the
Yellow Ribbon Program. This program started almost a decade ago, and
provides invaluable assistance and personal tools for Airmen and their
families preparing for or returning from deployments. Each year, Air
Force Reserve Command sends approximately 6,000 Airmen and their family
members to these incredible events. We have a process in place to
capture the impact these events have on the participants, and the
feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. By taking care of Airmen, we
honor their dedication and service to this Nation. Unfortunately,
manpower alone can only take us so far. Our Airmen can be the highest
quality and the most committed, but if they don't have the resources to
accomplish the mission, our Nation will still be at risk.
modernization
We understand that we have to prepare now to meet future threats.
Just as Secretary James stated in her testimony, ``our aircraft
inventory is the oldest it's ever been and our adversaries are closing
the technology gaps on us quickly, so we simply must modernize.'' Our
Nation cannot wait until a crisis occurs to modernize our aircraft. As
a force, we must anticipate future mission capabilities and
requirements. At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the health of
our current fleet. Much like the active component, we are focused on
readiness and modernization despite current funding challenges. The
committee is probably aware of the average age of the Air Force fleet.
The Air Force Reserve's oldest KC-135 entered the fleet in 1958,
meaning she is almost 60 years old. Modernization has to be a priority
if we want our Air Force to remain combat ready. Proactive funding of
modernization projects, even in this fiscally constrained environment,
must be one of our top priorities until we can afford to replace aging
systems. With some of the oldest airframes in the inventory,
modernization and recapitalization are essential to ensure the Air
Force Reserve remains viable and relevant in the future.
As we look at opportunities to build our future force, we are also
looking to new weapon systems like the F-35 and KC-46. In October 2015,
the first operational F-35s were delivered to Hill AFB, Utah. This
historic milestone solidified a great total force partnership between
the active component 388th Fighter Wing and the Reserve 419th Fighter
Wing, which have shared a long history of teamwork. The concurrent bed
down of new systems among components must continue for us to remain
viable total force partners. The Air Force Reserve is also moving
forward with plans to stand up two operational KC-46 squadrons at
McConnell AFB, Kansas. We provide the foundation for training in many
of our current platforms, and we will remain an invaluable partner in
these new weapon systems. Possessing both civilian and military
competencies, our members bring unique perspectives that are extremely
valuable as new weapon systems such as the KC-46 Pegasus evolve.
Our current modernization efforts revolve around upgrading legacy
systems to enhance situational awareness and improve combat
effectiveness. For example, we are upgrading our F16 fleet with
precision engagement enhancements such as advanced targeting pods and
upgraded anti-jam global positioning system (GPS) and datalink. We are
updating the radar warning receivers and radio frequency jammers to
increase our capabilities against the current integrated air defense
systems. Finally, we are increasing our C-130 capability by upgrading
them with enhanced secure line of sight and beyond line of sight data
links. These upgrades ensure we maintain our combat capability and
interoperability with the active component.
military construction
Without military construction funding, our ability to modernize and
support new mission sets is greatly limited. The Air Force Reserve
maximizes cost-effectiveness by sharing facilities and infrastructure
with the active component rather than exclusively operating our own
facilities. We leverage existing infrastructure at more than 58 active
component bases, while only operating nine Reserve host installations.
These shared facilities, such as aircraft hangars and maintenance
shops, include more than 17.1 million square feet of facilities.
However, this does not mean there are not requirements for military
construction funding, particularly when we bring on new programs. This
year three of our top six priorities will help support the KC-46 bed
down.
Currently, the Air Force Reserve has identified a $1.2 billion
military construction backlog to address recapitalization,
modernization and consolidation opportunities throughout the command.
Due to limited military construction funding across the Future Years
Defense Program (FYDP), we use Operations and Maintenance funding for
Facilities, Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) work to
accommodate mission changes, increase building efficiencies and ensure
facilities meet mission requirements. Our goal is to make every dollar
count, and we will continue to use our Facilities Operational
Capabilities and Utilization Survey program to determine the best use
of military construction and FSRM funding. For fiscal year 2017, we
have requested $189 million for the following military construction
projects:
--KC-46A Construct Two-Bay Corrosion Hangar
--KC-46A Add/Alter Aerospace Ground Equipment and Fuselage Training
Facility
--KC-46A Add/Alter Squadron Operations Facility
--C-17 Construct Two-Bay Corrosion Hangar
--C-17 Add/Alter Fuel Hydrant System
--C-17 Construct/Overlay Taxiway and Apron
These projects ensure the Air Force Reserve will meet the
requirements for maintaining and operating new weapons systems at our
existing bases. Every dollar saved from smarter MILCON execution can be
applied to modernizing our fleet or recruiting and retaining our
Airmen.
conclusion
The Air Force Reserve provides critical daily operational
capability, strategic depth and surge capacity for our Nation, but we
cannot do this without Congressional support. In order to remain an
integrated, flexible and combat-ready force, we must continue to
recruit and retain the right men and women. Our modernization efforts
and recapitalization requirements are also a top priority to ensure we
remain ready to meet the demands of combatant commanders across the
globe. Finally, we must have the military construction funding
necessary to maintain our existing infrastructure and build the new
facilities required for growth mission areas.
The Air Force Reserve is a proud member of our three-component Air
Force team. Our strength lies in our ability to operate seamlessly with
the active component, while still providing a flexible and affordable
solution. The Air Force's day-to-day mission would not get done without
Air Force Reserve people and systems. For this reason, I thank you for
the support you have provided during my tenure as the Chief of the Air
Force Reserve and ask you for your continued support of our Citizen
Airmen.
Senator Cochran. Thank you, General Jackson. I appreciate
your leadership.
We now call on the Commander of the Marine Forces Reserve,
Lieutenant General Rex C. McMillian.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL REX C. McMILLIAN,
COMMANDER, MARINE FORCES RESERVE
General McMillian. Chairman Cochran and distinguished
members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to
appear today. It is an honor to be seated with my fellow
Reserve component service chiefs to speak about your Marine
Corps Reserves.
With me today are my senior enlisted advisers, Force
Sergeant Major Anthony Spadaro and Force Command Master Chief
Christopher Coates.
I have been at the helm for 6 months in New Orleans, and I
am pleased to inform you that your Marine Corps Reserve is in
great shape. The leadership, morale, and personnel health of
the force is at unprecedented levels. It is the best I've seen
in my 26 years in the Reserves.
I am continually impressed by the professionalism,
competence, dedication, and motivation of our Reserve marines.
Like their Active Duty brothers and sisters, they serve
selflessly to protect our great Nation while at the same time
balancing their civilian careers and their families. I truly
believe that the strength of the Marine Forces Reserve is the
talent, skill, and discipline of our individual marines and
sailors.
It is motivating that the most common question that I
received from your Reserve marines is, when do I get to deploy?
They maintain the same mindset as the Active component Marine
Corps. We are ready to fight tonight and rapidly respond to any
mission.
My primary focus remains on being combat ready and having
Reserve marines and units capable of shooting, moving, and
communicating throughout the battlefield. Reserve marines are
integrated with the Active component as part of the Total
Force.
Marine Forces Reserve is manned, trained, and equipped to
support combatant commanders' operational requirements across
the full range of military operations. Critical to this mission
is our ability to maintain parity and equipment with the Active
component.
NGREA has proven to be a valuable tool with this
requirement. Leveraging the full intent of NGREA would further
facilitate the Marine Corps Reserve's ability to modernize
legacy equipment and transition to new systems to meet current
and future threats.
We owe it to our Nation's most precious assets, the young
men and women in uniform today, to send them into combat with
modern equipment instead of legacy equipment. Legacy equipment
slows our pace of operations and increases risk to our marines.
The future operating environment will stretch the
deployment capacity of the U.S. military and demand a flexible
force in readiness with global response. In light of this, my
greatest challenge, what keeps me up at night, is the question
that I ask myself: Have I done everything possible to ensure
your Reserve marines are ready to fight tonight?
We must also keep faith with our marines and their families
by investing in our home station readiness, modernization,
infrastructure sustainment, and quality-of-life programs.
Budget uncertainties impose challenges to maintaining
readiness across the Reserve component. I cannot talk about
home station readiness without taking a moment to remember our
marines and sailors that were attacked at the Reserve center in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. I want to assure you that your marines
at our drill sites are vigilant, trained, and prepared to face
and engage any future threat.
Senators, I would be remiss by not mentioning today the
upcoming centennial celebration of your Marine Corps Reserve.
August 29 of this year marks our 100th anniversary. We look
forward to highlighting our extraordinary Reserve marines and
their contributions while at the same time thanking their
families and employers and supporters.
In conclusion today, I cannot thank the committee enough
for your continued support of our marines and sailors, their
families, and their employers. Your diligent efforts have
directly contributed to our ready Marine Corps Reserve. I look
forward to your questions. Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Rex C. McMillian
introduction
The Marine Corps is the Nation's crisis response, expeditionary
force in readiness whose global presence provides the Nation a vast
range of strategic, operational and tactical options to protect the
Nation's interests. For approximately 6 percent of the defense budget,
the Marine Corps provides an affordable, capable and responsive
insurance policy for the United States of America. The Marine Corps'
commitment to the American people is as strong today as ever in its 240
year history. That commitment is backed by a cadre of Active and
Reserve Component Marines and Sailors exceptionally experienced in
taking the fight directly to the enemy. Our strength is the talent,
skill and discipline of our Marines and Sailors. Our Marines have been
doing what they have done best since 1775: standing shoulder-to-
shoulder to fight and win our Nation's battles. We don't differentiate
in our expectations for Marines; whether Reserve or Active Component--
all Marines are disciplined, focused, and lethal. Our Marines and
Sailors share an expeditionary mindset that shapes Marine Corps
culture, ethos, and thinking. We are a Total Force and, as such, the
Marine Corps Reserve continues to be integrated in all areas of the
Marine Corps. We have been fully engaged across the globe over the past
15 years of combat operations, serving as the essential shock absorber
and force enabler for our Active Component. Organized like a
traditional Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Marine Reservists from each
of our major subordinate commands--4th Marine Division, 4th Marine
Aircraft Wing, 4th Marine Logistics Group, and Force Headquarters
Group--have made a tremendous impact across the full range of military
operations in support of every geographic combatant commander's
operational and theater security cooperation requirements, as well as
Service commitments.
I am deeply impressed by the professionalism, competence, and
dedication of our Reserve Marines. Like their active component brothers
and sisters, they serve selflessly to protect our great Nation. I am
inspired by the way they balance family responsibilities, school, and
careers--while simultaneously keeping faith with the Marine Corps. They
do so with humility, without fanfare, and with a sense of pride and
dedication that is consistent with the great sacrifices of Marines from
every generation.
Reserve Component units remain highly interoperable with their
Active Component Counterparts. Active and Reserve Component Forces are
manned, trained and equipped to the same standards, thereby
facilitating the seamless employment of Reserve Component Forces to
meet Combatant Commander requirements. Accordingly, your Marine Corps
Reserve provides a professional, ready, responsive, and relevant Force
enabling service level, joint and multilateral operations. We are, and
will remain, a key component in the Marine Corps' role as the Nation's
crisis response, expeditionary force in readiness.
A Total Force
Over the past year, the Marine Corps Reserve supported each
Combatant Commander by providing forces focused on regional security
cooperation, crisis response, and crisis prevention activities, as well
as support to combat operations. Marine Forces Reserve has maintained a
robust operational tempo while providing critical capabilities
essential in maintaining lasting national security at the strategic
level. Global deployments, along with participation in Service-level,
Joint and Multilateral exercises, develop the desired depth of
experience of the reserve force, ensuring the Marine Corps Reserve is
relevant and ready to meet the Combatant Commanders' need for highly
trained, experienced and motivated general-purpose forces. The
performance of our Reserve Forces in recent total force operations
demonstrates this fact.
In 2015, more than 771 Reserve Marines mobilized supporting
operational requirements in five of the six geographic combatant
commands. Likewise, nearly 4,500 Reservists participated in 41
exercises supporting requirements in 29 countries across the globe. In
2016, Marine Forces Reserve will continue to support to the combatant
commanders by mobilizing an additional 575 Reservists and providing
5,200 Marines for a multitude of theater-specific exercises and
security cooperation events. These operations and exercises greatly
increase Reserve Component's interoperability with the Active
Component, Joint Forces and our allies.
Though the Marine Corps Reserve's opportunity for large-scale
mobilizations has decreased in recent years, the demand for the Marine
Corps' unique capabilities has increased, from Marine Expeditionary
Units to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces. Marine Forces
Reserve continues to serve as the shock absorber to lessen the strain
of these high demand capabilities on the total force. While our Nation
emerges from years of major combat operations, the Marine Corps Reserve
is not returning to a peacetime posture. We will mobilize and deploy a
task-organized Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force to U.S.
