[Senate Hearing 116-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
----------
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2019
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 9:59 a.m. in room SD-138, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Richard Shelby (chairman)
presiding.
Present: Senators Shelby, Collins, Murkowski, Blunt,
Hoeven, Durbin, Tester, and Baldwin.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
National Guard and Reserve
STATEMENT OF GENERAL JOSEPH L. LENGYEL, CHIEF, NATIONAL
GUARD BUREAU
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY
Senator Shelby. Good morning. The subcommittee will come to
order.
I am pleased to welcome our distinguished panel to consider
the President's budget request for the National Guard and
Reserve components in fiscal year 2020.
Today--I think I need to turn that on.
Today the committee will hear from General Joseph Lengyel,
Chief of the National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Charles
Luckey, Chief of the Army Reserve; Lieutenant General Richard
Scobee, Chief of the Air Force Reserve; Vice Admiral Luke
McCollum, Chief of the Navy Reserve; and Major General Bradley
James, Commander of Marine Corps Forces Reserve. I thank all of
you for your appearance here today.
I think it is imperative that our Nation's guard and
reserve components be sufficiently manned, trained, and
equipped to continue to maintain and to defend our national
security interests.
Our Nation's guard and reserve components are a vital part
of the Nation's total military force. They provide support
during homeland emergencies, participate in important joint
training exercises, execute missions with our partners, and are
currently deployed around the globe in support of combat
operations.
The men and women that make up our reserve components also
serve our Nation by remaining ready to put their lives on hold.
Whether they are called to mobilize, voluntarily deploy, or
transition to full-time support, they represent the very best
of us.
And as we wrestle with responses to recent natural
disasters and deployments to our southwest border, it is also
important to highlight the unique flexibility offered by the
National Guard. Their ability to operate through dual-status
commanders provides an invaluable link between State and
Federal authorities.
As we evaluate the request for resources for fiscal year
2020, I think we have to look forward to updates on disaster
response and border efforts, but we would also like to focus on
how this budget reflects the new National Defense Strategy and
in particular how it proposes to modernize our forces to
compete and win against peer competitors.
We all look forward to your testimony here today. Your
written testimony, all of it, will be made part of the record,
without objection, in its entirety.
Senator Durbin, I understand, will be joining us in just a
few minutes, and his remarks will be made part of the record.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Richard C. Shelby
Good morning, the Subcommittee will come to order.
I am pleased to welcome our distinguished panel to consider the
President's budget requests for the National Guard and Reserve
Components in fiscal year 2020.
Today the committee will hear from General Joseph Lengyel, Chief of
the National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Charles Luckey, Chief of
the Army Reserve; Lieutenant General Richard Scobee, Chief of the Air
Force Reserve; Vice Admiral Luke McCollum, Chief of the Navy Reserve;
and Major General Bradley James, Commander of Marine Corps Forces
Reserve.
Thank you for appearing today, and thank you for your service.
It is imperative that our Nation's guard and reserve components be
sufficiently manned, trained and equipped to continue to maintain and
defend our national security interests.
Our Nation's guard and reserve components are a vital part of our
Nation's total military force. They provide support during homeland
emergencies, participate in important joint training exercises, execute
missions with our partners, and are currently deployed around the globe
in support of combat operations.
The men and women that make up our reserve components also serve
our Nation by remaining ready to put their lives on hold. Whether they
are called to mobilize, voluntarily deploy, or transition to full time
support--they represent the very best of us.
As we wrestle with responses to recent natural disasters and
deployments to our southwest border, it is also important to highlight
the unique flexibility offered by the National Guard. Their ability to
operate through Dual Status Commanders provides an invaluable link
between State and Federal authorities.
As we evaluate the request for resources for fiscal year 2020, we
look forward to updates on disaster response and border efforts. But we
would also like to focus on how this budget reflects the new national
defense strategy, and in particular, how it proposes to modernize our
forces to compete and win against peer competitors.
We look forward to your testimony and discussion.
Now, I turn to the Vice Chairman, Senator Durbin, for his opening
remarks. Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Richard J. Durbin
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to join you in welcoming today's
witnesses, here to discuss the fiscal year 2020 National Guard and
Reserve budget request.
southwest border
The National Guard's mission at the Southwest Border, Operation
Guardian Support, began 1 year ago.
Today, there are over 5,000 troops at our Southwest border between
the National Guard and active duty Army Soldiers and Marines. The main
purpose of these deployments is to free up Customs and Border
Protection personnel for immigration enforcement.
But the fact is that the Administration is not focused on the main
problem at the border--the drug epidemic.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mexican drug
cartels are the greatest crime threat to the United States.
The DEA found that the cartels transport the bulk of their illicit
goods over the Southwest border through legal ports of entry using
passenger vehicles or tractor trailers.
In 2017, drug overdoses killed a record 70,237 Americans and 28,466
of these deaths involved fentanyl, an increase of more than 45 percent
over the previous year.
The cost of the National Guard's deployment to the border is
estimated to be $247 million. The cost of the active duty deployment is
approaching $150 million. And the cost of the National Guard's
counterdrug missions in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas?
Just $57 million.
conclusion
We have other specific issues to discuss with the panel--hurricane
and flooding impacts, water contamination caused by firefighting
chemicals, and Space Force--to name just a few.
I look forward to a thorough discussion of these issues, and I
thank each of our witnesses for your testimony and your service to our
country.
Senator Shelby. General Lengyel, we will start with you.
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF GENERAL JOSEPH L. LENGYEL
General Lengyel. Chairman Shelby, sir, thank you and thanks
to Vice Chairman Durbin and distinguished members of the
subcommittee. It is a pleasure for all of us to be here today
and would submit our remarks for the record at this time.
The National Guard consists of nearly 450,000 citizens,
soldiers, and airmen. They represent the finest National Guard
force in our history, and I am honored to represent them along
with their families, their communities, and their employers who
support them.
The National Defense Strategy outlines the priorities for
our military to deter war and protect the security of our
Nation. My focus remains on our three primary missions: the war
fight, defending and securing the homeland, and building
enduring partnerships. Each one of these missions directly
support the National Defense Strategy.
In the war fight, on any given day, approximately 30,000
men and women of the National Guard are mobilized in support of
every combatant command around the globe.
Our soldiers and airmen work with allies and partners to
compete against adversaries below the threshold of armed
conflict, to expand our Nation's competitive space, and to
ensure we maintain our advantage.
We are poised in regions where our men and women are
postured to delay, deter, and deny adversarial aggression. The
National Guard is prepared to surge and expand its support in
times of war, and we are always there and always ready here in
the homeland.
As the space domain increasingly becomes a warfighting
domain, our Army and Air National Guard space units are vital
to the parent services. As with our units in the Army and Air
National Guard, it is imperative our space units remain aligned
with their parent services, including any potential future
space force.
In the homeland, the National Guard has on average 10,000
soldiers and airmen conducting homeland operations every day.
Your Air National Guard fighter wings are protecting our
Nation's skies in 15 alert sites around the country, including
the skies over the Capitol here today.
Our cyber units continue to protect our networks from
malicious cyberattacks. Twenty-seven of our States' National
Guard cyber units were on duty and provided support during the
most recent elections to ensure their integrity.
The National Guard is also critical to our Nation's
ballistic missile defense as proliferation of missile
technology continues to expand.
On top of all of this, the National Guard is ready to
respond to emergencies such as hurricanes, wildfires, flooding,
as well as assist law enforcement during times of civil unrest,
missions that the National Guard performs with little or no
notice.
Last year, the National Guard was called up 195 times to
respond to homeland emergencies. Our presence in communities
around the Nation uniquely posture us to respond when our
communities need us. The National Guard's success in the war
fight and homeland operations is a direct result of the
enduring partnerships we build with the international, Federal,
State, and local partners.
The National Guard through the State Partnership Program
now partners with 83 nations. This low-cost, high-return
program builds enduring partnerships based on mutual trust and
generates security cooperation around the world. Today the
National Guard has co-deployed 80 times with partner nations to
Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places around the globe.
On the Federal, State, and local levels, our deep
partnerships with the National Guard's unique authorities
ensure a speedy response and unity of effort during times of
domestic crisis.
To ensure the readiness of the National Guard to be
deployable, sustainable, and interoperable with our active
components, we require such things as appropriate levels of
full-time support and replacing and upgrading old worn-out
facilities. We require parity in equipping our force through
concurrent and balanced modernization and recapitalization of
our force along with our active components.
Mr. Chairman, I offer my sincere thanks to this Committee
for its long history of support to the National Guard. During
my time as Chief, the Guard has seen increases in critical
modernization and recapitalization efforts which provide for
increased guard readiness and lethality.
Mr. Chairman, I thank this committee for the continual
support of National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account. For
decades, this account has enabled the National Guard to field a
ready force that both defends the Nation and responds to
emergency in every community, district, territory, and State
across the country.
To all members of this committee, I thank you for the
support in your men and women of the National Guard, their
families, and I am honored to be here today representing them.
And I look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of General Joseph L. Lengyel
Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Durbin, and distinguished members of
the subcommittee, it is a pleasure to be here today with my fellow
Reserve Component Leaders.
I assumed duties as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau over 2
years ago. It has been my honor each and every day to represent nearly
450,000 Soldiers and Airmen serving in the National Guard. They are the
finest National Guard force in our Nation's history.
For 18 years, the joint force focused on executing
counterinsurgency operations and fighting violent extremists.
Counterinsurgency operations will remain a core competency. However,
the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) refocuses the Department of
Defense (DoD) for long-term competition with China and Russia. The NDS
portrays China and Russia as our dominant focus, while Iran, North
Korea, and non-State actors remain national security threats.
Your National Guard's three core missions of fighting America's
wars, protecting the homeland, and building enduring partnerships
directly support the NDS's three lines of effort: building a more
lethal force; strengthening alliances and attracting new partners; and
reforming the DoD for greater performance and affordability.
The National Guard has transformed itself since the first Gulf War.
It is now an operational force and no longer a strategic reserve. It is
imperative the National Guard remains an operational force, as part of
our Army and Air Force, that helps protect and secure our interests at
home and abroad.
building a more lethal force for the warfight and homeland
Warfight
First, fighting America's wars is the primary mission of the
National Guard. The National Guard is focused on readiness as the NDS
demands more lethality from our military. We are the principal combat
reserve of the Army and Air Force making up 20 percent of the entire
joint force providing strategic depth in support of combatant commands.
There is only one standard of readiness in fighting America's wars.
This readiness requires the National Guard to be deployable,
sustainable, and interoperable with our active components. Enhancing
full-time support and replacing and upgrading dilapidated facilities
are vital in that regard. The National Guard also requires parity in
equipping its force through concurrent and balanced modernization and
recapitalization so that it can deliver the lethality required to the
joint force.
On any given day, the National Guard averages 30,000 Soldiers and
Airmen mobilized on duty in every region of the world. When mobilized
and deployed, the Guard is interchangeable with its active components.
We provide the joint force highly trained and experienced Soldiers and
Airmen to meet mission requirements anywhere. Our Citizen Soldiers and
Airmen are present wherever you see the Army and the Air Force.
``Thirty-nine days a year'' is no longer the standard for much of
the National Guard. Today's force expects to be deployed. Predictable
and rotational mobilizations, where our service members can utilize
their training, will help keep the force relevant, ready, and
integrated with our active components.
The President directed the stand up of a Space Force this past year
to protect and develop our vital interests in space. DoD space-based
assets and capabilities protect our critical infrastructure, our
economy, and our democracy. The National Guard continues to contribute
critical capabilities in space, and we stand ready to support any
future Space Force.
Homeland
The NDS underscores the fact our homeland is no longer a sanctuary
and new technologies and weapons can reach the heart of America with
little or no warning. The 2019 Missile Defense Review clearly
articulates the need to pursue advanced missile defense concepts and
technologies to protect the homeland. The National Guard, with its
Missile Defenders at Fort Greely, Alaska, Schriever Air Force Base,
Colorado, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, remains critical
to our Nation's missile defense and stands ready to evolve in
recognition of advancing threats.
The National Guard's unique dual State and Federal roles and robust
presence in 2,600 communities in our States, territories, and the
District of Columbia give our forces the widest presence of any
military force in America and the ability to quickly respond to
contingencies. Our skills and experience from the warfight are used to
assist first responders and play an important part in a unified
response under Federal or State command during domestic emergencies. We
will remain, in most cases, the first military force to assist first
responders in the States, territories, and the District of Columbia.
In addition to approximately 30,000 Soldiers and Airmen mobilized
around the world, on average, we have approximately 10,000 Guard
Soldiers and Airmen conducting operations in the United States on a
typical day. We provide capability and capacity to United States
Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. Fifteen
of the sixteen alert sites safeguarding our skies within the United
States are operated by the Air National Guard (ANG). The National Guard
Counterdrug Program assists law enforcement with the detection,
interdiction, disruption and curtailment of illicit drug trafficking.
Approximately 55 percent of DoD's chemical, biological, radiological,
and nuclear (CBRN) response enterprise, capable of responding to a host
of CBRN threats, reside in the National Guard. National Guard cyber
units protect DoD's critical networks from malicious cyberattacks and
provide an important cyber resource to Governors. Our Ground- based
Midcourse Defense units in Alaska, Colorado, and California protect our
Nation from ballistic missiles.
Last year, the National Guard supported responses to natural
disasters such as Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and the wildland
fires in California by providing a myriad of services and aid to those
devastated in these regions. The National Guard was there every step of
the way.
Whether executing DoD support to the Department of Homeland
Security's Southwest border security mission or providing support for
State responses to catastrophic disasters, the National Guard meets its
homeland requirements while also meeting its wartime missions in
support of combatant commands.
strengthen alliances and attract new partners
Alliances and partnerships provide an enduring, asymmetric
strategic advantage over our competitors. Working with allies maintains
the favorable balance of power that deters aggression and promotes
stability and economic growth.
The DoD uses multiple tools to strengthen partnerships and
alliances that include security assistance, security cooperation,
military-to-military leader and staff engagement, and regional
cooperation. The National Guard aligns with the joint force through
these activities and adds a unique contribution through the State
Partnership Program (SPP).
Partnerships
Eighty-three countries currently participate in the SPP with more
partnerships expected in 2019. The SPP is a high leverage, low-cost
program with partnerships in every region of the world. It expands
America's competitive space through exchanges that extend beyond the
military realm. Roughly one-third of the nations in the world are
partnered with one of our 50 States, our territories, and the District
of Columbia. These relationships, built on trust, the exchange of
ideas, and mutual respect, served as the basis for approximately 80 co-
deployments and turned many security consumers into security providers.
The SPP is a scalable and tailored approach to security
cooperation. The National Guard consults and coordinates with combatant
commanders, U.S. Embassies and their Country Teams, and host nations to
understand the full range of issues they face. SPP events are led by
respective state adjutants general who seek engagements on a broad
array of interests that are beneficial to both nations. Over 950 SPP
events were conducted in fiscal year 2018 across all Geographic
Combatant Commands. In some of these regions, the SPP is the primary
tool utilized by host nations for security cooperation. Given the
benefits of this program, consistent funding is critical to sustain the
groundwork and momentum that have been built over the 25 years since it
began.
The National Guard's emphasis on partnerships did not begin with
the SPP. Our history as a State-controlled organization naturally led
to partnerships with State and local agencies and their officials.
Governors leverage our presence throughout the Nation through
multiagency integrated playbooks used for planning and responding to
crises. They call the National Guard to augment their State and local
emergency response to leverage military capabilities and skills gained
from the warfight such as manpower, training, leadership, organization,
logistics, and communications. We instinctively take a collaborative
and multiagency approach to all emergencies based on our years of
working with Governors and local community partners. We remain the
States' sole military force to respond to domestic incidents.
The National Guard is a community-based force where our members are
an integral part of their local communities. Whether partnering with
local chapters of Youth ChalleNGe where more than 170,000 at-risk
teenagers have graduated since its inception in 1993, or assisting
local responders after a heavy snowstorm, the National Guard reinforces
the connection between the American people and their military.
reform the dod for greater performance and affordability
Business reform is mandated by the NDS. The National Guard helps
DoD achieve greater performance and affordability by optimizing the
inherent cost- savings of the National Guard and posturing our forces
for predictable operational requirements. This directly supports the
joint force in meeting global demands and preserves readiness in the
active components.
Reforming for greater performance also includes properly organizing
the National Guard to achieve mission objectives. The National Guard
Bureau (NGB) is a DoD joint activity with statutes and policies
codifying the roles and functions of our organization. Along with the
Office of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, the NGB is comprised
of the Army National Guard Directorate, the Air National Guard
Directorate, and the NGB Joint Staff. The NGB operates as one entity
supporting the 50 States, three territories and the District of
Columbia to man, train, and equip National Guard forces to execute DoD
missions worldwide. We strive to ensure unity of effort within our
organization and efficiently use the resources entrusted to the
National Guard. The NGB must continue its march towards reform and
efficiencies.
cngb's three priorities
I have laid out three priorities to accomplish the objectives of
the NDS and our three core missions of warfight, homeland, and
partnerships--provide ready forces to the President and our Governors,
take care of and develop our people, and promote an innovative culture.
Priority #1 Readiness
The National Guard contributes to readiness recovery for the joint
force by providing additional capacity through rotational forces. By
deploying for known requirements, the National Guard enables the joint
force to meet increasing global demands while reducing strain on the
active components. In fiscal year 2018, our Soldiers and Airmen
supported DoD missions spanning every Geographic Combatant Command and
utilized some of the same skills helping communities throughout the
Nation in responding to emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, winter
storms, a volcano, and wildfires.
The Army National Guard (ARNG) is committed to providing ready
forces that are warfighting-capable and Governor-responsive. In
providing ready forces for the Army and the joint force, the Army
designates select ARNG formations as Focused Readiness Units that are
available to rapidly deploy and conduct contingency operations.
Additionally, four ARNG brigade combat teams and the units that support
them will complete decisive-action training rotations at the Army's
premier combat training centers. These activities occur in parallel
with deployments and exercises that our Citizen-Soldiers participate in
around the world. The ARNG's primary focus in fiscal year 2020 is to
reverse shortfalls in recruiting and ensure full-time support is fully
leveraged to achieve and maintain our readiness.
The ANG is also committed to the readiness of the force, its 21st
century Guard Airmen, and building for tomorrow's fight. The Air Guard
provides the same levels of readiness and deployment timelines as the
active duty. It exceeded its fiscal year 2018 end strength goal of
106,600 with a continued focus on training and resourcing efforts that
improve readiness and lethality.
Looking to the future, the ANG must modernize and recapitalize its
equipment concurrently and in a balanced manner commensurate with the
active duty ensuring deployability, sustainability, and
interoperability across all mission sets. The Air Guard remains focused
on resourcing and training lethal, resilient Guard Airmen and
developing exceptional leaders.
Priority #2 People, Families, and Employers
There must be a balance between the needs of Guard members'
employers and the needs of the States and the Nation. Striking the
appropriate balance requires training that is predictable, when
possible, and deployments that leverage this training and enhance
national security.
We have increased our recruiting efforts. The current economic
environment requires competing against other market forces and
remaining competitive through incentives in order to recruit the very
best men and women.
The National Guard fosters integrity, respect, and candor within
its ranks by maintaining high standards of personal conduct and
bearing. We will not tolerate those who choose to act with a lack of
integrity and character, nor will we accept sexual assault, sexual
harassment, discrimination, and any forms of communication that degrade
or demoralize unit cohesion and readiness. We provide our utmost
support and care to victims of these acts.
We are also emphasizing mental health and resiliency for our units
as we strive to prevent suicides. Any Soldier or Airman who takes his
or her own life is one too many. First-line supervisors, battle buddies
and wingmen will continue to receive the requisite training necessary
to look out for fellow Soldiers and Airmen.
We must also ensure our families are aware of family readiness
programs, employment assistance programs, and where to turn when they
need help. Our families faithfully commit to our Nation and we must
ensure we remain faithful to them.
Priority #3 Innovation
The National Guard is a catalyst for DoD's innovation initiatives.
Whether looking at ways to save costs through greater utilization of
untapped capacity in the National Guard, or reviewing ways to expand
the competitive space and increase our advantages through our SPP, DoD
has many options to use the Guard as ``the innovative force'' to help
address today's challenges.
We have dedicated resources to ensure our culture is dynamic, and
forward leaning by questioning existing processes and challenging the
status quo. We have to educate and empower our Guardsmen and implement
innovative measures.
Our National Guard Innovation Team (NGIT) is one vehicle we use to
innovate. This team leverages the talent, experience, abilities, and
insight of our traditional Guardsmen enabling the Guard to integrate
skill sets and join Guard members from unconnected fields that can
sometimes lead to breakthroughs. This past year, the NGIT worked on
issues related to communications, employer support, recruiting and
retention, reform initiatives, and technology adaptation. The challenge
ahead will be in the implementation of some very innovative ideas.
conclusion
The operational National Guard is an integral part of the joint
force and plays an important role in every aspect of our national
security and defense. I am proud of the Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen who
serve to protect our homeland and interests abroad. We face many
challenges ahead, some in areas not seen before. However, I am
confident we will confront these challenges as we always have--through
the extraordinary talents and commitment of our Guardsmen and women. We
remain . . . Always Ready, Always There!
Senator Shelby. General Luckey.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES D. LUCKEY,
CHIEF, ARMY RESERVE
General Luckey. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Durbin,
distinguished members of this committee, I appreciate again the
opportunity to represent before you this morning the 200,000
soldiers and civilian employees of America's Army Reserve.
Thank you for the opportunity to be here and for your continued
support as we build and support our soldiers, families, and
employers and developing the readiness that the Nation
requires.
In preparing to meet the challenges of new and evolving
threats around the world, your Army Reserve continues to train,
organize, and posture itself to identify early-deploying
formations, aggregate additional capabilities, and move quickly
to accomplish post-mobilization training tasks in order to meet
the warfighter's time-sensitive requirements.
This construct, Ready Force X, remains the way in which we
focus energy, optimize our processes, and prioritize our
resources to develop capabilities at the speed of relevance for
a major war.
Early-deploying RFX formations and capabilities need to be
able to move quickly, in some cases days or weeks, in order to
support the Joint Force in any significant conflict or
demonstration of national resolve. We do not call this ``fight-
tonight readiness''; we call it ``fight-fast capability.'' Over
the past year, we have expanded and refined this construct, and
we are more ready than ever.
While we fully acknowledge that our first responsibility is
to bring our unique capabilities as a part of the total Army
for winning the Nation's wars, we also embrace our opportunity
and mandate to respond on no notice to problems and challenges
in the homeland.
With soldiers, facilities, and capabilities in thousands of
communities across the Nation, America's Army Reserve is well
postured to respond quickly when disaster strikes and our
fellow Americans are in their time of greatest need.
Our key responsive capabilities include search and rescue
units, aviation assets, route clearance engineers, medical
units, water and fuel distribution and treatment operations,
purification, and communications support.
America's Army Reserve provided assistance in Hurricanes
Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Florence, and a variety of other
disasters. We were at it again last month in the State of
Nebraska.
For the past 2 years, America's Army Reserve has been on a
path to seize digital key terrain. This journey presses on as
the Army Reserve Innovation Command headquartered in Houston,
Texas, and now in direct support of Army Futures Command in
Austin assesses and develops emerging outposts in technological
hubs across the country.
The command serves as a link for operational innovation and
the development of concepts and capabilities to enhance the
readiness of the future force by capitalizing on the extensive
civilian-acquired or retained skills, knowledge, and experience
that reside in America's Army Reserve.
We are uniquely positioned to support the Army and staying
on pace with rapidly emerging trends or opportunities in the
private sector, while also providing a potential pool of on-
demand talent for Army Futures Command.
