[Senate Hearing 116-500]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 116-500
MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICIES AND MILITARY
FAMILY READINESS
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
FEBRUARY 27, 2019
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
45-967 PDF WASHINGTON : 2021
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma, Chairman JACK REED, Rhode Island
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
TOM COTTON, Arkansas RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
JONI ERNST, Iowa TIM KAINE, Virginia
THOM TILLIS, North Carolina ANGUS S. KING, Jr., Maine
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico
DAVID PERDUE, Georgia ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MARTHA McSALLY, Arizona JOE MANCHIN, West Virginia
RICK SCOTT, Florida TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee DOUG JONES, Alabama
JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
John Bonsell, Staff Director
lizabeth L. King, Minority Staff Director
_________________________________________________________________
Subcommittee on Personnel
THOM TILLIS, North Carolina, KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
Chairman ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
MARTHA McSALLY, Arizona
RICK SCOTT, Florida
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
_________________________________________________________________
February 27, 2019
Page
Military Personnel Policies and Military Family Readiness........ 1
Statements of Members of the Subcommittee
Statement of Senator Thom Tillis................................. 1
Statement of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.......................... 2
Witness Statements
Seamands, Lieutenant General Thomas C., USA, Deputy Chief of 4
Staff,
G-1.
Burke, Vice Admiral Robert P., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval 10
Operations, N-1.
Kelly, Lieutenant General Brian T., USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff 20
for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
Rocco, Lieutenant General Michael A., USMC, Deputy Commandant for 28
Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
Dailey, Sergeant Major Daniel A., USA, Sergeant Major of the Army 51
Smith, Master Chief Petty Officer Russell L., USN, Master Chief 59
Petty Officer of the Navy.
Wright, Chief Master Sergeant Kaleth O., USAF, Chief Master 65
Sergeant of the Air Force.
Green, Major Ronald L., USMC, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. 71
Questions for the Record......................................... 78
Appendix A
Prepared Statement by The Military Officers Association of
America
(MOAA)......................................................... 79
Prepared Statement by The National Military Family Association... 88
Prepared Statement by The Tricare for Kids Coalition............. 108
Prepared Statement by Colonel Paul Kantwill (Retired)............ 113
(iii)
MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICIES AND MILITARY FAMILY READINESS
----------
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
United States Senate,
Subcommittee on Personnel,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:32 p.m., in
room SR-222, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Thom
Tillis (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
Committee Members present: Senators Tillis, McSally,
Gillibrand, Warren, and Duckworth.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR THOM TILLIS
Senator Tillis. The committee will come to order. Senator
Gillibrand, I've been advised by the staff, is on her way, and
I thought since I have my opening comments, to make best use of
everyone's time, I'll go ahead and start and we'll recognize
the Ranking Member when she's here.
Senator Duckworth, thank you for being here. I also know
that Senator Scott--this would be his first Personnel
Subcommittee meeting--he is actually in Florida for a funeral
and looks forward to coming on this committee. I want to
welcome Senator Duckworth.
I've told everybody the reason I like this committee is it
deals with the business of the Department of Defense (DOD) and
it gives us a lot of opportunities to work on military family
issues, the business of the DOD compensation, personnel
management, and I look forward to working with Senator
Duckworth and the returning members and Senator Scott.
Senator Gillibrand, I just got started. About to do my
opening statement, and then I'll defer to you.
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel meets
this afternoon to receive testimony on military personnel
programs and on military family readiness. We're fortunate
today to have the Services' personnel chiefs discuss the
Department's military personnel programs and the Services'
senior enlisted advisors discuss military family readiness.
On panel one, we will hear from Lieutenant General Thomas
Seamands, Deputy Army Chief of Staff, G-1; Vice Admiral Robert
Burke, Chief of Naval Personnel; Lieutenant General Brian
Kelly, Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel
and Services; and Lieutenant General Michael Rocco, Deputy
Marine Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
General Rocco, I was trying to think of what your call sign
was, but I think we'll hold off on that one. I think you shared
it one time.
I'll introduce the second panel when we transition to their
testimony.
The topics we'll discuss today are vital to the
effectiveness of the All-Volunteer Force. A complex global
security environment requires DOD's military personnel programs
and policies to be agile, adaptable, always capable of
responding to uncertain threats we face. To sustain our
military into the future, these programs and policies must
appeal to our Nation's best and brightest.
We also cannot lose sight of the importance of the military
families who support our troops every day. Military families
face uncommon stressors and challenges unlike those of their
civilian counterparts. The Subcommittee must understand
military families' concerns, such as military spouse employment
and unemployment, inadequate childcare, and unsafe housing
conditions.
If I may, just for a moment, depart from my prepared
statement. We had the hearing on housing recently. I've spoken
with the Secretary of Army, Secretary of the Navy, and Chief of
the Army just last night, and I have meetings scheduled with
many others. But what we saw reported is simply unacceptable.
So while this committee will oftentimes talk about the longer-
term strategies, the authorities within the NDAA [National
Defense Authorization Act], there's a very clear expectation on
our part that we figure out what the short-term remediation
strategy is for the despicable situation we find some of our
military families in today. I know that there's no daylight
between any of us in the room on that issue. It's a matter of
priority and execution.
We want to work diligently to ensure Military Services
provide the support that families need. The readiness of our
Armed Forces, and ultimately, our Nation's security, depends on
it.
Finally, I look forward to hearing from the personnel
chiefs about their efforts to improve recruitment and retention
of military personnel, improve military personnel and family
readiness, prevent sexual assault and harassment, reduce
servicemember and family suicides, combat domestic violence and
child abuse, enhance childcare services, and improve employment
opportunities for military spouses. I hope the senior listed
advisors on the second panel will describe what they are doing
to improve the quality of life for military families and take
care of our enlisted troops who comprise the vast majority of
the military.
I want to thank all of the witnesses for being here today
and I look forward to hearing your testimonies.
I'd also like to let everybody know, as I said earlier,
that Senator Scott, who is very excited to be on the Personnel
Subcommittee--he's sort of a business geek like me--regrets
that he is not here, but he will be at our next hearing.
With that, I'll turn it over to Ranking Member Gillibrand.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you so much, Senator Tillis, for
your leadership and for this posture hearing. I join with you
today in welcoming our witnesses as we receive testimony on the
Department's military personnel and family readiness programs,
which I believe are absolutely critical to our military
readiness, from improving the condition of military housing to
providing high-quality health care, recruiting cyber warriors
who can meet tomorrow's threats, ensuring access to childcare,
and eliminating sexual harassment and assault from the ranks,
personnel issues directly affect the ability of our
servicemembers to focus on their military duties.
I am very concerned by continuing harmful actions taken by
the Trump administration against military and civilian
personnel alike. Thousands of brave transgender servicemembers
continue to serve in our military despite uncertainty in the
fate of their careers. The ranking member of the committee,
Senator Reed, and I have introduced a bipartisan bill that
would permanently lift the discriminatory ban, allowing
transgender individuals to serve in our military so long as
they otherwise meet Military Service standards, applying the
same standard to them as is applied to everyone else.
Our civilian employees who serve critical national security
functions and allow uniformed personnel to focus on their
military duties have also been under attack. Late last year,
the Secretary of the Army announced that he would end childcare
subsidies for civilian employees effective this Friday, March
1, plunging thousands of patriotic civil servants into
financial uncertainty. Additionally, Congress recently rebuked
the President's effort to freeze the pay of civilian employees
once again. The 1.9 percent raise was important, but still
below inflation. Civilian pay has lagged considerably behind
military pay for more than a decade, including a 3-year pay
freeze and furloughs despite significant reductions in the
civilian workforce. Continued attempts to devalue the service
of our civilian workforce only harms morale and decreases
readiness.
Separately, I hope each of you watched the hearing held 2
weeks ago by the Subcommittee on the awful privatization
military family housing conditions that some of our
servicemembers are forced to endure. It is shameful that it
takes a congressional hearing to motivate individuals to do the
right thing. The Military Services cannot wash their hands of
this issue hiding behind deals signed with the private sector
to manage these projects. I look forward to hearing more about
what you're doing to address those shameful conditions.
Finally, I want to say a word about our second panel, the
Services' senior enlisted advisors. I want to say at the outset
that I value the service of our enlisted personnel. I remain
concerned that more needs to be done to curb sexual abuse
within the ranks and to change the culture that enables this
conduct. This begins with the noncommissioned officers and
leadership, all the way down to the squad level.
I hope you will also tell this Subcommittee what more we
can do to support our servicemembers and families, especially
our most junior, to ensure their successful service.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to all.
Senator Tillis. Senator Duckworth, do you have any
comments?
Senator Duckworth. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that
this is one of those issues that is truly bipartisan.
I do want to thank the gentlemen for coming and that,
truly, we cannot unlink or break the link between what we do
for our military personnel and their family members in housing
and military readiness. Our guys and gals downrange need to be
secure in knowing that their family members are taken care of,
and we all know that.
So I thank the chairman for having this hearing, and I
thank you for being here, and I look forward to hearing your
comments and the questioning. Thank you.
Senator Tillis. Now we'll turn to the witnesses for opening
comments. If you can possibly keep them to 5 minutes, we would
appreciate it so we can get to questions.
We'll start with General Seamands.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL THOMAS C. SEAMANDS, USA, DEPUTY
CHIEF OF STAFF, G-1
Lieutenant General Seamands. Chairman Tillis, Ranking
Member Gillibrand, distinguished Members of the committee, I
thank you for the opportunity to appear today on behalf of the
men and women of the United States Army. I've submitted a
statement for the record, but I'd like to highlight a few
things at this time.
Manning the Army is one of the vital components of
readiness and is key to our ability to fight and win our
Nation's wars. To maintain readiness and shape the future of
the Army, we must recruit resilient, diverse individuals of
high character to fully man formations while achieving
sustainable growth and maintaining high-quality standards.
Further, we must recruit in a competitive environment where
only about 29 percent of the 17- to 24-year-olds are even
eligible to join the Army and only about 8 percent have a
propensity to serve in the military.
The Army must also continue to retain the most talented
soldiers, noncommissioned officers, and commissioned officers
with the experience and skills necessary to meet current and
future needs. The Army remains committed to giving all soldiers
who can meet the standards of the military occupational
specialty the opportunity to serve. We have successfully
assessed and transferred more than a thousand women into
previously-closed occupations of Infantry, Field Artillery, and
Armor.
As the Army works to become more lethal, to enhance both
capability and capacity, and to ensure critical support to
soldiers and their families, our Department of the Army
civilians are an integral partner, and we must continue to size
the civilian workforce to meet our current and future demands.
The Army Talent Management Task Force is leading the Army's
effort to ensure the Army acquires, develops, employs, and
retains soldiers and civilians. The Integrated Pay and
Personnel System Army, or IPPS-A, will modernize and transform
Army human resource processes to change how the Army manages
our people. We recently completed a successful test of the
system with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and this year
we will field IPPS-A across the Army National Guard formations.
Thank you for the 2019 NDAA, which provided us great
flexibility. We're beginning to use those authorities granted
to help determine what future talent-based systems look like.
We're transforming business processes and developing
innovations to ensure we provide the force that is optimized.
To ensure we are organizationally ready for combat, we must
sustain the personnel readiness of our soldiers. The Army's
improving personnel readiness and employability by
strengthening soldiers, improving resiliency skills, and
fostering a culture of trust. We believe these actions will
enhance unit readiness and cohesion.
The Army remains fully committed to eliminating sexual
assault, sexual harassment, and associated retaliatory behavior
from its ranks. We recognize that regardless of the progress
that we've made, there's much more to be done. Reports of
sexual assault and harassment will be thoroughly investigated,
and soldiers who commit these crimes will be held appropriately
accountable for their actions. Soldiers who are victims of
sexual assault will be fully supported and provided recovery
services and victim protection.
The Army has reduced the number of non-deployable personnel
and improved the overall personnel readiness of the Army. We
also continue to reduce the time required for soldiers to
process through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System. In
addition to taking care of soldiers and their families while
they're in the Army, we are committed to ensuring the
successful transition as they prepare for life after the
Service. The Army's Soldier for Life program conducts strategic
outreach and shapes education, employment, and health policies,
programs, and services to inspire citizens to serve and create
an environment where soldiers transition to be productive
veterans of character, integrity, and service as they return to
their communities.
Our Army is strong because of the courage and commitment of
our soldiers, civilians, veterans, and family members who serve
our Nation. People are not in the Army; people are the Army.
These men and women who serve our Nation, both in uniform and
out of uniform, are our most important asset. For the Army to
be ready, our soldiers must be ready.
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, members of the
committee, I thank you for the opportunity and your generous
and unwavering support of our outstanding soldiers, civilian
professionals, and their families.
[The prepared statement of General Seamands follows:]
Prepared Statement by LTG Thomas C. Seamands
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, distinguished Members
of this committee, I thank you for the opportunity to appear before you
on behalf of the men and women of the United States Army.
America's Army stands ready today to deploy, fight, and defeat any
threat or adversary because of the courage and commitment of the
soldiers, civilians, veterans, and family members who serve our Nation.
Readiness remains our number one priority. In order to sustain Army
readiness, we must ensure that our people are ready, by focusing on
first-class programs that provide continued care and resources for
soldiers and their families. There is no doubt that personnel readiness
is the keystone in the archway of unit and force readiness.
Today, only 29 percent of 17-24 year-olds in the United States are
eligible to serve in the Army, and only one in eight has a propensity
to enlist in the military, making Army accessions a challenging and
resource-intensive activity. Further, America's youth are increasingly
disconnected from the military and lack knowledge about Military
Service. Individuals who are related to a servicemember make up most of
our applicants, with 79 percent of new recruits having a relative who
served and 28 percent having a parent who served.
The Army continues to focus on recruiting and accessions in order
to responsibly grow end strength. We enlisted 870,000 Active component
(AC) recruits in fiscal year 2018, the largest production since 2011.
Despite challenges in the recruiting environment, the Army revised its
entry standards last summer in a number of areas, making clear its
commitment to ``Quality over Quantity.'' The Army is also on a path to
achieve the fiscal year 2019 recruiting missions in all three
components. The fiscal year 2019 Active component mission is
(tentatively) 68,000, USAR [United States Army Reserve] is 15,600 and
the ARNG [Army Reserve/National Guard] is 39,000. The Army is on a
glide path to achieve its year-to-date Active Army and USAR recruiting
missions. Recruiting is a total Army approach to include: budgeting
$450 million in fiscal year 2019 for Active Army bonuses; investing $50
million to add, relocate or improve recruiting centers in more than 200
critical markets; upgrading ``goArmy.com''; achieving 100 percent
recruiter manning by January 2019 (after adding nearly 800 recruiters
in fiscal year 2018); more effectively using social media platforms;
and improving advertising to include the development of a new marketing
tagline. These investments provide the Army better footing to achieve
the recruiting mission for all three Army components.
The Army must continue to retain the most talented soldiers and
non-commissioned officers with the experience and skills necessary to
meet current and future needs. The AC, USAR and ARNG each achieved
their fiscal year 2018 retention missions. Fiscal year 2018 was a
historic year for the AC, retaining over 90 percent of our eligible
population. The previous record was 85 percent in fiscal year 2017 and
the historical average is 881 percent of a specific year group. Each
component is set to accomplish their respective retention missions
while maintaining quality standards in fiscal year 2019. These
retention achievements support meeting our NCO [non-commissioned
officers] requirements in the near to mid-term. These achievements
would not be possible without the funding support for incentives
granted by Congress.
Our officer corps is a strong, diverse and high-performing force.
Army efforts to increase officer diversity resulted in fiscal year 2018
officer accessions being 68.3 percent white and 31.7 percent minority,
versus the U.S. population of 25-34 year olds with bachelors or higher
degrees being 72.9 percent white and 27.1 percent minority. Fiscal year
2019 officer branching increased racial and ethnic diversity within the
combat arms branches, resulting in 29.9 percent minority selections. In
fiscal year 2019, the United States Military Academy (USMA) increased
to 3.3 percent of their total population in African American cadets
assigned to Infantry (IN) and Armor (AR) (32 compared to 19 in fiscal
year 2018) and the U.S. Army Cadet Command increased to 1.5 percent (48
as compared to 38 in fiscal year 2018). Additionally, the percentage of
Hispanic cadets branching IN and AR grew in both sources of commission
to 2.2 percent of their total population. Female representation in
combat arms also increased in fiscal year 2019, as the Army is
currently scheduled to access 56 women into Infantry and Armor branches
in fiscal year 2019, a 28.6 percent increase from fiscal year 2018. The
Army will maintain a firm emphasis to integrate diverse attributes,
experiences and backgrounds into our officer corps to lead our All-
Volunteer soldiers.
The Army strives to continuously improve efforts to assess and
train the right soldier for the right job. The U.S. Army Training and
Doctrine Command continues to use the Occupational Physical Assessment
Test (OPAT), implemented in January 2017, as a physical assessment
screening tool for officer and enlisted accessions. Passing the OPAT
ensures new soldiers, regardless of gender, can succeed in an assigned
specialty and verifies their readiness for training. Longitudinal
studies on OPAT are being conducted by the Army Research Institute to
measure OPAT's effect on morale, cohesion, and readiness.
Any soldier who can meet the standards of a Military Occupations
Specialty (MOS) can be afforded the opportunity to serve in that MOS,
regardless of gender. To date, the Army has successfully accessed and
transferred more than 1,000 women into the previously closed
occupations of Infantry, Armor, and Field Artillery.
Currently, 83 female officers are assigned to Infantry or Armor
positions at Forts Hood, Bragg, Carson, Bliss, and Campbell. In 2019,
assignments will expand to Forts Stewart, Drum, Riley, Polk, and Italy.
Additionally, the Army has transferred, trained, and assigned female
NCOs into both Infantry and Armor specialties. As part of a multi-year
effort to open other assignments to female soldiers, as many as 500
women currently serve in every Active Brigade Combat Team in the Army
down to the company level. To date, 24 women have completed Ranger
School and two officers are assigned to the Ranger Regiment. The Army
continues its long-term studies on gender integration and continues to
use a standards-based approach to increase the diversity in all our
units.
The Army could simply not take on its mission of fighting and
winning our Nation's wars without its talented civilian workforce.
Civilians serve across the institutional Army and around the globe.
Civilians provide continuity and enable the Army to free up soldiers
for service in the operational Army. About 22 percent of the Army's
total personnel are civilians. Since 2011, the Army has drawn down the
civilian workforce by about 15 percent. As military end strength
increases, the Army may need to increase the capabilities of the
civilian workforce to support our soldiers and their families.
Department of the Army civilians are key enablers of our readiness and
operational capabilities. As the Army looks to become more lethal,
enhance both its capability and capacity, and ensure critical support
to the solider and their families, our Department of the Army civilians
are an integral partner, and must be right sized to ensure that part of
our workforce can meet current and future demands.
In an effort to enhance our prevention efforts and gain positive,
synergistic effects, we've combined the Army Sexual Harassment/Assault
Response and Prevention Program (SHARP) Office with the Army Resiliency
Directorate. This merger not only aligns the Army with the Department
of Defense and sister services, it also supports our goal of developing
ready, resilient soldiers of character who are able to fight and win
our Nation's wars. Through the consolidation of the SHARP and
resiliency directorates, we're realizing efficiencies in functionality,
especially with regard to our prevention, policy, and research mission
areas. Additionally, we're able to provide command teams with common
initiatives and tools to help them realize and reinforce healthier
organizational climates, which we believe is essential to the Army's
first priority--readiness.
To ensure we're organizationally ready for combat, we must sustain
the individual readiness of our soldiers. The Army is improving
personnel readiness and deployability by strengthening soldiers,
improving resiliency skills, implementing the new Army Combat Fitness
Test (ACFT), new deployability standards, and fostering a culture of
trust. We believe these actions will enhance unit cohesion--one of the
intangibles of organizational readiness.
We are continuing our efforts to provide commanders and leaders
increased visibility of their readiness with improvements to the
Commander's Risk Reduction Dashboard (CRRD) Increment 2. This tool
gives commanders visibility of their soldier and unit risk history,
trends, and factors impacting personal readiness. The Army is working
to field CRRD Increment 2 to the ``Total Army'' starting this year.
In the past year, we successfully fielded ``Engage,'' which
provides soldiers with skills to recognize and enable bystander
intervention and improve unit cohesion across formations. Research
indicates that soldiers lack the expertise to successfully and
routinely execute professional interventions. ``Engage'' encourages
engagements across a wide variety of situations to enhance
communication with peers, subordinates and supervisors.
The ``Not in My Squad'' initiative, developed by the Sergeant Major
of the Army, continues to empower squad leaders to establish healthy
unit climates and encourage bystander intervention. Research has
determined that squad leaders have the greatest impact on units, the
individual soldier and the organizational climate.
``Engage'' and ``Not in My Squad'' are now used at 27 Ready and
Resilient Performance Centers across all components of the Army. We
have certified master resiliency trainers who are embedded in company-
level formations and train soldiers on 16 resilience skills that focus
on sustaining personal readiness and optimizing human performance.
The U.S. Army remains fully committed to eliminating sexual
assault, sexual harassment, and associated retaliatory behavior from
its ranks. Reports are thoroughly investigated, and soldiers who commit
those crimes are held accountable for their actions. All victims of
sexual assault are fully supported and provided recovery services and
victim protection.
Prevention, while providing professional comprehensive response
when these incidents do occur, remains a top priority for the Army. We
continue to focus our resources to reduce sexual misconduct across all
components of the Army, while encouraging those who have experienced
unwanted sexual contact to come forward. In fact, we're anticipating
the third straight year of increased reporting, which reinforces our
belief of increased confidence in the chain of command and our response
system.
We recognize that regardless of the progress that has been made,
more work must be done. For example, the recent report on Service
Academies Gender Relations (SAGR) survey shows an increase in
prevalence since the last time the survey instrument was administered
in 2016. We attribute some of the increase in estimated prevalence to
better awareness of the behaviors that constitute sexual assault and
sexual harassment. However, our leaders at the U.S. Military Academy
have been working the past 18 months on revamping the school's
prevention program prior to the SAGR survey results. As a result of a
bottom-up review, they've revised the Academy's curriculum to better
address some of the concerns cadets expressed about the sexual assault/
sexual harassment prevention program. Additionally, reporting increased
at USMA for the fifth straight year. We previously made changes to
facilitate the ease of reporting for cadets and are encouraged by the
fact that they trust the leadership at USMA and are confident in the
Academy's response system. We are looking forward to the service
academies national discussion on this issue at Annapolis in early
April.
First-line leaders are foundational to the Army's primary
prevention efforts regarding sexual assault, sexual harassment, and
associated retaliation. Army leaders must set and enforce standards,
practice healthy relationships, and set the conditions to prevent
sexual misconduct from occurring. We will continue to build a climate
of trust that respects and protects the dignity of every team member,
and ensure individuals are skilled in problem identification and
effective in early and proactive interventions that reduce all types of
misconduct.
Suicide remains a complex national problem that the Army works to
resolve as do the rest of the Services. The Army Senior Leadership
remains very concerned with the high number of deaths by suicide over
the past 2 years and have mandated a more rigorous implementation of
initiatives and command emphasis across all components of the Army. We
have better awareness of the demographics for most of our deaths being
males in the ranks from private first class through staff sergeant who
have a combination of relationship, financial, work-related, and
behavioral issues. Potential reasons for the recent Active component
increase include: recruits entering service with low resilience to
adversity coupled with poor coping and communication skills; the need
for maximized leader and peer visibility of the soldier personal issues
just mentioned; and lastly, the difficulty in screening for all past
behavioral health histories of potential recruits. With this increased
awareness, Army Senior Leadership has mandated a more rigorous
implementation of initiatives and command emphasis across all
components of the Army. Army is seeing a significant increase in
suicide ideations. Potential reasons for this low follow through rate
are: 1) Stigma reduction--soldiers becoming increasingly comfortable
seeking help; 2) Effective behavioral health care and follow-up; and 3)
Increasing bystander intervention.
In 2019, the Army will conduct a pilot at select locations intended
to test the following new initiatives: leader tools designed to improve
visibility, improve soldier communication with complex and sensitive
subjects, and provide soldiers a better self-assessment; surging
capabilities to train and educate soldiers on resilience skills
designed to improve individual coping mechanisms and make resiliency an
Army core competency; and renewed partnering with external agencies
such as the VA [Department of Veterans Affairs], Center for Disease
Control, leading universities, and research institutions to examine and
potentially implement new initiatives to help reduce suicides across
the Army and entire Joint Force. If these prove beneficial we expand
them to the entire force.
This Army continues to work to decrease the stigma associated with
seeking behavioral health care, and we are seeing some positive
results. Behavioral health encounters for the Total Army grew from
approximately (900,000) in fiscal year 2007 to approximately (2.25
million) in fiscal year 2017, indicating greater trust in the system.
Soldiers required 65,975 fewer inpatient bed days for all types of
behavioral health conditions in 2017, as compared to 2012.
Further, the Army provided more timely care to soldiers. For
example, according to the 2017 DHA [Defense Health Agency] Healthcare
Effectiveness Data and Information Set, 94 percent of all soldiers
hospitalized for a behavioral health condition received a follow-up
appointment in a clinic within seven days, which far exceeds the
national average. The practice of embedding behavioral health personnel
and substance abuse disorder providers within combat units provides
soldiers with more comprehensive care.
Total Army non-deployable personnel reduced by 886,000 or 8 percent
from June 2016 to December 2018 (8153,000 or 15 percent to 867,000 or 7
percent). The current 7 percent non-deployable rate is a result of
aligning Army reporting with the current DOD Instruction and with
command emphasis at all levels. Beyond reducing the number of non-
deployables, the published policies (DODI 1332.45, Retention
Determinations for Non-Deployable servicemembers, and Army Directive
2018-22, Retention Policy for Non-Deployable Soldiers) are establishing
a culture change. While policy revisions have proven to aid in
increasing deployability and lethality, additional Army initiatives
have and continue to provide positive results. The establishment of the
Commander's Portal for Medical Protection System integrated essential
medical readiness information in one easy-to-use application, giving
commanders (or his/her designee) the ability to quickly review
soldiers' deployability status. In short, the Commander Portal
significantly increased visibility of factors influencing soldier
medical readiness. To further increase deployability, the Army
established the Holistic Health and Fitness Program (H2F), which is a
paradigm shift to a proactive injury prevention strategy. This program
represents a comprehensive, integrated and immersive health and fitness
system of governance, personnel, equipment, facilities and leader
education that maximizes readiness and deployability through the
reduction of injuries, attrition and associated costs. The program
fosters more resilient soldiers who are better prepared to conduct
their wartime mission. While we continue to monitor the impacts of
recent policy revisions and established initiatives, we are confident
we're trending in the right direction, as evidenced by the increased
readiness in our Brigade Combat Teams.
The readiness of Regular Army (RA) Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) has
doubled since June 2016, when only 12 of 31 or 39 percent of RA BCTs
achieved the highest state of personnel readiness. As of December 2018,
24 of 31 or 77 percent of RA BCTs continued the trend of improved
overall personnel readiness. The increased personnel readiness is
attributable to the collaborative efforts of Army Senior Leader
emphasis and an engaged medical community.
The Army remains committed to efficiently evaluating potentially
ill and injured soldiers in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System
(IDES), returning fit soldiers to duty or assisting unfit soldiers in
transitioning to civilian life. Improving trends in case processing
times demonstrate the Army's resolve. Average processing times continue
to drop and are down to 198 days for non-Active Duty soldiers and down
to 201 days and for Active Duty soldiers. Processing times were
impacted during fiscal year 2018 due to information technology (IT)
migration activities involving our separate Medical Evaluation Board
and Physical Evaluation Board case processing applications merging into
a single disability case processing application. Per Secretary of
Defense Directive, we continue to strive towards achieving a new 180-
day IDES processing goal, effective 1 October 2019. As of now, the IDES
non-deployable population remains steady at approximately 10,000.
The Army is undertaking a comprehensive reform of the Officer
Personnel Management System to ensure we match the knowledge, skills,
and behaviors of each soldier to the right position, optimizing both in
order to dominate in land combat against any adversary. The Army Talent
Management Task Force is leading the Army's efforts to shift from an
industrial-age personnel distribution system to an information-age
market-based talent management model that deliberately manages our
soldiers and civilians based on optimized placement in positions that
capitalize on their unique talents. The task force oversees initiatives
to ensure the Army acquires, develops, employs, and retains soldiers
and civilians with the diverse talents required for the current and
future force.
The 2019 NDAA provided us great flexibility and we use the
authorities granted in it to help determine what a future talent-based
system looks like. For example, the Army direct commissioned four
captains and has plans to direct commission at least 12 more officers
this fiscal year, including a major. Implementation of merit-based
promotions are scheduled to begin in July with the Army competitive
category major promotion board. Under the Talent Assessment Program,
the Army piloted a battery of talent assessments and plans to expand
the program to all junior captains attending the captain's career
courses starting this summer.
Talent assessments are not new to young officers. In fact, many of
the second lieutenants entering the Army today are products of talent-
based branching. The program was first piloted at West Point in 2012
and expanded to ROTC [Reserve Officers' Training Corps] in 2016 and OCS
[Officer Candidate School] in 2018. Cadets undergo a battery of
assessments that inform their branch choice and determine if it is a
good fit for both the branch and the individual. An unexpected outcome
of talent-based assessments is that it changed cadets' behavior over
time as cadets became more aware of their own talents and more informed
about branches.
In January, the Army Talent Management Task Force held a planning
conference with 183 representatives from more than 80 organizations
across the Army. The outcome of that conference was a series of
initiatives that the Army will use to understand, assess, experiment,
and implement a new talent management system--a system that when
appropriate, includes spot promotions, opting out of promotion boards,
and a new alternate promotion authority. Bridging the gap between the
current and future system requires a regulated marketplace, integration
of holistic assessments, and flexible career paths. We are currently
running multiple pilots to test and gather lessons learned. For
example, Assignment Interactive Module Version 2 (AIM 2) is conducting
marketplace matching between officers designated to move and available
assignments. Moving to an Officer Talent Management System will require
fundamental changes in Army culture--changes we're already seeing with
the adoption of the AIM 2 marketplace and talent-based branching. The
Army is transforming its business practices and developing innovations
to ensure we provide a force that is optimized to fight and win our
Nation's wars.
The Army has seen an increase in officer retention in fiscal year
2018, retaining 89.0 percent of the Army competitive category captains
and 94.4 percent of majors compared to 87.7 percent and 92.8 percent,
respectively, in fiscal year 2017. Overall, the Army retained 91.7
percent of all officers in fiscal year 2018. Since 2016, there has been
nearly a 2 percent officer retention increase. Approximately 76 percent
of officers are staying at least one year past their Active Duty
Service Obligation (ADSO) (USMA 68 percent / Scholarship ROTC 75
percent-largest category / Non-Scholarship ROTC 85 percent / OCS 76
percent)
Over the next several years, the Army's continued use of market-
based, talent based branching-integrated with initiatives to redesign
promotion selection processes-will help us retain talented officers. We
will recognize high performing officers and be able to manage them
accordingly with the authority to make order of merit promotion list
adjustments. Additionally, the use of opt-out provisions will offer
flexibility for promotion consideration. Our analysis of the broad
alternate promotion authority will allow us to develop additional
initiatives; and together, the use of the new authorities granted in
the fiscal year 2019 NDAA will help the Army transform its business
practices and develop personnel management innovations that ensure we
provide a force optimized to fight and win our Nation's wars.
Taking care of soldiers and their families while they are in the
Army is just one part of our commitment to ensuring their successful
transition. We never forget we must continue our efforts to prepare our
soldiers for transition in the community as productive veterans.
The Army's Soldier for Life program conducts strategic outreach and
shapes education, employment, and health policies, programs and
services to inspire citizens to serve and to create an environment
where soldiers transition to be productive members of society. The
program connects private and public organizations to transitioning
soldiers and spouses looking for educational and employment
opportunities.
For fiscal year 2018, the Army's Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW)
Act compliance increased from 88 percent to over 90 percent--the Active
component at 91 percent (+1 percent), ARNG at 91 percent (+5 percent),
and USAR at 82 percent (+3 percent). We continue to enhance our
policies and procedures for transitioning soldiers and have ensured
commanders understand that they must ensure their soldiers attend VOW
Act-mandated briefings. It is in the Army's and our Nation's best
interest to ensure soldiers transition successfully back into our
communities. Further, according to data from the Department of Labor,
in 2018 Soldier for Life--Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP)
efforts assisted in reducing the unemployment rate for veterans that
joined the Army after September 11, 2001, to less than 4 percent (3.8
percent) for the first time, with the lowest amount of unemployment
compensation for veterans in 17 years. Between fiscal year 2011 and
fiscal year 2018, SFL-TAP efforts have contributed to an 82.2 percent
decrease in total Unemployment Compensation for Ex-servicemembers (UCX)
payments ($514.6 million to $91.4 million). The fiscal year 2018 UCX
invoice is the lowest since fiscal year 2001 ($89.8 million).
We have invested a tremendous amount of resources and deliberate
planning to preserve the All-Volunteer Force. People are the Army . . .
these men and women who serve our Nation, both in uniform and out of
uniform, along with their families, are our most important asset. For
the Army to be ready, our soldiers must be ready. The Army will not
sacrifice readiness or quality as we continue to grow. Chairman Tillis,
Members of this committee, I thank you for generous and unwavering
support of our outstanding soldiers, civilian professionals, and their
families.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, General Seamands.
Admiral Burke.
STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL ROBERT P. BURKE, USN, DEPUTY CHIEF OF
NAVAL OPERATIONS, N-1
Vice Admiral Burke. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member
Gillibrand, and distinguished Members of this Subcommittee,
thank you for the opportunity to be here today and update you
on your Navy's personnel programs.
We continue to grow the Navy's manpower commensurate with
the force structure for the Navy the Nation Needs. We are
simultaneously working to restore full manning to our existing
fleet. This year we will grow the Navy by 7500 people and
another 5100 next year. Fleet wholeness continues to improve,
as evidenced by steady progress in improving fleet manning and
closing gaps at sea. Even as we grow the Navy at an aggressive
pace, we still have work to do, and our success is directly
tied to our collective commitment to consistent and full
funding.
Finding the right people is as important as making numbers.
The war for talent is real, and competition is increasing. We
continue to make our overall recruiting goals--the highest in
decades--mostly due to our recruiting transformation efforts,
innovative use of social media, and by shifting our ``Forged by
the Sea'' advertising campaign predominantly to the digital
markets. A combination of our Sailor 2025 programs, surgical
use of retention bonuses aided by predictive analytics, and
other policy levers resulted in 2018 showing the largest
enlisted retention improvements in a decade. This is critical,
as it has allowed us to begin to establish the deep bench of
experienced journeymen needed to develop that next generation
of masters.
Despite the overall improvements in retention, we continue
to face challenges in a few specific fields: nuclear, aviation,
cyber, Navy special warfare, and advanced electronics. Our
Sailor 2025 initiatives continue to expand and get high marks
from our sailors. This program will continue to be a critical
force multiplier going forward. The underlying transparency and
the flexibility it provides directly and positively impacts our
sailors' stay Navy decision.
We greatly appreciated the increased DOPMA [Defense Officer
Personnel Management Act] flexibility this committee championed
in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. We
are already putting each of the new authorities to work, and we
look forward to reporting our successes to you in the near
future. But as important as the programs themselves is the
manner in which we deliver our personnel services. There's a
saying: ``You recruit a sailor, but you retain the family.''
Although we enjoy many excellent benefits because of the great
work you do here, sailors and their families still live with
less than they deserve in some cases. Sailors should be able to
count on the correct and reliable pay all the time. We ask them
to move frequently, a tough thing for families to do. We need
to make it as seamless as possible for them, take away the
avoidable frustrations by making the process simple, reliable,
and customer service-friendly. That's what it'll take to show
that we truly care and that we value their service as well as
what they bring to the fight.
Our Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education (MPT&E)
transformation efforts get at this exact point. Our last
several years of efforts were spent setting the foundation to
get to the finish line, and in 2018 we began launching the
first of many new capabilities into the hands of our sailors.
This past September, we launched MyNavy Career Center,
delivering enhanced 24/7 personnel, pay, and training customer
service, just like a modern banking or insurance call center.
That call center exceeded industry benchmarks for customer
service its first week of operation, and it continues to do so
today. MyNavy Portal is our new, online one-stop personnel
shop, and it offers a multitude of self-service options
including online knowledge tools and a rapidly-expanding set of
HR transactions, freeing up time for sailors to focus on war-
fighting missions and families.
In January, we began the move to MyNavy Portal Mobile,
piloting use of commercial cloud systems without use of their
Common Access Card. By the end of this calendar year, our
sailors will be doing most of their personnel business from
their smartphones, and their pay issues will be largely a thing
of the past. The admin associated with a permanent change of
station move will be an afterthought so that families can
concentrate on what matters. Challenges remain, and we still
have a great deal of work to get to where we need to be if we
are going to be truly competitive, but we are on a good path.
I thank you for your support of these efforts and for your
unwavering commitment to the men and women of the United States
Navy and their families, and I look forward to continuing our
partnership and to your questions. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Admiral Burke follows:]
Prepared Statement by Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and distinguished
Members of the Personnel Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to
appear before you today to discuss our Navy's most important strategic
asset, our people.
ready and capable global navy
For over 240 years, the U.S. Navy has been a cornerstone of
American security and prosperity. In an increasingly globalized world,
the Nation's security is ever more dependent on the Navy. People are
the strength behind every organization--the talent in our workforce is
our most critical differentiator in a world complicated by numerous
security threats. Today's workforce is very different from that of
previous generations, changed by national trends in family, education
and work dynamics. We are building a larger fleet with new operating
concepts, which requires people of diverse backgrounds and experiences,
critical thinking skills, and the mental agility to operate across the
spectrum of change that lies ahead while addressing the needs of the
modern workforce, including an innovative personnel system, equally
agile and flexible, and ready to meet the challenges and uncertainty of
a great power era.
To compete for talent and dominate in the maritime domain, we must
apply cutting-edge human resources management practices and technology,
and as importantly, continue our efforts to become a customer-
experience-driven organization that shows, through action, that we
value sailors and their families. We must consistently take care of
them as they endure lengthy deployments, often in harm's way, and with
prolonged family separations. Sailors deserve and rightly expect to be
treated as valued members of the team, or they will go elsewhere. All
of those antiquated things we ask sailors and their families to endure
about today's industrial-age systems send a signal that we do not value
them as intelligent technology-oriented members of the Navy family. To
remain a ready and capable global Navy, we must complete ongoing
efforts to transform the Navy personnel system, as soon as possible.
competing for talent
Economic trends have a significant influence on the workforce.
Under good economic conditions, America's youth have more options at
their disposal, challenging Navy's ability to meet recruiting
requirements as potential candidates explore alternative employment
opportunities. This past year, the U.S. economy experienced its
strongest growth since the recession of 2008, resulting in significant
expansion of employment opportunity in an ever-tightening labor market.
National forecasts predict regional labor shortages in the working-age
population among critical occupational categories, e.g., computers,
mathematics, and healthcare. Economic trends reflect the difficulty
private sector employers are experiencing in filling job vacancies. The
proportion of firms with unfilled jobs, and the proportion of vacancies
for which there are few or no qualified job applicants, have increased
to historically-high levels. The number of employees choosing to leave
their jobs has also escalated, making private sector retention
increasingly difficult.
The labor market, especially among blue collar and service
employees from which we draw most of our enlisted workforce, is
experiencing extremely low unemployment and high wage growth. That
segment of the workforce is declining as increasing numbers of youth in
our target market attend college. Our competitive pay and benefits
package may be the most significant factor buffering us from the
impacts of this shift in the economic environment. Additionally, the
demographic diversity of the workforce is increasing. These
environmental factors are the foundation for understanding our
workforce and how to manage talent. Labor market conditions may entice
sailors in certain critical skills to leave for the civilian job
market. So, through predictive analytics, we are taking preemptive
action to retain key labor skills by adjusting enlistment and retention
bonuses ahead of need. We have also increased the number of recruiters
and enhanced our marketing and advertising efforts through our new
``Forged by the Sea'' brand and a digital recruit prospecting strategy.
end strength and budget growth
The Navy is recruiting and retaining the talent needed for our
growing fleet, and Sailor 2025 and MPT&E transformation efforts vital
to delivering and sustaining The Navy the Nation Needs. Our Navy
personnel team plays a pivotal role in executing the direction outlined
in the new National Defense and National Military Strategies,
particularly in ensuring readiness and lethality, and reforming
business practices and systems to achieve greater performance and
affordability. Design 2.0 for Maintaining Maritime Superiority,
announced in December, details Navy's implementation plans in support
of these strategic documents.
We are arming our talented workforce with a modernized, agile and
flexible personnel system, ready to meet the challenges and uncertainty
of an era of emerging great power competition. We are growing our ranks
to support shipbuilding, modernization, and aircraft procurement
authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year
2018 (FY18 NDAA), as we work towards building the Navy the Nation
needs. Sustaining the larger Fleet requires continued investment in
people and reliable steady funding. We are aggressively working to
complete the MPT&E transformation effort to simplify management and
curtail personnel costs for Navy military manpower. Similarly, our
Sailor 2025 initiatives are critical to recruiting the best sailors up-
front. To accomplish this mission, we will offer better talent-
matching, greater career flexibility, modernized and portable training
delivery, better life/work balance, and pay and incentives that keep
pace with market forces. These factors will lead to higher retention
and a leaner, more sustainable personnel footprint.
enlisted force management
MPT&E transformation has delivered initial capability into the
hands of sailors and their families, heralding a new era in Navy
personnel management that offers world-class customer service. We are
demonstrating that we value sailors and their families by designing
every personnel process and policy with a sailor-centric approach.
We have implemented several initiatives to address enlisted fleet
manning shortfalls, including adjusting High Year Tenure (HYT),
increasing enlisted accessions, modifying Physical Fitness Assessment
(PFA) separation policy, and aligning sea tours with service
obligations. We established a new distribution policy to improve
supervisory manning levels at sea and other operational units by
transferring 1,100 chief petty officers to operational units and
restored the Sailor Early Return to Sea (SERTS) policy to reduce sea
duty vacancies in pay grades E4-E9. Our Targeted Reentry Program (TRP)
pilot identifies select sailors for expedited return to Active Duty by
eliminating burdensome reentry processes, enhancing Active and Reserve
component permeability. New pilot programs influence sailors to stay
Navy, through an Advancement-to-Vacancy Selection Board that spot
advances enlisted sailors into priority billets, and by offering a
performance-based Selective Reenlistment Bonus premium for sailors in
certain ratings who meet key performance marks.
Enlisted Recruiting
Over the past 2 years, we increased our annual enlisted accession
goal by approximately 5,000 recruits, to meet growing fleet manning
requirements. We achieved 100 percent of our Active component (AC)
accession goal in fiscal year 2018. We have now met the goal for 137
consecutive months. We fell short in Reserve component (RC) non-prior
service and prior service accessions, and Active and Reserve New
Contract Objective (NCO). Record AC retention means fewer separating
sailors available to affiliate in the Selected Reserve contributing to
slight RC under-manning. While manageable, this shortfall is indicative
of the changing environment.
We are improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our recruiting
organization through realignment, transformation, workforce
improvements, and policy reform. ``Street to Fleet'' has been realigned
under the Force Development pillar, led by commander, Naval Education
and Training Command, creating synergy and unity-of-effort throughout
the recruiting and training pipeline. This allows us to better identify
talent needs and performance indicators up-front, reducing attrition
and increasing retention, thereby lowering the demand for new recruits.
We are focusing on talent acquisition while aligning our workforce
based on individual skill sets to maximize productivity. In fiscal year
2018, we transitioned four legacy Navy Recruiting Districts (NRD) into
Navy Talent Acquisition Groups (NTAG) and subordinate Talent
Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOC). This new model eliminates the
``middle layer'' of the NRD and associated overhead and bureaucracy,
while improving overall recruiter performance output by 25 percent.
We are streamlining processes, through digital improvements in
interactions with the civilian population and processing new leads, and
we began a targeted and digital-focused marketing and advertising
campaign under our new brand ``Forged by the Sea.'' Digital prospecting
allows recruiters to leverage messaging tools on the Navy.com website
and other social media to start initial conversations with prospective
recruits, increasing the number of recruiting prospects, and reaching
diverse markets, while lowering costs-per-lead--the most efficient
marketing and advertising campaign in Navy's history.
