[Senate Hearing 117-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


 
       DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

                              ----------                              


                         TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2021

                                       U.S. Senate,
           Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                   Washington, DC..
    The committee met at 10 a.m. in room SH-216, Hart Senate 
Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester, (chairman) presiding.
    Present: Senators Tester, Durbin, Feinstein, Schatz, 
Baldwin, Shaheen, Shelby, Collins, Murkowski, Moran, Hoeven, 
and Boozman.

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                         National Guard Reserve


                opening statement of senator jon tester


    Senator Tester. I want to call this committee hearing to 
order.
    I want to thank our witnesses today. We have General David 
Bellon of the Marine Corps Reserve. We have Lieutenant General 
Jody Daniels of the Army Reserve. We have General Daniel 
Hokanson of the National Guard Bureau. We have Admiral Mustin 
of the Navy Reserve, and we have Lieutenant General Scobee, 
Chief of the Air Force Reserve.
    Thank you all for being here and we look forward to your 
testimony.
    Before I get started on my prepared statement, I want to 
say when you guys are up to bat, there are five of you, try to 
hold it to 5 minutes. Your entire written statement will be a 
part of the record.
    I would just say this. Americans owe the National Guard and 
Reserve a debt of gratitude for your response to the COVID-19 
pandemic. Nearly 60,000 National Guard and Reserve service 
members answered the call of duty. These were historic record-
breaking mobilizations, and I want to personally say thank you 
to you and the dedicated men and women under your command as 
well as their families.
    The pandemic has impacted all Americans. We all know how it 
has disrupted our families and our careers with so many jobs 
lost and questions about how to pay the bills.
    Nearly 800,000 members of the Guard and Reserve have been 
through the same, plus deployments, both domestically and 
abroad. That places further strain on families and civilian 
employment.
    Senators are reminded of these sacrifices every day when we 
come to work because one of those deployments is right here in 
our Nation's Capital.
    This subcommittee wants to make sure that we're doing right 
by all Americans that serve in uniform. That means supporting 
them with pay and benefits that they have earned, making sure 
they are properly trained for their missions, providing for 
their mental and physical health, and ensuring that they have 
the equipment that they need when they're mobilized.
    When the President's 2022 budget arrives in the coming 
weeks, one of my first questions will be what it means for the 
well-being of our Reserve components on all those fronts and 
more.
    I look forward to continuing our engagement with each one 
of the witnesses here today after the budget is provided to 
Congress. We want to know how that budget will support your 
priorities for the coming year, but as for today, I look 
forward to your testimony on the state of each of the Reserve 
components, what challenges you are facing, and how this 
subcommittee can help.
    With that, I'll turn it to Senator Shelby.


                 statement of senator richard c. shelby


    Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I want to welcome all of our witnesses today. Our National 
Guard and Reserve perform a vast and critical role in our 
national defense. They're called to respond to national 
disasters, homeland security threats, and overseas 
contingencies are constant.
    Their unwavering commitment has been particularly evident 
over the last year as thousands have been deployed at 
unprecedented rates to provide medical care and administer 
vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    On behalf of my colleagues, I want to thank all of you, the 
men and women who carry these tasks out.
    I want to also at this point as near-peer competitors, as 
we realize, are modernizing and developing their military 
capabilities at alarming rates, we want to ensure your 
departments receive the necessary resources to remain a ready 
and lethal force.
    I recognize that we will not receive the budget until May 
27. As a result, our conversations about specific funding items 
may be limited, but I also look forward to hearing from each of 
you about the ongoing efforts to sufficiently recruit, to 
train, and equip our Reserve forces, especially in light of 
setbacks due to the pandemic.
    Mr. Chairman, I thank you for calling this hearing today.
    Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
    And we will start with Lieutenant General David G. Bellon, 
Commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL DAVID G. BELLON, 
            COMMANDER, U.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVE
    General Bellon. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and 
Distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the 
opportunity to appear before you today and testify on behalf of 
the Commandant of the Marine Corps about your Marine Corps 
Reserve.
    I'm honored to appear with my fellow Reserve component 
service chiefs and my senior enlisted advisors, Four Star Major 
Carlos Ruiz, who sits behind me, and Force Command Master Chief 
Cary Wesser.
    The mission of the Marine Corps Reserve is to augment, 
reinforce, and sustain the Active component. We have Reserve 
forces forward deployed alongside and integrated with our 
Active counterparts, supporting numerous combatant commander 
requirements on a daily basis.
    Over the past year, more than a thousand Reserve Marines 
and sailors activated and deployed to support 20 operational 
requirements across six geographic combatant commands.
    Despite the ongoing global pandemic, the Marine Corps 
Reserve has continued to train, equip, and prepare for the next 
fight.
    I want to thank each of the members for your support to the 
Marine Corps' Force Design Initiative over the past year. While 
this has necessitated the closure of our Reserve Tank Units and 
Bridging Companies, we could not have begun our transition to a 
more nimble and lethal force without your assistance.
    I want to thank my fellow service chiefs, particularly the 
National Guard, for their support. They have been true partners 
by providing great options to our Reserve Marines who elected 
to transition to the National Guard in lieu of continuing their 
service as a Marine outside the immediate region.
    I would also like to acknowledge Admiral Mustin and the 
Navy Reserve for committing to explore new ways to integrate 
our Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Team to ensure we are best 
postured for the future fight.
    Despite the tremendous pressures and obstacles that COVID-
19 has presented, I'm pleased to inform you that the morale in 
your Marine Corps Reserve remains high as evidenced by the 
Reserve component end strength of 99 percent of our total 
requirement.
    Not only are we attracting new Marines but they are also 
committing to service beyond their contractual obligations. On 
any drill weekend, an average of 25 percent of the Marines 
standing in formation are not contractually obligated to be 
there.
    Every month these Marines have a decision to make and they 
choose to continue to serve and lead their fellow Marines and 
sailors. I'm always impressed by the professionalism, 
competence, dedication to duty, and motivation of our Reserve 
Marines. The way they balance family responsibilities, civilian 
careers, and school with their military service is nothing 
short of extraordinary.
    Like their Active Duty brothers and sisters, they serve 
selflessly to protect our great Nation and they continue to 
answer their irrational call to serve.