As it pertains to cyberspace operations, we remain steadily
on glide path to establish the 10 Cyber Protection Teams in key
locations around the country such as San Antonio, Boston,
Pittsburgh, and the Bay Area in California.
Army Reserve cyber soldiers bring unique skills and
experience to the force from their civilian occupations, drawn
from over 40 corporate, financial, and academic institutions,
and they provide direct support to Army Cyber Command and other
governmental agencies.
Additionally, the Army Reserve recently entered a
partnership with the Army Cyber Institute, the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point, and we will work together on program
research.
We remain grateful to Congress for passing of the fiscal
year 2019 defense appropriations bill and ensuring consistent
and predictable funding, which will build Army Reserve
readiness and support modernization.
Finally, we have been able to leverage the congressionally
provided National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriations,
NGREA, to purchase key systems and tactical vehicles, including
the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, weapons firing simulators,
wet gap crossing equipment, and to integrate dual-purpose
capabilities that can be brought quickly to bear not only in
wartime, but also to support our fellow citizens in the
aftermath of a homeland disaster.
As I have testified previously, there is an inherent
challenge in the part-time force. This team needs to be ready
enough to be relevant but not so ready that our soldiers cannot
keep good, meaningful civilian jobs, and healthy sustaining
family lives.
This nimble and efficient part-time force would not be
possible without the support of civilian employers around the
globe. They are our essential partners in national security,
sharing the best talent in the world with us. As they continue
that commitment and sacrifice, which allows our soldiers to
serve the Nation while maintaining rewarding civilian
employment, we continue to appreciate your support and
encouraging them to do so. We have a deeper appreciation for
the sharing, the partnership that we are constantly maintaining
with our employers across the Nation and around the world.
As with the employers, nothing would be possible for an
all-volunteer force without our families. We continue to focus
on making sure we support them, and we make sure that they know
how much their support is required to be able to sustain this
force. We could not do it without them.
Due to Congress' continued support, America's Army Reserve
will meet the challenges of the time. Most importantly, we will
remain steady in the saddle as we build the most capable
combat-ready and lethal Federal reserve force in the history of
the Nation.
I thank you for your support. I thank you for your time and
I appreciate--and look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Charles D. Luckey
america's army reserve: leadership. energy. execution.
The increasingly complex and volatile global security environment,
the changing character of warfare, and the rapid advance of technology
continue to demand increased readiness and capability to deter and, if
necessary, defeat aggression. As the dedicated Federal reserve of the
Army, Army Reserve--its units-of-action and individual Soldiers--must
be ready to mobilize, deploy, fight and win as an integrated part of
the Army team anywhere in the world. More to the point, it must do so
quickly.
Over a long history of wars and contingency operations, as well as
domestic emergencies, the Soldiers of America's Army Reserve have never
failed to answer the Nation's call. Today, we continue to build and
sustain the most capable, combat-ready and lethal Federal Reserve force
in the history of the Nation. It is a large undertaking. As a
community-based force with a presence in all 50 States, five U.S.
territories and 30 countries, America's Army Reserve spans the globe
with over 200,000 Soldiers and Civilian employees and 2,000+ units in
twenty different time zones. It comprises nearly 20 percent of the
Army's organized units and over a quarter of its mobilization base-
expansion capacity. As a unique set of enabling formations, the Army
Reserve provides a large percentage of the Army's maneuver support and
sustainment capabilities, including medical, fuel distribution, civil
affairs, logistics, and transportation units. Put simply, America's
Army Reserve supports U.S. national security interests by providing key
and essential capabilities that the Total Army and the Joint Force need
to dominate on the battlefield the opening days of conflict. Nested
within the Army's priorities of Readiness, Modernization and Reform,
our supporting lines-of-effort are to:
--Build and sustain an increasingly capable, combat-ready and lethal
force ready to deploy, fight and win.
--Continue to garner and maintain the support of our Soldiers'
employers and Families as they balance their lives.
--Anticipate change as we shape and scope the future force, and
leverage our unique and pervasive connections with the Nation's
private sector.
The challenges of building and fielding such an array of ready and
lethal capabilities from the ranks of a largely part-time team is no
small task, but the diversity and efficiency of the force is also its
strength. Leveraging a dispersed and dynamic phalanx of Soldiers and
leaders with civilian-acquired or retained skills from over 140
different career fields, America's Army Reserve brings the brains and
brawn of the Nation to bear for the Army and the Joint Warfighter as
needed. This effort requires a balance of pragmatism, operational drive
and focus, and a strategic perspective on the tough business of driving
deep and abiding cultural change.Shifting our orientation from
predictable, rotational and episodic readiness and employment, to
large-scale and short-notice combat operations against a peer or near-
peer threat demands a dramatic change in our mindset and perspective.
At its core, only inspired leadership at echelon--combined with
boundless energy and a pervasive commitment to embrace and deliver the
warrior ethos within the context of existential warfare--will harden
this team's resolve and hone the decisive edge. This is the work that
we are about.
Building the Most Capable, Combat-Ready and Lethal Federal Reserve
Force in the History of the Nation
In preparing to meet the challenges of this new and evolving threat
paradigm, your Army Reserve is training, organizing and posturing
itself to be able to respond on short notice to identify early-
deploying formations, aggregate additional capabilities and move
quickly to accomplish post-mobilization training tasks in order to meet
the Warfighter's time-sensitive requirements. This construct, Ready
Force X (RFX), is the way in which we focus energy, optimize processes
and prioritize resourcing to deliver capabilities at the speed of
relevance for a major war. Early- deploying RFX units and capabilities
need to be able to move quickly--in some cases in days or weeks--in
order to support the Joint Force in any significant conflict or
demonstration of national resolve. We do not call this ``fight
tonight'' readiness; we call it ``fight fast'' capability. From a
cultural perspective, RFX requires that each Soldier, at the individual
level, embrace the ethos of personal readiness. While many of aspects
of collective readiness at the unit level can be tuned- up quickly upon
mobilization, the key individual Soldier requirements of physical
fitness, medical readiness, tactical discipline, professional
education, and fieldcraft proficiency must be ``baked in'' to the
entire force. Put simply, at a profound level, we are all in RFX.
As noted above, this focus on fighting fast, and in opposition to a
peer adversary, is a stark and challenging departure from the
progressive and rotational (or cyclic) readiness models that have
evolved over the past 18 years of sustained operations, primarily in
the CENTCOM theater of operations. Not only does it drive all aspects
of our training to build increasingly high levels of both individual
and collective readiness, but it enables us to prioritize equipping and
modernization of certain formations or capabilities with a sustained
level of focus over a period of years, as the lead capability sets and
formations inside the RFX architecture do not ``rotate'' arbitrarily
from 1 year to the next. This key attribute--the ability to plan and
sustain a coherent training, equipping and resourcing strategy across a
number of years for the bulk of America's Army Reserve--will deliver
ever greater capability and lethality as we move in to the future.
As with the other components of the Army, your Army Reserve pushes
to stress Soldiers and units with relevant scenarios that emulate the
full-spectrum, all-domain, aspects of the next fight, while
simultaneously acknowledging that we continue to deploy the force into
the current one. By orchestrating, rationalizing and synchronizing
strenuous training exercises and activities at a wide variety of
training platforms and venues across North America, and around the
globe, your Army Reserve has elevated its priority on combat-readiness
and fieldcraft to an unprecedented level. Working closely with the
other components of the Army and, in many cases, with close partners
and allies from around the world, America's Army Reserve continues to
build and expand upon opportunities to train the way we will fight;
together. Whether it be our expanded and, essentially, year-round Cold
Steel gunnery operation--now well into its third year--or an expansion
of Combat Support Training Exercises (CSTXs), routine and embedded
rotations at the Army's Combat Training Centers, or ever closer
collaboration with our teammates in the Army National Guard at such
training venues as Northern Strike or Golden Coyote, we continue to
explore expanded options to build readiness for tomorrow.
The Army Reserve is always looking to the future and the next
fight. To that end, the United States Army Reserve is fielding 60 Joint
Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), which we will use as training and
familiarization platforms setting the conditions for fielding-at-scale
in the years ahead. As the leading edge of Army Reserve modernization,
these initial JLTVs will support the Army Reserve Training Strategy and
accelerate Army interoperability; both in training and on the
battlefield.
defense support to civil authorities (dsca)
always present. always ready.
With Soldiers, facilities and capabilities in more than 1,100
communities across the Nation, America's Army Reserve is well-postured
to respond quickly when disaster strikes and our fellow Americans are
in their time of greatest need. Our key responsive capabilities include
search and rescue units, aviation assets, route clearance engineers,
medical units, water and fuel distribution operations, water
purification and communications support; many of these forces have been
well-tested over the recent past. While we fully acknowledge that our
first responsibility is to leverage our unique capabilities to support
the Army in winning the Nation's wars, we also embrace our opportunity
and mandate to respond to need, on no-notice, in the Homeland. As
America's Army Reserve demonstrated recently in its response to
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Florence, we cede this
responsibility to no one.
The Army Reserve has been able to invest in the capacity and depth
to be well-postured to move quickly and effectively to support our
fellow citizens when they need our support. This is a huge benefit to
the Nation, and one that informs our focus as we look to the future.
While recognizing Federal Emergency Management Agency is the lead
Federal agency for disaster response in the Homeland, America's Army
Reserve is enhancing the immediate response authority of our Army
Reserve Regional Commands to more effectively command and control units
to execute emergency response operations in support of the American
people. As an example, and to that end, we have reorganized, empowered
and equipped our 1st Mission Support Command, headquartered at Fort
Buchanan, Puerto Rico, to be the ``go-to command'' to generate and
integrate your Army Reserve's immediate response operations in the
Caribbean when disaster response is needed. We will continue to shape,
develop and scale this capability as we move forward, ensuring that we
position our units and their equipment to become ever more responsive
and operationally effective.
shape and grow the future force: modernize and reform
From its inception in 1908, leveraging the huge capacity and
existing technical capability of medical professionals in the Nation's
private sector, America's Army Reserve has always brought depth in
critical technologies to the Army. Our times are no different. Drawing
now upon its diverse and dispersed professionals working in a variety
of leading edge technologies across the country, your Army Reserve will
tap into the finest brains in business, industry and academia to act as
a screening force for the Army and an additive to national security.
This role is in our cultural DNA.
For the past 2 years, your Army Reserve has been on a path of
transforming its structure and procedures to seize the ``digital key
terrain.'' This journey presses on as our 2-star Innovation Command--
headquartered in Houston, Texas and now in Direct Support of Army
Futures Command in Austin--assesses and develops emerging outposts in
technology hubs across the country, focusing on the harnessing of
skills and talent acquired or retained in the commercial sector. The
command serves as a link for operational innovation and the development
of concepts and capabilities to enhance the readiness of the future
force by capitalizing on extensive ``civilian acquired or retained''
knowledge, skills and experience. As a screening force for the Army, we
are uniquely positioned to support the Army in staying on pace with
rapidly emerging trends or opportunities in the private sector, while
also providing a potential pool of on-demand talent for Army Futures
Command. This process is already well underway.
As it pertains to cyberspace operations, we remain steadily on
glide path to establishing Cyber Protection Teams at key locations
around the country, such as Camp Parks, CA (Bay Area), Adelphi, MD
(D.C.), San Antonio, TX, Fort Devens, MA (Boston), and Coraopolis, PA
(Pittsburgh). Moreover, the Army Reserve Cyber Operations Group
(ARCOG), with five Cyber Protection Centers and 10 Cyber Protection
Teams, provides direct support to Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER), and
general support to other government agencies including DHS, NSA, FBI
and DIA. Army Reserve Cyber Soldiers bring unique skills and experience
to the force from their civilian occupations, drawn from over 40
corporate, financial and academic institutions. The cyber talent within
the Army Reserve delivers capability, improves cyber readiness, and
increases our network defense capability. To identify and cultivate
cyber talent, the Army Reserve created the National Cyber Private
Public Partnership in 2015. This program places Soldiers in critical
Army Reserve cyber formation and provides enhanced opportunities to
pursue civilian careers in the field.
As for reform, America's Army Reserve is committed to achieving the
Secretary of the Army's intent of increasing both the effectiveness as
well as the efficiency of the Total Army, reducing overhead,
eliminating redundancies and streamlining procedures while further
delegating authorities and empowering subordinate commanders wherever
possible. As the Principal Official of this Component of the Army as
well as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, I have
directed my team to consolidate supporting staff operations, reshape
headquarters and drive to an integrated Army Reserve staff that is
optimized to support each independent set of responsibilities as a
holistic effort. This rigorous analysis and scrutiny predates the
publication of the Department of the Army Reform Initiative memorandum
and is advancing on pace. Over time, this initiative will ensure that
we strike the right balance between staffing headquarters, providing
full-time support to units in the field, and cascading appropriate
authorities ``down echelon.'' We will continue to assess and evaluate
the size, consolidation and function of headquarters as we press into
the future, and we will adjust with agility and speed.
support soldiers, families and employers
Our dynamic requirement remains straightforward, but tough: this
team needs to be ready enough to be relevant, but not so ready that our
Soldiers cannot maintain good, meaningful civilian jobs and healthy,
sustaining family lives. This challenge is exacerbated by the simple
fact that we must recruit and retain our ranks where Soldiers live and
work, and anticipate emerging demographics by moving force structure to
not only where talent resides today, but where it will be tomorrow.
This process demands agility, synchronization and integrated planning.
It also relies, without exception, upon the enduring support of
thousands of employers across America as well as our Soldiers'
Families.
Put simply, this part-time force would not be possible without the
support of civilian employers around the globe. They are our essential
partners in national security--sharing the best talent in the world
with us--as they continue the commitment and sacrifice which allows
Soldiers to serve the Nation while maintaining rewarding civilian
employment. America owes those employers who are willing to trade a
short-term inconvenience or disruption to the ``bottom line'' in
exchange for a more secure common future a deep appreciation for
sharing their workplace talent with America's Army Reserve.
As with employers, nothing would be possible for an all-volunteer
force unless our Families continued to stay on the team. There is no
doubt that the Army depends on its Families to support its Soldiers and
to share them with us. This is doubly so in the Reserve Component where
many weekends and training days are consumed in what would otherwise
likely be ``family time'' for our Active Component brothers and
sisters. Accordingly, the Army Reserve relies heavily on our Families,
and the communities that support them, as we partner with a broad range
of organizations and employers who support our military Families.
To that end, America's Army Reserve is pressing hard to leverage
new technologies and opportunities to better communicate with our
entire Army Reserve family. We are presently in the final stages of
developing and propagating a new ``smart phone friendly'' application
that will enable our Families to self-organize and provide mutual
support where they live and work at the zip code level without regard
to their Soldier's specific unit-of-assignment or chain-of-command.
This Double Eagle mobile application is also designed to help leaders
maintain contact with Soldiers during the periods between battle
assemblies as well as conjure supporting resources for Soldiers and
Family members who may be in crisis. As a command insight tool, the app
creates a broadly expanded level of access and connectivity,
propagating the penetration-at-echelon of timely and relevant
information and key aspects of commander's intent. Across our dispersed
battle-space, it will increase our Soldiers' bond as a team while
offering their Families similar opportunities as a critical partner in
this undertaking. Finally, working in close coordination with U.S. Army
Recruiting Command, the app will be optimized to support the Total Army
in identifying potential recruits for the team by leveraging the entire
end strength of America's Army Reserve as real-time recruiters, living
and working across the America and scouting talent for the Nation.
conclusion
We remain grateful to Congress for passing of the fiscal year 2019
defense appropriations bill and for ensuring consistent and predictable
funding which will directly support Army Reserve readiness and
modernization. As a result of it, your Army Reserve will continue to
meet the challenges of the time. In these dynamic and challenging
times, we will stay steady in the saddle as we build the most capable,
combat-ready, and lethal Federal reserve in the history of the Nation.
Senator Shelby. Lieutenant General Scobee.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL RICHARD W. SCOBEE,
CHIEF, AIR FORCE RESERVE
General Scobee. Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Durbin, and
distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to report on the readiness of America's Air Force
Reserve. I am joined today by Chief Master Sergeant Tim White,
Command Chief for the Air Force Reserve Command.
As a critical component of the total force, the Air Force
Reserve provides cost-effective strategic depth, rapid surge
capability, and operational support to the Joint Force. Our
70,000 citizen airmen are both interchangeable and integrated
with their active component counterparts. We fly as one, we
train as one, and we fight as one.
The Air Force Reserve's current objective is to prepare to
operate in tomorrow's battlespace while providing excellent
support to our airmen and their families.
To ensure alignment with the National Defense Strategy, we
are focused on prioritizing our strategic depth and
accelerating our readiness. We are also going to develop
resilient leaders who can generate combat power, and we are
going to reform our organization to optimize our warfighting
capabilities and take care of our airmen.
The on-time allocation of the fiscal year 2019 budget
greatly bolstered Air Force Reserve readiness, and we know you
are working hard to ensure the timely allocation of the fiscal
year 2020 budget. We thank you for your continual support and
your diligent effort to ensure we receive the predictable
funding we require to defend this great Nation.
The Air Force Reserve has improved our overall readiness
during the past year. We are better prepared at the unit level,
and our individual readiness has increased.
Our nuclear deterrence forces are mission-ready, and we
have expanded our mission capabilities by activating our first
cyber wing and our first intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance wing.
Additionally, we are also aligning our space units to meet
future space mission force requirements, whatever they may be.
We have improved our lethality by modernizing our weapon
systems with the National Guard Reserve Equipment
Appropriations. We thank you for those funds, which we also
used to purchase much needed support equipment.
We remain focused on our personnel programs and reaching
our end strength. We are targeting our full-time manpower
shortages with a variety of initiatives, which include
converting approximately 1,200 full-time authorizations from
air reserve technicians to active guard reserve positions.
The Air Force Reserve has built our success on the hard
work of our airmen. Therefore, it is imperative that we ensure
our reserve citizen airmen and their families have the support,
resources, and care they need.
This subcommittee can improve the quality of life for our
airmen by supporting legislation to authorize our dual- status
air reserve technicians to receive medical coverage under the
TRICARE Reserve Select healthcare plan. This initiative would
improve healthcare across our Air Force Reserve for our
technicians and their families, and it would significantly
increase the retention of our air reserve technicians, our most
challenging duty status.
The Air Force Reserve will continue to increase readiness
as we posture our force to meet future operational
requirements.
I thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today
and for your unwavering support as we ensure the Air Force
Reserve remains prepared to defend this great Nation.
I look forward to answering your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Richard W. Scobee
The Air Force is a Total Force.
The Air Force Reserve is a critical component of this Total Force
and a vital part of our national defense. Our 70,000 Citizen Airmen are
operationally integrated with their Active Component counterparts. We
fly as one, train as one, and fight as one.
The Air Force Reserve provides cost effective strategic depth,
rapid surge capability, and operational support to the joint force. We
supply the manpower and capabilities needed to fill combatant commander
requirements. We also provide critical rapid response, allowing the Air
Force to quickly react to unforeseen events, such as natural disasters
and contingencies, and we will be called upon to supply the manpower
required for the high-end fight.
We also provide daily operational support to the joint force by
participating in Air Expeditionary Force taskings, filling Active
Component manpower shortfalls, and providing manpower augmentation
during operations tempo increases. Our personnel train both Reserve and
Active Component members in multiple mission areas, to include
assisting Total Force pilot production.
In addition to world-wide military operations, the Air Force
Reserve partners with and supports a number of Federal and civil
organizations, including the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and a variety of civilian education and
research institutions. We participate in and assist with numerous
efforts, including humanitarian and disaster response actions,
international counter-drug operations, education and technology
initiatives, and global scientific research programs.
The Air Force Reserve offers a career extension opportunity for
separating Active Component members. The accession of trained personnel
allows the Air Force to retain fully qualified Airmen and saves
millions of dollars each year in training costs. The retention of this
talent increases the readiness of the Reserve component and sustains
the capabilities of the Total Force.
Strategic Environment
For two decades, Air Force operations have focused on counter
terrorism and counter insurgency objectives. During ten of the last 11
years, budget cuts and the unpredictable appropriation of funds by
Continuing Resolutions and the Budget Control Act degraded readiness
across the Department of Defense. The Air Force Reserve was forced to
stretch fiscal appropriations, deferring aircraft modernization,
infrastructure upgrades, and equipment purchases. These shortfalls,
combined with decreased training funds, reduced our overall readiness.
The re-emergence of great power competition necessitates that we
rapidly restore our readiness and modernize our force. We must be able
to engage in peer and near-peer conflict in the future operating
environment. The battlespace of tomorrow will be drastically different
from that of yesteryear, as technological advances are changing the
nature of conflict, expanding warfare into new domains and increasing
the need for certain key capabilities. We must enhance critical mission
sets and ensure we have the resources to meet emerging requirements.
The Air Force Reserve Today and Tomorrow
In any future conflict, the Air Force will be at the forefront.
Therefore, the Air Force Reserve must be prepared to fly, fight, and
win in tomorrow's battlespace and to simultaneously operate in multiple
warfighting domains. We must ensure we have the right force mix and the
necessary capabilities to defeat any adversary. At the same time, we
must sustain our current level of support to the joint force and
maintain our readiness to respond to present-day contingencies.
The Air Force Reserve's warfighting ability depends on the timely
allocation of funds. Predictable budgets allow us to deliberately
program our spending, maximizing the readiness return of expenditures.
On time allocations enable us to fully execute our flying hour and
Reserve Personnel Appropriation funds, which we rely on to maintain a
trained, ready force. Predictable allocations also facilitate
modernization efforts, allowing us to sustain weapons systems and to
systematically upgrade our infrastructure.
The on time allocation of the fiscal year 2019 budget greatly
bolstered Air Force Reserve readiness. We know this achievement
required considerable effort by Congress, and we thank you for your
hard work. In addition to using this allocation to conduct training and
complete readiness requirements, we also funded much needed
construction, infrastructure improvements, and weapons systems
sustainment. However, we still have significant backlogs in these
areas, and we continue to face challenges associated with maintaining
an aging aircraft fleet.
The Air Force Reserve's ability to support the joint force is
directly tied to our integration within the Total Force. Our mission
effectiveness is maximized when we maintain parity with the Active
Component through the concurrent fielding and upgrading of airframes
and equipment. Our interoperability and integration is further enhanced
by associations between Active Component and Reserve units, which
provide multiple readiness and cost saving benefits to the Total Force.
The Air Force Reserve must grow our capabilities to meet the
demands of the future operating environment. In the past year, we
activated our first cyber wing and our first intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance wing, which will serve as a base for
the further expansion of these mission sets. Our fiscal year 2020
budget request aligns our space assets with the operational
requirements of the Space Mission Force. We will continue to grow these
evolving and emerging mission sets, while ensuring we have the proper
force mix across the enterprise.
The recruitment, hiring, and retention of full time personnel,
particularly pilots and maintainers, is currently the Air Force
Reserve's most significant readiness challenge. We are implementing
multiple initiatives to remedy the current shortage, including
converting approximately 1,200 Air Reserve Technician positions to
Active Guard/Reserve over a three year period.
The Air Force Reserve has built our success on the hard work of our
Airmen. They are an incredibly talented, experienced, and diverse
force, and ultimately, they are responsible for executing the mission.
Therefore, it is imperative that we take care of our Airmen and their
families. We are committed to ensuring that our Reserve Citizen Airmen
are resilient warfighters and that Reservists and their families have
the support, resources, and care they need.
implementing the national defense strategy
Air Force Reserve Strategic Priorities
The National Defense Strategy is the United States' plan to
compete, deter, and win in the future warfighting environment.