We added 200 recruiters in fiscal year 2018 by mobilizing Reserve
sailors, and will add 200 more in fiscal year 2019 while extending over
400 sailors on recruiting duty for 6 to 12 months. We increased
incentive pay for top-performing recruiting teams and advancement
opportunities for top-performing sailors, and are working on a plan to
advance high-performing sailors who volunteer for recruiting duty. We
increased the amount, number, and types of enlistment bonuses and
tailored packages to a prospective recruit's needs to more effectively
and efficiently target incentives.
We eliminated obsolete accession policies and improved others that
excluded a potential source of talent. We expanded opportunity by
aligning Armed Forces Qualification Test scores and age limits with the
other Military Services and contemporized certain medical waiver
criteria based on societal norms (e.g., ADHD [attention deficit/
hyperactivity disorder], eczema, allergies). These types of changes
resulted in nearly 8,300 additional sailors in fiscal year 2018, who
otherwise would not have been able to serve, or who were influenced to
join by greater job opportunities.
The net effect of these changes, most of which originated with
deck-plate recruiters, has been staggering. The table below compares
the difference in recruiter force size (boots on ground recruiters) and
budgets, for fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2008, the last time we
had an Active component enlisted force recruiting mission of this size.
What is particularly noteworthy is that, despite significantly less
funding, the Navy Recruiting Team made the fiscal year 2018 goal by May
2018, middle of the third quarter.
Enlisted Retention
Retention of every capable sailor remains a vital element of our
growth strategy. We increased retention across all pay grades in fiscal
year 2018, by applying a range of force management tools, and are
maximizing retention efforts for proven performers to meet growing
mission requirements. A fairly steep growth trajectory imposes some
challenges for all ratings and skills. While overall enlisted retention
in fiscal year 2018 was the highest seen in many years, critical skill
communities, such as nuclear field, special warfare, advanced
electronics, aviation maintenance, and information technology require
focused retention efforts including targeted reenlistment bonuses.
Special and incentive pays continue to play a vital role in retaining
sailors in high-risk, high-demand, and/or high-investment skill sets
and we are proactively managing force structure growth to man new units
to operational requirements. Monetary incentives remain an integral
part of our retention strategy, including our new pilot program that
adds a merit-based component to enlisted retention bonuses.
We are refining force management policies by reducing the number of
circumstances in which commanding officers must make individual force
management decisions, while expanding sailor choice for reenlistment or
lateral conversions into other career fields. Efforts to date have
yielded positive retention results, although some, e.g., easing High
Year Tenure gates, offer immediate gains that will decrease over time.
We have also expanded reenlistment and rating conversion opportunities,
resulting in unprecedented retention and numbers of conversions under
the Reserve component to Active component program. Shortfalls among
high-demand critical skills in fiscal year 2018 were mitigated through
conversion of 1,163 Reserve sailors to the Active component.
officer force management
Competition remains keen as we continue using every force
management lever to recruit top talent into our officer corps, train
them with cutting-edge technology and techniques, and retain their
expertise in which we have heavily invested, to preserve our
competitive advantage in the maritime security environment. In addition
to our Fleet Scholars Education Program (FSEP), Tours with Industry
(TWI), and merit-based retention incentives, we immediately began
development of programs to implement officer personnel management
reforms enacted in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization
Act for fiscal year 2019, including:
expansion of constructive service credit to recruit
civilian candidates with education, leadership, and experience
credentials for leadership roles in cyber and engineering duty officer
fields,
expansion of spot promotion opportunity to designated O-5
and O-6 billets,
executing merit promotion authority to incentivize top
performers,
retention of certain control grade officers with targeted
skills in aviation, acquisition, engineering duty officer, and attaches
beyond traditional statutory limits,
relaxation of the requirement that original appointments
be granted only to individuals able to complete 20 years commissioned
service by age 62.
Beginning with the fiscal year 2021 promotion board cycle, we plan
to exercise promotion deferment authority to afford greater flexibility
to top performing officers whose competitiveness might otherwise suffer
due to participation in career-broadening and education opportunities
encouraged by the Navy, e.g., Rhodes and Olmsted Scholars, and Tours
with Industry. We appreciate congressional support for enactment of
these provisions and look forward to updating you on our progress as we
leverage these vital transformational force management tools.
Officer Recruiting
We continue to see strong interest in commissioning opportunities
through the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) and Naval Reserve Officers
Training Corps (NROTC) program, as the number of highly qualified
applicants vastly exceeds the number of available appointments. We
continue to attract the finest applicants and graduate well-rounded,
technically competent leaders for commissioned naval service. While
overall officer accession goals were met in fiscal year 2018, the
market continues to be challenging in certain designators, e.g., Judge
Advocate General's Corps within the Active component, and Medical Corps
in the Reserve component.
Officer Retention
While officer retention is sufficient to meet milestone
requirements in most officer communities, meeting our demand signal
among aviation warfare officers in specific type/model/series
platforms, nuclear-trained surface warfare officers, submarine
officers, and naval special warfare (NSW), specifically Navy SEALs
[sea, air, and land teams], remains challenging. We continue to apply
and refine a combination of monetary and non-monetary incentives to
address retention among these groups.
Naval aviation's inventory and accessions (tactical, maritime, and
rotary wing combined) remain sufficient to meet operational
requirements. However, declining pilot retention in some Active and
Reserve communities, especially strike fighter (VFA) and electronic
attack (VAQ), continues to present serious challenges to aviation long-
term health. Low affiliation of maritime patrol (VP) aviators due to
platform transition uncertainty, and high turnover rates within Fleet
Logistics (VR) caused by commercial airline hiring, remain a concern in
the Reserve component. Challenges in retaining mid-grade and senior
aviators continue to be primarily rooted in lack of flight hours,
tactical training, and progression of qualifications associated with
aircraft material readiness challenges, quality of life dissatisfiers,
especially in non-fleet concentration areas, and the perception of a
broadening pay gap with the commercial airline industry.
Aviators seek more career path flexibility and opportunities for
personal and professional development, and flexible, merit-based
monetary incentives competitive with the civilian sector. In March
2018, we announced substantial across-the-board improvements in
aviation bonuses for department head and command, and aviation
incentive pay, applying a holistic approach that synchronizes targeted
increases in flight pay and bonuses in a mutually-supportive fashion to
coincide with major aviation leadership milestones. These changes show
early promise in improving retention and significantly increased take-
rates in areas such as the command bonus.
We have expanded access to career-enhancing opportunities to
improve flexibility in the naval aviation career path, e.g., graduate
school and fellowships, Tours with Industry, and the Career
Intermission Program. This past year, we leveraged authorities enacted
in the fiscal year 2019 NDAA and implemented the Professional Flight
Instructor (PFI) Program that allows select pilots and naval flight
officers to serve continuously as flight instructors as an alternative
to the traditional sea/shore rotational career path, affording greater
assignment stability and rewarding experiences through developing our
newest naval aviators.
The combination of existing aviation-specific incentives and Sailor
2025 officer personnel reforms are expected to slow, and ultimately
reverse, the trend of aviators choosing to leave the Navy after their
initial commitment. Sustained support for readiness enabler accounts,
including flight hour and aircraft spare parts accounts, is critical to
improving the quality of aviation service in the near term. This
support, coupled with personnel initiatives, should address most of the
critical issues causing aviators to leave the Navy.
We are refining the NSW Officer Bonus to increase take rates and
improve retention, and expanding eligibility to alternate career paths
to improve inventory at pay grades O-4 and O-5. We are also
consolidating Jump, Dive, and Demolition pays into a single Skill
Incentive Pay.
Submarine and surface warfare (nuclear) communities are using
monetary and non-monetary incentives to retain their best talent.
Monetary incentives include retention bonuses for officers willing to
commit early to future service and special duty pays for challenging
nuclear billets. Recent changes to conventional (non-nuclear) surface
warfare officer department head retention bonuses, among our first to
add merit components, continue to provide adequate retention.
sailor 2025
Attracting and retaining the best sailors in an increasingly
competitive talent market requires continued flexibility and
transparency in policies and practices. Sailor 2025, a dynamic set of
over 50 initiatives, is a roadmap to improve personnel programs by
providing choice and flexibility. Sailor 2025 is modernizing personnel
management and training policies and systems to more effectively
identify, recruit, and train talented people and manage the force while
improving warfighting readiness. The modern, innovative, information
technology infrastructure we are building will improve how we recruit,
train, and retain talent, more accurately and efficiently assign
talent, better design and account for compensation packages, and
generate a system that affords greater flexibility and permeability.
Sailor 2025 is built on a framework of three pillars, a modern
personnel system, a career learning continuum with modernized delivery
methods, entitled Ready, Relevant Learning (RRL), and career readiness,
that is shaping resilient, tough sailors bolstered by a family support
network, which fosters a career of service.
Personnel System Modernization
The first pillar, ``Personnel System Modernization,'' is wholesale
modernization of our entire personnel system. We are creating flexible
policies and additional career choices and empowering commanding
officers with tools to retain the best and brightest sailors. We
continued to implement programs in fiscal year 2018, including primary/
secondary caregiver leave, O5/O6 Selective Early Retirement Board,
Targeted Re-entry, and Reserve component (RC) to Active component (AC)
Fast-Track programs. We are also expanding ``Detailing Marketplace''
pilot initiatives, overhauling the performance evaluation system,
modernizing advancement examinations coincident with rating
modernization and achieving greater AC-RC permeability.
Ready Relevant Learning
The second pillar, ``Ready, Relevant Learning'' (RRL), is a
holistic approach to training our career enlisted force, which will
accelerate learning for faster response to rapidly changing warfighting
requirements in increasingly dynamic operational environments. Legacy
training does not take full advantage of existing and emerging
technology for knowledge-transfer. Skills acquired during accession
pipeline training atrophy due to delays between receipt of training and
on-the-job performance, increasing the burden on the fleet and
potentially compromising operational readiness. We are using the
science of learning to transform the current training model to modern
training solutions delivered at the point of need, better prepare
sailors to operate and maintain equipment at its technological limits,
and meet rapidly evolving warfighting requirements. This will occur
across three lines of effort: (1) career long learning continuum, (2)
modern delivery at the point of need, and (3) integrated content
development.
We are approaching the end of the first stage of the career long
learning continuum line of effort, known as Block Learning, which
divides existing accession-level training content into smaller blocks
moved to real-world points of need in a sailor's career, shortening
initial accession training and sending sailors to the fleet sooner.
Block Learning uses existing content as we reengineer training to meet
future RRL training continuum objectives. We have completed Block
Learning analysis and approved changes for all 54 ratings--44 executing
training in block delivery construct, 3 projected to implement in
fiscal year 2019, and 7 designated to move directly into the second
line of effort, i.e., modern delivery at the point of need.
The second RRL line of effort leverages emerging learning
technology to more efficiently deliver training at the point of need,
i.e., the waterfront or operational unit. Applying science of learning
principles makes training more effective, efficient, and available by
leveraging technology to provide online training tools, including
virtual reality and interactive ``apps,'' at the time and place needed,
thereby reducing the necessity and costs of returning sailors to
retrain at legacy brick-and-mortar schoolhouses. We have completed
modernization requirements-development for 2 ratings and 23 more are
scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2019. Eighteen additional
ratings are undergoing requirements with development to be delivered at
a later date. We continue to identify and align IT capabilities to
support delivery of modernized content ashore and afloat. We are on
track to deliver modernized content in September for our first rating,
Operations Specialist, to be followed by two other ratings in fiscal
year 2020.
We have entered the third line of effort: integrated content
development, solidifying the fleet's role in defining training
requirements and validating analysis that aligns training content and
delivery methods with fleet needs. An RRL Integration Board provides a
framework to offer strategic guidance, approve major implementation and
phasing decisions, and address resourcing requirements. An RRL Training
System Program Manager (TSPM) staff is responsible for planning and
acquisition of RRL training content and hardware and monitors program
cost, schedule and performance. These governance and program oversight
initiatives align stakeholder efforts and resolve seam issues to ensure
program success.
Career Readiness
The third pillar, Career Readiness, will remove barriers to
continued service and improve work-life balance, health, and wellness.
We will enhance career readiness by better developing leaders and
removing obstacles that negatively influence a sailor's decision to
stay Navy. We are more powerful and lethal when we leverage the talents
and strengths of the workforce and instill an environment in which all
are valued and respected, a force multiplier. We have incorporated the
One Navy Team concept into leader development to make our force more
diverse, inclusive, resilient and competitive, equipped, and ready to
deter war and protect national security. In fiscal year 2018, we
updated the Naval Leadership and Ethics Center curriculum in support of
Navy-specific unconscious bias education and training.
manpower personnel training & education transformation
This past year, we made significant headway in our transformation
journey to holistically modernize the MPT&E enterprise. MPT&E
transformation is vital to combat current and emerging threats, deliver
global lethality, and maintain maritime superiority. Ultimately, Navy
will benefit from a more agile, adaptive, and better-trained force,
ready to meet an increasingly complex mission. We achieved critical
milestones toward our vision and future state.
In September, we launched MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) beta,
delivering enhanced personnel, pay, and training customer service.
Sailors access tiered-service delivery with 24/7 customer support for
phone and email queries and transaction requests. MyNavy Portal self-
service options offer online knowledge tools and a select set of HR
[human resources] pay and personnel transactions, freeing up time for
sailors to focus on warfighting missions and families. This year, we
will achieve another MNCC milestone with our Initial Operation
Capabilities (IOC) launch, which will bring new customer relationship
management and telephony technology combined with numerous process
improvements. Ultimately, sailors and families will be able to conduct
HR pay and personnel business online in the same secure manner in which
they currently transact with banks and insurance companies.
We established a Results Delivery Office (RDO) and assigned
Business Design Owners (BDOs) to matrix our organization and accelerate
transformation. This past year, RDO and BDOs partnered to identify
opportunities to enhance the sailor experience and improve HR services
to meet the needs of sailors and their families, including:
an interactive, customized My PCS Checklist, and Lean
Orders to improve the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move
experience, and a forthcoming PCS app for easier, smartphone access to
orders, submission of travel claims and other improvements;
a Performance Evaluation transformation coaching tool to
provide immediate performance feedback and clearer understanding of
career development opportunities;
a ``competition counter'' into Career Management System--
Interactive Detailing (CMS-ID) that provides greater transparency and
helps sailors evaluate opportunities; and
three prioritized solutions to provide additional
opportunities and greater clarity in support of Credentialing,
Apprenticeships, and Voluntary Education (CAVE).
Progressing towards a single, secure Navy Pay and Personnel (NP2)
system, MPT&E Field Test 1 (FT1) prototype achieved its objective of
demonstrating 60 percent of a sailor's ``Street-to-Fleet'' HR
requirements using a Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) system with no
more than 10 percent customization. We launched a Rapid Prototype Pilot
(RPP) to begin building a Treasury Direct Disbursement (TDD) and pay
capability for Active and Reserve sailors by December 2020.
Completing our new operating model, we stood-up an Enterprise
Support group and developed an MPT&E Comprehensive Analytics Strategy
and Roadmap that defines the steps needed to integrate state-of-the-art
analytic methods into MPT&E enterprise business processes. This will
improve our ability to man the fleet with the right sailor, in the
right place, at the right time, and provide leadership with modern,
predictive, and prescriptive analytics tools.
Delivering transformed, 21st Century, worldwide, 24/7 personnel
services and training to Active and Reserve sailors and their families
is incumbent on the ability to operate and interact in the commercial
cloud. In 2018, working closely with DOD cyber security experts, we
began prototyping numerous cloud-based capabilities, to provide a full
production, secure, MPT&E system-of-systems in a commercial cloud
environment.
This year of execution and progress, combined with ongoing Sailor
2025 and Ready Relevant Learning efforts, has moved us from planning to
delivery of new capabilities and solutions, steering MPT&E to a more
sailor-focused organization. Sailors are beginning to see the benefits
of improved transparency, connectivity, and customer service. Fleet
leaders are beginning to see faster translation of personnel and
training needs to action, with access to more accurate data about how
those needs are being met. I am confident our proven methodology and
significant investment in stakeholder engagement with key partners will
enable us to continue gaining velocity in transformation in the coming
year.
taking care of sailors and navy families
Family Framework/Support Programs
The Navy Family Framework reinforces the role families play in
mission success and enhances support for families by improving support
programs, improving communications and spouse training, expanding our
education network, conducting meaningful command leader engagement and
reinforcing family connection with the Navy and its core values of
honor, courage, and commitment.
Informed by feedback from world-wide spouse engagement sessions, we
are developing a mobile application to identify, consolidate, and
standardize information into one authoritative source. We also
conducted 36 Live Well webinars, available online, on managing the
unique demands of the military lifestyle, while installation commanders
led over 150 all-hands calls and 100 town hall meetings to engage Navy
families. A Governance Board was established to advise leadership on
policy and efforts to ensure ready and resilient families. The Family
Employment Readiness Program assists military spouses in obtaining
employment and maintaining a career, particularly as they are impacted
by changes in the economy, labor market conditions and military
lifestyle. Navy is currently developing plans for implementing
reimbursement of spouse licensure fees authorized in the fiscal year
2018 NDAA.
Lack of accessible, affordable childcare continues to be an
important family readiness issue. Despite current shortfalls, we
continue to invest heavily in meeting the childcare needs of sailors to
ensure they are always mission ready, aware that their families are
well cared for. We have added 7,000 childcare spaces in the last decade
and have extended hours of operation where needed.
MilitaryChildCare.com is operational, allowing families to view
available military childcare world-wide, request childcare at any DOD
location and obtain anticipated placement time based on the family's
priority. It will become a ``one stop shop'' for available childcare
resources, raising awareness of available resources, enabling a family
to better plan for a move, and allowing for earlier placement on
waiting lists, thereby reducing wait times during transition. We are
exploring partnerships with organizations to expand childcare
availability, which would benefit other organizations as well as Navy
families in fleet areas with long waiting lists. Because most sailors
don't reside near extended family, the family network used by the
general population is unavailable to sailors. There is a nationwide
shortage of childcare, and a projected 1.4 million civilian space
shortfall in locations where most Navy demand resides.
Navy morale, welfare, and recreation programs provide core fitness
and recreation for sailors and families to enhance quality of life and
encourage life-long positive and healthy leisure pursuits. As part of
Sailor 2025, we extended hours of operation at fitness centers and
child development centers in response to demand from sailors and
families, which positively influences decisions to stay Navy and
improves our ability to meet fleet readiness requirements.
To make the Navy a truly family-friendly service, we have to do
much more. Career paths that support life-work balance over the long-
haul, in part made possible by recently enacted officer personnel
management reforms, will be part of the mix. Finally, Navy culture must
change. We must take the long view where a sailor's family needs are at
stake. This culture change is being hammered home through a combination
of training at officer and enlisted leader development courses and a
number of policy changes.
Culture of Excellence
The Culture of Excellence campaign is an integrated, holistic
approach at preventing destructive behaviors, from suicide and sexual
assault to excessive use of alcohol, leveraging behavioral science and
analytics, and aimed at promoting signature behaviors rather than
focusing on behavior at the point of failure. It focuses on behaviors
that reinforce mission effectiveness by instilling toughness, trust,
and connectedness to achieve warfighting excellence. Connectedness,
mental toughness, and trust that promote healthy life choices and help-
seeking behavior, and skills that facilitate them, e.g., communication,
conflict resolution, resiliency and problem-solving skills, guide our
primary prevention efforts targeting three key focus areas:
Defining problems using human factors analyses and
predictive data analytics to understand sailor needs and providing
necessary support. For example, we are beta-testing a Commander's Risk
Mitigation Dashboard (CRMD) prototype to assess unit readiness levels
and predict future readiness and performance. We continue to expand use
of embedded mental health providers, deployed resilience counselors,
and chaplains to support leaders in addressing identified challenges.
Use of non-uniformed counselors which serves to de-stigmatize
counseling are showing great promise.
Identifying primary prevention touchpoints for behavioral
learning across the career continuum using avatar-based training
adapted for sailors at career milestones, or when facing life changes
or other behavioral health challenges.
Implementing evidence-based policies, programs,
practices, and processes that address the full spectrum of behaviors,
are continuous and balanced, and supported by Navy leadership. We are
conducting a pilot that targets sailor behavioral health e.g.,
Rational-Thinking and Emotional-Regulation through Problem-Solving
(REPS) Training, at Recruit Training Command, which promotes mental
fitness by addressing problematic thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to
help cope with emotional distress.
Our Culture of Excellence Governance Board, led by the Chief of
Naval Operations, meets regularly to advance priorities, align
resources, and promote a full spectrum of positive behaviors to
maximize sailor potential. Proven programs, such as the Navy Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Prevention program, continue to support enhanced fleet,
family and sailor readiness, while the ``Keep What You've Earned''
campaign fosters improved decision-making regarding alcohol
consumption, offers alternatives and educates about the consequences of
poor decision making.
conclusion
The Secretary of the Navy has established priorities that center on
people, capabilities, and processes, which we will achieve through
speed, value, results, and partnerships. Readiness, lethality, and
modernization drive these priorities. The Navy the Nation Needs demands
that we produce outstanding leaders and teams who learn and adapt
faster than our adversaries. We are charged with ensuring that every
sailor and unit maximizes their potential and is ready for decisive
combat operations. MPT&E transformation and Sailor 2025 are the primary
vehicles by which we are delivering this mandate. I look forward to
working with you as we continue shaping our Navy to meet these
challenges. On behalf of the men and women of the United States Navy,
thank you for your unwavering support.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, Admiral Burke.
General Kelly.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL BRIAN T. KELLY, USAF, DEPUTY
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS
Lieutenant General Kelly. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member
Gillibrand, and distinguished Members of this Subcommittee,
thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to
talk about our airmen--Active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian.
America's airmen--your airmen--remain ``Always There'' as
part of the joint team providing global vigilance, reach, and
power in the defense of the Nation. The Air Force's top
priority is to build a lethal and ready Air Force capable of
executing our National Defense Strategy assigned missions. At
its core, building a lethal and ready Air Force is about
people, making our airmen our most important asset.
We appreciate the support that you provided in the fiscal
year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act for continued end-
strength growth to 690,500 Total Force airmen. This growth is
accelerating our readiness recovery and will provide lethal
airmen to protect and defend our Nation.
This past year, we focused the resources you provided on
our front-line pacing units, the 204 operational squadrons that
are required in the opening days of a peer fight. Prioritizing
the resources you provided has us on track to have 80 percent
of the pacing units fully ready by the end of fiscal year 2020,
approximately 6 years faster than we originally projected.
Readiness is foremost about having the right number of
capable airmen. Despite an increasingly competitive market for
talent, our Active Duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard are
all on track to meet our overall fiscal year 2019 recruiting
goals, totaling nearly 57,000 new airmen.
Given the increasing recruiting challenges, we also
appreciate the Congress' support of special and incentive pays,
which are a critical component, complemented with nonmonetary
incentives to maintaining and improving retention. The fiscal
year 2019 President's Budget included $1.2 billion for special
and incentive pays, allowing the Air Force to retain highly
skilled airmen. As you are aware, our aviators are one of our
most stressed career fields. The Air Force ended fiscal year
2018 with a total force pilot shortage of nearly 2,000, with
slightly more than half of that shortfall falling within our
fighter inventory. We appreciate the Congress' support for
increasing the pilot annual cap and monthly incentive pays,
which we believe had a positive impact.
Besides monetary incentives, the Air Force is focused on
improving the quality of life and quality of service. As one
example, we added this year flexibility into our officer
assignment process by leveraging technology through our new
Talent Marketplace assignment matching system. We believe the
increased transparency and improved member input will be a
positive retention influence. In our vital enlisted force, we
continue to make the system more agile, more transparent and
simple, to focus on and drive performance. Two recent examples
include the changes we made to our weighted airman promotion
system and adjustments to our high year of tenure limits.
The Air Force is also committed to transforming the way we
develop, promote, and retain our officer corps. We thank the
Congress for our increased DOPMA authorities we received this
past year. We are in the process of utilizing both early
promotion and constructive credit currently to fill inventory
gaps and are working to incorporate several other new
authorities that you provided as part of our overall talent
management transformation.
Our Air Force civilian employees stationed across the globe
share the same responsibility to our Nation as the men and
women in uniform. Having a high-quality force and being able to
recruit and compete for top civilian talent is also essential
to readiness. With your help, we also increased support to
airmen and families to improve resiliency and retention. We
increased funding to expand childcare for airmen on base to
those needing expanded care outside of normal duty hours and to
provide offset fees to support over 4500 children who use off-
base childcare.
We are deeply committed to the prevention of interpersonal
violence on all fronts. Sexual assault is a crime that
negatively affects airmen and families, erodes unit cohesion,
and violates the sacred trust we have to take care of airmen,
America's sons and daughters. The Air Force remains steadfast
in innovating, evolving, and strengthening our sexual assault
prevention and response efforts through evidence-based
approaches. Recent findings at our service academies continue
to show that despite substantial efforts, we must do more.
While these findings are both disheartening and frustrating,
they are also unacceptable, and we remain fully committed to
eradicating this negative behavior. While the vast majority of
cadets and airmen adhere to our expectations for ethical
behavior, there is no place in our academy or our Air Force for
those who do not.
We are also committed to achieving zero suicides, the
leading cause of death among Active Duty airmen. We support a
culture, and our programs are moving us to a place, where
leaders at all levels reinforce the notion that seeking help is
a sign of strength and airmen need not go it alone.
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and members of
the subcommittee, thank you again for the opportunity to appear
before you and represent our incredible airmen and their
families. Your airmen stand ready and fully understand the
responsibilities to the joint force and Nation. I'm honored to
be here alongside my colleagues, and I thank you for your
continued support and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of General Kelly follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lieutenant General Brian T. Kelly
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, distinguished Members
of this committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before this
committee to talk about our airmen, Active, Guard, Reserve, and
civilian. America's airmen remain ``Always There'' providing global
vigilance, reach and power to protect and defend our Nation.
building a lethal and ready air force
Great power competition provides the central challenges to U.S.
prosperity and security. To face these challenges, the United States
Air Force must compete, deter, and win across the five priority
missions of the National Defense Strategy:
Defend the Homeland,
Provide a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent,
Defeat a powerful conventional enemy, while we
Deter opportunistic aggression, and
Disrupt violent extremists in a cost-effective manner.
To accomplish this, we must continue to develop and build a lethal
and ready Air Force. At its core, building a lethal and ready Air Force
is about people. Our airmen (military and civilian) and their families
are our most important asset.
End Strength
The Air Force appreciates the support for continued end strength
growth to 690,500 Total Force airmen in the fiscal year 2019 National
Defense Authorization Act. We are meeting our projections to reach the
desired state across our Active and Reserve components. The growth you
have authorized is accelerating our readiness recovery and will provide
more lethal airmen to protect and defend our Nation today and tomorrow.
This past year we focused the resources Congress provided on our pacing
squadrons, the 204 operational squadrons required in the opening days
of a peer fight. More than 90 percent of our pacing squadrons are ready
to ``fight tonight'' with their lead force packages--the first airmen
to deploy at the beginning of a conflict. Overall resourcing within our
pacing units is up 24 percent. When we include their follow-on forces,
these pacing squadrons are on track to reach 80 percent readiness
before the end of fiscal year 2020, 6 years faster than originally
projected. As our front-line squadrons meet their readiness goals, we
are also working to ensure the remainder of our operational squadrons
reach the 80 percent readiness mark by 2022.
The National Military Strategy directs a balanced ``boxer's
stance'' of military readiness, and our operational pacing squadrons
form the clenched fist of American resolve. But a fist is nothing
without the power of the body--our supporting squadrons--behind it.
While readiness indicators are moving in the right direction and Active
military manning in most squadrons averages 97 percent, manning across
our supporting units and in some high demand areas remains at lower
levels. Undermanned units create fragile readiness where units have
single points of failure, higher operational tempos, and limit a
commander's ability to mitigate readiness impacts caused by periodic
non-availability of airmen. Without continued end strength growth, our
gains in readiness will be slowed and the Air Force will find it
increasingly difficult to compete, deter, and win against near-peer
competitors and across a wide spectrum of priority missions.
The Budget Control Act still threatens to disrupt the progress we
are making. A return to sequestration would erase the gains we made
over the last 3 years and inflict substantial damage to our programs.
In 2013, in the wake of sequestration, we were forced to stand-down
one-third of our combat flying squadrons. We cancelled large-scale
exercises and lost over one million work-hours of depot maintenance. To
maintain operational capability, we also reduced our total force size
by nearly 30,000 airmen resulting in the loss of valuable experience.
Recovery from these actions is lengthy, but your support over the last
3 years has been extremely helpful. Any return to the Budget Control
Act will not only arrest the gains we have made, but will also likely
add to current readiness recovery timelines.
Recruiting and Accessing
Readiness is first and foremost about having the right number of
capable airmen within your Air Force. Today only 29 percent of 17 to 24
year old men and women in the United States are eligible to serve and
only one in eight have a propensity to serve in the military. Despite
this, the Regular Air Force achieved its fiscal year 2018 enlisted
(29,450) and officer (Line--4,039) accession goals. The Air National
Guard achieved 92 percent of their enlisted goal (10,529), but met
their end-strength target by exceeding their officer goal (968) and
maintaining high retention. The Air Force Reserve achieved their
combined enlisted and officer goal of 8,450.
The fiscal year 2019 Air Force Active Duty enlisted recruiting goal
is 32,300. Thus far, we have met 21 percent of the overall goal and
have identified recruits with projected future dates for basic military
training that will take us to 51 percent of the goal. The fiscal year
2019 Air Force Reserve combined officer and enlisted recruiting goal is
8,650 with 35 percent already met. The fiscal year 2019 Air National
Guard combined officer and enlisted recruiting goal is 10,378 with 32.6
percent already met. In summary, Active Duty, Reserve and Air National
Guard are on track to meet overall fiscal year 2019 recruiting goals.
While we have been able to meet most of our recruiting goals, we
are keenly aware of a growing competition for talent and expect the
recruiting environment to be more challenging. The Air Force is
committed to improving how we recruit and prepare airmen to succeed.
With your support, we have added 159 new recruiters and our budget for
operating, advertising and marketing has increased by 85 percent since
fiscal year 2017. To assist in predicting career interest for potential
recruits, the Air Force uses a survey on its official website titled
Air Force Work Interest Navigator (AF-WIN), which has generated over
50,000 leads to date--an average of 460 surveys per day.
We met and are on track to achieve our total recruiting goals,
however, we have had challenges in some specific skill sets. For a
number of years, we struggled to recruit significant numbers of airmen
qualified for special warfare programs. This past year we established a
new training group and new recruiting squadrons focused on critical
warfighting career fields such as special warfare airmen, explosive
ordinance disposal (EOD) and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape
(SERE). So far this year, we have seen early success in meeting our
monthly goals for special warfare airmen but have slightly missed our
targets for EOD and SERE airmen in 3 of the last 4 months. We expect to
make those goals up later in the year.
We are fully committed to the integration of women into combat
positions, have increased targeted marketing to further attract female
recruits, and placed female cadre within these training units. Prior to
2016, 99 percent of our Air Force's positions were already open to
women to include flying combat aircraft, which opened in 1993. Since
that time we have had multiple female fighter wing commanders, a female
4-star combatant commander, and currently have a female 4-star
commander at Air Mobility Command. Since January 2016, when we opened
the last eight special warfare related specialties, 100 percent of Air
Force occupations and positions have been open to women, including
removing previous gender based assignment restriction for 22 closed
positions serving with the Army/Special Operation Forces (SOF). The
percentage of Active Duty women serving in both combat-related and
flying roles is 13.7 percent (9,027). Finding qualified volunteers for
special warfare career fields, both males and females, continues to be
challenging. The training programs are demanding and require higher and
broader levels of physical fitness to meet the demands of the
occupationally specific, operationally relevant tests. The average
historical attrition rates for both males and females ranges from 40-90
percent depending on specialty; consequently, we do not foresee large
numbers of females in operational units in the near term. To date, ten
female airmen have entered into special warfare training but none have
yet to qualify and graduate. Currently, we have one female in Tactical
Air Control Party (TACP) training with a potential graduation date
later this spring.
We also appreciate the authority Congress provided allowing us to
award constructive credit, which we are applying to recruit officers in
very competitive cyber career fields. In our successful pilot program,
we selected two highly skilled enlisted candidates who have cyber
master's degrees. We recruited them from within the Air Force to
expedite the assimilation of these candidates into the cyber warfare
officer corps. Their experience, exemplary records, and top leadership
recommendations all support use of constructive credit and allowed us
to advance them to positions filling key holes in our officer
inventory. We are working parallel efforts to recruit cyber talent from
industry and academia using the same constructive credit provisions.
Funding for enlistment and accession bonuses as well as
scholarships are also key when competing for top talent. In the fiscal
year 2019 President's Budget, Congress supported an increase of $18
million in Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship funding allowing
us to offer additional scholarships for targeted skill sets in STEM
[Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math] related career fields.
Retaining Airmen and Families
While the Air Force is experiencing generally high retention rates
in both the officer and enlisted corps--90 percent of enlisted Air
Force Specialty Codes (AFSC) are stable or trending up on retention
over the last 12 months with historical numbers closer to 80 percent,
and 98 percent of officer AFSCs are stable or trending up versus a
historical average of 90 percent--the aggregate success sometimes masks
pockets of retention challenges. For our enlisted force, we have lower
retention for cyber; space; nuclear security; maintenance in some mid-
to-high skill levels; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR); and special warfare among mid-to-high skill level airmen. For
our officer force, retention continues to be challenging among our
pilots, combat systems officers, some medical specialties, and has
begun emerging in our air battle managers. These trends are generally
more acute in our mid-grade officer ranks.
We appreciate Congress' support of special and incentive pays which
are a critical component, complimented with other non-monetary
incentives, to maintaining and improving retention. The fiscal year
2019 President's Budget included $1.2 billion for special and incentive
pays allowing the Air Force to target critical skill shortages. These
special and incentive pays assist in compensating airmen for hazardous
duty or high demand skill sets critical to our warfighting excellence.
With the existing competitive recruiting market, retention becomes even
more essential to having a lethal and ready force.
We are particularly grateful for Congress' support of aviation
incentive and bonus pays. To ensure we are making the best use of our
aviation bonus authorities, we continue to use a business case model
targeting payments based on four main criteria: manning levels,
retention trends, cost to train for a particular weapons system, and
the length of time to train.
The Air Force ended fiscal year 2018 with a total force pilot
shortage of 1,937. Shortfalls in the fighter pilot inventory are the
most acute. Aviation bonus take rates are important leading indicators
of future retention rates. After 4 straight years of steady decline,
the overall take rate for the aviation bonus stabilized and went up
slightly from 44 percent in 2017 to 45 percent in 2018. The take rate
for fighter pilots increased by 9 percent, from 35 percent to 44
percent, and bomber pilots went up 7 percent, from 46 percent to 53
percent. Unfortunately, we saw a decrease in our largest category,
mobility pilots, where the take rate went down from 44 percent to 38
percent. Overall we are below the retention target of 65 percent needed
each year and within each pilot category to sustain a healthy
inventory.
Monetary incentives are one small piece of our retention portfolio.
The majority of the retention portfolio is in fact non-monetary and is
focused on improving quality of life, quality of service, and
mitigating operational tempo. Earlier this year we expanded the high
year of tenure limits for senior airmen, staff sergeants, and technical
sergeants to retain technical skills and experience. We also reduced
the number of forward deployed 365-day assignments by 20 percent from
the last fiscal year and are projecting to reduce that number an
additional 38 percent in fiscal year 2020, utilizing reach back or
shortening tours to help stabilize the operational tempo for our
airmen. We are also adding flexibility into the officer assignment
process by leveraging technology to improve our assignment matching
system.
After researching industry best practices, we implemented an
information technology solution known as ``Talent Marketplace.'' Talent
Marketplace uses an algorithm, based on the Nobel Prize-winning
National Medical Residency Matching Program, to assist in matching
officers to available assignments. This algorithm takes into account
the officer's assignment preferences and the hiring manager's ranking
of officers being considered to produce a preliminary match.
While Talent Marketplace provides an automated ``scientific'' match
at the beginning of the process, it then assists the Air Force
Personnel Center assignment teams in applying the ``art'' to finalize
the process. This two-pronged process approach of ``science'' and
``art'' assists with transparency in the assignment process and enables
improved talent management. We are working Talent Marketplace
expansions into our enlisted force, joint assignments, and for
advertising and filling 365-day extended deployments. We believe the
increased transparency and improved member input will be a positive
retention influence.
Having a lethal, agile, and flexible force, capable of winning in
any environment, goes beyond solely the overall size of the force. It
also encompasses looking after airmen's mental and physical well-being
and ensuring we take care of their families so they can focus on the
mission. Airmen must be able to withstand, recover, and grow in the
face of stressors and changing demands.
Exceptional Family Member Programs
More than 34,000 total force airmen have dependents enrolled in the
Exceptional Family Member Program. Because retention of these skilled
airmen is critical to readiness, we are improving support to our
program. We increased monthly respite care hours from 12 to 40 hours
per child for more than 2,900 children. To help educate and provide
information, we established a quarterly Facebook Live webcast
connecting to more than 100,000 family members. We also formally
trained 57 of 99 installation-level family support coordinators in
fiscal year 2018 and will train the remaining coordinators in fiscal
year 2019, all with an eye toward improving the quality of life and
service among this population.
Child and Youth Programs
Airmen cannot be ready and effective if they are worried about
their children. In fiscal year 2019, with Congress' support, we
increased child and youth funding by $39.6 million for a total of
$100.2 million to help ensure we continuously recognize and resource
the child and youth program's impact on readiness and retention. With
this additional funding, we are (1) expanding childcare for those
needing childcare outside of normal duty hours, (2) providing fees to
support 4,500 children annually who must use off-base childcare, and
(3) funding youth resiliency camps. The funding increase also includes
119 additional civilian childcare positions across the Air Force,
supplies, closed circuit television repairs, and national youth
partnerships such as Boys and Girls Clubs and 4-H. We still have a gap
between available on-base childcare demand and capacity but have
improved our ability to provide suitable alternate accommodation.
Recharge for Resiliency
Increasing the resiliency of our airmen and families is another key
component to having lethal and ready airmen. Our Recharge for
Resiliency Program, which provides airmen and families an outlet to
decompress and adjust after returning home from deployment, continues
to grow. In fiscal year 2019, we expanded Recharge for Resiliency to
support the Chief of Staff's initiative to improve squadron vitality.
The expansion program provides unit leaders the ability to deliberately
plan activities designed to improve unit cohesion, resilience and
readiness using Morale, Welfare, and Recreation capabilities
specifically linked to desired cohesion effects. We will phase this
program in across the total force over the next several years. In
fiscal year 2019, installations began hiring staff to lead this
resilience charge. Our first 40 of 77 Community Cohesion Coordinators
(C3) received initial training in January and are now starting their
local programs.
foundational readiness imperatives
The Air Force's core values--Integrity First, Service before Self,
and Excellence in All We Do--are the foundation of all airmen
performance. They define our culture, who we are as a force, and are
the basis of the Care Solutions we consider foundational readiness
imperatives.
Personal Violence Prevention and Response
Interpersonal violence and suicide are counter to our culture and
our core values. These actions negatively impact victims, the bereaved,
and their units. As a result, unit cohesion, mission effectiveness, and
ultimately Air Force readiness are threatened. We are deeply committed
to the prevention of interpersonal violence on all fronts from sexual
assault, child maltreatment, domestic violence, and workplace violence.
We are dedicated to a strategy with the ultimate goal of never losing
another airman to suicide. Should these acts of violence occur despite
our prevention efforts, we are committed to providing victims of
violence the care they need as well as caring for individuals and units
left grieving after a suicide death.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide is the leading cause of death for Active Duty airmen.
Suicide has devastating effects on individuals, families, units,
communities, our readiness, and our Nation. Statistically, both
individuals and units that experience the loss of an airman to suicide
are at higher risk for suicide themselves. While total force suicide
rates in the Air Force have remained constant over the past 5 years,
about 110 total force suicides per year, we are not satisfied. One
suicide death is too many. The Air Force is dedicated to a
comprehensive, leadership-driven strategy with the ultimate goal of
supporting airmen and their families early with a robust support
network and never losing another airman to suicide.
The Air Force is pursuing bold immediate, mid-term, and long-range
suicide prevention initiatives for the total force that focus on
connections between individuals, units and Air Force family;
protections in environments, services, and policies; detection of risk
in individuals and units; and equipping total force and family members
to mitigate risk and increase resilience. These initiatives highlight
cutting edge suicide prevention efforts, such as computer-based
learning for suicide risk detection; the most current suicide
treatments; a dashboard with suicide prevention tools for leaders; and
time-based prevention, an initiative designed to separate someone who
is thinking about committing suicide from the most lethal means (i.e.
free volunteer storage of personally owned firearms). Taken together,
we believe these innovations have the potential to decrease the number
of airmen who commit suicide.
We need leaders at all levels to help reinforce the notion that
seeking help is a sign of strength and airmen need not go it alone. One
such effort is Task Force True North, which increases connections and
help-seeking in higher risk units. While suicide is a difficult and
complex issue and requires complex solutions, it is preventable and the
Air Force remains committed to achieving ZERO suicides.
Task Force True North
We are continuing our evaluation of Task Force True North at four
bases, under a beta test for initiatives that bring resources closer to
our airmen and drive a culture that accepts, embraces, and normalizes
help-seeking behavior. Through a comprehensive approach that includes
embedding mental and physical health resources directly into units
where our airmen work, live, and interact, we believe we can improve
readiness and optimize airman performance by engaging our airmen and
their families early, increasing help seeking behavior and decreasing
negative behavior outcomes. We continue to analyze data from our beta
test and will be working to scale the successful approaches across the
force.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR)
Sexual assault remains a serious national problem. It is a crime
that negatively affects airmen and their families, erodes unit trust
and cohesion, and ultimately undermines the Air Force's lethality and
mission success. It is counter to our core values and goes against our
culture of dignity and respect. The Air Force remains steadfast in
innovating, evolving, and strengthening our sexual assault prevention
and response efforts, including refining and expanding access to victim
advocacy services, engaging leadership, and holding offenders
appropriately accountable. Any occurrence of sexual harassment and
assault is corrosive to our ability to train the leaders of character
that our Air Force and our Nation need.
The Air Force is committed to advancing victim care throughout the
Department of Defense. We continue to collaborate with the Department
of Defense and our sister services on policies and resources that
enhance victim support. Of note is the upcoming implementation of the
Catch a Serial Offender Program (CATCH), offering victims who opt for a
restricted report an opportunity to provide information on the accused
and/or incident for potential identification of serial offenders.
Implementation of CATCH is expected Department-wide in 2019.
Last month, the Department provided Congress with the Annual Report
on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies,
academic program year 2017-2018. As already discussed by the
superintendents and Service leadership, the most recent survey found
the overall estimate of past-year prevalence of unwanted sexual contact
increased for cadets and midshipmen compared to rates measured in 2016.
At the Air Force Academy, sexual assault reports have gone down from 33
to 29 since the 2016-2017 report, while the estimated past-year
prevalence of sexual assault against women increased from 11.2 percent
to 15.1 percent. Estimated prevalence of sexual assault against men did
not change statistically. The survey also showed that 46 percent of
women at the Academy have experienced sexual harassment. These findings
are unacceptable, and the fact that they exist despite many efforts is
disheartening and frustrating. We must do more at both the Academy and
throughout our Air Force to change the culture and eradicate this
unacceptable behavior. These results are not reflective of the
standards to which we hold ourselves, nor do they exemplify our core
values. The overwhelming majority of our Academy cadets and the airmen
within the force adhere to our expectations for professional and
ethical behavior. But for those who do not, there is no place for them
in our academies or our Air Force. Again, the findings from this year's
report are not acceptable. We will continue to search for solutions,
increase our review of over a decade's worth of data, and make positive
progress in this ever-changing mission space.
building our nation's air force faster and smarter
In this era of near-peer competition and the rapidly evolving
technological and multi-domain environment in which the Air Force
operates, we realize our talent management system must also evolve to
be more agile, responsive, transparent, and effective at empowering and
driving performance. These attributes are the bedrock for increasing
lethality and developing exceptional leaders. They are also the filters
we use to evaluate the effectiveness of new reforms or initiatives.