    As Secretary Austin highlighted, our most critical asset is 
our people. The Marine Corps Reserve must promote and retain 
the very best Marines and sailors, regardless of race, gender, 
ethnicity, or background.
    Through the diversity of thought and action, we can find 
more resourceful and innovative solutions to the increasingly 
complex problems presented from great power competition.
    We are actively developing new initiatives and strategies 
to help achieve a more diverse and ultimately a more talented 
Marine Corps Reserve. We will need all Marines and sailors to 
contribute to solving the issues we will face and to ultimately 
win the next fight.
    I want to thank this subcommittee for your continued 
support to the National Guard and Reserve equipment 
appropriation.
    As you may recall, last year I requested your support for 
my effort to use NGREA (National Guard and Reserve Equipment 
Appropriation) funds to remedy the deficiencies of individual 
combat clothing and equipment within the Marine Corps Reserve. 
As ICCE (Iceland Command Control Enhancement) becomes more 
expensive in the future, a more flexible NGREA is a key tool 
Congress can employ to help protect our warfighters.
    In closing, I want to extend my gratitude for your ongoing 
efforts to provide timely appropriations each year. This has a 
direct impact on your Reserve Marines and sailors and their 
limited number of training days.
    Your continued support will help to ensure the Marine Corps 
Reserve will have 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 Lieutenant General David G. Bellon
    Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, 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 Marine Corps Reserve, as part of the Total Force Marine Corps, 
stands ready to provide forces for employment across the full spectrum 
of crisis and global engagement. This past year has brought many 
challenges with the global pandemic but your Marine Corps Reserve 
continues to be engaged around the world in theater security 
cooperation activities, serving side- by-side with our Active Component 
on a wide array of operations, and making tremendous contributions in 
support of every Combatant Commander. While the Marine Corps Reserve is 
supporting current Service and Combatant Command requirements, we are 
also participating in the Service's efforts to redesign our force and 
our warfighting capabilities to deter against pacing threats as 
prescribed by the National Defense Strategy.
    I am deeply impressed by the professionalism, competence, and 
dedication of our Reserve Marines and Sailors. 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 
dedication and selflessness of our Reserve Marines.
                             a total force
    Throughout the past year, the Marine Corps Reserve continued global 
deployments in support of Combatant Commander requirements despite the 
unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19. The Marine Corps 
Reserve provided Combatant Commanders with forces focused on combat 
operations, crisis prevention, crisis response, and theater security 
cooperation. In addition to the Marines already activated and deployed, 
2020 saw another 1,044 Reserve Marines mobilized to support 20 
operational requirements across six geographic Combatant Commands. The 
Marine Corps Reserve continues to meet the increased demand for use as 
an Operational Reserve; however, this remains a challenge to our 
readiness and ability meet strategic requirements.
    In 2021, the Marine Corps Reserve is slated to support the 
Combatant Commanders by mobilizing in excess of 966 Reservists 
supporting 28 formations. These operations greatly increase the Reserve 
Component's interoperability with the Active Component, Joint forces, 
our allies, and coalition partners. I anticipate that we will continue 
to deploy across the globe and integrate with the Active Component in 
support of high-priority Combatant Commander requirements for the 
foreseeable future.
    In addition to supporting Combatant Commanders, the Marine Corps 
Reserve provided direct support to the Marine Corps' accession 
requirements by responding to emerging COVID-19 requirements. The 
Marine Corps Reserve activated more than 500 Marines and Sailors to 
augment and reinforce the Marine Corps Recruit Depots at Parris Island 
and San Diego. These Marines ensured the recruits awaiting training 
maintained proper quarantine protocols, enabling assimilation into 
training platoons with minimal risk of a COVID-19 outbreak during 
training. As a result of this Total Force effort, the mission to make 
Marines continued despite the global pandemic.
    The Marine Corps Reserve typically uses participation in the 
Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program to 
provide joint/military training in the United States and its 
territories to increase deployment readiness. IRT simultaneously 
provides key services (health care, construction, transportation, and 
cybersecurity) with lasting benefits for our American communities. We 
saw a significant reduction in IRT programs due to the global pandemic. 
The Marine Corps Reserve participated in only two projects in 2020 but 
obtained valuable training that increased deployment readiness in 
combat engineering skills. Our participating units were able to train 
to mission essential tasks involving both horizontal and vertical 
construction, while making tangible, meaningful impacts in their 
communities. We expect a marked increase in future projects. In 2021, 
the Marine Corps Reserve is slated to support 16 exercises under the 
IRT program. Examples include diverse construction training supporting 
the Girl Scouts at Camp Paumalu, Hawaii; providing logistical support 
and medical care to communities throughout Kodiak Island, Alaska; and 
roadwork in Pima County, Arizona. With your continued support of these 
efforts, we look to expand our footprint in this program, which will 
include construction, medical, and cybersecurity efforts.
    In addition to participating in operational requirements across the 
globe, the Marine Corps 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 we treat with higher regard than this solemn mission. 
Inspector-Instructor (I-I) 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 vast 
majority of Marine Corps casualty notifications and follow-on 
assistance calls to the next of kin are made by our Reserve Marines. 
During Calendar Year (CY) 2020 our I-I and Reserve Site Support staffs 
performed 95% 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 a 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 to which they 
are entitled. In many cases, our CACOs provide a long-lasting bridge 
between the Marine Corps and the grieving family.
    The Marine Corps Reserve also performs the solemn mission of 
military funeral honors and our Reserve units take pride in performing 
the majority of these services for our fallen Marines and their 
families. Marine Corps funeral honors are dedicated to ensuring all 
Marines who have served obtain the appropriate honors as a final salute 
to their life and the final demonstration of the country's gratitude to 
those who, in times of war and peace, have faithfully defended our 
nation. COVID-19 presented many new challenges for units performing 
military funeral honors such as: the temporary closing of our 
cemeteries; mandatory compliance with local city, state and federal 
government travel restrictions; and strict adherence to health and 
safety guidelines. Notwithstanding these challenges, Marine Corps 
Reserve units accomplished 16,521 military funeral honors, nearly 81% 
of the previous year's total.