Southern Command to support the theater security cooperation objectives
in that area of operations. Marine Forces Reserve continues to provide
daily support to the geographic combatant commanders, in roles that
include multi-lateral exercises such as African Lion in Morocco, Ulchi
Freedom Guardian in South Korea, Trade Winds in the Caribbean and Maple
Flag in Canada. I anticipate Marine Forces Reserve will continue to
deploy and integrate with the Active Component, to meet the Combatant
Commander high-priority requirements through voluntary and involuntary
mobilization authorities.
In addition to participating in operational requirements across the
globe, Marine Forces Reserve continues to support the Total Force by
dutifully executing the sensitive and crucial mission of providing
casualty assistance to the families of our fallen Marines. By virtue of
our geographic dispersion, Inspector--Instructor and Reserve Site
Support Staffs are well-positioned to accomplish the vast majority of
Marine Corps casualty assistance calls and are trained to provide
compassionate and thorough assistance to the families. Indeed, the
majority of Marine Corps casualty notifications and follow-on
assistance calls to the next of kin conducted are made by our Marines.
During calendar year 2015, our Inspector--Instructor and Reserve Site
Support staffs performed 63 percent of the total casualty calls
performed by the Marine Corps. There is no duty to our families that we
treat with more importance. This is proven by the professionalism of
our Casualty Assistance Calls Officers (CACOs) and the compassionate
assistance they provide well beyond the initial notification. We ensure
that our CACOs are well trained, equipped, and supported by all levels
of command through the combination of in-class and online training.
Once assigned, the CACO is the family's central point of contact and
serves as a representative or liaison to the funeral home, government
agencies, or any other agency that may become involved. They assist
family members with planning the return and the final rest of their
Marine as well as assist with ensuring the required documents are filed
in order to receive the proper benefits. In many cases, our CACOs
provide a long-lasting bridge between the Marine Corps and the family
while providing support during the grieving process.
Additionally, Marine Forces Reserve units and personnel provide
significant support for military funeral honors for our veterans. The
Inspector--Instructor and Reserve Site Support staffs, with
augmentation from their Reserve Marines, performed 91 percent of all
funeral honors rendered by the Marine Corps during calendar year 2015.
As with casualty assistance, we place enormous emphasis on providing
timely, compassionate, and professionally executed military funeral
honors.
Finally, Marine Forces Reserve serves as the link between the
Marine Corps and local communities. We present the face of the Marine
Corps to the American public across the Nation. With Reserve units
located across the country, Marine Forces Reserve is uniquely
positioned to interact with the public and communicate the Marine Corps
story to our fellow citizens--most of whom have little or no contact
with the Marine Corps. Last year, for example, Marine Forces Reserve
personnel and units conducted over 500 local and regional community
relations events across the country.
Predictability
Operationally-focused, the Marine Corps Reserve Marines remain an
integral part of the Total Force Marine Corps, whether they are
conducting combat operations, serving within a Special Purpose Marine
Air-Ground Task Force, or assigned as advisors with security
cooperation teams in support of steady state requirements. We remain
manned, trained, and equipped to seamlessly integrate with and support
the Active Component.
However, we recognize the potential effect that the constrained
fiscal environment may have on our operational readiness, especially as
we consider how to maintain the operational experience of the Reserve
Force. By employing a Force Generation Model that rotates Marine
Reserve units through a 5-year Training and Readiness Plan we ensure
units and personnel are ready to meet any challenge. At any given time,
the Training and Readiness Plan enables the Reserves to provide combat
ready units and detachments in the form of two infantry battalions, an
artillery battalion, a combat logistics battalion, multiple aviation
capabilities, as well as an assortment of other forces. This results in
more than 3,000 Marines and Sailors trained and ready to augment and
reinforce Active Component forces whether in support of a contingency
response or as part of a pre-planned, budgeted, theater security
cooperation mission.
Our Training and Readiness Plan also provides a level of
predictability for Force planners as well as our Reserve Marines while
maintaining the ``train as we fight'' philosophy. The Plan provides our
Reservists, their families, and their employers the ability to plan for
upcoming duty requirements 5 years or beyond. This empowers service
members to achieve the critical balance between family, civilian
career, and service to our Nation while enabling employers to plan for
and manage the temporary loss of valued employees.
The key element in the Training and Readiness Plan is the
integration of Reserve units, detachments, and individuals into
Service, Joint and Multilateral level exercises, building increasing
interoperability over the 5-year plan's cycle. The units are assessed
in a culminating Integrated Training Exercise during the fourth year of
the training cycle to certify their readiness for employment during the
fifth year.
The Training and Readiness Plan assures seamless integration with
the Active Component in training exercises conducted in the United
States and overseas. Additionally, it continues to facilitate the
Marine Corps Total Force approach which has been successful throughout
combat operations.
Personnel
Marines, Sailors and civilians are the foundation of all that we
do. The resources we dedicate to sustaining and developing this
foundation directly contributes to the success of our institution. Our
ability to recruit and retain high quality men and women is linked to
our ability to meet the Marine Corps' force-in-readiness requirements.
Marine Forces Reserve is committed to recruiting and retaining the
highest quality people who meet prescribed mental and physical
standards, and are ready in mind, body and spirit to execute their
duties in the defense of our Nation.
The vast majority of the Marine Corps Selected Reserve's authorized
end strength of 38,900 fall under Marine Forces Reserve. The Selected
Reserve is composed of Marines in four categories: Marines in Selected
Marine Corps Reserve Units, Active Reserve, Individual Mobilization
Augmentees, and service members in initial training. By fiscal year
2017, the Selected Reserve authorized end strength will decrease to
38,500 Marines. This force reduction is occurring without any loss of
reserve capabilities through the voluntary release of Marines that no
longer meet the military occupational specialty (MOS) requirement for
their unit due to the force structure changes implemented in 2012 and
2013. Each of these Marines is also being offered an opportunity to
retrain to a new MOS available at their current location.
In addition to Selected Reserve Marines, Marine Forces Reserve
administers approximately 70,000 Marines who serve in the Individual
Ready Reserve, which is projected to continue to increase due to the
Active Component end strength draw down. Marine Forces Reserve
continues to monitor the mobilization viability of these Marines who
have fulfilled their active service commitment, and have returned to
civilian life. The mobilization potential of the Individual Ready
Reserve (IRR) is monitored through the use of muster events, which are
conducted at multiple locations across the country. The muster event is
the Marine Corps' opportunity to physically inspect these Marines to
ensure they meet the requirements for mobilization. These events also
provide Marines the opportunity to address administrative issues,
complete mental health and post-deployment screening, review Reserve
obligations and opportunities, meet with military-friendly employers
and prior service recruiters, and reconnect with fellow Marines. During
fiscal year 2015, Marine Forces Reserve held 27 Muster events with
7,937 Individual Ready Reserve Marines in attendance.
As the Marine Corps continues to draw down Active Component end
strength, the option of continued service in the Reserve Component has
become increasingly appealing to young Marines leaving active duty.
Marines approaching the end of their current contracts, whether Active
or Reserve Component, receive counseling on the tangible and intangible
benefits of remaining associated with the Selected Reserve. We educate
each transitioning Active Component Marine on opportunities for
continued service in the Marine Corps Reserve through the Marine Corps'
transition assistance and educational outreach programs.
Marine Forces Reserve enjoys high retention rates and affiliation
demand enhanced through incentive programs such as--retraining,
inactive duty travel reimbursement, and bonus payments. These programs
are crucial to ensure we are able to meet our authorized end strength
while also retaining our most talented Marines. Over the past 2 years,
your support for these critical programs have helped to bolster our
overall personnel end-strength to 99 percent of the total requirement
with a grade and MOS match rate of 84 percent. The unprecedented
retention rates over the last 2 years not only are reflective of the
health of the Force, but directly contribute to its operational
readiness. While we fully expect to meet our Selected Marine Corps
Reserve retention and recruiting goals again this fiscal year,
continued use of incentive programs are critical to optimally align our
inventory against our requirements, maintain individual and unit-level
readiness, address significant shortfalls in staff non-commissioned
officer leadership, maximize Marine deployability, and fully rebuild
readiness from previous force structure changes. Your continued support
for bonuses and other initiatives that promote service to this great
Nation will ensure our ability to recruit and retain the very best
service members.
Equipment
Marine Forces Reserve is manned, trained, and equipped to maintain
operational parity with the Active Component. While complete
compatibility is difficult to achieve due to total force priorities,
equipment compatibility between the Active Component and Reserve
Component is closer today than it has ever been--due largely to
sustaining requirements over 15 years of continuous operational
deployments. This level of compatibility with the Active Component
comes at an increase in equipment maintenance cost due to the
introduction of non-standard equipment, the fielding of new systems,
and the overall increase in equipment scale and complexity.
Marine Forces Reserve equipment readiness levels are healthy and
capable of supporting all home station training requirements and our
current operational deployments. Our efforts currently focus on Global
Combat Support System-Marine Corps post cutover actions, training our
supply personnel and maintainers on the new system, adjusting equipment
inventories to the recently approved Training Allowances, and
maintaining our equipment in a fully operational status. Continued
Congressional support in fully funding our Operations and Maintenance,
Marine Corps Reserve maintenance budget request is paramount for our
continued success.
The top procurement priority of Marine Forces Reserve is the KC-
130J Super Hercules. The Active Component has fully fielded the KC-
130J; however, the remaining 23 Reserve Component aircraft are not
expected to be fully fielded until 2027 at the current rate. This
extended timeline forces the Reserve Component to simultaneously
operate KC-130J and legacy KC-130T aircraft for a prolonged period of
time. The two aircraft models have vastly different logistic,
maintenance and aircrew requirements, demanding double the investment
of resources by Reserve squadrons.
Our second highest procurement priority is the RQ-21A Blackjack
Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System. The RQ-21A will provide the
Marine Expeditionary Force and subordinate commands (divisions and
regiments) a dedicated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
system capable of delivering intelligence products directly to the
tactical commander in real time. This program is still in low-rate
initial production--the Active Component began initial procurement in
fiscal year 2014, and the Reserve Component is scheduled to receive the
first RQ-21As in fiscal year 2021 and keep Marine Forces Reserve at
parity with the Active Component.
Training
During June 2016, Marine Forces Reserve will conduct its fourth
Service-level Integrated Training Exercise, which is a two Battalion
assessed live-fire and maneuver exercise, featuring reserve component
forces comprising the Marine Air-Ground Task Force elements (i.e.,
command, ground, air, and logistics). The unique nature of this
exercise ensures maximum training benefits for the ground, aviation,
and logistics combat elements under the command of a regimental
headquarters. The Integrated Training Exercise is an indispensable
component of our Training and Readiness Plan and serves as an annual
capstone exercise, which is the principal mechanism for examining our
training and readiness levels, as well as assessing our operational
capabilities. Conducted aboard Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center,
Twenty-nine Palms, California; the Integrated Training Exercise is a
Marine Air-Ground Task Force deployment vice a compilation of numerous
annual training events. Units participate based on future activation
potential in accordance to the Marine Forces Reserve fiscal years 2016-
2020 Training and Readiness Plan. The Integrated Training Exercise
provides all Marine Air-Ground Task Force elements an opportunity to
undergo a Service-Level assessment of core competencies that are
essential to Expeditionary Forward-Deployed Operations. Additionally,
individuals serving on the regimental command element staff receive
training that ensures the ability to augment a Marine Air-Ground Task
Force and/or a Joint staff. In summary, the Integrated Training
Exercise improves combat readiness, efficiency in Total Force
integration, and enables more rapid activation response times at the
battalion and squadron level.
At our Reserve Training Centers, we continue to maximize training
efficiencies by utilizing simulators wherever possible to preserve
fiscal and materiel resources. The Reserve Component Indoor Simulated
Marksmanship Trainers (ISMTs) and other simulation systems safeguard
consistent capabilities across the Total Force by ensuring Reserve
Marines are trained to the same tasks, conditions, and standards as the
Active Component. The ISMTs particularly benefit remote site locations
that are distant from Department of Defense training ranges by
preserving valuable training time during drill weekends.
With our Marines deploying around the globe, we also access and
leverage a variety of other sources for language and cultural training,
such as the Marine Corps' Center for Advanced Operational Culture and
Language, the Defense Language Institute, and Regional Language
Centers. These enhanced language and culture learning opportunities
strengthens core competencies and posture Marine Forces Reserve as a
ready and responsive force.
Facilities
Marine Forces Reserve occupies facilities in 47 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These
facilities include 26-owned and 134-tenant Reserve Training Centers,
three family housing sites, three Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, and a
General Officer's Quarters in New Orleans, Louisiana. Although some
Reserve Training Centers are located on major Department of Defense
bases and National Guard readiness centers, most of our centers are
located within civilian communities. Therefore, the condition and
appearance of our facilities influences the American people's
perception of the Marine Corps throughout the Nation.