Performance Management
Hiring, developing, retaining, and managing workforce talent is a
top priority. We need agile, responsive military and civilian personnel
management systems to ensure that the Air Force wins the war for top
talent. Ultimately, Air Force readiness depends on having the right
total force team--military and civilian--in place.
Enlisted
Over the last several years, we have evolved our enlisted
performance system incorporating feedback from the field and garnering
trends from industry. Our evolution has focused on making the system
more agile, more transparent, and simple, to focus on and drive
performance as we strengthen the readiness and professionalism of our
vital enlisted force. One recent example is our initiative to go to a
``board only'' process, removing the Weighted Airmen Promotion System
(WAPS) test for promotion to the grades of master sergeant, senior
master sergeant, and chief master sergeant. This change ensures duty
performance is the most important factor in evaluating promotion to the
next higher grade. Another significant policy allows senior
noncommissioned officers who complete an associate's degree or ``higher
level degree from a nationally or regionally accredited academic
institution'' to be eligible for promotion and senior rater
stratification or endorsement consideration. This adds agility for our
airmen freeing them up to advance their skills and education in ways
that best suit their needs and personal time.
Officer
Air Force success in carrying out the National Defense Strategy
requires us to have an officer corps which can adapt, innovate, and
demonstrate agility in dealing with today's complex security
environment. The Air Force is committed to transforming the way we
develop, promote and retain our officer corps in order to meet that
task head-on. We appreciate the additional Defense Officer Personnel
Management Act (DOPMA) authorities given to us in the fiscal year 2019
National Defense Authorization Act. We are planning to utilize several,
including ``early promotion'' and ``lateral entry'' to fill inventory
gaps. We are also looking at incorporating other authorities such as
promoting officers based on order of merit, permitting officers to opt
out of promotion consideration, and alternative promotion for
designated career fields as part of our overall talent management
transformation. Our officer evaluation system has not seen significant
changes since 1988 and our current Line of the Air Force promotion
competitive category structure has not changed since the founding of
our Air Force in 1947. We are currently working to make adjustments to
the Line of the Air Force competitive category structure, including
holding a recent mock board to explore options. This restructure,
coupled with the increased flexibilities provided by Congress give us
the ability to create more agile development paths and better match the
officer inventory to actual requirements which is vital to increasing
readiness and lethality.
Civilian
Another key component of our force are the more than 204,000
Department of the Air Force civilian employees stationed across the
globe. The civilian workforce shares the same responsibility to our
Nation as the men and women in uniform. Working in over 600 occupations
and professions, the civilian workforce underpins the Air Force.
Civilian engineers work in research labs and social workers help
children acclimatize to new environments. Civilians are physicians
treating airmen and their families. They are cyber security experts on
the front line guarding against hackers, police officers, aircraft
mechanics, nuclear physicists, mathematicians, human resources
professionals, electricians, and rocket scientists among many other
occupations. At home and abroad, to include deploying to combat zones,
our civilian members work shoulder to shoulder with their military
counterparts. Having a high quality force and being able to recruit and
compete for top civilian talent is an essential aspect of our total
force and critical to our readiness. As such, we are thankful for all
the previously granted congressional authorities for civilian hiring.
They have recently enabled us to bring on talent in critical career
fields much faster than before. However, legislative relief has
resulted in 66 different civilian personnel systems within the
Department of Defense, more than 60 classification systems, and more
than 45 new hiring and related authorities since fiscal year 2010. This
complexity drives administrative burdens and costs. It forces the Air
Force to focus too much on being compliant instead of focusing on
winning the war for civilian talent. We are partnering with our sister
services and the Department of Defense to identify legislative
proposals which will enhance the civilian personnel system.
Digital Transformation of the Air Force Talent Management Portfolio
The Air Force has made great strides in modernizing our talent
management portfolio to provide airmen a cutting edge digital
experience. We have transitioned applications to our new cloud
environment. This will allow us to consolidate 120 independent systems
into 8 cloud platforms. We have migrated all Talent Management
applications to the cloud from the Langley Data Center and are
scheduled to close the San Antonio Data Center in September 2019,
sending over 30 systems into the cloud--2 years ahead of schedule,
saving money. We are the first in the Department of Defense to
establish a rapid prototyping process for new human resource
capabilities, allowing us to fast-track software development for the
cloud using agile methods. We acquired Okta for identity and access
management enabling secure login using mobile devices without a Common
Access Card (CAC)--another first in the Department of Defense. We will
not stop until we empower our airmen with a mobile user experience,
with seamless access, transparent processes, self-service, and
autonomous support.
Air Force Integrated Personnel and Pay System
The Air Force Integrated Personnel and Pay System (AFIPPS) will
enhance our already fully operational personnel system for all three
components, Active, Reserve, and Guard, by integrating payroll. We are
currently in the development phase of AFIPPS. Full development is on
schedule to be completed in February 2020. This timeline will give the
Air Force the opportunity to test the new system and train airmen on
the new procedures to ensure the transition to AFIPPS will be seamless
for the total force. In January 2021, the Air Force will have a fully
integrated personnel and pay system, auditable and regulatory
compliant, which will resolve existing pay issues airmen experience
today.
conclusion
Resilient and ready airmen, both military and civilian, are the
bedrock of the Air Force's readiness and lethality. Your Air Force is
evolving to compete, deter, and win with unmatched power through the
air, space, and cyber domains. We must ensure our airmen have the
resources, training, and tools to meet these demands. We are committed
to prioritizing and resourcing what is most important and look forward
to partnering with Congress in our endeavors to protect and defend our
great Nation. I thank you for your continued support of your Air
Force--those in uniform, our civilian professionals, and the families
that support them.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, General Kelly.
General Rocco.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL MICHAEL A. ROCCO, USMC, DEPUTY
COMMANDANT FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS
General Rocco. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to be here today.
Marines are the foundation of the Corps. They are
recruited, trained, educated, and retained to win our Nation's
battles. They are smart, resilient, fit, disciplined, and able
to overcome adversity. All marines are war-fighters; they are
lethal, and they are ready. To ensure the continued health of
the Corps, the recruiting and retaining of high-quality women
and men is my number one priority.
This year, the Corps will once again meet our recruiting
mission, while at the same time exceeding all quality goals.
Over 99 percent of our recruits are in the top education tier.
The Corps is also on pace to meet our retention goals this
year; however, this is a continuous challenge because of the
strong civilian market. This is particularly true for cyber,
intelligence, aviation, and many other critical high-tech
occupations. To be good stewards of the money you provide us,
we narrowly target our incentive pays and bonuses to these
occupations. These bonuses are vital to our retention effort,
and we appreciate your continued support for them.
The Marine Corps is an objective, standards-based
organization. We want the best marines, female or male, and
have refocused and refined our outreach to ensure we bring
awareness of what it means to be a marine to a larger audience.
This has paid dividends. Five years ago, the Marine Corps was
7.3 percent female. We are now 8.6 percent. In fiscal year
2018, female accessions were over 10 percent of the population,
and we are on that same trajectory this year. Additionally,
females are represented in all previously-restricted
occupational fields. We need the best our Nation offers, and we
are getting them.
Once we make a marine, our responsibility is to be there to
help when life's challenges arise. Marines take care of their
own, on and off the battlefield. Unfortunately, we have seen an
increase in marine suicides last year. Suicide is a very
complex issue that impacts our whole Nation. We know that
relationship, financial, and legal issues are factors, but not
always. We know that transitions or simply being on leave can
be a factor, but not always. Suicide is a tragedy. It is a
permanent solution to a temporary problem; permanent to the
marine, permanent to friends, to the Corps, and most
importantly, permanent to the family who must endure that pain.
Through various programs throughout the ranks, we urge all
marines to reach out for help when they need it. Marines need
to know we are there for them.
Sexual assault prevention and response is another area to
which we are 100 percent committed. Sexual assault is a crime
and violates everything the Marine Corps stands for. We saw a
rise in reports last year. The vast majority are unrestricted
reports, which is encouraging because we believe marines feel
empowered to report, have faith in their leadership, and are
confident we will hold the offenders accountable.
Lastly, I want to ask for your support for Camp Lejeune,
Marine Corps Air Station New River, and Marine Corps Air
Station Cherry Point, all of which were severely damaged by
Hurricane Florence several months ago. We still have almost 500
buildings that are severely damaged and cannot be occupied. The
cost to repair these facilities is over $3.5 billion. We cannot
fix this urgent problem without your help.
I am proud to represent the men and women of character--the
few, the proud--who have taken up the challenge of being a
marine. By keeping unwavering focus on our marines and their
spouses/families who support them, we can continue to keep
faith with the honor, courage, and commitment they have
unselfishly given. I look forward to answering your questions.
Thank you.
[The prepared joint statement of General Rocco and Sergeant
Major Green follows:]
Prepared Joint Statement of Lieutenant General Michael A. Rocco and
Sergeant Major Ronald L. Green
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and distinguished
Members of the Subcommittee, it is my privilege to appear before you
today to provide an overview on Marine Corps personnel.
Since our founding in 1775, marines have answered our Nation's
call, faithfully serving the American people and maintaining a standard
of military excellence. Your Marine Corps is, and will continue to be,
our Nation's expeditionary force in readiness. We are warfighters who
are ready to rapidly respond to crises around the globe to ensure the
continued security of the American people and to protect the interests
that underpin our Nation. Marines will be always faithful to the trust
which the American people have vested in them.
our people
Mission first, people always. Marines are the foundation of the
Marine Corps. They are the Corps' most critical resource, and always
have been. Your marines are recruited, trained, educated, and retained
to win our Nation's battles. They are smart, resilient, fit,
disciplined, and able to overcome adversity. Recruiting high quality
youth and retaining those whose past service and future potential
continues to make the Corps stronger are our highest priorities; they
ensure we remain no better friend and no worse enemy.
End Strength
We thank Congress for the increased end strength authorization to
186,100 in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, and
for the full-year Defense appropriation. During this time, the Marine
Corps operating forces continue to average a deployment-to-dwell ratio
of 1 to 2. This tempo is not sustainable over the long term; our
optimal deployment-to-dwell is 1 to 3. Our marines want to deploy,
serve our Nation, and protect our country from threats overseas, but we
owe our marines and their families the appropriate time to reconnect
with family, refocus, learn from their most recent deployment, and
train for the next deployment or contingency. In the near-term, we have
made the decision to fund modernization and recover our readiness to
continue to ensure our marines are fully equipped for today's conflict.
However, we must continue to work towards a 1 to 3 deployment-to-dwell.
Recruiting
Unique to all Services, all recruiting efforts across the Marine
Corps--officer, enlisted, regular, Reserve, and prior-service--fall
under the purview of a single entity, the Marine Corps Recruiting
Command. Operationally, this provides us with tremendous flexibility
and unity of command, facilitating efforts to meet accession
requirements.
Last fiscal year, we successfully achieved all enlisted and officer
recruiting goals for both the Active and Reserve components, and we
expect to do the same again this year. We also will exceed all quality
goals. The Department of Defense requires 90 percent of enlistees to
have a high school diploma or equivalent (Education Tier 1), and 60
percent of enlistees to belong to Mental Groups I-IIIA (mental
aptitude). Last year, the Marine Corps achieved 99.9 percent for
Education Tier 1, and 71.2 percent for Mental Group I-IIIA. We expect
to be at or near these levels at the end of fiscal year 2019.
While only 8 percent of new Marine Corps recruits receive an
enlistment bonus, these incentives are critical to enable us to ship
new recruits at the right times to balance recruit loads at the recruit
depots and meet school seat requirements. We appreciate Congress'
support for these priority programs that assist our contracting high
quality Marine recruits.
To meet future challenges in the current recruiting environment, it
is imperative that we maintain our high standards both for our
recruiters and those who volunteer to serve in our Corps. Recruiting
quality young individuals translates into higher performance, reduced
attrition, and improved readiness for the operating forces. Our
actions, commitment, and investments in recruiting today ensure a high
state of readiness in our Corps tomorrow.
Retention
As the Marine Corps manages our force, we work to retain the very
best available marines capable of fulfilling our leadership and
operational needs. This is accomplished through a competitive career
designation process for officers and a thorough evaluation process for
enlisted marines, both of which are designed to measure, analyze, and
compare our marines' performance and accomplishments. However, there is
a continuous challenge to keep high-quality marines in the service,
especially in a competitive civilian job market.
Marine Corps retention models, systems, policies, and processes
emphasize consistency of leadership, personnel stability, and sustained
readiness across the force. Officer career designation incorporates a
board system that enables leaders to examine officer records and
accomplishments. After designation, the promotion process continues the
evaluation of Marine officers. It is a primary tool by which we retain
only the best and most qualified marines.
For enlisted marines, a tiered rating system takes into account a
number of quantifiable performance factors and includes inputs from
both immediate and more senior leaders. It helps to set achievable
goals for marines as they compete for retention. After initial
reenlistment, the evaluation and continued retention of high quality
enlisted marines is supported by a detailed and continual performance
evaluation system which is fully integrated with the promotion process.
Those marines with the best proven performance are retained and
promoted.
Always striving for improvement, we are working to modernize our
performance evaluation system for our junior enlisted marines in the
ranks of private through corporal by updating our legacy proficiency
and conduct ratings system with an automated Junior Enlisted
Performance Evaluation System (JEPES). When implemented, this system
will be integrated into our current automated performance evaluation
system used to evaluate sergeants and above and all officers. This
result will be an even more detailed and objective evaluation of our
junior marines that leverages our information technology to compare
scored performance entries common to all marines. This will provide
leaders a broader and more detailed baseline from which to evaluate
future potential, reinforcing our efforts to retain the best and most
qualified marines.
Incentive pays remain critical to our retention effort, allowing
the Marine Corps to fill hard to retain positions, such as cyber
security technicians, special operators, and counter intelligence
specialists. Similarly, Selective Reenlistment Bonuses allow us to
shape our career force by targeting critical military occupational
specialties (MOSs) and supporting lateral movement of marines to these
MOSs. Overall, these incentive pays help us recruit and retain the best
marines, especially for critical skills. Retaining qualified marines in
these skills keeps your Marine Corps lethal and prepared to overmatch
our adversaries. At only one percent of our Marine Corps personnel
budget, these pays provide return on investment many times over.
We are open to, and always assessing, new ways to recognize and
reward excellence in the Corps to ensure quality remains high and
retention strong. For example, the Marine Corps plans to use the
authority for promotion boards to recommend officers of particular
merit be placed higher on the promotion list. We continue to evaluate
the other officer management flexibilities provided in the fiscal year
2019 NDAA for implementation within the Marine Corps.
Reserves
Your Marine Corps Selected Reserve is fully manned at its
authorized end strength of 38,500, and our Reserve unit personnel
readiness stands at its highest level in a generation. Unit Reserve
personnel readiness continues to increase from 71 percent in 2013 to
over 84 percent today, with significant improvement in both enlisted
and officer force management.
Our comprehensive manpower management plan provides full-service
support to our Reserve officers and staff NCOs throughout the Selected
Reserve for their career management. This is a talent management
initiative that will help our NCOs, staff NCOs, and officers move
between commands to enhance their development and military career
goals.
Our officer manning success has also been driven by bonuses and
incentives to attract more marines from the Active component. In
addition, our Reserve Officer Commissioning Program has produced 1,247
lieutenants for the Marine Corps Reserves since its creation in 2006.
As a result, our ground company grade officer manning has increased
from 21 percent in 2007, to 72 percent today.
Your Marine Corps Reserves continue to mobilize Selected Reserve
marines under the 12304b mobilization authority for pre-planned
training missions in support of combatant commander requirements.
Approximately, 2,460 Reserve Marines are scheduled to deploy during
this fiscal year. We thank Congress for its support for Reservists
mobilized under 12304b by extending pre- and post-deployment health
care, and extending high deployment allowance and non-reduction of pay
benefits.
Blended Retirement System
The new Blended Retirement System (BRS) went into effect on January
1, 2018, and the 1 year BRS opt-in period closed at midnight on
December 31, 2018. In 2018, approximately 142,000 marines registered
their choice to remain in the legacy retirement system or opt-in to
BRS. Of the 142,000, approximately 93,000 marines (65 percent) opted
into the BRS. Also, approximately 21,000 new marines were automatically
enrolled upon entering the service in 2018. In total, 114,000 marines
are now covered by BRS and that number will continue to grow steadily
as more marines enter service. Further, while the primary opt-in period
ended, there are marines who were unable to register their retirement
system decision due to special circumstances. They will be given more
time to enroll into the BRS, resulting in additional growth in the
total number of opt-in marines.
The BRS is a significant change from the legacy retirement system
and, while it confers a portable monetary benefit on the large majority
of marines who do not reach retirement eligibility, we remain concerned
on the potential changes to the retention behavior of the force, and
will continue to closely monitor retention for impacts.
Marine Corps Integration
Marine Corps integration is progressing very well. Female marines
are now represented in all previously-restricted occupational fields.
Our Marine Corps Integration Implementation Plan (MCIIP) assesses the
impacts of integration through unit readiness and lethality, individual
marine health and welfare, and overall service talent management. To
support this outcome, the service is developing metrics to monitor
retention and other career progression trends that may provide insights
for the service's long-term health and readiness.
Since 2015, 188 female marines have earned a previously restricted
MOS through entry level training. In fiscal year 2018, 64 female
marines earned their MOS and the population of those holding a
previously-restricted MOS increased 66 percent. Additionally, fiscal
year 2018 ended with 407 female marines serving in previously
restricted units, a 55 percent increase from the past fiscal year.
Clearly articulated and codified gender-neutral standards have enhance
our ability to match the best and most fully qualified marines with the
most suitable military occupations while maintaining the lethality of
the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). The Marine Corps has not and
will not lower standards as we continue to place emphasis on combat
readiness and effectiveness of the force.
Civilian Marines
Our civilian marines support the mission and daily functions of the
Marine Corps and are an integral part of our Total Force. They
exemplify our core values; they embrace esprit de corps, teamwork, and
pride in belonging to our Nation's corps of marines. Serving alongside
our marines throughout the world, in every occupation and at every
level, our civilian appropriated-funded workforce remains by far the
leanest of all services, with a ratio of one civilian to every ten
Active Duty marines.
Approximately 95 percent of our appropriated funded civilians work
outside the Washington, DC, beltway at 57 bases, stations, depots, and
installations around the world. Sixty-nine percent are veterans who
have chosen to continue to serve our Nation; of those, 18 percent are
disabled veterans. Our civilian non-appropriated funded workforce
steadfastly continues to provide vital support to our marines, Reserve
marines, their families, and our wounded, ill and injured.
We thank Congress for providing full year funding for our
civilians. It has provided a measure of predictability for them this
year, which improves morale, while also aiding in recruiting and
retention efforts to bring top civilian talent to the Marine Corps.
Overall, our civilians continue to truly shown themselves as Semper
Fidelis by keeping our marines and their families in the forefront. For
that, they have my personal admiration.
taking care of marines and their families
Taking care of marines and their families is a key element of
overall readiness and combat effectiveness. The adage ``we recruit
marines, we retain families'' remains as true today as ever. Our
comprehensive package of services seeks the holistic fitness and
readiness of our marines and families--body, mind, spirit, and social.
Behavioral Programs
The Marine Corps behavioral programs are an integrated community-
based service model that includes community counseling, family
advocacy, sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention,
substance abuse, and combat operational stress. We provide world-class
prevention and counseling services at each installation, and all of our
behavioral programs provide free confidential services offered by
licensed counselors. These services are available to individuals,
couples, families, and children. During fiscal year 2018, we provided
approximately 12,000 assessments and nearly 100,000 counseling hours to
marines and their families.
Because many behavioral issues are inter related, the Marine Corps
is developing a Marine Corps Primary Prevention Strategy that can be
implemented across the Marine Corps to address multiple problematic
behaviors. The strategy will focus on establishing a primary prevention
capability across the fleet, building skills consistent with primary
prevention, and promoting synergy across programs.
To increase awareness of methods for preventing destructive
behaviors a communications strategy--``See Something, Do Something''--
was developed. This holistic communications campaign includes social
media, tip sheets, and videos discussing a multitude of topics that
impact marines and their families.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention is one of the Marine Corp's highest priorities;
one death is too many. Preventing suicide has proven to be very
challenging given the complex nature of the problem, but we are
steadfast in our commitment to eliminating it. As our Commandant
recently highlighted to all marines, everyone goes through pain,
stress, and challenges in service and in life. While marines are tough
and resilient, everyone may need help at some point, and your Corps is
there for you. Ask for help, get help, and you will recover--we cannot
afford to lose one marine!
The Marine Corps does not view suicide prevention as a standalone
activity or training. Prevention requires individuals, leaders, units,
and the greater community to work together. Tiger teams have been
developed to support commands with technical assistance, suicide
prevention planning, training on Marine Intercept Program, and
assistance with collaboration and agreements with outside services.
This includes utilizing university partnerships to develop strategic
messaging to the younger generation pertaining to suicide prevention
and utilizing diverse resources to promote the value of behavioral and
mental health and improving coping capabilities.
The Marine Corps has integrated data from across the force to
identify factors associated with suicide. Study findings indicate
having a positive drug test and having had a recent legal or
disciplinary action are factors associated with suicide. In addition,
our Death By Suicide Review Board is in the process of analyzing all
deaths by suicide, providing strategic and operational recommendations
that address multiple Marine Corps strategic suicide prevention goals.
The Marine Intercept Program is targeted intervention for marines
who have experienced a suicidal ideation or attempt. It combines
efforts from fellow marines, commanders, installation counselors, and
Marine Corps headquarters elements. The program assists marines with a
suicide ideation or attempt through care coordination, regular
telephone outreach by care managers, development of safety plans, and
suicide assessments. The program results in marines receiving
assistance faster and keeping their appointments more often.
The Marine Corps DSTRESS Line is a 24/7/365, marine-specific call
center providing phone, chat, and video-telephone capability for
anonymous counseling for circumstances across the stress continuum.
DSTRESS Line callers can discuss stress, anger management, grief and
loss, deployment cycles, parent-child relationships, couples
communication, marital issues, relationships, relocations, and suicidal
crisis as well as other areas of concern. To date, the DSTRESS Line has
enabled 45,000 help sessions with marines, attached sailors, and their
families, and has helped save 39 marines who were in imminent danger
situations.
Sexual Assault Prevention & Response
Protecting marines and preventing sexual assaults are top
priorities for the Corps. We are committed to preventing incidents of
sexual assault by increasing awareness, providing victim-centered
support and intimidation-free reporting, thorough investigation, and
accountability for those who commit sexual crimes. Any marine who comes
forward to report a sexual assault will receive support, even if the
sexual assault occurred prior to service.
The Marine Corps is conducting specialized training across all
ranks to ensure that leaders have a clear understanding of sexual
assault throughout the Marine Corps. One of the goals of this training
is to promote leadership action within their scope of responsibility,
and ensure ownership of their sexual assault prevention plans. For
example, our ``Take A Stand'' training for non-commissioned officers
(NCOs) focuses on leadership specific to NCO roles and responsibilities
and building skills consistent with primary prevention, such as
effective communication, empathy, and healthy relationships and
interactions.
Command Individual Risk and Resiliency Assessment System
The Marine Corps force preservation process is the formalized
method used by commanders to identify individual marine risk factors
and to apply holistic risk management measures to improve individual
and unit readiness. Each and every day, this process assists leaders
across the Corps to identify those in need. However, gaps in knowledge
about our marines have historically limited the effectiveness of the
effort. To improve the process, we are developing the Command
Individual Risk and Resiliency Assessment System (CIRRAS), which will
compile individual force preservation data input by small unit leaders,
medical officers, and other support staff. By presenting timely,
prioritized, actionable information to those who can help marines, and
by protecting unauthorized disclosure through strict access limits and
cybersecurity, leaders will be better equipped to reduce destructive
behaviors in their units. CIRRAS will be initial operating capability
in August of this year.
Personal and Professional Development
Our Marine For Life Cycle is a career long process that helps
marines prepare for transition to civilian life. The Marine Corps
provides a continuum of tangible learning or experienced-based
opportunities at nine different action points with specific emphasis at
the Marine's first permanent duty station, promotion to corporal, and
the Transition Readiness Seminar.
At their first permanent duty station, marines complete the
Personal Readiness Seminar within 90 days of arrival to the
installation. This seminar provides an overview of personal and
professional development services to include voluntary education,
career technical/credentialing, personal financial management, and
family member employment assistance; the seminar also emphasizes
financial readiness awareness.
Approximately 12-14 months prior to separation, or 24 months prior
to retirement, marines complete the Transition Readiness Seminar (TRS).
The week-long program includes a mandatory standardized core curriculum
followed by three two-day track options to align with future goals and
aspirations--accessing higher education, career and technical training,
or entrepreneurship.
No later than 90 days prior separation, marines meet with their
commanding officer for Capstone. During Capstone, the commanding
officer will validate whether the marine has met their career readiness
standards and ensures the marine's readiness for transition. If a
marine does not meet their career readiness standards or have a viable
transition plan, a warm handover will be provided to Department of
Labor or Veterans Affairs partner agencies for additional post-
transition assistance. In fiscal year 2019, Veterans Opportunity to
Work Act compliance increased from 56.3 percent in fiscal year 2017, to
91.6 percent in fiscal year 2018, and is currently at 96.4 percent.
The mission of Marine Corps Credentialing Opportunities On-Line
(COOL) is to prepare marines for postsecondary education, 21st century
careers, and leadership skills in a global economy by helping them
receive transferable credit for their military skills and work
experience. COOL links marines with civilian certifications related to
their military occupational specialties. It is a public website
accessible to all current marines, as well as veterans, spouses,
potential employers, enterprises, credentialing agencies, and
associations. A credential translates Marine Corps technical skills
into marketable language recognized by employers. The Marine Corps will
pay for examination fees and annual maintenance for enlisted marines to
earn civilian/industry credentials closely aligned with their
occupational specialty. In fiscal year 2018, 768 COOL vouchers were
issued for marines.
Spouse Employment
The Marine Corps Family Member Employment Assistance Program
(FMEAP) emphasizes a proactive approach for military spouses and other
dependent family members to formulate informed career and educational
choices. It provides employment related referral services, career and
skill assessments, career coaching, job search guidance, portable
career options, and education center referrals and guidance. FMEAP
provides coaching and training on interviewing techniques, resume and
cover letter writing, the Federal application process, salary
negotiations, one-on-one career coaching, volunteering, and
entrepreneur business opportunities. In fiscal year 2018 more than
22,000 spouses and family members attended the nearly 600 FMEAP
workshops and briefs.
The Spouse Transition and Readiness Seminar (STARS) was created to
address the transitional challenges and opportunities specifically for
spouses. STARS' goal is to empower military spouses and alleviate
stressors such as employment, finance, transition, and education
associated with the military culture to ensure a seamless and
successful transition for the entire military family back into civilian
life. To date, 204 STARS seminars were conducted with 1,630 spouses
attending.
The Marine Corps leverages the DOD Spouse Education and Career
Opportunities program, which includes Military Spouse Employment
Partnership (MSEP)--a partnership where employers agree to offer
transferrable, portable career opportunities to relocating military
spouse employees. MSEP currently has 360 partners, to include MCCS
[Marine Corps Community Services], and has hired over 120,000 military
spouses.
Finally, the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)
scholarship provides up to $4,000 for military spouses to pursue
licenses, certificates, certifications, or associate degrees necessary
for gainful employment in high demand, high growth portable career
fields and occupations.
Child and Youth Programs
The Child and Youth Programs (CYP) provides eligible families with
high quality, accessible, and affordable programs and services for
children 6 weeks to 18 years of age. Services are offered aboard Marine
Corps installations and through contractual partnerships. One part of
CYP is our Child Development Programs, which include nationally
accredited childcare services for eligible children from 6 weeks
through 12 years of age. In fiscal year 2018, CDP served 41,385
participants at 14 installations in 66 facilities. For those outside a
15 mile radius of a military installation or on an installation
waitlist, we offer Off-Base Child Care Fee Assistance, which provides
eligible marines with assistance paying for private childcare. In
fiscal year 2018, this program served 1,298 participants across 38
states.
Wounded Warrior Care
The Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR) continues to
execute our Recovery Coordination Program in support of wounded, ill,
or injured (WII) marines and their families, in a manner that greatly
facilitates their recovery and upholds our enduring commitment to
``keep faith'' with those who have incurred life changing impairments
in service to our Nation. Regardless of the origin of affliction, our
marines require and genuinely deserve access to the comprehensive
recovery care available through the WWR.
WWR recovery care coordinators, in coordination with medical
providers and unit leaders, help WII marines develop and execute their
individual comprehensive recovery plans, which provide the road map for
a successful transition. WII marines with complex care coordination
needs are assessed for post-separation support requirements. When
appropriate, those marines are transferred to a Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) designated lead coordinator prior to their medical
discharge to ensure seamless support.
WWR maintains faith with our marines through our district injured
support coordinators, who are geographically dispersed around the
country and provide one-on-one support as needed, and the Sergeant
Merlin German call center, which conducts an average of 5,500 outreach
calls each month to Active Duty and veteran marines who have been
injured or fallen ill, are combat wounded/Purple Heart recipients, are
referred to the Disability Evaluation System, or are on the Temporary
Disability Retired List. These calls are conducted on a fixed schedule
depending on the purpose of the call and the severity of the marine's
condition, which may be very seriously injured (VSI), seriously injured
(SI), or not seriously injured (NSI). Outreach calls will continue
until the marine's case is suspended or a different calling routine is
requested by the marine. In all cases, the Wounded Warrior call center
is available to receive calls 24/7, 365 days a year.
Since our WWR was established in 2007, thousands of WII marines and
family members transitioning from Active Service have benefitted from a
full spectrum of support services that begins with physical recovery
needs and increasingly focuses on post-service employment and education
opportunities as they heal. Marines and their families, Members of
Congress, and the public at large can be assured that the Marine Corps,
through the WWR, will continue to expertly provide recovery care
coordination support at all times.
Marine Corps Business and Support Services
The Marine Corps delivers many of its quality of life programs via
an integrated Marine Corps Community Services construct that combines
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR); Marine Corps Exchange (MCX);
Warfighter and Family Services; and Child Development Programs. This
integrated model is unique within DOD and provides many operating
efficiencies, including consolidated non-appropriated fund (NAF) back-
office support, e.g., human resources, finance and accounting,
procurement, construction, and information technology. Our focus on
efficiency continues today with transformation and innovation pursuits,
such as a shared services center for all MCCS NAF transactional
accounting functions; we are expecting a significant cumulative NAF
benefit over a 10 year period.
The MCX is an integral self-sustaining business component of MCCS,
delivering products and services in garrison and expeditionary
environments, while producing an invaluable NAF dividend to our MWR and
family programs. Marines and their families can count on real savings
when they shop at the MCX. The 2018 market basket survey showed an
average savings of approximately 27 percent. Further, the MCX is proud
to employ military family members who represent approximately 34
percent of our workforce.
Transformation and innovation are the fabric of MCCS as we continue
to assess and implement new delivery models by leveraging technology,
partnerships, and sponsorships. The Marine Corps is also an Active
participant in DOD Business Reforms that encompass many of the programs
and services within the MCCS portfolio. We are committed to seeking
efficiencies across the Department while preserving our highly
effective MCCS organization that is best attuned to meeting Marine
Corps operational requirements.
conclusion
The marines of our Corps represent the individuals of our Nation
who have stepped forward and sworn to defend and protect it. Through
recruiting, training, education, and retention of men and women of
character who take up our challenge to become one of ``the Few and the
Proud,'' we will enhance the quality of our Corps and our overall
combat effectiveness. By ensuring that we take care of all marines and
their families, we fulfill our responsibility to keep faith with the
honor, courage, and commitment they have so freely given.
Our individual marines are our most precious asset. They are proud
of what they do. They are proud of the ``Eagle, Globe, and Anchor'' and
what it represents to our Nation. With your support, a vibrant Marine
Corps will continue to meet our Nation's call.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present this testimony.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, General Rocco. I am going to
reorder my time to the end and recognize Senator McSally,
followed by Senator Gillibrand.
Senator McSally. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really
appreciate it.
Thanks, gentlemen, for your service and your testimony.
Many topics we could talk about, but one that we had talked
about a few weeks ago in a full committee hearing related to
military family housing and the privatized housing. Some pretty
awful and unacceptable conditions that we heard in testimony by
a number of families. I can't imagine, as a former commander
myself, having anybody in my unit going to work every day or
being deployed and having their families back home dealing with
some of the conditions that we saw there that are harmful to
the health of the family and their children, unresponsive
private contractors, and it seems like some disconnects with
who's responsible in the chain of command.
Since that hearing, unfortunately--it shouldn't have taken
a hearing to be talking about this--some staff from this
committee actually made some unannounced trips to Fort Bragg
and Norfolk and saw some additional cases there of very bad
circumstances for these families that are just unacceptable.
So what are you doing within your authorities to address
these issues and immediately get families that are in harm's
way in their own homes right now into better circumstances, and
what other authorities--what do we need to change here in order
to fix this immediately? Because this is just absolutely wrong.
I'll start with you, General Seamands and Admiral Burke,
since the two places that were visited were Army and Navy. But
it really goes across all the Services.
Lieutenant General Seamands. Senator, thanks for your
question. I'll tell you, our Nation expects our soldiers to
protect the Nation. Our soldiers expect our Army to protect
their families.
Senator McSally. Right.
Lieutenant General Seamands. Quite frankly, we fell down on
the job. There's no excuse for it. It's clearly unacceptable.
What the Army has done, Senator, is within the first 2
weeks, within 15 days, every commander has to have a town hall
advertised--in fact, the one at Fort Myers is happening
tonight; my wife will be there--to make sure they understand
what's going on and we communicate with the families. Within 30
days, a commander from every organization will inspect I think
it's about 117,000 sets of quarters, and barracks, 7,000
barracks buildings, across our Army to put eyes on where the
soldiers are living to make sure that they're adequate, and if
they're not adequate, to raise the flag.
We're also making sure that the families and soldiers who
raise issues understand there won't be any retaliation from the
contractor or anybody else, that they have the full support of
the Army.
Senator McSally. All right. Thanks.
Admiral Burke?
Vice Admiral Burke. Senator, we have a very similar system
lined up. Again, we view this as an urgent operational issue
affecting not only the trust and confidence of our sailors and
their families, but their health, safety, and well-being, just
as you've said. They have to be confident--our sailors and
their families have to be confident that when they take an
issue to us, it's going to be--to their leadership--that it's
going to be handled.
This really is a deck-plate leadership issue, and, you
know, the fact that this is a relationship between a government
agency and a private company should not interfere with that
responsibility, and we're stressing that particular point with
our leadership.
So commander, Navy Installations Command is the
organization that runs that, and our Navy, with the support of
CNO [Chief of Naval Operations] staff that I'm a part of, is
already reacting and on the job, and we are engaged in actions
that are going to increase the oversight of those partners,
introduce improved quality assurance of housing operations,
follow up on issues, add feedback mechanisms after trouble
calls are closed out, focus on the improved customer service,
and begin a robust series of engagements. So e-mail, social
media outreach, town halls, and home visits by invitation.
We're doing a 100 percent contact to the offer of a home visit,
which sailors can decline, for Public Private Venture (PPV)
homes as well as all government homes. So a 100 percent offer
that the sailors can decline.
We'll evaluate, then, and modify as needed the Navy's
business agreements with the privatized housing partners so
that the agreements are properly structured to incentivize the
partners' responsiveness, quality control, and the management
oversight and customer service to our sailors and their
families, and then make permanent our command's involvement in
their feeling of responsibility for dealing with those
situations from this point forward. So that 100 percent contact
is in place. Just like General Seamands, I was already
contacted by my local installation commander and the partner
company, and the town halls are going on and those inspections
are out in force.
Senator McSally. Thanks. I'm out of time, so if we could
grab for the record for the rest of you guys, but the point is
it shouldn't have taken a media story--right?--to put all these
things in place. Something clearly needs to change so that when
it's not in the media, these are sustained care and support of
our family members, for our servicemembers, our men and women.
I mean, this is just absolutely unacceptable, the situation
that many of them have been put in, and the system that we have
is not working. So it was broken for us to get to this point.
[The information referred to follows:]
Lieutenant General Kelly. The United States Air Force is
committed to providing safe and healthy housing for our airmen
and their families. To address housing concerns highlighted in
recent congressional hearings, the Secretary and Chief of Staff
of the Air Force directed commanders to complete a 100 percent
health and safety review of all Air Force military housing.
Each of our wings conducted a health and safety check of our
airmen living in privatized, government owned, or government
leased housing worldwide. We contacted over 56,000 airmen of
which 45,282 were in privatized housing. Approximately 8,100
airmen expressed concerns about their homes with 7,217 of those
from members in privatized housing. Installation leadership
visits validated 4,760 of those who expressed concern through
home visits with 4,478 from members in privatized housing. The
Air Force is working aggressively with its project owners to
remedy the concerns in privatized housing and has already
addressed 1,856 of those concerns. Installation leadership is
taking action to correct the remaining 2,622 open issues that
we are tracking through confirmed completion. To regain the
trust of our airmen and their families in the Air Force's
commitment to ensuring the health and safety of their housing,
the Secretary and Chief visited the bases that were the subject
of greatest concern to residents during the Senate Armed
Services Committee hearing. They met with residents,
installation leadership and, in some cases, the project owners.
We heard voices and we are working diligently to make the long-
term changes necessary to ensure our airmen received the
quality housing they deserve. The Air Force Inspector General
performed an inspection of housing privatization policies,
procedures, and best practices used by Air Force installations
for handling resident complaints and for protecting residents
from potential health and safety hazards and we expect it soon.
While the Air Force Inspector General did not find any cases of
reprisal, the Secretary and Chief stressed to Wing Commanders
the need to ensure housing residents can identify problems
without retaliation or fear of reprisal. To ensure the delivery
of safe and healthy housing, the Air Force is undertaking the
following five lines of effort with its project owners and the
other Services to fix the root causes of privatized housing
issues:
Empower Residents--establish a Tri-Service
Resident Bill of Rights; develop Tri-Service common lease
terms; implement transparent work order process for
maintenance; inform residents of AF legal assistance resources
available to them, and establish 1-800 resident help number
Improve Oversight--commit additional Air Force
resources to improve oversight and quality assurance checks;
improve maintenance metrics; and enhance annual site visits
Integrate Leadership--restructure performance
incentive fees to give commanders a greater role in assessing
the adequacy of maintenance services
Improve Communication--establish resident
councils, hire tenant advocates, and revise feedback tools to
ensure the voice of the residents are heard by our project
owners and commanders
Standardize Policy--establish policies for
addressing health and safety hazards in privatized housing The
United States Air Force is committed to providing safe and
healthy housing for our airmen and their families and is
diligently working to ensure our airmen have the safe, healthy,
high quality military housing they deserve.
General Rocco. The Marine Corps has been working closely
with commanders, servicemembers, installation housing offices,
and housing partners to ensure that marines know that they are
our greatest asset, and that they can expect quality housing
and exceptional service no matter where they are stationed.
Commanders across the Marine Corps have reached out to marines
living in privatized housing, as well as those living in rental
properties on the local economy, to ascertain their housing
experience and identify trends that need improvement. As of 15
April, the Marine Corps has made virtually 100 percent (99
percent+) personal contact and provided home visits or phone
interviews with each marine who chose to accept the visit/call.
We have been educating the force on their rights as tenants and
reiterating the process for resolving issues, as well as having
leaders step in to advocate for residents. We have been
tracking individual and aggregate work orders to ensure timely
resolution and keep partners accountable, especially in cases
that affect health and safety. Additionally, we have conducted
town hall meetings, initiated an audit of the PPV housing
program, and will be conducting a special survey with
residents. We are working with our housing partners to
establish more relevant performance and incentive metrics. The
Marine Corps strongly supports the roll out of the PPV
partners' Mobile Maintenance Apps for servicemembers to easily
report and track maintenance. The Marine Corps takes very
seriously any issue that affects our marines and families. We
are evaluating and instituting systemic process changes to
ensure that our Marines receive high-quality housing and best-
in-class service.
General Rocco. Senator, and I know we're out of time, but
I'd just like to add for the Marine Corps, the Commandant, we
recognize this, and you're absolutely right; it's unacceptable.
There was a disconnect. What he's done, and he puts out very
few white letters to the command, but it's commanders'
business. We've now since made it--we re-attacked it, and it is
commanders' business, and we're going to fix it.
Lieutenant General Kelly. Yeah, just, if I could, Chairman,
really quick, because this is such an important issue. You
know, this is absolutely commander's business, and our Chief
and Secretary put that out and made sure, and we will be
finished by this Friday with a 100 percent inspection by every
commander across the Air Force, every housing unit, eyes on--
personally, eyes on at the commander level. There is no gap
between whose responsibility is up. Commanders have
responsibility for making sure our airmen and their families
are taken care of.
I would just add that one other thing I think is
potentially a place to go forward is, I know our Chief and
Secretary support a discussion on getting a tenant bill of
rights that can help us in discussion with those contractors
and privatized housing as we move forward.
Senator McSally. Great. Thanks.
Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. Senator Gillibrand.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, again.
Thank you for your testimony, thank you for your dedication
to protecting the men and women who are serving and for your
dedication to these personnel matters that really we care so
deeply about.
I first want to ask about this issue of climate. Despite
intense support from military spousal hiring programs over the
last few years, the rates of unemployment or underemployment
for spouses seeking to join the workforce remain too high. Part
of the challenge is the frequent PCS [Permanent Change of
Station] moves required by Military Service. For many spouses,
civilian employment by the Federal Government can be a
solution, and Congress has worked to provide DOD with special
hiring authorities to ease their employment process.
How are you working to bring more military spouses into the
civilian workforce, and when a spouse learns that they'll be
moving duty stations, how can they go about locking in a
Federal job at their next post before arriving in person?
Lieutenant General Seamands. Senator, thanks for your
support of our military spouses. A couple things the Army has
done recently is to take those people who do child and youth
services, childcare, those people who work in the civilian
personnel offices and soon to be the DODEA, the Department of
Defense Education Agency, and if you are, say, for example, at
Fort Riley, Kansas and your soldier moves to Fort Hood, you are
streamlined automatically into a new installation into a job
like you had been; you're already cleared, all your credentials
continue to transfer, to provide the opportunity for those
spouses to have limited time without a job, just the
transition, not going through the application or
recertification process, and we think that's been a very
positive step. We think it's the first step in many steps that
can be taken to provide enhanced employment opportunities for
spouses.
Senator Gillibrand. Go ahead. If somebody else wants to
add, you can.
Vice Admiral Burke. Ma'am, we have our Fleet and Family
Support Centers and our Family Employment Readiness Program
that assist military spouses in obtaining employment and
maintaining careers as we ask our servicemembers to move. We
have a number of programs helping them gain portable careers
for military families on the move--starting businesses, job
search strategies, networking.
We're also implementing authorities that you gave us in
fiscal year 2018 NDAA to offset certification costs. Those will
be implemented by June as part of our permanent change of
station move app. It'll be integral as part of the permanent
change of station move process. But the real challenge is that
many professional spouses have certifications that don't
translate state to state. That's an area where you could help
us with the reciprocity or something that temporarily
translates over so they could start working and then regain
their certification.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
General Kelly and General Rocco, would you submit your
answer for the record? Because I just want to do a second topic
before my time expires.