    Finally, the Marine Corps Reserve functions as the greatest link 
between the Marine Corps and communities across the nation. From the 
Toys for Tots campaigns each holiday season to community engagement 
events and solemn funeral details, we are the face of the Marine Corps 
to the majority of the American public. With Reserve units located 
across the country, the Marine Corps 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 experience 
with the Marine Corps.
                               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 38,600 falls under Marine Forces Reserve. The Selected 
Reserve is composed of Marines in four categories: Selected Marine 
Corps Reserve (SMCR) Units, Active Reserve (AR), Individual 
Mobilization Augmentees (IMAs), and service members in initial training 
(IADTs). Embedded with these Marines are 1,557 Active and Reserve 
Component Sailors who serve critical roles in the operational, medical, 
dental, and spiritual readiness of our Reserve force. The success of 
the Marine Corps Reserve would not be possible without the support of 
these Sailors and US Navy programs.
    In addition to the Marines and Sailors of the Selected Reserve, the 
Marine Corps Reserve administratively controls approximately 62,000 
Marines who serve in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). The Marine 
Corps 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 the Marine Corps Reserve 
to ensure the IRR Marines meet the requirements for mobilization. The 
events also provide the opportunity to address administrative issues, 
conduct mental health and post-deployment assessments, review Reserve 
obligations and new opportunities, and meet with Marine Corps prior-
service recruiters. During the past year the Marine Corps Reserve 
conducted 20 muster events which 4,862 IRR Marines attended. In 
addition to the musters, the Marine Corps Reserve contacted and 
screened 59,294 Marines.
    The Marine Corps Reserve strives to retain the very best Marines 
capable of fulfilling our leadership and operational needs. The option 
of continued service in the Reserve Component has become increasingly 
appealing to young Marines leaving active duty. Marines approaching the 
end of their current contracts, whether Active or Reserve Component, 
receive counseling on the tangible and intangible benefits of remaining 
affiliated 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.
    Even as the Marine Corps restructures our forces to ensure we are 
postured to confront future potential adversaries, we are making every 
effort to retain those Marines impacted by force design decisions. In 
2020 we deployed a series of Personnel Transition Teams (PTTs) to every 
unit impacted by force design. These PTTs were specifically designed to 
ensure every impacted Marine was provided information, education, and 
one-on-one career counseling concerning available incentives, career 
opportunities, and continued service options. For example, during the 
divestment of our reserve tank battalion we successfully retained over 
52% of all Reserve Marines assigned to those site locations through 
voluntary reassignment to another Marine Reserve unit, while an 
additional 24% of those Marines chose to transfer to their local Army 
National Guard tank unit in order to continue their military service. 
Survey responses show that 91% of the Reserve Marines felt they had 
been provided both the information and support needed to make an 
informed decision, while 89% of the Reserve Marines felt that their 
best interests were kept in mind.
    Recruiting and retaining high quality Marines remains essential to 
the Marine Corps' reputation as the nation's force-in-readiness. 
Although we produced Marines safely in the face of the global pandemic, 
the challenges associated with COVID-19 have had a significant impact 
on our ability to recruit. As a result, the Selected Marine Corps 
Reserve faced a 50.4% reduction in new non-prior service accessions and 
a loss of 7.9% of the forecasted prior-service accessions. 
Notwithstanding these notable losses, Marine Forces Reserve still 
enjoys high affiliation and retention rates enhanced through incentive 
programs such as occupational specialty retraining, inactive duty 
travel reimbursement, and bonus payments. These programs are essential 
to ensure we continue to meet authorized end strength and retain our 
most talented Marines. Your continued support to these critical 
programs has helped preserve our overall personnel end strength at 
94.3% of the total requirement and maintain a grade and Military 
Occupational Specialty match rate of 81.7%.
    Our personnel readiness is not only reflective of the health of the 
force, but directly contributes to our overall operational readiness. 
While we fully expect to meet our Selected Marine Corps Reserve 
retention and recruiting goals this year, continued use of available 
incentive programs is critical to optimally align our inventory against 
our requirements, maintain individual and unit level readiness, address 
shortfalls in staff non-commissioned officers, and fully rebuild 
readiness from previous force structure changes.
                               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 despite the challenges associated with the new COVID-19 
operating environment. The Reserve Component continues to meet all 
operational and training requirements, including support to Combatant 
Commanders worldwide.
    This operational tempo places stress on our ability to maintain our 
equipment and replenish our deficiencies. In the event of a large-scale 
wartime mobilization, to include any sizable call-up of the IRR, 
individual combat clothing and equipment deficiencies may become a 
strategic risk to mission.
    With regard to maintenance readiness, the Marine Corps Reserve has 
mitigated risk for many years in three ways. First, we refine units' 
Training Allowances (TA), which is that portion of a unit's full Table 
of Equipment (TE) 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 maintained within personnel, facility, 
and fiscal constraints. Second, we leverage operation and maintenance, 
Marine Corps Reserve, funds to secure mobile maintenance support teams 
that augment our limited organic maintenance capacity in the Marine 
Corps Reserve. Third, we contract third party logistics to repair 
secondary reparables that cannot be repaired organically due to the 
lack of an intermediate maintenance activity capability. Congressional 
support for Reserve funding in the Fiscal Year (FY) 22 President's 
budget request is paramount to our continued success in sustaining our 
equipment and maintenance readiness.
    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), Ground 
Weapons Locating Radar (GWLR), All Terrain Crane (ATC), Platoon Water 
Purification System (PWPS), and Mobile Integrated Remains Collection 
System (MIRCS) will enhance our ability to fight, maneuver freely, and 
win on the modern battlefield. The KC-130J Super Hercules remains a 
procurement priority of the Marine Corps Reserve. The Marine Corps 
Reserve has currently reached Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for 13 
of 28 aircraft and is expected to reach Full Operating Capability (FOC) 
in the future.
                                training
    The Marine Corps Reserve typically participates in a number of 
training exercises in the United States and overseas each year to 
improve combat readiness and enhance our ability to rapidly activate 
and integrate with the Active Component. The global pandemic presented 
numerous challenges to the Reserve force's ability to participate in 
and conduct training. By April 2020, we had canceled drill weekends and 
annual training periods to protect the Marines, their families, and 
local communities. In order to limit the amount of lost training 
opportunities, we created telework drill weekends and increased 
occasions for Marines to conduct online training. Our local commanders 
demonstrated initiative and creativity in conducting meaningful 
training for the Marines. While digital training allowed for an 
increase in individual skills, it could not replace critical unit 
training at the company and battalion levels.