The largest part of the facilities' budget sustains the existing
physical plant, focusing on infrastructure maintenance that enables
Marine Forces Reserve to meet Service and combatant command operational
requirements. Costs of maintaining the physical plant steadily
increases based on the age of the buildings. We have improved the
overall readiness and physical security of our inventory and corrected
some chronic facility condition deficiencies through Facilities
Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) funding,
particularly with a focused and successful effort to improve security
by standardizing gates and electronic access systems for all Marine
Forces Reserve owned sites. Engineering assessments at all our Marine
Forces Reserve sites are currently underway to identify all anti-
terrorism and force protection vulnerabilities for FSRM project
appropriation.
The Marine Corps' Military Construction, Naval Reserve (MCNR)
program focuses on new footprint and recapitalization of our aging
facilities. The construction provided by the annual authorization of
MCNR funding has been an important factor in moving Marine Forces
Reserve forward in its facilities support mission. The combined effects
from our targeted consolidation, FSRM and MCNR programs have steadily
reduced the number of inadequate or substandard Reserve Training
Centers. Continued annual funding for our facilities program will
enable Marine Forces Reserve to improve the physical infrastructure
that supports, protects, and reinforces mission readiness of our units.
Additionally, Marine Forces Reserve continues targeting opportunities
to place training facilities within existing Department of Defense
compounds. For example, in 2015 an aging and exposed Memphis Tennessee
site was replaced with a new on-site facility at Naval Support Activity
Mid-South (Millington, Tennessee).
In an attempt to lessen some of the burden on the energy budget,
and in accordance with national mandates, Marine Forces Reserve
completed energy assessments at our owned sites and continues to
implement the recommendations from those assessments as funds are
available. Priority is given to sites that are the biggest energy users
nationally and those projects which offer the best return on
investment. Environmental stewardship continues to be a major success
in ensuring Marine Forces Reserve sites and units continue to comply
with national, State, and local laws.
Health Services and Behavioral Health
Our focus on Marines, Sailors, and their families remains our
highest priority. Therefore, we are keenly attentive to maintaining
their health and total fitness. During dwell, our health services
priority is to attain and maintain the Department of Defense goal of 75
percent fully medically ready. In fiscal year 2015, Marine Forces
Reserve individual medical and dental readiness Department of Defense
rates were 70 percent and 89 percent respectively. We aggressively work
towards improving medical readiness through effective utilization of
Medical Readiness Reporting System capabilities. This enables accurate
monitoring and identification of unit-level actions necessary to attain
readiness goals. The opening of a Navy Satellite branch clinic at
Marine Corps Support Facility, New Orleans is an example of the
commitment to improve individual medical/dental readiness. Other
supporting efforts focus on advocating for funds and tailoring support
for various Reserve Medical/Dental Health Readiness Programs. This
includes utilizing a combination of programs, such as; our Reserve
Health Readiness Program contract services, Post-Deployment Health
Reassessment, Reserve TRICARE Medical/Dental Programs, and the
Psychological Health Outreach Program, to significantly aid in
sustaining our total readiness. Additionally, our Health Services
personnel participate in Force Readiness Assistance & Assessment
Program unit inspections. These inspections provide oversight for the
current health status of the Force at unit levels and provide an
ability to monitor compliance requirements, policy adherence, and
meeting unit goal initiatives.
The Reserve Health Readiness Program (RHRP) is the cornerstone for
individual medical and dental readiness. Marine Forces Reserve has
benefited from increases in overall readiness as a result of this
program. This program funds contracted medical and dental specialists
to provide services to units that do not have direct medical or dental
support personnel assigned and are not supported by a military
treatment facility. During fiscal year 2015, the RHRP performed 23,594
Periodic Health Assessments, 2,400 Mental Health Assessments, 1,506
immunizations, 7,205 laboratory services, 43,785 audio services, and
42,992 Dental Procedures. TRICARE also offers, for voluntary purchase,
TRICARE Reserve Select for medical coverage and TRICARE Dental Program
to our Reserve Marines, Sailors, and their families.
In addition to RHRP, the Marine Corps' robust behavioral health
program addresses issues ranging from substance abuse prevention,
suicide prevention, operational stress management, domestic violence,
and child abuse prevention. These programs work in conjunction with
Navy Medicine programs to address behavioral health issues.
With regard to specific fitness efforts, Marine Forces Reserve
continues to conduct Operational Stress Control and Readiness training
at all levels. This training is designed to be provided during pre-
deployment training to service members of units that are deploying for
more than 90 days as well as all commands in garrison. The purpose of
this training is to provide the requisite knowledge, skills, and tools
to assist commanders in preventing, identifying, and managing combat
and operational stress concerns as early as possible.
Navy Bureau of Medicine continues to support behavioral health
through various independent contracted programs, such as the Post-
Deployment Health Reassessment/Mental Health Assessments and the
Psychological Health Outreach Program. The Post-Deployment Health
Reassessment places an emphasis on identifying mental health concerns
that may have emerged since returning from deployment. The
Psychological Health Outreach Program addresses post-deployment
behavioral health concerns and crisis-related interventions through
social worker contractors. These social workers provide an array of
referral services in the community to include follow-up with service
members. These programs have proven effective in the overall management
of identifying Marines and Sailors in need of behavioral health
assistance and have provided an avenue to those service members who
seek behavioral health assistance.
Signs of operational and combat stress can manifest long after a
service member returns home from deployment. Delayed onset of symptoms
presents particular challenges to Reservists who can be isolated from
vital medical care and the daily support network inherent in Marine
Reserve units. Encouraging Marines to acknowledge and vocalize mental
health issues is a ubiquitous challenge facing our commanders. We
address the stigma associated with mental healthcare through key
programs such as the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. Further, we
market all our behavioral health initiatives and programs through our
Marine Forces Reserve portal website and during key Marine Corps forums
throughout the year. Your continued support of these programs is
greatly appreciated.
Suicide prevention continues to remain a priority effort for Marine
Forces Reserve and we will continue to leverage all of the resources
needed to address this heartbreaking issue. Marine Forces Reserve
focuses its suicide prevention efforts on five initiatives: In-theater
Assessments, Post Deployment Health Assessments, Psychological Health
Outreach Program, Care Management Teams, and Unit Marine Awareness and
Prevention Integration Training. The In-theater Assessment targets
Reservists exhibiting or struggling with clinically significant issues,
and ensures evaluation by competent medical authorities for post-
deployment treatment with follow-up decisions made prior to the return
home. The Post Deployment Health Reassessment seeks to identify issues
that emerge once Reservists have come home from deployment. Identified
issues are immediately evaluated and referred for treatment by the
clinician interviewer, to include referral recommendations based on
available local resources, such as the VA or private mental health
providers. The Psychological Health Outreach Program is an essential
program for treatment referral and follow-up to ensure our service
members are receiving the appropriate behavioral health services.
Through the Care Management Teams, the VA assigns a primary care
manager who is responsible for referral and follow-up to any Reservist
who has a healthcare issue.
Any Reservist and their family can access Marine Corps
installations' behavioral health programs through Marine Corps
Community Services programming while they are on any type of active-
duty orders. When not on active-duty orders, Military OneSource
provides counseling, resources, and support to Reserve service members
and their families anywhere in the world. The Marine Corps' DSTRESS
Line provides phone, chat and Skype support 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, 365 days a year and is also available to all Reserve Marines,
Sailors, and family members regardless of their activation status.
Sexual Assault Prevention & Response
Eliminating sexual assault throughout Marine Forces Reserve remains
a top priority. Efforts toward this goal have gained increasing
momentum with a full-time civilian staff of six. Each Major Subordinate
Command (MSC) within Marine Forces Reserve has a Sexual Assault
Response Coordinator (SARC) who manages that Commanding General's
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program from the
headquarters office. Together with the Civilian Victim Advocate and the
Force level Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Marine Forces Reserve
continues to increase victim services, improve victim response
capabilities, and emphasize prevention.
In addition to managing the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Program at all Marine Forces Reserve sites throughout the United
States, the SARCs train more than one hundred new Uniformed Victim
Advocates (UVA) each year and provide continuous support to more than
300 Marines and Sailors serving in the collateral duty billet as a UVA
at any given time. Once trained by the SARCs and credentialed through
the DOD Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program, the UVAs are
appointed by their commanders to be Advocates at their respective
Reserve Training Centers. They are then charged with responding to
those service members or adult dependents that make a report of sexual
assault regardless of their activation status. With the support of
their SARC, the UVAs assess for safety issues, offer ongoing supportive
services, and maintain a data base of resources for victims of sexual
assault who may not reside on or near an Installation. The SARCs
coordinate with leadership to ensure that every Marine Forces Reserve
site is covered and services are available no matter their location.
The SARCs and UVAs collaborate with providers local to the sites in
order to create a network of support and response capabilities for the
Reserve component across the country.
Our prevention strategy is holistic and has therefore coordinated
with other programs that can support the prevention effort such as the
Equal Opportunity Program, Family Readiness, and Behavioral Health.
Marine Forces Reserve also emphasizes setting the example of discipline
and respect from all levels of command by encouraging a positive
command climate within each unit. I, along with the four commanding
generals of our major subordinate commands, actively engage with our
Marines and Sailors as we travel to the Reserve sites to learn what we
as leaders may do to further support a positive environment that is
free from attitudes and behaviors that are incompatible with our core
values. Preventative education also continues to play a role as all
non-commissioned officers receive ``Take a Stand'' bystander
intervention training and all junior Marines participate in the ``Step
Up'' bystander intervention training each year. All of our Marines
participate in the Pure Praxis Bystander Intervention Training.
Marine Forces Reserve is committed to the fight against sexual
assault while continuing to provide supportive services and advocacy to
those who need it.
Quality of Life
Whether we are taking care of our Marines in the desert or families
back home, quality of life support programs are designed to help all
Marines and their families. Because Marines and their families make
great sacrifices in service to our country, they deserve the very best
support. Our Marines and families are dispersed throughout America,
away from the traditional support systems of our bases and stations.
Therefore, we expend great effort to ensure awareness of the numerous
support programs adapted for their benefit. Family Readiness Officers
are a critical component to ensuring young Marines and their families
receive the help needed to ensure they can continue to serve this great
Nation.
This year we have worked as the advocate for the Reservist to
ensure they are included in tri-service-level discussions with DOD and
the VA to ensure service treatment records reach VA with a clear of
chain custody. Because every Marine leaving active duty with a
remaining military service obligation transitions to the IRR, and every
Marine mobilized over 30 days must have his or her medical history
documented, Marine Forces Reserve has a large stake in ensuring this
process is sound and that follow-up medical care is assured.
Following approximately 8 years of program expansion to achieve
wartime footing, Marine and Family Readiness Programs are being
adjusted to meet current and future needs to operating forces, Marines
including Reservists, and their families. The Marine Corps is assessing
all Marine and Family programs to ensure that they are stabilized,
focused on core requirements, and providing support in critical areas
such as deployment. Our result is a ready and resilient Force, well
equipped to achieve success.
Our Marine Corps Family Team Building (MCFTB) programs provide
relevant and standardized training to unit commanders, Family Readiness
Command Teams, Marines and their families; thereby reinforcing the
pillars of resiliency, sustaining a constant state of personal and
family readiness, and ultimately enhancing unit mission readiness.
MCFTB training events are delivered in person and through interactive
webinars at Marine Corps units across the United States.
A key component to our quality of life and resiliency is the
religious ministry support provided by the 190 Chaplains and Religious
Program Specialists serving in our ranks; 107 of them in commissioned
Reserve units, while 83 support the active component. Of those, 29 are
mobilized in support of Combatant Commander's across the globe. This
support includes provision of divine services across the spectrum of
faith communities, critical advisement on spiritual and ethical matters
at every level of the chain of command and pastoral care to all in a
safe, confidential environment. One signature program is the Chaplain
Religious Enrichment Development Operations (CREDO) Program. MFR CREDO
provides two transformational programs: the Marriage Enrichment Retreat
(MER) and the Personal Resiliency Retreat (PRR). CREDO contributes to a
ready and resilient Force by equipping Marines, Sailors, and their
families with practical relationship and communication tools that
strengthen marriages and individual resilience on the home front and
during deployments. The PRR curriculum also helps Marines and Sailors
set personal goals, make good decisions, deal with stress, and live
lives with greater purpose and satisfaction. Learning to live with
purpose helps guard against a loss of hope and counteracts suicidal and
other destructive behaviors. In fiscal year 2015, 10 Marriage
Enrichment retreats were conducted with 232 participants. Two Personal
Resiliency Retreats were conducted with 20 participants. In fiscal year
2016, 14 Marriage Enrichment Retreats and 4 Personal Resiliency
Retreats are projected to be offered.