[The information referred to follows:]
Lieutenant General Kelly. There are numerous initiatives to
increase job opportunities, quality of positions and ease of
transition to positions: New DOD Priority Placement Program
(PPP) via Application Based Process. The DOD has initiated an
application-based process for military spouses to exercise
their priority placement status. This process empowers spouses
to actively pursue various employment opportunities available
within the Department and to select when to exercise their
preference. The initiative eliminates barriers inherent in the
PPP process, such as: limiting the number of skills or
positions for which priority candidates are referred; mandatory
contact with human resources officers for the purpose of
counseling and registering, and the inability for military
spouses to be interviewed under the PPP process. The Military
Spouse Employment Act, National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) 2019, Section 573 Modifications to 5 U.S.C. 3330d ``The
Military Spouse Employment Act'' expands the noncompetitive
appointment authority to include ALL spouses of members of the
Armed Forces on Active Duty not just those relocating or who
are spouses of a disabled or deceased member. Per the
amendment, eligibility is extended to the spouse of an Active
Duty military member and spouse of a 100 percent disabled or
deceased member of the Armed Forces. The act dramatically
improves eligibility for noncompetitive appointments under 5
CFR 315.612 for the next 5 years. E.O. 13832 complements the
legislation by directing the promotion of the non-competitive
hiring authority and increasing the jobs available to spouses
under this authority. Title 5 United States Code 3330(d) In
accordance with the provisions of 5 CFR 315.612, as modified by
section 573 of the fiscal year 2019 NDAA, agencies may appoint
non-competitively a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces
serving on Active Duty who has orders specifying a permanent
change of station (not for training), a spouse of a 100 percent
disabled servicemember injured while on Active Duty, or the un-
remarried widow or widower of a servicemember who was killed
while performing Active Duty. E.O. 13832 Promotes the use of
the non-competitive hiring authority for military spouses. To
the greatest extent possible consistent with hiring needs, job
opportunity announcements will consider candidates under this
hiring authority in addition to any other hiring authority.
Agencies are to actively advertise and promote the military
spouse hiring authority and solicit applications from military
spouses for positions posted on USAJOBS or any other means the
agency wishes to use. Agencies are to report specific
statistics related to the military spouse hiring authority to
the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Department of
Labor (DOL) by December 31 of each year.
General Rocco. Spouse employment is a topic of concern for
many Marine Corps families and can be an obstacle for financial
security. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves impact spouse
employment across the Marine Corps in multiple ways. Our family
programs offers the Family Member Employment Assistance Program
(FMEAP) helps support spouses with effective career and
education decisions, by providing job search guidance; career
coaching; career and skill assessments; volunteer and portable
career opportunities; and Education Center referrals/guidance.
FMEAP specialists at the installation level work
with Information and Referral (I&R) specialists to assist with
relocation referrals and to provide information from
established Federal, State and local agencies whose programs
are available to assist servicemembers and families with making
smooth inbound and outbound moves.
Installations conduct classes to assist spouses
and transitioning servicemembers with understanding the Federal
hiring process with the Ten Steps to a Federal Job Search
class. This class is designed to give an understanding of the
Federal selection and hiring process, and assists participants
with understanding how to complete a successful Federal job
search and provides instruction for Federal resume writing
strategies.
Installations hold job fairs in conjunction with
Hiring Our Heroes to assist veterans and families members find
employment. Many participating employers have positions in
multiple areas and spouses are encouraged to attend at their
current duty station to begin the application process.
FMEAP connects Marine Corps spouses with
volunteer opportunities to assist them with establishing career
experience throughout their PCS transitions and helps them
translate their volunteer experience on their resumes. The
program's holistic approach helps supports spouses throughout
their marines' lifecycle. The Marine Corps is working to
streamline the transfer process for Child Development Center
(CDC) employee-spouses who are executing PCS orders. This
initiative will have a twofold benefit, helping reduce spouse
unemployment due to PCS moves and retaining experienced staff
within the CDCs. The Marine Corps is also working to establish
a Marine Corps transfer program for military spouses who PCS to
new duty stations. Non-competitive military spouse preference
is also being implemented. To assist spouses with gaining
portable job skills, the Marine Corps participates in the OSD-
led Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)
Scholarship which provides up to $2,000 per year (maximum of
$4,000) for military spouses (Private to Sergeant, Warrant
Officers 1 & 2, and 2nd Lieutenants to 1st Lieutenants) to
pursue licenses, certificates, certifications or Associate
Degrees necessary for gainful employment in high demand, high
growth portable career fields and occupations. The Marine Corps
participates in the DOD Military Spouse Preference (MSP)
Program, which was instituted to reduce the adverse impact on
the career paths of spouses of Active Duty servicemembers. Many
career fields require state licensing which may not have
reciprocity with the new duty station's state licensing
regulations. This can cause a delay in the ability of a spouse
to begin working and may impact the jobs for which they are
eligible. The Marine Corps is collaborating with national
veteran service organizations to evaluate the impact of
licensing requirements on spouses.
FMEAP is creating a working group within the
Marine Corps and coordinating with the other Service branches
to evaluate the feasibility of the language in Fiscal Year 2018
NDAA Section 556, which allows the Services to reimburse
spouses up to $500 for licensing fees incurred due to a
permanent change of station. The Marine Corps is collaborating
with our fellow service branches on the feasibility of
implementing this law without an identified source of funding.
In June of 2017, Politico Magazine published a story
outlining Russian attempts to specifically influence
servicemembers on social media and sow distrust in our
political system. Then earlier this month, it was reported that
researchers at the NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization]
Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence used Facebook and
Instagram content to instill undesirable behavior in troops
during an exercise.
What training are you providing to servicemembers to help
them recognize foreign influence efforts targeting them on
social media? Whoever has something, go ahead.
Lieutenant General Kelly. Senator Gillibrand, the Air Force
has two programs specifically designed in this area. The first
is that basic training for our incoming airmen. They give up
their phones and they go through social media training
including discussions of training on foreign influence and
social hygiene, if you will, social media hygiene. That happens
near the end of that basic training, and that's at the point
when they get their telephones back.
For the rest of the airmen who are in, there's an annual
training event that happens each year throughout the entire
force where you go through and do cybersecurity awareness, and
these topics are covered.
General Rocco. Senator Gillibrand, so the Marine Corps'
Social Media Accountability Response Team, that's the team that
observes social media to ensure that the members are--what
they're posting and what is being delivered to their social
media posts, we do annual cyber training and annual social
media training, and we also have the PAC order, which is a
Prohibited Activities and Consolidation order, that has taken
all of those things that were disparate in different orders in
the Marine Corps and has put it into one order, so now members
know exactly what is expected of them.
Senator Gillibrand. And related, with my last 20 seconds,
we also have had hearings on this specifically about sexual
harassment and demeaning personnel members. Can anyone give a
report on how that's going in terms of prevention?
Vice Admiral Burke. In terms of online in particular?
Senator Gillibrand. Correct, yes, specifically.
Lieutenant General Kelly. That training for our basic
military training discussion on cyber discusses cyber bullying,
cyber attempts to coerce, and all those kind of things are a
part of that. How that's completely translating into lower
rates is difficult for us, but we'll continue to collect that
data, but that's definitely part of the training program that
we put in place.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. Senator Duckworth.
Senator Duckworth. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank the panelists for attending today's hearing
and I look forward to your candor and perspective on personnel
policies. You know, we want to assist you in whatever way
possible, whether it be resources or authorities.
My first question, gentlemen, is, in many cases where a
servicemember reports that they have been the victim of sexual
assault, servicemembers can face severe punishment or a less
than honorable discharge if they are found to have engaged in
some form of collateral misconduct, like underage drinking or
fraternization. Punishing victims for collateral misconduct has
many negative consequences and it represents a significant
barrier to reporting of sexual assault in the military.
Do you agree that collateral misconduct and the threat of
punishment for it represents a barrier to sexual assault
reporting, and how can such barriers be lowered or mitigated,
and would immunity or deferral of action against punishment for
collateral misconduct potentially help with increasing the
instances of reporting of sexual harassment?
General Rocco. Senator, that's an important question, and
from the Marine Corps perspective, one, commanders do have the
ability to defer some of the charges. But to the larger point,
I think that's something we can get back to you, as far as from
the legal standpoint, on what exactly--the specifics of what
can be deferred and what cannot be deferred. But I fully agree.
We're agreeable to anything that will increase reporting and
expose some of those issues.
Vice Admiral Burke. Senator, ma'am, again, I think it's
case dependent, again. But, in general, reporting tends to be
independent of what eventually ends up being a method of
accountability and the specific charges an individual is going
to be held accountable against and those specific charges that
end up being the ones that a particular commander--each
commander is going to be advised by a trial counsel, a
prosecutor, if you will, in civilian terms, that's a specialist
in general and in sexual assault prosecution. We're going to
use every tool at our disposal to hold that individual
accountable so that they don't walk. That's what every
commander is going to do.
So if there is a sexual assault-related article that they
can be held accountable towards with a reasonable expectation
of success, they're going to use that charge. But reporting and
then prosecution are two different things, I think, in general.
So the reporting I see as unrelated. But I may be
misunderstanding your question.
Senator Duckworth. I think you are. What I'm asking is, for
the average troop, sailor who is the victim of sexual
harassment or sexual assault, one of the things that can happen
is that the perpetrator is saying, ``Well, yeah, but you were
drinking underage. If you report this, you're going to be
prosecuted for underage drinking,'' or ``You're going to be
prosecuted for fraternization.'' That threat itself, the
validity of that threat will prevent the victim from reporting.
Is there any move towards some sort of ability to lower those
barriers, such as immunity or deferral of action, so that the
average troop knows even if you are drinking underage, you need
to come forward and report, because we're not going to pursue
that and you're not going to get an other than honorable
discharge because you reported this, not because of the sexual
assault reporting, but because of the underage drinking?
Lieutenant General Kelly. Senator, I'll add in to that
discussion, we do think there's a barrier there. We do think
that inhibits reporting. So, as General Rocco said, any chance
there is to increase the reporting, we're for.
So at our Air Force Academy, for instance, there's already
training ongoing with our commanders and folks out there that
talk about deferral of punishment and immunity, if you will,
maybe not in those words used, but to allow folks to come
forward and report knowing that there wouldn't be a--the focus
would not be on the acts that occurred by the member, but on
the actual perpetrator.
We're trying to bring that into the rest of the force as
well, and I do think there is a case-by-case discussion for
those kind of things, but we recognize that, and that's ongoing
to make sure that we can increase reporting.
Senator Duckworth. Thank you.
I've not very much time left, but if you could answer for
the record this question. The greatest fighting force on the
planet needs the most talented people. From cybersecurity to
medical services, reports indicate that the Services are facing
an increasingly smaller talent pool and must compete with a
robust job market. This difficulty coincides with increasing
demands placed on the U.S. military. Last year, for example,
Secretary Mattis established the Close Combat Lethality Task
Force, which identified the need to recruit and retain
servicemembers specifically for close combat infantry.
How are you adapting your recruiting efforts within this
environment to meet the personnel objectives of Department
initiatives such as the Close Combat Lethality Task Force, and
are there additional authorities or resources that you might
require in order to become more competitive within today's job
market? If you could do that for the record, I'd really
appreciate it. Thank you, gentlemen.
[The information referred to follows:]
Lieutenant General Seamands. Recruiting missions will
remain challenging based on low unemployment levels and low
percentages of young adults (17-24 year olds) meeting Army
requirements and having a propensity to serve. We have made
significant changes to our accessions enterprise by
revitalizing and focusing our accessions force structure,
marketing, social media, and information management systems in
order to successfully recruit in this market. A synchronized
and sustained effort will be critical to meet both end strength
and Army Manning Guidance that directs filling our Modified
Table of Organization & Equipment (MTO&E) force at 100 percent.
We thank Congress for supporting our accessions mission and we
do not require additional authorities or resources.
Vice Admiral Burke. Today's job market is having less
impact on officer recruiting, which remains strong despite
challenges in a few areas, such as Reserve medical officers,
than on enlisted recruiting where the greatest impact is in the
high-quality market among youth who enjoy many employment
alternatives and greater opportunity for post-secondary
education. This is exacerbated by the fact that the percentage
of 17-21 year-old youth who qualify for Military Service is
declining, while the absence of academic ability required for
some jobs further limits the pool of eligible candidates. The
most difficult programs to fill for Active Duty enlistments
include Nuclear Field, Naval Special Warfare, Information
Warfare, and Advanced Electronics/Computer Field. We are
adapting our recruiting strategy to attract more candidates to
fill the high-quality jobs needed to improve fleet readiness
and lethality. Our new marketing and advertising campaign,
``Forged by the Sea,'' targets that market. We have also
increased enlistment bonuses for hard-to-fill ratings, offering
several bonuses up to the Department of Defense policy limit of
$40,000, and increased the number of recruiters, dedicating
some to the high-quality market, and providing incentives to
all recruiters to attract high-quality applicants. We are also
targeting the Centennial generation (born after 1997) who spend
far greater time consuming digital media than broadcast or
print media. About 70 percent of our media budget is committed
to digital and mobile platforms and social media applications--
such as Snapchat, Twitter, and text messaging--most commonly
used by today's youth. We continue to evaluate the efficacy of
our tool kit for competing in the marketplace. As the need for
additional resources or authorities is identified, we will
include appropriate requests in future President's Budget
submissions or Defense Authorization requests.
Lieutenant General Kelly. Air Force Recruiting is adapting
within the employment environment with existing authorities and
resources. The Air Force stood up the 330th Special Warfare
Recruiting Squadron (330th RCS) headquartered in San Antonio,
TX. This squadron is directly responsible for recruiting
civilians into special warfare and combat support career
fields. Once on Active Duty, recruits transition to the newly
developed Special Warfare Training Wing at Lackland Air Force
Base, TX for initial skills training. This model was developed
to better recruit, develop, and train special warfare and
combat support airmen. The 330th RCS's efforts have helped to
increase Special Warfare candidate quality, lower attrition as
a percentage of accessions, and decrease pipeline cost by
reducing wasted resources on candidates with low probability of
success. The Special Warfare recruiting effort operates along
three lines of effort: Scout, Recruit, and Develop. Scout:
Working a pilot contract solution to help identify demographics
with high propensity of Special Warfare training success, and
exploit relationships with key influencers to raise Special
Warfare awareness. Recruit: In November 2017, 96 recruiters
were appointed from within recruiting to specialize in Special
Warfare accessions. The 330 RCS activated on 29 June 2018, will
be fully mission capable in May 2019, and is a direct reporting
unit to AFRS/CC dedicated exclusively to Special Warfare
accessions. Develop: The Development Contract employs former
Special Warfare operators to administer the Physical Ability
Stamina Test (PAST), develop candidates physically and mentally
and provide go/no-go, whole-person assessment on candidates'
suitability to enter training. The 330th RCS employs the SOF
truths that ``Quality is better than quantity,'' and ``SOF
cannot be mass produced.'' The model ensures that candidates
are fully committed, informed, and show resolve prior to
shipping to training. Through targeted recruiting and Special
Warfare development, the 330th RCS has met shipping goals and
raised candidate success through the Course of Initial Entry
(COIE) by 200 percent. The Special Warfare community reduced
overall accession goals, which has allowed the quality model to
build to capacity and foster competition among those awaiting
training. All production indicators are trending positively as
additional changes are underway. Allowing the current changes
to take effect before changing additional variables will
determine effectiveness. The Scout pilot will be an unfunded
request for fiscal year 2019 and will run for 1-2 years. At the
expiration of the 1-2 year pilot, a permanent contract solution
will be utilized.
General Rocco. Today's investment in recruiting provides
the Marine Corps with the ability to engage with and recruit
the quantity and quality of new accessions needed to meet
future operational needs and to improve lethality. Marine Corps
Recruiting Command personnel are committed to supporting the
institution and reaching out to highly qualified prospects;
marketing and advertising are key components to MCRC's mission.
With adequate funding and cost-effective lead generation
programs directed to address the increasing number of critical
audiences, to include our diversity outreach engagements, the
Marine Corps ensures it achieves the nationwide awareness
required to differentiate the Corps from service and industry
competitors. It costs the Marine Corps approximately $11,000 to
deliver one recruit to entry-level training and MCRC's total
operating budget has remained approximately $200 million for
the last 5 years. Resourcing our recruiting efforts
appropriately is key to recruiting the high-quality men and
women we need and our Nation expects.
I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. Senator Warren.
Senator Warren. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you all for being here today.
So I want to spend a few minutes today talking about an
essential program that's run by the Department of Defense that
is a critical part of our military readiness. Not many people
know this: The Department of Defense runs the largest employer-
sponsored childcare program in the Nation. In fact, the program
employs 23,000 workers who care for more than 200,000 children.
The military childcare program is open to every military
family, regardless of rank. It has high standards. It's
designed to be affordable for every military family.
So let me just ask, whoever would like to do this, maybe
Admiral Burke, why is access to safe, affordable, high-quality
childcare a crucial part of military readiness?
Vice Admiral Burke. It's absolutely a part of military
readiness, ma'am, because--and it's not a gender specific
issue. It's a married couple issue. It's a family issue.
Senator Warren. Family issue.
Vice Admiral Burke. If you have children and you're
deploying, and we have a preponderance of married folks in our
service today. It's not a single, you know, servicemembers
service anymore, and we have a preponderance of service to
servicemembers.
Senator Warren. Although I take it you also have single
parents in the military as well.
Vice Admiral Burke. We do. We do have a cross-section of
those as well. Yes, ma'am. But childcare and the ability to
deploy is an important factor, and even when you're not
deployed, ability to work the long hours that we expect even
when you're in a non-deployed status requires childcare.
The fact of the matter is that childcare capacity is a
nationwide challenge. Depending on where you're based, and this
is not unique to the Navy, but the Navy happens to be in areas
that are particularly childcare-capacity challenged--we have
our limitations of the amount of capacity that we have to the
military through the Navy childcare programs, but those
commercial childcare capacities happen to be equally or even
more challenged in the areas where our naval stations are.
So it's particularly acute for the Navy. In fact, Navy's
one of the main consumers of all of the Department of Defense's
childcare capacity because of that reason.
Senator Warren. So thank you. That's really important.
There are a couple of other questions I want to ask by
follow-up, but I want anyone to weigh in who wants to.
An impressive 95 percent of the military's childcare
centers are nationally accredited--compare that, by the way, to
just 11 percent of nonmilitary centers across the U.S. So I
want to ask the question, why does the military put so much
emphasis on making sure that childcare accessed by military
families is of very high quality?
Lieutenant General Kelly. Senator, I'll start real quick
for the team here.
Senator Warren. Sure.
Lieutenant General Kelly. Just take these statistics:
Sixty-nine percent of our officers are married. Fifty-one
percent of our enlisted are married. We have countless other
single airmen who have families. 380,000 family members that we
have to take care of. We're retaining families. Readiness for
the Air Force is about making sure the entire family is
comfortable and safe so that airmen can focus on their job and
focus on what they do.
This last year, we put $40 million more into our childcare
programs: 119 new providers, 180 new family day care providers
certified to do those things, bought new cameras for those
places. It is an investment for us in readiness and capability,
and we're going to continue to invest in that area.
Senator Warren. Quality is a key part of that, keeping that
quality up. Anybody else want to add on the quality part?
General Rocco. Absolutely, Senator.
Senator Warren. Please, General Rocco.
General Rocco. They mentioned it, but I'll just reiterate
it: It's a family issue. When the family is happy and secure,
they're much more apt to work and readiness is impacted in a
positive way.
DOD childcare--and you mentioned the numbers--DOD
childcare, it's very helpful for the family members to know
that they've got quality, affordable childcare on base where
their children are protected and secure. At the end of the day,
the more we can do to benefit the families, to make them more
secure--we expect a lot of our servicemembers; this is the
least we can do for their family members.
Senator Warren. Great. I have one more thing I want to
cover with the chair's permission, and that is, when a military
parent puts their child in the military's childcare program,
they pay only a fraction of the actual cost based on income,
and the DOD foots the remainder of the bill.
Why is it so important for the Department that the
childcare made available to military families is affordable?
Lieutenant General Kelly. Senator----
Senator Warren. Go ahead, General Kelly.
Lieutenant General Kelly. Again, it's about taking care of
those folks and making sure they have access. Given what we ask
of the families and given what we provide in compensation, it's
important for us to be able to offset that. In addition, even
when we have 4500 airmen who have children and don't have
capacity on base, we provide offset costs to them so they can
afford their off-base childcare. It's just so essential to
readiness and so essential to the quality of what we do to get
out of our families and for attention we have to do that.
Senator Warren. Good. I just want to say I think it's great
that the child in the military family has access to high-
quality care at a price that they can afford, and I'm glad to
hear the enthusiasm with which you all discuss this and the
commitment that you've made to this. I believe every child in
America should have that same kind of opportunity. Last week, I
introduced a universal childcare and early learning program so
that every child could get access to a program like that, and
it's modeled off the program that you have built for the
children of military families.
I think your points about readiness are spot on exactly
right, but they are the kind of thing that every family feels.
Anybody trying to hold down a job to finish an education, to
take on tougher work for a promotion, they all worry about
their children. They all need access to the kind of care that
you're making sure our military families have. So thank you for
all you're doing. I hope we can use you as a model and make
that available to all of our kids. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, Senator Warren.
I went to the end to allow some of the other members to go.
Senator Warren. I appreciate it.
Senator Tillis. This is my opportunity to ask a couple of
questions.
First, I'm glad to hear about the progress on childcare. I
can't wait until the homes that some of those kids come back to
also get a good progress report. I'll take another jab in terms
of the military housing issue that we've got to deal with.
General Seamands, you know, we've had some discussions
about the end strength numbers. I know you didn't hit your
recruiting numbers. I had a discussion last week with Secretary
Esper. Give me an idea, first off, I think for the benefit of
the group, I know some of the things that you're doing to
confront the challenge and build the pipeline, but also give
the committee some insights into targets for next year and why
you think they're attainable.
Lieutenant General Seamands. Senator, thanks for the
question. As you say, we did miss the target last year. We are
working very hard this year to get after it. We've done a
number of things.
One, we've increased the number of recruiters to the tune
of about 900 additional recruiters out there across our Nation.
We have made the pivot to social media, getting after where the
young men and women are instead of where they used to be. We've
done a similar thing for the brick and mortar. We've put about
$45 million into something that benefits all the Services as we
move recruiting stations out of places where they used to be to
where the young men and women are today. We've taken the
opportunity to give officers the chance to have a second
command, like a line command, and then a second command within
the Training and Doctrine Command, so they bring that
experience from the first command into that organization.
We also have a focus on 22 different cities where the
Secretary of the Army and the Army leadership will go out to
where the recruiters are and have an event and focus on those
areas--in some cases, places we had not used that effectively
before--to show the Army brand and encourage young men and
women to come in.
It's a tough environment across the board for all the
Services. We think this year we'll hit between 68 and 69
thousand recruits, which is about what we hit last year, for
our accessions. But this year we had fewer losses, based on the
number of people that came in a couple years ago, and so we
think the mission should be about 68, 69. We think that the
steady, supportable, quality growth in the Army is about 2,000
per year, and we think we can accomplish that in the out-years,
moving toward 500,000 as an eventual end strength for the Army.
A tough environment. Our recruiters are doing amazing
things out there. We give Recruiting Command a mission, but,
Senator, it's not Recruiting Command's mission; it's actually
the Army mission. As I fly on commercial aircraft, I talk to
the people next to me. When I'm on the Metro, I talk to people.
I think everybody in the Army, as well as veterans and
retirees, I challenge them to have the same commitment to
bringing future soldiers into our force.
Senator Tillis. Our TAG [The Adjutant General] down in
North Carolina was on the Senate steps today. I saw him trying
to build a pipeline of seventh graders from North Carolina, so
I can attest to you all trying to do the two hats.
[Laughter.]
Senator Tillis. General Rocco, it's very seldom in opening
statements that you talk about specific geographies as a
priority, and you mentioned Camp Lejeune and the 500 or so
houses, or buildings, I should say, that are damaged or
uninhabitable. Can you just explain again why, you know, this
isn't--I happen to be from North Carolina. Why not talk about
the need for the supplemental funding and getting the resources
in there, why this is critical to the general readiness of our
folks down in North Carolina?
General Rocco. Thank you, Senator Tillis.
Camp Lejeune is our major base on the East Coast. The force
generation out of--which is the home of the II Marine
Expeditionary Force. So when you talk about readiness and force
generation from the Marine Corps perspective, that's well over
a third of the generating force generation capability inside
the Marine Corps.
Those 500 buildings that I mentioned, it's not PPV, it's
not housing. That's a separate issue. That is all the buildings
and facilities that the marines use to train with, to train
from, to fly aircraft out of, to fix aircraft.
I spoke to a doctor today who just recently--an
ophthalmologist who just recently moved her clinic back into
spaces. Florence was many months ago, and they've been either
not operating or operating out of, basically, trailers,
supporting marines, and you know that they're not getting the
support that they would get. It's taken that long to just move
a clinic, a medical clinic, into spaces that are habitable.
Senator Tillis. So it's fair to say that regardless of
whether you're in Camp Lejeune or across the world, if you're a
marine, you consider this a priority for the whole corps, not
just for a place that got hit by a hurricane.
General Rocco. Absolutely. It is not localized--it's North
Carolina, but it's not localized. Those marines deploy
worldwide. That's why it's a worldwide issue.
Senator Tillis. Thank you. The other advantage to going
last, it seems like I'm being courteous, but I can go over and
not have to apologize to anybody.
[Laughter.]
Senator Tillis. So, General Kelly and Admiral Burke, I want
to talk a little bit about some of the personnel changes and
offer of the expanded spot promotion authorities, some of the
things that we put in the last NDAA. And either tell me about
how it's already working or how you expect it to work and
produce better results. We'll start with General Kelly.
Lieutenant General Kelly. Thank you, Senator, for the
opportunity, and again, thanks for the support of those DOPMA
authorities that you provided to us.
You know, often we create new missions or we create new
goals inside the Department; for instance, cyber was an
emerging mission and we created cyber mission teams at our
combatant commands. When we did that, there was an instant
desire to have experienced and usually mid-grade officers
provided in those areas. The DOPMA authorities that you
provided help us get after that. Because normally they would
say, ``How can you get me 300 more 0-4s to fit in that job?''
The answer is, ``Wait 12 years'' normally, ``and I'll give you
300 more 0-4s.''
Now with the authorities that you've provided to us, what
we're moving out and doing is we're using constructive credit
to bring folks over. We brought several of our enlisted members
over who already had advanced cyber degrees over, able to
credit them at a higher rank, bring them into and fill some of
those gaps and holes. The same thing with the temporary
promotion authorities or early promotion authorities, that
we're able to reach in, find holes in places within the
inventory where we have shortages, and apply those DOPMA
authorities going forward. We see the same things with some of
the other ones that we haven't yet integrated but will be doing
shortly in the future.
Senator Tillis. We're looking for feedback to the committee
on things that we've learned that we need to adjust or expand,
so please keep the suggestions coming.
Admiral Burke.
Vice Admiral Burke. Sir, we've used the merit promotion
reorder on our 0-6 and 0-5 boards, which met in January and
earlier this month in February. We'll use it in our 0-4 boards
in April. Widely popular, the idea of merit and getting
promoted and paid a little bit earlier based on what you've
done lately rather than your lineal number from way back when.
The constructive credit option and lateral hiring, we've
put that into place. Have not used it yet, but for cyber
warfare engineers, engineering duty, and a couple of restricted
line programs, the ``up and stay,'' as we're referring to it
colloquially, but the ability to take a selected oath reason
and not have to repeatedly go through a continuation, we used
that for a program that our pilots repeatedly said, ``Hey, if
you could let us fly forever, we wouldn't leave the Navy.'' So
we're calling them on it, and we'll see if they really will.
But we selected 25 aviators that had intended to separate,
and in November, we made the selections. They're now flight
instructors. That's 25 people that were leaving the Navy.
That's 25 fewer first-term naval aviators that I don't have to
pull from the fleet now to go make flight instructors that we
used that authority for. So helping out with my aviation
retention problem directly because of that one.
The promotion deferral, just timing-wise I won't be able to
use that until next year, but we're poised to use that for next
year. But we're really grateful. We'd like to get some run time
with these and report back to you. But I expect to have some
really good news for you on all of them.
Senator Tillis. Very good. Thank you all. We're going to
transition to the next panel, and I'm just going to defer the
question, but I will tell you, I don't know if you all intend
to be around for the next panel, but we were looking at the
opt-in rate for the Blended Retirement System that we
implemented, and there's a vast disparity, particularly between
the Marines, which is close to three-quarter opt-in, and the
Army, which is close to one-quarter opt-in. Navy and Air Force
it's somewhere in between.
But really want to, with the--I'm giving the next panel an
opportunity to think through and answer that question because I
think we had some folks with mixed emotions about whether we
should even do it. But I'm kind of interested now in the
disparity and just want to let you all know that's something
that I want to look at because if we need to make adjustments
or look at the root causes for why we have a disparity in opt-
in rates, and that's something I want to work on this year.
Thank you all for being here, your continued service, and
also thank you for the visits and work with our staff.
We're going to move to the second panel. We'll give a
couple of minutes to allow the staff to transition.
Gentlemen, thank you all for being here, and thank you for
your past, current, and what I'm sure will be future service.
I want to introduce the second panel: Sergeant Major of the
Army, Daniel Dailey; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy,
Russell Smith; Master Chief Sergeant of the Air Force, Kaleth
Wright; and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Ronald Green.
Thank you all for being here. I am not going to make any
opening statement, just transition right to yours.
Sergeant Major Dailey.
STATEMENT OF SERGEANT MAJOR DANIEL A. DAILEY, USA, SERGEANT
MAJOR OF THE ARMY
SMA Dailey. Thank you, Senator.
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, distinguished
Members of this Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to
speak on behalf of nearly 2.3 million soldiers, families, and
Army civilians who make our All-Volunteer Force the world's
premier organization. I'm truly honored to provide an update on
the quality of life of your U.S. Army.
The Army is grateful for Congress' support in advancing
Army readiness, modernization, and reform. The Army has more
units ready than any time in recent history. Army readiness is
our number one priority. I am prepared to discuss a number of
efforts we have brought to bear as we improve readiness across
the total Army. This includes, but is not limited to, extending
Infantry One Station Unit Training, increasing Combined
Training Center rotations, and implementing the Army Combat
Fitness Test.
Our ready Army requires the recruitment and retention of
quality personnel, and we are currently on track to achieve our
fiscal year 2019 recruiting goals for all three components. In
addition, our Army produced historic retention rates of over 90
percent of the eligible population of the Army last year, and
we're on track to do the same for this year. The Army continues
to build the best possible All-Volunteer Force by selecting the
best qualified soldiers capable of meeting the rigors of Army
standards. This commitment to standards is clearly demonstrated
by the more than 1,000 women serving in our combat arms
formations today.
The Army strives to provide an environment of dignity and
respect for all servicemembers and is fully committed to
eliminating sexual assault. We recognize that regardless of the
progress that we have made, more work still needs to be done.
These acts are unacceptable and we will continue to engage
leaders at all levels to inspire a culture of commitment to
Army values.
To better prepare our soldiers to meet the rigors and
demands of a complex and unpredictable world, we have taken a
comprehensive approach to health, nutrition, and fitness
through programs such as the Holistic Health and Fitness
System. Through these initiatives, we will be able to provide
soldiers the opportunity to increase their personal readiness
and live healthier lives.
Our Soldier for Life initiatives are a critical aspect of
Army readiness. This is evident in the tremendous improvements
to our transition assistance program, and through our combined
efforts, we have made significant investments in professional
military education, academic equivalency, the career skills
program, individual skills initiatives, and partnerships with
industry and academia. As a result, we reduced unemployment
compensation, which reached $515 million at its height in 2011,
to less than $100 million today. Through our commitment and
efforts, I believe we will continue to see a reduction of this
over time. These efforts have not just saved money, they've
built readiness within the Army and strength in our Soldier for
Life programs.
The Army has made significant efforts to improve quality of
life based on feedback from the force. These updates intend to
help build financial readiness, unburden the PCS process,
create efficiency in childcare services, and enhance other
critical support services. These changes reaffirm our
commitment to providing the best possible support to our
people.
Childcare, in particular, is a significant issue, as it is
our single largest investment within family programs. The Army
is actively working to reduce civilian hiring times and improve
the background check and adjudication process to help reduce
shortages for childcare providers. We're also working to make
it easier for childcare providers to transition from one
installation to another without having to repeat the hiring and
background check. And as many of our childcare providers are
soldiers' spouses, initiatives like these enable us to take
care of our children but also provide much-needed employment
opportunities for them.
Lastly, I assure you the Army is committed to improving the
quality of living in our Army housing. We accept the
responsibility for the current state of Army housing, and we
will regain the trust of our soldiers and families through
immediate, tangible actions that have already begun. We are
implementing comprehensive measures to ensure proper oversight,
identify unsafe living conditions, and improvement of our work
order processes that have immediate results. The Army will
improve the authorities associated with the enforcement of our
privatized partnership requirements, review existing agreements
and policies, and we will ensure that no reprisals against
soldiers and families who share their concerns with the chain
of command will occur.
The bottom line is the Army is committed, and we will
continue to take immediate actions to further protect our
soldiers and their families. The senior leadership of the Army
leads a daily action team, receiving statuses from across our
Army on the progress that we are making, and we are committed
to providing safe, healthy living standards on all of our
installations. As the Army continues to balance its priorities
for lethality, readiness, and modernization, we must keep our
soldiers and their families in mind and maintain the quality of
life momentum that we have collectively built.
As always, we thank Congress for your support and your
continued investments in our number one resource, our
incredible team of soldiers, families, and civilians. I
appreciate the opportunity to speak before you today and I look
forward to continuing our dialogue. This We'll Defend. Army
Strong.
[The prepared statement of Sergeant Dailey follows:]
Prepared Statement by Sergeant Major Daniel A. Dailey
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, distinguished Members
of this Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf
of nearly 2.3 million soldiers, families, and the Army civilians who
make our All-Volunteer Force the world's premiere organization. I am
truly honored to provide an update on the quality of life for the men
and women of your U.S. Army with whom I so proudly serve.
The Army is grateful for Congress' support for the fiscal year 2018
and fiscal year 2019 appropriations. This funding will go a long way in
advancing Army readiness and modernization consistent with the National
Defense Strategy. Based on budgetary increases, the Army has more
units, more ready, more often than any time in recent years past.
Our budget requests reflect the Army's priorities: grow and
maintain a ready high-end force, build our future force through key
modernization efforts, continue to take care of our people, and
institute reforms that lead the Army to be even better stewards of
taxpayer dollars. One of the Army's focused priorities is reform to
ensure we are earning the trust of the American people, prudently
spending our allocated resources, and aggressively seeking
opportunities to improve our efficiency.
In order to provide the assured capabilities necessary for us to
deploy, fight and win, we must maintain the requisite personnel and
family readiness programs necessary to sustain the Total Army's quality
of life. Personnel readiness is critical to the Army's success, and we
must continue to provide care and resources from the best programs
``Total Army'' available to support our All-Volunteer Force.
readiness
Ready forces ensure that the Army can compete against our
adversaries, deter conflict and win decisively. So, it is no surprise
my Secretary and Chief continue to emphasize readiness as our number
one priority. We build readiness by sufficiently manning, training, and
equipping our soldiers.
Building readiness is predicated upon every soldier being able to
deploy. We have made strides in reaching that goal over the past year.
Unit commanders improved medical tracking, implemented unit injury
prevention and physical therapy programs, and established enhanced
readiness personnel accounts.
The outcome of these commander-led efforts is more units prepared
for war. By focusing our training efforts, we have increased soldier
lethality and maintained our competitive advantage in the current
security environment.
We have also brought a number of efforts to bear as we rebuild
readiness across the Total Army. To develop more lethal, disciplined
and resilient soldiers, we added 8 additional weeks to Infantry One
Station Unit Training. This will help young soldiers build on combat
fundamentals and better prepare them to operate effectively when
joining their units.
The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) will be implemented to ensure
soldiers are physically fit and mentally tough enough to meet the
rigors of combat. We believe it will change the Army's fitness culture,
and reduce preventable injuries and enhance mental toughness.
Additionally, the ACFT will help further reduce nondeployables, which
was at 15 percent in 2015; today, we are at approximately 7 percent.
Thanks to resources provided by Congress, we were able to increase
the number of Combined Training Center rotations to over 20 per year.
These increased training opportunities, including the doubling of
select Army Reserve and Army National Guard units, was key in
substantially increasing readiness.
Finally, we've taken great measures to reduce non-essential
training and tasks. Secretary Esper consolidated, reduced, or
eliminated dozens of required activities, re-allocating a resource we
can never replenish--time. This has granted our formations more time to
spend building and sustaining combat readiness.
Overall, fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2018 authorizations and
appropriations enabled readiness improvements in training--we are
grateful to Congress for that.
As a result of that support, 28 Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs)
were at their highest state of readiness at the end of fiscal year
2018, as compared to 19 BCTs at the end of fiscal year 2017. We will
continue to train to standard as a means of sustaining those readiness
gains.
Barring a significant increase in demand for land forces, coupled
with continued stable and sufficient funding, we will remain on track
to meet our readiness recovery goals by fiscal year 2022. In order to
meet those goals, we will continue to require predictable, consistent
funding to maintain the momentum we have built.
modernization
The goal of the Army Modernization Strategy, submitted to Congress
in 2018, is to increase the lethality of soldiers and units in combat.
Through a clear, driven strategy, the Army's modernization efforts have
already begun to streamline and accelerate acquisition, while rapidly
delivering warfighter capabilities to the force.
The July 2018 establishment of Army Futures Command, our most
significant reorganization since 1973, continues to work toward
reducing the requirements development process from approximately 5
years to 18 months which will benefit today's soldiers and the future
force.
Leveraging Cross Functional Teams (CFTs), we shifted significant
science and technology funding to the Army's six modernization
priorities. Those CFTs focus on the Army's six priorities of Long-Range
Precision Fires, Next Generation Combat Vehicle, Future Vertical Lift,
Army network, air and missile defense, and soldier lethality.
Our CFTs have already demonstrated the capability to shave time
from anticipated acquisition timelines, allowing us to maintain pace
and stay ahead of our potential adversaries. Ultimately, modernizing
for tomorrow's fight leads to equipment and vehicles reaching our
soldiers and units more quickly, enhancing their lethality to deploy,
fight, and win our Nation's wars.
Also part of the Army's modernization efforts, the Integrated
Personnel and Pay System-Army, an online human resources system, will
provide integrated personnel pay and talent management capabilities in
a single system. It provides three capabilities: total force
visibility, talent management, and auditability by consolidating over
200 human resources and pay systems.
This is part of our new Talent Management strategy which will match
the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and preferences of Army personnel
with suitable jobs across the Total Army. By better understanding the
talent of the workforce, the Army can maximize soldier's talents to
allow the placement of the right soldier, in the right job, at the
right time.
Better management of the Army's talent marketplace will yield
benefits such as new capabilities, cost savings, and new human capital
investments, along with increased productivity. Led by our Talent
Management Task Force, established in 2016, this strategy developed a
more deliberate Talent Management system that demonstrates our
institutional adaptability and our strength as a learning organization.
Through these efforts, Army modernization will improve the impact
of every dollar spent, exemplifying our commitment to being good
stewards of resources appropriated by Congress.
reform
The Army has aggressively implemented reforms to free up time,
money and manpower for our highest readiness and modernization
priorities. Our reform initiatives empower subordinate commanders to
make more effective, timely decisions. Through acquisition reform,
scrutinized contract management, and closely monitored contract
services, we will increase efficiencies and enhance the impact of every
dollar spent.
Through the Army Reform Initiative, we have garnered over 700 ideas
to eliminate, delegate, consolidate, or streamline Army policies,
programs, and practices. This has saved precious resources for higher
priorities.
The Army is also on track to save hundreds of millions of dollars
by reducing contract redundancies and improving competition processes.
The establishment of Command Accountability and Execution Review, a
senior commander program with oversight from the Secretary and Chief,
has optimized the purchasing power of our operating budget. It
leverages monthly venues to focus on supply chain, transportation and
contract management at multiple echelons. This approach has generated a
marked improvement in the efficiency with which we execute the Army's
budget.
The Army is also taking steps to improve business practices and
management resources. In fiscal year 2018, we conducted our first full
financial statement audit, to include sensitive and classified
activities. We are aggressively implementing necessary corrective
actions to address auditor findings and ensure the Army is transparent,
auditable, and most importantly, accountable to Congress and the
American people with timely, accurate accounting information.
personnel
This year, fiscal year 2019 accession missions are 68,000 for the
Active component; 15,600 for the Army Reserve; and 39,000 for the Army
National Guard. These missions will be significantly challenging for
all three components since only 29 percent of young adults, between the
ages of 17 to 24, meet the Army entry requirements to serve without
requiring a waiver.
The fact that only 13 percent of young adults have a propensity to
serve further complicates recruiting efforts. However, we are on track
to achieve fiscal year 2019 recruiting goals for all three components.
In order to better address challenges in the recruiting environment,
the Army has streamlined its recruiting efforts and resources.
To increase unity of accession efforts and funding, the commanding
general for Training and Doctrine Command was designated as the senior
responsible official for accessions strategy and goals tied to end
strength increases.
We have implemented a new accessions campaign with 22 focus cities,
upgraded accessions information technology bandwidth, increased social
media through e-gaming venues (e-sports), improved micro-marketing, and
produced new advertisements and commercials.
We have also instituted key recruiting initiatives such as
increased recruiter strength, more robust training capacity, maximum
use of enlistment bonuses, and the improvement, upgrading, and
relocation of recruiting centers.
The Army remains committed to quality over quantity and maintaining
standards of excellence in order to build a ready force. Our stringent
standards exceed Department of Defense requirements, thereby ensuring
we are well above their stated guidelines for recruiting. This ensures
we are recruiting America's most qualified, talented young people to
serve our Nation in uniform.
nutrition and fitness
In order to meet the rigorous demands of an ever-changing global
environment, where the Army can be called upon to serve under any
combat condition, we must ensure our soldiers are prepared. This
requires a comprehensive approach to health, nutrition, and fitness
using evidenced-based strategies to optimize the ground combat power
readiness of each and every soldier.
The Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System does this by
synchronizing all physical fitness and health initiatives, and legacy
systems used throughout the Army. Research demonstrates how performance
nutrition, body composition management, psychological and emotional
health, and sleep contribute to optimal physical performance.
H2F is composed of five enduring elements: governance, programming,
equipment, personnel and leadership education. These elements are
essential to the future success of Army readiness; as part of the
system, their goal is comprehensive support of the physical, mental and
spiritual aspects of soldier readiness.
Regarding nutrition, agencies such as AAFES [Army & Air Force
Exchange Services], the Defense Commissary Agency, Army Joint Culinary
Center for Excellence, Army Sustainment Command, Medical Command dining
facilities, and Installation Management Command, are part of a
tremendous group of stakeholders in a coordinated effort called Healthy
Army Communities.
The first priority of this effort is to get our soldiers back to
eating in dining facilities. Healthy Army Communities is paving the way
for consistent and sustainable change across the Army.
The Army has also adopted the Go for Green Program, a DOD dining
facility nutrition education program. This nutritional recognition
labeling system provides soldiers in the serving line with posters and
menu cards for a quick assessment of the nutritional value of menu
offerings and food products in the dining facility. The menu offerings
and food items are color-coded with labels providing recommended
frequency of consumption based on the impact the food can have on a
soldier's performance.
Through these initiatives, and with more predictable funding in
fiscal year 2019, we will be afforded the opportunity to provide
soldiers with opportunities for healthier food options.
select-train-educate-promote
The Select-Train-Educate-Promote policy, also known as STEP,
represents the Army's investment in our soldiers' professional military
education through a deliberate, continuous and progressive process.
Since 2008, the Army has required master sergeants to graduate from the
Sergeants Major Course before attaining eligibility for promotion to
sergeant major. On January 1, 2016, we expanded a similar standard for
promotion eligibility to all noncommissioned officer ranks.
STEP requires all soldiers to complete the appropriate level of
formal military education before being determined fully qualified for
promotion to the next NCO rank. This policy has effectively eliminated
conditional promotions, and created an organizational framework to
develop the next generation of competent and committed NCOs who have
been appropriately trained as leaders.
Before we implemented STEP, the Army experienced a backlog of
nearly 14,000 Active Duty soldiers eligible for promotion who had not
completed the requisite level of NCOES [Non-commissioned Officer
Education System]. In short order, we reduced that backlog to
approximately 1,800 soldiers. This also improved promotion
opportunities for soldiers who were willing to work hard to meet all of
the necessary requirements and complete the requisite level of
professional military education to become fully qualified.
STEP has clearly demonstrated its value as an investment tool which
will allow the Army to continue developing educated and competent NCOs
to lead the future force. Through this, and other initiatives such as
NCO 2020, America's Army will continue to have the best, most educated
enlisted force in the world.
retention
The Army is on a glide path to again exceed its Active component
retention mission. Our combined efforts produced historic retention
rates of over 90 percent of the eligible population of the Army last
year. Through strong, engaged leadership, our soldiers have
demonstrated motivation and enthusiasm to serve unlike any time in
previous years.