    With several months of data available, we determined the risk of 
not providing ready forces as the result of conducting in-person 
training exceeded the risk from COVID-19. We therefore began to resume 
in-person drill weekends in June and enabled Marines to conduct their 
annual training in the 4th quarter of FY20. Operations in a COVID-19 
environment became the norm, with precautions including the wearing of 
masks and social distancing during training. Local commanders adjusted 
their training to include spreading out unit drills over multiple 
weekends to ensure compliance with local health mandates for reduced 
gathering of personnel. Our small unit leaders performed admirably 
during this trying period, maintaining communication with their Marines 
and ensuring mitigation measures were enforced to guarantee quality 
training while preventing the spread of the pandemic as a result of in-
person drills. At the end of FY20, we were able to provide an 
opportunity for all Reserve Marines to participate in an annual 
training period, whether in person or virtually.
    The global pandemic adversely affected higher level training 
normally gained during regularly scheduled exercises. Combatant 
Commanders and host nations canceled joint and bi-lateral exercises due 
to COVID-19 restrictions; in FY20, 48 of 71 scheduled exercises across 
four Combatant Commands were canceled. Reserve participation in the 
exercises that did take place was largely eliminated due to 
Restriction-Of-Movement (ROM) requirements. These exercises were 
designed to provide mission essential task training in a joint 
environment. This left nearly 3,000 Marines in need of an alternate 
annual training period. Reserve participation in the annual Service-
level Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) conducted aboard Marine Corps 
Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms California was also canceled 
due to the global pandemic. ITX improves combat readiness, efficiency 
in Total Force integration, and enables more rapid activation response 
times at the battalion and squadron levels. The loss of the Combatant 
Commander exercises, ITX, and numerous battalion and squadron annual 
training exercises in CY20 has resulted in a less operationally ready 
Marine Corps Reserve.
    Operating in a COVID-19 environment directly impacted Reserve 
Marines' ability to complete required resident professional military 
education (PME) courses. The Marine Corps Reserve converted the 
majority of its 800 seats in resident PME to online courses to overcome 
the challenges of educating the force. Employing ROM, wearing of masks, 
and social distancing, the Marine Corps Reserve preserved nearly 300 
resident seats, enabling Marines to attend PME in person with their 
fellow Marines.
    The Marine Corps Reserve uses training simulators wherever and 
whenever possible to preserve fiscal and materiel resources. 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 Department of Defense (DoD) training 
locations. The use of ISMTs as well as increased online training 
enabled the force to complete mission essential tasks and required DoD 
and Service-level annual training during the global pandemic.
                               facilities
    The Marine Corps Reserve occupies facilities in 47 states, the 
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These 
facilities include 158 Reserve Training Centers (RTCs) (22 of which are 
owned by Marine Forces Reserve and the remaining 136 of which are 
operated by other Services with Marine Corps Reserve units as tenants), 
three family housing sites, one permanent barracks, and one General 
Officer Quarters. Although some of these facilities 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 effective 
training and mobilization locations.
    Fifty-seven percent of the facilities budget supports the day-to-
day cost of operating and maintaining existing infrastructure. The 
Marine Corps Reserve has 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, Navy 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.
    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. In 
addition, our targeted consolidation, FSRM, and MCNR programs have 
increased the force protection of our Marines and Sailors. These 
programs have allowed the Marine Corps Reserve to partner with the 
joint bases and other services to meet the Department of Defense 
security and force protection lines of effort promulgated by the 
Secretary of Defense following the 2015 Chattanooga, Tennessee U.S. 
Navy Reserve Center shootings.
    As our infrastructure ages and we continue to implement force 
protection improvements along with environmental and energy-saving 
projects, our operating costs have steadily increased. Service level 
efforts to modernize our force and its infrastructure have also 
increased costs. The 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
    The Marine Corps Reserve Health Services Support (HSS) system 
prioritizes the health and wellness of our Reserve Marines and Sailors. 
We continue to improve medical readiness through a robust Individual 
Medical Readiness program within the Marine Corps Reserve and by 
accurate monitoring, identification, and supervision of unit level 
actions necessary to attain readiness goals. Additionally, our Health 
Services personnel participate in Force Readiness Activation Assessment 
Program inspections and audits which provide oversight at the unit 
level and the ability to monitor readiness and adherence to policy.
    The Reserve Health Readiness Program (RHRP) has greatly increased 
overall medical and dental readiness throughout the force. This program 
provides support using contracted civilian medical and dental providers 
to work with units that do not have organic medical or dental support 
personnel or are not supported by a Military Treatment Facility (MTF). 
During FY20, the RHRP performed 14,946 Periodic Health Assessments 
(PHAs), 216 Post-Deployment Heath Re- Assessments (PDHRAs), 18,229 
audiological examinations, and 16,787 dental examinations.
    HSS's priority is to achieve the DoD's goal of a 90% medically 
ready force. National, regional, state and local restrictions on travel 
and group activities due to COVID-19 community transmission affected 
scheduling and availability of both organic unit and RHRP readiness 
events over the course of several months. During FY20, our individual 
medical and dental readiness rates were 76% and 81%, respectively. 
Marine Corps Reserve units rely heavily on RHRP to maintain our medical 
and dental readiness, and continued support of this program is 
imperative for maintaining overall readiness.
                           behavioral health
    In addition to the RHRP, the Marine Corps Reserve continues to 
execute 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 and continues 
to be provided during pre-deployment training to service members 
deploying for more than 90 days and all to commands in garrison. This 
training provides essential knowledge, skills, and tools to assist 
commanders in preventing, identifying, and managing combat and 
operational stress concerns as early as possible. Each of these tools 
supports the commander in building unit strength, resilience, and 
readiness as well as keeping Marines in the fight.
    COVID-19 community transmission has not only impacted medical 
readiness, but also the mental health of our Marines and Sailors. 