The Marine Corps Personal and Professional Development programs
continue to provide educational information to service members and
their families. Reservists take advantage of our partnership with
tutor.com, which offers access for our Marines, Sailors, and their
families to 24/7 no-cost, live online tutoring services for K-12
students, Reserve component college students, and adult learners
through the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Yellow Ribbon
Program. Additionally, the Marine Corps' partnership with the OSD-
supported Peterson's Online Academic Skills Course helps Marines build
math and verbal skills to excel on the job, pass an exam, advance in a
career, or continue education. This program assesses the current level
of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and math skills and teaches the
concepts and skills needed to increase proficiency in each of these
academic areas. This course is accessed through the Military One Source
or Navy Knowledge Online and provided at no charge for service members
and their families.
Our Semper Fit program remains fully engaged in partnering with our
bases and stations to provide quality, results-based education and
conditioning protocols for our Marines and Sailors. The High Intensity
Tactical Training (HITT) program includes hands-on strength and
conditioning courses, online physical fitness tools, mobile
applications for service members to access anywhere at any time,
recorded webinars, as well as instruction on injury prevention,
nutrition, and weight management. Our Marines' and Sailors' quality of
life is also increased through various stress management and esprit de
corps activities, such as unit outings and participation in competitive
events. These programs are key to unit cohesion, camaraderie, and
motivation.
The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) has been
incorporated into the Marine Corps Unit, Personal, and Family Readiness
Program at every command level with civilian and Active Duty Deputy
Family Readiness Officers (FRO). Since its inception in 2010, the YRRP
has held more than 660 training events for more than 35,000 Marines,
Sailors, and family members. The responsibility of executing Yellow
Ribbon--in accordance with the legislation and Marine Forces Reserve
policy, resides with the individual unit commander. This ensures
commanders remain engaged with the challenges and issues facing their
Marines, Sailors, and families, and is in line with Force Preservation
efforts.
The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is enduring. Marine Forces
Reserve continues to explore, with our Marine Corps Family Team
Building staff, innovative methods for program delivery that will be
sustainable in any fiscal or deployment climate. This includes
developing webinars, mail-outs, personal deployment briefs designed to
meet the individual needs of the service member and family, and working
with the Family Readiness Officers to leverage local resources at no
cost to the government.
We continue to be supportive of Military OneSource, which provides
our Marines, Sailors, and their families with an around-the-clock
information and referral service via toll-free telephone and Internet
access for counseling and on subjects such as parenting, child care,
education, finances, legal issues, deployment, crisis support, and
relocation.
Our Marines, Sailors, and their families, who sacrifice so much for
our Nation's defense, should not be asked to sacrifice quality of life.
We will continue to be a faithful advocate for these programs and
services and to evolve and adapt to the changing needs and environments
in order to ensure that quality support programs and services are
provided to our Marines, Sailors and their families. The combined
effect of these programs is critical to the readiness and retention of
our Marines, Sailors, and their families, and your continued support of
these programs is greatly appreciated.
Supporting our Wounded, Ill, or Injured Marines and their Families
Marine Forces Reserve's commitment to our wounded Marines, Sailors,
and their families is unwavering. Through the Wounded Warrior Regiment
(WWR), the Marine Corps ensures one standard of care for all wounded,
ill, or injured (WII) service members, whether they are active or
reserve. Marines Forces Reserve requested and received in 2013 a
liaison in who coordinates with WWR to provide subject matter expertise
and facilitate support for the unique challenges faced by Marine
Reservists and their families.
WWR staff includes the Reserve Medical Entitlements Determinations
Section, which specifically maintains oversight of all cases of
reservists who require medical care for service incurred and duty
limiting medical conditions. Reservists facing complex care and
recovery needs have access to WWR's network of 44 Recovery Care
Coordinators (RCCs) who provide one-on-one transition support and
resource identification for WII reservists and families often living
away from military installations. WWR also has medical advocates at the
regimental staff who are available to assist reservists in need of
medical care coordination and advocacy.
Marine Forces Reserve is intimately involved in the support
provided to wounded, ill, and injured Marines through the mobilization
of Reserve Marines who serve as District Injured Support Coordinators
(DISCs), Section Leaders and recovery care support staff. The
geographically dispersed DISCs focus primarily on reaching out to the
reserve and veteran WII population to ensure the Marine Corps'
commitment to keep faith is upheld.
While the current operations are resulting in fewer combat
casualties, Marines afflicted with non-combat injuries and illnesses
will likely remain a concern. In addition, instances of post-traumatic
stress and traumatic brain injury continue to arise due to delayed
onset as well as the tendency by Marines to postpone seeking help.
Regardless of the global security environment, recovery care support
must be enduring. Marine Forces Reserve will not forget the sacrifices
our Marines and Sailors have made for this great Nation; and we will
continue to work with WWR to establish resources and programs that
address the unique and ongoing needs of our reserve population.
conclusion
The Marine Corps is our Nation's crisis response force and will
continue to be most ready when our Nation is least ready. As part of
the Marine Corps Total Force, Marine Forces Reserve must remain manned,
trained, and equipped to provide forces to the Active Component to
respond across the operational spectrum--from disaster relief, to
Embassy evacuation, to full-scale combat operations. We live in a world
challenged by competition for natural resources, violent extremism,
natural disasters, social unrest, cyber-attacks, regional conflict, and
the proliferation of advanced weaponry and weapons of mass destruction.
The future operating environment will continue to be characterized by
challenges that will stretch the employment capacity of the U.S.
military and demand a force-in-readiness with global response
capabilities. With your continued unwavering support, Marine Forces
Reserve will remain that crucial shock absorber to the Active
Component. Semper Fidelis!
Senator Cochran. Thank you very much, General. We
appreciate your leadership.
We are now going to recognize Senators in the order in
which they have attended the hearing. The first is the
distinguished Senator from Montana, Mr. Tester.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank all of you for your leadership and your
service to the country. I very much appreciate it. This is an
all-star cast we have in front of the subcommittee today, so
thank you all.
CONVERT MILITARY TECHNICIANS INTO TITLE 5
I am going to start with you, General Grass. In terms of
last year's NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) provision
to convert a number of military technicians into Title 5, I
know that your job is simply to follow the law. And there have
been concerns raised by a number of TAGs (The Adjutant General)
and Governors about the provision's potential impact on their
work force, and it obviously is an issue on many of our radar
screens.
So, General Grass, in your perspective, is there a way to
implement this provision in a manner that would not undermine
the local chain of command and a State's ability to respond to
local emergencies?
General Grass. Senator, as you know, this has been a very
difficult issue with the Governors and the Adjutants General.
We have been working very closely with Congress based on the
NDAA 2016 language. What we really need is some more time to do
the analysis.
What we don't want to put at risk is the readiness or the
benefits and entitlements to our people. We want to make sure
that is taking care of.
The Technician Act was enacted in 1968, so anything that
has been around that long in the transition to operational
force, it would be a great opportunity to relook at right now.
But we just need more time to do the analysis and work with the
States on the impacts.
Senator Tester. I would just ask that if there are things
that we need to do to make the readiness and flexibility, to
maintain that, don't be afraid to ask.
General Grass. Senator, one thing that has come out in the
NDAA as we work with the committees, we found that the command
and control, the ability to manage that force both for the
Federal mission but also for the State mission, has been one of
the issues we are trying to work through that might require
some changes there.
C-130H AVIONICS MODERNIZATION
Senator Tester. Okay.
General Neal, we are on track to implement increment one of
the required C-130H avionics to meet the FAA's 2020 deadline.
We are on track to do that, correct?
General Neal. That is correct, Senator. The deadline is
January 20. We will make it by 2 or 3 months.
Senator Tester. Good. Assuming that the funds you requested
in this budget for the C-130H updates are appropriated, you
feel confident that you will have the resources to meet that
deadline?
General Neal. I do, Senator.
Senator Tester. Good. Do you know when the queue of the
aircraft to receive these upgrades will be finalized, and if it
will be shared?
General Neal. We are pretty close. We probably have about a
90 percent queue for amp one, the one you're talking about
right now. The entire mod is only a 7-month mod. So for all
practical purposes, it is a simultaneous mod, so the queue
doesn't really matter.
What we are working around is, for example, in Montana, we
are working around aircraft that go into heavy maintenance
right before or right after. So that is kind of a limiting
factor on this one.
So the schedule is pretty easy. It is not really
controversial, but we will have that in the next 2 weeks, I
would imagine. We will share with the Adjutants General.
Senator Tester. Okay, good.
If you fail to meet the 2020 deadline, God forbid, but if
you fail to meet it, do you have a fallback plan?
General Neal. Well, we plan not to fail, Senator, of
course. But we do. There are workarounds. It usually involves
more coordination with both the air traffic control here in the
States and Europe. It usually involves different altitudes,
lower altitudes or greater length of routes, all of which is an
extra fuel cost. But we do have workarounds, and we are working
with Air Force on those, sir.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
Senator Tester. Okay, thank you.
In Montana, and I believe across the country, we have
witnessed a tragic increase in the suicide rate among guardsmen
and reservists that have never been deployed. As each of you
know, far too often it is a result of folks living far, far
from military installations and not having access to the same
kind of services of care that those folks who are deployed
have.
Guard units in States like Montana have done a great job
trying to deal with this issue, but they are obviously
operating with limited resources. Those of you that want to
respond to this, can.
What are your services doing to ensure that nondeployed
guardsmen and reservists have access to the mental healthcare
and services that they need?
General Talley. Sir, I will get to bat first.
Senator Tester. General.
General Talley. So in the Army Reserve, probably our
greatest success in getting after suicide prevention and a
number of other challenges is what we call Fort Family. Fort
Family has been a wonderful success.
So Fort Family is a 24/7 hotline, if you will, staffed by
trained, certified specialists in dealing with people who are
suicidal in a variety of challenges, and they are not in the
chain of command. And that is based out of our headquarters at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
We have a whole variety of different ways that we are
getting after suicide prevention, but I will just say that Fort
Family has been very, very successful, because somebody can
call it, regardless of what time of day it is. They often don't
want to talk to the chain of command, because their perception
is they are seen as weak, they are not a real soldier because
they are suffering from these thoughts and these issues.
But they will call Fort Family. We have story after story
after story of successful interventions, courtesy of Fort
Family, sir.
Senator Tester. Good.
Senator Cochran. The time of the Senator has expired.
Senator Tester. I'm not talking. They are, Mr. Chairman.
[Laughter.]
Senator Tester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Cochran. Thank you.
We will now recognize the distinguished Senator from
Missouri, Senator Blunt.
Senator Blunt. Thank you, Chairman. I am very interested in
that issue as well. We might even get back to Senator Tester's
question here, depending on how quickly we can go.
CYBER
First of all, I want to ask General Grass and General
Jackson about cyber.
General Jackson, you brought that up.
Let's start, General Grass, with you, though.
I have been particularly interested in what seems to me the
additional skills we bring to the table with people who are
working in their regular job in some kind of cyber activity,
and then they bring that to the cyber Guard unit with them. As
a member of the Intel Committee as well, I know this is a
constant daily fight for lots of people.
How are we finding that symbiosis of guardsmen and
reservists who are working outside in the private sector in the
cyber field, who are then also part of an Active cyber unit
that can be utilized as needed? General Grass.
General Grass. Senator Blunt, it is exactly what Secretary
Ash Carter has been looking at. In fact, he just recently
visited one of our Air Guard units out in Washington State. The
cyber squadron there, the 252nd, showed him the capability they
bring both from their civilian skills and their military
skills.
In December, we rolled out 11 more Air and Army Guard units
with the Adjutants General that we are stationing. Once those
are stationed, and it goes out to about 2019, we will be at a
point then when we will have 30 Air and Army Guard capable
cyber units in the National Guard in at least 30 States.
Actually, it's going to be a little bit more than that.
On the Army Guard side, and General Kadavy can talk more to
this, but we've already put in up to 10 temporary positions to
kind of seed the population out there, to see where we can
attract the men and women from academia, from business, who
have cyber skills and bring them on board now, because we know
the requirement is going to grow.
Senator Blunt. General Jackson, and then we will go to
General Kadavy.
General Jackson. Senator, thanks for the question. Just to
pile on, we have seen that exact synergy that you are talking
about.
The Air Force Reserve has currently 13 cyber organizations,
and we are going to put about four more in place where the Air
Force and where the Nation needs us, including supporting cyber
mission teams. We have been extremely successful in recruiting
to those new organizations. We are well above 80 percent.
But we have to put them in the right locations. That is a
part of our modeling and simulation where we look at where we
can put cyber units to actually be successful.
In addition, as I mentioned earlier, we have that approval
from our leadership to bring in cyber professionals with 3
years' time and constructive credit, so that they don't have to
take those first 3 years and build into an airmen who can do
that type of mission.