I am confident our retention rate is directly linked to trust in
Army leadership, positive quality of life, and moreover, each and every
soldier's value of service to America. If this was not the case, we
likely would not have 90 percent of the eligible population and 86
percent of the total population re-enlisting to serve in America's
Army. Each component is set to accomplish their respective retention
missions while maintaining quality standards, and meeting critical NCO
requirements.
These achievements would not be possible without the support of
Congress. The Army recognizes that part of these achievements is the
collective investment we have made in our soldiers, families and
civilians over the past 2 years. An important part of our efforts comes
with improvements to, and the preservation of, soldier and family
readiness programs.
sharp
The Department of Defense released its annual report on Sexual
Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies (MSAs) for
Academic Program Year (APY) 2017-2018 on January 31, 2019. In alignment
with DOD/Army goals, sexual assault reporting at the United States
Military Academy (USMA) increased for the fifth straight year. In APY
2017-18, there were 56 reports of sexual assault; 43 unrestricted
reports (UR) and 13 restricted reports (RR). This is an increase from
50 reports in APY 16-17. Of the 56 reports, 6 percent were for an
incident that occurred prior to their arrival at USMA.
The increase in sexual assault reporting is a result of several
deliberate steps USMA took to increase reporting. It is believed these
steps are continuing to increase trust in the chain of command and
response services.
Disappointingly, past year prevalence of unwanted sexual contact
increased from 14.5 percent to 16.5 percent for female cadets and from
1.4 percent to 3.4 percent for male cadets over the previous academic
year. This is unacceptable, and we will continue to engage leaders at
all levels to inspire a culture of mutual respect, trust and personal
commitment to the Army values. We are committed to eliminating sexual
assault and fostering a culture of dignity and respect for every
soldier.
USMA's approach to improving its culture is part of a long-term and
deliberate effort through their leadership development system. West
Point remains committed to providing relentless, persistent focus on
character development, education, awareness, vigilance, and discipline.
Of those cadets who experienced unwanted sexual contact, 18 percent
reported the incident-an increase from 15 percent in APY 15-16. I
believe this is a strong indication that our cadets have trust and
confidence in their leaders.
USMA is committed to a long-term environment of dignity and
respect, and has begun engaging incoming classes this past year to
provide them with training about the SHARP [sexual harassment assault
response program] program, resources, policies and reporting options,
in order to proactively address sexual violence.
For the Army as a whole, we are working from the bottom up by
investing in first-line leaders through our ``Not in My Squad'' (NIMS)
initiative, which began about 2 years ago. Research has determined that
squad leaders have the greatest impact on units, the individual soldier
and the organizational climate.
The NIMS initiative specifically focuses on empowering squad
leaders and junior NCOs to build mutual trust and cohesion at the squad
and team level. We want squad leaders to accept responsibility for the
discipline and standards of their soldiers.
We've spread NIMS across the entire Army to our 27 ready and
resilience campuses across our major installations. In the first
quarter of 2019, we've conducted 17 workshops with research already
showing a return on investment within our ranks. We will continue to
invest in NIMS in order to capitalize on our progress toward ridding
our Army of sexual assault and sexual harassment.
credentialing assistance program
Leveraging our Soldier for Life program has allowed the Army to
continue attracting quality recruits by offering credentialing
opportunities to earn licenses and certificates for technical training.
Through their Military Service, our soldiers become trusted and
experienced professionals who rejoin their community with valuable
employment skills following honorable service.
One of their resources to accomplish this is the Army Credentialing
Program, which allows them to capitalize on training and development
opportunities throughout their military careers.
Through this program, soldiers obtain industry-recognized
credentials demonstrating individual competence that contributes to
improved capabilities and readiness in our Army and local communities.
It also empowers them to serve as ambassadors of the Army in those
communities, promotes the hiring of Army veterans and inspires the next
generation of soldiers.
The Army takes great pride in enhancing our soldiers' transition to
civilian life through innovative ideas such as the Credentialing
Limited User Test (LUT). As the first phase of implementation of
credentialing assistance, Secretary Esper, based on my recommendation,
recently directed a LUT for self-directed credentialing to occur during
fiscal year 2019 at Fort Hood, Texas.
With assistance from Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy,
this test began in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 to validate
processes and systems that will administer the program, gauge soldier
demand, validate counselor training and forecast future requirements.
The credentials available, as vetted by Human Resources Command,
are expected to have minimal pre-requisites or education requirements,
will be valuable for post-service employment, and obtainable by
enlisted soldiers in their first or second term of service. Currently,
all soldiers at Fort Hood are eligible to participate, and there are no
restrictions to participation based on rank or component.
Our Army Credentialing Assistance Program provides financial
assistance for voluntary, off-duty training and education programs in
support of a soldier's professional and personal self-development
goals.
The requirements for eligibility and participation are almost
identical to those for the Army's Tuition Assistance Program, and
participation will be subject to approval by a soldier's chain of
command.
Pending the success of the Credentialing Limited User Test, the
Army is considering follow-on locations for additional testing, with
implementation Army-wide as early as fiscal year 2020.
soldier for life
Our Soldier for Life initiatives are critical to the readiness of
our Army. This is evident in the tremendous improvements to our
transition assistance efforts. From fiscal year 2010 through fiscal
year 2012, the Army spent over $500 million a year on unemployment
compensation, peaking in fiscal year 2011 at $515 million.
With a continued emphasis on our Soldier for Life and credentialing
initiatives, we are currently at less than $100 million in unemployment
compensation today. We've made significant investments in professional
military education, academic equivalency, the Career Skills Program,
individual skills initiatives, and partnerships with industry and
academia. These combined efforts are directly linked to an increase in
the individual readiness of our soldiers while increasing their
opportunities for service after Military Service.
Our fundamental resolve moving forward is three-fold: develop the
world's finest soldiers, enable them to become better citizens, and
further strengthen our all-volunteer service. This is the true meaning
of Soldier for Life. It means we value our soldiers' service to the
Nation enough to ensure that America values their skills when they take
off the uniform. I don't want to ask corporations in America to hire
our soldiers. I want them knocking our doors down asking us.
family readiness
On February 5, Secretary Esper announced a number of Army-wide
updates to policies, based on feedback from the force, intended to
improve quality of life and ease the burden on our soldiers and their
families as they build financial readiness, PCS to and from their next
assignments, secure childcare, and obtain many other critical support
services.
Through an AUSA-hosted [Association of the United States Army]
family forum, and a consolidated webpage, these changes were
communicated in real-time to the force, allowing further input, and
reaffirming our commitment to providing the best possible support to
our people.
These initiatives include procedural changes to spouse employment,
home-based businesses, childcare, the parental leave program, spouse
credentialing, expansion of Family Readiness Group activities and
events, the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), the Total Army
Sponsorship Program, and better accountability and quality assurance
for the movement of household goods.
Childcare, in particular, is a significant issue, as it is our
largest single investment in family programs. The Army is actively
working to reduce civilian hiring times and improve the suitability
background check and adjudication process for childcare providers,
which will help fill vacancies for childcare providers where shortages
have a substantial impact.
We have developed and implemented an assignments tools, which makes
it easier for childcare providers to transition from one installation
to another without having to go through the hiring and background check
process again. We also have implemented a provisional hiring process,
which allows us to more rapidly onboard applicants with no derogatory
information in their FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] fingerprint
check. We continue to make improvements in our adjudication timelines.
Additionally, Secretary Esper recently signed a memo directing
closer management of space available patrons in Army childcare
programs, which requires space available patrons to relinquish their
childcare space within 30 days when a higher priority patron needs the
space. We continue to look at innovative ways to maximize limited
childcare capacity. We remain committed to doing all we can to meet our
families' needs.
Lastly, the Army is analyzing data from housing surveys sent to
families last month, and planning further improvements and significant
investment to upgrade 100 percent of Army-owned family housing by the
end of fiscal year 2026. Improving Army housing is a top priority for
Army senior leaders, and we will remain transparent, as we continue to
work with Congress and installation leadership to identify and address
concerns.
We have a detailed plan to get all 190 families out of Q4 housing
by 2021. Additionally, the Secretary and Chief have directed an
environmental hazard screening in Army owned/leased/privatized housing.
They were also charged with consolidating and analyzing findings,
and preparing a report of the results addressing concerns related to
potential hazards.
The bottom line is, the Army is concerned, and will continue to
take immediate actions to further protect our soldiers and their
families. Their well-being is paramount, and we are committed to
upholding health and safety standards on all of our installations.
preserving benefits and family programs
One of my biggest concerns is the potential diminishing of benefits
and family programs as budgetary decisions are made about the Army's
future.
As the Army continues to balance its priorities for lethality,
readiness and modernization in a complex environment, we must remain
vigilant and flexible to sustain the readiness of families and
soldiers. We need Congress's support to fully fund soldier and family
programs, and allow our commanders the adaptability to deliver specific
programs for specific unit and geographical needs. It is of the utmost
importance to not only keep faith with our soldiers, but their families
as well, as Army families are the strength of our men and women who
serve.
The unique challenges a military family faces requires us to invest
and safeguard a wide variety of family programs to ensure their needs
are met. In addition to the support from the Army, our local
communities and businesses often provide additional services to our
families to ensure that, together, we reduce stress on them.
closing
As the Army continues to balance its priorities for lethality,
readiness and modernization in a complex environment, we must remain
vigilant and flexible in sustaining the readiness of our soldiers and
their families. Family readiness is Army readiness, and remains an
enduring priority for the Army.
It is critically important that we sustain our world-class soldier
and family programs. They are a part of our commitment to our people
and their quality of life. We must keep the impacts on them in mind as
we make decisions about which people, services, programs and facilities
to keep.
That said, we thank Congress for the fiscal year 2019 budget that
permits us to continue to guide those changes, improve readiness and
make an increased investment in our future Army. That investment starts
with the bedrock of our Army--soldiers, their families, and Army
civilians. With timely, sufficient, predictable funding, we can
continue to build toward our readiness goals, and take care of our
Total Army Family.
We are a standards-based organization accountable to Congress and
the American people. The only acceptable outcome from our efforts will
be a lethal, well-prepared, well-disciplined Army ready to carry out
its mission.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak before you today, and I look
forward to continuing our dialogue. This We'll Defend. Army Strong.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Chief Smith.
STATEMENT OF MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER RUSSELL L. SMITH, USN,
MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE NAVY
MCPON Smith. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
and distinguished Members of this Subcommittee, I am honored to
appear before you today on behalf of the dedicated sailors of
the United States Navy who serve on our global away team to
meet the national security objectives and defend American
values and families from all walks of life. Congress is a
critical enabler of our Navy team. Through consistent, steady
funding, oversight, and support, you empower us to defend
America.
Our National Defense Strategy is prominently a maritime
one, and as such, our efforts are focused on preparing for the
war at sea. The increasingly complex security environment is
defined by challenges in the maritime domain, and the Navy the
Nation Needs will be critical to our ability to maintain free
and open use of the sea as our adversaries and near peer
competitors become more of a global presence. We no longer have
an expectation that we can operate throughout the world's
oceans with impunity. We must become stronger, faster, and
effectively build teams that will compete and win the high-end
war fight, whether it is at a time and place of our choosing
far from home or whether it is in defense of our Homeland
closer.
While we have the most capable ships and leading-edge
technology, our people remain the greatest advantage against
determined adversaries. We must continue to strengthen their
technical competence and foster innovative thinking in our
workforce. Through changes made to our Manpower, Personnel,
Training and Education enterprise, we are leveraging modern
technology and reimagining traditional processes to maximize
efficiency and regain our competitive edge. This creates a more
agile workforce prepared to prevail in the maritime battle
space when necessary.
Attracting and retaining the best sailors is always
difficult, as our best and brightest are just as attracted to
the private sector. With an unemployment rate in our target
demographic at a 50-year low, it exacerbates this challenge and
requires continued flexibility and transparency in policies and
practices, along with competitive options for compensation.
With regard to retention specifically, we have already
implemented a number of important initiatives. We've enhanced
our parental leave policy for Active Duty mothers and fathers.
We've refined our dual-military co-location processes. We've
expanded the Career Intermission Program and increased Active
component/Reserve component permeability. This past year, we
brought 1,162 reservists back to Active Duty in order to meet
manning requirements.
We're focusing on positive behaviors through our four-star
culture of excellence governance board, and amending the health
and fitness programs that we have has resulted in a full 10
percent of our force moving into the ``Excellent'' or
``Outstanding'' categories on the semiannual PRT [Physical
Readiness Test] program. These changes have already begun to
improve the sailor experience and will find an even greater
foothold when more robust information technology comes online
as a part of the transformation.
The Chief of Naval Operations often says a stronger family
equals a stronger fleet. Fleet and Family Readiness programs
enable a resilient and lethal Navy force. We know that a
family's quality of life and available services to sustain them
are inextricably linked with the servicemember's retention. As
we learn more about the challenges of Navy families and the
experience in Public Private Venture housing, we are leaning in
heavily. We will make 100 percent contact with sailors in
government family and unaccompanied housing, and unit level
leaders will visit all those who welcome assistance. We are
resolved to ensure that sailors remain undistracted by living
conditions that may adversely affect the health, safety, and
well-being of their families.
Recognizing there is a generational difference in preferred
means to communicate, we're leaning into new ways to collect
feedback and disseminate information in the place that sailors
and their families feel comfortable in. They're demonstrating a
strong preference for tools and resources in the digital realm
of mobile apps and social media platforms, so in addition to
more traditional methods, we're encouraging leadership to
engage via live-streaming town halls and other online
mechanisms that often provide quicker responses and solutions.
Childcare remains a persistent critical readiness issue for
the Navy. Many tend to categorize this as a women's issue, but
we have single fathers, single mothers, and dual working
couples, and it is more appropriately seen as a family issue.
This is a nationwide challenge, but as the Navy has a dominant
footprint in some of the most severely impacted areas, we are
the hardest hit, managing an approximate deficit of 8,000
spaces, nearly 54 percent of the overall DOD shortfall. We have
expanded the hours and capacity of child development centers
and are exploring partnership options in local communities in
order to effect gains because we can't afford to lose talented
sailors who might believe that the Navy is inconsistent with
having a family.
Through sustained commitment to removing distractions,
maturing our training and education initiatives, and increased
focus on quality of life, we will ensure sailors are ready for
the fight. The best ships, aircraft, and technology are of
limited value without the best trained and capable sailors to
operate and maintain them. Investing in personnel and the
systems that sustain them will drive innovation and excellence
while retaining our top talent.
We appreciate the efforts of Congress to ensure that we
have all that we need to fight and win. We have and will
continue to improve fleet readiness and retain our sailors and
their families while remaining responsible stewards of the
limited taxpayer resources you entrust to us.
Thank you for your steadfast support for the men and women
of the United States Navy, and I look forward to your
questions, sir.
[The prepared statement of Chief Smith follows:]
Prepared Statement by Master Chief Petty Officer Russell Smith
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand and distinguished
Members of this Subcommittee, I am honored to appear before you today
on behalf of the dedicated enlisted men and women of the United States
Navy serving around the world in defense of our national security
interests, American values and families from all walks of life.
Congress is an integral part of our Navy team. Catalysts of our success
through your unwavering support, you empower us to defend our Nation
and our national security interests.
As outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, our efforts are
centered on preparing for the war at sea. The increasingly complex
security environment is defined by challenges in the maritime domain.
The Navy the Nation needs demands much in this era of great power
competition; we must become stronger, faster and effectively build
teams who will compete and win any high-end warfight.
It is crucial we make the shift from bureaucratic roadblocks to
innovation highways. Harvesting modern ideas means reimagining
traditional workflows to maximize efficiency, leveraging ideas that
will give us a competitive edge, and developing a more agile workforce
empowered to achieve excellence in everything we do and prevailing in
the maritime battlespace when necessary. We must minimize distractions,
keeping sailors laser-focused on maintaining our superiority and
deterring emerging global threats.
While we have the most capable ships and leading-edge technology,
our people have been, and will always be, our greatest advantage
against determined adversaries. We must continue to strengthen their
technical competence and foster the innovative thinking in our enlisted
workforce.
recruit
We strive to recruit the best qualified young Americans, who are
interested in pursuing meaningful and altruistic service that benefits
our Navy and our Nation. As President John F. Kennedy once said ``I can
imagine no more rewarding a career and any man who may be asked in this
century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond
with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United
States Navy'.''
For those who desire to be a part of this longstanding and
exceptional tradition, they will find a career characterized by
creativity and the strength that comes from working as part of a
unified team, dedicated to preserving our freedom.
There are many brave men and women in our communities across
America who answer that noble calling even after 17 years of war. In
fiscal year 2018, we were successful in achieving 100 percent of Active
component (AC) accession goal, which we have met for 137 consecutive
months; however, we fell short in our Reserve component (RC)
accessions. Our record AC retention this year increased the challenge
of recruiting prior service sailors, as there were fewer eligible
personnel separating from Active Duty available to affiliate as
reservists.
We must continue to recruit talented Americans who are ready to
work hard in a demanding field, solve problems, overcome challenges and
be empowered to make our Navy a stronger combat ready force.
Accordingly, Navy has been working to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of our recruiting organization through realignment,
transformation, workforce improvements and policy reform. We are
streamlining processes and have established the most efficient
marketing and advertising campaign in Navy's history under our new
brand ``Forged by the Sea.'' Digital prospecting allows recruiters to
leverage messaging tools on the Navy.com website and other social
media, increasing the number of recruiting prospects, and reaching
diverse markets, while lowering costs-per-lead.
train
To properly and effectively train the finest sailors in the world,
it is of grave importance that our training facilities are the finest
in the world.
Additionally, success is directly reliant on providing the precise
training at the right and appropriate time, strategically and
intermittently throughout a sailor's career. Many skills and knowledge
bases atrophy over time when they're not properly maintained through
rigorous training and continuous use. Through our Sailor 2025
initiative, Ready Relevant Learning (RRL), we are developing a career
long learning continuum to provide the right training at the right
time, delivered via modern methods, to enable faster learning and
better knowledge retention at multiple points throughout a career. This
will help transform our industrial age, assembly line training model
into a modern one that ensures our content takes into account evolving
technologies.
In addition to focusing on technical training, it is imperative
that we continue to hone in on building competence and character
through the Enlisted Leader Development Framework. We must forge
leaders of strong character, earlier and faster, to build winning teams
that will prevail over our adversaries in any environment. Navy is
demonstrating a deliberate commitment to grow our sailors personally
and professionally throughout their careers. For our enlisted sailors,
we have designed a series of formal courses throughout the career
continuum. The courses are short duration, high impact adult learning
experiences which focus on character, ethics, leadership, the
profession of arms, self-awareness, and decision making. Every sailor
must be prepared to fight and win. The training, encouragement,
empowerment and confidence instilled in them beginning with early days
in boot camp will ensure their success. Our E-3s should be smarter,
stronger, and more capable than the O-3s of our adversaries.
Investing in training infrastructures, RRL, and cultivating
stronger naval leaders will ensure that Navy maintains an enduring
competitive advantage over any adversary. Serving in our Navy comes
with risk and is inherently dangerous. We must do everything within our
resources and constraints to properly arm and train our sailors, so
they are well-equipped mentally, physically and emotionally.
A 2017 comprehensive review of basic military training determined
that firefighting and damage control training is inadequate. The review
recommended that boot camp, a centralized location through which all
enlisted sailors must pass, provide Navy Level I Basic Damage Control
and Firefighting Certifications. Every sailor must be versed in damage
control and firefighting. Each sailor must know how to save their ship,
their shipmates and themselves in times of peril. Before reporting to
their first ship, every sailor must have experienced rushing water
entering a compartment in order to have some concept of what that is
like, as well as know what they are going to do about it. This
fundamental requirement demands that we upgrade existing facilities.
Consolidating training for these skills at boot camp will provide a
solid return on investment, in saved lives alone, to justify the
expense. Conversely, failing to make this investment in training, will
inevitably cost lives. We cannot, in good conscience, allow the
dedicated men and women who selflessly volunteer to serve our Nation to
go to sea without first preparing them with the very best training
available. Funding these facilities is an investment that will not only
save lives, but will be the difference between winning or losing in
major combat operations at sea. The only thing more expensive than
fighting a war is losing a war.
retain
The Navy the Nation needs is on a path to grow to 355 ships, but
recruiting alone won't be enough to sustain our ranks and safeguard our
Navy as a superior combat-credible maritime force. We are at a
strategic crossroad in which we need to think about how we conduct
business to retain the best and brightest while inspiring all sailors
to seek their maximum potential.
While the Navy succeeded in increasing retention across all pay
grades in fiscal year 2018, in fact the highest rates seen over the
last decade, we will experience some challenges ahead, particularly in
the nuclear field, special warfare, advanced electronics, aviation
maintenance and information technology communities. This has required
focused retention efforts, to include targeted re-enlistment bonuses,
to keep their talent and unique skills on our team.
When evaluating retention, it is imperative to assess the reasons
why sailors choose to stay or leave the Navy. The data we've collected,
primarily from E-1 to E-6 sailors with less than 15 years of service,
indicates that work-life balance, leadership, command climate, impact
on family, and civilian job opportunities were the top five influencers
to leave the Navy. The top influencers to stay in the Navy included
medical/dental benefits, monetary compensation and retirement, housing
and promotion opportunities, and other benefits such as leave,
education and the commissary.
One of the best programs we currently have to increase retention is
the Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP), which empowers our top
performer with a deserved promotion to the next pay grade. This program
identifies talent and ensures we are incentivizing our most capable
sailors to continue to serve on the Navy team--keeping their expertise
and experience in our ranks. This program empowers commanding officers
to recognize, promote and ultimately retain their best sailors, once
they are ready to assume greater levels of leadership and
responsibility.
future of the force (sailor 2025)
Attracting and retaining the best sailors in an increasingly
competitive talent market requires continued flexibility and
transparency in policies and practices. Sailor 2025 is the Navy's
program to improve and modernize personnel management, training
policies, and systems to more effectively identify, recruit, and train
talented people to better manage the force while improving warfighting
readiness.
The modern information technology (IT) infrastructure we are
building will improve how we recruit, train, and retain talent as well
as assign talent and provide competitive compensation packages. This
system will provide the kind of flexibility and permeability our
sailors expect and deserve.
We have already implemented a number of important initiatives, to
include enhancing our parental leave program, changing our dual
military colocation policy, expanding the Career Intermission Pilot
Program, strengthening advocacy and health and fitness programs across
the force, as well as expanding the hours and capacity of Child
Development Centers.
These initiatives effectively allow us to recruit, develop, manage,
reward and retain talent in our force. Many administrative systems and
programs were outdated, overly bureaucratic, and riddled with
administrative distractions that took time away from warfighters--
keeping them tied up with overly complicated processes instead of
focused on training and getting the job done in order to allow them to
better manage work-life balance.
Today's sailors are technically savvy, eager to see our systems
evolve on pace with industry standards. The expectation is that they
should be able to handle their personal administration in the same
secure manner in which they currently conduct banking from a mobile
phone. Their time is too valuable to be spent in line waiting to
conduct transactions that can be routinely accomplished from their
smartphones. Just as our platforms and weapon systems have evolved, so
must our personnel systems by using cutting edge technologies and new
policies and procedures outlined in our Sailor 2025 initiatives. This
as an investment in our future, our sailors, and the manner in which we
push them to strive for innovation.
Most importantly, these efforts return time and opportunity to the
deck plates, allowing leaders to focus on tactical skills and
warfighting readiness. Under Sailor 2025, we are empowering our
sailors.
families
As the Chief of Naval Operations says, ``a stronger family equals a
stronger fleet.'' Fleet and Family Readiness programs enable a ready
and lethal Navy force, as it builds sailor and family member
resilience. Recent studies show that family member's quality of life
and services provided to sustain them are directly linked with
servicemember retention. We are in the second year of executing the
Chief of Naval Operations' Navy Family Framework, which reinforces the
importance of the role Navy families play in mission success. In 2018,
we conducted spouse engagement sessions worldwide, and in 2019 we will
roll out a new consolidated source of official information--a mobile
app--on support services, resources, and training currently available
to Navy families, which gives them tools to successfully navigate the
challenges associated with the military lifestyle.
In recent engagements with sailors one common theme that arises is
accessibility of available, affordable and quality childcare. Lack of
available and affordable childcare is a national issue for our
generation; for our Navy, it is a critical readiness issue. Our Navy
team must remain vigilant and strong to effectively preserve America's
strategic influence and interests around the world. Sailors must be
prepared to ``fight tonight,'' constantly ready when we least expect
it. We must drill harder and more frequently--for it is sets and reps
that will build the muscle memory that ensures overwhelming victory in
combat. Our Navy simply cannot afford to lose valuable training hours
because of worry and uncertainty over whether their children are in a
secure, safe and comfortable setting. We also can't afford to lose
talented sailors who decide, as some have already done, that the Navy
is incompatible with having a family. Sailors provide security for all
Americans by protecting the Homeland 24/7, and in return, we owe it to
them to ensure their own families are taken care of, allowing them to
focus on the mission at hand.
Over the past decade, Navy has added 7,000 childcare spaces, opened
five new 24/7 Child Development Centers in Norfolk, San Diego, and
Hawaii; and, where there is a need, extended operating hours from 12 to
14 hours per day; however, sailor demand for childcare exceeds Navy's
current 44,000 childcare spaces. Today, there are over 8,000 children
waiting for DOD-provided childcare, and the Navy accounts for 54
percent of the overall DOD shortfall. Approximately 2,000 children have
been on a waiting list for over 6 months, some waiting well over a
year. Waiting lists are predominately in our high-cost waterfront
cities and fleet concentration areas in California, Virginia, Hawaii,
Washington, and the National Capital Region.
The challenges facing our sailors needing affordable and quality
childcare mirror challenges facing other American families. In 19
states where the majority of our Navy demand resides, there is a
cumulative shortfall of 1.4 million childcare spaces, according to
Child Care Aware of America. Across the United States, the most common
childcare arrangement for working parents is through a family member.
However, that is not an option for most sailors, who do not reside near
extended family and, therefore, unable to rely on family members to
help with childcare.
For sailors able to find childcare in the community, affordability
is a significant challenge, with care costing upwards of 25 percent of
total family income. According to the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, under the current standard for childcare affordability,
families should be paying less than seven percent of household income
to cover the costs of childcare.
We are tirelessly working through various options to address the
childcare needs of sailors and their families, so they can focus on
mission accomplishment. Navy will continue actively seeking public/
private partnerships in Fleet concentration areas to increase
accessibility of affordable childcare that will benefit both sailors
and the local community. We look forward to reporting our progress and
appreciate your continuing support and partnership with this critical
personnel issue.
Relocating to where our Navy and our Nation needs us is an inherent
part of service in the U.S. Navy. While a permanent change of station
can be difficult, it can also be full of new opportunities for growth
for our families, as it pushes us to move past our comfort zones and
embrace new cultures and communities. Nevertheless, it doesn't diminish
the stress brought on by the major life changes and logistical
challenges associated with the move. In 2018, the Navy tested a pilot
in which sailors were afforded the opportunity to take charge of their
move as part of an effort to empower them, reduce bureaucratic burdens,
and give them the flexibility to execute the move in the manner that
works best for their respective families. Instead of relying on a one-
size fits all contract move, the test group of 120 sailors was given
the opportunity to use government travel credit cards, which they
previously were not allowed. This approach greatly benefited these
sailors, because it alleviated the tremendous burden of having to pay
thousands of dollars in moving expenses out-of-pocket until
reimbursement claims could be settled. Navy is the only branch not
currently providing this option to our families. We know we are behind
the curve in this facet of family readiness and support and we are
working to implement a pragmatic and resourceful approach to this issue
that affects the quality of life and readiness of Navy families.
Additionally, we are developing plans for implementing
reimbursement of spouse licensure fees Congress enacted in the fiscal
year 2018 NDAA. Our Navy spouses should not have to put their own
careers on the backburner, and we look forward to enhancing the ease
with which they may continue working in the new communities into which
they relocate incident to a Permanent Change of Station move. We ask
for your support in incentivizing licensure and reciprocity across
state lines for our military spouses. With your help, we can provide
more opportunities for them to work in the communities their families
are stationed in. Many have valuable knowledge and experience in
educational, medical, and childcare fields. As it stands now, there are
39 states that support the transfer of teaching credentials. We would
greatly appreciate and benefit from any assistance you can provide in
encouraging your states to support these initiatives. Otherwise, we
risk losing valuable expertise if sailors leave our team, as many have
cited on exit surveys, to find better opportunities elsewhere for their
families.
conclusion
As we continue evolving in this era of great power competition, we
recognize that we once again may experience major maritime battles
comparable to those of World War II. Adversaries are committing
resources in the latest technologies, platforms and weapon systems in
the maritime domain, threatening our national security interests around
the globe in an unprecedented manner.
Through sustained commitment and continued investment in removing
distractions and improving training and quality of life, we will ensure
our greatest advantage against any adversary--our sailors--are ready
for any fight. The best ships, aircraft, and technology are of limited
value without the best trained and most capable men and women to
operate them. Investing in personnel and the systems that sustain them
will not only drive innovation and excellence, while ensuring our
ability to recruit and retain America's top talent to serve in our
Navy.
We appreciate the continuing efforts of Congress to ensure we have
all that we need to fight and win. We have and will continue to improve
the fleet readiness and retain our sailors and their families, while
remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer resources. Thank you for
your steadfast support for the men and women of the United States Navy.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Chief Wright.
STATEMENT OF CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT KALETH O. WRIGHT, USAF,
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT OF THE AIR FORCE
CMSAF Wright. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
and distinguished Members of this Subcommittee, thank you for
your support and interest in our servicemen and servicewomen.
It's truly an honor for me to address you on their behalf
today. While my wife Tonya, a 20-year veteran herself, is
unable to be here today, I am joined today by Command Chief
Master Sergeant for the Air Force Reserve Command Ericka Kelly
and her successor, Chief Master Sergeant Tim White.
In the past 2 years, collectively, we have visited
thousands of airmen and family members. These visits reinforce
the fact that Air Force readiness and our airmen are
inextricably linked. Recruiting the best airmen for the Air
Force we need, training and retaining the airmen of today, and
ensuring our airmen and their families are taken care of
directly impacts readiness. Providing airmen with developmental
opportunities allows us to enhance readiness cohesion and
combat effectiveness. Remaining fully committed to sexual
assault prevention and providing better care, recovery, and
judicial advocacy for victims who report sexual violence, mixed
with a dedicated strategy to reduce suicide rates, ensures we
place dignity, respect, and the health and wellness of all
airmen as our priority.
A significant component to the quality of life of airmen is
access to quality housing. The health and safety of our airmen
and their families is our priority, and we share their concerns
when we detect instances where housing objectives are not being
met. When there are challenges, Air Force leaders, we own it.
We intervene with the project owners, advocate for our
residents, and support installation commanders in our mission
to take care of airmen and their families.
We rely on and are grateful for your efforts, actions, and
legislation to protect and support our servicemembers. We
welcome your visits to see firsthand the talent and dedication
of our airmen and families. Thank you again for your time
today, and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Chief Wright follows:]
Prepared Statement by Chief Master Sergeant Kaleth O. Wright
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand and the Members of this
Subcommittee, it is an honor to address you, express our airmen's
needs, and offer their appreciation for your support. Our airmen and
their families are the key to our success and understand the freedoms
we guard are not just our own. They've made a choice to do something
purposeful and it is our duty to take care of them as they take care of
the mission.
Our airmen are our most important asset. Increasing our end
strength allows the Air Force to better meet the warfighting demands of
today and tomorrow.
Readiness and airmen are inextricably linked. Recruiting the best
airmen for the Air Force we need, training and retaining the airmen of
today, and ensuring our airmen and their families are taken care of
directly impacts readiness. Providing airmen with developmental
opportunities allows us to enhance readiness, cohesion and combat
effectiveness. Remaining fully committed to sexual assault prevention
and providing better care, recovery and judicial advocacy for victims
who report sexual violence, mixed with a dedicated strategy to reduce
suicide rates, ensures we place dignity, respect, and the health and
wellness of all airmen as our priority. We rely on and are grateful for
your efforts and legislation to protect and support our servicemembers.
We welcome your visits to see first-hand the talent and dedication of
our airmen and families.
total force end strength
In order to meet mission requirements established in the NDS
[National Defense Strategy], the Air Force must increase our total
force end strength. This growth directly improves readiness and
lethality by increasing personnel to our squadrons. It also provides
the manning necessary to continue readiness improvements, increasing
airmen in operations and maintenance; intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance; special operations forces; space and cyber. This is
imperative to supporting modernization efforts, providing needed
manning to build and sustain KC-46 and F-35 programs and B-21 research
and development workforce. Discontinuing end strength growth now will
force us to accept risk to mission priorities and perpetuating an
environment of hollowed out units.
recruiting and retention
The Air Force is on track to meet its Active Duty enlisted
accession goals of 32,050 non-prior service enlisted airmen for fiscal
year 2019. With an improving economy, the Air Force faces tough
competition for recruits, especially those with highly technical or
unique skills and capabilities. We must continue to attract the highest
caliber applicants to meet myriad mission needs, especially for
evolving cyber and space and critical high-demand/low-density special
warfare career fields.
We have taken a multi-pronged approach to bolster recruiting
efforts. First, we increased total force Tier 1 enlisted accession
recruiters by 150 over 4 years, bringing our total to 1,300. Next, we
increased our recruiting budget to $95 million with $40 million
earmarked for advertising and marketing. Finally, we established a
recruiting squadron focused specifically on special warfare, EOD
[explosive ordinance disposal] and survival, evasion, resistance and
escape airmen, enhancing pre-accession development training for career
fields with historically high training attrition rates.
Once we have recruited and trained the airmen we need, we have to
ensure we work to retain them. A high demand for technical skills and
continuously high operational tempo, mixed with a strong economy,
burdens Air Force retention.
One of the most successful ways we retain airmen is through
monetary incentives. To ensure the continuous health of career fields
stressed due to low manning or with skillsets critical to the mission,
we offer selective retention bonuses (SRBs) to maintain capability and
capacity. SRBs are based on specialty manning, retention trends and
training costs, and are reviewed bi-annually to meet changing
requirements. The goal remains to be most economical while still
achieving desired retention results. The most recent SRB list targets
115 of our 196 enlisted specialties.
We are keenly aware that monetary incentives are just one part of
our retention portfolio. Quality of life, education benefits, and
potential for future growth and development also strongly influence
retention.
developing exceptional leaders and talent management
One way the Air Force must continue to capitalize on the talent of
our airmen is through the continued improvement of its force
development processes. Through that lens, we've worked with our joint
partners on several development programs. Focused on improving
leadership and management these programs are designed to produce airmen
with tactical expertise, operational competence, and strategic vision
to lead and execute Air Force and joint missions.
The first program we are executing is a senior leader development
portfolio emphasizing the continued development of enterprise-level
senior leaders. This is managed by specific enlisted, officer and
civilian management teams with a development portfolio comprised of
approximately 35 tailored courses and development opportunities
annually. We continue to examine Professional Military Education to
improve how we develop leaders capable of critical and strategic
thought and clear communication who are adept in the art and science of
warfighting.
Next, we are adding flexibility into the assignments process by
leveraging technology to improve our assignment matching system. After
researching industry-best practices, we implemented an information
technology solution known as ``Talent Marketplace'' (TM). TM uses
algorithms to match airmen to assignments, taking into account member
assignment preferences and hiring manager desired criteria to produce a
match. TM provides a ``scientific'' starting point, allowing assignment
teams to apply the ``art'' to finalize the process. This two-pronged
approach of ``science'' and ``art'' adds transparency to the process,
allowing for better talent management. As funding allows, we will
continue to bring all officer and enlisted skill sets into the TM
program.
human resource management information technology reform
The Air Force is modernizing the information technology (IT)
infrastructure across its human resources systems. To improve these
systems, our efforts are focused on providing airmen a modern cloud-
based, mobile-enabled, self-service digital platform. The way forward
requires analyzing the Human Resource Management Information Technology
portfolio of 115 talent management platforms and 400+ applications. The
foundation of this effort is the transition to cloud-based services,
enhancing privacy information security.
One example of evolving human resources IT capabilities supporting
airmen is via MyVector, a web-based development platform. MyVector
underpins force development, allowing airmen to be actively involved in
their career development process. We are posturing the platform to
accomplish officer developmental education boards, enlisted deliberate
development, and foreign language proficiency tracking capabilities,
modernizing TM options. More than 238,600 airmen are registered on
MyVector and more than 48,700 airmen have matched mentoring
connections.
Another example of modernizing IT platforms is through the Air
Force Integrated Personnel and Pay System (AFIPPS). This program will
enhance our personnel system for the Active, Reserve and Guard by
integrating payroll. Our strategy has greatly reduced the life cycle
cost estimate of the program from $1.8 billion to $0.7 billion. It has
dramatically reduced risk by using our existing Oracle platforms,
established system infrastructure and trained workforce. Once complete
in January 2021, we will have a fully integrated personnel and pay
system that meets all federal audit compliances and resolves pay issues
airmen currently experience.
performance management
Cultivating workforce talent is a priority through the deliberate
and continuous processed we use to strengthen the capabilities,
readiness, and professionalism of our force. We recently completed the
first Enlisted Evaluation System (EES) triennial review since
transitioning to a new system in 2015. The review centered around
answering two strategic questions: 1) ``How do we get the best from our
Airmen so they can give their best to mission accomplishment?'' and 2)
``Are there any alternative performance management models available
other than Forced Distribution for promotion recommendations?''
Initiatives include re-examining what we value in documenting feedback,
transforming evaluations to better document performance, developing an
evaluation and encouraging more candid feedback. Senior leaders use
these recommendations as a baseline to ensure our EES reinforces
development and feedback for airmen.
compensation
To retain the career airmen we need, we must retain families as
well. The continued service of career airmen is a family decision. To
take care of airmen, we rely on protections for current compensation
with stable, predictable funding moving forward.
One of the means by which we do this is through enhanced quality of
life, which starts with relevant, predictable Basic Allowance for
Housing (BAH). The Services supported the proposal to gradually slow
annual BAH increases by 5 percent over 5 years until 2019, with rates
covering 95 percent of rental and utilities costs. The actual impact of
the changes to BAH computations varies depending on a member's housing
choices. Members who rent a median-priced property will pay a small
amount above their BAH rate while those who choose to economize their
housing choices may have all housing expenses covered by BAH. airmen
remain free to choose the situations best suited to them but rely on
predictable, reliable allowances when making the best decisions for
their families.
One of the most wide-reaching, significant changes to military
compensation over the past 70 years was the implementation of the
Blended Retirement System (BRS). As part of the overall military
compensation package, BRS extends retirement savings options to the 81
percent of servicemembers who historically have received no DOD
retirement benefits. Approximately 75,000 total force airmen opted into
the BRS last year--29.8 percent of the ReAF [Regular Air Force], 11.5
percent of the Reserve, and 11.5 percent of the Guard who were in the
eligible enrollment window. An additional 23,000 airmen were
automatically enrolled upon entering service, for a total of
approximately 98,000 airmen enrolled in BRS as of the end of 2018.
privatized housing
A significant component to the quality of life of airmen is access
to quality housing. The health and safety of our airmen and their
families is our priority and we share their concerns when we detect
instances where housing objectives are not being met. When there are
challenges, Air Force leaders own it. We intervene with the project
owners, advocate for our residents, and support installation commanders
in our mission to take care of airmen and their families.
Currently, the Air Force provides 53,237 family housing units at 63
installations. We're focused on overseeing long-term project health and
sustainment of these projects, focused on providing quality housing for
our airmen, but know privatized housing is not without issues.
The number one concern plaguing Air Force privatized housing is
mold, particularly in perennial high-humidity climates. Environmental
mold spores grow readily when the right moisture conditions are present
and even the best facility designs cannot eliminate the risk. However,
we have identified three installations where facility design,
construction, or materials are key contributors to mold growth in 1,667
homes (3.1 percent of privatized homes): Tinker Air Force Base (AFB),
OK, Keesler AFB, MS, and MacDill AFB, FL. Roughly 76 percent of these
homes were conveyed to housing privatization projects from the
government's inventory.
At Tinker AFB, 398 homes constructed from 2009 to 2012 by the
project owner, Balfour Beatty Communities (BBC), experienced mold
issues. In June 2018, BBC also discovered roughly 200 newly constructed
homes were experiencing moisture problems in mechanical rooms resulting
in mold growth. With direction from the Air Force, BBC remediated the
mold. Furthermore, BBC hired a third-party engineering firm to assess
mechanical room heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to
determine the causes of moisture issues and recommend further
corrective actions. The estimated completion date is May 2019.
At Keesler AFB, the Air Force conveyed 1,028 homes built by Hunt
Companies in 2010 to Forest City Military Communities (FCMC) in 2011.
Poor workmanship in the air conditioning systems and building envelopes
resulted in condensation. FCMC treated mold as it occurred while
seeking remedies from Hunt Construction. In 2015, Hunt Military
Communities purchased the project from FCMC and the Air Force insisted
on a mold remediation settlement as a condition of sale. The settlement
required Hunt to correct construction defects within the scope of the
original construction contract, representing a $6.4 million exposure to
Hunt Companies. The Air Force worked with Hunt on a multi-phased
Moisture Remediation Plan with an estimated completion date of June
2020. Hunt Communities has completed the test pilot and immediate
response phases, and the first of three stages of the sustainment
phase. All 1,028 units have received some work. Stage Two of the
sustainment phase is 33 percent complete and involves 255 units.
At MacDill AFB, 241 units previously built for the Air Force were
conveyed to Clark/Harbor Bay. Due to breaches in or lack of a vapor
barrier, systemic moisture issues were present in these units. The
project owner treated the mold while designing projects and plans to
correct the underlying cause. In 2017, 94 units were reclad at a cost
of $3.7 million. In 2018, interstitial spaces and stucco repairs were
executed, dehumidifiers were added to homes where the air conditioning
units were not controlling moisture adequately on their own, and 19
homes were treated for mold growth. This year, an additional 68 units
will be reclad.
At all three installations, the project owners have taken steps to
correct underlying causes. But, corrections have not been as quick as
we would like, and there have been instances where the project owner's
response has lacked the urgency we would expect. Air Force leaders have
engaged with project owners, withheld performance incentive fees, and
implemented corrective action plans to address underperformance and
inadequate oversight.
While we remain concerned with issues in small pockets of our
housing inventory, we believe military housing privatization has been
generally successful in providing quality communities for airmen. This
is evidenced by a 2017 customer satisfaction survey, conducted by a
third-party agency, which returned ratings of ``Very Good'' (81.8
percent) with military occupancy rates of 90 percent across the Air
Force. As with any housing portfolio of this size and scope, we have
challenges but actively working with project owners, residents, and
installation commanders to find resolutions.
sexual assault prevention and response
The Air Force remains fully committed to Sexual Assault Prevention
and Response (SAPR) and advanced assault prevention and response
capabilities. We continue to build upon our SAPR efforts. Recently, the
Air Force approved 12 strategies that fall into three categories
(immediate, mid-range, and long-term) to improve response, provide
better care, recovery, and judicial advocacy for victims.
immediate
1. Build a continuous Quality Assurance system for persistent
external assessment of SAPR response capabilities;
2. Special Interest Item conducted by the Inspector General on
SAPR response procedures;
3. Provide commanders with common operating picture to plan and
execute local strategy;
4. Continuously report military justice outcomes and adjudication
AF-wide, including Nonjudicial Punishments (publicly);
mid-range
5. Re-evaluate Family Advocacy & Sexual Assault Response
Coordinator roles and responsibilities for victim response procedures;
6. Ensure privacy controls for access & utilization of victims'
mental health records (via legislative process);
7. Increase commander decision time for expedited transfers to
pursue best assignment option for victims;
8. Increase commanders and supervisors knowledge, skills,
abilities in managing the neurobiology of trauma
9. Develop multifunctional victim support technology platform
long range
10. Improve investigative and legal process timelines
11. Allow adult victims to testify via video to increase
likelihood of reporting
12. Provide victims more control and alternatives in reporting
options
Additionally, we are leveraging approaches to prevent and reduce
power-based personal violence such as partner violence, rape or sexual
assault, stalking or uses of force, threat, intimidation, or
harassment. We enhanced our response system through accountability,
transparency, and senior leader oversight to continue shrinking the gap
between prevalence and reporting. Prevalence data is culled from
anonymous surveys conducted bi-annually. While we are still compiling
data from the 2018 report, 2016 data shows that while 1,455 Active Duty
airmen provided either a restricted or unrestricted report of sexual
assault. Additionally, 2,450 respondents reported having been victim to
some form of sexual assault or abusive contact.