Amongst our Active and Reserve Component service members mental health 
effects included increased isolation, relationship stress, and 
financial strain. The Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery continues to 
support behavioral health through various independent, contracted 
programs such as PDHRA and the Psychological Health Outreach Program 
(PHOP). The PDHRA program focuses specifically on identifying issues 
that emerge after our Marines and Sailors have returned home from 
deployment. PHOP secures behavioral health screenings, psychological 
treatment referrals, and essential follow-up treatment to ensure our 
service members' behavioral health needs are met. In FY20, PHOP 
received 584 new referrals through their outreach services. 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 
programs. These programs are critical to maintaining a resilient force 
by providing pathways for Marines, Sailors, and families to seek 
behavioral health assistance.
    Signs of operational and combat stress may manifest long after a 
service member returns home from deployment. This delayed onset of 
symptoms presents unique challenges to Reserve Marines who may be 
detached from vital medical care and the daily support network inherent 
in active duty Marine Corps units. Encouraging Marines to recognize and 
communicate mental health issues is a pervasive challenge facing our 
commanders. The Marine Corps Reserve addresses the stigma associated 
with mental health care through key programs such as the Yellow Ribbon 
Reintegration Program (YRRP) and OSCAR. Furthermore, we market all of 
our behavioral health initiatives and programs through our Marine Corps 
Reserve website and during key Marine Corps forums throughout the year.
    In FY20, we developed and are now piloting a smart phone mobile 
application (app) that is tailored to Marine Reservists. USMC Connect 
is a Defense Information Systems Agency approved, enterprise-wide, 
mobile app that serves as a gateway to public content on government 
websites. The USMC Connect app was established to deliver portable, 
timely, and relevant information to Marines, Sailors and their families 
and to reduce reliance on traditional computers to access career and 
personal resources. The app is customizable, enabling units to provide 
Marine Reservists with relevant, unit-specific information. The app 
includes a mobile Common Access Card (CAC) portal that will allow 
Marines to pair their devices with a mobile CAC reader to access some 
CAC-secured sites. USMC Connect will increase engagement, 
communication, and connectedness through greater access to career, 
lifestyle and behavioral health resources.
    The Marine Corps Reserve Substance Abuse program continues to 
educate Marines on substance misuse, relationships, stress management, 
emotional regulation, thinking patterns, and risk awareness. The 
program provides tools to promote the safety of Marines and their 
families and to sustain and improve personal readiness and unit 
performance. The Marine Corps Reserve relies profoundly on its Drug 
Demand Reduction Program, which uses random urinalysis testing to deter 
the use of illicit drugs and misuse of prescription drugs. Each Reserve 
unit conducts monthly drug testing to screen Reserve Marines for drugs, 
as well as breathalyzer testing to screen for alcohol use while in a 
duty status. The Substance Abuse program 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 unused and outdated medications. Additionally, the 
Substance Abuse program increases leaders' awareness of the dangers of 
abusing prescription drugs through annual supervisor-level substance 
abuse training.
    The Marine Corps Reserve recognizes that the factors contributing 
to suicide are numerous and complex. Risk factors can include 
depression, family history of suicide, and substance abuse. Common 
precipitating stressors include relationship, legal, and financial 
challenges as well as disciplinary problems. We mitigate stressors 
using a multidimensional and multilevel approach.
    Small unit leaders are encouraged to foster a sense of belonging 
for Marines. Commanders employ messaging to safely and effectively 
communicate about suicide, conduct Force Preservation Councils to 
identify risk factors, and provide courses of action to mitigate 
destructive behavior. Once a possible behavioral health issue has been 
identified, the command implements intervention and reintegration 
strategies, as appropriate, to help lower risks, encourages Marines to 
ask for help when needed, and restricts access to lethal means for 
those at risk for suicide in accordance with existing laws and 
policies. The Marine Corps' Unit Marine Awareness and Prevention 
Integrated Training (UMAPIT) teaches every Marine the basics of suicide 
prevention. UMAPIT consists of tailored curricula designed to 
proactively manage challenging situations and improve Marines' ability 
to address behavioral health issues such as substance abuse, suicide, 
family maltreatment, and combat operational stress before they become 
unmanageable. The Marine Corps' culture is shifting toward recognizing 
that seeking help is a sign of strength, which will help reduce stigma 
and barriers to seeking care. Finally, all Marines are taught to 
recognize suicide warning signs, seek help for their fellow Marines, 
and never leave a Marine behind.
    Care Management Teams focus on supporting Reserve Marines through 
the Department of Veterans Affairs 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 health care needs. 
Marine Intercept Program (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 
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 barriers to services or resources. The MIP counselors then 
incorporate these contacts into the counseling process. These services 
are also provided to our Reserve Marines through the PHOP.
    Our Marines have proven their strength in navigating challenging 
issues such as frequent moves, deployments, and separations from loved 
ones. To help with these struggles, 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. Additionally, we continue to support Military 
OneSource which provides confidential, non-medical counseling, 
resources, and support to service members and their families anywhere 
in the world.
                  sexual assault prevention & response
    Sexual assault is a complex and challenging matter that is often 
interrelated with readiness challenges, behavioral health issues, and 
destructive behaviors. For the Marine Corps Reserve, addressing the 
health and safety of our service members and fostering a culture of 
dignity and respect are top priorities toward reducing and ultimately 
eliminating sexual assault within our ranks. To accomplish this goal, 
the Marine Corps Reserve executes a Sexual Assault Prevention and 
Response (SAPR) program. Seven full-time, professional employees ensure 
the efficacy of the program and its services across our geographically-
dispersed force. In addition to the force level Sexual Assault Response 
Coordinator (SARC), each Major Subordinate Command (MSC) within the 
Marine Corps Reserve has a full-time civilian SARC who serves as a 
special staff officer to their Commanding General and manages their 
SAPR program from Marine Forces Reserve headquarters in New Orleans, 
LA. The program also has two professional civilian SAPR Victim 
Advocates (VAs) who travel to Marines, Sailors and their families to 
provide in-person advocacy services, training, and unit-specific 
program guidance. The Marine Corps Reserve works diligently to improve 
our victim response, outreach, and sexual assault prevention by 
approaching these efforts as a team. The SARCs and VAs work together to 
ensure there is never a gap in coverage, regardless of the MSC. Leaders 
at every level and anyone in need of support services has access to a 
SAPR staff member for program guidance.