Senator Blunt. All right. General Kadavy.
CYBER NETWORK DEFENSE TEAMS
General Kadavy. Senator, thanks for the question. We are
working pretty hard. We have a strategy, we believe, to ensure
cyber capacity and capability in each one of the 54 States,
territories and District of Columbia.
It starts with the Cyber Network Defense teams, which were
truly the seed corn we put out a few years ago. Each and every
State has one of those teams.
We have rolled out in December the remaining cyber
protection teams. They are the 10 teams that are currently in
the force structure or will come in the structure between
fiscal year 2017 and 2019. But we will start to stand them up
this year.
And then finally, we are working some concept plans with
Army Cyber and with the department to expand our footprint into
the future.
Senator Blunt. And do you envision them relieving the full-
time force when they are doing their monthly time or their 2
weeks of time? How do you see them coming in and out of the
system, General Kadavy?
CYBER MISSION FORCE
General Kadavy. When they are doing their drills and annual
training, their training, they are refreshing their
certifications. Then when needed, they can be mobilized in
support or enhance current Active component teams and missions.
As then we get them fully operational, then we can also provide
in that capacity IDT (inactive-duty training) and AT where it
fits additional capacity in the current environment with Active
component teams.
Senator Blunt. I have half a minute left. Anyone else want
to comment on this question? I am not sure I have time to start
another question yet.
General Neal. Senator, I can answer really quick.
Washington State, just as General Grass said, we are doing
that. We are doing it with the NSA professionals, who are also
guardsmen at Fort Meade.
What we are doing is we have picked up two full-time
missions for the Air Force and we just alternate through a
couple units to do that, so we are doing exactly what you
suggested.
Senator Blunt. And recruiting, General Jackson, is going in
this area, it is enhancing your recruiting capacity?
General Jackson. Yes, sir. We are recruiting extremely well
in this mission area in the locations we put them in.
Senator Blunt. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Cochran. Thank you.
We now recognize the distinguished Senator from New Mexico,
Mr. Udall.
NATIONAL GUARD COUNTER DRUG PROGRAM
Senator Udall. Thank you, Chairman Cochran.
Thank you to all of you for your service. This is a very
impressive group of men and women serving our country.
The National Guard is a great asset that fills many roles
in our Nation's security, from overseas deployment to emergency
response.
Coming from a border State, we are also very familiar with
the work the National Guard does to help Border Patrol keep our
borders secure.
The Bootheel region in New Mexico borders Mexico on two
sides. And for many years, we have heard serious concerns about
drug trafficking moving through this remote, rugged territory.
The Border Patrol officers tell me they actually need more
horses to patrol it. The National Guard's assets and expertise
can be force multipliers to help the Border Patrol cover more
territory.
My staff recently attended a recent community meeting there
in the Bootheel with many New Mexico residents in attendance,
and we have also heard from the New Mexico National Guard.
So I have a couple questions to follow up on this situation
in the Bootheel, General Grass. First, the National Guard
counterdrug program helps bring invaluable capabilities to the
Border Patrol by operating forward-looking infrared cameras,
providing nighttime air support, and operating some of the
Border Patrol's multiple surveillance systems.
Last year, the National Guard deployed five teams to
support the Border Patrol's mission in New Mexico, and I want
to thank you very much for that support.
However, I am concerned that the National Guard's support
for the Border Patrol has not been sufficiently funded going
forward. We have heard that the number of National Guard teams
in New Mexico could be cut in half and the Guard's four
helicopters that it uses for Border Patrol operations are
limited to about 6 months of flight time a year.
Will you work with us to ensure that we do not see a drop
off in Guard support for New Mexico border security over the
coming year, specifically its support for aviation units in
critical remote areas as vast as the Southwest border?
General Grass. Senator Udall, yes, I will work with you.
The issue that we are dealing with on counterdrug is the
episodic funding. Each year, Congress helps us. Of course, it
falls under issues inside the Department of Defense, a lower
level of funding that other priorities take over.
We are sitting at about $212 million for the full program
this year. It is the most we've had in many years. But if we
continue on the path we are on right now, we will come back in
the President's budget right now at about $87 million, which
would be about half of the requirement.
We have submitted a finance requirement there. Again, it is
competing against very high priorities within the Department of
Defense that deal with readiness and other issues, so we do
need help in that area.
We understand that about $220 million a year fully funds
not just the counterdrug programs in every State but also it
funds our five school houses and we are expanding the use of
those school houses right now with both State and local as well
as Federal agencies.
COUNTER DRUG TREAT-BASED RESOURCE MODEL
Senator Udall. Thank you. I would like to focus
specifically on how Guard funding works now, General Grass. My
understanding is that the National Guard Bureau provides
funding to all States and four territories to defeat drug
trafficking through a threat-based resource model. We have
heard that the Guard antidrug funding could be better allocated
to stop drug trafficking at the border. And the southern border
is, certainly, the major drug trafficking route.
In the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, there was a
GAO (Government Accountability Office) report related to this
topic, which came out in October.
Do you believe that the Guard's current counterdrug funding
effectively allocates resources to the areas of greatest
concern, such as the Southwest border and other ports of entry
where illicit drug trafficking is widespread? And are there any
changes in the work following up on the GAO report?
COUNTER DRUG COORDINATION
General Grass. Senator, I have a team made up of Adjutants
General and our counterdrug coordination staff. They developed
that threat model that actually figures out how we are going to
distribute that money.
I think it is always good to relook at that periodically.
We have seen a change over the years in some of the issues we
are dealing with now with heroin, as well as issues of
prescription drugs. So we need to look at that model, work with
both DA, others, the threat integration committee, which I
serve on, working with ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control
Policy) from the White House, and try to see if the model is
still correct.
Again, bringing the Adjutants General into that discussion
through our General Officer Steering Committee is very helpful
to see what issues they are dealing with, because they are the
closest tie to the local problems.
Senator Udall. General Grass, thank you very much. We would
like you to consider basing future the V-22s in New Mexico,
where they can do the kind of work we just talked about.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Cochran. Thank you, Senator.
Senator.
Senator Blunt. Mr. Chairman, thank you. If I have the time,
I have a couple other questions.
A-10
General Jackson, I want to talk a little bit about the A-
10. Of course, the 442nd Fighter Wing is based at Whiteman in
Missouri. I got to spend a little time with them in early
September when they were in Estonia as part of that forward
positioning there to show our NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) allies on the eastern edge of NATO where we are.
Also, I don't think I've ever talked to anybody who has had
on-the-ground support from the A-10 who doesn't think that is
the plane they want up there when they need ground support. It
looks like the A-10 in one form or another now could be around
until about 2022.
Could you describe what is the current divestment plan, if
that is the right term to use, for the A-10 and the replacement
plan for that plane?
General Jackson. Senator, thank you for the question. If I
could to reach back to your previous cyber question very
briefly, because we had run out of time?
The hiring for the cyber forces that we put in place has
been very good for traditional reservists in the places we put
them. We could use assistance from the committee on the
technician part, the full-time support side, our military
techs, because what is happening right now is Office of
Personnel Management on the civilian side is now allowing us to
grade them at the same level as their civilian counterparts. So
we will bring in information and hopefully statutory changes to
that for you.
As to the A-10, sir, we appreciate your support for the
442nd. Colonel Borgen and his team are outstanding out there at
Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. As you said, they have had
numerous extremely successful deployments.
My understanding for the program of record is that as
currently presented in 2017 is a divesture plan that starts in
fiscal year 2018 and goes to 2022. However, I understand there
are still conversations going on where exactly that will be
occurring, conversations we have had with your office once
again to go ahead and reassure you that Whiteman is a critical
part of our fighter force structure within the Air Force
Reserve and no matter whether we put an F-16 unit back in
there, or we go ahead and put a future fighter in there, they
will be part of the equation.
APACHE HELICOPTERS
Senator Blunt. One other question on the decision that was
made last year to take the Apache helicopters out of the Guard
and place them only in the Active units, that, among other
things, certainly factored into the national commission on the
future of the Army.
I'm wondering, General Grass and probably General Kadavy as
well, how do we see that discussion going in terms of whether
the Guard is a fully functioning, integral part of the force or
some other more strategic determination made for the Guard? Any
comments you might have on what the commission had to say, or
the impact of that decision on the Apache how helicopters would
have had or is having?
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS REVIEW PROCESS
General Grass. Senator Blunt, right now, Tim and I both,
General Kadavy and I both, as well as General Talley, as well
as an Adjutant General, are serving on a senior-level decision-
making body that makes recommendations up to the Secretary of
the Army, along with General Milley leading that charge.
This is one of the recommendations to reconsider that the
ARI proposal. We are right in the middle right now of the
analysis. So it would be premature to say anything at this
point, because the Secretary hasn't had an opportunity to make
a decision.
We do know that across Army aviation, and that is Active,
Guard and Reserve, there are some bills that we can't cover
right now. But I do feel very comfortable that the committee
that is leading this charge is made up of Active, Guard and
Reserve, and our voices are being heard strongly.
Tim.
General Kadavy. Senator, I would just add, we are working
very closely with the Army, particularly as it is related to
the recommendation to course of action three, the Apache
battalions. It is one of the recommendation that comes with a
heavy price tag. So if it was to be implemented, we are doing
that staff work to figure out exactly how we would be able to
afford it in the future.
RETAINING APACHES IN THE GUARD
Senator Blunt. The heavy price tag would be if we continue
to have the Apaches as part of the Guard or if we don't?
General Kadavy. Yes, sir, that is part of the overall----
Senator Blunt. Which would be what? The continuation of
that?
General Kadavy. The continuation of course of action three,
which would retain four Apache battalions with the Army
National Guard.
Senator Blunt. Some discussion that may be up there was an
Apache Guard unit that would be smaller than the normal number
of helicopters. Does that create concerns?
General Kadavy. Sir, the actual unit would be the same
size, Senator. What would be different would be the actual
number of aircraft on the tarmac. We would have 18 rather than
24, and that is as it is recommended within the commission.
If a unit would deploy, they would deploy the 24. They
would be a fully manned and equipped Apache battalion. That is
part of the assessment analysis that is ongoing, Senator.
Senator Blunt. Okay.
Thank you, Chairman.
General Talley. Sir, for the Army Reserve, we have two
Apache battalions that are being swapped out for SOP
battalions. One has already done the transfer. The other is in
the process.
From our perspective, we actually increase our capability.
We get more aircraft. We get more pilots. We have more lift to
provide at home and abroad. So it has been no issue.
Senator Blunt. Thank you, General Talley. Very helpful.
Senator Cochran. The Senator from Alaska.
RURAL NATIONAL GUARD ENGAGEMENT
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome.
I would like to direct this comment to you, General Grass,
and this relates to rural National Guard engagement.
We all know the high numbers of American Indians, Alaska
Natives that serve in our military and are very proud of that.
In rural Alaska, we have seen the Alaska Territorial Guard and
the Alaska National Guard that have historically been the
routes that so many other Alaska Natives have taken. But we've
seen these numbers drop dramatically over the years.
This is a concern, not only because it changes the
demographic of the Guard in the State, but also because these
guardsmen would leave and go back to the villages and be those
leaders within the villages. When you have many villages that
don't really have much of a law enforcement presence, it has
really helped to supplement that.
One of the reasons that we are seeing the rural Guard
enrollment decline is because of the high cost of flying from
the Alaska Native village to a rural hub where the readiness
facility sits. The Alaska National Guard has suggested that we
legislate that the National Guard Bureau be authorized to
reimburse guardsmen for Air travel from communities that are
not connected by road to get to the readiness facility.
Do you think this makes any sense?
General Grass. Senator, I have visited with many of those,
especially what used to be the Alaska Scouts. They are great,
great warriors.
I think you have a unique situation that that probably
would be very helpful. It definitely would encourage recruiting
and retention among those people that have a long way to go.
There are other parts of the country I think with all the
Reserve components that we would see the same issue. Of course,
it boils down to affordability of a program like that.
Senator Murkowski. It's something that we are looking at
and, again, trying to figure out if there is a way that we can
make this work.
Another concern are personal background issues. For
example, drug use may preclude individuals who have
rehabilitated from joining the Guard. When you think about the
National Guard, you have historically been this champion of
second chances in Alaska. We are very proud of the National
Guard Youth Challenge program. We think it is phenomenal.
NATIONAL GUARD ENTRANCE STANDARDS
Are the National Guard entrance standards so high as to
exclude a significant population that may deserve that second
chance? And is this something that we should consider reviewing
or giving consideration for?
General Grass. Senator, there is a waiver process that we
run through the medical staff. Let me have General Kadavy talk
about the Army side, and General Neal can talk about the Air
standards.
Senator Murkowski. Okay.