Workplace Gender Relations Survey data from 2016 reflects
prevalence is decreasing while sexual assault reporting is steadily
increasing. This is a positive step, as assaults are decreasing while
victim confidence in reporting is increasing. But our standard remains
``zero tolerance'' for sexual assaults. We do not tolerate an increase
in the prevalence of sexual assault and continue work to promote a safe
environment, holding accountable those who commit sexual assault.
We recognize that without dedicated prevention efforts, sexual
assault will remain an issue no matter how robust our response system.
We also recognize that if an assault does occur, the long-term well-
being of the victim must be forefront in our efforts.
suicide prevention
Suicide prevention remains a priority at all levels. We are
pursuing 11 suicide prevention goals and initiatives aimed at
decreasing suicide rates by 50 percent over 5 years with an end goal to
drive rates to as close to zero as possible.
1. Leadership involvement: Air Force leaders actively support the
entire spectrum of suicide prevention initiatives in the Air Force
community. Regular messages senior leaders and commanders motivate the
community to fully engage in suicide prevention efforts.
2. Addressing suicide prevention through professional military
education: Suicide prevention education is included in all formal
military training.
3. Guidelines for commanders on use of mental health services:
Commanders receive training on how and when to use mental health
services and in encouraging early help-seeking behavior.
4. Community preventive services: Community prevention efforts
carry more impact than treating individual patients singly. The Medical
Expense and Performance Reporting System was updated to effectively
track and encourage prevention activities.
5. Community education and training: Annual suicide prevention
training is provided for all military and civilian employees in the Air
Force.
6. Investigative interview policy: The period following an arrest
or investigative interview is a high-risk time for suicide. Following
any investigative interview, the investigator is required to ``hand
off'' the individual directly to the commander, first sergeant, or
supervisor. The unit representative is then responsible for assessing
the individual's emotional state and contacting a mental health
provider if any question about the possibility of suicide exists.
7. Trauma stress response: Trauma stress response teams were
established worldwide to respond to traumatic incidents such as
terrorist attacks, serious accidents, or suicide. These teams help
personnel and their families deal with the emotions they experience in
reaction to traumatic incidents.
8. Integrated Delivery System (IDS) and Community Action
Information Board (CAIB): At the Air Force, major command, and base
levels, CAIB and IDS provide a forum for cross-organizational review
and resolution of individual, family, and community issues impacting
the force readiness the quality of life. The IDS and CAIB help
coordinate the activities of the various base helping agencies to
achieve a synergistic impact on community problems and reduce suicide
risk.
9. Limited Privilege Suicide Prevention Program: Patients at risk
for suicide are afforded increased confidentiality when seen by mental
health providers (Limited Privilege Suicide Prevention Program).
Additionally, Limited Patient-Psychotherapist Privilege was established
in 1999, limiting the release of patient information to legal
authorities during UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice] proceedings.
10. IDS Consultation Assessment Tool: The IDS Consultation
Assessment Tool allows commanders to assess strengths and identify
vulnerable areas. Commanders can collaborate with IDS consultants to
design interventions to support the health and welfare of their
personnel.
11. Suicide Event Surveillance System: Information on all Air
Force suicides and suicide attempts are in a central database that
tracks suicide events, facilitating potential suicidal risk factor
analysis.
For calendar year 2017, Air Force suicide rates per 100,000 were at
19.5, slightly below the DOD average of 21.9 and demographically
matched to U.S. rates. Our suicide rates increased between 2009 and
2015, from 12.5 per 100,000 to 20.0 per 100,000, and then plateaued
between 2014 and 2018, remaining at about 19.0 per 100,000 for all 3
years.
One program we're currently testing to bring resources closer to
airmen and drive a culture that affects, embraces, and drives help-
seeking behavior is Task Force True North (TFTN), currently available
at four bases: Minot AFB, ND; Beale AFB, CA; Whiteman AFB, MO; and
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK. TFTN is comprised of three primary
elements: engaging airmen and families early; normalizing help-seeking
behavior as a strength; and a decentralized push for help, meeting
airmen where they are, at the unit level.
Under TFTN, units have mandatory sponsorship programs and dedicated
on-boarding programs to engage airmen upon arrival, ensuring their
assignment begins with positive leadership interaction. Additionally,
leaders are now using a squadron commander risk and protective factor
analysis tool, developed in partnership with New York University (NYU).
This tool, called NORTH STAR, uses anonymous surveys feedback to
identify issues like suicidality, alcohol misuse and domestic partner
abuse. Leadership teams use results to work directly with psychologists
from NYU to the issues and build an intervention plan that provides the
airmen with self-help tools like articles, resources or smart phone
apps they can use to seek help or enhance coping skills. Feedback is
anonymous so commanders provide tools to the entire unit, not targeting
any one person.
We have also embedded mental health providers with duties at the
squadron-level. We developed group-level dedicated religious support
teams to provide support directly to airmen. Both were enacted to
directly target a range of conditions affecting airmen's mental,
social, and spiritual comprehensive fitness. Early results show TFTN
improves mission readiness by enhancing airman and family well-being,
decreasing negative outcomes such as suicide, sexual and domestic or
workplace violence, and optimizing human performance. Data gathered
during the beta test phase will inform decisions regarding a possible
total force scale up.
conclusion
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand and Members of this
Subcommittee, thank you again for this opportunity to represent our
incredible airmen and their families. Your airmen, supported by some of
the strongest families our Nation will ever know, stand ready. They
fully understand the joint force depends on their ability to employ and
enable airpower around the world.
We must ensure our airmen have the resources, training and tools to
compete, deter, and win in an ever increasingly complex security
environment. Resilient and ready airmen, military and civilian, are the
foundation of the Air Force's readiness and lethality. Your Air Force
remains ``Always There'' providing global vigilance, reach, and power
to protect and defend our Nation. We are committed to prioritizing and
resourcing what is most important and look forward to partnering with
Congress in our endeavors to protect and defend our Nation. We thank
you for your continuing support of your Air Force.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Sergeant Major Green.
STATEMENT OF MAJOR RONALD L. GREEN, USMC, SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE
MARINE CORPS
SgtMaj Green. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for
the opportunity to appear before you on behalf of all the men
and women of your Marine Corps.
Taking care of marines and families is a vital component of
our overall readiness and of combat effectiveness. We recognize
that in order to maintain our great history of being the
Nation's expeditionary force in readiness, we must recruit
high-quality men and women to serve in our corps. To meet
future challenges, it is imperative that we maintain our high
standards to ensure--[turns mic on]--when we heed your call.
Senator Tillis. Hold on. Just for the record, I could have
sworn your mic was on beforehand.
[Laughter.]
SgtMaj Green. Should I start over, sir, or should I keep
going?
[Laughter.]
SgtMaj Green. We recognize that in order to maintain our
great history of being the Nation's expeditionary readiness
force, we must recruit high-quality men and women to serve in
our corps. To meet future challenges, it is imperative that we
maintain our high standards and ensure that our force in
readiness is ready when we heed your call.
Whether a marine intends to serve one tour or retire from
the Marine Corps, we value their commitment and their
sacrifices. To help them meet the goals and plans for their
future, the Marine Corps is focused on ensuring marines are
exposed to transition readiness throughout their career via the
Marine for Life Cycle approach. With this in mind, the Marine
Corps focuses on preparing marines for postsecondary education,
21st century careers, and leadership skills that they can
employ in a global economy. We recognize the challenges the
military lifestyle and multiple moves can have on our spouses'
careers. The Marine Corps works with OSD [Office of the
Secretary of Defense] to collaborate with the service
organizations to provide employment assistance and career
training to our military spouses.
Ensuring a high quality of life for our marines and their
families is a top priority. We have marine families impacted by
hurricanes still displaced from their homes, and the marines
are working tirelessly to get their facilities up and running
to continue their jobs as America's elite fighting force. We
hold ourselves accountable that all families have quality
housing. We are reviewing issues in our military housing and
holding our PPV partners responsible for their faith and trust
we put in them to provide for the safety and well-being of our
families' homes. We cannot have our marines worried about
safety and the health of their families within their homes when
they should be focused on the mission. The Marine Corps must
keep our faith with our families, marines, and the values we as
Americans hold dear by remaining committed to our culture of
dignity, respect, and trust.
We're focusing on policies and initiatives on preventing
sexual assault, and we have recently published an order
covering other prohibited activities, such as harassment,
hazing, bullying, ostracism, and additional behaviors that go
against our core values. We have increased avenues for
reporting, and we must always hold wrongdoers accountable for
their actions.
Your marines are smart, resilient, fit, disciplined, and
able to overcome adversity. We recognize the challenges facing
our marines and we continue to resource our programs to address
mental health and the growing problem of suicide within our
ranks. We're focused on preventive strategies. While marines
provide themselves or tout themselves to be tough, that does
not mean we ever relent to taking care of our own.
With your support, our vibrant Marine Corps will continue
to meet our Nation's call. Again, thank you for the opportunity
to represent all marines today and the sustained support in
caring for our marines and their families.
Senator Tillis. I thank you all for your opening comments.
I want to go back to where I ended the first panel. I know
that among many of the enlisted leadership, there were concerns
with the blended retirement option, and the opt-in rates seem
to be pretty disparate, particularly from between the Army and
the Marines.
Sergeant Major Dailey, give me some idea of why you think
that is.
SMA Dailey. Senator, absolutely, and I knew that you'd be
asking that question. I was concerned at the end of last fiscal
year too.
If I could for a second, I'd like to back up on the journey
of how we got here. In fiscal year 2017, we had a requirement
to train every eligible soldier across the Army. I have to
report that we did a phenomenal job, and Congress gave us the
resources and assets to do that. We trained 99 percent of our
soldiers in fiscal year 2017 on what their blended retirement
options were. That category was roughly soldiers within--that
came in in that fiscal year up to about 10 to 12 years; they
were first, second, and third term soldiers.
In fiscal year 2018, we had to allow them the opportunity
to opt in to the Blended Retirement System, and they could
immediately start putting into what we call the matching
contributions account. About halfway through the year, I was
just as concerned when I didn't see the numbers as high. So I
started a monthly VTC [video teleconference] with my
subordinate sar-majors [sergeant majors], and what I said is my
intent is not to influence decisions, but to get 100 percent
contact on making sure they understand they had to make the
choice and making sure that they were fully educated on the
value and benefits of both, based upon their individual
financial goals, sir. Those numbers started to increase a
little bit. But I still wasn't satisfied. Toward the end of the
year, I asked for feedback because I knew that would be a
question of why we were--and I was concerned at first, but now
I'm not. I'm going to share with you, sir, what they told me.
First and foremost, the Army had its best retention year
it's had in our recorded history. When asked, the overwhelming
majority of the response was ``I plan to stay 20 years, and I
feel as if the traditional retirement system will benefit me
better in the future.'' That's very positive for us. We're
seeing the similar results this year. Our retention rates are
at historic highs, and we've already achieved over ninety-some
percent of our annual mission, and it's only February.
The second one is our mid-grade NCOs [non-commissioned
officers] felt they were too far into their careers to be able
to capitalize on the full investment of the blended retirement
matching contribution. Also, again, that they would want to
stay with the traditional.
Then lastly, I think, was the other one, sir, is that it's
the downfall of the--our enlisted soldiers, when they retire,
their compensation is commensurate to their service. We thank
Congress for that. But largely, they have to take that
compensation to invest in one thing that most American families
do throughout their lives, and that's a home. Losing 10 percent
of that compensation at the end of their service, trading that,
hurts them because it's working capital. Under the new Blended
Retirement System, they'd have to wait until age 59 to access
those funds without penalty. That's what convinced a large
portion of them that they'd want to stay under the traditional
system so they can use that working capital as soon as they get
out of service, sir.
Senator Tillis. I guess in some respects, I remember when
we were talking about this that we were concerned that it could
potentially hurt attrition or discourage longer-term service,
but it doesn't look like that's been realized; if anything,
quite the contrary--people are thinking through what they're
going to do with their careers in the Army?
SMA Dailey. I think so. I think it's--I don't think it's
negative. I think that soldiers that come in now understand the
value of investment. It has helped us from a financial literacy
perspective. Some of their responses, and they're very
detailed--I don't want to read them to you because we don't
have that much time--it proves that these soldiers are really
thinking about their financial futures. That's what's
important. Our leaders are talking to our soldiers about
investment. I think that blended retirement in the future will
serve them well.
I think there are issues with where we cut it off for the
senior people in service, at 26 years. I think that's going to
create some challenges for our senior enlisted folks in the
future. I can't predict that, but I think that may be a
challenge for the future that we'll have to deal with.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Sergeant Major, why do you reckon that the marines are
opting in at about 70 percent?
SgtMaj Green. Well, sir, I think, number one, sir, you're
absolutely correct. It's causing a--first, the Commandant
mandated from day one that every marine be educated on it,
online and in person. So once they were educated, we captured
the numbers by marking that in our MAGTF [Marine air-ground
task force] system so that we would know when everyone was
educated. Through that education, which we've never, ever had a
moment in time in my 35 years of serving where we've done that
type of education on financial management for everyone. So it
was very positive. Like Sar-Major Dailey said, people making
life decisions. We're the only service, you know, average 60
percent 25 years or less.
So we encouraged the marines to do that. Through the app
that they could go into or going online, it explained over a
period of time what would happen if you placed that 5 percent
or one percent or whatever it is in there and allowed the
government to match it over a period, you know, when you get to
60 years, exactly what your savings was. So people could really
make decisions about their lives, and families could sit down
and talk about it. It was happening all over the Marine Corps,
and it's still happening, sir, as we go out today and talk to
them. So thank you, sir.
Senator Tillis. Thank you. I know the Navy and the Air
Force are somewhere in between, but I don't necessarily have an
expectation, because the nature of the different missions, that
you would all be at the same level, but I would like a lot of
feedback. I think we have to continue to focus on financial
literacy here in the Senate. Every year, I walk up and down my
post telling everybody if they're not in the TSP [Thrift
Savings Plan] program, they're leaving money on the table, and
that's kind of dumb. You can't necessarily say it that way.
Apparently I can in a Senate office, but----
[Laughter.]
Senator Tillis. But I think we need to do that, because
financial literacy is at the root of it for these younger
people. I'm glad to hear, Sergeant Major, that you feel like
they're becoming more sophisticated. But they need to
understand now that culture of savings for the future.
We'll start with Air Force and Navy about military housing.
Let me make a general comment first. I like what I have heard
from you all, what I've heard from the secretaries and the
Service Chiefs. I think we want to make sure, just from a
messaging standpoint, when we talk about 100 percent
inspection, it's really 100 percent visits and with a family
welcoming an inspection, so that nobody gets the message that
all of the sudden mandatory inspections.
If you happen to be in probably more than half of the--well
over half are acceptable conditions, not the conditions we're
talking about, and you have somebody knock on your door and
say, ``I'm here for inspection,'' if you're knocking on my
wife's door, that's not going to end well. I don't care if
you're a marine, sailor, airman, or soldier.
I think we just need to make sure people understand this is
giving every single military family who is in housing an
opportunity to be heard, and we're going to escalate the
remediation while we fix the systemic problem. I don't think
I'm at odds with anybody when I make that statement. I just
want to be clear so that people understand the words.
Now I want to talk a little bit about--I met with General
Milley yesterday, and I told him when I was down at Fort Bragg,
I have no doubt that if it had been raised to his level, some
of the things that we had reported in the committee a couple of
weeks ago, that he would have been all over it.
Why didn't we know? What's missing now or what's in place
now that's not working that let this reach this point? We'll
just go down the line. Or actually, we'll start with Chiefs
Smith and Wright and then move down the line.
MCPON Smith. Senator, I think that the thing that's
missing, really, is the way sailors and families want to
communicate now is a little bit more heads-down, in an app,
online, in places that maybe traditionally we aren't looking
for those. We're looking for them to call somebody and ask.
We're looking for them to come to a physical town hall meeting,
a place where we're going to have a gathering of folks. That's
not necessarily where they want to go to communicate. Some do,
some don't.
We need to be a little bit more diverse in how we reach out
to folks and be a little bit more intrusive-evasive trying to
pull information, rather than waiting for them to come to us
with it, and also make ourselves available in more spaces and
places, both online and in person, to ensure that we're
actually hearing our sailors.
CMSAF Wright. Senator, I think what was missing is there
was a little bit of cloudiness on accountability in terms of
the privatization partners that we work with and the
installation commanders. I think the Secretary of the Air Force
referred to it as a health and safety review, not necessarily
an inspection.
I think now we've tried to be clear about who's responsible
for what, what responsibilities to the housing management
office that's on the base and exactly who they work for. So I
think now once all of our commanders go and do those reviews,
they'll be certain about what the lines of communication are,
what the lines of accountability and responsibility are.
Most of these things, probably the first entry is through
our first sergeants, the senior NCOs that are responsible for
taking care of people and people issues. In all likelihood,
most of those first sergeants and unit level commanders, they
try to take care of these things without elevating them
certainly all the way to the Chief of Staff, the Secretary, or
one of us. But you know, obviously now with so much attention,
I think it'll certainly be different in that when these things
happen and we're not getting the response back from our
privatization partners, that it'll be elevated up the chain and
taken care of.
Senator Tillis. Yeah, we're going to look at--to me,
anybody that jumps to a conclusion that it was any one entity
that's at fault, then I know that they haven't studied the
issue. We know that the housing providers made a mistake. We
know that there was an inflection point after the basic
allowance for housing was adjusted 5 or 6 years ago. We know
that we have 82 or so different contracts, a couple of dozen
different contractors, no consistent method of engagement, and
measurement. I know that we need to fix it. But I also just
wonder why--I know that we have the--I can't remember the exact
title, but housing liaisons or someone on post, where were
they, and why did they not feel like they were the ones that
were absolutely the advocates to bump it up the chain of
command if their direct commanders did not feel empowered or
were not informed?
I think part of what we have to do is, you know, we're not
talking about complaining over beige versus oyster colored
paint in the bedrooms. We're talking about black mold and leaks
and sewage and other issues that anybody in the chain of
command--and I said this in the meeting and I'll say it here--
anybody in the chain of command that says you're just whining
if you complain about that, that better not show up in your
personnel record because that'll be the last time it comes
through my committee. I think that I speak for all the people
here that that's an expectation. We take care of them in the
same way that we're providing quality health care.
I'm interested in you all going back and trying to create
some models for what was in your lanes. What do you think was--
and this is not a witch hunt. This is a process improvement
modernization effort that I want to play a part in. So I want
you all's specific advice on how we can better connect those
dots and have a safety valve.
Then finally, I just want to echo what Senator Warren said
on childcare. I think we're doing a good job on childcare of
making it available, making it affordable, but I also believe I
may take exception with the difference between families that
we're sometimes deploying the mother and the father and taking
care of kids and putting them in a very dangerous situation. We
may have some private sector issues we need to fix, but this
needs to be a priority. I'm glad that it was, and I'm glad
you're doing it so extraordinarily well, because that, too, is
a part of the total compensation that hopefully when you go out
and you're up against your recruiting challenges, you're well
received. It's just another part of the benefits package.
I've actually gone over 7 minutes, and enjoyed every bit of
it.
[Laughter.]
Senator Tillis. But we're going to have a lot of--we'll
have some questions for the record, but I think that you all
know that I'm particularly interested in hosting you in my
office, having a discussion, having the committee staff there
and other committee members who want to attend, particularly as
it relates to the housing issue.
I will tell you, I'll tell everybody, if you're in North
Carolina and you don't feel like somebody's listening to you,
you open up a case in my office, and I'll guarantee you that
somebody will be listening to you. I want these problems
solved, and I want you all to point at Congress when some of
the root causes are congressional decisions in the past if you
find them. We need to have an open dialogue and not assume that
any one person needs to charge this. We need to all go after
it.
So I appreciate you all being here today, your continued
service, and I look forward to interacting with you outside of
the committee.
This committee is adjourned. Since some members were not
here, we may hold the record open until next week, just for
some questions for the record.
Committee's adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:03 p.m., the Subcommittee adjourned.]
[Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren
flag officer announcements
1. Senator Warren. Vice Admiral Burke, a recent article in U.S.
Naval Institute News reported that the Navy had stopped publicly
announcing its flag officer nominations, stating ``[S]ince October,
Navy leadership made a conscious decision to not share their flag
nominations with the Pentagon's press office or with its own office of
information.'' The report noted that the Air Force and Marine Corps
continue to publicly release the names of all nominees to general
officer. I understand that the Navy's position is that these nominees
are all publicly available on the Senate webpage and so a press release
from the Navy is unnecessary. Regardless, I find this lack of
transparency to be quite troubling and unjustified given that the Navy
previously made such announcements for many years, and that the Marine
Corps continues to do so. Did this proposal originate in your office?
If not, where did it originate?
Vice Admiral Burke. Flag officer nominees continue to be publicly
listed on the Senate website, but Navy no longer issues press releases
for flag nominations, bringing our practice for Flag officers in line
with all other officers. Transparency is important and we acknowledge
this is a change to our past procedures; but the change is one step in
our efforts to find the right balance between transparency and
security. Recent vulnerability assessments reflect that transparency
contributes to greater vulnerabilities in cyberspace. Our adversaries
are working tirelessly to collect intelligence on our personnel in the
online domain and using it to disrupt our operations and gain
competitive advantage by monitoring and exploiting information we post
on social media and various other internet forums. Limiting the public
release of flag officer assignments and nominations is a first step
intended to help flag officers secure their cyber profiles, which may
be exploited by adversaries. We are reviewing other measures that may
be necessary to reduce vulnerabilities for flag officers and other at-
risk cadres within the Navy.
2. Senator Warren. Vice Admiral Burke, did you recommend or concur
with the recommendation to stop issuing press releases of flag officer
nominations?
Vice Admiral Burke. Based upon the vulnerability assessments, I
concurred with the current measures in place to limit announcement of
flag officer nominations and assignments.
3. Senator Warren. Vice Admiral Burke, who approved the decision to
stop issuing press releases of flag officer nominations?
Vice Admiral Burke. The decision to limit announcement of flag
officer nominations was made by the Chief of Naval Operations, on the
advice of other senior Navy leaders.
4. Senator Warren. Vice Admiral Burke, the Navy has issued press
releases with the names of all nominees to flag officer for many years.
The other three services continue to do so today. What is the specific
reason the Navy used to justify this recent change in policy?
Vice Admiral Burke. Recent vulnerability assessments reflect that
transparency contributes to greater vulnerabilities in cyberspace. Our
adversaries are working tirelessly to collect intelligence on our
personnel in the online domain and using it to disrupt our operations
and gain competitive advantage by monitoring and exploiting information
we post on social media and various other internet forums. Limiting the
public release of flag officer assignments and nominations is a first
step intended to help flag officers secure their cyber profiles, which
may be exploited by adversaries. We are reviewing other measures that
may be necessary to reduce vulnerabilities for flag officers and other
at-risk cadres within the Navy.
5. Senator Warren. Vice Admiral Burke, the Navy maintains the
biographies of flag officers on Navy hosted websites. Are there
negative consequences to maintaining a similar website with all flag
officer nominees? If so, what are they?
Vice Admiral Burke. The posting of flag officer biographies on
Navy-hosted websites has been identified as another potential
vulnerability and is currently under review.
APPENDIX A
Prepared Statement by The Military Officers Association of America
(MOAA)
Chairman Tillis and Ranking Member Gillibrand. On behalf of the
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), we are grateful for
this opportunity to express our views and appreciate the subcommittee
hosting this hearing on military personnel policies and military family
readiness.
MOAA does not receive any grants or contracts from the Federal
Government.
executive summary
MOAA holds the following military personnel and family issues as
our top priorities:
Personnel Issues:
Fiscal Year 2020 Military Pay Raise of 3.1 percent:
Ensure the military pay raise is equal to the growth in the Employment
Cost Index as intended by Congress in statute.
Military Housing and BAH: Eliminate health and safety
hazards in government and privatized housing; maintain current housing
allowance rules.
The Military Health System:
Projected cuts to medical billets could have a lasting
impact on medical readiness.
Reducing access to military treatment facilities forces
beneficiaries out into the community, where copayments are
disproportionately increasing.
MOAA seeks Congressional oversight to evaluate and
stabilize TRICARE programs and fees--fee increases should be tied to
the direct cost of care, not to medical readiness or other defense
programs.
Military Families:
Military spouse unemployment and underemployment remain
significantly higher than national averages; we need DOD and Congress
to help solve this problem.
Childcare availability and challenges with military
moves are taking their toll on families. These two issues, left
untended, are likely to impact retention and erode family readiness.
Survivor Benefits:
Survivors forfeit some or all of their annuity to
offset the VA's Dependency Indemnity Compensation. We need help from
Congress to repeal the offset or, in the interim, support an increase
to the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA).
Retirement Issues:
Extend Concurrent Retirement Disability Pay (CRDP)
benefits to both ``Chapter 61'' medically retired personnel and those
with 20 or more years of service and disability ratings less than 50
percent.
Defense Resale:
Total consolidation of the exchange systems and the
commissary may be premature and based on incomplete assessments. MOAA
recommends the Government Accounting Office review the enterprise
management task force's recommendations before any further commitment
to consolidation.
Arlington National Cemetery:
The Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery
(ACANC) recommended the Secretary of the Army limit interment
eligibility using criteria that would make a vast majority of current
retirees ineligible for interment at ANC.
personnel issues
Military Pay Raise of 3.1 Percent
MOAA urges the subcommittee to keep military pay commensurate with
service and aligned with private-sector wage increases. We seek your
support for a military pay raise equal to the growth in the Employment
Cost Index, determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be 3.1
percent for fiscal year 2020. Further, we ask the committee to
incrementally restore full pay-raise comparability by closing the
residual pay-raise-gap, which currently stands at 2.6 percent after pay
raise caps in fiscal years 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Military Housing
MOAA has concerns over proper communication and abatement of health
and safety hazards in military housing, barracks, and facilities. These
concerns are shared by military families, other Military Service
organizations, and Congress. Specific issues include:
Quality and Responsiveness of Maintenance: Concerns of
improper or temporary fixes to maintenance issues, as well as
incomplete work orders being closed out and marked complete. Further
compounding the challenges for the families are the ineffective or
nonexistent responses from maintenance workers when called to address
these health and safety hazards in both old and new homes.
Limited Oversight Authority: DOD and Military Services
purportedly have no control over privatized housing managed by Public-
Private Partnerships due to lease agreement restrictions; this hands-
off approach has led to limited or nonexistent engagement by the DOD
chain of command.
Communication with Health Officials: Communications are
limited or nonexistent between housing officials and military treatment
facilities regarding the health issues brought about by these known
environmental factors. Lacking is the data collection, health
assessments, and documentation to capture the impact on these families
and to support longitudinal studies about longer-term effects.
Tenant Rights: Restrictive or nonexistent tenant rights,
for those in privatized military housing, create barriers to both legal
action and access to appropriate health officials.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses: In many cases, servicemembers and
their families have borne the costs for hazard remediation, for
additional health care, or to move out of unsafe or unhealthy housing.
Insufficient Staffing and Funds for Government Owned
Housing/Barracks: Reports of insufficient manpower to complete work
orders timely and properly, and a lack of funding to take on major
renovations or extensive abatements.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress give DOD the support to renegotiate lease
agreements with public-private partners to allow for more oversight and
accountability, and to ensure tenants have a bill of rights similar to
tenants on the local economy.
Congress charge DOD with providing military families
with information on how to seek legal recourse for housing disputes and
provide training for JAG officers to assess proper action within the
military organizations or through referral services.
Congress appropriate sufficient funds to military
construction to specifically address needed renovations in government-
run military family housing and barracks.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
MOAA strongly believes BAH is an essential component of Regular
Military Compensation (RMC). Decisions to join and stay in the military
are based on several factors, of which compensation and benefits are
notably prominent. Changes to military pay and housing allowances
likely would have a negative long-term effect on both recruitment and
retention.
Further, any changes to RMC should be thoroughly studied and
vetted. To that end, on September 15, 2017, the President charged DOD
to conduct the Thirteenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation
(QRMC), which will assess the adequacy of military compensation to
include basic pay, housing, and subsistence allowances. The premise of
the review is to determine `` . . . whether an alternate compensation
structure, such as a salary system, would enhance readiness and better
enable the Department of Defense to recruit and retain tomorrow's
force. . . ''
The President will submit the QRMC report, along with any
recommendations he wants to make, to Congress for their consideration
regarding the uniformed services statutory salary system. This process
allows Congress to evaluate the changes and potential impact across all
seven uniformed services--each represented on the QRMC.
CBO Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028; Discretionary
Spending--
Option 15
MOAA is concerned the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) included on
its list of options a gradual reduction of BAH down to 80 percent of
the cost of adequate housing relative to the member's pay grade. As
pointed out by the CBO, these decrements also would apply to the BAH
payments made to the Public-Private Partnerships who manage privatized
government housing.
Also noted is the potential to change policies to allow those
housing managers to subsequently charge the servicemember up to the 20
percent difference. It is likely housing managers would seek this
change in policy as most housing projects are experiencing financial
shortfalls with impacts on maintenance and renovations (per GAO-18-218
study, March 2018).
With a heightened focus on privatized government housing after the
Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on February 13, 2019, any
changes to BAH, however gradual, only paint a worse picture for
servicemembers and their families who reside in privatized government
housing.
Military-to-Military Married Couples, and Military-to Military Married
Couples with Dependents
Any potential assertion to reduce BAH for dual military couples is
of concern to MOAA. We believe removing any portion of an individual's
earned compensation due to marital status is a discriminatory practice.
Additionally, the with-dependent rate BAH should not be eliminated from
a military family for the same reasons. The government should not abuse
its own1knowledge of the marital or family status to reduce the
allowance of either of the individual servicemembers who earn their BAH
as part of their Regular Military Compensation.
This concern has increased lately based on the recent military
housing problems already noted and the fiscal challenges within DOD and
Congress who likely could seek funding offsets to help correct the
deficient outcomes of privatized government housing. We should not put
the burden of solving the government's housing problems on the backs of
servicemembers and their families.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress sustain current BAH program rules and
calculations for all servicemembers, regardless of their marital status
or housing-sharing status, and restore BAH rates to match 100 percent
of median housing costs once fiscal conditions permit.
Congress evaluate the QRMC's progress and ultimate
recommendations toward changes in Regular Military Compensation that
may have lasting and negative impacts on both recruiting and retention.
__________
the military health system
We are appreciative and applaud the implementation of a broad range
of TRICARE policy improvements regarding needed attention with
appointment-making systems, hours of operation at military treatment
facilities (MTFs), and enhanced breast cancer screening coverage, among
others. During the past few months, we also have seen some improvement
in managed care contractor performance and beneficiary experience in
both TRICARE regions. We continue our interest and oversight with the
consolidation of the MTFs under the auspices of the Defense Health
Agency (DHA). When this organizational change is complete, we view this
as providing beneficiaries with consistent policies and procedures
between the respective services and military treatment facilities.
Areas of Concern Regarding the Military Health System (MHS) and
TRICARE
Reduction in Military Medical Personnel End-Strength
If the numbers are as large as we have been led to believe
(approximately 17,000 billets), this potentially will exacerbate access
to care for certain specialties and may have considerable effect on
military beneficiaries and overall medical readiness in significant
ways.
Proposed personnel reductions of such magnitude surely will affect
military medical training platforms. It takes years to produce educated
and trained physicians, and there are projections of physician
shortages: A recent study released by the Association of American
Medical Colleges predicts that by 2030, the United States will face a
shortage of between 42,600 and 121,300 physicians. As we have seen with
pilot shortages, a dwindling national pool creates an exceptional
amount of competition for qualified talent. Any level of physician
shortages will translate directly to military medical care and,
subsequently, overall military readiness. We cannot expect to have a
medically ready force without the requisite medical capabilities.
With respect to beneficiaries, cuts of any magnitude will likewise
translate into either decreases in services at MTFs, which we have
already seen, or transfers to community care where the workload would
be challenged by the projected physician shortages already noted.
Getting private-sector medical professionals to take jobs near rural
bases may not be realistic or feasible.
Beneficiaries, including Active Duty families who receive care at
MTFs, may be forced to seek care in the TRICARE networks. Pediatric and
obstetric care--both of which are now available to these
beneficiaries--may vanish from the MTFs altogether. Lab and pharmacy
services, along with radiology, may be greatly reduced. We already are
starting to see TRICARE Prime retirees being re-enrolled from MTFs into
the civilian networks, resulting in them being charged with new, and
higher, copayments and annual enrollment fees.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress request a hearing on DOD's plan to account for
medical readiness in lieu of the significant, projected shortage of
physicians as noted by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Congress closely review proposed cuts to assess the
impact on DOD's responsibility to care for the currently serving, their
families, and retirees.
Centralizing Command and Control
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is preparing to take command and
control of all three of the services' hospitals and clinics. Congress
passed this new MTF oversight plan almost 2 years ago as part of a
sweeping list of military health reforms. The first phase is underway,
with completion expected by 2021. Under these enhanced responsibilities
comes the opportunity for DHA to take an active role in addressing the
needed medical care, documentation, and reporting on the health
concerns associated with mold and toxic exposure in government contract
housing and military installations in general.
Fewer Hospitals
MOAA is concerned there appears to be a coordinated effort to
reduce the size and scope of the MTFs. We asked DOD about it because of
information we received from some of our MOAA members, then verified by
inquiring with the services' medical headquarters. This trimming
exercise is concerning and bears close watching. An MTF provides
medical and health services primarily designed for the Active Duty
servicemember first. However, some MTFs have expanded services to care
for families of Active Duty and retirees, and there is a range of sizes
of MTFs, from small clinics to medical centers with comprehensive
services.
Air Force Shrinking TRICARE Prime Roles
MOAA has learned the Air Force is in the process of reducing its
primary care TRICARE Prime enrollments within each of its MTFs. While
individual MTFs have fluctuated over the years when it comes to the
availability of services, these fluctuations usually were due to
changes in the readiness missions on various bases. The Air Force's
change in enrollment policy is a result of other factors, as the
service has stated. The reduction in beneficiary enrollment to MTF
primary care providers (other than Active Duty) is due primarily to the
national shortage of primary care providers. This shortage, combined
with inconsistent policies of MTF primary care enrollments and other
factors, has resulted in sub-optimal access to health care for
beneficiaries.
Inpatient Services Closing at Other Installations
The other services are experiencing the same challenges noted by
the Air Force. Other recent changes within the military health system
include the closure of inpatient services at the naval hospital in
Pensacola, FL, and the closure of inpatient pediatric services at
Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, NC.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress continue to watch for other reductions in
capability and service as they impact all categories of beneficiary,
but especially those who use TRICARE Prime and TRICARE for Life.
TRICARE Fee Issues
We remain concerned with the results from DOD's Interim Final Rule
(IFR) which was issued in the fall of 2017. With this regulation, the
DHA unilaterally implemented an across-the-board fixed-fee copayment
schedule for TRICARE Select and increased TRICARE Prime fees. We
believe these structural fee changes undermined the intention of the
2017 NDAA law, which prescribed current military members and their
families, as well as retirees, were to be grandfathered from cost-share
increases. Both TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select beneficiaries have
experienced steep increases, in addition to already much higher
pharmacy copayments.
MOAA has heard how these fee increases are impacting beneficiaries
through our survey data. Understandably, all categories of
beneficiaries, regardless of their geographic location, are
disappointed and concerned regarding these changes, and they already
are having a negative and costly impact. Beneficiaries report delaying
and, in some cases, canceling needed care.
The DHA contends the new TRICARE Select fixed-dollar copayments
represent an average of the percent cost shares beneficiaries had
previously paid for TRICARE Standard/Extra visits.
Controverting DHA's claim that current copayments represent
past averages, MOAA submits TRICARE Select copayments are much
higher than (the prior-named) TRICARE Standard/Extra programs.
In particular, copayments for specialty care such as physical
therapy and mental health are now required more frequently
throughout treatment. As a direct result, many beneficiaries
have reported either delaying or going without needed health
care.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress review the actual budget accounting data
relative to these fee increases and the unintended consequences
regarding this marginalization of specialty care.
In conclusion, we continue to assert DHA's program changes reversed
the spirit and intent of the TRICARE fee grandfathering provisions in
the fiscal year 2017 NDAA. DOD health care costs overall may be
increasing, but the actual costs to DOD for both TRICARE for Life and
purchased care have been stable according to DOD's own data from its
annual reports to Congress.
Additionally, we believe TRICARE beneficiary fees should not grow
faster than their military or retirement income. To this end, we
continue to support fee increases based on COLA [Cost of Living
Adjustment], as established in current law.
__________
military families
Military Spouse Unemployment and Underemployment
When military spouses follow their servicemember from one
assignment to the next, their short-term and long-term earnings suffer
. . . notably. Despite recent efforts to improve military spouse
unemployment, it still remains four times higher than the civilian
rate. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 2018 statistics,
major barriers to gaining employment include frequent moves, lack of
childcare, limited availability of flexible work options,
underemployment/few options for meaningful employment in local areas,
and issues with licensure portability.
The compounding of financial challenges (unemployment or lower
earnings and loan debt) specifically related to spouse employment is a
significant factor for military families in the decision a
servicemember faces with regard to serving another tour or making the
military a career. There are opportunities to battle this retention
challenge at the federal level:
Robust military spouse employment support programs to
help gain employment at the level commensurate to their qualifications.
Regular and rigorous data collection on employment
statistics to identify program or policy gaps within DOD, state and
local governments, and the private sector.
Policies to support employment of military spouses in DOD
contracts and activities.
MOAA regularly promotes the DOD's Spouse Education and Career
Opportunities program. These support systems have advanced over the
years to address a more complex environment. The addition of
specialized career counselors, improved web interfaces and employment
portals, and support for entrepreneurs all are welcome advancements
intended to address the real needs heard from military spouses in the
labor market. Recent studies by RAND and GAO have outlined the positive
impact the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) has had on spouse
employment and military retention. However, the program is underused
and restricted to lower ranks and specific degrees.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress expand MyCAA to all ranks and degree levels to
help fill critical-need occupations in the U.S. workforce (e.g.,
nursing, transportation, engineering, IT, and childcare).
Congress and DOD support continued investment in these
programs to better support military spouse employment, particularly in
DOD activities at OCONUS [outside continental United States] locations.
Congress direct comprehensive data collection on
military spouse employment. This survey should assess the career fields
of military spouses and their experience, education, underemployment,
number of transitions, and access to remote or telework, to name a few
critical topics. This data should be made public and used as a tool to
improve federal programs for military spouse employment.
Contractors
We hear from contractors of the difficulty in maintaining
employment positions for military spouses. In some cases, the
contractor would prefer to hire the spouse but is prohibited by the
contract. Terms of contracts may prohibit telework or outline that an
employee must be located in a certain geographic region. Without
allowing for military spouses, the terms of some contracts effectively
terminate the spouse's employment upon a PCS.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress to pass reforms facilitating changes to
defense contracting rules and encouraging military spouse employment.
This should provide needed language for contractors to continue
military spouse employment at a new duty station.
Licensure
License portability remains a challenge at the state level. While
all states have passed some legislation to facilitate portability, some
career fields are necessarily left out of that legislation. Education
and health care are two such career fields, and they are two of the
most common among military spouses. A viable option for portability in
these professional and highly regulated career fields is to create
interstate compacts. A successful example is the Nurse Licensure
Compact, which covers a wide majority of states. However, the cost of
these compacts can slow the process for their creation.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress explore grant opportunities to fund interstate
compacts for career fields that could have the greatest impact on
military spouse employment.
Childcare
At a recent quality of life hearing held by the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs,
and related agencies, senior enlisted leaders from every service
identified childcare affordability and availability as a top concern
impacting quality of life for military families. While these are
pervasive problems nationwide, it is exacerbated for military families
due to frequent moves and deployments. Additionally, according to the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 2018 statistics, one of the top challenges
for military spouse employment is finding affordable childcare.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress legislate improvements to military childcare
systems to include capacity and childcare staff solutions to ensure
adequately trained and compensated staffs.
PCS moves
There has been growing concern over quality and oversight of PCS
moves. Military families move approximately every 2-3 years. Often
these moves happen in ``seasons,'' creating a high demand and
operational tempo for military movers. Last year, TRANSCOM reported
approximately 10 percent of military members experience unnecessary
damages of their household goods (HHGs), improper documentation of
items, and delays in receiving their HHGs. Despite growing concerns and
a recent Change.org petition demanding more accountability of military
movers, a recent RAND report suggested military families already have
sufficient resources for PCS support. While the resources may be in
place, there seems to be inconsistencies between the services being
offered and the support military families actually receive. We support
efforts by TRANSCOM to address these concerns and the creation of an
advisory panel to provide the families a voice in the PCS process.
However, more needs to be done.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress initiate an independent review by the
Government Accountability Office to measure the effectiveness of DOD's
PCS process, current PCS support programs, and current quality control
issues families experience.
__________
survivor benefits
MOAA is very grateful for Congress's continued efforts over the
past decade to end financial penalties for military survivors.
However, one looming inequity remains. MOAA believes strongly
current law is unfair in reducing military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
annuities by the amount of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
payable from the VA. This penalty is commonly referred to as the
``Widows Tax.''
MOAA believes SBP and DIC are paid for different reasons. SBP is an
insurance product purchased by the retiree to provide the survivor 55
percent of SBP-covered retired pay if the retired member dies for any
reason. DIC is a special indemnity compensation paid to the survivor
when Military Service caused the member's premature death. In such
cases, the VA indemnity compensation should be added to the SBP annuity
the retiree paid for, not substituted for it.
Over the years, Congress has helped military survivors by raising
the lump-sum death gratuity for servicemembers who died after 2001,
ending the Widows Tax for survivors who remarry after age 57, and
authorizing in fiscal year 2008 the Special Survivor Indemnity
Allowance (SSIA), a modest rebate to those subjected to the Widows Tax.
Subsequent legislation (P.L. 115-91) made permanent SSIA and indexed
future increases to COLA.
Through the Subcommittee's hard work, the SSIA has eliminated
roughly 25 percent of the SBP-DIC penalty.
The best solution--and MOAA's ultimate goal--is to eliminate the
SBP-DIC offset in its entirety.
We know members of the Subcommittee are sympathetic to this goal.
We also are more than sensitive to the Subcommittee's struggles in
dealing with mandatory spending requirements to address this and a
range of other issues.
MOAA has proposed alternative legislation to increase the SSIA
monthly allowance by approximately $50 per fiscal year from fiscal year
2020 to fiscal year 2029, with the ultimate goal of repealing the SBP-
DIC offset in 2030.
MOAA Recommends:
To the extent broader relief can't be achieved in the
near term, MOAA urges the Subcommittee to identify some level of
offsets that will allow increases of the SSIA to make further progress
in phasing out the SBP-DIC offset.
__________
retirement issues
Concurrent Receipt for Medically Retired Servicemembers
MOAA places a priority on extending Concurrent Retirement
Disability Pay (CRDP) benefits to disabled retirees commonly referred
to as ``Chapter 61'' retirees, named for the title 10 U.S.C. chapter
under which their retirement was approved. These individuals departed
service with fewer than 20 years of service due to illnesses or
injuries beyond their control--some served for more than 19 years. MOAA
supports legislation in both the House of Representatives and the
Senate to address this.
MOAA recommends:
Congress extent Concurrent Retirement and Disability
Payments to disabled retirees not eligible under current statute.
Concurrent Receipt for Retired Servicemembers with Disability Rated
Less Than 50 percent
MOAA supports extending Concurrent Retirement Disability Pay (CRDP)
benefits to retirees with disabilities rated less than 50 percent. With
regard to the omission of this population in earlier legislation, and
as noted in H.R. 303 by Mr. Bilirakis (R-FL), ``Congress acknowledges
the regrettable necessity of creating new thresholds of eligibility
that understandably are disappointing to disabled retirees who fall
short of meeting those new thresholds. Congress is not content with the
status quo.''