America's military force must be able to defend the homeland, provide a
safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent, defeat a powerful
conventional enemy, deter opportunistic aggression, and disrupt violent
extremists in a cost-effective manner.
To align our efforts with National Defense Strategy objectives and
Air Force directives, the Air Force Reserve established three
priorities. First, we must Prioritize Strategic Depth and Accelerate
Readiness to ensure we have the manpower and capabilities required to
support the joint force and to engage in the high end fight. Secondly,
we must Develop Resilient Leaders, who can operate independently and
generate combat power in tomorrow's battlespace. Finally, we must
Reform the Organization, optimizing our warfighting capabilities and
internal processes to cost effectively maximize mission capabilities
and ensure we provide the highest levels of support to our Airmen and
their families.
The Air Force Reserve is proactively implementing these priorities,
which will guide future initiatives at all levels of the command. This
effort will ensure we are in line with the National Defense Strategy,
facilitate mission readiness, and improve all aspects of our
organization.
The Air Force Reserve and the Air Force We Need
Last year, the Air Force conducted an analysis of the force
structure and capabilities required to implement the National Defense
Strategy, which indicated that the Total Force should grow to 386
operational squadrons.
The Total Force currently has 312 operational squadrons. This
number includes the Air Force Reserve's operational squadrons. When
conducting the analysis, the Air Force assumed that the current ratio
of Active Component to Reserve Component forces would remain constant.
This study was focused on determining the needed combat capabilities,
and specified the required number of operational squadrons by mission
set, not by component.
For any planned future growth, the Air Force will evaluate which
missions are best suited to each component. Although the distribution
of mission sets and capabilities is still to be determined, the Air
Force Reserve will grow in proportion to the Active Component, adding
both operational units and the necessary support personnel to sustain
these forces.
Associations
The association of co-located Active Component and Reserve units
effectively amplifies readiness by improving the integration and
interoperability of Reserve personnel. Associated flying units operate
the same weapons systems, which enables Reservists to train on the
Total Force's newest airframes and equipment. This provides multiple
second and third order benefits to the Active Component and the
Reserve, ultimately reducing operational and training costs for both.
Associations also facilitate Reserve support to the Active Component
and bolster the Reserve's ability to capture separating Active
Component members, retaining their skills in the Total Force.
Our associations are not limited to flying units. There are
associated Air Force Reserve units in multiple mission areas, including
intelligence, cyber, and space, and support functions, such as
maintenance, training, civil engineering, and security forces. These
associations provide the same cost savings, integration, and
interoperability benefits garnered by flying unit associations.
Currently, there are approximately 70 associations between the Air
Force Reserve and the Active Component. Various Active Component
entities have proposed additional associations, which include space,
cyber, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
associations. The Air Force Reserve favors adding associations in
locations and mission areas which will benefit the Air Force. We
strongly support increasing the number of active associations, where
the Reserve component is the lead unit and the Active Component is the
associate.
Nuclear Deterrence
The Air Force Reserve's Nuclear Deterrence Operations force
consists of one nuclear strike wing, seven nuclear command, control,
and communications capable command posts, and seven tanker wings with
nuclear air refueling missions. We are also in the process of
converting two additional wings to tanker operations, which are
projected to achieve nuclear capability within 2 years.
The Air Force Reserve conducted fifteen Nuclear Deterrence
Operations assessments in 2018. These assessments validated that our
nuclear tasked units were properly equipped and manned, verified that
personnel were adequately trained, and confirmed our ability to
generate nuclear forces. The Air Force Reserve's Nuclear Deterrence
Operations Forces are mission ready.
Emerging and Evolving Missions
Modern technology has expanded warfighting into new domains,
revolutionizing how we fight and exposing us to new threats. Technology
greatly enhances our combat capabilities, but our increasing reliance
on integrated systems also creates potential vulnerabilities,
necessitating the protection of critical assets. To retain our military
advantage and to guard against new threats, the Air Force Reserve must
keep pace with the current rapid rate of technological development. We
must ensure we have the tools, capabilities, and skills required for
future conflict.
We live in a world that is connected by digital systems, which
support everything from communications to infrastructure. These systems
span the globe. However, there are no borders in the digital world,
making the United States vulnerable to attack from any adversary with
an Internet connection. Therefore, we must protect our information
systems, and we must be prepared to engage our enemies in the cyber
realm.
To optimize our cyber defenses, the Air Force Reserve is shifting
to precision cyber security, which protects data at rest, data in
transit, and the identity of individuals accessing the data. This
focused approach will provide better protection than our current method
of attempting to secure every item connected to our networks, which has
become unfeasible. We also plan to transition some of our information
technology support, service, and sustainment to the private sector,
allowing our personnel to focus on mission assurance and active
defensive cyber operations.
The ability to rapidly share information between warfighting assets
will create unprecedented synchronization in the employment of forces,
magnifying our situational awareness on the battlefield and amplifying
our combat effectiveness. This synchronization is dependent on our
capacity to gather, analyze, and synthesize data. Robust ISR
capabilities are critical to the future fight, especially as the
geopolitical environment shifts to great power competition.
Cyber and ISR capabilities will only increase in importance as
technology continues to advance. To retain our military advantage in
combat and to protect against threats below the level of combat, we
must have both cyberspace superiority and information superiority. The
demand for Air Force Reserve support in these two key mission areas is
already high, and we are posturing our force to ensure we can meet
these demands.
The recent activation of the Air Force Reserve's first cyber and
ISR wings provides a foundation for future expansion in these mission
sets. We built these units to maximize our capabilities within each
function. Our newly formed cyber wing is the only wing in the Total
Force to operate all Air Force defensive cyber systems, and our ISR
wing is the most mission-diverse ISR wing in the Air Force.
Furthermore, we capitalize on our Reservists' civil experience to
enhance our mission capabilities and foster industry partnerships. Our
diversity and career field expertise allow us to meet all Total Force
support requirements in these critical missions, and we are postured to
grow our forces to meet future needs.
In any conflict, control of the high ground offers a great
advantage. Space is the ultimate high ground. Our adversaries have
realized this, and they seek to level the playing field by expanding
warfighting operations into space. We must be prepared to defend our
space assets and interests.
The Air Force Reserve is already a key contributor to the Space
Mission Force. We conduct multiple space functions, including command
and control, satellite operations, missile warning and missile defense,
counter space operations, and electronic warfare support. We also
provide launch and range support, conduct testing and training, and
provide manpower for the Combined Space Operations Center. In response
to Air Force Space Command needs, our fiscal year 2020 budget request
rebalances 63 manpower billets into our Space Mission Forces by
removing them from other lower priority mission sets. This is intended
to right-size our space assets and will ensure we can meet future
United States Space Command support requirements.
rebuilding readiness
Funding Readiness
The Air Force Reserve relies on flying hour funding and Reserve
Personnel Appropriation (RPA) funds to maintain individual readiness.
Flying hour funding ensures our aircrews have sufficient training and
maintain required currency and proficiency. RPA funding gives us the
ability to provide extra training when needed. We also use RPA funds to
temporarily backfill vacancies and to augment our full time force as
required to maintain readiness.
The Air Force Reserve executed 99 percent of both our fiscal year
2018 flying hour and RPA budgets, and we are on track to execute all
fiscal year 2019 flying hour and RPA funds. The flying hour funding
requested in our fiscal year 2020 budget currently matches our
anticipated execution. Any decrease in this appropriation request would
impact our readiness.
Pacing Squadrons
Pacing squadrons are the operational squadrons required during the
opening days of a peer fight. A few of these extremely high priority
units are Air Force Reserve squadrons, and some of our associate units
support Active Component pacing squadrons. We must be capable of
providing the strategic depth demanded by a peer fight, therefore we
are focusing resources on these pacing squadrons and supporting units
to ensure they achieve readiness within the required timelines.
Unit Readiness
The readiness of our force is paramount. Last year, with the help
of Congress, the Air Force Reserve reprogrammed and distributed an
additional $90 million in RPA funding to facilitate the completion of
readiness related tasks and training. We also allocated operations and
maintenance funds for the purchase of readiness related equipment and
training items, to include resources for Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) requirements, Ability To
Survive and Operate requirements, and weapons qualification training.
We added a thirteenth drill weekend to focus on CBRNE training, weapons
qualification, and Self Aid/Buddy Care (SABC) training. As a result of
these actions, 80 percent of our personnel now meet weapons training
requirements and approximately 90 percent meet CBRNE and SABC training
requirements.
The Air Force Reserve is a predominantly part time force. We must
ensure optimal use of our Airmen's limited time to maintain both
individual and unit readiness. However, over the past decade, the Air
Force Reserve has shifted ancillary and support taskings to the
individual Reservist. This increased the time Airmen spent on
administrative items and reduced the time available for training and
mission requirements, impacting readiness.
To restore our readiness, we must reduce the administrative
requirements placed on the individual Airman. Last year, the Chief of
the Air Force Reserve instructed the force to eliminate unnecessary
requirements by directing all Reservists to ``cease, re-align, or
consolidate duties not directly tied to readiness.'' To facilitate this
effort, we assessed our internal processes and eliminated over 200
self-inspection checklists and several instruction supplements. Both
these actions provided our Airmen additional time to focus on readiness
and ensured the Air Force Reserve was in alignment with Secretary of
the Air Force guidance to reduce ancillary requirements across the
Total Force.
The Air Force Reserve's fiscal year 2020 budget request aims to
further alleviate the administrative burden on our Airmen by increasing
the number of both full and part time squadron support personnel across
the command. The addition of these support personnel will reduce the
non- mission related tasks requirements levied on the individual
Reservist and allow our Airmen more time to complete training and
readiness requirements.
Medical Readiness
In the past year, the Air Force Reserve has made great gains in
medical readiness. We streamlined our headquarters level medical case
processing, eliminating a backlog of more than 2,000 cases. Timely
medical review expedites the recruitment process for critical career
fields, such as pilots and medical professionals, and minimizes the
time Selected Reserve members spend in a non- ready status while
awaiting medical review.
The Air Force Reserve is also increasing full time support in
Reserve Medical Units across the enterprise. The additional support
will improve the quality of medical case submissions, reducing
processing time, and will improve unit ability to complete physicals.
As a result, our Airmen will spend less time waiting in the medical
clinic and more time training.
We also removed participation restrictions on members with duty
limiting medical conditions. Previously, Reservists with duty
limitations were not allowed to attend training without approval from
the Air Force Reserve Command Surgeon General. This negatively impacted
both individual and unit readiness, as the majority of these members
were physically capable of being present at drill, completing some
training requirements, and assisting with squadron operations. Under
the new policy, these individuals will be able to participate in
training within the limitations set by medical personnel. Commanders
will consider mission requirements, physical limitations, and safety
when making the determination to restrict participation for individuals
on medical profile.
Full Time Manpower
Overall, the Air Force Reserve is slightly below end strength
targets and we are experiencing a shortage of full time and part time
personnel in certain critical career fields. These vacancies decrease
our overall readiness, put undue strain on our full time support and
hinder our ability to train our part time force. We have backfilled
some of our full time vacancies with RPA support, but this is only a
stopgap measure which is dependent on volunteerism. To ensure mission
readiness, we must restore our full time staffing levels.
Our full time force is a mix of civil service Air Reserve
Technicians (ART), which comprise the bulk of our full time support,
and Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) personnel. The current manpower shortage
is a direct result of low ART manning. We have a relatively low number
of AGR vacancies. This shortage is most critical in the pilot and
maintenance communities.
We are short approximately 360 full time pilots. The Air Force
Reserve does an excellent job capturing separating Active Component
pilots, however, almost all affiliate in part time status, forcing us
to rely on new hires to fill full time vacancies. We are currently
allocated 96 undergraduate pilot training slots per year. To ensure we
use all allocations, we now hold six annual selection boards. We filled
99 percent of our fiscal year 2018 our pilot training slots and are on
track to use all fiscal year 2019 slots, having already filled over 60
allocations.
The Air Force Reserve is actively engaged with the Aircrew
Management Council regarding national pilot production. We are also
working with accredited aviation colleges and universities to develop
solutions to the nationwide shortage and have created a pathway program
for pilot candidates which is similar to those used by major airlines.
In addition to our pilot shortfalls, we also have a deficit of
approximately 1,500 full time maintainers. This lack of trained and
fully qualified maintenance personnel has directly resulted in a
decrease in aircraft availability and mission capable rates.
The Air Force Reserve's maintainer shortage is a subset of our ART
manning shortage, which shares the same underlying causes. Nearly all
of our full time maintenance authorizations are ART positions. In
certain career fields and geographic locations, ART salaries and
benefits are not competitive with the civilian industry. In addition,
the cumbersome and lengthy civil service hiring process has prolonged
the duration of vacancies and caused us to lose candidates.
The issues which currently hinder our ART manning are much less
prevalent in our AGR force. AGR positions offer both higher salaries
and greater benefits, and the AGR assignment process is shorter and
more streamlined than the civil service hiring process. As a result,
AGR hiring and retention rates are higher, and AGR vacancies are of
shorter duration.
The Air Force Reserve is implementing multiple recruitment and
retention initiatives for mission essential and critically manned
career fields, such as bonuses and special salary rates. This includes
incentives specific to ARTs, pilots, and maintainers. We have also
adjusted and revised policies to allow for greater retention in
critical career fields and removed internal barriers to improve
recruiting and decrease hiring timelines.
Air Force Reserve readiness depends on sufficient end strength and
the adequate manning of all career fields. To enhance recruitment, we
are increasing the size of our recruiting force, and we now have
recruiters dedicated to ART hiring. We are also targeting our
recruiting efforts to hire personnel in critically manned career fields
and individuals with in-demand skill sets. In addition, we are offering
recruitment bonuses and constructive credit for new hires in certain
career fields.
modernizing the force
Modernization
The Air Force Reserve owns some of the oldest airframes in the
Total Force. The average aircraft in our inventory is 37 years old, 9
years older than the average Active Component aircraft.
Older aircraft are difficult to maintain, requiring more time and
resources to operate. Maintenance needs increase as an airframe ages,
and older aircraft are more prone to corrosion. Sourcing parts for
these aircraft can be challenging, as certain components are no longer
in production. Eventually, it becomes cost prohibitive and too time
consuming to maintain aging platforms. Therefore, fleet modernization,
recapitalization, and weapons systems sustainment are critical to
maintaining Air Force Reserve mission readiness.
The acquisition of new platforms, such as the F-35 and the KC-46,
ensures the Air Force Reserve has the capabilities required for the
future fight. The battle management systems on board these platforms
are essential for multi-domain operations. We are currently in the
process of upgrading certain legacy airframes with the capabilities
required for the future fight, which includes these battle management
systems. Recent weapons system modernizations have included aircraft
radar and targeting enhancements, defensive systems upgrades, and
datalink and communication system upgrades.
Concurrent Fielding
The Air Force Reserve's operational abilities are tied to our
ability to integrate into the Total Force. We are most effective when
we can operate interchangeably with our Active Component counterparts.
Therefore, whenever possible, we must maintain parity with the Active
Component.
The concurrent fielding of new airframes, aircraft upgrades, and
other equipment allows us to maintain operational parity and enables
integration with the Active Component. The Air Force Reserve can only
provide strategic depth and operational support to the joint force in
mission areas where our personnel are trained on the required weapon
system. Therefore, concurrent fielding maximizes our ability to support
Active Component missions.
Infrastructure
The fiscal constraints of the past 10 years have created a backlog
in Air Force Reserve construction and infrastructure improvement
projects. We currently estimate over 120 future year military
construction (MILCON) projects, which will cost approximately $890
million. We also require approximately $1.53 billion to fund Facility
Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) projects.
Both MILCON and FSRM projects are prioritized based on multiple
factors, which include mission impact and facility condition. In fiscal
year 2019, the Air Force Reserve received $122 million in MILCON funds
and $85 million in FSRM funding. We have requested $61 million in
MILCON and $114 million in FSRM for fiscal year 2020. These
appropriations will be used to fund mission-driven construction and
modernization requirements for Air Force Reserve facilities.
investing in the total force (service members, families, and dod
civilians)
Yellow Ribbon Re-Integration Program
Our fiscal year 2020 budget requests $17 million for the continued
funding of the Yellow Ribbon Re- integration Program, which provides
support and resources to deploying Airmen and their families. The
Yellow Ribbon program began 10 years ago as a temporary initiative but
has evolved in to a sustainable, life changing program.
Participation in the Yellow Ribbon program is voluntary. The
program is comprised of one pre-deployment and two post-deployment
events. Reservists who take part are authorized to bring all dependents
under the age of eighteen and one adult guest of any relation to
events, which provide attendees with tools and access to resources to
help mitigate the challenges associated with deployments and build
reintegration skills.
This enriching and educational program has been shown to enhance
attendees' knowledge of critical resources. Yellow Ribbons participants
are better prepared for deployments and to manage the stress associated
with deployments. Airmen who attend these events are more willing to
continue service, and their families are more supportive of their
continued service. In fiscal year 2018, the Air Force Reserve hosted 51
Yellow Ribbon events.
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
The personal resiliency of our Airmen and their family members is
an extremely high priority for the Air Force Reserve. We have multiple
on-base entities which provide wellness-related support for our Airmen
and their families. We actively disseminate information about both on
and off-base resources to our personnel through multiple channels,
including digital communications, unit information boards, and
commander's calls.
The recent increase in service member suicides is particularly
concerning. In response, the Air Force Reserve is evaluating new
methods to prevent suicides, including using algorithms and integrated
databases to identify at risk Airmen, and creating protective policies
and programs to help these individuals.
To further improve the personal resiliency of our Airmen, we are
expanding a program which embeds medical professionals in high risk
units. This initiative gives personnel quick and easy access to medical
care, including mental health support, provides leaders with
information and tools to improve the health of their unit, and may help
predict and prevent suicide.
The most common mental health issues among Air Force Reserve
members are anxiety and depression, similar to that of the general
population. We are proactively addressing stressors associated with
military service, and we conduct person to person mental health
evaluations during both annual and post-deployment medical screenings
to monitor individual wellness.
There is a Violence Prevention Integrator on all nine Air Force
Reserve host installations and at Fort Worth Naval Air Station Joint
Reserve Base, where we are the lead Air Force wing. All other Air Force
Reserve units are tenants on Active Component installations and are
provided this service through the host unit program. Air Force Reserve
medical facilities are staffed with a full complement of mental health
specialists. We are evaluating requirements for integrated medical
support, including mental health support, in operational units.
fiscal year 2020
In the past year, the Air Force Reserve enhanced readiness and
improved mission capabilities. Our fiscal year 2020 budget request will
allow us to continue these efforts. The appropriation and allocation of
the requested funds will enable us to provide support to the joint
force while we further ongoing preparations for the future fight. We
will continue to increase readiness throughout our organization, by
training our personnel, upgrading and modernizing weapons systems,
improving our infrastructure, and enhancing our interoperability as
part of the Total Force. This budget request will boost manning levels,
preserve our strategic depth, and posture our force to meet future
operational requirements. We thank you for your continued support as we
ensure the Air Force Reserve remains a combat ready force that is
prepared to fly, fight, and win for years to come.
Senator Shelby. Vice Admiral McCollum.
STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL LUKE M. McCOLLUM, CHIEF, NAVY
RESERVE
Admiral McCollum. Good morning, Chairman Shelby and Ranking
Member Durbin and the distinguished members of the
subcommittee. It is my distinct honor to report on the state of
America's Navy Reserve, which is a highly skilled and integral
part of the Navy's enduring and worldwide fighting force.
I come here today representing the 59,000-strong Navy
Reserve, a highly skilled addition to the Navy's total force
serving worldwide in not only operationally capable roles but
fulfilling requirements in all geographic combatant commands.
They are strategically designed for full mobilization and in
support of contingency operations at any time.
In balancing these two directives, we continue to strive to
maintain a steadfast focus on building warfighting readiness in
support of the requirements outlined in the National Defense
Strategy.
Every day I am reminded of and grateful for the sacrifices
that our men and women make while they are serving.
This morning we have over 3,045 reserve sailors who have
left their families and their employers to serve in some of the
most austere locations around the globe. Without their
unwavering support of these families, these reserve sailors
would not be the force multipliers they are today.
I am lucky enough this morning to be joined by one of those
loving family members today, as my wife, Leanna, is here to
help me represent the families of our sailors.
I believe I speak for all my colleagues here as I offer my
most sincere thanks to this committee for your support.
Focused on the objectives of the National Defense Strategy
and warfighting readiness, we are building a more lethal Navy
Reserve. PB-20 is the mechanism that allows us to continue to
focus on strategic depth toward this end.
The Navy Reserve utilizes two key enablers--discretionary
RPN and flexible NGREA funding--to generate capability and
operability with the total force. Your continued support to
ensure these accounts remain robust, consistent, and
predictable is critical to our success.
The capabilities of the Navy Reserve are focused on
bringing agile combat forces to the fight where and when our
Nation needs, with an investment strategy focused on a balance
of readiness, wholeness, and investment initiatives.
Accordingly, the recapitalization of aging Navy Reserve
hardware is critical to ensuring the highest levels of
readiness and interoperability with the active component.
PB-20 is prioritized accordingly. Your support of the C-130
Tango avionics upgrade investment through PB-20 is very much
appreciated.
It also brings the Navy's Maritime Patrol P-8 inventory up
to 117, and should additional resources become available, the
Navy included P-8s on the unfunded priority list to support the
recapitalization of the Navy Reserve's force toward a validated
wartime requirement of the P-8s of 138.
This also allows these Navy Reserve squadrons in Whidbey
Island and Jacksonville to continue to operate beyond 2023.
Similar to aviation, recapitalization of expeditionary
force assets within the Navy Reserve is equally important, and
your support of the 40-foot patrol boats and the Joint Reserve
Intelligence Centers, including cyber capability and these
upgrades in PB-20, is very much appreciated.
In closing, I could not be prouder to serve as the leader
of the Navy Reserve force. Every time I visit our sailors
around the world in the 123 locations of our reserve centers
across the U.S., whether it is an aviation squadron deployed or
an individual sailor in Afghanistan, I can tell you I come away
inspired with their professionalism, the sincere dedication to
mission, their pride in their civilian skills that they bring
to the fight as well. And it brings the total warfighting
lethality to the total force.
On behalf of the Navy and Navy Reserve, I thank you for
your support and look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral Luke M. McCollum
Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Durbin, and distinguished Members of
the Subcommittee, as Chief of Navy Reserve it is my distinct honor to
report to you on the state of the United States Navy Reserve and to
discuss our fiscal year 2020 budget request.
America's Navy Reserve delivers strategic depth and operational
capability to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Forces. An integral
part of the United States Navy, the Reserve Component is comprised of
101,000 citizen Sailors; to include 48,000 Selected Reservists, 43,000
Individual Ready Reservists and 10,000 Full Time Support members, from
every State and territory. On any given day, roughly 20 percent of the
Selected Reserve Component is operational, delivering critical support
to our forces around the globe. Historically comprising less than 2
percent of the Navy's total annual budget, Navy Reserve Sailors have
mobilized over 84,000 times to every theater of operation since 2001,
including 3,310 mobilizations in fiscal year 2018.
Aligned with guidance from the National Defense Strategy and the
Chief of Naval Operations Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority
2.0, the Navy Reserve is rebalancing to meet the dynamic challenges of
today and the threats of tomorrow. We are building a more lethal and
ready force, focused on capabilities, as an essential element of naval
power in an era of great power competition.
strategic force readiness
The Navy Reserve's guiding principles are lethality and
warfighting. We are a ready and lethal military force, maximizing value
to the Nation through efficient operation and modernizing the way we do
business. We effectively support and complement the Active Component,
while making optimal use of talented Reserve Sailor's skill sets to
increase total force proficiency and capability. We are accelerating
the impact of the Navy Reserve mission in the new competitive global
environment as we build strategic readiness.