General Kadavy. Senator, I spent about 4 or 5 days out in
Alaska back in January with General Hummel. One of the
locations we visited was Bethel and the Scout Memorial. What a
tremendous memorial recognizing their service to our country
since World War II, over the last 70, 80 years.
Senator Murkowski. It is.
General Kadavy. So we talked very, very deeply about the
issues related to the Scouts, the waivers that they used to
have. I believe they went away about 2000.
So I've taken those notes back, and I've been talking with
the Army Secretary.
As far as entrance standards, those are the Army standards,
but we are going to look at it and I'm working with the Army
Secretary to see what we can do to assist Alaska with what they
would like to do, and General Hummel.
Senator Murkowski. Great. Greatly appreciate it.
General Neal.
General Neal. Senator, as you know, in Alaska, we have
mostly flying missions, so you're now getting a C-17. We have
your rescue C-130s and your rescue helicopters. So it is a
pretty high bar for entrance into those fields.
I will say that we don't want to do anything that
disadvantages what we say we are, and that is citizen airmen,
getting them on board. So we definitely want to look at this,
but because we are under the Air Force umbrella, we do have
some high standards I think we have to be very careful of.
But we do want to capture all the talent that is in Alaska
for our forces there, ma'am.
Senator Murkowski. I appreciate those responses, because
what that tells me is that there is clear consideration to some
of these issues.
SCOUT BATTALION
Last question in this area then, and I know probably all of
you have had conversations with our Adjutant General, who is
very interested in standing up the Scout Battalion modeled
somewhat after the Territorial Guard, somewhat after the
Canadian Rangers, but it would be outside of the authorized
Alaska National Guard Force structure. She would like Federal
support for this effort.
I don't know, maybe it fits into the bucket of defense
civil military programs like Youth Challenge and STARBASE. But
I'm wondering if you have had those conversations with our
Adjutant General, whether you think it is something that we
could work with, and whether or not there is a way that we can
provide for a path forward for this.
I will throw that out to any of the three of you.
General Kadavy. Senator, we talked about that over the many
days I spent out in Alaska. We went through that. We are
looking at a number of concepts and options. We would be more
than happy to come and brief you on those.
We are not there yet, but I think there is some way we can
assist, maybe not in a whole battalion but with some additional
overstrength or capacity in order to reach out to those
communities in Western Alaska.
Senator Murkowski. Good. Well, I appreciate that. I will
just conclude by noting that when the President came to Alaska
in late August, early September, and sat down with a group of
Native leaders, one of the more interesting questions to him
was whether or not we could do more to kind of rebuild the
Guard out in rural Alaska. Again, not only from a security
perspective, but really from a leadership perspective out in
our villages. So know that we stand committed to working with
you on these issues.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Cochran. Thank you, Senator.
The distinguished Senator from Hawaii, Mr. Schatz.
STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Senator Schatz: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
General Kadavy and General Neal, I want to ask about the
State Partnership Program (SPP). I recognize that there are
competing interests for where we conduct these engagements and
with our attention in Europe and ERI, there is a desire to do
more through the State Partnership Program to build partner
capacity and reassure our allies.
But I want to make sure that we don't lose sight of the
progress that we are making with the State Partnership Program
in the Pacific.
It is not just a defense priority. It is not just a
question of resources. I do believe this is probably the least
expensive way for us to extend ourselves in the Asia-Pacific
region.
I will also tell you that our guards-men and -women love
it. They feel very strongly about it. They build strong
relationships that are highly leveraged over a long period of
time.
It seems to me that you need more budget certainty in order
to do the planning necessary not just to maintain current
levels, but you have a problem of balancing the Asia-Pacific
rebalance and ERI. So I would like you to talk about that.
But I would also like you to talk about the need for long-
term certainty in terms of being able to plan and budget for
the partnership program. So I will start with General Neal and
then go to General Kadavy.
General Neal. Senator, great question. The SPP, of course,
we love it, too. I will make sure I don't speak for General
Grass, because he really owns it, but I believe that your
partners are Philippines and Indonesia for Hawaii.
The problems we have with SPP is that it is pay-as-you-go.
So the combatant commanders love it. Pretty much everybody
loves it, but it is a pay-as-you-go. So the more money, the
more we can do things.
But outside the SPP program for the Air Guard, we do a lot
of our annual training with our partner countries. That is an
added benefit kind of under the SPP umbrella. So we do a lot
more than the SPP, if you just look at what funding allows.
So your great airmen in Hawaii are doing a lot of things.
But you also do other things when you fly with them. Your civil
engineers train with them, your medical people.
So we agree with everything you say, but really the answer
is funding. So the more funding, the more we will do.
Senator Schatz. Thank you.
General Kadavy. Senator, I view SPP as a very important
program, not just to the Army National Guard and National
Guard, but to the Army and the Department of Defense.
It is an enabler of training. It helps us develop a depth
of leadership, because these engagements with coalition
partners, allied nations in some cases, and others just
friends, a tremendous opportunity for our leaders to engage,
and it helps us develop some leadership depth.
It is also a leverage into theater security cooperation.
Sometimes it is a first step. I have seen firsthand in Africa,
for instance, where the State Partnership Program and
leadership of the Adjutant General made a difference in an
exercise in a southern accord.
We take it very seriously. We take Pacific pathways. We
would like to be more involved. That is a funding issue.
But we are using some of our ODT (overseas deployment
training) dollars this year to get part of the way in the
Pacific. We are a little bit late.
We are using one of the battalions out of Iowa that went to
the Joint Readiness Training Center, one of the two CTC (Combat
Training Centers) rotations that Congress funded for us. They
are going to Alaska where they will be part of Arctic Anvil in
working with the 4th Brigade 25th.
We are a little late to get further in the Pacific, but
those are the types of things we like to do.
I think my last comment is just, as the State Partnership
Program has grown, the growth has impact as you try to spread
some of the peanut butter, per se, over all of the countries
that we now deal with. It is a great program.
Senator Schatz. General Grass.
General Grass. Senator, thank you.
This program has been incredible for 23 years now. The
Pacific is definitely a prime place to grow programs. I met
with Admiral Harris in January. We sat down in his office, his
headquarters. We are actually in the process of looking for a
new partner, for a new country, that he is adding, which we
have advertised to the Adjutant General. There's probably
another one, not too far behind that.
Worldwide, we will probably roll out maybe three more in
2016. The issue that we are dealing with right now is there is
overhead cost, and we are trying to quantify that overhead cost
in a growth environment.
This committee helped us last year, with an additional $7
million that really, really was very much needed at the time to
keep sustaining our 76 programs. If we look to the future,
there is about a $7 million to $10 million shortfall right now,
because Defense is putting this against priorities. We talk
about readiness. It is competing against some very tough
priorities.
Everyone within Defense that I have met, really, they say
great things about this. There's not a week that goes by I'm
not in email contact or phone call with a combatant command
over the program.
So we have to look and give those numbers a plus-up for the
future, if we are going to sustain all of them and keep them
going.
Senator Schatz. I absolutely agree. I would just finish
with this final thought. That is real money. But in the scope
of things, it is small money to build goodwill in the Asia-
Pacific region. Thank you.
Senator Cochran. The distinguished Senator from Montana,
Mr. Daines, is recognized.
Senator Daines. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank all of you for coming here today to testify
on the National Guard and Reserve budget request.
The National Guard and Reserve force has played a
significant role in the war on terror over the past decade, and
will continue to play that significant role as our Nation faces
increasing threats abroad.
In my home State of Montana and throughout the United
States, these vital members of our military are also key
members of our communities. I'm very proud of them, and I am
thankful for what you do and what they do to serve our country.
MODULAR AIRBORNE FIREFIGHTING SYSTEMS
I want to pivot over and chat a bit about modular airborne
firefighting Systems, or MAFFS. It is used throughout the
country to allow the National Guard C-130 aircraft to provide
incredible fire suppression capabilities. Unfortunately, we do
not have MAFFS in Montana. But we do have C-130s that can be
fitted with MAFFS, and we do have a lot of forest fires, in
fact, the third most forest fires of States are represented in
this room.
It is my understanding that MAFFS are located in North
Carolina, which previously flew all the way to Montana to
provide support, and they are now available to be transferred.
So my question, General Neal, do you agree that it might
make sense to station the MAFFS in States that are most
utilized, like Montana?
General Neal. Senator, interestingly enough, I was a North
Carolina guardsman. I flew MAFFS out of North Carolina to
Montana.
I will tell you it does make sense to have the MAFFS units
based in the western part of the country. To that end, as I
think you alluded to, the North Carolina Air National Guard is
converting C-17s and giving up their MAFFS mission in the C-
130.
So we are working with the Forest Service to identify what
capabilities, what metrics they want to use to base a new unit.
We will look at all that. One of them is, I would say,
geographic location, so Montana is definitely one as far as
geographic location to fires, definitely in the top three. And
they are doing a great job with conversion to C-130.
Senator Daines. I guess I would ask to get your commitment
to work with me after this hearing to working on getting those
MAFFS to Montana. I am glad we are in the top three. Would like
to get them up to number one, here.
General Neal. Can I take that for the record?
[Laughter.]
[The information follows:]
The ANG worked with the US Forest Service to identify the MAFFS
replacement unit. All ANG C-130 units were considered for this mission
with respect to proximity to historically high fire frequency regions
and aircrew experience in the C-130. As the parent service, the Air
Force has established minimum qualifications for MAFFS aircrew and the
ANG applied those standards to help determine the most appropriate unit
to be assigned the MAFFS mission.
On April 6, 2016, the MAFFS replacement unit was identified as the
152 AW, Reno, NV.
Senator Daines. All right, thank you.
TRIBAL HEALTH
I want to chat a bit about tribal health. Montana is home
to 12 federally recognized Indian tribes, seven Indian
reservations and the State recognized Little Shell Tribe.
Unfortunately, one of the challenges that tribal members face,
given their rural location, is access to timely and quality
healthcare.
INNOVATIVE READINESS TRAINING
I want to thank the U.S. Army Reserve for helping to fill
the gap in the past through innovative readiness training and
for upholding the United States Trust responsibility to Indian
tribes by providing health care while honoring the government-
to-government relationship.
Exercises like Walking Shield, which brought in 22 Army
Reserve medical professionals to the Fort Belknap tribe in
Montana last year, allows the community to give valuable
medical assistance, and gives our servicemembers real-world
training.
General Talley, what other roles can the Army Reserve play
in providing support to our tribes?
General Talley. Senator, thank you for the question.
As you alluded to, our 7243 Medical Support Unit, which is
actually out of Vegas, went to Montana to provide medical
support while they were doing Title 10 training to our Native
Americans.
We do these sort of missions every year around the world,
actually, whether it is Medical Reserve with the Navy. I think
southeastern Missouri, we have medical teams down there,
providing medical support to some of the disadvantaged
populations.
So for us, we see this as just a good way of training our
soldiers and allowing them to help communities, specifically
some of our disadvantaged communities like our Native
Americans.
Because most of your Army Reserve are technical enablers,
most of the doctors and nurses are actually not in the Army,
they are in the Army Reserve. The majority of the medical
capability is in the Army Reserve.
So we love doing those types of missions, and we are always
looking for opportunities, because those are great training
missions. They improve our technical and tactical capability.
They also, to be frank, are motivating to retain and attract
soldiers.
So anything else we can do in Montana, we are happy to do
it.
Senator Daines. Anytime you get out of Vegas up to Montana
can be motivating. I can see that. The flyfishing is better up
there.
General Talley. I used to be on the board in Montana before
I came back in office at one of your universities, so I love
Montana.
But we have about 1,000 folks in Montana and about 22 units
and 14 facilities, but I promise, sir, I will take a look at
it.
Senator Daines. I guess the question, the Army Reserve, do
you have the funding this year that you need to continue to
support exercises?
General Talley. I'm sure it's like everyone up here. We
don't have any new money but what we look is we look at where
we get the biggest return on investment for, in this case, the
citizen soldier. So if I have a medical unit, an engineering
unit, a logistics unit, not all of those enablers can get to a
CTC rotation just because CTCs, whether it is the NTC or the
JRTC, they can't handle that capacity of enablers.
So we often find that these sorts of support missions
really are the best ways for our soldiers to train and practice
their craft while helping others. So I have sufficient funding
to continue to support that, sir.
Senator Daines. All right. Thank you.
Senator Cochran. Senator Moran.
Senator Moran. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.
Generals, thank you very much for being here.
To Lieutenant General Jackson and General Grass, General
Talley and Vice Admiral Braun--in my hometown of Hays, it is
``Brown'' even though it is ``Braun''--thank you for your
service to our country. Best wishes in the next phase of your
lives. We are very, very grateful for your service.
From the perspective of sitting where I am sitting today
and seeing you all and the individuals behind you, it gives me
great comfort to know the leadership that our military,
particularly in our Guard and Reserve, provide to our Nation
and provide in my home State of Kansas and States across the
Nation as the need arises.