    The SAPR staff trains up to 160 individuals to become VAs each year 
during courses held quarterly in New Orleans. After completing the 40-
hour training course, these potential VAs submit an application for 
credentialing through the DoD's Sexual Assault Advocate Certification 
Program. Once credentialed, the VAs are officially appointed by their 
commanders to serve in the billet at their respective RTCs. In total, 
the Marine Corps Reserve maintains an active roster averaging more than 
200 VAs across the country.
    SAPR personnel respond to Marines, Sailors, and adult dependents 
who request support services related to a report of sexual assault. The 
SARCs and VAs screen for potential safety issues, develop 
individualized safety plans, and offer advocacy services and referrals 
in the military and civilian sectors. In order to more effectively 
support the Reserve Component, the SAPR Program developed and maintains 
a database of nationwide resources for victims of sexual assault who 
may not have access to military providers.
    The Marine Corps Reserve operates a dedicated Sexual Assault 
Support Line that is staffed by the professional SAPR team 24/7. The 
Marine Corps Reserve also actively publicizes the DoD Safe Helpline, an 
additional resource that 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.
    The Marine Corps Reserve's prevention strategy is holistic and 
integrated with other programs aimed toward eradicating sexual assault, 
such as the Equal Opportunity Program, Safety, Spiritual Readiness 
Initiatives, the PHOP, Total Force Fitness initiatives, and Behavioral 
Health. The Marine Corps Reserve continues to set the example by 
employing a zero-tolerance policy related to sexual assault and 
harassment and a retaliation-free command climate. Leaders at every 
level are encouraged to actively engage with Marines and Sailors to 
create a positive environment free from attitudes and behaviors that 
are incompatible with our core values. Each year all Marines and 
Sailors receive SAPR training which covers reporting options, available 
resources, and prevention techniques. Along with overall education 
about the SAPR program, these periods of instruction give individual 
Marines and Sailors an opportunity to interact with their local Command 
SAPR Representatives, thereby helping to generate trust in the program 
and confidence that the prevention of sexual assault is a priority for 
leadership.
                            quality of life
    The Marine Corps Reserve strives to achieve appropriate balance and 
effective performance of our quality of life programs which provide 
support and assistance during deployment and on the home front. The 
Marine Corps Reserve is dispersed throughout the country and away from 
most traditional brick and mortar resources available at major bases 
and stations. The ability to access the comprehensive set of MCCS 
programs, which support operational readiness, war fighting 
capabilities, and quality of life, can have a profoundly positive 
effect on the well-being of our Marines and families. MCCS programming 
includes education and transition assistance, fitness and recreation, 
deployment support, family team building, and prevention. MCCS is a 
user-friendly and responsive single resource that provides constant and 
unwavering support to Marines and their families throughout their 
entire service or affiliation with the Marine Corps. The MCCS Unit, 
Personal, and Family Readiness Program is supported by civilian 
Deployment Readiness Coordinators or Uniformed Readiness Coordinators 
who implement a commander's family readiness vision and help Marines, 
Sailors, and families maintain a constant state of family readiness.
    MCCS programs remain flexible, constantly adjusting to meet the 
needs of our geographically dispersed Marines and their families. The 
training programs provided to our commanders, Family Readiness Command 
Teams, Marines, and their families help to produce a ready and 
resilient force equipped to achieve success. The Marine Corps Family 
Team Building (MCFTB) program promotes readiness and resiliency through 
non-clinical preventative education, professional training, and 
community-building support to Marines and Sailors and their families 
throughout mission, life, and career events. MCFTB training events are 
delivered both in person and virtually through interactive webinars at 
158 RTCs. During FY20, the Marine Corps Reserve conducted 169 training 
events in which 6,854 Marines and family members received valuable 
information to prepare for and thrive during deployments and achieve a 
positive post-deployment reintegration experience.
    A key component to our quality of life and resiliency is the 
religious ministry support provided by 141 Religious Ministry Team 
(RMT) members. As uniformed service members, RMTs support Marines and 
their families across the full spectrum of military life including 
combat and humanitarian engagements. There are 87 RMT members embedded 
in 46 Marine Corps Reserve units across the country. The religious 
ministry support includes developing the Commandant's spiritual 
readiness initiatives as part of the Human Performance Division, 
providing divine services across the spectrum of faith communities, 
advising on spiritual and ethical matters, and delivering pastoral care 
in a safe and confidential environment. Chaplain support is provided to 
Marines, Sailors, and families at numerous funeral services year-round. 
The Chaplains provide spiritual guidance at the services and follow-on 
care as needed, providing a source of healing for family members.
    The Chaplain Religious Enrichment Development Operations (CREDO) 
program provides transformational retreats and workshops, including the 
Marriage Enrichment Retreat (MER), the Personal Resiliency Retreat 
(PRR) and the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) 
class. The MER and PRR equip Marines, Sailors, and their families with 
practical relationship and communication tools that strengthen 
marriages and individual resiliency on the home front and during 
deployments. The PRR helps Marines and Sailors set personal goals, make 
good decisions, deal with stress, and live their lives with greater 
purpose and satisfaction. During FY20, 235 individuals participated in 
five MERs and one PRR.
    In an ongoing effort to reduce suicidal events, the CREDO Program 
offers ASIST and Suicide Alertness for Everyone (safeTALK), evidence-
based programs that train individuals to intervene in suicidal 
ideations and keep the individual safe until they can receive follow-on 
care. A total of 122 personnel were trained at six ASIST and three 
safeTALK classes in FY20, providing commands with resources to offer 
positive outcomes in unit readiness. Participants in these programs 
self-reported a 68% increase in their likelihood to intervene to help a 
person having thoughts of suicide. One FY20 enhancement of the program 
has been a ``take it to where the Marines are'' option with three of 
the workshops taking place in conjunction with travel to distant 
geographic locations.
    COVID-19 has significantly impacted the operational tempo of the 
CREDO Program, inhibiting travel for in-person training and 
necessitating the cancellation of 10 retreats and five ASIST workshops. 