Fiscal Predictability
On behalf of the entire Navy Reserve, their families and employers,
I want to personally thank you and this committee for a full fiscal
year 2019 on-time appropriation. The reduced fiscal uncertainty has
gone a long way toward increasing operational efficiency, readiness and
unit morale. Predictable and dependable funding ensures that Navy
Reserve Sailors are able to provide consistent and timely operational
support to the Total Force. Discretionary Reserve Personnel, Navy (RPN)
funding is the primary fiscal means by which the Navy Reserve provides
this support. Current RPN funding level supports 31 percent of
Combatant Commander operational demand. Your continued support to
ensure robust, consistent, and predictable RPN funding is the most
important enabler for maintaining force readiness and Navy Reserve
operational mission accomplishment.
Sailor First Initiatives
To enable Force readiness, Navy Reserve Sailors balance many
priorities associated with their civilian jobs, family commitments, and
their duties as part-time Sailors. The Navy Reserve utilizes several
tools to help these Sailors manage the stressors that can accompany
this busy lifestyle. The Psychological Health Outreach Program (PHOP)
is one of the most successful models to date, ensuring Reserve Sailors
have access to appropriate psychological healthcare services. PHOP
counselors provide psychosocial briefings, including, Operational
Stress Control and behavioral health screenings to Reserve Sailors
across the Nation. PHOP counselors use the Resiliency Check-in tool to
provide one-on-one behavioral health assessments to Sailors new to the
Navy Reserve to include on-the-spot initial assessments and follow-up
referrals. This has become a proven way to ensure Sailors have access
to counseling support from specially trained providers in dealing with
common issues associated with the military lifestyle, including the
stress related to the mobilization cycle, family separation and post-
mobilization reintegration.
Because many Reserve Sailors and families reside in remote or rural
areas and serve part- time roles, their eligibility for military
treatment options is limited. PHOP covers any gaps in mental healthcare
for Reservists, regardless of duty status or geography. In the past
year, BUMED's PHOP Program Manager and PHOP counselors teamed with the
Navy Reserve to strengthen PHOP support and involvement in suicide
prevention. During fiscal year 2018, the program used 56 licensed
mental health professionals from 29 locations to reach over 42,000
Sailors and their family members.
navy reserve forces
The Navy Reserve force structure focuses on interoperability and
the operational effectiveness of Sailors and platforms. Reserve Sailors
train and work alongside Active Component (AC) counterparts and units,
creating synergy and cohesion between components. Reserve Sailors
provide a ready rapid response to calls for worldwide support, across
many mission areas, often on short notice.
Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC)
CNFRC operates six regional headquarters and 123 Navy Operational
Support Centers (NOSCs), located in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and
Guam. NOSCs collectively serve as drilling locations and provide
administrative support to over 1,400 RC units. NOSCs reside on and off
DoD installations, a mix of stand-alone facilities, Navy-Marine Corps
Reserve Centers, and joint Armed Forces Reserve Centers. These NOSCs
are the readiness generating epicenters of the Navy Reserve. CNRFC and
its NOSCs offer a unique response capability and range of options in
order to source Combatant Commander requirements--from mobilization of
an entire unit to activation of a single Individual Augmentee Sailor.
This model delivers increased flexibility, with both operational
capacity and strategic depth, to the total force, in a dynamic global
security environment.
As of late-January, over 3,000 Navy Reservists were mobilized and
1,408 were preparing for mobilization. These sailors support Combatant
Commands around the globe, and individual mobilizations add to the
broad and diverse set of operational support missions the Navy Reserve
executes on a daily basis, including Expeditionary Warfare, Naval Air
Warfare, Fleet Air Logistics, Cyber Warfare, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,
and Shipyard Maintenance.
Commander, Naval Air Forces Reserve (CNAFR)
CNAFR comprises three air wings, two Joint Reserve Bases and one
Naval Air Facility.
Fleet Logistics Support Wing and Tactical Support Wing reside at
Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, TX, while Maritime
Support Wing is headquartered at Naval Air Station North Island, CA.
Naval Air Forces Reserve Joint Reserve Bases are in Fort Worth, TX, New
Orleans, LA, and the Naval Air Facility is in Washington, D.C. In
addition to these standalone commands, the Navy Reserve operates
multiple Squadron Augment Units which directly support various AC Navy
squadrons around the country. Navy Reserve owns and flies approximately
150 aircraft, supporting the Navy Total Force and acting as necessary
strategic depth in both hardware and the 8,700 aviation professionals
onboard.
Reserve Maritime Capabilities: P-3 and P-8
Recapitalizing the Navy Reserve's Maritime Patrol and
Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) capability is the #1 equipment priority, as
illustrated in the 2019 National Guard and Reserve Equipment Report.
The Navy's surge capacity within MPRF consists of two Reserve patrol
squadrons operating legacy P-3C Orion aircraft. These two squadrons
create 13 percent of Navy's current Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance capacity and provide Combatant Commanders with a vital
strategic asset.
The P-8A Poseidon, a 737-derivative aircraft, replaces the P-3C
maritime patrol aircraft, providing broad area, full spectrum, anti-
submarine warfare, armed anti-surface warfare, and networked maritime
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities. Recent
changes to the National Defense Strategy and Defense Planning Guidance
caused the Navy to review the current MPRF structure and the P-8A
warfighting requirement. To ensure compliance with these directives,
and to deliver this capability to the warfighter, the requirement was
increased from 117 aircraft to 138 aircraft. This requirement gap
represents an opportunity for the Reserve Component to provide both
operational value and strategic depth to the total force.
Recapitalization of the two RC squadrons currently operating the legacy
P-3Cs, through fiscal year 2022, with additional P-8A aircraft,
aircrews, and associated military construction, will buy down
warfighting risk. VP-62 (Jacksonville, FL) and VP-69 (Whidbey Island,
WA) offer the Navy a lethal strategic reserve by retaining trained and
experienced military aircrew who are likely to operate similar
commercial aircraft in their civilian career.
Reserve Logistics: C-40 and C-130
The Navy Reserve air logistics component, made up entirely of RC
sailors, fulfills the Navy's requirement for the Navy Unique Fleet
Essential Airlift (NUFEA) capability. Whether in direct support of
combat or other required operations, Navy Reserve executes 100 percent
of the Navy's organic intra-theater air logistics support mission using
C-40A and K/C-130T aircraft.
These squadrons provide responsive, flexible, and rapidly
deployable air logistics support to the Navy and Marine Corps year-
round. With crews always ready to deploy, they fill a vital strategic
role toward combat logistics sustainment when full mobilization is
required. As great power competition builds, strategic assets such as
these become ever more paramount.
Aircraft modernization is a critical step in preserving NUFEA. More
than 17 years of increased operational tempo within a constrained
procurement environment has taken a great toll on the aircraft and
equipment that our Sailors operate. The Navy Reserve integrated force
structure depends on the ability to quickly and seamlessly assimilate
with active units for mission execution. As Navy continues to
prioritize investments in advanced aircraft, weapons systems and
equipment, RC assets must be resourced to ensure the highest levels of
safety, availability, interoperability, and mission employment. We will
continue to leverage the availability and readiness provided by modern,
compatible hardware for maximum effective employment.
We appreciate this committee's continued steadfast support, which
helped Navy Reserve to purchase two additional C-40A aircraft which,
once delivered to Kaneohe Bay, HI, will fulfill the risk-adjusted
wartime inventory requirement of 17 aircraft and bring down the 11-year
average airframe age.
Our 24 K/C-130T aircraft average 24 years of age, resulting in
maintenance issues that heavily degrade their dependability. As many
Navy leaders have previously testified, the K/C- 130T propeller
grounding bulletin issued by Naval Air Systems Command in September of
2017 caused a huge readiness gap in our NUFEA capability. While the C-
130 aircraft were grounded, C-40A operational tempo was greatly
increased to recover the capability degradation. The end result was not
a decrease in lift support, but increased consumption of C-40A capacity
that we expect to last for years to come. Congress was instrumental in
funding new propeller systems for the K/C-130T to get them airborne and
address the number one readiness degrader and ensuring rapid recovery
of the capability for now and sustainability into the future.
For continued future sustainment, modernization of the K/C-130T
fleet is necessary. The T56 3.5 Engine Upgrade addresses the number two
readiness degrader for K/C-130T and will result in a 23 percent
increase in engine longevity and a 12-17 percent fuel efficiency
savings. The Navy K/C-130T fleet is also in the midst of an Avionics
Obsolescence Upgrade (AOU) program that modernizes the fleet, bringing
the communications capability on par with current FAA and international
flight standards, and improves safety of occupants. Continued support
and rapid deployment of the K/C-130T Avionics Obsolescence Upgrade is
much appreciated.
Reserve Fighter Aircraft: F/A-18
The 31 F/A-18A+ legacy Hornets assigned to Navy Reserve squadrons
include some of the oldest in operation, none of which are
interoperable with AC squadrons. In the near term, Navy is replacing
Reserve Component F/A-18A+ aircraft with legacy F/A-18C/Ds from the
active duty fleet. Along with Active Component F-35 and F-18E/F
procurement, the Reserve aircraft transfer is directly linked to
improved Super Hornet depot throughput.
Based on AC Super Hornet and Joint Strike Fighter procurement, an
eventual transition of RC Hornets to later generation strike fighters
will be possible. The 24 F/A-18E/Fs from fiscal year 2019 and 24 F/A-
18E/Fs in the Navy's fiscal year 2020 request increase the pace of this
transition. Focused attention on this process will rebuild the Navy
Reserve's strategic reserve fighter capability.
Reserve Adversary Aircraft: F-5
The Navy Reserve supports AC pre-deployment training by supplying
one seventh of the total annual adversary requirement. Seasoned fighter
pilots operate F-5 Tiger aircraft that, without investment, will
quickly reach the end of their service life. The fiscal year 2020
budget includes the purchase of 11 F-5s which will mitigate the impact
of the eventual service life expiration of current F-5s. Beyond this
aircraft purchase, the long term plans for the Navy include a study to
establish a modernized, dedicated adversary air training enterprise.
Such a plan will leverage veteran combat pilot experience, maximize
pilot retention in the Navy Reserve and cultivate a robust strategic
reserve of lethal aviators.
Special Operations and Personnel Recovery Support: HSC-85
HSC-85, employed as the Navy's only dedicated rotary-wing special
operations support and personnel recovery support squadron, provides
strategic depth to the Helicopter Sea Combat community and a combat-
ready mission-flexible squadron to the Geographic Combatant Commander.
This squadron, and the two tactical support units that emerged from the
disestablishment of HSC-84 in 2016, offers the Navy a return on
investment by capitalizing on the talent and experience of AC Sailors
as they leave active duty. They share lessons learned, tactics and
techniques with the rest of the HSC community to increase the Navy's
overall helicopter combat capability. HSC-85 offers short-notice,
deployable surge capability to support global contingencies while
filling training and mission support gaps to the joint force for
deploying special operations units. HSC-85 is a veteran squadron,
having maintained a permanent forward deployed operational presence for
years, supporting U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
mission--critical requirements. HSC-85 is a valuable complement to the
Navy Helicopter Sea Combat community.
Commander, Naval Information Force Reserve (CNIFR)
CNIFR, Ft. Worth, TX, is the executive agent for nine Joint Reserve
Intelligence Centers (JRICs) located throughout the country. In
partnership with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Joint Reserve
Intelligence Program (JRIP), these facilities provide fully capable
intelligence and cyber warfare centers enabling wartime readiness
through training and operations, and real-time intelligence support to
Combatant Commands, Combat Support Agencies, the intelligence
community, and Navy fleets. There are a total of 28 Service-managed
JRICs located across the country, providing Navy Reservists a ``train
as you fight'' environment utilizing the same systems and tactics,
techniques and procedures as the parent commands. This enables:
--Fully-equipped and accredited intelligence production facilities,
--Analyst-to-analyst interaction across the intelligence community,
--Real-time transfer of operational intelligence,
--Full integration and collaboration of the Reserve intelligence
community as a force multiplier, providing strategic depth to
our fleets and joint forces,
--A nationwide network significantly reducing temporary duty cost by
allowing Information Warfare professionals to serve at duty
stations close to home, and
--Capabilities to surge before crisis and continuity of operations in
the event of crisis.
--Continuity of operations capabilities to enable active duty
commands to reconstitute C2 elements
In partnership with the JRIP, CNIFR has committed the resources
necessary to maintain our Navy-hosted JRICs as viable warfighting
platforms--now and into the future. JRICs Minneapolis, Fort Worth, and
Denver were all prioritized for upgrade to Joint Worldwide Intelligence
Communications System (JWICS) 7.0, tripling the bandwidth of the
platforms, comprehensively supporting today's analysis, imagery and
CYBER mission requirements. This upgrade directly supports requirements
identified in recent great power competition planning, and DIA's
prioritization of the Navy JRICs directly reflects the mission
criticality of those sites to identified fleet needs and priorities.
The remaining Navy JRICs will be upgraded to JWICS 7.0 during fiscal
year 2019.
Infrastructure updates are ongoing and necessary to sustain state-
of-the-art warfighting platforms. Our current initiatives include:
--New MILCON in New Orleans, repurposing an existing facility for a
new JRIC,
--Upgrade of the electronic security systems of all Navy JRICs during
fiscal year 2019,
--Renovations of JRICs Norfolk, San Diego and Millington, and
--Evaluating options for JRICs Denver and Minneapolis.
Collectively, these projects incorporate the latest and best
technologies to safeguard platform security and enhance the JRICs'
ability to operate with continuous, uninterrupted network access. The
Navy Reserve remains fully committed to modernization and ensuring our
Reserve Information Warfare professionals have access to the latest
warfighting equipment and networks for optimal readiness and lethality.
Navy Expeditionary Combatant Command (NECC)
Located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story,
Virginia, NECC is manned with more than 50 percent Reserve Component
members. This subordinate command of Navy Fleet Forces Command manages
Reserve Sailors that offers capabilities that include:
--Littoral, Riverine and coastal warfare
--Maritime and port security
--Expeditionary Logistics Support
--Expeditionary Intelligence
--Expeditionary Combat Readiness
--Naval Construction Force (Seabees)
NECC Reserve Sailors, heavily leveraged for prior service
experiences, work side-by-side their active component counterparts in
the Navy and across the Joint Force providing invaluable expertise in
these vital areas. NECC Forces execute full spectrum military
operations to shape the battlefield environment, provide humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief, and conduct major combat operations.
The NECC model of Reserve integration is battle-tested, demonstrating
the targeted value of strategic reserve assets. This model and the
increased agility it enables, is poised to grow as strategic
requirements build in this era of great power competition.
reserve reform
MPT&E Transformation
Navy's Total Force Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education
(MPT&E) modernization efforts are well underway. The Navy is
transforming administrative and human resource processes, which have
remained virtually unchanged for decades, in order to increase our
ability to recruit, train, and retain the agile and lethal force of
tomorrow. This holistic transformation effort seeks to streamline
personnel management processes and dramatically improve quality of life
in our most valuable resource--our Sailors--which leads directly to
increased force readiness. Key outcomes of this transformation include:
--Permeability between Active and Reserve Components allowing for a
seamless Total Force response to Fleet and Combatant Command
needs;
--Timely, accurate, and auditable personnel and pay actions;
--A seamless data environment accessible throughout the world;
--Transforming labor intensive, antiquated processes into
standardized, automated ones that require less oversight;
--Professional call centers and mobile/online self-service portals
with 24/7 customer service for Sailors and their families,
where most personnel transactions can be done virtually; and
--Improving Fleet readiness through predictive analytics supported by
big data, which will enable better Sailor fit, talent matching,
improved retention, and agile responses to meet dynamic Fleet
needs.
Our Sailors will see big dividends over the next several years from
investments in modernizing the MPT&E Enterprise--improved performance,
productivity, and cost efficiencies in all aspects of personnel
readiness. Simplifying the constant toggle between civilian employment
and military service will result in improved fleet retention and
strategic depth for the Navy Reserve.
Duty Status Reform
Currently there are numerous statutory authorities used when
mobilizing RC personnel. The National Defense Authorization Act for
fiscal year 2016 directed the Secretary of Defense to assess Military
Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC)
recommendation #4: Consolidate current 30 RC duty statuses into 6
broader categories and determine whether it would increase efficiency
in the RC. DoD is developing legislation that will reform the current
RC duty status construct pursuant to Section 513 of the 2018 National
Defense Authorization Act.
conclusion
America's Navy Reserve remains eternally steadfast, ready to
respond when called. Our proud citizen Sailors carry the 104-year
tradition of supporting the Navy, Marine Corps and Joint Force
wherever, and whenever, called. We strive to ensure warfighters
effectively accomplish all missions, as both a ready operational force
and a veteran strategic reserve. As we rebuild strategic depth in the
face of great power competition, a more lethal warfighting military
component will emerge. I look forward to working with you and I thank
you for your continued support.
Senator Shelby. General James.
STATEMENT OF MAJOR GENERAL BRADLEY S. JAMES, COMMANDER,
MARINE CORPS FORCES RESERVE
General James. Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member Durbin, and
distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you today to testify on behalf of
the Commandant of the Marine Corps about your Marine Corps
Reserve consisting of 38,500 fully engaged and 61,000 in active
reserve.
I am honored to be here with my fellow reserve component
service chiefs. Also with me today is my force Sergeant Major
Scott Grade and the force Command Master Chief Ryan Strack.
The mission of the Marine Corps Reserve is to stand ready
to augment, reinforce, and sustain the active component. Along
with the active component, we have reserve forces forward
deployed supporting combatant command requirements.
Over the past year, more than 2,100 reserve marines were
mobilized supporting 35 operational requirements in each of the
six geographic combatant commands.
Additionally, 754 marines volunteered as individual
augments, which filled 63 percent of the services'
requirements.
I am pleased to inform you that the morale of your Marine
Corps Reserve remains high, as evident by the reserve component
end strength maintaining 99 percent of the total requirement. I
am consistently impressed by the professionalism, competence,
dedication to duty, and motivation of our reserve marines. By
their active-duty sisters and brothers, they serve selflessly
to protect our great Nation. The way they balance family
responsibilities, civilian lives, jobs, school, and careers is
nothing short of extraordinary.
At any given time, Marine Forces Reserve stands ready to
provide a brigade-size element of reserve marines and sailors,
fully trained for combat operations, while the remainder of our
force is poised to augment and reinforce, given appropriate
amounts of predeployment training based upon their wartime
mission assignments.
I would like to leave this distinguished body with two
thoughts on how continued support from Congress can result in a
more ready and lethal Marine Reserve force.
Number one, I want to extend my gratitude for your
continued support of the National Guard Reserve Equipment
Appropriation. I would appreciate a greater spending
flexibility within this appropriation in order to procure
critical shortfall items and modernize equipment and systems.
Number two, I would like to thank you for this year's
appropriations. On average, the Marine Corps Reserves only have
38 training days a year, which places an increased importance
on adequate and timely appropriation. With your continued
support, I can assure the reserves' predictable and
uninterrupted training schedules to maximize personnel,
material, and training readiness.
I appreciate the opportunity to be here today, and I look
forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Major General Bradley S. James
Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member Durbin, and distinguished members
of the Subcommittee, it is my privilege to appear before you and
provide an overview on the current state of the Marine Corps Reserve.
The United States Marine Corps is the Nation's force-in-readiness--
ready to go now, to respond and compete, and if necessary, ready to
fight and win. When our Nation calls, the American people expect quick,
decisive action from Marines--both the Active and Reserve Components.
As part of a Total Force, the Marine Corps Reserve stands ready to
augment, reinforce and sustain the Active Component by providing forces
for employment across the full spectrum of crisis and global
engagement.
Your Marine Corps Reserve has been engaged around the world in
theater security cooperation activities and operations, serving side-
by-side with our Active Component. Organized as a traditional Marine
Air-Ground Task Force, Marine Reservists from each of our major
subordinate commands--4th Marine Division, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing,
4th Marine Logistics Group, and Force Headquarters Group--have made a
tremendous impact across a diverse spectrum of operations in support of
every geographic combatant commander.
I am deeply impressed by the professionalism, competence, and
dedication of our Reserve Marines. Like their Active Component
counterparts, they serve selflessly to protect our great Nation. I am
inspired by the way they balance family responsibilities, civilian
careers, and military service. They do so with humility, without
fanfare, and with a sense of pride and dedication that is consistent
with the great sacrifices of Marines from every generation. Without a
doubt, the success of the Marine Corps hinges on the quality of our
Marines.
My focus remains on maintaining the ability to provide manned,
trained, equipped, and well-led forces capable of supporting the Active
Component. With your continued support, we will strengthen and maintain
our readiness to be positioned to fight, compete, and win.
A Total Force
As an integral part of the Total Force, the Marine Corps Reserve
plays a key role in providing that national security force in
readiness. The Marine Corps Reserve provides critical capabilities to
the Total Force which increases the lethality of the Corps and
contributes to the competitive advantage with potential adversaries.
Over the past year, the Marine Corps Reserve supported combatant
commanders by providing forces focused on combat operations, crisis
prevention, crisis response, and theater security cooperation. Global
deployments, along with participation in Service, Joint, and multi-
national exercises, develop the depth of experience of the Reserve
Force, ensuring the Marine Corps Reserve is relevant, ready, and
responsive to meet combatant commanders' requirements for highly
trained forces.
In 2018, 2,135 Reserve Marines mobilized supporting 35 operational
requirements in each of the 6 geographic combatant commands. Likewise,
nearly 14,000 Reservists participated in 76 training exercises,
supporting requirements in 41 countries across the globe. Additionally,
754 Reserve Marines volunteered to serve as individual augmentees,
providing support to combatant commanders and Service staffs. Marine
Forces Reserve filled 63 percent of the total service individual
augment requirements. The demand for Marine Forces Reserve to meet
requirements as an operational reserve increased by 263 percent since
2017, which was the third consecutive year of increased operational
requirements. We have continued to meet the high demand for use as an
operational reserve, though this has begun to challenge readiness to
meet strategic requirements. For historical perspective, the Marine
Corps deployed 8 reserve formations in 2001, compared to 35 reserve
formations in 2018.
In 2019, Marine Forces Reserve will continue to support the
combatant commanders by mobilizing in excess of 2,540 Reservists
supporting approximately 43 formations. Over the course of 2019, nearly
12,000 Marines will support theater-specific exercises and security
cooperation events across every combatant command. These operations and
exercises greatly increase the Reserve Component's interoperability
with the Active Component, Joint Forces, and our allies.
The demand for the Marine Corps' unique capabilities has increased,
requiring more Reserve Component activations of units and task
organized formations to produce enabling capabilities across the range
of military operations. For example, Marine Forces Reserve has
increased the participation of Marines filling the security force and
advisory requirements to Task Force South West in Helmand, Afghanistan.
These teams include Reserve members operating in the High Mobility
Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) battery, the Train Advise and Assist
teams, and the security forces company which continues to provide local
security to all United States forces. In addition, for the fourth year
in a row, we have mobilized and will deploy a Special Purpose Marine
Air-Ground Task Force to U.S. Southern Command in support of theater
security cooperation objectives. For the first time in nearly 10 years,
we mobilized and deployed a reserve infantry battalion--2d Bn, 23d
Marines--to Okinawa, in support of a combatant commander's
requirements. The last Marine Reserve infantry battalion to be
mobilized and deployed in support of combatant commander requirements
was in 2009. In 2019, we will continue the trend of battalion-level
mobilizations by deploying 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment to
Okinawa, Japan, also in support of the unit deployment program to the
Indo-Pacific Area of Responsibility. Reconnaissance, assault amphibian
and combat engineer units have also deployed to the Indo- Pacific Area
of Responsibility in support of III Marine Expeditionary Force's
requirements in Okinawa, Japan. United States Central Command (CENTCOM)
continues to be the recipient of the highest number of Marine Corps
Reserve units and individuals. Of the 35 formations activated in 2018,
17 deployed to the CENTCOM AOR. This trend will continue in 2019 as 20
of the 43 Reserve formations we activate will deploy to the CENTCOM
AOR.
Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) continues to provide daily
support to combatant commanders in a wide range of roles that include
multi-national exercises, such as Dynamic Front 19 in Latvia, Arctic
Challenge 19 in Finland, New Horizons 19 in South America, and Maple
Resolve 19 in Canada. I anticipate Marine Forces Reserve will continue
to deploy and to integrate with the Active Component in support of
high-priority combatant commander requirements for the foreseeable
future.
In addition to participating in operational requirements across the
globe, Marine Forces Reserve supports the Total Force by dutifully
executing the sensitive and crucial mission of providing casualty
assistance to the families of our fallen Marines. There is no
responsibility that we treat with higher regard than the solemn mission
of providing casualty assistance. Inspector- Instructor and Reserve
Site Support Staffs are geographically positioned to accomplish the
vast majority of Marine Corps casualty assistance calls and are trained
to provide compassionate and thorough assistance to families. Indeed,
the majority of Marine Corps casualty notifications and follow-on
assistance calls to the next of kin are made by our Marines. During
Calendar Year (CY) 2018, our Inspector-Instructor and Reserve Site
Support staffs performed 95 percent of the casualty calls performed by
the Marine Corps.
The professionalism and compassion of our Casualty Assistance Calls
Officers (CACOs) continues well beyond the initial notification. We
ensure that our CACOs are well trained, equipped, and supported by all
levels of command through the combination of in-person and online
training. Once assigned, the CACO serves as the family's central point
of contact and coordinates with funeral homes, government agencies, and
other organizations. They assist family members with planning the
return and final resting place of their Marine; and ensure the filing
of appropriate documents so families receive all benefits they are
entitled. In many cases, our CACOs provide a long-lasting bridge
between the Marine Corps and the grieving family.
Additionally, Marine Forces Reserve units and personnel provide
significant support in the form of military funeral honors for our
veterans. MARFORRES performed 20,400 military funeral honors which
represented 93 percent of all funeral honors rendered by the Marine
Corps during 2018. As with casualty assistance, we place enormous
emphasis on providing timely, compassionate, and professionally
executed military funeral honors. Although this comes with a cost to
readiness, as some Marine Reserve units are executing in excess of 500
funerals per year, which impacts their ability to maintain or increase
readiness.
Finally, Marine Forces Reserve functions as the most wide reaching
link between the Marine Corps and communities across the Nation. We are
the face of the Marine Corps to the majority of the American public.
With Reserve units located across the country, Marine Forces Reserve is
uniquely positioned to interact with the American public and
communicate the Marine Corps story to our fellow citizens; most of whom
have little or no contact with the Marine Corps. Last year, Marine
Forces Reserve personnel and units conducted more than 500 local and
regional public engagement and community relations events across the
country.
Predictability
The Marine Forces Reserve Force Generation Model provides a level
of predictability for force planners and our Reserve Marines, while
maintaining the ``train as we fight'' philosophy. The Model provides
our Reservists, their families, and their employers the ability to plan
for upcoming duty requirements 5 years and beyond. This predictability
also empowers service members to achieve the critical balance between
family, civilian careers, and service to our Nation while enabling
informed employers to plan for and manage the temporary absence of
valued employees.
We ensure units and personnel are ready to meet any challenge by
employing a Force Generation Model that rotates Marine Reserve units
through a 5-year Training and Readiness Plan. The Force Generation
Model enables Marine Forces Reserve to effectively support Global Force
Management requirements while maintaining combat ready units and
detachments based on priorities established by the Commandant's Force
Management Plan. While restraining the number of available units to no
more than twenty percent for sourcing global force management
rotational requirements, the Model enables Marine Forces Reserve to
preserve the bulk of its force for major contingency operations.
The key element in the Force Generation Model is the deliberate
application of scarce training resources, the most significant being
Annual Training periods, to progressively build combat credible forces
over a 4-year period. Employment of reserve units, detachments, and
individuals into Service, Joint and multi-national exercises provides
opportunities to train to higher level Mission Essential Tasks, thereby
advancing capability over a 5-year cycle. Generally, units are assessed
through a culminating Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) during the
fourth year of the training cycle for a potential mobilization in the
fifth year. Additionally, the Reserve Component trains with the Active
Component in exercises in the United States and abroad which supports
enhancing interoperability.
Personnel
Marines, Sailors and our civilian Marines are the foundation of all
that we do. The resources we dedicate to sustaining and developing this
foundation directly contributes to the success of our institution. The
vast majority of the Marine Corps Selected Reserve's authorized end
strength of 38,500 falls under Marine Forces Reserve. The Selected
Reserve is composed of Marines in four categories: Selected Marine
Corps Reserve Units, Active Reserve, Individual Mobilization
Augmentees, and service members in initial training. Embedded with
these Marines are 1,641 Active and Reserve component Sailors who serve
critical roles in the operational, medical, dental, and spiritual
readiness of our Reserve Force. The success of Marine Forces Reserve
would not be possible without continued support from the U.S. Navy.
In addition to the Marines and Sailors of the Selected Reserve,
Marine Forces Reserve administratively controls approximately 61,000
Marines who serve in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Marine Forces
Reserve continues to monitor the mobilization viability of these IRR
Marines through the use of muster events at multiple locations across
the country. These muster events allow Marine Forces Reserve to ensure
these IRR Marines meet the requirements for mobilization. These events
also provide the opportunity to address administrative issues, conduct
mental health and post-deployment assessments, to review Reserve
obligations and new opportunities, and to meet with Marine Corps
recruiters. During the past year Marine Forces Reserve conducted 31
muster events and met 5,189 IRR Marines. In addition to the musters,
Marines Forces Reserve contacted and screened 52,000 Marines
telephonically.
The Marine Corps Reserve strives to retain the very best Marines
capable of fulfilling our leadership and operational needs. Marines
approaching the end of their current contracts, whether Active or
Reserve Component, receive counseling on the tangible and intangible
benefits of remaining associated with the Selected Reserve. We educate
each transitioning Active Component Marine on opportunities for
continued service in the Marine Corps Reserve through the Marine Corps'
transition assistance and educational outreach programs.
Recruiting and retaining high quality Marines remains essential to
the Marine Corps' role as the Nation's Force in Readiness. Marine
Forces Reserve enjoys high affiliation and retention rates enhanced
through incentive programs, such as occupational specialty retraining,
inactive duty travel reimbursement, and bonus payments. Your support of
these incentive programs enabled us to maintain our end strength at 99
percent of total authorization, and our Military Occupational Specialty
match rate at over 85 percent.
Equipment
Reserve Component units remain highly interoperable with their
Active Component counterparts due to the Marine Corps' Total Force
approach to equipment fielding and management. Reserve Component Forces
are manned, trained, and equipped to standards that facilitate the
seamless integrated employment of forces to meet combatant commander
requirements. Our reserve units and personnel continue to be in high
demand, with approximately 100 exercises, missions, and operations
currently scheduled this fiscal year, to include mobilization of
battalion and squadron-sized units. This high operational tempo places
a stress on our ability to maintain our equipment and replenish our
deficiencies. Most disconcerting is our individual combat equipment
deficiencies, which in the event of a large-scale wartime mobilization
may become a strategic risk to mission.
Currently, our organizational combat equipment levels are
sufficient to meet home station training requirements and our
operational pace with augmentation from Marine Corps Logistics Command.
With regard to maintenance readiness, Marine Forces Reserve has
mitigated risk for many years in two ways. First, risk is mitigated by
refining units' Training Allowances, which is that portion of a unit's
full Table of Equipment located at Reserve Training Centers. Our goal
is to balance the amount of equipment necessary to conduct training
with the amount of equipment that can be maintain given personnel and
fiscal constraints. Second, risk is mitigated by leveraging Overseas
Contingency Operations (OCO) dollars to buy mobile maintenance support
teams that augment the limited organic maintenance capacity.
Congressional support for the Marine Corps Reserve fiscal year 2020
President's budget request within the National Defense Authorization
Act, to include OCO, is paramount to our continued success in
sustaining our equipment and maintenance readiness.
Equipment modernization and improved readiness are the key factors
which allows the Marine Corps to keep pace with future threats and
preserve operational agility. Upcoming fielding of the Joint Light
Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) and Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) will
provide the Reserve Component with the latest generation of combat
equipment. Additionally, fielding of programs such as the Ground/Air
Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and the Ground Weapons Locating Radar
(GWLR) will enhance our ability to fight and win on the modern
battlefield. The top procurement priority of the Marine Corps Reserve
is the KC-130J Super Hercules. The Marine Corps Reserve has been
fielded 7 of 28 aircraft and will not be fully fielded until 2025. This
extended fielding timeline forces the Reserve Component to
simultaneously operate the KC-130J and the legacy KC-130T aircraft.
These two aircraft have vastly different logistics, maintenance, and
aircrew requirements, resulting in an increased outlay of resources to
maintain the readiness of the Reserve Component KC-130 Squadrons.
Training
Each year and typically in the summer, Marine Forces Reserve
participates in a number of training exercises both within the United
States and overseas to improve combat readiness and enhance our ability
rapidly activate and integrate with the Active Component. The service-
level Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) is conducted aboard Marine
Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. ITX
improves combat readiness, efficiency in Total Force integration, and
enables more rapid activation response times at the battalion and
squadron level. The exercise consists of two infantry battalions
conducting live-fire and maneuver exercises, along with other elements
of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. This is one of the few
opportunities that Reserve ground, aviation, and logistics combat
elements, under the command of a regimental headquarters, are able to
come together and coordinate all warfighting actions to operate as a
Marine Air-Ground Task Force under live fire and maneuver conditions.
Additionally in 2018, Reserve Marines and Sailors participated in
Exercise Northern Strike at the Joint Maneuver Training Center aboard
Camp Grayling, Michigan. Exercise Northern Strike provided an
opportunity for Reserve Marines to train alongside Army and Michigan
Air National Guard forces, as well as Canadian forces in a joint,
combined-arms, live-fire exercise emphasizing close air support, joint
fire support, and coordinated maneuver with fires.
To preserve fiscal and materiel resources, Marine Forces Reserve
uses training simulators wherever and whenever possible. Reserve units
employ Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainers (ISMTs) to maintain
combat marksmanship skills and to maximize the use of their most
precious resource, time. The ISMTs enable onsite training and eliminate
long distance travel to remote DoD areas. Additionally, units
capitalize on non-traditional training methods such as online training
to mitigate the limitation of 38 training days per fiscal year to
complete mission essential tasks and all required DoD and Service
annual training requirements. Expanding the use of simulators and
online training enhances readiness and enables the Reserve Component to
maximize limited training time during drill weekends.
Facilities
Marine Forces Reserve occupies facilities in 47 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These
facilities include 27 owned and 133 tenant Reserve Training Centers,
three family housing sites, one permanent barracks, two emergency troop
housing barracks and one General Officer Quarters. Although some sites
are located on major DoD installations, most are situated within
civilian communities, ranging from neighborhoods to industrial and
commercial districts. We continue to improve the maintenance and
security of our facilities to ensure the safety of our Marines and
Sailors and to provide an effective training and mobilization location.
Fifty-seven percent of the facilities budget supports the
sustainment and maintenance of existing infrastructure and day-to-day
operating costs. We have improved the overall readiness of our
facilities inventory through the Facilities Sustainment, Restoration
and Modernization (FSRM) support program and maximized the impact of
our budget through divestiture and demolition of excess footprint.
The Marine Corps' Military Construction, Naval Reserve (MCNR)
program focuses on providing construction for new and enduring
capabilities, as well as recapitalization of our aging facilities. The
construction provided by the annual authorization and appropriation of
MCNR funding is an important factor in advancing our facilities support
mission as we optimize our force laydown throughout the Nation.
Continued support for our MCNR request is essential as we divest of
failing infrastructure and modernize capabilities.
Of most critical importance is the safety of our Marines and
Sailors. We have ongoing efforts to improve overall force protection at
all of our sites by working with our service partners and the National
Guard for joint occupied facilities. Numerous protection assessments
and security engineering reports have been conducted at our facilities
to assist and develop designs to mitigate protection concerns,
specifically physical security. These assessments identify physical
security requirements and serve to prioritize security enhancements to
ensure our Marines and Sailors are secure in the facilities where they
work and drill.
The combined effects of our targeted consolidation, FSRM, and MCNR
programs have steadily reduced the number of inadequate or substandard
Reserve Training Centers and enabled better support to the Force. As
our infrastructure ages, however, our operating costs are steadily
increasing. In addition, service level efforts to modernize our force
and its infrastructure by 2025 also increase costs. Continued support
to our annual funding request for our facilities program will enable us
to improve the overall physical infrastructure that reinforces the
operational readiness of our units.
Health Services
Marine Forces Reserve Health and Human Service' (HSS') ensures the
health and wellness of the Reserve Marines and Sailors remains at the
forefront. We continue to improve medical readiness through a robust
Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA) Program within Marine
Forces Reserve and an accurate monitoring, identification, and
notification of the unit- level actions necessary to attain readiness
goals. Additionally, our Health Services personnel participate in Force
Readiness Assistance & Assessment Program (FRAAP) inspections and
audits which provide oversight at unit level and the ability to monitor
policy adherence and readiness.
The Reserve Health Readiness Program (RHRP) greatly increased
overall medical and dental readiness throughout the Force. This program
funds for and dispatches contracted civilian medical and dental
providers to units that do not have medical or dental support personnel
or are not supported by a military treatment facility. During fiscal
year 2018, the RHRP performed 18,481 Periodic Health Assessments,
14,255 Mental Health Assessments, 576 PDHRAs, 55 PreDHAs, 3,966
laboratory services, 12,539 audio services, and 11,967 dental
procedures.
Between deployments, our Health Services priority is to work toward
achieving the DoD's goal of a 90 percent medically ready force. During
fiscal year 2018, our individual medical and dental readiness rates
were 78.7 percent and 85.9 percent, respectively. Marine Force Reserve
units rely heavily on RHRP to maintain our medical and dental
readiness. Continued support of this program is imperative for
maintaining readiness.
Behavioral Health
In addition to RHRP, Marine Forces Reserve executes a robust
behavioral health program, which includes Combat Operational Stress
Control, Suicide Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Family
Advocacy programs. Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR)
training is conducted at all levels. It is provided during pre-
deployment training to service members deploying for more than 90 days,
as well as all commands in garrison. The purpose of this training is to
provide the requisite knowledge, skills, and tools to assist commanders
in preventing, identifying, and managing combat and operational stress
concerns as early as possible.
The Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) continues to
support behavioral health through various independent contracted
programs, such as the PDHRA and the Psychological Health Outreach
Program (PHOP). The PDHRA places an emphasis on identifying physical,
behavioral, and mental health concerns that may have emerged since
returning from deployment. During CY 2018, Marine Forces Reserve
successfully raised current completion totals to nearly 40,870 PDHRA
screenings. The PHOP addresses both post-deployment behavioral health
concerns and crisis-related interventions by providing our Marines and
Sailors access to local resources through a network of contracted
behavioral health. These programs are critical to maintain a resilient
force by providing a pathway for Marines, Sailors, and families to seek
behavioral health assistance.
Signs of operational and combat stress may sometimes manifest long
after a service member returns home from deployment. This delayed onset
of symptoms presents particular challenges to Reserve Marines who may
be isolated from vital medical care and the daily support network
inherent in active duty Marine Corps units. Encouraging Marines to
acknowledge and vocalize mental health issues is a ubiquitous challenge
facing our commanders. We address the stigma associated with mental
healthcare through key programs, such as the Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration Program (YRRP). Further, we market all of our behavioral
health initiatives and programs through our Marine Forces Reserve
portal website and during key Marine Corps forums throughout the year.
Your continued support of our behavioral health programs is greatly
appreciated.
Marine Forces Reserve Drug Demand Reduction Program (DDRP)
continues to focus on reducing illegal drug use and prescription drug
misuse within the Reserve community. Marine Forces Reserve relies
profoundly on its drug-testing program, which acts as a powerful
deterrent against drug use. Each Reserve unit conducts monthly drug
testing to screen our Reserve Marines for drugs. The DDRP staff
provides quarterly and on demand education and awareness training on
the dangers of misusing and abusing prescription drugs as well as
information on the proper disposal of old, unused, and outdated
medications. Additionally, the DDRP increases leaders' awareness on the
dangers of abusing prescription drugs through annual substance abuse
supervisory level training.
Suicide prevention continues to be a high priority for the Marine
Corps. Marine Forces Reserve centers its suicide prevention efforts on
six initiatives: in-theater assessments, PDHRA, PHOP, Care Management
Teams, Marine Intercept Program (MIP), and Unit Marine Awareness and
Prevention Integration Training (UMAPIT). The in-theater assessments
target Reserve Marines who may be exhibiting or struggling with
clinically-significant behavioral issues during a deployment. These
Marines are evaluated by appropriate medical authorities for possible
treatment with follow-up assistance made prior to returning home. The
PDHRA program specifically focuses on identifying issues that emerge
after our Marines and Sailors have returned home from deployment. The
PHOP secures behavioral health screenings, psychological treatment
referrals and provides essential follow-up treatment to ensure our
service members' behavioral health needs are met.
Similarly, Care Management Teams focus on support through the VA's
Transition Care Management Program. Our Marines are assigned a Care
Manager who oversees the referrals and follow-on care of the Reserve
Marine's individual healthcare needs. MIP is an evidence-informed
targeted intervention for service members who have had an identified
suicide ideation or suicide attempt. MIP includes a series of
telephonic voluntary caring contacts in which a counselor reaches out
to the Marine and assesses them for risk, encourages the use of a
safety plan, and identifies and addresses any barriers to services. The
MIP counselors then incorporate these caring contacts into the
counseling process. These services are also provided to our Reserve
Marines through the PHOP.
Additionally, our Marines, Sailors and family members are able to
access behavioral health programs at Marine Corps installations through
Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) while on active-duty orders.
Regardless of duty status, Military OneSource provides counseling,
resources, and support to service members and their families anywhere
in the world. The Marine Corps DSTRESS Line is another resource
available to all Reserve Marines, and family members regardless of duty
status. DSTRESS is a 24/7/365, Marine-specific anonymous crisis call
and support center that provides phone, chat, and video-
teleconferencing for non-medical, short-term, solution-focused
counseling.
Sexual Assault Prevention & Response
Sexual assault remains a complex and challenging matter that is
often interrelated with other readiness challenges, behavioral health
issues, and destructive behaviors. For Marine Forces Reserve,
addressing the continuum of destructive behaviors and identifying the
most effective prevention techniques are top priorities with the goal
of eliminating sexual assault within our ranks. To accomplish this
goal, we execute a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program
(SAPR) with seven full-time employees who provide supportive services
across our geographically-dispersed force. In addition to the Force-
level Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), each Major
Subordinate Command within Marine Forces Reserve has a SARC who manages
their Commanding General's SAPR Program from the our headquarters in
New Orleans. Together with the SARCs, two professional civilian victim
advocates provide support to our Marines, Sailors and families Marine
Forces Reserve continues to work diligently to improve our victim
response, outreach, and prevention.
Our SAPR staff trains up to 160 uniformed Victim Advocates (VAs)
each year at our headquarters in New Orleans. After completing our 40-
hour training course, these potential VAs submit an application for
credentialing through the DoD's Sexual Assault Advocate Certification
Program. Once credentialed, the advocates are officially appointed by
their commanders to serve at their respective Reserve Training Centers.
In total, Marine Forces Reserve maintains an active roster of more than
250 SAPR VAs across the country.
Our SAPR personnel respond to Marines, Sailors and dependents who
require SAPR services. Our SARCs and SAPR VAs screen for potential
safety issues and develop individualized safety plans as needed. They
offer advocacy services and referrals, and maintain a data base of
nationwide resources for victims of sexual assault who may not reside
on or near a military installation. Furthermore, our Marines and
Sailors have access to a Victim's Legal Counsel who protect their
rights following a report of sexual assault.
Marine Forces Reserve maintains a SAPR Support Line that is manned
by the professional SAPR staff. Marine Forces Reserve also actively
publicizes the DoD Safe Helpline which offers crisis support services
for members of the DoD community. The DoD Safe Helpline is available
24/7 worldwide with ``click.call.text'' user options and can be used
anonymously for confidential support.
Our prevention strategy is holistic and integrated with other
programs that support the eradication effort, such as the Equal
Opportunity Program, Deployment Resiliency, Safety, Spiritual Readiness
Initiatives, and Behavioral Health. Marine Forces Reserve continues to
set the example of discipline and respect by supporting a zero-
tolerance policy related to assault, and a retaliation-free command
climate. Leaders at every level are encouraged to actively engage with
our Marines and Sailors to learn what can be done to further support a
positive environment that is free from attitudes and behaviors that are
incompatible with our core values. All Marines and Sailors receive SAPR
training every year to ensure widespread knowledge about our program to
include prevention and response
Quality of Life
Marine Forces Reserve remains committed to ensuring an appropriate
balance and effective performance of our quality of life programs,
which are designed to help all Marines, Sailors and their families,
whether they are deployed or on the home front. Our force is dispersed
throughout the country and away from traditional brick and mortar
support resources available at our major bases and stations. Therefore,
we strive to provide awareness of, and access to, the numerous support
programs available away from major bases and stations. To meet the
challenge of deployments, and to maintain readiness, we continue to
promote family support through our Deployment Readiness Coordinators.
This program is staffed by either civilians or active duty Marines all
the way down to the detachment level. Marine Corps Community Services
and our Deployment Readiness Coordinators provide a vital link to
ensure support reaches those who need it.
Marine Forces Reserve tracks the submission of medical service
treatment records to ensure Reserve Component Marines receive timely
access to Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) healthcare services.
Working across all 160 sites, we aggressively target our performance
for submission timeliness to ensure our Marines are able to submit
timely VA disability benefit claims.
Marine and Family Readiness Programs remain flexible, constantly
adjusting to meet the needs of our Marines and their families. A
resilient force is primarily achieved by providing robust, relevant,
and standardized training to our commanders, Family Readiness Command
Teams, Marines and their families. Our Marine Corps Family Team
Building (MCFTB) program offers non-clinical primary and secondary
preventative education and professional training to support service
members and their families throughout mission, life, and career
events--ultimately enhancing readiness. MCFTB training events are
delivered both, in person and through interactive webinars, at our 160
sites. During fiscal year 2018, Marine Forces Reserve conducted 113
training events at which 8,691 Marines and family members received
valuable information to prepare for and thrive during deployments, and
to achieve a positive post-deployment reintegration experience.
A key component to our quality of life and resiliency is the
religious ministry support provided by 222 Religious Ministry Team
(RMT) members. As Uniformed Members, RMTs support Marines and their
families across the full spectrum of military life including combat and
humanitarian engagements. 125 RMT personnel are embedded in 46 Marine
Corps Reserve units and 97 are integrated in Navy Reserve religious
support units that directly support Active Component Marine Corps
units. This support includes developing the Commandant's spiritual
readiness initiatives, providing divine services across the spectrum of
faith communities, advising on spiritual and ethical matters, and
delivering pastoral care in a safe, confidential environment. One
signature program is the Chaplain Religious Enrichment Development
Operations (CREDO) program. The CREDO program provides two
transformational workshops: the Marriage Enrichment Retreat and the
Personal Resiliency Retreat (PRR). These events equip Marines, Sailors,
and their families with practical relationship and communication tools
that strengthen marriages and individual resilience while on the home
front and during deployments. The PRR curriculum also helps Marines and
Sailors set personal goals, make good decisions, deal with stress, and
live lives with greater purpose and satisfaction. During fiscal year
2018, fifteen Marriage Enrichment and Personal Resiliency Retreats were
conducted with 624 participants.