So thank you all for your service. Best wishes as
retirement is approaching.
TROOP LEVEL STRENGTH
Let me talk a little bit with about troop strength. I have
introduced, and Senator Blunt has joined me, in a bill that we
have labeled POSTURE. It is to stop the reduction in troop
strength, and it affects the Active military but it is also
important to the Guard and Reserve and, in fact, would maintain
the troop level strength that we have had, 350,000 soldiers in
the Army National Guard, 205,000 soldiers in the Army Reserve,
and 38,900 Marines in the Marine Corps Reserve.
I assume that you would tell me, but I would like you to
tell me, that that is important to you. I had this conversation
with General Milley when he was in front of this subcommittee.
He is, as you know, focused so much on troop readiness and made
clear to me and to the committee the importance of having troop
strength so that there is sufficient ability to train and have
those needed who are serving elsewhere as our country demands
that. It is dependent upon having sufficient size of a military
force.
General Grass, I know you have worked closely with General
Milley. I would welcome your thoughts about the importance of
troop strength and suggestions that wouldn't returning the Army
National Guard end strength to 350,000 support the readiness
that you all find necessary?
General Grass. Senator Moran, thank you.
First, let me just say that our cooperation with the Total
Army analysis right now that is going on is incredible, no
doubt. I am totally in sync with Acting Secretary Murphy, as
well as General Milley on the 980,000--and Tim can talk more
about it--but the 980,000 number for the Army total Active,
Guard, and Reserve is a minimally acceptable risk.
The numbers you talk about, sir, we would go back in the
Army Guard about 15,000, we would grow. That is about a $600
million a year bill to be able to pay that fully burdened cost.
So, yes, we agree that if we can bring the strength of the
Army National Guard back to 350,000, and we could have the
money to support it, then that would be a great option today,
especially looking at threats around the world and the use of
the Guard both overseas as well as at home.
Senator Moran. General, that previous troop strength, there
wasn't any excess capacity. It wasn't that, by design, we need
less members of our Guard or Reserve. It was strictly a budget
decision, I assume, and there is adequate need for that to be
maintained. True?
General Grass. Yes, Senator.
CYBER MISSION CAPABILITIES
Senator Moran. General Grass, you and I have had a number
of conversations, and I am pleased you and the Air National
Guard have recognized the importance of increasing our cyber
mission capabilities. You have been particularly cognizant of
what is happening in Kansas.
As you know, the 177th at McConnell specializes in red
teaming. They are the only NSA certified cyber red team in the
Air National Guard.
The issue that I find now to be a challenge is training.
There is a sufficient number of people who want to fill those
slots, but an insufficient number of people who are training
those individuals to do so.
For example, one of the new cyber squadrons at McConnell
has 42 vacancies. I don't think this is because we can't find
the individuals who want to fill those 42 vacancies. It is
because we only have three of those folks who are in a position
to receive the training necessary this fiscal year. Your
thoughts?
General Grass. Senator, it is definitely something we,
along with the Army and Air Force, are looking at. We are
trying to accelerate as much as we can the standup of all of
our units. We are looking at 30 States with cyber capability by
2019.
There are three levels of training that a cyber warrior
goes through. It starts with their skill set. Whether it is
Army or Air, they get their basic skills. Then they get their
certifications to work in cyber range. Then the last one is
their joint training that they receive. There is a backlog in
training.
We are looking at that. We are trying to figure out what we
can do from the National Guard perspective to help the Army and
Air Force. I know that both General Neal and General Kadavy
have been heavily involved with their services on trying to
figure out where we can help.
Senator Moran. It maybe McConnell that you can provide the
resources necessary to help train others.
My time has expired.
Let me just thank Lieutenant General Jackson for your
commitment to the 931st. We have had conversations, and as a
result of your efforts, but what really is taking place in
Wichita, the designation has increased from a group to a wing.
And I wanted to thank you for your involvement in that process.
General Jackson. Thank you, Senator. I hope you can make it
to the standup, which is going to occur the last part of April.
You are invited there.
Senator Moran. Thank you for the invitation, and I accept.
General Jackson. Thank you, sir.
Senator Moran. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Cochran. Thank you, Senator.
815TH JENNIES AT KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE
General Jackson, let me ask you a follow-up on an issue
that we have discussed earlier. It is in regard to the manning
of the 815th Jennies at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi,
Mississippi. There have been some questions raised about
whether this unit has been given adequate power to perform its
missions.
Last year, you testified that you would work with the
Committee to ensure that the 815th have adequate manpower. I
want you to let us know if you can update the current
situation, your plan and timeline to reinstate the manpower and
support required to bring the 815th Airlift Squadron to a more
appropriate level.
General Jackson. Senator, thank you for the question. I
will be glad to give you an update on the Flying Jennies, the
815th out of Keesler.
We are very proud of that squadron. In addition to,
obviously, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron in
Mississippi.
As we discussed briefly last year, we have put in place the
unit manning documents from this year forward, between 2016,
2017, 2018, with the final positions in place in 2019. So the
next 3 years, we have all the manpower required to fully
operate and be successful with that squadron re-standup down in
your State.
We currently are hiring members to go ahead and fill those
requirements. We are about 140 folks short on the full-time
side right now, but we are bringing Reserve appropriation days
and dollars to go ahead and put part-timers in full-time
service to make sure we get everyone up to speed.
I would say that I'm very proud of the fact we have hired
our first Active Duty squadron commander down at Keesler as
part of the 815th reactivation. So thank you for your support
on that, sir.
ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS
Senator Cochran. Thank you for your leadership.
And let me thank all the members of the panel for their
participation today at this hearing. We appreciate the
assistance very much.
There may be additional questions or statements submitted
by Senators, which we may forward on to you for appropriate
responses.
[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the
hearing:]
Questions Submitted to General Frank J. Grass
Question Submitted by Senator Thad Cochran
national guard counterdrug program
Question. As you are aware, there are five counterdrug training
centers throughout the nation whose mission is to train State and local
law enforcement officers to detect and interdict drugs coming across
our borders and flowing across State lines. Last year, this Committee
supported these schools with an appropriation of $20 million, but in
this year's budget $5 million is requested for the training centers. Do
you believe the counterdrug training centers could benefit from and
utilize additional funds, if provided, in fiscal year 2017? Would you
support this action? How could these centers help us address the opioid
situation we currently face?
Answer. Our partners in law enforcement and community based
organizations continually request training provided by the five
Counterdrug Training Centers (TCs). In order to meet the needs of our
supported agencies the TCs would need no less than $20 million for
Fiscal year 2017. The TCs would certainly benefit from the added
support and would be able to significantly increase access to the
critical training, our law enforcement partners request, increasing
their skill sets, and increasing officer and public safety.
I fully support any increase in funding directed toward the
Counterdrug program and TCs. They provide unique skills and resources
to the counterdrug arena not normally available to many of our law
enforcement partners. With additional funding the TCs would increase
the frequency that they provide curriculum to build LEA capacity to
deter, interdict, and identify the criminal organizations supplying
illicit narcotics. Through virtue of increased interactions we will
expand the geographic influence of our training efforts across our
State and national borders and maintain the relationships among
agencies that make intelligence-based operations possible over the long
term.
Federal and regional agencies (DEA and the DA offices) have reached
out to the TCs to host heroin summits because of the established
relationships and information sharing mechanisms that the TCs support.
Several courses the TCs offer address opioid issues with traditional
curriculum, and other courses have been updated to support current
opioid abuse issues affecting Federal, State and Local LEAs. The
manifestation of all drugs in our communities are indicators of product
placement through supply and demand brokered by transnational criminal
organizations and their illicit supply networks. Degrading the ability
of these networks to distribute illicit products will not only reduce
today's opioid threat, but future illicit products designed to exploit
the millions of Americans susceptible to addiction. The TCs stand ready
to continue to support our counterdrug partners and delivering no cost
effective law enforcement training to meet the needs of our Nation and
counter the illicit drug threat we face today.
______
Question Submitted by Senator Patrick J. Leahy
planning for complex domestic operations
Question. The Congress added the Chief of the National Guard Bureau
as a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff because we believed
the President needed your best military advice, and because we believe
your dual-mission gives the Chiefs a much needed additional perspective
on resourcing and training based on the use of the Guard for disaster
response. What is the status of assembling the so-called ``all
hazards'' support plans that the Bureau was tasked with assembling? Why
does the Department need to understand the requirements the governors
have associated with executing their non-Federalized plans or these all
hazards support plans?
Answer. The National Guard Bureau has complied with the 20 July
2012 Secretary of Defense memorandum, and has assisted the States and
territories in standardizing their Hazard Response Plans using DOD
Joint Publication 5-0, Joint Operational Planning. NGB ensured State
response plans contain all four levels of integration (intrastate,
interstate, Federal (non-DOD), or Federal (DOD)), and are exercised at
four levels. This was accomplished in fiscal year 2015 and the process
continues to mature as the integrated planning concept is refined.
Through the integrated planning process, NGB informs DOD and other
Federal and Non-Federal partners across the response and recovery
enterprise of the capabilities and capacity of the Non-Federalized
National Guard. NGB planning efforts are integrated at both the Non-
Federal and Federal levels to articulate shortfalls and gaps in
National Guard capabilities, avoid duplicity, enhance shared
situational awareness across the DOD response enterprise, and enable
unity of effort.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator Brian Schatz
Question. General Grass, the 169th Air Defense Squadron in Hawaii
supports a crucial air defense mission. The squadron is on watch 24/7,
monitoring for potential threats. And as you know, it is not often the
liveliest job. But it is an important one.In Hawaii, though, the 169th
relies on dual-status technicians to fill full-time operations
positions. It is not like this anywhere else in the Army or Air Guard.
Other squadrons fill those positions with AGRs [Active Guard Reserve],
which is a much better fit for this 24/7 mission.Our dual-status
technicians are compensated under the GS pay scale with starting pay
for recruits at GS-5--less than half of the starting pay-compared to an
AGR Staff Sergeant in other air defense squadrons.As a result, the
169th has experienced manpower shortages and anticipates further losses
that will result in risks to readiness, risks that are unacceptable in
this post-9/11 era.We need to fill these units the same way others do
across the country.
Given the importance of this mission, shouldn't the Hawaii National
Guard be authorized to fill those operations positions with AGR
personnel, just as other States do?
Answer. The Air National Guard acknowledges the challenges
associated with the current manpower construct and has concluded that
AGR positions are more appropriate for this mission set. Therefore, the
Air National Guard staff is actively pursuing programmatic actions that
will provide an opportunity to convert technicians and their associated
military positions to AGR positions over the next few years.
national guard counterdrug program
Question. Can you commit to me that you will look into and get back
to me with a plan for converting those dual-status technicians into
AGRs?
Answer. The Air National Guard staff is actively pursuing
programmatic actions that will provide an opportunity to convert
technicians and their associated military positions to AGR positions
over the next few years. Any programmatic action will be contained in
the President's Budget.
______
Question Submitted to Major General Brian Neal
Question Submitted by Senator Brian Schatz
Question. General Neal, I was disappointed in the Air Guard's
decision not to base a Cyber Protection Team or ISR Squadron in Hawaii
when it announced its decisions last fall. The Air Guard recently cut
several combat communications units--the 201st Combat Communications
Group and 293rd Combat Communications Squadron--and so we have
Guardsmen with the skills to meet the manpower requirements for those
units.Given PACOM's dependence on Hawaii's critical infrastructure, the
cyber and intelligence missions in the State, and the specific threats
we face from near-peer competitors, we need this capability in the
Pacific.I strongly believe when the Air Force stands up more of these
squadrons in the future, the Air Guard should consider the Hawaii Air
National Guard as one of its top choices.
Do I have your assurances that the Air Guard will work with us to
base a Cyber Protection Team in Hawaii when the Air Force decides to
standup additional squadrons?
Answer. Although we have recently identified the remaining ANG
units needed to fulfill AFSPC's current requirement, we also
acknowledge the increasing importance of Cyber and Cyber ISR in the
ANG. As additional requirements materialize, we will continue to work
with all stakeholders to determine the best possible basing location
for this mission set. Hawaii will certainly be considered in ANG's
analysis as AFSPC's cyber requirements are known.
______
Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General Timothy J. Kadavy
Question Submitted by Senator Thad Cochran
deactivation of national guard brigades
Question. Over the past few years, there has been discussion about
the total acceptable number of Active and Guard Brigade Combat Teams.
For example, it has been suggested by the Army that under
sequestration, the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team of the Mississippi
Army National Guard--which ranks as one of the most capable and
technologically modernized brigades within the National Guard--might be
divested. Given the numerous crises occurring throughout the world,
would you recommend the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team or any other
Brigade Combat Team be divested? How important is it that you have
budget certainty that the 155th will be there for you?