MOAA recommends:
Congress extend Concurrent Retirement and Disability
Payments to retirees with disabilities rated less than 50 percent.
__________
defense resale
MOAA thanks Congress for its continued vigilance over commissary
and broader defense resale reforms. MOAA supports reforms to protect
the longevity of the defense resale system and its dividends for
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation; savings for patrons; customer
satisfaction; and product quality.
The recent business case analysis conducted by the enterprise
management task force recommends the consolidation of the four exchange
systems and the commissary. While we are not opposed to consolidation,
we do have concerns--along with The Military Coalition and the military
Services--that the intended outcome of a more efficient system may not
be fulfilled through consolidation. Adding to the concerns are the
magnitude of the efforts, increasing costs to executing an enterprise-
wide change, and timelines that initially seem unreasonable. These
concerns stem from what many of us believe was a narrow study.
MOAA Recommends:
Congress initiate an independent review by the
Government Accountability Office on the potential consolidation and to
further conduct a hearing on the recommendations presented in the
business case analysis.
__________
arlington national cemetery
With the limited capacity for burials remaining at Arlington
National Cemetery, it is important to consider the plans of the
currently eligible veteran population when making decisions about
extending the life of the Cemetery. MOAA espoused this position before
the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the U.S. House Armed Services
Committee on March 8, 2018.
MOAA's position on the future of Arlington National Cemetery is
informed by engagement with our membership via a survey in 2016 to
better understand our members' preferences on the topics of restricting
eligibility and the eventual unavailability of space for new burials.
The survey reflects MOAA's position on how best to handle the
future lack of new burial sites at the Cemetery. Participants
overwhelmingly rejected the idea of restricting military retirees, with
the significant majority preferring expansion options as the initial
course of action. Further, most participants favored continued current
eligibility, at least in the near term, even if that means closing the
Cemetery to future burials once it reaches capacity.
The Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery (ACANC)
submitted recommendations on December 1, 2018 to Secretary of the Army
Mark Esper, who notified Congress of the recommendations February 8,
2019. ACANC proposed interment eligibility be altered to identify
several specific levels of service and sacrifice. In a recent
engagement between the Secretary and several MSOs [Military Service
organizations] and VSOs [veterans service organizations], MOAA
expressed concern that current retirees were not included in the
eligibility restrictions beyond the remaining World War II and Korean
War veterans.
This would mean the majority of the living retiree community,
from the Vietnam era through Post-9/11 service, would be
ineligible for either above-ground inurnment or interment at
Arlington National Cemetery unless qualified otherwise based on
certain military awards.
If burial eligibility restrictions are imposed, MOAA supports a
compromise in which restrictions would only apply to the [veteran]
population born after a determined future date; i.e., January 1, 2021.
This compromise would ensure the current generation of eligible, living
veterans could plan for interment at Arlington while setting standards
and expectations for generations well into the future.
The ACANC recommendations include ``An extensive/expanding network
of distinguished national cemeteries and state veteran cemeteries,''
however, they offer no specific suggestions for such non-contiguous
expansion. MOAA continues to support expanding the Cemetery beyond the
current borders and believes this can be accomplished either through
the creation of Arlington Annexes in each state or through partnering
with various existing honored military cemeteries for honorary
representation of burial at Arlington.
It has taken well over one hundred years for Arlington National
Cemetery to reach its current and hallowed status--other locations
could likewise develop their own degree of prominence given time and a
concerted effort by all.
We understand the Secretary of the Army is willing to consider
alternative options until the revised criteria is submitted to congress
at the end of fiscal year 2019.
MOAA recommends:
Congress not take action restricting eligibility for
the current military retiree population, other than reserving a set
number of plots for specific honorees, such as those killed in action
or those who receive the Medal of Honor.
Congress appropriate funds to undertake acquisition and
development of adjacent land, including funding of the Southern
Expansion project currently underway.
Congress appropriate funds for the study and eventual
acquisition of, or partnering with, other federal cemeteries to become
dedicated Arlington annexes.
Thank you for your considerations.
Prepared Statement by the National Military Family Association
The National Military Family Association (NMFA) is the leading
nonprofit dedicated to serving the families who stand behind the
uniform. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions
of families through its advocacy and programs. We provide spouse
scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families
reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill,
or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, retired,
wounded or fallen members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force,
Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS [United States Public
Health Service] and NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration].
Association volunteers in military communities worldwide provide a
direct link between military families and the Association staff in the
Nation's capital. These volunteers are our ``eyes and ears,'' bringing
shared local concerns to national attention.
The Association does not have or receive federal grants or
contracts.
Our website is: www.MilitaryFamily.org.
executive summary
The United States military is the most capable fighting force in
the world. For almost 2 decades of war, servicemembers and their
families never failed to answer the call, steadfastly sacrificing in
order to protect our nation. They make these sacrifices trusting that
our Government will provide them with the tools to keep them ready.
Continued national fiscal challenges have left military families
confused and concerned about whether the programs and benefits
contributing to their strength, resilience, and readiness will remain
available to support them and be flexible enough to address emerging
needs. The Department of Defense (DOD) must provide the level of
programs and resources necessary to meet this standard. Servicemembers
and their families have kept trust with America through 17 years of war
with multiple deployments and separations. Unfortunately, that trust
continues to be tested.
We ask Congress:
As you evaluate proposals for changes to pay and benefits consider
the cumulative impact on military families' purchasing power and
financial well-being, as well as the effects on the morale and
readiness of the all-volunteer force now and in the future.
Please:
Reject benefit changes and budget proposals that
threaten military family financial well-being as a way to save money
for the Government.
Keep military pay commensurate with service and aligned
with private sector wages.
Provide oversight to ensure recently-enacted military
health reform efforts enhance military families' access to quality
health care and that readiness costs are not passed along to families
as cost shares or premiums.
We ask Congress to make improving and sustaining the programs and
resources necessary to keep military families ready a national
priority.
We also ask Congress to:
Provide oversight to ensure DOD and the individual
services are supporting families of all components by meeting the
standards for deployment support, reintegration, financial readiness,
and family health. Fund appropriately at all levels.
Ensure military families are provided safe, high-
quality housing.
Ensure adequate funding for military childcare
programs, including childcare fee assistance programs. Improve access
to installation-based childcare and increase availability of part-time
and hourly care.
Facilitate easier paths to both licensure and
employment for military spouses and veterans who are in the mental
health field when they work with our servicemembers and their families.
Include military spouses who enter the mental health profession in
federal loan-forgiveness programs.
Preserve the savings military families receive by
shopping at the commissary and oppose any reform measures that would
reduce the value of the benefit.
Require pediatricians in Military Treatment Facilities
(MTFs) to screen patients for food insecurity and provide information
about applying for WIC [Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants and Children].
Require DOD to study where military families with
severe special needs are concentrated and whether DOD Impact Aid for
schools serving military children with special needs is appropriately
allocated.
Ensure appropriate and timely funding of Impact Aid
through the Department of Education (DoEd).
Continue to authorize DOD Impact Aid for schools
educating large numbers of military children and military children with
severe special needs.
Bring the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) benefits
on par with State Medicaid waiver programs and extend ECHO eligibility
for one year following separation.
Correct inequities in Survivor benefits by eliminating
the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor
Benefit Plan (SBP).
After 17 years of war, we continue to see the impact of repeated
deployments and separations on our servicemembers and their families.
We appreciate Congress' recognition of the service and sacrifice of
these families. Your response through legislation to the ever-changing
need for support has resulted in programs and policies that have helped
sustain our families through these difficult times.
pay and compensation
We appreciate Congress making the pay raise at Employment Cost
Index (ECI) a priority in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense
Authorization Act (FY19 NDAA). Congress chose the Employment Cost Index
(ECI) as the standard for Active Duty pay raises in order to recruit
and retain the quality of servicemembers needed to sustain the all-
volunteer force and we thank you for meeting that standard this year.
Although the last 3 years have seen military pay raises at the ECI,
reductions to servicemember housing allowances, increased health care
costs, and the new requirement under the Blended Retirement System for
new servicemembers to contribute to their retirement savings lower
servicemember take-home pay. We ask you to consider the cumulative
effects of these policies on military families' financial well-being
and reject any proposals that ask families to shoulder a greater
financial burden.
We believe that Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is an essential
component of military compensation. We oppose any changes that threaten
to reduce military families' pay.
We ask Congress to keep military pay commensurate with service and
aligned with private sector wage increases.
We ask Congress to reject budget proposals or benefit changes that
threaten military family financial well-being as a way to achieve
savings for DOD.
military health system
One year into Military Health System (MHS) reform, results are
decidedly skewed toward Department of Defense (DOD) cost savings versus
MHS improvements for military families. Families are paying
significantly more out-of-pocket due to increased copays generating
approximately $166 million, in one year, in savings to DOD. They are
also seeking less care as evidenced by DOD savings from lower than
expected health care utilization. DOD is reprogramming these savings to
pay for readiness--in fact, some of the money has been used for night
vision goggles. Military families want their servicemembers to be fully
trained and equipped for their missions, but we believe it is wrong to
diminish the value of the health care benefit to cover readiness costs.
Servicemembers and their families already make extraordinary
sacrifices. Should they also have to pay for their own night vision
goggles with higher health care fees?
What have families experienced during MHS reform year one? Military
families are grateful for referral free civilian urgent care as they
now have access to care when their military treatment facilities (MTFs)
are full or closed. However, families have seen few other improvements
across the system. In fact, TRICARE contractor transition problems
plagued families throughout the entire year with customer service
challenges and rampant claims processing problems. Within the direct
care system, there were few noticeable improvements to administrative
hurdles or the patient experience. Although we recognize the primary
objective of MHS reform was cost savings, we had hoped the higher out-
of-pocket costs would be used for improvements across the system to
address military family complaints. Instead, families are paying
considerably more for the same broken system.
To help balance military families' higher out-of-pocket costs with
improvements to their health care system, we ask Congress and DOD to:
Modify the TRICARE Annual Open Enrollment/Qualifying Life
Events policy to prevent military families from becoming trapped in
MTFs that don't meet their needs
Reduce copays for mental health visits and physical,
speech and occupational therapies
Fix TRICARE coverage gaps for emerging technologies and
evolving treatment protocols including diagnostic genetic testing and
chiropractic care
Allow valid TRICARE Prime specialty care referrals to
transfer to the new duty station during a Permanent Change of Station
(PCS)
Implement the Defense Health Board's recommendation to
broaden TRICARE's definition of pediatric medical necessity
Continue to monitor and provide oversight on T17 contract
implementation
Ensure military family perspectives are considered as MTF
management is transitioned to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and
direct care system right-sizing is implemented
Monitor and provide oversight on the TRICARE Dental Plan
(TDP) to Federal Employees Dental & Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)
transition
Require DOD to develop and publish performance metrics to
evaluate Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) assignment
coordination effectiveness
Align TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) respite
coverage with Medicaid waiver programs
Require a report providing transparency to the Services'
process of accessing military dependent medical records for adult
military kids who enter Military Service themselves
tricare program
TRICARE Annual Open Enrollment Period/Qualifying Life Events
We remain concerned about the annual open enrollment period's
potential to trap TRICARE Prime families in MTFs that don't meet their
needs and request that ``dissatisfaction with MTF access or quality of
care'' be added to the list of Qualifying Life Events (QLEs).
We realize the annual open enrollment period is a feature of
civilian plans and generally have no issues with this new requirement.
However, TRICARE Prime's reliance on military hospitals and clinics
creates a situation unique to the military and demands a policy
tailored to military family needs for the following reasons:
For commercial health plans, the annual enrollment period
locks in beneficiaries to coverage levels, not a single medical
facility. While an annual enrollment period is not unreasonable,
preventing military families from leaving their MTF if they experience
problems with appointment access or quality of care is unreasonable.
Given the variability in access, quality of care, and the
patient experience across the direct system, many military families
cannot make an informed choice about their TRICARE plan during the Open
Enrollment Period or following a QLE, such as a PCS move. A family may
have no problems getting appointments at one MTF but find it very
difficult to get appointments at their new duty station's MTF. MTF
access to care can also vary over time as providers come and go, making
an informed decision nearly impossible.
As direct care system right-sizing progresses, it will be
even more difficult for families to make informed choices about their
TRICARE plan. The Womack pediatric inpatient unit and Langley maternity
ward closures dramatically changed care options for families assigned
to these MTFs. These changes were not communicated during open season,
so families were unable to choose their TRICARE plan with this
information in mind.
Allowing families to switch enrollment from Prime to
Select provides an important aspect of MTF accountability. Analyzing
enrollment changes from Prime to Select will afford the MHS an
opportunity to understand why families leave. It should also allow the
MHS to identify problematic MTFs and target solutions to local access
and quality of care problems.
The fiscal year 2017 NDAA gives DOD discretion in defining QLEs. We
believe one potential solution is to include ``dissatisfaction with MTF
access or quality of care'' as a qualifying life event. We are open to
other ideas and stand by to assist in developing a solution that
prevents military families from becoming trapped in underperforming
MTFs.
Increased TRICARE Copays
Premium-free health care is an important component of
servicemembers' compensation and benefits package. It is an
extraordinary benefit commensurate with the extraordinary risks and
sacrifices associated with Military Service. It also ensures all
military families have access to health care, a critical driver of
military family readiness. However, we know decisions about seeking
care are often driven by out-of-pocket costs at point of service. In
fact, value-based insurance design is built on the principle of
reducing cost-related non-adherence. Given the important role copays
play in patient decision-making, we are disappointed and alarmed at the
careless approach used in establishing copays during TRICARE reform
efforts.
The new TRICARE copay construct categorizes mental health
outpatient visits, as well as physical, speech and occupational
therapies, as specialty care. This results in copays that are
excessively high for relatively low-cost visits. We urge DOD and/or
Congress to establish more reasonable copays for mental health visits
and physical, speech and occupational therapies to bring them in line
with high quality commercial plans and reduce the cost barrier to
seeking care.
TRICARE's new mental health copays are not only a
significant increase compared to 2017, they are also higher than out-
of-pocket costs for mental health care under Federal Employees Health
Benefits (FEHB) program national preferred provider option (PPO) plans.
This means military families struggling with the impact of 17 years of
war are paying more for their mental health care visits than federal
employees.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mental Health Visit
Health Care Plan Copay
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRICARE Select ADFMs--Group A................. $31
TRICARE Select ADFMs--Group B................. $25
TRICARE Select Retirees--Group A.............. $41
TRICARE Select Retirees--Group B.............. $41
TRICARE Prime Retirees--Group A............... $30
TRICARE Prime Retirees--Group B............... $30
BCBS Service Benefit Plan--Standard........... $25
GEHA Benefit Plan--High*...................... $20
GEHA Benefit Plan--Standard*.................. $15
NALC--High Option*............................ $20
MHBP--Standard*
Adult....................................... $20
Child under 21.............................. $10
SAMBA--High*.................................. $25
APWU--High*................................... $25
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*These plans have no deductible for network mental health outpatient
visits
For many years, DOD has acknowledged the importance of
seeking mental health care. Numerous studies have shown that military
kids are at higher risk for emotional and behavioral problems and that
risk increases as cumulative months of deployment increase.
Unfortunately for families, mental health struggles do not disappear
after the servicemember separates or retires from the military. We are
appalled by TRICARE copays that discourage military families from
accessing mental health care.
``They (my children) need therapy to deal with living with the
effects of war. But one thing that happened recently though was
we had to cut our son's therapy in half because TRICARE doubled
our copay. So he's not getting the amount of mental health care
and our daughter can't get anything beyond what she's just
getting at the TBI clinic because we just can't pay forit.''
--Jacqueline, spouse of medically retired soldier/caregiver
We are concerned about how the dramatically higher copays
for physical, speech and occupational therapy will impact patient
adherence to treatment plans. DOD acknowledges Defense Health Program
spending was significantly lower than expected in fiscal year 2018 due,
in part, to a drop in utilization. What happens to long term costs when
untreated conditions progress and eventually require more expensive
treatments such as surgery?
``We had to tell the therapists that we would be diligent about
our at-home therapy but that I would not be coming in for the
recommended visits due to copays.''
--Karen, Military Spouse
Families are now paying a significant percentage of these
relatively low-cost visits out-of-pocket reducing the value of TRICARE
benefit.
``My 5 year old son receives weekly speech therapy sessions. My
copay is $31 per session and the TRICARE allowable charge is
$49 which means I am paying over half of my son's therapy
costs.''
--Jennifer, Army Spouse
We understand the value of the TRICARE benefit grew dramatically as
health care costs rose and TRICARE out-of-pocket costs remained flat.
Servicemembers and their families also understand this. Congress and
DOD had the chance to modestly and predictably increase fees since
TRICARE's inception. Understandably, it was politically unpalatable to
increase military family health care costs while sending hundreds of
thousands of servicemembers to war. After several years of combat
deployments, with no end in sight, servicemembers and their families
made and continue to make incredibly difficult ``stay in'' or ``get
out'' decisions. For many, a big part of that decision was the
financial protection provided by military pay and benefits, including
TRICARE.
``One of the main reasons my husband decided to continue on
Active Duty was health care. Our oldest son has food allergies,
he has severe asthma, and it was one of the reasons he decided
to stay in the military at the 10 year point, you know that's a
big decision point. We had just found out about the severe food
allergies and the asthma and I was pregnant with our second
child and we had also just found out that my oldest has severe
myopia as well and I was pregnant with my second and my thought
was what if he has it too? What do we do?''
--Megan, Army Spouse/Caregiver
Two years after deciding to remain in the Army at the 10 year
mark, largely due to the TRICARE benefit, Megan's husband
deployed to Afghanistan and was shot by an Afghan National Army
officer he was training. He lost his right leg above the knee
due to vascular damage but eventually returned to Active Duty
and is now within 2 years of retirement.
Working-age retiree health benefits remain under scrutiny. As
Congress continues discussions about appropriate out-of-pocket costs
for military retirees, we urge you to ask the Services for deployment
data for those Active Duty members who have served 15+ years, and those
who have retired within the past several years. As former Secretary of
Defense Mattis pointed out, deployments have not been evenly
distributed across the force, \1\ but our lived experience suggests
there are a substantial percentage of career servicemembers who served
multiple combat tours.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/02/
17/mattis-deploy-or-get-out-rule-is-about-fairness/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deployment data will only begin to capture the wide variety of
sacrifices our servicemembers and military families made over the last
2 decades--the Navy officer who missed six Christmases with his young
children due to deployments, the Army family who experienced an
unaccompanied Korea tour immediately followed by a one year combat
deployment to Iraq , the soldiers on their way home from Iraq who were
turned around and sent back to the combat zone when Army deployments
were lengthened to 15 months, the LTC who was called to take over a
command and deploy immediately when a Battalion Commander in Iraq was
critically wounded by an IED [improvised explosive device]. Since
September 11, 2001, our Nation has placed unprecedented demands on the
all-volunteer force and career servicemembers endured despite the risks
and sacrifices. Is a cut to their health care benefit the appropriate
way to respond to a group that remained steadfast through the last 17
years of war?
Lack of TRICARE Coverage for Emerging Technologies and Treatment
Protocols
Health care is in a period of rapid change and innovation. Since
TRICARE coverage policies are governed by statute, they are often
difficult to update to cover new medical technologies or treatment
protocols. We appreciate Congress gave DOD the authority to cover
emerging technologies in the fiscal year 2015 NDAA. However, DOD seems
reluctant to exert that authority. Many military families are now
paying more out-of-pocket for their health care, yet TRICARE coverage
policies have not kept up with medical innovations. We urge Congress
and DOD to fix TRICARE coverage gaps for emerging technologies and
evolving treatment protocols.
Diagnostic genetic testing is a prime example of TRICARE's failure
to keep pace with medical advancements. While the TRICARE demonstration
project slowly evaluates individual genetic tests, covering only a
small fraction of tests approved under commercial plans and Medicaid,
children's hospitals have moved on to doing genetic panels (e.g.,
seizure panel, connective tissue panel) and whole exome sequencing to
produce higher yields of diagnoses for children with unexplained
physical anomalies or other symptoms of a genetic condition. Why is a
diagnosis important for families? Diagnostic certainty can impact
medical management of a patient's condition. It can help families
develop realistic expectations and plan for the future. A diagnosis is
also required for families to obtain resources, such as Medicaid, to
assist with managing their child's condition. Taking years to review
and evaluate diagnostic genetic tests that have widespread acceptance,
use, and reimbursement in the medical community and commercial
insurance plans is unacceptable.
Chiropractic care is another TRICARE coverage gap example. The
growing opioid epidemic illustrates the risks of relying on
pharmaceutical treatment for pain management. As patients and providers
seek alternatives to treat chronic pain, we are concerned military
families lack access to chiropractic care. Effective January 2015, the
Joint Commission included chiropractic services to its standard of care
for pain management, yet TRICARE does not cover chiropractic. All
national preferred provider plans within the FEHB program provide
coverage for chiropractic care. Medicare also covers chiropractic
services. While we appreciate that servicemembers have access to
chiropractic care in some military treatment facilities, we are
concerned family members, retirees and their families and survivors
face a barrier to accessing chiropractic care given TRICARE's lack of
coverage.
Barriers to Transferring TRICARE Prime Specialty Care During PCS
Military families recognize they must sacrifice continuity of
medical care as a result of the highly mobile military lifestyle.
Unfortunately, TRICARE policy hinders rather than facilitates the
transition of care during permanent change of station (PCS) moves.
Established specialty care requires a new referral at each new duty
station--even for chronic conditions (e.g., Type 1 Diabetes) where on-
going specialty care is undoubtedly required. To re-establish their
specialty care, newly relocated military families must first have an
appointment with a new Primary Care Manager (PCM) and get a new
referral processed resulting in delays and disruptions in care. We ask
Congress for legislation that requires TRICARE to allow valid specialty
care referrals to transfer to the new duty station during a Permanent
Change of Station (PCS.)
My daughter has an extremely rare syndrome that has several
rare diseases that fall under it. PCSing is always a troubling
time in our family, even if we move to an area with every
specialist she needs, because we are put into a situation where
we can't have her medical specialists set up at our incoming
location for IMMEDIATE care. We wait to be enrolled in our new
region, we wait for an appointment to see our new PCM, and then
we wait for her PCM to refer us to, more often than not,
outside civilian specialists. Most of the time there's at least
a 3 to 6 month wait for the specialists to see new patients,
and that's on top of the weeks that have already passed waiting
to get in to see the new PCM and waiting for your referrals.
Two of our last three PCSs, we ended up in the emergency room
with life threatening complications/illness and no specialists
who were familiar with her history and her diseases.
In section 701 of the fiscal year 2017 NDAA, Congress eliminated
the specialty care preauthorization requirement for outpatient care. We
welcome this attempt to streamline access to specialty care, but it is
only a partial solution. Allowing a valid referral to transfer to the
new duty station would greatly help military families with the timely
transition of specialty care. It would also eliminate unnecessary
appointments to obtain new referrals and reduce the health care
disruptions inherent in PCS moves.
Pediatric Definition of Medical Necessity
TRICARE's reliance on Medicare reimbursement methodologies, a
program designed for seniors, means TRICARE policy is sometimes a poor
fit for pediatric care. Fortunately, most military children are healthy
and won't encounter major TRICARE reimbursement issues due to their
minimal use of the program. For those families with special needs
children, however, TRICARE policy can mean administrative or financial
burdens on top of their child's health care needs and the demands of
Military Service. Due to their small numbers and the wide variety of
TRICARE policy problems they encounter, we will seldom see a large
public outcry from these families to fix a single issue. We need a
mechanism to address the wide variety and evolving nature of the gaps
between Medicare policy and pediatric care needs. Every year we hear
about new instances where TRICARE failed to meet the needs of military
kids. For example:
``I wanted to let you know about a military family I recently
met who had a problem with medical care overseas. Their 4-year
old daughter contracted a virus and was an inpatient at a
civilian hospital in Germany for several weeks before she
passed away. While she was hospitalized her mom slept in the
hospital room with her, not realizing that German hospitals--
unlike U.S. hospitals--charge a ``rooming in'' fee. I believe
the fee was 75 euros per night so the total expense was quite
large. The servicemember's unit took up a collection to pay the
bill. U.S. hospitals encourage parents to sleep in the hospital
room with their child. Shouldn't TRICARE cover something like
this?''
--Jenna, Navy Spouse
International SOS, the TRICARE Overseas contractor, published a
reminder on this issue in their provider newsletter with the following
recommended action for overseas providers.
Institutional providers should make parents aware, if they wish
to stay overnight to accompany their child, TRICARE will not
cover the charges and the parent will be issued an invoice to
pay the hospital for associated lodging costs, before the child
is discharged.
--International SOS Provider Newsletter, March 2018
This does not really address the issue for parents and could, in
fact, increase distress or present parents with a terrible choice to
either leave their child alone at night or face significant charges.
Another example:
``My child recently had a VCUG, a test that is very difficult
for the child because it involves a catheter and voiding on the
exam table to assess bladder/kidney function. Her physician
recommended partial sedation during the test, but TRICARE did
not cover it. Why would TRICARE not cover something my
daughter's doctor recommended? She may need to have this test
done again in the future, so we didn't want her to have a
traumatic experience during it.''
--Karen, Army Spouse
The voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) is used to diagnose a number of
bladder conditions. It is a procedure performed mainly on infants and
young children. An NIH article \2\ reported that most unsedated
children experience an unacceptable level of distress (serious or
severe distress or panic) during the VCUG that could be avoided with
sedation. Just because Medicare does not have a reimbursement policy
for sedation during this procedure (and many other pediatric
procedures) does not mean sedation is not the right course of action
for pediatric patients.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2443423/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We believe a pediatric definition of medical necessity is the best
way to address TRICARE'S wide variety and evolving pediatric coverage
gaps. After our Association, together with the TRICARE for Kids
Coalition, repeatedly raised this issue at Military Family Readiness
Council meetings, senior DOD leadership requested the Defense Health
Board (DHB) to examine opportunities to improve the overall provision
of health care and related services for children of members of the
Armed Forces. The July 2016 report request specifically directed the
DHB to:
Address any issues associated with the TRICARE definition of
``medical necessity'' as it might specifically pertain to
children and determine if the requirement for TRICARE to comply
with Medicare standards disadvantages children from receiving
needed health care.
The DHB Pediatric Health Care Services Report \3\ was released
December 18, 2017. The report documented TRICARE is out of step with
commercial plans and Medicaid and concluded TRICARE's current
definition of medical necessity disadvantages children from receiving
some needed services. The DHB recommended the MHS:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Defense Health Board Pediatric Health Care Services Report--
December 18, 2017 https://health.mil/About-MHS/Defense-Health-Agency/
Special-Staff/Defense-Health-Board/Reports
Modify the administrative interpretation of the regulatory
language in 32 Code of Federal Regulations 199.2 to broaden the
use of the ``hierarchy of reliable evidence'' for the benefit
of pediatric beneficiaries. Exclusions to the hierarchy
described under ``reliable evidence'' in 32 Code of Federal
Regulations 199.2 should not preclude pediatric services (a)
meeting definitions of medical necessity used broadly in
civilian practice or (b) recommended by recognized medical
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
organizations.
Unfortunately, the DOD's December 2018 Report to Armed Services
Committees, The Plan to Improve Pediatric Care and Related Services for
Children of Members of the Armed Forces \4\, announced DOD is not
planning to develop a uniform definition of pediatric medical necessity
and presented no alternative plan to address pediatric care coverage
gaps. We ask Congress to urge DOD to implement the Defense Health
Board's recommendation to broaden TRICARE's definition of pediatric
medical necessity. Fixing TRICARE's reimbursement problems related to
pediatric care is an essential part of the TRICARE reform effort.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Congressional-Testimonies/
2018/12/26/Report-on-Plan-to-Improve-Pediatric-Care-and-Related-
Services-for-Children-of-Armed-Forces
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
T17 Contract Transition Issues
Throughout 2018, military families were plagued by TRICARE
contractor transition issues. The problems have been well documented
with contractors themselves regularly reporting on performance
shortfalls. We appreciate the steps Congress and committee staff took
to hold DHA and the managed care support contractors accountable. For
families, inaccurate claims processing--particularly in the East
Region--has been a problem throughout the year, but this issue is not
captured in contract performance metrics. While Humana has been very
responsive in addressing individual claims errors we've brought to
their attention, it seems they were slow to address systemic issues.
Customer service has also been ineffective in helping families resolve
obvious problems with claims. There seems to be no process to escalate
claims errors to someone at the contractor who can help resolve them.
As an example, one family made twelve calls to Humana before
contacting us. When this photo was taken, the Patient Responsibility
had doubled versus the amount the provider billed. The family was
eventually reimbursed after working with our contact at Humana. After
twelve calls with no results, what would this family have done if they
had not known about our Association? We appreciate the efforts you have
made on the T17 transition and ask for continued oversight of contract
implementation.
direct care system/military hospitals and clinics
During the MHS reform process, our Association detailed challenges
military families face within the Direct Care system, including MTF
appointment shortages and scheduling hurdles, variable quality and
safety across the Direct Care system, and policies and patient
experiences that vary greatly across MTFs. As reform efforts continue,
we hope DHA and the Services maintain a focus on addressing these
challenges.
We appreciate and strongly support the fiscal year 2017 NDAA
provision that requires DHA to assume responsibility for the
administration of all MTFs. Currently, DHA sets policy but MTFs have no
accountability to the Agency for implementation of that policy.
Consolidating MTF administration under DHA should allow the Agency to
enforce policy and ensure more consistent communication.
While we also support MHS reform intended to right-size the Direct
Care system, retaining only beneficiary care that directly contributes
to the readiness mission, we urge DHA to ensure access for
beneficiaries who must transition care to the private sector as a
result. If right-sizing includes specialty care consolidation into a
handful of military medical centers of excellence, we trust military
family preferences will be considered when determining where families
will obtain specialty care.
tricare dental program for active duty family members transition to
fedvip
We appreciate Congress and committee staff listened to our concerns
about the reduced quality and value of the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP)
following the transition to United Concordia in May 2017. Thank you for
expanding Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program
(FEDVIP) eligibility to Active Duty family members, while maintaining
DOD's premium contribution, in the fiscal year 2019 NDAA. We believe
FEDVIP will provide military families with a variety of coverage levels
to meet their needs and allow them to choose a plan with sufficient
network providers in their geographic area.
We have been working closely with DHA, the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) and the contractors during the TRICARE Retiree Dental
Program transition to FEDVIP. We have reviewed lessons learned from
that process and stand by to assist with the more complicated
transition from TDP to FEDVIP. We request Congress monitor and provide
oversight on the TDP to FEDVIP transition.
special needs military families
Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Assignment Coordination
Military families complain that EFMP assignment coordination is not
thorough. Some say they are sent to areas with insufficient medical
assets to meet their needs. In other cases, providers exist but long
waitlists preclude access. At the moment, this seems to be a particular
problem for families with children on the autism spectrum at Joint Base
Lewis-McChord (JBLM.) Many families being sent to JBLM report long wait
lists for therapies even with the opening of the Center for Autism
Resources, Education and Services (JBLM CARES.) We ask Congress to
require DOD to develop and publish performance metrics to evaluate
assignment coordination effectiveness.
A May 2018 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report DOD Should
Improve Its Oversight of the Exceptional Family Member Program \5\,
indicates each service uses various mechanisms to monitor how
servicemembers are assigned to installations, but the report contains
no details on how the individual services are monitoring assignment
coordination effectiveness. We agree with GAO's recommendation that the
Office of Special Needs (OSN) develop performance metrics for
assignment coordination, specifically:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-348
OSN should develop common assignment coordination
performance metrics across the Services. Metrics should include
measures of military family satisfaction with the assignment
coordination process focused on the ability to obtain necessary medical
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
care at the gaining installation.
Metrics should track compassionate reassignments/off
schedule PCS moves due to inadequate medical resources at the gaining
installation for EFMP families that were approved for that location.
Compassionate reassignments of this nature indicate system failure and
should be monitored to identify and address process breakdowns.
Metrics should be reported at the installation level to
provide actionable information.
TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)
We appreciate DOD's August 2018 proposed rule \6\ eliminating the
concurrent ECHO benefit requirement. This would allow beneficiaries
enrolled in ECHO to receive respite care regardless of whether another
ECHO benefit is received in the same month. We are grateful the
proposed rule eliminates this barrier to ECHO respite services. While
eliminating the concurrent ECHO benefit requirement is a step in the
right direction, we ask Congress to expand ECHO respite care hours to
align more closely with state Medicaid waiver programs to ensure
special needs military families receive adequate support.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/08/17/2018-
17463/tricare-extended-care-health-option-echo-respite-care
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medicaid waiver programs provide long-term care services in home-
and community-based settings to those who would otherwise require care
in an institutional environment. Many states have lengthy waitlists for
their Medicaid waiver programs leaving military families unable to
access services when they PCS from one state to another before reaching
the top of the waitlist.
``I have two special needs children and have never been able to
access Medicaid services till our recent assignment. When we
move out of state this summer, we will again lose services. In
9 years, we have received only 9 months of Medicaid waiver
services due to frequent military moves. The process takes so
long each time we PCS. It is really discouraging.''
--Peggy, Navy Spouse
Congress established TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)
as a substitute for state Medicaid waiver services that are often
unavailable to mobile military families. Medicaid waiver program
services should serve as the benchmark for ECHO covered services.
However, ECHO currently falls short, relative to Medicaid waiver
services, particularly in terms of respite care.
The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission
(MCRMC) validated this issue in their 2015 report \7\ and recommended
ECHO covered services be increased to more closely align with state
Medicaid waiver programs. The MCRMC's state-by-state Medicaid waiver
analysis showed the average state Medicaid waiver provides 695 respite
hours per year while ECHO provides only 192 respite hours annually.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS00/20150204/102859/HHRG-
114-AS00-20150204-SD001.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While the proposed rule eliminating the concurrent ECHO benefit
requirement is a helpful first step, we believe it is important for DOD
to further address ECHO deficiencies by increasing the total number of
respite hours available to families. The current level of 16 hours per
month disadvantages military families relative to state Medicaid waiver
recipients. The low number of ECHO authorized respite hours also
presents a barrier to receiving any respite care, since many families
report difficulties finding a respite provider willing to work with
them given the low number of hours involved. Managed care support
contractors verify that many home health agencies don't want to play in
intermittent, low hours care.
military dependent medical records
In 2018, the Military Times published two articles \8\ about the
Services accessing military dependent medical records of children who
subsequently joined the military themselves. These articles have raised
concerns among military families about the impact of mental health
notations in their children's records. For years, DOD has encouraged
military families to seek behavioral health care to help deal with the
strains of military life compounded by 17 years of combat operations.
DOD messaging rightly promoted behavioral health care as a sign of
strength and a way of building resilience. The policy of accessing
dependent medical records sends exactly the opposite message.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ https://www.airforcetimes.com/pay-benefits/military-benefits/
health-care-benefits/2018/03/29/they-sought-help-when-their-army-dad-
deployed-now-theyre-barred-from-joining-the-military/; https://
www.armytimes.com/pay-benefits/military-benefits/health-care-benefits/
2018/04/05/sailors-bounced-from-recruit-training-thanks-to-dependent-
medical-records-parents-say/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Association has many concerns about this issue including the
overall impact on stigma. We believe the first step in addressing these
concerns is a better understanding of the policy and process for
accessing minor medical records of former military dependents. We ask
Congress to require a DOD report providing transparency to the process
of accessing military dependent medical records by requesting the
Services answer the following questions:
What is the scope of the issue?
- How many military dependents' medical records have been
accessed?
- How many military kids have been denied enlistment or
involuntarily separated due to information in their dependent medical
records?
- Under what circumstances do the Services access MHS dependent
medical records? Is this a random sample or prompted by something
specific?
- Which military entrants are subject to having their dependent
medical records evaluated? Enlistees? Service academy cadets and
midshipmen? Reserve Officers' Training Corps students? Those entering
via other commissioning sources?
What guidelines are the Services using when evaluating
information in dependent medical records? How is dependent medical
information used in ``fit for duty'' determinations? What other
information (medical or otherwise) is used in conjunction with
dependent medical records in ``fit for duty'' determinations?
Who is charged with evaluating information in dependent
medical records? What are their qualifications? What guidance do they
receive before conducting such evaluations?
What oversight is provided to ensure dependent medical
record information is interpreted and used appropriately?
What is the appeal process for those who are recommended
for involuntary separation based on information in their dependent
medical record?
What is the policy for examining minor medical records of
entrants who are not former military dependents?
defense resale
Our Association has long viewed the commissary as an essential
element of military compensation. Families agreed, telling us often
over the years that the commissary--and the savings families realize
when shopping there--is one of their most valued benefits. However, in
any discussion of defense resale, there is no ignoring the elephant in
the room: commissary sales have been declining for years, and the trend
shows no sign of reversing.
To be fair, much of the sales decline is most likely due to factors
outside the Defense Commissary Agency's (DeCA's) control. Both the
retail landscape and the military lifestyle have changed dramatically
in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for the commissary to
compete. The market is dominated by big box, low cost stores such as
Costco and Wal-Mart, while Amazon offers convenience to shoppers who
prefer to order their groceries online. At the same time, more military
families are choosing to live off base, meaning the commissary is no
longer the most convenient place to shop.
It's also true that DeCA does not have all the tools that a typical
retailer can use to increase revenue. There's little it can do, for
example, to expand its customer base--although the extension of
commissary privileges to Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipients as
well as veterans with service-connected disabilities is a welcome step
in that direction. It has limited ability to advertise and can't close
under-performing locations. Those steps that DeCA has taken to increase
efficiency and appeal to customers, such as introducing private label
products, have not yet led to increased sales.
However, although fewer military families seem to be taking
advantage of their commissary benefit, it remains vital to many,
especially those stationed overseas or in remote locations, as well as
families who are struggling financially. We are grateful Congress has
shown a commitment to preserving the benefit, including mandating in
law that DeCA meet savings targets. We request Congress to continue
close oversight as the commissary continues implementing new business
practices.
Like the commissary, the Service Exchanges play a vital role in the
military community, providing essential services and helping fund
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs. That funding is
especially important as the Services face increased pressure to
redirect MWR funds toward readiness.
Recently, DOD conducted a business case analysis to study whether
and how to consolidate the commissary and Exchanges. The analysis
concluded that significant efficiencies could be realized through
consolidation and recommended moving forward. We have serious concerns
about this proposal. While we recognize the need for efficiency and
acknowledge that combining some functions could reduce operating costs,
it's also true that there are costs associated with consolidation.
Where will that money come from? The cost of consolidation must not
come at the expense of MWR funding, commissary savings, or services
offered by the Exchanges. Any proposal to change the defense resale
system must ensure the programs, services and savings military families
rely on are preserved.
The defense resale system is complex and merging its disparate
elements will be difficult and present some risk. We urge caution
before embarking on wholesale change to a system relied upon by
servicemembers and their families. At a minimum, Congress should ensure
the voices of all stakeholders are heard--leadership of DeCA and the
Exchanges, industry partners, and--most importantly--patrons. We also
recommend an independent GAO review of the recommendations in the
business case analysis.
what do today's military families need to ensure readiness?
It has often been said while the military recruits a servicemember,
it must retain a family. Our Association has long argued in order to
build and maintain the quality force our Nation demands, the military
must support servicemembers as they balance the competing demands of
Military Service and family life. We urge Congress to strengthen the
programs and services available to support all troops and families in
diminishing uncertainty and meeting the daily challenges of military
life.
We thank Congress for providing military families with greater
flexibility in timing their relocation either before or after a
servicemember's permanent change of station (PCS) report date in the
fiscal year 2018 NDAA. We are anxious to see how the Services implement
this new policy and will monitor whether it minimizes the upheaval
associated with moving.
Yet, budget issues have increased stress and anxiety for families
facing a military-ordered move. The military must evolve to meet the
needs of today's military families, but it needs a predictable budget
and appropriation to do so.
privatized military housing
In recent weeks we've heard from thousands of military families who
have endured deplorable conditions within privatized military housing.
We are encouraged, and thankful Congress has taken the first steps to
address the situation. We urge Congress and the Services to move
forward with improved oversight and management of the contractors and
housing officials responsible for these conditions which have, and
continue to, affect the health, safety and well-being of servicemembers
and their families.
Nearly twenty years ago when Congress and DOD were considering
privatization of military housing, our Association was encouraged by
the promise that conditions faced by military families living in
military-run facilities would be drastically improved as civilian
contractors took over and built and maintained housing to civilian
standards. However, we strongly warned Congress of the consequences if
the military abandoned its oversight over the housing developers. In
fact we specifically warned, ``If the Services' oversight of developers
mirrors their own care of housing, we could foresee families caught in
the vise of the new management company blaming failures on the
construction company, the Services blaming both, and families left with
the residual mess.'' It saddens and angers us to have to say, ``We told
you so.'' After almost twenty years, families are still looking for the
answers to these questions:
Who provides oversight of housing management and
maintenance?
What is the role of the installation commander?
Who is the advocate for family members living in the
housing?
With 50-year contracts and millions of dollars, we've witnessed and
experienced what privatization of military housing with a lack of
proper oversight yields. We continue to be horrified at stories of mold
growing through walls and inhabiting heating, ventilation and air
condition (HVAC) systems, a lack of proper installation of windows and
insulation causing major problems with temperature regulation,
vegetation such as mushrooms and moss growing in bathrooms and out of
carpets, infestations of vermin and the disgusting list goes on. We've
also heard from families that in some places maintenance workers and
housing officials have stonewalled efforts to improve conditions--from
telling the families that they're simply not going to fix a problem to
presenting nondisclosure agreements to tenants living in these
conditions who desire to move their family to a clean and safe
environment.
Further complicating the situation is the notion that a
servicemember may be deployed or remotely assigned and concerned about
conditions in which his/her family is living. This affects not only the
readiness of the individual, but also the safety of their units and
jeopardizes operational success on the battlefield.
Families want to know:
What has changed for those who are currently experiencing
problems?
What has changed for those who discover issues in a
month?
How are the Services going to address the short and long-
term health problems of families? What if the servicemember has
separated from the military? How will families receive care?
What will Congress include in the fiscal year 2020 NDAA to address
these questions?
child care
Military families often tell us that finding high-quality,
affordable childcare is one of their biggest challenges. In part, of
course, this reflects a national shortage of affordable childcare
options. The demographics of the military family community make the
issue particularly acute: two-thirds of the more than 1.6 million
military-connected children are under the age of twelve and the largest
cohort--nearly 38 percent--is under age 5. \9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ 2017 Demographics: Profile of the Military Community, http://
download.militaryonesource. mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2017-demographics-
report.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOD is to be commended for recognizing the importance of ensuring
military families have access to high-quality, affordable childcare and
for taking concrete steps to provide this care. Its facilities are
usually top-notch and offer curricula developed by experts in early
childhood education. In addition, it provides admirable training and
professional development opportunities to CDC employees as well as care
providers in its network of Family Child Care (FCC) homes. It developed
a single website, MilitaryChildCare.com, to provide better information
about on-base childcare options and allow parents to seek a space for
their child in advance of a PCS move. In response to concerns that
lengthy background check requirements were leading to hiring delays and
staff shortages, DOD implemented procedures to speed the process while
still ensuring the safety of children in their care.
Yet, despite these efforts, gaps remain. Families still complain of
long waiting lists, especially overseas and at larger joint bases.
These waiting lists don't even tell the full story, as many families,
faced with a waiting list of 6 months or more, look elsewhere to find
childcare. It is no doubt true that DOD will never be able to meet the
childcare needs of every military family. However, access to quality,
affordable childcare is essential to military readiness. The unique
challenges of military life--distance from extended family who might
otherwise assist with care, long hours and overnight shifts--often mean
that seeking care in the civilian community isn't feasible. Military
families will continue to look to DOD to meet their childcare needs,
and DOD must continue to do more.
While the issue of military childcare may appear to be intractable,
there are several steps DOD could take to address the problem:
Increase participation in the fee assistance program: The fee
assistance program operated by the Services is an innovative, effective
approach to the problem of insufficient childcare availability on base.
The program helps offset the cost of childcare in the civilian
community, ensuring participating families can access high quality care
at an affordable cost. Unfortunately, relatively few families take
advantage of this benefit. Expanding participation in the childcare fee
assistance program would address many families' childcare needs.