The Marine Corps emphasizes the importance of readiness for Marines
and family members in many areas of life. Personal and Professional
Development programs continue to provide training and educational
resources to our Marines, Sailors and their families in a variety of
areas. One key program that assists commands, Marines, and family
members with readiness is the Command Financial Specialist Program
(CFS). The CFS provides assistance on a wide array of financial issues
to include budgeting, savings, investing, insurance, Survivor Benefit
Program (SBP), VA benefits, retirement and financial counseling to all
members of our dispersed forces.
Our Transition Readiness Program emphasizes a proactive approach
that enables Marines to formulate effective post-transition
entrepreneurship, employment, and educational goals. The Marine For
Life Network links our Marines to employment, education, and community
resources to support their overall life goals. Tutor.com offers
Marines, Sailors and their children access to 24/7 no-cost, live
tutoring services for K-12 students, college students and adult
learners. Our Marines are provided with remote access to language
courses through Mango Languages. This program supports over 70
languages to include English as a Secondary Language (ESL). Peterson's
Online Academic Skills Course helps build math and verbal skills to
excel on the job, pass an exam, to advance in a career or continued
education.
Our Semper Fit program continues to be fully engaged in partnering
with our bases and stations to provide quality, results-based education
and conditioning protocols for our Marines and Sailors. The High
Intensity Tactical Training program provides hands-on, science-based
strength and conditioning courses and online physical fitness tools to
include instruction on injury prevention, nutrition, and weight
management. Our Marines' and Sailors' quality of life is also enhanced
through team building, and esprit de corps activities, such as unit
outings and participation in competitive events. These programs are
crucial to unit cohesion and camaraderie.
The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is an invaluable part of
our resiliency efforts. Since its inception in 2010, we have held more
than 900 training events for more than 40,000 Marines, Sailors, and
family members. In fiscal year 2018, we conducted 51 events with 1,875
participants.
Our Marines, Sailors, and their families, who sacrifice so much for
our Nation's defense, should not be asked to sacrifice quality of life.
We remain a staunch advocate for flexible Family Programs and Services
that evolve and adapt to the changing needs of our Marines, Sailors and
their families. The combined effect of these programs and services are
critical to the readiness and retention of our Marines, Sailors, and
their families, and your continued support is greatly appreciated.
Supporting our Wounded, Ill, or Injured Marines and their Families
The Marine Corps ensures the availability of full spectrum care to
all wounded, ill, or injured (WII) service members, whether they are
Active or Reserve, through the Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR). Marine
Forces Reserve ensures Reserve Marines' unique challenges are addressed
through a WWR Liaison Officer who provides subject matter expertise and
special coordination with the WWR staff.
The WWR staff includes the Reserve Medical Entitlements
Determinations Section, which maintains specific oversight of all
Reservists requiring medical care for service-incurred and duty-
limiting medical conditions. Reservists facing complex care and
recovery needs have access to WWR's network of 45 Recovery Care
Coordinators who provide one-on-one transition support and resource
identification for WII Reservists and families often living long
distances from military installations. WWR also has medical advocates
at the regimental staff who are available to assist Reservists in need
of medical care coordination and advocacy. District Injured Support
Coordinators dispersed throughout the country also coordinate with
Reserve units to ensure we keep faith with all Marines.
Marine Forces Reserve will not forget the sacrifices our Marines
have made for this great Nation; and we will continue to work with the
WWR to establish resources and programs that address the unique and
ongoing needs of our Reserve population.
Conclusion
The Marine Corps Reserves is manned, trained and equipped to
provide individual Marines and units to the Active Component as part of
the Total Force. We are forward deployed supporting Combatant
Commanders' requirements, participating in multiple exercises at our
training centers and around the world, and often the face of the Marine
Corps to our local communities. Along with our Active Component, we are
focused on modernization, readiness and manpower to maintain and
enhance our ability to increase the lethality and capacity of the
service to be the Nation's force-in-readiness. With your continued
support, we will remain ready to augment, reinforce and sustain the
Active Component. Semper Fidelis!
Senator Shelby. Thank you.
At the start of the current fiscal year, 2,125 National
Guardsmen were deployed to our Nation's southwest border.
Recent projections anticipate 1,807 will remain for the rest of
the fiscal year.
General Lengyel, can you give the subcommittee an update
here today on the current deployment?
General Lengyel. Yes, Chairman. We have been deployed. The
National Guard has been deployed on the border since a year
ago, since April 6th.
As of this morning, we have 2,079 National Guard soldiers
and airmen that are deployed still in all four border States,
predominantly in Texas and Arizona that have the preponderance
of those forces.
They are doing this in a volunteer status under the command
and control of the governors in their States. So there are
guardsmen on the border.
It is anticipated that the Department of Defense assigned
to the National Guard the responsibility to supply up to a
total of 4,000--is what we were authorized to put on the
southwest border--and fund, using our training dollars to fund
them, while they are there.
It is anticipated that the current level of 2,000 who are
there about right now should be sustained for about the rest of
the year.
Senator Shelby. Is that enough?
General Lengyel. It is. Well, if you are down there for the
Department of Homeland Security, they would like more,
actually, but I would tell you that they are very valued to the
Customs and Border Protection and to DHS (Department of
Homeland Security) in performing their border security
missions.
Senator Shelby. General, deployments for the guard forces
to the southwest border exists as unfunded, unfunded
requirements in our cycle, fiscal cycle, because those
deployments follow Requests for Assistance, RFA, initiated by
the Department of Homeland Security, as you know.
The current RFA, Request for Assistance, extends through
September, and some estimates predict a $247 million shortage
of funding for pay and operations, a quarter of a billion
dollars.
Could you describe how you plan to mitigate the current
shortfall and what planning has gone into the deployments to
the border during 2020? Can you tell us how the Department
might better account for cost through the normal budget
process?
General Lengyel. Yes, Mr. Chairman. And your numbers are
accurate. I mean, it is projected that approximately $247
million is what we project, the total cost of the National
Guard deployment to the southwest border will in fact be.
And I would tell you that if through the course of the
year, there is an expectation by the National Guard that funds
will be reprogrammed from some other source within the
Department to cover those training costs. We are using our
training dollars to do this.
As a round number, it costs the National Guard about $100
million to do one drill weekend for the Army National Guard.
So, at the end of the year, we will need a reprogramming of
about $193 million to not impact the normal training schedules
that the National Guard is expected to do to be a ready part of
the Army and part of the Air Force.
Senator Shelby. Okay.
General Luckey, I will direct this question to you. In
order to identify funds for the modernization priorities
managed by the Army Futures Command, the Army recently
realigned $33 billion through the truncation or elimination of
186 programs, many of which provide logistical capabilities.
What is your level of integration with the Army Futures
Command at this point, and what was your involvement in the
process that produced the reductions?
General Luckey. Chairman, let me take the second question
first, if I may.
Senator Shelby. Okay.
General Luckey. My involvement was persistent and constant,
and candidly, I was a full partner and had many opportunities
to discuss with senior leadership all aspects of that process
that you just alluded to.
As it pertains specifically to our relationship with the
Army from the logistics perspective, as you well know,
Chairman, we are fully integrated with the Army as an enabling
capability from the very first days of any sort of mobilization
for major contingency operations.
I will tell you that inside the Army Reserve, I will not
say we have led this effort, but we have anticipated now for
some time that this is going to require a prioritization of
where do we modernize first, what formations need to be trained
to a slightly higher state of readiness so they are able to
execute their tasks on time, as I alluded to in my opening
statement.
And I will tell you that as part of our RFX, our Ready
Force X construct, we have already designated a significant
portion of our force to be able to deploy, as I said earlier,
in weeks' or months' notice. The aspects of that capability and
that readiness impact both how we look at how we man our
forces, where we prioritize our full-time support resources to
sustain a higher level of readiness to those capabilities, and
where we prioritize modernizing an increasing sustainment of
certain systems to support those forces.
I am confident sitting here before this committee today in
telling you that based on the work that has been done so far
and frankly based on some of the prioritization efforts we have
made inside the Army Reserve, I am confident that we can
continue to meet the requirements necessary to provide those
capabilities to the warfighter.
As I have said to several members of this committee in
other venues, fundamentally the challenge we have is time and
making sure that we have adequate notice to prepare those
forces fully for large-scale combat operations.
Senator Shelby. Thank you.
General Luckey. Yes, sir.
Senator Shelby. I will direct this question to you,
Admiral.
Following multiple accidents involving ships at sea in
2017, the Navy produced several reports to ensure that we are
learning from our mistakes and, more importantly, working to
prevent future tragedies like these.
READINESS REVIEW RECOMMENDATION
It is my understanding that these reports, which include
the Fleet Forces Command Comprehensive Review and Strategic
Readiness Review, resulted in 117 firm recommendations--that is
a lot of recommendations--for reform. Could you provide us an
update on the recommendations, either here or for the record,
and your role in this process?
Admiral McCollum. Thank you, Chairman, for that question,
and I will be happy to provide the details in a written
response.
But I can tell you that of those 117 recommendations, north
of 90 of them have been implemented----
Senator Shelby. Good.
Admiral McCollum [continuing]. And on their way, and as
they are focused on training in a culture of excellence and
building a foundation for generating the controls and
mechanisms in the surface warfare enterprise, the teams that
have been stood up and focused on a steady drum beat are
delivering the output on plan. And we are going to continue to
be very focused until all recommendations are delivered.
Senator Shelby. That is a big part of readiness, is it not?
Admiral McCollum. Yes, sir. It is very key to readiness.
And it is personal readiness, it is equipment readiness, it is
warfighting readiness, and it all comes together, role clarity
and the training that goes with it.
REACHING END STRENGTH GOALS
Senator Shelby. General Scobee, I understand that you are
focusing on improving personnel programs and reaching Air Force
end strength goals. Could you tell us about how this budget
request supports your plan to achieve these goals that have
been outlined, including converting 1,200 Air Force Reserve
technicians to active guard reserve positions, and why is that
important?
General Scobee. Mr. Chairman, all the changes that we are
making in our personnel systems are to get after our readiness,
but it is through the personnel readiness piece. And that
starts with making sure that we meet our end strength. So all
the programs and all the programs that you have seen in our
budget that is what I am trying to get after.
There are three things that I am driving towards. One is
our medical readiness piece of it and ensuring that we have
that. With the appropriations we received last year, we had a
3,000-member backlog in our medical readiness. It is zero today
because of the on-time appropriations that we received, and we
were able to focus some money into our medical readiness.
Additionally, our programs, some of our antiquated systems,
we are updating those in order to keep that friction of our
members being able to serve as a minimum, and that includes
their pay and benefits. So if we can solve those problems, that
retention rate will come up.
Additionally, my Air Reserve technician status has been
difficult for us to fill for a myriad of reasons, but the AGR
(Active Guard Reserve) pay status that Congress has asked us to
put into the Air Force Reserve Command, we have been able to do
that. So by putting the active guard and reserve personnel
positions into our force, it enables me to give people the pay
status that best suits the needs of their families, and it also
will help me with our readiness.
So those are all the programs that we are changing right
now in order to work on the personnel piece of our readiness in
the Air Force Reserve Command.
Senator Shelby. Senator Durbin.
SOUTHWEST BORDER
Senator Durbin. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I want to follow up
on one of your questions.
General Lengyel, as I understood your answer to the
Chairman, you anticipate a shortfall of $190 million that the
guard will need to pay for the President's decision to deploy
the State National Guards to the border; is that correct?
General Lengyel. Senator, that is correct. If we do not
reprogram funds back into our training accounts, we will have
to make modifications within our current appropriation that
will either reduce our training opportunities or do things like
cancel drill weekends to find the money.
READINESS
Senator Durbin. General, have not you come before this
committee repeatedly and told us that you need readiness more
than anything else?
General Lengyel. Well, readiness is our primary goal in
accordance with the number one priority of the National Defense
Strategy.
Senator Durbin. So would you like to explain to me how
canceling drill weekends enhances the readiness of the National
Guard?
General Lengyel. Senator, so the National Guard is part of
a mission on the southwest border. We have routinely deployed
and do missions assigned to us that have impacts on our
readiness.
At the end of the day, we are going to accomplish the
mission that was given to the National Guard, which is to
assist the Department of Homeland Security and secure the
border.
Senator Durbin. I am not questioning your dedication or
following the orders of the President. I am just trying to work
out the equation here.
General Lengyel. Sure.
Senator Durbin. When you answer his call and it costs $247
million and you have $190 million shortfall and the
Appropriations Committee asked you a very direct question, how
are you going to pay for it? What you have suggested is the
cancelation of drill weekends at $100 million a weekend, and I
am asking you if readiness is the goal, is the cancellation of
those weekends consistent with the goal of readiness?
General Lengyel. Canceling drill weekends will impact
readiness, and I would tell you that what our hope is is that
the Department finds funds available inside the Department that
are reallocatable to that so we do not have to do that.
Senator Durbin. How much money is asked for in the
President's budget for next year when it comes to this mission
on the southern border?
General Lengyel. So right now there is no additional money
requested.
Senator Durbin. So we are going to play this out again next
year. We will find out exactly when the President decides to
declare the next invasion, send down good men and women who
leave their jobs and their families to supplement what the
border agents are doing, create a whole in the budget that the
President is not even preparing for or not even anticipating,
and run the risk that will cancel drill weekends across the
board for our guard and compromise their readiness. Is this any
way to run a national defense?
General Lengyel. Well, Senator, I would say that currently
this mission is assigned to us through the end of this fiscal
year, and so if there is a further assignment beyond the end of
this year and into next year, we will have to make
accommodations to find the----
Senator Durbin. General, I know you will do your duty.
General Lengyel. Yes, sir.
Senator Durbin. And I obviously am questioning some
decisionmaking at a higher level.
RECRUITMENT
Let me ask you why the National Guard and the Army Reserve
had such difficulty in recruiting.
General Lengyel. So, sir, I think the entire Army last year
had trouble finding recruits. I mean, the reasons why could
be--you know, I think it is the economy has been very good. It
is a very competitive environment.
Senator Durbin. The economy is also very good for
prospective marines, sailors, and airmen.
General Lengyel. It is.
Senator Durbin. And they met the recruiting goals.
General Lengyel. Well, as a component, we have to recruit
big numbers of folks into our force. Every year the Army
National Guard has to recruit about 50,000 people into our
force to maintain our numbers, and the Army was growing a
little bit. So, as the Army was growing the active component,
sometimes it becomes a competition amongst all of the
components to find the relatively small number that fit the
requirements to be part of our force.
General Luckey. So, Senator, not to interrupt, but since
the question is directed to the Army Reserve, as the leader of
the Army Reserve, let me respond directly to your question to
the Chief of the Guard Bureau.
So, first of all, candidly, recruiting has not been a
significant issue for us. I would acknowledge before this
committee, as I think I have acknowledge to you before, the
Army Reserve is not where its current authorization is from an
end strength perspective. So I acknowledge implicitly that we
have had some problems from a strength perspective, but I would
not concede that fundamentally we have a challenge with
recruiting.
In fact, this last month is an example. The Army Reserve
exceeded its current sort of trend for the year by exceeding
our recruiting goals for over 700 new enlistees into the Army
Reserve.
I would also tell you that from an attrition perspective,
attrition or losing soldiers out of the Army Reserve is the
lowest it has been in 18 years.
Fundamentally, I would attribute the challenge that I have
not so much to achieving end strengths. We are, as I said now,
actually increasing our end strength and have consistently now
for some period of time.
The truth of the matter is--and I take some responsibility
for this, Senator. In a vigorous push for readiness over the
last couple years, fundamentally directed by me to try to make
sure we reduce the non-deployable soldiers in the Army Reserve
and readiness force for major contingency operations in any
number of potential theaters in a full domain of operational
challenges, I have in fact insisted on additional readiness in
terms of medical readiness, deployability, and all other
aspects of warfighting skills.
I would acknowledge that there has been some attrition in
some soldiers who, frankly, probably had not been as challenged
as they have in the last couple years to remain in this force.
RECRUITMENT
Senator Durbin. General Luckey, the numbers speak for
themselves, and I am just asking why the Army Reserve and Army
National Guard have run into difficulties which the other
branches have not run into.
General Lengyel. And, Senator, I will continue my question
to you based on the Army National Guard. Part of it has been a
reduction in our full-time recruiters in order to recruit the
force.
Last year we were authorized an additional 440 recruiters,
which will mitigate this year's shortfall. We will make our end
strength this year. We believe that is probably not enough. We
need to continue to add additional full-time support to help us
recruit the force and sustain the force to the levels we need
and to maintain its readiness.
Senator Durbin. Perhaps some of the reprogramming for the
southern border can go for recruiters. That might be an
interesting investment as well.
I asked in a general way to prepare each one of you for
this question, and I only have a few seconds left. So I am
going to pick on the Navy, the Navy Reserve. What has happened
in the last year that you found most challenging or disruptive
in terms of what you had planned for the budget for the Navy
Reserve?
Admiral McCollum. Senator Durbin, thanks for the question.
Well, first of all, let me thank the committee for giving
us a budget on time, and that provided predictability. A
reservist is at their best when they had that predictability
with family, with their employer, and their military
requirements. Anything that competes with that then worries us.
Quite frankly, the demand that is generated for the shift
of the focus on the National Defense Strategy, CNO has directed
me to create a more lethal reserve, to move reserve billets to
warfighting and the move from less administrative and more
warfighting, and as we shift to a maritime focus, support of
great power competition, that movement and how we do it the
right way has got my attention and takes most of my time as I
think about it, sir.
Senator Durbin. Thank you.
Let me say about appropriations bills on time. Fortunately,
we are all in the loving arms of our chairman here who has done
such a magnificent job this fiscal year. We are confident he is
going to do it again next year against all odds. He brings such
skill to this task, and well just stand here and just honor him
today.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Senator Durbin. I hope your
statement becomes true. Thank you.
[Laughter.]
Senator Shelby. Senator Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and know that I
echo the support and the encouragement for timely budgets. I
know how critical it is certainly for the Department of
Defense. Thank you all for your leadership in all ways.
INNOVATION
I wanted to ask very quickly about the Innovative Readiness
Training Program. We have seen just really extraordinary
benefits from this program. Both Army, Marine Corps have been
involved in specific projects up in my State that have gone a
long way. The IRT funding is from a line in the defense-wide
civil military appropriations and in part through, I believe,
your training budgets.
So for current fiscal year, we increased funding for that
defense line by $10 million. The administration budget
eliminates that adjustment. I am going to seek to restore that,
but the question that I would have for you all is whether your
services would benefit from an increase of greater than the $10
million in the defense-wide line and perhaps if there should be
other areas that we should look to enhance these opportunities.
So I guess the question to you all is whether or not, in
your judgment, there are enough good training opportunities out
there to support more substantial increases in this IRT
program.
General Lengyel. Senator Murkowski, I would like to take a
shot at that. Anytime we can leverage a readiness training with
finding incidental benefits or benefits to our States, our
communities, our services, anything, is a good thing.
I would like to take an opportunity for the record to go
specifically get you the numbers from at least what the
National Guard's contribution to that is, but our ability to do
real-world training on real-world scenarios, real-world events,
I think is--as some of my colleagues have talked about, the
ability here to manage the time required by our soldiers and
our airmen, sailors, and marines as we do things. If we can get
training doing real-world duties for our States, for our
communities, for our services in innovative readiness training,
it is something that we should maximize to the degree that we
can.
Thank you.
Senator Murkowski. But I appreciate that and would
encourage you to look specifically at that. Again, we have seen
great benefit in very remote islanded communities, whether it
is Old Harbor on Kodiak, down in Metlakatla in Southeast, up in
Newtok, as that village is being threatened by coastal erosion
and needs relocation.
So the benefit out there that we have seen has been truly
extraordinary, and everything that we hear is that it is
fabulous training for you all, so if I can ask you to look
specifically to that.
ASSOCIATIONS
Let me ask you another question, General Lengyel, and I
would be remiss if I did not put on the table again the
interest of the 168th Air Refueling Wing. They want to enter
into an association with the active components to address the
refueling assets there in the North Pacific. We have been
talking about it for a couple years now.
Do you think that we can reasonably expect a resolution to
this in the near future? We have got the F-35s coming,
beginning next year, and then also on the issue of assets is
the combat rescue helicopters. We are very, very proud of the
extraordinary work that the National Guard search and rescue
does there in the State, but the assets, the iron that is up
there is very heavily utilized and needs replacement.
So do we need to be moving more aggressively here to bring
the new combat rescue helicopters online? So twofold for you.
General Lengyel. So for the two questions, with respect to
the association, I have seen personally the benefits of
associations and the benefits that gives in terms of
productivity to the warfighter by blending together the systems
of the reserve components and the active component.
And I think that Alaska, the Air Mobility Command, the
United States Air Force, would need to look at this and make
sure that we can do it, and if the manpower is available and
the funding is available to put into--there are various
different flavors of associations, as you know, to find
manpower to put there against the association. With the
increase in aircraft and F-35s and things that are going
through Alaska, I think that is a good thing, and we need to
stay on it and make that happen.
Senator Murkowski. Well, I appreciate you staying on it.
Thank you.
General Lengyel. Yes, ma'am. And with respect to the combat
rescue helicopter, it is a unique environment, lots of rescues
all the time----
Senator Murkowski. All the time.
General Lengyel [continuing]. Going on with the increased
training opportunities and activities that happen in Alaska all
the time as well. Those combat rescue helicopters not only
deploy routinely around the world in support of combatant
commanders, but they get a lot of business right there in
Alaska.
It is an old platform. The Air Force is in the process of
recapitalizing that platform, and I know that General Scobee
and the Air Force are going to do that as quick as they can,
and the Alaska National Guard and the rescue helicopters need
to be part of it.
ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT TRAINING
Senator Murkowski. Well, we are going to keep pushing on
that one as well.
Let me ask, then, because you have mentioned several times
the value of the training up north. The National Defense
Strategy and its projection of future of great power
competition has the active component once again looking to the
possibility that American forces are going to be needed to be
fighting in cold weather in conditions that are climate of the
Arctic. Well, we have got the training grounds, certainly.
The National Guard Bureau has stood up its Arctic Interest
Council to begin to prepare for this challenge. We really thank
you for your leadership with that.
But I do not know that I have ever had the opportunity to
raise this with the other reserve commanders. So I would ask
you what you all are doing now in terms of doctrine, training,
equipment and anything else that you might deem relevant to
prepare for training opportunities, to train your units in an
Arctic environment if called upon, and if so, what do we need
to do from a resourcing perspective?
One of the things that we are pushing is some basic things,
like making sure that we have got outer wear that is sufficient
to protect from the cold, but can you very quickly just speak
to this----
General Luckey. So, Senator, if I may. As the leader of
America's Army Reserve, as I said, some 200,000 soldiers, we
are actually very acutely aware of the conditions in which we
might have to operate, and I acknowledge your question.
I will tell you we have made significant investment, both
in terms of equipping--at least some portion of this force is
necessary to operate in those environments in terms of
literally the clothing you are speaking of and equipment that
will operate in that environment.