The Marine Corps Reserve immediately pivoted to live virtual training 
in order to continue mission execution. Launching with the motto 
``Virtual Engagement. Real Impact.'' the transition incorporated new 
Leadership and Personal Growth Workshops (LPGW), Marriage Enrichment 
Workshops (MEW), and Professional Naval Chaplain Workshops (PNCW). The 
LPGWs and MEWs incorporate goals of the PRRs and MERs, respectively, in 
a shorter, non-retreat format using MarineNet's Adobe Connect platform. 
The PNCWs are built to enable the CREDO program to train and equip 
other Chaplains and leaders with skills that directly and positively 
impact service members, their families, and Federal Civilian employees. 
One example of this training is Adobe Connect, which instructs 
participants on the use of the platform for teaching. The Chaplain of 
the Marine Corps subsequently instructed all RMTs attached to Marine 
Corps Units to complete the class in an effort to mitigate COVID-19 
impact by equipping RMTs across the enterprise. Pilot partnerships were 
launched to reduce required resources and simultaneously increase 
deliverables (e.g., Virtual CREDO, Centers for Adaptive Warfighting, 
Federal Coaching Network, etc.). In FY20, CREDO conducted 54 virtual 
and 22 in-person workshops consisting of 680 training hours for more 
than 2,058 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 (CFS) 
program. The CFS program provides assistance on a wide array of 
financial issues to include budgeting, diversifying income, credit and 
debt management, military/consumer protections, car buying, home 
options, saving and investing, insurance, Survivor Benefit Program, 
Veteran benefits, retirement, and financial counseling to all members 
of our dispersed forces.
    The technical expertise our Marines have achieved during their 
service has considerable value to the country's civilian sector. The 
Marine Corps' Transition Readiness Program emphasizes a proactive 
approach that enables Marines to formulate effective post-transition 
entrepreneurship, employment, and educational goals. A virtual 
transition readiness seminar is available for Reserve Marines and 
Sailors who are unable to attend an installation-based transition 
course. The Marine for Life Network links our Marines to employment, 
education, and community resources in their hometown areas to support 
their future goals. Tutor.com offers our Marines and their dependents 
access to 24/7, no-cost, live tutoring services for grades K-12 and 
college students. Our Marines are also provided with remote access to 
language courses through Mango Languages, which supports over 70 
languages, including English as a Second Language (ESL). Peterson's 
Online Academic Skills Course helps Marines build math and verbal 
skills to excel on the job, pass exams, and advance their careers and 
education.
    The Marine Corps' Semper Fit program is fully engaged in partnering 
with our bases and stations to provide fitness education activities 
that promote physical and mental readiness and develop positive self-
esteem and healthy lifestyles. Additionally, the High Intensity 
Tactical Training (HITT) program focuses on physical resilience, combat 
readiness, and injury prevention. The HITT 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 strengthened through team building and esprit de corps activities 
such as unit outings and participation in competitive events. These 
programs are vital to unit cohesion and camaraderie.
    The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) is a DoD-wide effort 
to promote the well-being of National Guard and Reserve members, their 
families, and communities by connecting them with resources throughout 
the deployment cycle. The YRRP is an enduring and invaluable part of 
our efforts to build resiliency. Since its inception in 2010, we have 
conducted more than 922 training events for more than 52,000 Marines, 
Sailors, and family members. In FY20, we conducted three live and 22 
virtual events with more than 3,000 participants.
    Our Marines, Sailors, and their families who sacrifice so much for 
our nation's defense should not be asked to sacrifice their quality of 
life. We continue to be a faithful advocate for flexible quality of 
life 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 is critical to the readiness and retention 
of our Marines, Sailors, and their families.
   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). The 
Marine Corps 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 
Determination 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.
    The Marine Corps 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.
                              force design
    The Marine Corps Reserve, operating as both a strategic and 
operational reserve, remains a critical part of the Marine Corps Total 
Force. As the Marine Corps transitions towards Naval Campaigning in 
response to Great Power Competition, the Reserve Component continues to 
be an integral element of the planning effort. The Marine Corps force 
development process is accomplished through deliberate integrated 
planning teams and comprehensive wargames. The Marine Corps Reserve 
provides support to this force design effort, while remaining a vital 
global contributor to meeting Combatant Command requirements.
    Although there have been significant adjustments to the Active 
Component forces, the redesign of the Reserve Component has yet to 
mature to the point of implementation. While there has been some public 
mention of specific units identified for deactivation, there is still 
much deliberation occurring to ensure Reserve capabilities are not 
inadvertently or prematurely eliminated. Currently, only the 
deactivations of 4th Tank Battalion and Bridging units across the 
Marine Corps have impacted the Marine Corps Reserve. The Marine Corps 
Reserve has been working tirelessly to ensure that each Marine affected 
by unit deactivations is afforded every opportunity to continue their 
service to the country. To that end, Personnel Transition Teams (PTTs) 
have been traveling to all impacted locations to meet individually with 
all Marines. As it relates to the siting of Reserve units across the 
country, we are actively analyzing a variety of factors to ensure that 
if we encounter a situation that forces us to vacate a location, we 
have both the quantitative as well as qualitative measures to 
substantiate difficult decisions. As we continue to analyze Service 
requirements, our site support organizations will remain in place until 
greater clarity of force design implications are known. The Service is 
dedicated to maintaining an optimal set of sites for Reserve 
capabilities in support of the future Marine Corps.
                           talent management
    The legacy Industrial Age manpower management processes we use 
today will not support our larger force design goal. As the Marine 
Corps continues to develop talent management objectives in support of 
departmental objectives, there are unique opportunities worth exploring 
within the Reserve Component. Our nation's Reservists feel inspired to 
answer the call to service and are willing to dedicate the requisite 
time to develop dual careers. The Marine Corps Reserve is actively 
engaged in developing and managing talent and is currently developing a 
Reserve Component talent management strategy that aligns the 
institution's vision, mission, and goals for how talent should be 
managed to increase warfighting effectiveness while instilling the 
institution's values. This talent management vision will focus on 
talent development, leadership development, and diversity & empowerment 
in order to attract, recruit, identify, incentivize, and retain the 
most talented individuals across the entire force necessary to achieve 
institutional and strategic objectives.