One reason why relatively few military families participate in the
fee assistance program is a lack of eligible providers. DOD has
stringent requirements for childcare providers participating in the fee
assistance program, to include national certification, regular
inspections, and background checks. However, many states have less
stringent requirements for providers. In those locations, families
often have difficulty locating a provider who meets DOD's eligibility
requirements. The Office of Military Community and Family Policy and
the Defense State Liaison Office (DSLO) have worked together to
encourage states to increase their standards to meet DOD's and have had
a great deal of success in this regard. We encourage them to continue
with this effort. We also encourage DOD to consider ways it could
broaden the pool of providers eligible to participate in the program
while still maintaining its commitment to high quality care.
The second, more pressing reason why few families take advantage of
the fee assistance program is simply a lack of funds. Navy families
reported for months their Service fee assistance program was not even
accepting new families to its waiting list due to lack of available
funds. We urge the Services to direct more resources to this program
which is essential to many families and relieves pressure on
installation childcare services.
Analyze role of FCC Homes: For many years, childcare providers who
offered care in their on-installation homes were an important part of
the military childcare system. These providers receive training and
professional development from DOD much like that given to CDC employees
and must comply with stringent DOD inspections and background checks.
They provide a flexible care option for parents whose schedules don't
work with CDC hours and offer employment opportunities for military
spouses. However, the number of FCC Homes has been declining for years.
DOD should survey current providers as well as those who leave the
program to assess why fewer people are offering this service and what,
if anything, could be done to attract and retain in-home care
providers.
Part of the problem may be that if an FCC provider moves and no
longer lives on an installation, he or she is subject to the licensing
requirements of the state. Given DOD's stringent requirements, we
expect FCC providers would meet or exceed most states' requirements for
licensing an in-home day care. For that reason, we suggest DOD and the
DSLO work with states to expedite licensing for approved FCC providers,
so they can quickly reopen their in-home day care in their new
location.
Increase availability of part-time and hourly care: We hear from
many military families frustrated by the lack of hourly or drop-in care
at installation CDCs. Many military families--especially those overseas
or in remote locations--do not have easy access to reliable caregivers.
For those families, access to drop-in care at an installation childcare
facility can greatly enhance their quality of life, enabling parents to
go to medical appointments, run errands, and volunteer in their
communities. This service can be especially vital when a servicemember
is deployed, providing the at-home parent with a much-needed break.
Increasing the number of hourly slots would also help address a common
conundrum faced by military spouses after a PCS move: they can't look
for work without childcare, but thanks to DOD priority guidelines, they
aren't eligible for childcare if they're not working. DOD should
evaluate the programs at installation CDCs to ensure the mix of care
offered--full time, part-time and hourly--meets the needs of the
families they serve.
military families and food insecurity
The 2017 Survey of Active Duty Spouses (2017 ADSS) conducted by the
DOD reported 11 percent of Active Duty spouses described their
financial situation as ``not comfortable.'' Another 21 percent of
spouses reported they had experienced some financial difficulty.
Although the survey did not address the issue directly, there is
evidence that military families' financial stress sometimes leads to
food insecurity:
Food pantries operate on or near virtually every military
installation--four near Camp Pendleton alone;
The demand for low- or no-interest loans or grants from
the Service relief societies. For example, in 2018 the Navy-Marine
Corps Relief Society provided more than $18 million to assist
servicemembers and families with basic living expenses such as food and
rent. \10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society 2018 Year in Review
Infographic, http://www.nmcrs.org/page/-/Infographic--2018--
Financials----Feb--05--19--Interim.pdf
DeCA reports nearly $55 million in Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were spent in military commissaries
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
in fiscal year 2017.
Our Association has argued that military families should be able to
benefit from the same social safety net programs that support their
civilian neighbors and friends. There should be no shame or stigma in
accepting assistance to ensure you are able to put healthy food on the
table. Our concern, rather, is for military families who may be falling
through the cracks, either because they are not aware of programs that
could assist them, or they fall just over income eligibility
thresholds.
One example of this issue is military families' eligibility for
SNAP benefits. SNAP is designed to support families whose incomes put
them below 130 percent of the federal poverty level. (Some states set a
higher threshold--they may go up to 185 percent of the federal poverty
level.) However, because the military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
is included when determining SNAP eligibility, it's rare for military
families to qualify. Paradoxically, families stationed in high cost of
living areas are most affected by this barrier--their higher BAH
prevents them from qualifying for SNAP, but the high cost of everything
from food to utilities and transportation puts them under great
financial strain.
In the past, Congress and DOD have acted to address the issue of
military family financial stress and food insecurity. For example, in
the late 1990s Congress authorized the Family Supplemental Subsistence
Allowance (FSSA), which was designed to assist families whose income
and household size put them below 130 percent of the federal poverty
level. However, few families participated in this program and in 2016
it ended domestically at the recommendation of the Military
Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC), which
noted that most eligible families would be better off participating in
SNAP.
While we agree with the MCRMC that SNAP is in many ways a more
valuable and effective program to assist military families struggling
with food insecurity, the fact remains that many families in need are
unable to access it due to the inclusion of BAH. For that reason, we
ask Congress to reinstitute the FSSA, but with key changes to make it
more effective for military families:
Set eligibility at 200 percent of the federal poverty
guidelines, based on income and number of dependents;
Exclude BAH when determining eligibility;
Using data from the Defense Finance and Accounting
Service (DFAS), automatically notify servicemembers of their potential
eligibility for the FSSA. (Previously, servicemembers had to apply for
the FSSA through their chain of command, which could be a barrier to
participation.) Servicemembers could then provide information about
household size and other sources of income to confirm their
eligibility.
We would also like to draw attention to the Women, Infants and
Children (WIC) program, which supports families with pregnant or
nursing mothers and young children up to age 5. WIC offers support in
the form of vouchers or electronic benefits cards that may be used to
purchase foods such as formula, baby food, eggs, peanut butter, bread,
milk and fruits and vegetables. Participants in the program also
receive nutritional counseling and breastfeeding support. Given the
young demographics of the military family community and the fact that
the largest cohort of military children (nearly 40 percent) is under
age 5, this program in many respects is tailor-made to support military
families. In addition, because BAH is not counted in determining WIC
eligibility, it is much easier for military families to qualify--in
fact, nearly every E-6 or below with one or more children could
potentially qualify, assuming there is no additional household income.
While we were unable to find statistics on the usage of WIC among
military families, we are certain many more families potentially
qualify than currently take advantage of this valuable program, which
is unfortunate. We would like to see DOD take steps to raise awareness
of WIC among young military families. One easy step would be to require
pediatricians in Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) to screen
patients for food insecurity and provide information about applying for
WIC.
The majority of military families may never face food insecurity,
and for those who do it is often a short-term problem that is resolved
through promotion. However, we firmly believe no military family should
ever struggle to put food on the table, especially when programs exist
that can provide support. Raising awareness of WIC and making
relatively simple changes to the FSSA would provide much needed support
to the youngest, most vulnerable military families.
military children's education
Like most parents, military families care deeply about the quality
of their children's education. They also worry about the effect that
the military lifestyle has on their children's education--specifically,
the frequent military-ordered moves. Typically, military families move
every 2 to 3 years, so a military-connected child can expect to attend
six or more schools before their senior year of high school.
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military
Children, which has been adopted by all 50 states and the District of
Columbia, as well as the Department of Defense Education Activity
(DODEA), addresses many of the most common transition-related
challenges faced by military-connected children moving to new schools.
In addition, the widespread adoption of Common Core or similar
standards means that military children are more likely to find familiar
curricula and academic standards in their new schools. Together, these
two developments help provide today's military children with smoother
transitions and a more consistent academic experience than previous
generations. Still, the fact remains local public schools are locally
controlled--and financed--so policies, resources, and requirements vary
from state-to-state and even district-to-district. Understandably, this
is a source of stress for military families, who want their children to
have the best possible education.
In February 2018, the Secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force
sent a letter to the National Governor's Association affirming the
importance of education to military families and calling on governors
to ensure military-connected children in their state receive the best
possible education. We commend the Secretaries for highlighting the
importance of education and agree states and districts should set
policies and allocate resources to support military children and
provide them with a high-quality education. However, we believe the
Federal Government has a role to play as well.
Districts serving large numbers of military children rely on Impact
Aid funding from the Department of Education and the Department of
Defense to help offset the additional expenses they incur, as well as
compensate for lost property tax revenue when a district includes
federal property such as a military installation. It is incumbent on
DOD and the Federal Government to ensure schools charged with serving
military-connected children have the support they need to provide the
best possible education. We are grateful to Congress for authorizing
$40 million for DOD Impact Aid and $10 million in Impact Aid for
schools serving military children with special needs in the fiscal year
2019 NDAA. We ask Congress to maintain this funding to offset the costs
incurred by districts educating large numbers of military children.
We continue to be concerned about the financial burden posed on
school districts educating large numbers of military children with
special needs. We wholeheartedly support sending military families with
special needs family members to locations where their medical and
educational needs can be met. However, in practice, this has led to
concentrations of special needs military families in locations such as
Joint Base Lewis-McCord, where a large MTF and other specialized
services are available. While the ready availability of services
through the military and local civilian community benefits the special
needs military families, we are concerned about the unintended burden
on the school districts serving these installations, which must provide
special education services. Serving unusually large numbers of children
with severe special needs places great strain on the budgets of these
school districts. We fear that in the long term this financial pressure
will affect the quality of the education services these districts are
able to provide. We ask Congress to require DOD to study where military
families with severe special needs are concentrated and whether DOD
Impact Aid for schools serving military children with special needs is
appropriately allocated.
spouse employment and education support
Spouse employment and education support is a critical component of
military family readiness. Much like their civilian counterparts, many
military families rely on two incomes in order to help make ends meet.
However, military spouses face barriers hindering their educational
pursuits and career progression due in large part to challenges
associated with the military lifestyle.
We are gratified in recent years Congress, DOD, the White House,
and individual States have all taken steps to lessen the burden of an
Active Duty member's military career on military spouses' educational
and career ambitions. We fully support these initiatives, including
DOD's portfolio of Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO),
which provides educational funding for select military spouses, career
counseling, employment support, and the DOD State Liaison Office's
(DSLO) state-level initiatives. However, while progress has been made
in certain areas, the military spouse unemployment rate remain stagnant
at 24 percent and military spouses continue to face significantly lower
earnings as well as higher levels of unemployment and underemployment
than their civilian counterparts, greatly impacting their families'
financial stability. \11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ Hiring Our Heroes, Military Spouses in the Workplace, U.S.
Chamber of Commerce Foundation June 2017: https://
www.uschamberfoundation.org/sites/default/files/Military
percent20Spouses percent20in percent20the percent20Workplace.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We appreciate that Congress recognized the difficulty military
spouses have in moving their careers from state-to-state by providing
up to $500 reimbursement for re-licensing and re-certification because
of a PCS in the fiscal year 2018 NDAA. However, we have yet to see
implementation of this program, leaving over 30 percent of employed
military spouses anxiously waiting for much needed relief as they PCS
and face financial strains due to re-licensure/re-certification within
a new state. We urge Congress to hold the Services responsible for the
implementation. We ask Congress to extend the proposed 2022 program
sunset allowing military spouses to access the reimbursement for a full
5 years as Congress intended.
Grow Our Own
As military families struggle to cope with the effects of 17 years
of war, we are seeing an increasing demand for mental health services
within our families and community. Unfortunately, access to high
quality care is limited. The shortage of mental health professionals
nationally is mirrored in the military community; it is even greater at
military installations in remote areas. We believe our Nation has an
obligation to prevent, diagnose, and treat the mental health needs of
servicemembers and their families. Doing so, in the face of a
nationwide shortage of mental health professionals, will require
innovative solutions and strategic public-private partnerships
including Congress, DOD, the VA, and other organizations.
One of our Association's top priorities is to ensure adequate
access to mental and behavioral health providers who are attuned to the
unique stressors of military life for servicemembers and their families
who have endured years of repeated deployments, long separations, and
possible injuries or illnesses. We support efforts to educate and
employ military spouses as professionals in these fields.
Since 2004, NMFA's military spouse scholarship and professional
funds program has had over 100,000 applicants and awarded over $5
million in funds. The number of spouses pursuing mental health careers
continues to increase. Our 2018 applicant pool had 767 spouses planning
to pursue careers in mental health fields which shows a growth of 50
percent from the previous year.
Many of our military spouses pursuing careers in mental health
fields intend to serve military families. Helping these spouses
overcome obstacles and pursue their careers has the dual benefit of
assisting the individual spouse and family while addressing the
shortage of mental health providers in the military community. However,
these spouses face obstacles due to the unique challenges of the
military lifestyle. Just this month in Facebook posts these spouses
share experiences all too common for military spouse mental health
professionals:
Hi everyone! I have a few questions that I'm hoping you can
help me with. I'm currently licensed in New Mexico as an LMSW
and have almost finished my clinical supervision to test for my
LCSW. My husband is stationed in Florida and we are planning to
move there soon. Is it better to finish my hours here and test
in NM then transfer my license or start the process to get
licensed there? I heard you can test before you finish your
hours there, is that true? Also, if we were to move, can I
still have a NM supervisor? I have also heard about a Valor
Program that is temporary licensure for military spouses. Any
info on this? Thank you for your help!
Hi everyone!! ADVICE/INPUT NEEDED!! I am graduating this May
(MS in Clinical Mental health). I know I need to start 3000
post grad hours after I am done. HOWEVER, we might be moving in
the near future (most likely within a year but no orders yet!!)
so I am debating whether to start getting the hours or wait for
an unknown period of time till we move?? Did anyone start
accumulating hours in one state and then moved??? PLEASE
ADVISE! TIA!!
One of the many challenges which these spouses highlight is that of
obtaining supervision hours--not only the sheer number of hours spread
over years that are likely to be interrupted by a PCS, but also the
cost associated with accumulating hours. One scholarship applicant
writes, ``The cost of each individual hour is $70. With this financial
support I would be able to accumulate hours at a faster pace.'' In
recognizing this financial strain, we offer scholarship funds to be
used toward supervision hours in addition to licensure and
certification costs. We urge Congress to expand the MyCAA program to
allow funds to be used toward obtaining supervision hours.
Federal Student Loan Forgiveness
Federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs provide
incentive for those who wish to give back to their community. With the
well documented shortage of mental health providers, both nationally
and within the military community, we believe adding mental health
professions to the federal student loan forgiveness program would
provide a much needed incentive to spur growth in these fields.
We urge Congress to enhance federal student loan forgiveness programs
and protect against any attempts to degrade programs in place.
We offer the following recommendations for Congress to consider:
Facilitate easier paths to both licensure and employment
for military spouses and veterans in the mental health field when they
work with servicemembers and families;
Pass legislation to allow military spouses full
reciprocity when transferring an active unrestricted mental or
behavioral health license from one state to another due to PCS;
Support partnerships between the Military Health System
and the VA to ease spouse difficulties in obtaining clinical
supervision hours, reduce licensing barriers, and spur employment of
military spouses and veterans in the mental health field;
Expand the MyCAA program to include the coverage of
supervision hours and increase rank eligibility to E-6 and O-3.
military lending act
For more than a decade, military families have enjoyed a reprieve,
seeing a decrease in predatory lending due in large part to the passage
of the Military Lending Act (MLA). However, recently we have become
alarmed about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB)
decision to no longer enforce supervision of the MLA. While CFPB seems
to be concerned with the overall financial readiness of servicemembers
and their families, forgoing their previously recognized authority
opens military families up to fraudulent lending by financial
institutions. Furthermore, this reversal puts the onus on military
families to catch potential fraud based on their understanding of the
law and its protections and work through the process of reporting
potential fraud to CFPB in the hopes of reconciliation.
In January of this year, CFPB's own Office of Servicemember Affairs
reports complaints and requests for assistance have continued to
increase over time. In fact, the report states, ``From 2016 to 2017
there was a 47 percent increase in complaints received by
servicemembers.'' If, even with supervision of the MLA during the last
decade, servicemember complaints have continued to increase what does
CFPB expect will happen as a result of no supervision? Surely this
disturbing trend will continue to grow at expediential rates. We urge
CFPB to reverse their decision to no longer supervise financial
institutions in compliance with the MLA.
We understand that CFPB has proposed a legislative fix to
explicitly grant authority to supervise the MLA. However, we believe
that CFPB already possesses the authority and are concerned that any
attempts to revise the MLA could in turn water-down protections already
in place.
military families in crisis
Our country is still at war and military families continue to live
extraordinarily challenging lives. Reintegration continues to pose
challenges for some. Others are anxious about their financial futures.
Most military families are resilient and will successfully address
whatever challenges come their way. However, some will need help. It is
critical military families trust DOD services and programs and feel
comfortable turning to them in times of need. These programs and
services must be staffed and resourced adequately so when families
reach out for help, they can trust it is available. Military families
must be assured our Nation will support them in times of family or
personal crisis.
Suicide
In 2014, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) released a
report outlining an approach for tracking military family member
suicides. The report, Suicide and Military Families: A Report on the
Feasibility of Tracking Deaths by Suicide among Military Family
Members, was requested by the Senate and House Armed Services
Committees.
Our Association was pleased when Senators Kaine and Murray sent a
letter in July 2018 to DOD requesting the status of the military family
member suicide data. We were stunned when DOD responded saying they
were in compliance with the law. DOD may have developed a policy for
tracking military family member suicide, but they have not reported
those suicides. We believe the law is very clear.
SEC. 567. IMPROVED CONSISTENCY IN DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING IN
ARMED FORCES SUICIDE PREVENTION EFFORTS.
(a) POLICY FOR STANDARD SUICIDE DATA COLLECTION,
REPORTING, AND ASSESSMENT.
(1) POLICY REQUIRED.
The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a policy
for the development of a standard method for collecting, reporting, and
assessing information regarding--
(A) any suicide or attempted suicide involving a
member of the Armed Forces, including Reserve components thereof; and
(B) any death that is reported as a suicide
involving a dependent of a member of the Armed Forces.
(b) SUBMISSION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY.
(1) SUBMISSION. Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit the
policy developed under subsection (a) to the Committees on Armed
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
(2) IMPLEMENTATION. The Secretaries of the Military
Departments shall implement the policy developed under subsection (a)
not later than 180 days after the date of the submittal of the policy
under paragraph (1).
We appreciate Congress including a provision directing DOD to track
military family suicides as well as Reserve Component suicides in the
fiscal year 2015 NDAA but are frustrated by DOD's delays in reporting
this information. If we don't have accurate information on the extent
of the issue, targeting solutions is impossible.
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect, and Domestic Violence
Research commissioned by our Association \12\ and others during the
past decade documents the toll of multiple deployments on children and
families, the difficulties many families face on the servicemember's
return, and the added strain a servicemember's physical and invisible
wounds can place on a family. These stressors put military families at
risk for marital/relationship problems and compromised parenting that
must be addressed with preventative programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Anita Chandra, et al., RAND Center for Military Health Policy
Research, Views from the Homefront: The Experiences of Youth and
Spouses from Military Families, 2011
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Those looking for budget cuts may find it tempting to slash family
support, family advocacy, and reintegration programs. However, bringing
the troops home from war zones does not end our military's mission,
family separations, or the necessity to support military families.
``Rotations'' and ``training exercises'' of units to Europe and
elsewhere must be accompanied by the same high levels of family support
as if servicemembers were heading on a combat deployment. To family
members, especially young children, ``gone is gone''.
We are concerned the extraordinary stress military families face
could lead to increased domestic violence as well. Preventive programs
focused on effective parenting and rebuilding adult relationships are
essential. The government should ensure military families have the
tools to remain ready and to support the readiness of their
servicemembers.
We are encouraged the Family Advocacy Program, a congressionally
mandated DOD program designed to prevent and respond to child abuse/
neglect and domestic abuse in military families, has redoubled its
focus on prevention programs. Their efforts to repair relationships and
strengthen family function will be essential. Programs like New Parent
Support focus on helping young parents build strong parenting skills
early on.
We encourage Congress and the DOD to ensure Family Advocacy programs
are funded and resourced appropriately to help families heal
and aid in the prevention of child and domestic abuse.
today's surviving spouses need the dic offset eliminated
Our Association has long believed the benefit change that would
provide the most significant long-term advantage to the financial
security of all surviving families would be to end the Dependency and
Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).
Although we know there is a significant price tag associated with this
change, ending this offset would correct an inequity that has existed
for many years. Each payment serves a different purpose. The DIC is a
special indemnity (compensation or insurance) payment paid by the VA to
the survivor when the servicemember's service causes his or her death.
The SBP annuity, paid by the DOD, reflects the military member's length
of service. It is ordinarily calculated at 55 percent of retired pay.
Military retirees who elect SBP pay a portion of their retired pay to
ensure their family has a guaranteed income should the retiree die. If
that retiree dies due to a service-connected disability, their survivor
becomes eligible for DIC.
We ask the DIC offset to SBP be eliminated to recognize the length of
commitment and service of the career servicemember and spouse.
military families--continuing to serve
Recent national fiscal challenges have left military families
confused and concerned about whether the programs, resources, and
benefits contributing to their strength, resilience, and readiness will
remain available to support them and be flexible enough to address
emerging needs. The Department of Defense must provide the level of
programs and resources to meet these needs.
Servicemembers and their families have kept trust with America,
through 17 years of war, with multiple deployments and separations. We
ask the Nation to keep the trust with military families and not try to
balance budget shortfalls from the pockets of those who serve.
Evolving world conflicts keep our military servicemembers on call.
Our military families continue this call as well, even as they are
dealing with the long-term effects of almost 2 decades at war. The
government should ensure military families have the tools to remain
ready and to provide for the readiness of their servicemembers.
Effective support for military families must involve a broad network of
government agencies, community groups, businesses, and concerned
citizens.
Prepared Statement by The Tricare for Kids Coalition
Chairman Tillis and Ranking Member Gillibrand. The Tricare for Kids
Coalition is a stakeholder group of children's health care advocacy and
professional organizations, disability advocacy groups, military and
veterans' service organizations and military families committed to
ensuring that the children of military families receive the unique
care, supports and services they need.
We appreciate the opportunity to submit testimony regarding issues
impacting the health and well-being of children in military families as
it is a major element of family readiness. Areas of emphasis in this
statement are 1) the Coalition's response and reaction to the Defense
Health Agency's (DHA) most recent report to the Committee on
pediatrics, 2) Exceptional Family Member Program, and 3) Health and
safety hazards in military base housing.
1. response and reaction to the most recent defense health agency
report submission to the committee in december 2018.
Tricare is based generally on Medicare, which is formulated and
maintained for older adults; and regularly results in ``square peg,
round hole'' situations for children and their families.
Our Coalition was created around passage of legislation known as
``Tricare for Kids'', passed in the 2013 NDAA requiring the Secretary
of Defense to complete a comprehensive review of all pediatric policies
and practices, and report on plans and progress to address those gaps
and barriers to care. In the wake of less than fulsome reporting,
subsequent NDAAs have required additional information.
The Coalition is pleased with the continued interest and commitment
by the Committee to continue to oversee pediatric health care services
and support developments. The Coalition is concerned about the
timeliness of DHA progress, including implementing improvements,
addressing gaps and barriers, as well some of the direction of
decisions, for example, the decision not to instill a pediatric medical
necessity standard.
The Coalition respectfully requests the Committee consider
providing more specific direction to DHA regarding pediatric care,
aligning with the details discussed below. The agency took a great step
forward by tasking the independent advisory council, the Defense Health
Board (DHB), with a report on Pediatric Health Care Services, completed
in 2017. The Defense Health Agency has stated its agreement with the
DHB recommendations and conclusions, yet we continue to see
disconnects, included some pointed out below. Specific direction from
the Committee to DHA to align with the DHB conclusions in a timely
manner may now be warranted.
(Full DHB report available: https://health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/
Defense-Health-Agency/Defense-Health-Board/Reports)
The following analyses of excerpts from the most recent report by
DHA to Congressional oversight committees as required in the 2018 NDAA,
along with Tricare for Kids responses, demonstrate the need for
specific direction to DHA concerning pediatric care.
(Full report available: https://www.health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/
Defense-Health-Agency/Congressional-Relations/Reports-to-Congress/
Signed-in-2018)
1. With respect to ``MHS plans to align preventive pediatric care
with the standards of such care under PPACA, guidelines established
under Medicaid, and with recommendations by organizations that
specialize in pediatrics'' the DHA reported that a gap analysis is
currently in progress with an expected completion in 2019. The gap
analysis is expansive, and includes all age groups of beneficiaries
with a focus on traditional clinical practice, and international models
of preventive care with the inclusion of social determinants of health.
. . . The preventive care comprehensive gap analysis will be complete
by December 31, 2019, and a review of findings from the gap analysis
and final recommendations will occur no later than December 31, 2020.
TFK: DHA announced alignment with AAP [American
Academy of Pediatrics] Bright Futures guidelines for a segment of
children in 2016 but it is unclear exactly how and whether this has
been implemented. Timeliness and the seeming need to ``reinvent the
wheel'' are common elements throughout DHA's response to the original
Tricare for Kids legislation, and preventive care provides a good
example. A 10 year old child will have reached adulthood from the time
the original legislation passed and DHA is still studying preventive
care. Preventive care guidelines and Bright Futures protocols are
widely accepted norms and have been for some time; and are updated
regularly to address issues such as social determinants of health. It
would be more effective and efficient it seems, to align with best
practices and widely accepted norms rather than use agency resources to
research and create its own practices. This is especially true as the
volume of pediatric beneficiaries in Tricare isn't large enough to make
parochial protocols make sense (other than for issues unique to
military children, such as specifics to address exposure to base
housing hazards); furthermore, children move on and off Tricare
regularly with various transitions among commercial or public health
insurance options, at times such as separation from service, activation
or deployment status, non-military parent's employment status, need for
Medicaid or CHIP [Children's Health Insurance Program], and so forth.
Having Tricare pave its own way with standards that are unlike others
is not efficient nor does it serve the needs of Tricare covered
children well.
Our Coalition would like to see DHA directed to adopt (and
adapt with) fully developed best practices without having to reinvent
the wheel each time, using DHA time and resources to develop something
specific only when the unique needs of its population warrant it--for
example, creating a response to the base housing health and safety
crisis.
2. Regarding MHS plans to develop a uniform definition of
``pediatric medical necessity.'' The DHA reported that it does not plan
to develop a uniform definition of ``pediatric medical necessity.''
Rather, MHS plans to continue to utilize the uniform definition of
``medical necessity''. . . MHS has no plans to change the existing
uniform definition of medical necessity. . .
TFK: It is troubling to learn of the DHA intent to
``continue'' to use the ``existing definition'' when Congress, the DHB
and the TFK Coalition have all expressed grave concerns about current
practices and limitations negatively affecting children's access to
medically necessary care. Furthermore, DHA arrived at its conclusion
although it regularly reports that it agrees with all the recent
Defense Health Board recommendations regarding pediatric care, and
pediatric medical necessity concerns were a major element of the DHB
publication.
Our Coalition would like to see the Committee direct DHA to
implement an existing pediatric medical necessity standard (which are
discussed thoroughly in the DHB report) particularly we recommend the
American Academy of Pediatrics model language.
3. DHA stated that MHS' improvements of the quality of and access
to behavioral healthcare, including intensive outpatient and partial
hospitalization services:
a) were largely implemented through statutory changes in the
TRICARE benefit in fiscal year 2016.
TFK: The September 2016 final rule expanding
behavioral health services and streamlining authorization of
institutional providers offered a tremendous opportunity to increase
access to needed services. Actual implementation has been slow, with
TRICARE policy manual updates not completed until more than a year
after the final rule's effective date, just as regional consolidation,
new managed care support contracts and benefit plan changes were being
implemented. The most significant barrier to accessing behavioral
health services is a lack of clear, accurate information, for both
providers and families.
In order to optimize the utilization and impact of
statutory and policy improvements, our Coalition sees a need for:
A checklist on Humana's and Health Net's TRICARE
websites identifying the process, timeline, responsible entity for each
step, and online location of forms and other information for
institutional behavioral health providers that want to serve military
families. This is where the intended streamlining of provider
certification and participation stalls, with each provider organization
separately navigating a murky process with multiple players.
A regularly updated list on https://health.mil of
TRICARE-certified institutional behavioral health care providers, by
type. Behavioral health treatment is often quite specialized, e.g.,
targeting a particular age group or condition, and the most clinically
appropriate treatment setting is not always in the family's community,
state or TRICARE region. Both families and referring providers need
this information.
Regularly updated provider directories on Humana's
and HealthNet's websites, with useful search functions. The specialty
nature of behavioral health care and the geographic spread of providers
don't lend themselves to searches limited to zip codes, states, or
proximity to MTFs. It also appears that the directories include only
in-network providers, which may be acceptable under the managed care
support contracts, but reinforces the need for a national list of all
certified providers on https://health.mil.
b) and regarding Substance Use Disorder ``SUD is rare in the
pediatric population, and treatment for SUD mostly appears in the age
18-21 population. Across the whole population, 98 percent of SUD stays
and 99 percent of SUD encounters are for patients aged 18 and older
(including dependent children).''
TFK: Once again, while the DHA purports to support
and agree with the DHB recommendations, contrast the above DHA
statement with this excerpt from the DHB report: ``While the Board did
not examine the issue of substance use in pediatric populations, it
acknowledges that these disorders can significantly affect children and
youth, in both civilian and military populations. In fiscal year 2014
through fiscal year 2016, among females ages 13-17, the top Medicare
Severity Diagnosis-Related Group for inpatient admissions was
`poisoning & toxic effects of drugs age 0-17.' The Board feels
substance use disorders are an important area that warrants further
research and assessment.'' [emphasis added]
Our Coalition would like to see a consistent understanding
by DHA and resulting priority for this category.
4. The DHA reports that MHS' mitigation of the impact of PCS and
other service-related relocations on continuity of care for children
who have special medical or behavioral health needs is an ongoing,
collaborative process. Mitigation of the impact of PCS includes
increased access to resources and services, and MHS' many diverse
programs are positively assisting families with relocation.
TFK: all efforts on this front are appreciated;
effectiveness, however, is unclear, as the Coalition has yet to see
evidence of any major improvement. The use of the term ``collaborative
process'' while sounding promising, is unclear. While DHA does report
some welcome progress coordinating with the Services and Office of
Special Needs, advocates are only cautiously optimistic as this
progress has been expected for years now. Furthermore, DHA does not
appear to be working with families collaboratively.
This issue is particularly important for EFMP families, who
already face a myriad of challenges (see next item). In 2018 and
continuing into 2019 to some degree, the managed care contract and plan
design transitions have been disastrous for families with any non-
typical family health needs as they have dealt with wildly inaccurate
provider directories (which play a much larger role than most realize
as they are used to determine EFMP assignments, plus incomplete or
inaccurate listings wreak havoc with access and network/non-network
categorization for all), increased cost shares, and inaccuracies by
TRICARE in cost share payments, payments toward caps, coverage denials,
and conflicting information at every turn. DHA is aware of problems and
appear to be addressing issues, but the steps taken are often opaque to
stakeholders and families, leaving us to wonder how targeted, strong
and prioritized the DHA action may be toward our identified issues
areas of concern.
Beyond the obvious and immediate need for addressing
transition and related barriers, for the long term DHB recommendations
provide much fodder for DHA to work with in terms of improving the
experiences. Two key items are the recommendation to ``[r]equire
inclusion of parents in working and policy groups at all levels'' and
the absolute need for better care coordination especially during PCSs.
Again, aligning with best practices and working with organizations
specializing in pediatrics (and not just pediatrics, but even the much
smaller category of complex pediatrics) who have made headway in this
space of complex care coordination, make much more sense than
reinventing the wheel.
Our Coalition would like to see DHA create more opportunities
for family inclusion in policy groups, more regular stakeholder
advocacy interaction on pediatric issues as the stakeholders bring
necessary perspective from families and providers, and to work with
stakeholders such as children's hospitals to improve care coordination
for EFMP families.
5. Pediatric issues of importance and relevance to those in the
DHA report, but not specifically referenced there:
Emerging and high cost treatments in pediatrics.
Children with rare and/or significant medical conditions are
most likely to rely on high cost, emerging treatments that are often
the target for cost cutting and utilization measures.
TFK is very concerned that Tricare must be nimble in order to
ensure that children receive the care they need in a timely manner,
which often differs greatly from timeliness for adults. There is a
waterfall of emerging and promising treatments for rare and serious
childhood conditions, which are almost all very expensive and have
specific procedures for use in children, and don't fit neatly in
Tricare payment methodologies. This reality which is already
challenging, coupled with the new pharmacy tier benefit changes could
spell disaster for families of the most vulnerable children.
Furthermore, DHA is looking to align care between MTFs and purchased
care sectors--while this is appropriate to provide all with robust
care, it is likely that this initiative will be used to limit certain
genetic and therapeutic testing currently only allowed at MTFs.
Our Coalition has expressed to DHA that we would appreciate
an ongoing stakeholder presence in a concerted DHA effort to discuss
and prepare for access, coverage, and payment for emerging
pharmaceutical, genetic, and advancing technology treatments as they
apply to children and pediatric care. Direction to DHA from the
Committee in support of this request would be appreciated.
Extended Health Care Option (ECHO)
In 2015 the Military Compensation Retirement Modernization
Commission (MCRMC), in alignment with our Coalition's concerns, found
that access to Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver
benefits provided at the state level is a ongoing issue for military
families with exceptional family members (EFMs); that many
servicemembers encounter HCBS waiting lists that exceed their time
assigned to a location, and referenced an fiscal year 2013 DOD-
commissioned study found that military families with special needs rely
on Medicaid to obtain specific supplementary services that are either
not provided or not fully covered by TRICARE
The MCRMC recommended that DHA increase services covered
through the ECHO to more closely align with state Medicaid waiver
programs, including custodial care and respite care hours that match
state offerings, more flexible expanded services subject to existing
ECHO benefit caps, and modernizing the program to better serve current
demographics of the Force.
The Defense Health Board referenced the MCRMC findings as
examples of the challenges facing Tricare covered families, and the
fact that ECHO is only available to Active Duty members as an example
of military health system lack of standardization and implementation of
best practices enterprise-wide.
Other than recent modest changes to the respite care benefit,
there has been no further movement on ECHO modernization or
improvement. The Coalition would like to see the Committee support its
objectives of alignment with Medicaid based waiver services per the
MCRMC recommendations, implementation of a grace period for eligibility
upon separation from Active status to cover an average Medicaid waiting
list timeframe, and a revisiting of program assumptions, as some of the
care that is provided only pursuant to ECHO is medically necessary care
and therefore should be available to all beneficiaries under the basic
TRICARE program.
2. exceptional family member program (efmp)
Continuing with EFMP challenges, again full generations of children
with special, often complex needs, have been left without the services
and supports needed, while their families are dealing with high op
tempos, PCSing, a managed care transition that has been nothing short
of disastrous in many quarters, and in some cases such as the
subcommittee members heard in a recent hearing, the already serious
issues have been compounded by hazardous living conditions on base.
On a positive note, regulations to update the EFMP were published
this month, 3 years in the making. However, the situation has
deteriorated to the point that families had to band together and
request an Inspector General investigation, after years of failure by
DOD to implement recommendations made by the Government Accountability
Office and the Military Family Readiness Council. Why does a
Congressionally mandated council on military family readiness, staffed
with our most senior leaders, have problems helping military families?
Much like the current housing crisis, these problems have been
identified and recommendations made over the years, but with no sense
of urgency or accountability by the implementers, have been left to
fester. Sadly, it seems to take Senators asking hard questions for DOD
to take action and ensure proper accountability.
The Coalition is pleased that in last year's NDAA, the Committees
directed DOD to brief Congress on the status of its response to the
most recent GAO EFMP report by March 1, 2019.
At the February 27 hearing, it would be timely then, for panelists
to be asked what is DOD's response to, and timeline for implementing
the recommendations? Furthermore, given the egregious and longstanding
problems, the Coalition respectfully requests the Committee to support
the families' request to the DOD IG [Inspector General] to investigate
the Exceptional Family Member Program's compliance with applicable
statutes and instructions. Both would put DOD on notice that the
Committee is serious about this issue and give these families
confidence that the Senate is in their corner.
3. health and safety hazards in base housing
The Coalition was pleased to submit testimony for the record for
the recent hearings on base housing, and with the Committee's
commitment to addressing housing issues. While that testimony lays out
our concerns in more detail, we would like to take this opportunity to
highlight for the Committee that even with its strong reaction since
that date toward inspections and remediation, there remains a need for
a public health oriented response to this crisis and its impact on our
most vulnerable military families and children.
Military families depend on base housing for many reasons,
including when housing on local economy is not affordable or in less
appropriate neighborhoods. Furthermore, families who have children with
special needs have even more limited housing options when moving to a
new duty station. Sometimes, the only affordable housing that is ADA
[Americans with Disabilities Act] compliant is on-post housing. We are
concerned health of those with special needs may be further compromised
in housing with these hazards.
The conditions of critical concern around base housing range from
mold to vermin to lead and toxic waste. There is no easy answer to
this; the problem needs leadership and ownership. A major concern is
the apparent lack of ownership of the known health problems arising
from these conditions, which prevents them from being addressed
promptly and appropriately while the big picture of liability or
responsibility is being sorted out.
Meanwhile, however, DHA, the MHS, and TRICARE own the prevention,
treatment and promotion of health and well-being of its beneficiaries
many of whom are especially vulnerable children who live on base and
have been and are exposed to these safety and health risks regularly,
often with dire consequences. DHA must step up and figure out how to
address screening, testing and treatment needs, as well as families'
concerns, at the very least.
Toward finding solutions, the Coalition respectfully requests that
the Committee request DHA (as it is in the process of taking over
management and responsibility for all MTFs, and that DHA work with the
services regarding MTFs still under their respective umbrellas) to
address the questions and concerns submitted earlier to this
subcommittee, and to engage in a candid and meaningful dialogue with
stakeholders and military families to better understand the issues, and
identify ways we can work collectively to improve military housing and
barracks.
The Tricare for Kids Coalition appreciates the opportunity to
submit testimony for the record toward improving family readiness.
Prepared Statement by Colonel Paul Kantwill (Retired)
Thank you, Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and Members
of the subcommittee for the opportunity to offer this testimony as you
consider military personnel policies and issues related to military
family readiness. Thank you for your assistance and support in
protecting our servicemembers and their families in the consumer
financial marketplace.
I serve currently as Senior Fellow at the Institute of Consumer
Antitrust Studies, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where I
lecture, conduct research, and organize programing on consumer
protection law, with an emphasis on protecting the needs of
servicemembers, veterans, and their families. The Institute is a non-
partisan academic institute devoted to research, publication, programs,
and advocacy to promote a more competitive consumer friendly economy. I
also serve as Executive Director, Center for Veteran Protection and
Advocacy, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing consumer
protection, support, and advocacy for veterans and their families in
the financial marketplace.
Prior to my current positions, I served as Assistant Director,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where I led the Office of
Servicemember Affairs. Prior thereto, I served as the Director of the
Office of Legal Policy, Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel &
Readiness, where, among other duties, I had oversight of financial
issues affecting the force and impacting military readiness. I was
integrally involved in the Department's rulemaking resulting in the
Limitations on Terms of Consumer Credit Extended to servicemembers and
Dependents, 32 CFR [Code of Federal Regulations] Part 232, known
commonly as the Department of Defense Final Rule Implementing the
Military Lending Act (hereinafter the ``MLA Final Rule'').
From 1990 through 2014, I served on Active Duty as an Army Judge
Advocate with many tours of duty across the globe and in active
theaters of operation, including Iraq and Afghanistan, providing legal
support to our troops and their families. In all of these capacities, I
have seen first-hand, and continue to see, that a Servicemember
burdened with concerns outside of the parameters of his or her mission
cannot reach full combat effectiveness. I believe my experience in
having assisted servicemembers in the field and leading legal and other
organizations devoted to providing support to our servicemembers and
their families, provides a unique lens through which to view financial
issues which impact servicemembers, veterans, and their families, and
continue to compromise military readiness.
I have testified frequently and spoken and written widely of the
need to provide the greatest consumer protections possible to those who
serve and have served. I believe that, through years of hard work and
dedicated, collective effort, particularly through measures like the
MLA Final Rule, we made great progress eliminating, or protecting our
personnel and their families from, harmful financial products and
services like predatory payday loans and fraudulent, deceptive, and
abusive practices. Regrettably, I believe that much of that progress
has ceased, and that individual and military readiness have been
compromised and risk being compromised further.
Specifically, I have concerns regarding the position the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau (the Bureau) has taken regarding
supervision under the Military Lending Act, and its proposed changes to
the Payday Lending Rule. I believe that both actions reflect a profound
lack of concern for military consumers and will have negative effects
on servicemembers, veterans, their families, and on military readiness
and national security.
I, and countless other consumer law experts, consumer advocacy
groups, and military and veterans service organizations, have made our
positions on supervision of the Military Lending Act well-known.
Despite this, it appears that the Bureau will abandon the previously-
successful supervisory activity that provided a necessary level of
proactive protection to servicemembers and their families. I disagree
not only with this interpretation of the Bureau's authorities, but also
with the Bureau's proposed legislation on the issue, which is at once
unnecessary, illusory, and duplicitous. Past practice should inform
current interpretation, and I am unaware of any challenge to the
Bureau's authority to conduct supervisory exams.
Even if the proposal were taken up by the Congress, there are no
guarantees as to when it would be considered. Time is the enemy. The
more time that passes without the Bureau performing supervisory
functions, the greater the likelihood that servicemembers and their
families will be the victims of fraudulent, deceptive, abusive, and
predatory practices. This, of course, produces irreparable harm--harm
that cannot be remedied by ex post facto enforcement action, and which
ruins careers, destroys lives, and degrades military readiness.
As a tangible illustration of the importance of proactive
protection of the type that supervision provides, the Department of
Defense noted in the MLA final Rule: ``Each separation of a
servicemember is estimated to cost the Department $58,250, and the
Department estimates that each year approximately 4,640 to 7,580
servicemembers are involuntarily separated where financial distress is
a contributing factor. If the Department's proposed regulation could
reduce the annual number of involuntary separations where financial
distress is a contributing factor from between 5 to 30 percent, the
savings to the Department could be in the range of approximately $13.51
million to $132.52 million each year.''
I observed the detrimental effects on readiness personally when
making mission visits to operational units while leading the Office of
Servicemember Affairs at the Bureau. During those visits I heard from
troops, their non-commissioned officers, and unit commanders with
startling frequency how excessive debt, especially that from payday
loans and excessive auto financing, renders soldiers, sailors, airmen,
and marines unable to gain a security clearance, or keep it once it has
been obtained. This usually results in their non-deployability or their
involuntary separation. This damage is not limited to the Active Duty
population; current servicemembers and their families transition into
veteran status and carry the burdens and effects of such predatory
practices for the remainder of their lives.
Similarly, even if such a proposal were considered, we have no
guarantees as to the outcome of the legislative process. I do not
believe it hyperbole to suggest that the special interests to which the
Bureau seems to be catering in these policy decisions can and will
attempt to commandeer the legislation for their own purposes, change
the proposal, or change or re-open the Military Lending Act or the MLA
Final Rule to the detriment of servicemembers and their families, and
ultimately to the warfighting readiness of the Armed Forces.
For example, special interests have been, and are today, hard at
work in attempts to un-do the MLA Final Rule's protections against
credit-related products in automobile financing transactions which have
been documented as risks to readiness going back many years. The
inappropriate inclusion of products marketed to servicemembers with a
view toward increasing prices and financing fees traps members in
excessive debt and allow creditors to circumvent interest rate caps.
All would be wholly unacceptable results to military consumers.
I have similar concerns with the Bureau's proposed rescission of
important provisions of the Payday Lending Rule. Since the Military
Lending Act protects only Active Duty servicemembers and their
dependents, the millions of members of the Service Reserves and
National Guards and their families, and the tens of millions of
veterans and their families, rely upon the protections offered by the
Payday Lending Rule. Evidence shows clearly that military members and
veterans are disproportionately affected by fraudulent, deceptive,
abusive and predatory lending practices, and the Bureau's proposed
actions would subject them to potential and irreparable harm.
The protection of those who answer the Nation's call to duty is not
partisan and should not be subject to special interests. We have worked
hard together to protect those most deserving of our protection. I hope
that our work has not been in vain. Thank you for your continuing
support of our servicemembers, veterans, and their families and for the
opportunity to share my views.
[all]