And at the risk of expanding the conversation a little bit,
I will tell you that in addition to acknowledging that we have
Army Reserve soldiers in Alaska that are obviously trained and
are very proficient to operate in that environment, we also are
very proud of--the Army Reserve is very proud of the training
platform it has at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, which is also another
cold weather training environment, not necessarily quite what
you would get in northern Alaska, but----
Senator Murkowski. I think it is going to be colder in
Wisconsin than it is in Alaska right now.
General Luckey. But I think Senator Baldwin would agree
that it can get cold in Wisconsin.
We actually take that very seriously and are increasing our
proficiency to operate in that environment.
Senator Murkowski. Good. I appreciate that.
Others want to tell me what they are doing?
General James. Senator, thanks for the question from the
Marine Corps side. Our commandant has been talking about going
north here for a couple years, and so we----
Senator Murkowski. We welcome those conversations, you
know. We are looking at ADAC with great interest.
General James. Yes, ma'am.
Senior leadership, we have sent some senior leaders up to
take a look.
I had the opportunity to go up to Alaska the last three
summers with Old Harbor IRT in progress, and I see a lot of
benefits going up there.
From the Marine Forces Reserve side, I have directed an
exercise up into Canada this year, tried to get it over into
Alaska, but just the tyranny of distance was too much for our
first one. So we will continue to develop that.
It is mostly aviation-based this year, but we are going to
go into the ground side and the battalions, their off years
from our integrated training exercises out in the desert.
So it is a challenge, though, for the sheer numbers during
the wintertime, the cold season, if you will, just because we
have so many students. So, obviously, our high-demand season is
the summer, but it is something we can do at a smaller level to
get our marines cold and get them used to it.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you.
Admiral McCollum. Senator, on the Navy side, we recently
undertook an exercise with the Harry S. Truman Strike Group and
did an exercise in the high north with our allies and partners
in the late fall timeframe, and in many cases, we relearned a
lot of lessons of the past. It had been many, many years since
we had operated up there in cold weather.
So not only the things, how we equip our sailors with
working in cold weather, but things that happen when ice
occurs, how do you break the ice and many things. So we have a
pretty exhaustive amount of lessons learned from that endeavor
with that entire strike group, and the Navy is looking at that
to prepare to be very versatile and capable in cold weather
domains.
Senator Shelby. I would appreciate that. Thank you.
General Lengyel. Senator, if I could just add one thing.
You mentioned the Guard. I would just say that given the
increased activity in the Arctic, as you know, the National
Guard, not just in Alaska, but all of the States on the Arctic
Interest Council are preparing for inevitable activity up
there--search and rescue activity, disaster response activity
when humans need to be up there.
And not only that, but as part of the National Defense
Strategy, working with allies and partners in the Arctic
together, we do a lot of that through Alaska and a lot of that
through the National Guard Interest Council. So we think it is
a very important future mission area for the National Guard to
be part of.
Senator Murkowski. Greatly, greatly appreciate it.
Thank you all.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Shelby. Senator Tester.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to echo the comments of our Ranking Member of this
Committee and your leadership skills.
I want to thank you all for being here. I appreciate it
very, very much, and I appreciate the people that you represent
in our military.
I have been a longtime proponent of upgrading the C-130H's,
and so, General Lengyel, this is directed at you.
You know, I get it. I run a farm. It is easier. It is
cheaper to repair than to buy new, but you give up some things
when you are working with an airframe that was originally built
in 1956, the same year I was born, and I am about wore out. So
I guess they probably wore out too.
But the point is that things have changed a lot, and now we
have got these 130J's out there, which I can only imagine if it
has changed like it has in my tractors--and I would bet it has
changed a lot more than that--I would be hard pressed to put my
dad, who is long passed, on the tractor that we run today and
have him run it.
C-130 TRAINING
So the question is on a 130-H--and they are in active
military and they are flying the C-130J's, which is the newer
airframe, and they go to a guard unit that has 130H's, is their
retraining necessary for that?
General Lengyel. To change from the C-130H to the C-130J,
there is----
Senator Tester. Or vice versa.
General Lengyel. Or vice versa, yes. Yes, sir, there are
some differences in training that the aircrew would have to do
and maintainers as well.
Senator Tester. Not to get back to the point that Senator
Durbin made, but that could have an impact on your recruitment
too and keeping folks in the active military in the Guard,
which is an incredible asset, right?
General Lengyel. Absolutely, sir. Without a doubt.
Senator Tester. Then I also know that getting parts for the
older equipment is kind of hard to get, and so we had a bunch
of H's that were grounded because of a prop issue, and
unfortunately, some people got killed that pointed out the prop
issue, which is very unfortunate, tragedy. Were there any 130-
J's that were grounded because of the prop issue?
General Lengyel. No, sir. I think your point about the C-
130H models being older and more expensive and more difficult
to maintain and staying operational is spot on.
Senator Tester. And you are a little different because when
you have a mission to do and you go to fire up the old plane
and the generator does not work or the starter does not work,
you cannot go down the road 75 miles and get a part. My guess
is it probably takes a while to get those parts. They would
probably have to be made, right?
General Lengyel. In some cases, yes, sir. In some cases,
the older equipment is harder to find parts for, for sure.
C-130 RECAPITALIZATION
Senator Tester. So does this budget take a significant step
forward in replacing those H's?
General Lengyel. Sir, this particular budget does not, not
in terms of replacing them.
There is some money in the budget that will do Avionics
Modernization Program II, which will actually keep the
airplanes more modern and more flyable, but things that the C-
130 needs--you mentioned one of them that they were grounded
for propeller issues--there are programs that can fix the
engines, that can change the propeller systems, that can make
the airplane modernization go further, and there is no money in
this budget to do that.
Senator Tester. Yes. You know better than I. You are still
flying an airplane that potentially could be 62 years old.
General Lengyel. Yes, sir. No doubt about it.
Senator Tester. Okay. I just think as we move forward
here--and we have to prioritize what we are doing, and I know
you prioritize what you are doing. All of you do. I think this
is a pretty high-priority item. I mean really.
General Lengyel. Senator, it is, and I would mention over
the last 3 years, we have had the good fortunate to have some
16 new C-130J models added to the National Guard. Those will be
stationed here at some point in the future, but----
Senator Tester. Can we get about eight of those in Great
Falls, Montana?
General Lengyel. There is a basing process that will
determine where they ultimately go.
Senator Tester. Okay.
General Lengyel. But the Air Force, in my view, we need to
continue to upgrade some of them, while seriously considering a
modernization program, a recapitalization program that
seriously considers continuing the extension of new J models.
Senator Tester. I appreciate that, and I think that--and I
think it is all about budgets and priorities, and it is about
actually getting to a situation where we are actually meeting
the needs of this Country from a security standpoint and you
being able to do your job. And I just think that a lot of these
planes should be in museums, quite frankly, and we are still
trying to keep them up in the air.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
I want to talk about mental health because I know it is an
issue that you all are concerned about, and I think we have got
some good programs out there. I think the Air Force Yellow
Ribbon Program has been a good program. I think the Navy
Reserve Psychological Health Outreach Program has been a good
program.
I guess the question I have is when it comes to mental
health services--and be as brief as you can--do we have
adequate access to mental health services for our guards and
reservists?
General Lengyel. Well, sir, from the National Guard
perspective, we certainly could use more. There are access
programs. There are some, but some of our guardsman do not
qualify for all of them.
Senator Tester. But they are a bit deficient right now as
far as access to mental health folks, especially in rural
areas.
General Lengyel. Yes, sir. No, in rural areas, clearly
there are places where we do not have it.
Senator Tester. Okay. Anybody else want to respond to that?
General Luckey. Senator, I would concur. I think it would
be inappropriate for me to tell you it is common across the
board----
Senator Tester. Right.
General Luckey [continuing]. Because you all know some of
it depends on where our soldiers are.
Senator Tester. Yes. That is right now. Yes. Okay.
General James. Senator, from the Marine Corps Reserve, we
have about 60 counselors out there, mostly full time, some part
time. They are contracted out.
I do not have the details or their work flow, but we could
always say we could use more with our dispersal of all of our
marine reserves.
Senator Tester. Okay. Let us talk about the programs that
appear to be working and doing things that I think cover the
gaps that are out there for our fighting men and women.
Do you guys share? I mean, you are kind of siloed, but you
probably should not be and particularly mental health
standpoint, but are you able to share successes to be able to
utilize best practices between the different branches?
Admiral.
Admiral McCollum. Senator, thank you.
It is a very important topic for the Navy Reserve as we
manage this in the aegis.
First of all, for redeploying sailors who have gone on
deployment, we offer both services and a program, Returning
Warrior, part of the Yellow Ribbon program, and then over time,
with--you mentioned PHOP (Psychological Health Outreach
Program). It has been very effective for us, and what we have
learned, that the opportunities to engage and communicate is
where we get the best value out of this.
Now, as we track metrics and whether it is in the suicidal
ideation, where we have seen an uptrend, we actually do not
view that necessarily as negative, because they are willing to
talk about it, because we track that when they are willing to
talk about their issue. Whereas, perhaps before, without a PHOP
counselor, et cetera, maybe they would not have talked about it
and have held that thought internally.
Senator Tester. Spot on. But are you able to share what
works, and is it transferrable to the other components of the
military?
Admiral McCollum. We know it works through testimonies.
Senator Tester. And are you able to share it?
Admiral McCollum. With the individuals and without
individual names, we can share.
Senator Tester. How about between the branches of the
military? Can you share?
Admiral McCollum. We should be able to share our best
practices, of course.
Senator Tester. And do you?
General Luckey. I would say unqualifiedly yes.
Senator Tester. Okay, good. This is a problem that I know
is on your guys' radar screen, every one of your radar screens,
and the more people we can get at the table, I think the better
off we are.
If one of the branches has got something that works,
hopefully you guys make a real solid effort to say, ``Hey,
guys, this is working for me. You might want to give it a
shot.''
General Luckey. So, Senator, I will just assure you I pay
very close attention to what all of my compatriots are doing
and making sure we are using best practices everywhere we can
to get after this challenge.
Senator Tester. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Shelby. Senator Blunt.
Senator Blunt. Thank you, Chairman.
C-130
General Lengyel, let us talk about C-130s just a little bit
more, totally parochial, as all those discussions usually are.
This is Rosecrans.
Before I would ask my question, let me say that actually on
this topic generally, on the airlift training, and the weapons
training, that used to be much more year to year and much less
specific in funding than it is now. I think both the Air Force
and the Guard have really worked hard with the Committee to try
to get that to where it is more understood.
At the 139th at Rosecrans, they do training in both of
those areas, for people from sometimes up to 20 countries in a
year that we are friends with to train on airlift and weapons.
We lost an aircraft last year, I think on the topic of just
being sure that our equipment is everything it ought to be.
Obviously that and readiness are appropriate.
I think you knew I was going to ask this. When do you think
we will see a return of that eighth aircraft to that training
base?
General Lengyel. Sir, I think over the Air Force, every C-
130 unit lost a funded primary aircraft. That is how the Air
Force spread its financial reduction around, and the Air Force
is going to relook at that towards the end of the FY DP (Future
Years Defense Program), and I will give you a question for the
record. I will come back to you and make sure that I know when
that is going to be ready.
Senator Blunt. All right. I will let you follow up with the
Air Force on that with me, and I will expect that for the
record.
CYBERSECURITY
On a question I would like all of you to think about and
respond, if you have a response, obviously in the cyberspace--I
am also on the intel committee--the cyber warrior space, the
cyberspace, a real challenge for us--I have always thought
there was a unique opportunity for the guard and the reserve to
have that cyber warrior who is out there every day in another
capacity seeing what is happening, and I just wonder what kind
of programs, General Luckey, starting with you, that you are
looking at and if we are able to take advantage of that
capacity of someone who is in a different situation most of the
time who actually because of that is probably better prepared
for the daily challenges of cyber than others might be.
General Luckey. So, Senator, first of all, thank you for
the question. I would acknowledge and agree with your implicit
assumption, which you stated at the end.
In many cases, we had a lot of soldiers, sailors, airmen,
and marines out there working in the private sector developing
and sustaining incredible skills, and we want to obviously
bring them into a retain--in the U.S. military.
As for the Army Reserve, as I said in my opening statement,
Senator, about 2 years ago, we re-tasked a two-star command
down in Houston, Texas, the 75th Training Command to be the
75th Innovation Command, and it is now in the posture to both
operationalize some of the challenges you are talking about
and, candidly, take it beyond cyber to artificial intelligence,
to take it to quantum computing and other places, I call it
``digital key terrain,'' as I said in my opening statement. We
can go out there and essentially move structure to capture that
talent and retain it for America and for the U.S. Army.
So I will tell you we are very aggressively pursuing that
strategy. It is already paying dividends, and we are in direct
support of Army Futures Command which, as you know, is located
in Austin. So we will continue to press this. This is a journey
of discovery, but I totally agree with your implicit assumption
on this. And we will continue the operation.
Senator Blunt. I just think this scenario where people who
are not in the full-time service bring a different set of facts
and understandings to their effort to be a cyber warrior.
General Scobee.
General Scobee. Senator Blunt, you are exactly correct.
I will put a fine point on this. I will tell you what we
have really seen in the Air Force Reserve Command. This year we
stood up our first cyber wing. It is in San Antonio, and what
we see there is recruiting and retention is very high in that
wing because what we give our airmen the ability to do is our
part-time airmen that work in this industry across America,
they will fly out and work the cyber mission that is there in
San Antonio.
We actually have them spread all over the country, too, in
squadrons, and they are directly responsible and move into
active component organizations as well. So there are these
components that we have working hand in hand with the active
duty and the reserve command, and they work very well.
What we are able to do is we gain significant talent from
industry where they have great expertise, all the tech industry
that you can imagine, and then we bring that to bear.
One of the things that is very interesting is the things
that you can do in the military are much different than they
are than you might be able to do in civil society. So it is
interesting to them, which really helps with our retention, as
you know from your other committees you sit on.
Thank you.
General Lengyel. Yes, sir. We have 59 cyber units in the
Army and Air National Guard. We have three Cyber Protection
Teams that are mobilized today. For all the reasons my
colleagues mentioned about location of commercial and the nexus
between the civil sector and the military sector, the ability
to train a cyber warrior and then retain him as a potential
warfighter is something that the reserve component does
extremely well.
We have started a unique program this year called Cyber
Mission Assurance Teams. It is a program that looks
specifically inside States, Federal facilities, and makes sure
that those facilities that are tied to utilities and sectors
that are not necessarily military in nature, that we can assure
that power and support goes to the Federal installations, and
we are continuing that.
Senator Blunt. General James and then Admiral.
General James. Senator, spot on with the question. So we
are taking advantage of the civilian skill sets we have out
there. We do have talent within the Marine Forces Reserve.
Our largest IMA is in the Marine Corps currently at Marine
Forces Cyber. We are currently standing up two defensive cyber
companies, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast,
realigning structure. No additional structures have been thrown
to this yet.
Senator Blunt. Thank you.
Admiral McCollum. Senator, equally said, specialty codes is
how we identify sailors in their skill said, and a cyber
specialty code is identified as critical. When it is critical,
it allows us to pull levers, which maybe restrict us otherwise.
So things like recruiting quotas, we can go beyond those quotas
if we see a skill set.
Training recruiters what to look for, joining partnerships
which we have done with academic institution and industry,
where those skill sets for cyber have evolved faster than the
Navy's capacity to train to in some instances. In that regard,
the ability to bring in, give constructed service credit for a
validated industry skill that we can bring in sometimes and
lateral into the Navy, so we are laser-focused on this.
Senator Blunt. Excellent. Thank you all.
Thank you, Chairman.
Senator Shelby. Senator Baldwin.
Senator Baldwin, Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to
all of our witnesses for being here today and your service.
General Luckey and General Lengyel, you have done a great
job of improving the operational capacity of the total Army.
However, as you know, insufficient funding can widen capability
gaps and will harm the Reserve's ability to support the Joint
Force.
TACTICAL WHEEL VEHICLE
So I have observed that consecutive budget requests have
failed to keep pace with the Tactical Wheeled Vehicle
modernization requirements. In fact, in the fiscal year 2020
request, there is no funding for recapped Heavy Tactical
Wheeled Vehicles for the reserves, and the request zeroes out
funding for HEMTT RECAP beyond fiscal year 2020.
The Army budget basically eliminated all funding for
mediums and heavies for the guards and reserves, despite those
known requirements.
Consequently, the reserves increasingly relies on National
Guard and Reserve equipment appropriation, which has been
helpful, but as a planning tool is unpredictable as it falls
outside of the normal appropriations, and it limits the ability
to forecast.
Further, the Army's funding strategy fails to support the
minimum sustaining rates--and you know that is something I talk
about a lot--for a very fragile supply base that supports Heavy
RECAP industrial base that is across the Midwest.
Finally, I am not suggesting that we modernize mediums and
heavies, rather than improving the Bradley fighting vehicle.
However, I suggest that we learn from the past and keep in mind
that countless support and sustainment soldiers have traveled
down those same dangerous roads in Iraq and Afghanistan,
oftentimes in HEMTTs and FMTVs, and they will continue to do so
in future conflicts.
So my question for you, General Luckey and General Lengyel,
is, Do you agree that Tactical Wheeled Vehicles such as the
HEMTT and FMTV provide a critical capability that ensures the
Army Reserve components can execute their required missions of
homeland defense, domestic emergency responses, and providing
military support to civil authorities?
General Lengyel. Senator, I do. I think that from the Guard
perspective, I support the Army's modernization programs. We
need to be part of it as the reserve component, the National
Guard. We need to modernize in concert with the Army as they
replace their tactical vehicles across the spectrum of tactical
vehicles.
I think that we do have a unique eye on the homeland
requirements to make sure that our vehicles will be able to
sync up and do things here in the homeland, as you mentioned,
but we need to be embedded with the active component--whatever
we have in the Army National Guard needs to be deployable,
sustainable, and interoperable with what they have in the Army.
And so that is where we come down on that.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
General Luckey. Senator, if I may. As I have said before,
my view of this is--and I would echo what General Lengyel just
said to the extent that I am very much focused on making sure
those formations that go out early on or affects construct,
which I know you are more than familiar with, have the same
mobility, the same lethality, the survivability, and the netted
mission command architecture to operate completely in an
inoperable fashion with every other formation on the
battlefield. There is both--it is just absolutely the right
thing to do. It also gives you the capabilities you need in
combat to operate without having somebody too slow or unable to
keep up or keep pace or survive across the total force.
I would also tell you, as you well know--and I acknowledge
your point about NGREA, and I appreciate the support that this
committee along with the House has given us to have some
flexibility in this regard. But, as I think you know, I am
committed to making sure that the Army Reserve continues to
lead this conversation as far as modernizing key aspects of our
force.
As you know, we have made an early investment with NGREA
dollars into a small but very important capability in the JLTV
program, which as you know we are bringing together right now
at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to make sure that we are preparing
ourselves for the future, training ourselves for the future,
and learning how to essentially ingest these new technologies
and capabilities as quickly as possible to reserve component of
the United States Army.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
And then, General Lengyel, as we have discussed--and I know
you are very aware of--I am extremely proud of the men and
women at the 115th Fighter Wing located at Truax Air National
Guard Base in Madison, Wisconsin.
In 2017, the 115th was selected to perform the F-35A
mission, and our community stands ready to support that
mission. However, it is my understanding that there have been
some delays in the process, which include the Air Force's
environmental review process and public hearings.
So I just would appreciate it if you could give me a status
update as well as any potential impacts of these delays on the
plan beddown schedule for Ops 5 and 6.
General Lengyel. Senator, I will commit to do that.
I am not aware of any meaningful delays in the program. I
believe everything is on track that everything is funded, but I
will double check that and deliver you my assessment.
Senator Baldwin. Okay. Thank you very much.
Senator Shelby. Thank you.
Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thanks to all of you for your service and for your
leadership. It is greatly appreciated.
General Lengyel, the Guard is not able to use the full
tuition benefit along with the GI Bill for their education as
the active-duty forces are, and so that is something that I
think we need to address.
Senator Boozman, who is also a member of this committee,
and myself have now put in a bill to do that, but essentially
it would provide that any member of the Guard for their
education could use both GI Bill and the full tuition benefit.
Would you please give me your thoughts on whether you support
that?
General Lengyel. Senator, I fully support many of our Guard
members joining the reserve components to get the education
benefits that come with it, and a more educated force is a more
valued, ready force of the United States Army and United States
Air Force. I fully support both Federal assistance and GI Bill
assistance.
Senator Hoeven. And, in fact, that can be an important
component for recruitment and retention.
General Lengyel. Absolutely, no doubt about it.
Senator Hoeven. Right.
And I would note for the record that the Department of
Defense also supports the legislation, so we appreciate it.
Along that same line, the Army Guard offers a tuition
benefit. Air Guard does not. So where are you in terms of
getting that?
General Lengyel. Sir, the Air National Guard is putting
together a process right now, and I believe it is their intent
to implement a situation similar to the Army National Guard so
that you could do both.
Senator Hoeven. Good. We need to have both in place-
General Lengyel. Yes, sir.
Senator Hoeven [continuing]. For our fantastic guardsmen.
You and I have talked about it, but the 119th, the Happy
Hooligans in Fargo, North Dakota, operate the MQ-9. As a matter
of fact, I think they were first or one of the first guard
units to get, at that time, the Predator Mission, now the
Reaper Mission. Based on their missions, which they perform
very well and they very much want to keep because they are very
important missions, they do need a new building. But if the new
building is not brought online in time with the upgrades that
they need to operate the MQ-9, it would force them to stand
down for a period of time, which you could say, well, maybe it
is not a big deal, except they do have clients they are serving
that they very much want to keep. And those clients want to
keep them because of the incredible service.
So that building construction really needs to be in fiscal
year 2021. It is under design now. Your thoughts on getting
that done so we do not have a disruption in service?
General Lengyel. So, yes, sir. My thoughts is that I
believe that the current facility can sustain operations in
this mission set until the new building is up and running. It
is our desire and our plan to make sure that it is a seamless
transition and that the building does not have to stand down
mission while a move into a new facility takes place.
Senator Hoeven. Good.
General Lengyel. But I will follow up and report back to
you again.
Senator Hoeven. Yes. Very important. And if it is not on
schedule--well, either way, if you could just keep me apprised
of that schedule of that very important unit.
General Lengyel. Senator, I will.
Senator Hoeven. One of the other things that I want to ask
you about is when you look at our Guard--and I was governor for
10 years out there. You rely on the Guard for so much. I mean,
it is not only the incredible service throughout the war on
terror, which has just been unbelievable, four and five
deployments in some cases, reserve as well, but every time
there is a flood, like we are having up there now, or fires or
tornadoes or just anything you can think of, the first group
you call is the National Guard. Every time. It is amazing.
FULL-TIME SUPPORT
But just based on both my service as governor and my
service here, what I see is a shortage of full-time positions.
When I look at the size of our Guard and what their mission
staffing is supposed to be, there may be 70 percent at most of
their full-time relative to what they really need based on
their mission requirement, maybe 70 percent, maybe less, okay?
Is that typical throughout the Guard, and do not we need to be
looking at more full-time positions in the Guard?
And we can have the Reserve members respond afterwards, but
based on my experience as governor, I really see it in the
Guard, and I see it as a pressing need. What are your thoughts
on that?
General Lengyel. Yes, sir. My thoughts are that the
Adjutant General has told me that their number one concern with
respect to maintaining the readiness of the force is the number
of full-time support that they have inside the Army National
Guard.
We are currently manned at 64 percent of the requirement,
so not even 70 percent.
Senator Hoeven. Right.
General Lengyel. Whatever the Army says we need, we are
funded at 64 percent of what that requirement is.