Answer. The 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) was identified
as a potential candidate to be rendered inactive during fiscal year
2018 in the event of Sequestration under the 2011 Budget Control Act.
The 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act provided the funding for the Army to
remain at its current authorized strength of 980,000; with an Army
National Guard at 335,000 by fiscal year 2017. In the event of full
Sequestration, the Army National Guard would need to revisit divesting
force structure in order to achieve a 315,000 personnel end strength
requirements by fiscal year 2019.
The ARNG concurs with the National Commission of the Future of the
Army's assertion that ``an Army of 980,000 is the minimally sufficient
force to meet current and anticipated missions with an acceptable level
of national risk'' (NCFA, 2016, p2). Brigade Combat Teams are a
critical structure required for the defense of the nation and any loss
of Brigade Combat Team capacity in the Army National Guard would prove
costly in terms of time and resources to regenerate.
______
Question Submitted by Senator Patrick J. Leahy
full-time support and readiness
Question. Vermont's 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team just
completed an ``on year'' which was the culmination of years of
preparation, including a major investment when they attended a Combat
Training Center. We understand how important the full time support from
men and women in the Guard whose job it is to help the rest of the
brigade achieve the level of readiness needed to serve the Nation. Can
you explain the relationship between full time support and readiness,
and how they help a unit like the 86th be there for the Nation? What is
the impact of proposed reductions in full time support as we have seen
over the last few years?
Answer. Full-Time Support (FTS) is a strong determinant of
readiness. An initial study from the Institute for Defense Analysis
demonstrates a positive and statistically significant relationship
between National Guard FTS and Soldier's personal readiness. FTS
personnel, in an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) like the 86th, are
the people who organize, administer, instruct, recruit, train, and
maintain supplies and equipment within the unit. Without FTS, the 86th
IBCT would not be able to execute operational missions and readiness
preparations, such as Combat Training Center rotations.
Department of Defense policy requires the Reserve Components (RC)
to maintain a cadre of FTS personnel in order to accomplish readiness
goals. FTS personnel have a cumulative impact in generating RC
readiness. The foundational readiness that FTS personnel provide, as
described above, is required in order to enable participation in
collective training events that generate unit readiness, and eventually
participate in operations. Risk is taken in foundational readiness
since States and Territories receive approximately 67 percent of their
required FTS. Shortfalls in FTS erode a unit's ability to achieve unit
readiness in a timely manner. This means further reductions in FTS
personnel could result in units taking longer to respond to domestic or
contingency operations. It is important to keep in mind that FTS
delivers Army programs to Reserve Component Soldiers.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator Brian Schatz
Question. We have seen some bright spots when it comes to forming
multicomponent units that draw on the strengths of the National Guard
and Reserve. However, the National Commission on the Future of the Army
found that there are still ``gaps and seams.'' So we have some work to
do to create one Army. One area where Congress can play a more active
role is helping make sure there is no daylight between the Active Duty,
Guard, and Reserve when it comes to pay, benefits, and veteran status.
Today, if a Guardsmen or Reservist is involuntarily mobilized to
support steady State operations, they don't get the same benefits that
those supporting contingency operations do, including education
benefits, reduced age for retirement, and civilian differential pay.
This seems contrary to our Total Force philosophy.
In your view, do discrepancies in pay and benefits for Guard and
Reserve personnel impede our progress to create one Army?
Answer. Army National Guard Soldiers do receive different levels of
pay and benefits depending on duty status. The Soldier and the
Soldier's family may see the impacts when the Soldier transitions from
one duty status to another. We would like to address the impact to
Soldiers and their Families.
Traditional National Guard Soldiers often train for short periods
in status for Active Duty for Training (including annual training) and
Inactive Duty Training (traditional drill weekend). These statuses do
not come with identical benefits, but they do provide fair compensation
for the demands this service places on Soldiers and their families.
One area where there is a valid concern is when we involuntarily
mobilize Soldiers for steady State operations under Title 10 U.S. Code
12304b. Under this authority, Soldiers do not receive the same benefits
they would under mobilization for contingency operations. To a Guard
family, the authority for involuntary mobilization is irrelevant. They
understandably question the differences in compensation and benefits in
this case.
Question. Do you agree with the need to mirror pay and benefits, as
close as possible, for all of service members, regardless of component?
Answer. Army National Guard Soldiers do receive different levels of
pay and benefits depending on duty status. The Soldier and the
Soldier's family may see the impacts when the Soldier transitions from
one duty status to another.
There are multiple authorities under which a National Guard Soldier
may serve, such as Active-Guard Reserve, Active Duty for Training
(including annual training), and Inactive Duty Training (traditional
drill weekend). These different types of statuses do not come with
identical benefits, as they place different levels of demand upon the
Soldiers and their families, and require Soldiers to spend varying
amounts of time away from their loved ones. In my view, the
compensation for these duty statuses is equitable.
One area which does warrant review is when we involuntarily
mobilize Soldiers for steady State operations under Title 10 U.S. Code
12304b. Under this authority, Soldiers do not currently receive the
same benefits they would under mobilization authorities for contingency
operations. To a Guard family, the authority for involuntary
mobilization is irrelevant. They just want to receive fair and
equitable compensation when they are asked to make sacrifices in
support of our Nation's defense.
______
Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley
Questions Submitted by Senator Brian Schatz
Question. We have seen some bright spots when it comes to forming
multicomponent units that draw on the strengths of the National Guard
and Reserve. However, the National Commission on the Future of the Army
found that there are still ``gaps and seams.'' So we have some work to
do to create one Army. One area where Congress can play a more active
role is helping make sure there is no daylight between the Active Duty,
Guard, and Reserve when it comes to pay, benefits, and veteran status.
Today, if a Guardsmen or Reservist is involuntarily mobilized to
support steady State operations, they don't get the same benefits that
those supporting contingency operations do, including education
benefits, reduced age for retirement, and civilian differential pay.
This seems contrary to our Total Force philosophy.
In your view, do discrepancies in pay and benefits for Guard and
Reserve personnel impede our progress to create one Army?
Answer. The Army Reserve recognizes that unique differences exist
between some pay and benefit packages across the Total Army to support
the recruiting and retention needs of each component. However, while in
a mobilized status, the Army Reserve supports equal pay and benefits
regardless of membership within the Regular Army or a Reserve
Component. A review of current education and retirement benefit
packages may be beneficial to ensure that the Army's recruiting and
retention objectives are achieved in support of an All-Volunteer Force.
Question. Do you agree with the need to mirror pay and benefits, as
close as possible, for all of service members, regardless of component?
Answer. No, I do not agree that there is a need to mirror pay and
benefits regardless of component unless in a mobilized status. We
recognize that dissimilar pay and benefit packages are designed to
address the unique recruiting and retention objectives for each
component. The Army Reserve supports a review of pay parity for some
technical career fields (see example below).
Example. Army Reserve Aviators and Non Rated Crew Members (NCM)
receive significantly less incentive pay than their Regular Army
counterparts, even though credentialing and readiness requirements are
similar across all three components. Army Reserve Aviators and NCMs
receive 1/30th of the monthly Air Crew Incentive Pay per drill period
or active duty day that is used to incentivize Soldiers who fly
aircraft in the Army. Army Reserve Aviators and Aircrew members must
fly Additional Flight Training Periods in addition to battle assembly
to meet mandated flight requirements. This requires our Aviation
Citizen Soldiers to take additional time off from their civilian
employment to schedule flight periods during the week. The Army Reserve
supports a review of pay parity for this technical field to achieve
recruiting and retention requirements within the Aviation branch.
______
Questions Submitted to Vice admiral Robin R. Braun
Questions Submitted by Senator Brian Schatz
Question. I am particularly concerned at the readiness of the
Navy's Fleet Logistics Support Squadron FIVE ONE at Kaneohe Bay. It is
the only logistics unit in the Pacific that provides medium lift
capability for rapid response operations. And yet the squadron relies
on two C-20Gs that are well beyond their service lives of 20,000 flight
hours. These aircraft are at about 23,000 flight hours each now. And as
the Navy continues to extend the life of these aircraft, they become
increasingly costly and require more frequent and lengthy inductions
into the depot. And I worry we are potentially putting our aircrew at
risk. Also, I understand that the Navy placed C-40s and F/A-18s on the
CNO's unfunded priority list.
How close are we to having to ground these aircraft and lose this
lift capability in the Pacific?
Answer. Averaging 24 years old, Navy's cargo-variant C-20Gs at
Kaneohe Bay are beyond their original designed service life, both in
hours and cycles on the airframe. Nevertheless, continued operation of
the C-20Gs is required to meet fleet logistics requirements until they
are recapitalized with two C-40A aircraft. In the meantime, the Navy
does not sacrifice safety in their operation. Rather, Navy works
closely with Gulfstream to ensure safety and readiness are optimized.
But considering the age of these specific aircraft this does result in
greater maintenance requirements and reduced operational availability.
Question. Which would you prioritize: the procurement of C-40A
aircraft or recapitalization of the Reserve Strike Fighter Fleet?
Answer. Navy Fleet Essential Aircraft fill a critical mission
requirement that is not sourced by the Active Component. The C-40A
provides medium-lift short-notice air logistics in support of Fleet
requirements. In line with our rebalance to the Pacific, I believe we
must meet the C-40A inventory requirement and recapitalize VR-51's C-
20G aircraft as soon as possible. Further, due to the inability to
utilize NGREA Funds for Navy Reserve aircraft recapitalization and the
Navy's understandable focus on the procurement of weapon systems, two
C-40A are the #1 Navy Reserve equipping priority.
On the other hand, the Navy Reserve's strike fighter force is
facing the same inventory management challenges as the rest of the
Department of the Navy. While we'd like to recapitalize the Navy
Reserve strike fighter squadrons with new aircraft, the fact remains
that the strike fighter inventory management challenge is a department-
wide concern and leadership has enacted a multifaceted recovery
strategy. The Navy Reserve supports the department's plan, and
anticipates the Reserve Component will experience improved aircraft
availability and timely transitions to newer platforms according to the
Strike Fighter Inventory Management strategy. We continue to monitor
progress and expect that the readiness of our strike fighter squadrons
will improve commensurate with the entire force.
______
Question Submitted to Lieutenant General James Jackson
Question Submitted by Senator Richard J. Leahy
integrated wings
Question. When Secretary James testified last month she identified
the establishment of an integrated wing, or i-wing, featuring airmen
from multiple components as the next major accomplishment in achieving
the goal of a Total Force, as recommended by the Air Force Commission
and the Air Force's own internal reform effort. Since the first i-wing
will be in the Air Force Reserve, can you explain what you are doing to
make sure this pilot is successful? What is going to be the biggest
challenge to overcome?
Answer. Planning for an Integrated Wing (I-Wing) Pilot Program has
been underway since 2014. Since the four phase implementation plan was
approved in October 2015, Air Staff personnel have been diligently
working to establish a successful I-Wing concept and pilot program. We
chose the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, South
Carolina, specifically because it is a well-established, effective
Active Association able to be adapted to an I-Wing construct. To ensure
success, a cross-component working group was established in January
2016. This group consists of participants from all appropriate areas of
expertise from the Active Component, Air Force Reserve, and Air
National Guard. The working group quickly developed courses of action
and received Chief of Staff approval on a series of milestones and
objectives to ensure the I-Wing Pilot Program achieves initial
operational capability (IOC) on October 1, 2016 and full operational
capability (FOC) on July 1, 2017. The working group continuously
monitors these milestones and utilizes regular updates to Air Staff,
major command, and component leaders to address concerns and issues
that develop throughout the process. Active Component and Air Force
Reserve senior leaders are working closely to select the best Total
Force commanders and senior enlisted personnel available to lead the
wing through a successful pilot program and beyond. Finally, specific
subjective and objective measures of merit are being developed by a
cross-component team that will facilitate assessment of the successes
realized by the pilot program in order to inform future integration
initiatives.
There have been and will continue to be many challenges to
establishing the pilot program. Currently, the most significant
challenge appears to be the implementation of a Dual Hat Command
construct. Dual Hat Command is critical to ensuring adherence to the
first Foundational Guiding Principle on Integration. This principle
requires each component (Active and Reserve) to maintain administrative
control of their forces to ensure compliance with existing statutory
obligations that guarantee readiness accountability and effective force
management. While challenges exist, Regular and Reserve leaders assure
me that all parties involved in the development of the Pilot Program
will receive the necessary resources to help achieve success.
SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS
Senator Cochran. The Defense Committee will reconvene on
Wednesday, April 6, at 10:30 a.m. to receive testimony from the
Director of National Intelligence and Under Secretary of
Defense for Intelligence.
Until then, this subcommittee stands in recess.
[Whereupon, at 11:49 a.m., Wednesday, March 16, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of
the Chair.]