There is no other readiness program inside the National
Guard funded and inside the Army National Guard funded at that
level, so there certainly is risk.
I mean, I have been sitting up here saying how operational
we are and how deployable we are and we are the best National
Guard, and all those things are true. But there certainly is
risk, both in the maintaining of readiness for our Federal
mission, which is the primary thing we do, and then to be ready
to be mobilized by the governors to have the full-time force
there that sustains our operations, our facilities, our
equipment, so that it is ready to work. It is a significant
risk that I have conveyed to the Army.
Senator Hoeven. Well, and as we look at bang for the buck
and you look at the rate of deployment throughout the war on
terror and everything else and then you add in all of the
natural disaster stuff, everything from putting you at the
border to anything you can think of, it just seems to me like
this is a huge priority when we look at manpower funding for
the overall DOD (Department of Defense).
General Lengyel. Senator, what I have recommended is that
we move towards a funding level of not 64 percent, but 80
percent of the requirement. And that is roughly an increase
across the country of about 10,000 more full-time positions,
convert part-time billets. I am not saying grow the whole
Guard. I am just saying convert part-time billets to full-time
billets and allow us to increase the percentage of full-time
force there. That is about 1,000 a year. We can show you the
readiness that will generate to everything we have discussed
across the board today from recruiting the force to retaining
the force, to make sure that everything works so that the M-day
soldier can come to work and train and be ready to deploy when
the country needs it to.
Senator Hoeven. Well, if I could get more information on
that from you, I would be willing to talk to our absolutely
outstanding Chairman and Ranking Member and others about it.
General Lengyel. Yes, sir. I will pass it to you. Thank
you.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you.
Senator Shelby. Senator Collins.
Senator Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
General, my understanding is that current DOD policy
restricts the use of defense environmental restoration funding
for the cleanup of PFAS, a chemical that has been found to have
contaminated certain National Guard State facilities. As a
result, many installations or units may be forced to use
operations and maintenance funds to conduct those cleanups.
In Maine, our governor has set up a task force charged with
reviewing the prevalence of PFAS in our State. This is an issue
that the TAG in Maine has mentioned to me as well.
Should the Guard, in your judgment, have full access to the
defense environmental restoration funding in order to remediate
these sites that are contaminated by PFAS?
General Lengyel. Senator Collins, I fully believe that we
should. Two years ago, up until 2 years ago, we did have access
to this account.
I think they should treat our installations like they treat
every installation. We used those products because they were
mandated by the Federal Government to use it in, of course, our
Army and Air National Guard facilities, and I believe that they
should treat us just like every Federal installation and let us
have access to their account.
Senator Collins. It does seem very odd that you do not
already have access, so I appreciate you getting that on the
record.
Later this month--and I hope to be there at the sendoff--
the Maine Army National Guard's 286th Combat Sustainment
Support Battalion in Bangor will be deploying to Europe in
support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Since Russia's invasion
of Ukraine in 2014, U.S. forces have been rotating, as you are
well aware, through Europe for this vital mission to deter
further Russian aggression and conduct multinational training
with our NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies and
other European partners.
Could you describe the importance of the role that the
National Guard plays in supporting the Atlantic Resolve?
General Lengyel. Senator, thank you for that question.
We play a role, first and foremost, as part of the United
States Army. We deploy into Europe and into NATO. They look
across--our potential adversaries, the Russians, look across,
and they see a United States flag, and they see the United
States Army. And we see a well-trained, well-equipped ready
force that can deter potential aggressive activity.
What the National Guard also brings is our unique
relationships in the State Partnership Program, the
relationships we have with 22 nations across all of Europe.
They know us. They trust us. They train with us. They deploy
with us. It is a unique security cooperation tool that only
enhances our ability to assure our partners and allies and make
a ready force.
So keeping us ready makes us a part of that force, making
sure that we assure our allies and partners that we are there
when they need us is part of the National Defense Strategy.
And we have 2,000 people over there right now deployed as
part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Senator Collins. Well, soon you will have 70 very capable
Mainers joining them.
General Lengyel. Absolutely. Thank you for that.
STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Senator Collins. I am glad that you mentioned the Guard
State Partnership Program. I view this as a high-leverage, low-
cost program that benefits the United States beyond just
military cooperation, and I am very proud of the role that the
Maine National Guard has played in preparing Montenegro for a
session into NATO. And I know the partnership has also
benefited the Maine Guard as well.
I visited Montenegro, and I cannot tell you how grateful
they were to the United States and to the Maine National Guard
specifically for helping them get ready for NATO membership,
and they just went on and on about how valuable the training
and assistance had been. And that has strengthened those
countries, which were once in the orbit of the Soviet Union,
and also, if we can get stronger partners in NATO, that
benefits all of us.
So, given the growing importance of the State Partnership
Program, what would be the impact if funding is inconsistent or
not sustained as far as your ability to plan and execute those
State Partnership engagements?
General Lengyel. Secretary--or excuse me. Senator Collins--
--
Senator Collins. I like that. That ``Secretary'' is okay.
[Laughter.]
General Lengyel. I think that the impact of not having the
funding would be very harmful to the program.
One thing that I want to say about this year's funding is
we got it on the 1st of October. We got all of our funding so
we can execute throughout the year, and this year, we will be
able to execute all of the funding that we get for the State
Partnership Program, which is about $29 million. Thank you for
the budget on time and the funding on time and a full year to
use it.
This year in the President's budget, the funded level, as
requested, is at about $16 million. We need another $14 million
to bring us up to the current level of funding that we have.
This program now has 83 partners. Last year, we were in New
York Harbor, and we added Brazil to the Partnership Program. We
have Sri Lanka and Nepal standing by to be assigned states now
to partner with them, and this program is still growing at a
rate of two to three partnerships per year. And it is doing
amazing security cooperation work that is directly tied to the
National Defense Strategy under the command and control and
auspices of the combatant commander, and it is a hugely
important program.
Every time we add two to three partners, we need to add
about a million dollars a year to sustain that program, and
over time, I think this is going to be a legacy of the National
Guard. It is our relationships with these friends, as you saw
Secretary General Stoltenberg talk about last week when he was
addressing Congress and said, ``It is good to have friends.''
We build friends in this partnership and combat capability.
We have deployed to the combat zone more than 80 times with
our partners and our host nations. That is a good thing for the
United States.
Senator Collins. It is a great partnership program, and I
hope we can fully fund it.
Mr. Chairman, I want to echo my thanks for your leadership
in getting the Department funded on time. That has made such a
difference. Thank you very much.
Senator Shelby. We hope to do it again.
Senator Collins. We are going to do it again.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Senator.
Senator Collins. Thank you.
ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS
Senator Shelby. This will conclude our hearing. We
appreciate all of you appearing before the committee today.
There were other Senators at other committee meetings, and they
would probably want to submit additional questions, and perhaps
I even have a couple of questions. And I would hope if they are
submitted, you would answer them in a reasonable time.
General Lengyel. Yes, Chairman.
[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the
hearing:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Mitch McConnell
Question. C-130J Recapitalization for the Air National Guard: In
recent years, Congress has appropriated a total of 16 C-130Js to the
Air National Guard (two in the fiscal year 2017 defense appropriations
law, six in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus appropriations law, and eight
in the fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations law). Will you please
provide an update on the basing plans for these aircraft?
Answer. The Air Force Strategic Basing Process is being used to
achieve Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF) approval for the basing
location for the 16 C-130Js appropriated for the Air National Guard in
fiscal year 2017-2019. The basing process is currently in the early
stages of the process where it first seeks SecAF approval of the
``Enterprise Definition'' and ``Scoring Criteria.'' SecAF's approval of
the ``Enterprise Definition'' and ``Scoring Criteria'' is expected this
summer.
Question. How many Air National Guard C-130H units are expected to
be recapitalized with these new aircraft?
Answer. The intent is to recapitalize two existing units with the
new aircraft.
Question. When are these aircraft scheduled to deliver, and is the
basing process on track to align with the expected delivery schedule
for these aircraft?
Answer. Currently, the 16 C-130Js are scheduled to be delivered
between the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 and the fourth quarter of
fiscal year 202. The basing process is on track to ensure delivery
during that period.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Question. What do you need to be doing now in terms of doctrine,
training, equipment and anything else you might deem relevant to
prepare your units to operate in the Arctic if called upon?
Answer. The National Guard recognizes the emerging strategic
importance of the Arctic region given the geographic, geo-political,
and threat environment. However, without validated requirements it is
difficult for the Guard to unilaterally address doctrine, resources and
training necessary to operate in the Arctic. Nevertheless, the National
Guard has taken a proactive approach to overcome these challenges
within its statutory confines.
DOCTRINE: Today we lack the ability to effectively navigate,
communicate and sustain operations within the Arctic. In order to
develop doctrine to better operate in Arctic conditions, the National
Guard participates in the Arctic Capabilities Advocacy Working Group
(ACAWG), which seeks to bring together Arctic stakeholders across the
defense enterprise. Further in 2018, the National Guard Arctic Interest
Council (AIC) was established to address doctrine development and
identify key initiatives and possible solutions to known capability
gaps. The National Guard will use these vehicles to explore, support,
and develop Artic doctrine.
TRAINING: It is imperative that the National Guard exercise in
Arctic conditions to identify potential shortfalls in Arctic response
doctrine, training, and equipment. Exercises such as ARCTIC EAGLE are
critical to the National Guard. Additional exercises and training
opportunities will build off of this framework to ensure a prepared
force.
EQUIPMENT: The National Guard requires additional research and
training opportunities to properly understand the scope and scale of
the difference between their expected performance and their likely
actual performance in extreme cold environments. (Additional details in
follow on answer)
Question. What suggestions do you have to this subcommittee for
resourcing to be effective in that mission, should you be called upon?
Answer. The National Guard is postured to respond to current
requirements in the Arctic but there are areas of risk that can be
mitigated. In keeping with recommendations outlined in the 2016 Report
to Congress on Resourcing the Arctic Strategy, funding and resourcing
should be made available for additional research for Arctic response,
military infrastructure, and capabilities. Other areas of focus should
include increased exercises, Artic communications, Chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) equipment, skiway
construction, extreme cold weather tents, heaters and clothing. The LC-
130s are also owned by two different organizations--the United States
Air Force and the National Science Foundation. Split ownership causes
conflicting aircraft configuration, competing priorities, and
competition for resource, which has increased cost-sharing for
moderation. These issues are problematic to the National Guard's
warfighters.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator Jerry Moran
Question. What does the National Guard Bureau need in order to
continue supporting the mission of the Kansas National Guard Advanced
Turbine Engine Army Maintenance (ATEAM)? Contracting personnel? What
resources were required to establish the MOA with Army Material Command
in support of the current contractual obligations of the ATEAM?
Answer. Resources for the ATEAM should rely on foreign military
sales demand to support its infrastructure. The current MOA is between
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and
Cooperation, the Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems, the
National Guard Bureau, and the Kansas National Guard. The National
Guard Bureau currently provides contracting support and fiscal
oversight of funds transferred to the Kansas National Guard.
Question. The Kansas Intelligence Fusion Cell (KIFC) is a State-
level intelligence entity that partners with the Department of Homeland
Security, the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community and
Public-Private Sector Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR)
operators to fulfill a mission focused on intelligence analysis on
counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and weapons of mass destruction. I
understand that based on the success of the KIFC, the National Guard is
proposing to expand this capability to multiple other States, a concept
known as the Joint Force Headquarters Analysis Cells (JAC). As you look
to expand and create this structure, will you continue to maintain the
decentralized approach at the State-level that has served as the
cornerstone of the KIFC and enabled their success with CIKR partners?
Will you rely on and consult with the Kansas National Guard to develop
the JAC model and leverage the successes of this entity in order to
develop your proposal and plan to expand?
Answer. The National Guard would consult with the Kansas National
Guard to develop the Joint Analysis Cells model with the goal of
maintaining a decentralized approach. However, the National Guard
currently lacks the authority and funding to stand up and operate Joint
Analysis Cells. The non-Federalized National Guard is prohibited from
engaging in Federal intelligence activities (foreign intelligence and
counterintelligence), like Joint Analysis Cells. There are additional
statutory issues related to the potential execution of foreign
intelligence activity defined in the Joint Analysis Cells Concept of
Operations under the command and control of the Governor and with
mission control and oversight of the Chief of the National Guard
Bureau.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator John Boozman
Question. I am a cosponsor of a bill led by my good friend Senator
Daines that would allow dual-status technicians to use Tricare Reserve
Select, even though they are eligible for the Federal Employees Health
Benefits program (FEHB). I am interested in your thoughts on how
important that is to you as Chief--giving service members the option
for TRS eligibility.
Answer. The National Guard would like to thank you and Senator
Daines for your efforts on this front. The legislative proposal would
provide better options for full time Forces especially dual status
technicians, and create a retention incentive for the full time force.
Current law excludes our dual status service members from coverage
under TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) when they are eligible for health
insurance under the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program. In
a cost comparison, Guard Member TRS premiums are significantly lower
than FEHB. On average, TRS coverage costs less than half of what FEHB
costs an individual and depending on the specific FEHB plan could save
our dual status Guard Members thousands of dollars annually.
Additionally, Guard Members encounter a cumbersome administrative
process when transferring on and off of active duty orders that can
affect the timely health coverage of the Guard Member.
Question. I have been interested in Duty Status Reform as a means
to provide flexibility for service members to serve in the capacity
that best fits their lifestyles. More generally, I am interested in
providing maximum flexibility for members to move quickly between
Active and Reserve Components. What input has the Guard provided to DoD
in its preparation of the report that the Department owes to Congress
by April 30 on reforms?
Answer. This legislative proposal is the result of a 3-year-long
comprehensive review by a Duty Status Reform working group with
participation from members of all seven Reserve Component Services, as
well as staff from the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs. The National Guard has been involved with
OSD and the working group for over 2 years. The National Guard has also
hosted visits, calls, and briefings to leadership, coordinated with
various in-house subject matter experts, and had members from the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs team
brief State Adjutants Generals in November 2018. Additionally, the
National Guard formed an internal working group, with State
representatives, was formed in March 2019 to specifically review
concerns raised by States with the draft legislation.
Question. In your statement you highlighted the strengths of our
State Partnership Program. Can you comment on the light attack aircraft
program and how beneficial this specific platform can be in building
partnership capacity?
Answer. The Light Attack Aircraft program has the potential to
increase coalition lethality through improved capabilities, capacity,
and interoperability. The potential air platform will improve partners'
ability to employ airpower alone or within a coalition in a permissive
environment, such as combatting violent extremism. Leveraging this
platform with State Partnership Program relationships can enable access
to critical regions and encourage greater defense cooperation in order
to build partnership capacity.
Question. I believe the Guard requires modern weapons systems and
air platforms that are proportional to their active components to
ensure interoperability of the military as a whole. As this relates to
the Air Force's C-130 fleet, what do you believe the ANG requires to
recapitalize and modernize its current inventory?
Answer. In order to continue to meet current airlift capability
requirements, the Air Force will need to balance modernizing existing
C-130H aircraft while recapitalizing aging platforms with newer C-130J
aircraft. Propulsion and avionics modernization efforts are necessary
to extend the lifespan of newer H model aircraft so recapitalization
can focus on replacing older aircraft characterized by diminished
maintenance capability rates and increased sustainment costs. The Guard
should be modernized and recapitalized concurrently and proportionally
to the Active Components.
Question. The Administration has determined that the creation of a
Space Force is necessary to continue to transition space from a benign
environment to a warfighting domain. What role do you see the National
Guard playing if Congress decides to create the new branch, and how
would this affect the current National Guard space mission?
Answer. Since 1995, the National Guard space forces have been
integral to operational space missions such as strategic missile
warning, expeditionary space electronic warfare, satellite
communications, Joint Forces space support, and space intelligence. If
Congress establishes a U.S. Space Force and associated Space National
Guard, the Space National Guard should continue in its unit-equipped,
surge-to-war reserve component role as they currently do for the Army
and Air Force. The concurrent establishment and transfer of existing
Active, Guard and Reserve space forces to the U.S. Space Force are
intended to ensure no degradation in the mission and associated
responsibilities. Any delay in transfer, or any effort to create unique
organizational constructs instead of concurrent transfer, will create a
Service/National Guard misalignment that is inherently counter to the
current mission.
Question. At the onset of the war on terror, the National Guard
shifted from a strategic reserve into an operational force, with a much
higher Ops Tempo, and a vastly shorter mobilization period. Since the
National Guard is expected to be ready to deploy with a shorter
mobilization period than in the past, does the Army National Guard have
the proper percentage of full-time support to meet today's readiness
posture?
Answer. No, the Army National Guard's full time support is
currently authorized and funded at 64 percent of its validated manpower
requirements, which represents a challenge to support operational
demands. Any full time support authorization below 80 percent creates
an unacceptable level of risk for providing ready units to Combatant
Commanders. Currently, there is a 10,000 full time support shortage
within the Army National Guard. The Army depends on higher levels of
readiness in select Army Guard units to meet Combatant Commander
requirements. Emerging operational demands are driving increased
workloads primarily in unit level support and maintenance.
Question. And, as a follow-up, how does full-time support effect
the National Guard's ability to recruit and retain soldiers?
Answer. The decrease in full time support has had a negative impact
on recruitment and retention of soldiers. This is evident over the past
5 years, where the number of full time billets decreased, causing the
enlisted accessions to fall by 23 percent, which resulted in the Army
National Guard missing its end strength goals in fiscal year 2018 for
the first time in over two decades.
The fiscal year 2019 NDAA took steps to correct this shortfall by
increasing the Army National Guard's full time support authorization
for recruiters by 440 positions. Since adding the 440 Active Guard
recruiters, the ARNG has seen an increase of 3,271 new accessions
compared to the previous 12 months and can see consistent signs of
increased accession momentum. Further, increased full time support
directly translates to increased retention rates of traditional Guard
Members because these members can focus on their primary mission and
training requirements, rather than focus on increased administrative
burdens and paperwork. Increased full time support has created an
environment for to a more prepared, better equipped force that is able
to conduct the mission they signed up to perform.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick J. Leahy
Question. Americans rely on the National Guard for response in
times of disaster, first under the command of their governors, then
under State-to-State agreements, and finally as part of a coordinated
response with support from Federal authorities. Please describe the
Bureau's role in supporting States' planning and response.
Answer. The 54 States, Territories, and the District of Columbia
are the most capable and best postured military entity to support
domestic operations in the United States. Further, he National Guard
supports States' planning and response by coordinating with State and
Federal entities to integrate and synchronize Homeland Defense,
Homeland Security, and Civil Support. On a national level, the National
Guard Bureau assigns a planner for each Federal Emergency Management
Administration region to support the 54 States, Territories, and the
District of Columbia's planning efforts. This includes annual exercises
to test plans and the real-world response to natural events. On a State
level, the National Guard Bureau coordinates annually with each State
to identify required response capability and capacity, and then assists
with mitigating shortfalls.
Question. As an official charged with ensuring the Guard is
prepared for its Federal mission, please describe how disaster response
is relevant training.
Answer. Response to natural disasters affords the National Guard
realistic training opportunities. The complexity, chaos, and pressure
inherent in large disasters provides opportunities to train across a
variety of National Guard capabilities and units. For example,
following Hurricane Irma and Maria in 2017, the 182nd Airlift Wing from
Peoria Illinois flew 153 personnel to support immediate response
efforts for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The 182nd used training
funds to pay for this mission acquiring real-world training experience
for Guard Members to assist during these most challenging
circumstances. These flights were not only instrumental in the
immediate recovery efforts of the region, but were primarily authorized
to ensure Guard Members are able to train in an environment that they
will likely never see outside of combat.
Question. What changes to policy or legislation would improve your
ability to support governors' ability to utilize the National Guard for
disaster response in their own States or as part of a multi-State
coordinated effort?
Answer. The Department of Defense should continue to follow their
long standing policy that delegates U.S.C. 32 Section 502(f)
authorities to the Service Secretaries. This will increase flexibility
and greater National Guard participation as a larger part of the
Department's federally- resourced domestic response. Further, both the
Department of Defense's and FEMA's current policies and processes
strongly favor cost as a source selection criteria over efficacy. This
strict focus on cost, without a more balanced consideration for
efficacy, discourages a federally- resourced (Title 32) National Guard
response and pushes active component military forces or Federal
Emergency Management Administration contract options.
Question. As discussed during the hearing, the National Guard faces
a shortfall of funding in fiscal year 2019 for its required training
due to deployments to the Southwest border, and the President has
proposed no funding for those deployments in fiscal year 2020, should
they be extended. If no reprogramming is made available, what training
will you cut, and how will you come to that determination?
Answer. Without reprogramming, the National Guard will experience
shortfalls in personnel and operation and maintenance funding for the
duration of fiscal year 2019.
Potential impacts of no reprogramming to cover this requirement are
that the National Guard would curtail September drill periods, and
possibly August drill periods. Alternatively, if the National Guard
conducted all statutory programs in fiscal year 2019, including August
and September drills, the Guard would not be able to make the required
fiscal year 2019 contribution to the Military Retirement Trust Fund.
Question. If you are ordered to find funding to reprogram within
the Bureau's budget, how will you make the determination about which
funded priorities to terminate?
Answer. With only two appropriations to draw from the National
Guard is limited in its mechanisms to curtail expenditures. Drill
periods and curtailing certain contracts are the primary measures.
Question. I am pleased to hear that you are evaluating new
structures for addressing mental resiliency, mental health and suicide.
As we have discussed, moving to a model of preventative mental health
that recognizes its inherent linkages to everyday fitness helps remove
stigma for seeking help and get ahead of trauma so our women and men
will be more prepared. I understand you have asked for a proposal
related to establishing a Warrior Resiliency and Fitness program or
office that could coordinate activities across the force. How soon
could such an office begin to provide preventative mental health
recommendations, support, and assistance to National Guard units across
the country?
Answer. The National Guard has analyzed the necessary requirements
to staff a Warrior Resilience and Fitness Program Office and developed
what we believe to be an appropriate staffing model. The National Guard
has begun to hire personnel to support daily functions. The projected
date to formally establish this office is June 30, 2019. Once the
office is established, it will help develop and resource programs to
enhance the quality of services available to our members, expand access
to care, and improve the culture around help-seeking behavior.
Question. It is my understanding that the fiscal year 2020 budget
does not have any funding specifically budgeted for these efforts. When
will Congress receive a budget request to support these efforts?
Answer. As the office matures and permanent staffing requirements
are determined, we will validate the manpower requirements and request
additional full time support in future budget requests.
Question. How could such an office leverage the lessons learned and
successes of other components and branches of the Armed Services to
provide preventative mental health recommendations, support, and
assistance to National Guard units more effectively than the service-
specific process today?
Answer. The Warrior Resilience and Fitness Program Office will be
organized and structured to appropriately interface with internal and
external partners (to include the other military components) in order
to specifically leverage best practices and innovative strategies to
improve the National Guard's overall prevention and resilience efforts.
The Warrior Resilience and Fitness Program Office staffing will include
Liaison Officers whose primary responsibility will be to support the
integration of a holistic approach to wellness and fitness across the
National Guard. Liaison Officers will regularly participate in meetings
with outside agencies, DoD, and non-government organizations to support
the implementation of Warrior Resiliency and Fitness initiatives within
the National Guard under the Total Force Fitness framework.
SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS
Senator Shelby. The Defense Subcommittee will reconvene in
open session on Wednesday, May the 1st, at 10:00 a.m. to
receive testimony from the Department of the Navy.
The subcommittee stands in recess. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 11:27 a.m., Wednesday, April 10, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene at 10:00 a.m.,
Wednesday, May 1.]