                               conclusion
    Your Marine Corps Reserve is forward deployed supporting Combatant 
Commanders' requirements, participating in Service- and Joint-level 
exercises both at home and abroad, and is the constant face of the 
Marine Corps to our local communities. As part of the Total Force, we 
are focused on force design, readiness, and manpower to maintain and 
enhance our Service's ability to deter pacing threats as prescribed by 
the National Defense Strategy. Given a worthy mission and a clear 
signal that their individual contributions are valued by the Service, 
your Reserve Marines will continue to answer their ``irrational call to 
service.'' With your continued support, we will remain ready. Semper 
Fidelis!

    Senator Tester. Thank you, General.
    Next up, we have Lieutenant General Jody J. Daniels, Chief 
of the Army Reserve.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL JODY J. DANIELS, CHIEF, 
            U.S. ARMY RESERVE
    General Daniels. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, 
Distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, on behalf of the 
200,000 soldiers and civilian employees of the U.S. Army 
Reserve, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you 
today and for your continued support for our soldiers, 
families, and employers.
    In an era of great power competition, the Army needs forces 
able to compete with adversaries, respond to crises, win in 
conflict, and prepare for the future.
    That mission requires a dedicated Federal Reserve force 
that is ready now and prepared to meet the challenges of 
tomorrow. That force is the United States Army Reserve.
    At the cost of just 6 percent of the total Army budget, the 
Army Reserve provides 20 percent of the total force, nearly 
half of the Army's maneuver support, a quarter of its force 
mobilization capability, and a myriad of other unique 
capabilities.
    Over the last 3 years, the Army Reserve has focused on 
rebuilding collective readiness to win near-peer large-scale 
combat operations as we transform into a force capable of 
providing multi-domain operations.
    However, last year, like the rest of the world, we 
encountered an unforeseen threat but our readiness paid 
dividends in unexpected ways. Within 24 hours of the President 
invoking involuntary mobilization authority in response to 
COVID-19, the Army Reserve aggregated critical medical 
capabilities and initiated one of the largest domestic 
mobilizations in our history.
    Within days, we assembled over 2,800 soldiers, including 
1,200 healthcare professionals, and deployed them into critical 
crisis zones around the country. To date, over 4,500 Army 
Reserve soldiers have mobilized to support our Nation's COVID-
19 response.
    The Army Reserve continues to support the COVID-19 response 
operations while prioritizing the readiness and training of our 
soldiers and formations. Early in the pandemic, we focused on 
individual readiness and began using cloud-based tools to 
conduct virtual battle assemblies. We also implemented control 
measures to decrease risks during in-person gatherings.
    Despite an uncertain training environment, the Army Reserve 
continues to support combatant commanders. Since March 1, 2020, 
we have mobilized almost 18,000 soldiers, 268 units to support 
operations around the globe.
    We have also developed a readiness concept known as the 
Army Reserve Mission Force or ARM Force to prepare our 
formations for the four Cs: competition, crisis, conflict, and 
change. The ARM Force is under the Army's regionally-aligned 
Readiness and Modernization Model or REARM and provides a 
common sense framework to align resources across the component 
and unit readiness cycles.
    This approach ensures that we have sufficient readiness to 
support our combatant commands while responsibly investing in 
the modernization necessary for the future fight.
    While maintaining readiness, we are also shaping tomorrow 
by bringing innovation and depth to Army modernization efforts. 
We created the 75th Innovation Command to act as technology 
scouts and we are leveraging the vast subject matter expertise 
gained through our civilian careers to assist Army Futures 
Command.
    However, all this means nothing without our soldiers and 
our formations. We need ready and resilient soldiers, capable 
leaders, cohesive teams, strong families, and supportive 
employers to ensure our success.
    To that end, we are aggressively addressing behaviors that 
destroy our squads. Sexual assaults, sexual harassment, 
extremism, and racism run counter to our Army values. We are 
embracing the philosophy of this is my squad to build a culture 
of dignity and respect and assure all believe their lives are 
worth living.
    Sustaining critical operational capabilities requires 
adequate and predictable funding. We are grateful for the 
consistent appropriations that positively impact Army readiness 
and modernization efforts meet the needs of the Army and our 
combatant commands across the full range of military 
operations, including support of National Guard and Reserve 
equipping account.
    The future holds many challenges, but today's Army Reserve 
is the best-trained, best-equipped, and striving every day to 
be the most ready Army Reserve in our Nation's history.
    With your continued support, we will continue to build on 
our strong foundation to meet the needs of the Nation and shape 
the Army Reserve of tomorrow.
    Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
    [The statement follows:]
        Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Jody J. Daniels

                     The United States Army Reserve

                   ready now! shaping tomorrow . . .

The State of the Army Reserve--Ready Now! Shaping Tomorrow
    In an era of great power competition, the Army needs forces able to 
compete with adversaries, respond to crises, win in conflict, and 
prepare for the future. To accomplish this mission, the Army needs a 
dedicated Federal Reserve force that is ready today and prepared to 
meet the challenges of tomorrow. That force is the United States Army 
Reserve.
    The Army Reserve is Ready Now, providing Soldiers and units to 
Combatant Commanders, enabling competition around the globe, supporting 
civil authorities in the homeland and conducting the foundational 
training required to win in great power conflict.
    190,000 Army Reserve Soldiers and 11,000 Civilians are present in 
all 50 States, 5 U.S. territories, and deployed to 23 countries around 
the world. The Army Reserve contains nearly half of the Army's maneuver 
support and a quarter of its force mobilization capacity at a cost of 
just 6% of the total Army budget.
    Although the Army Reserve only constitutes 20% of the Army's 
personnel, it provides over 50% of its quartermaster and medical 
formations, over 80% of its civil affairs, legal, and religious units, 
62% of its military information support operations units, and over 40% 
of its chemical, transportation, ordnance, and intelligence forces. It 
provides the cornerstone of critical enabling capabilities like 
petroleum distribution, water purification, port opening, technical 
intelligence, and railroad operations.
    The Joint Force cannot deploy, fight, and win without the Army 
Reserve. The Army provides the bulk of sustainment and enabling forces 
to other Services, and most of these enabling forces reside in the Army 
Reserve.
    While the Army Reserve maintains readiness, it is also Shaping 
Tomorrow by bringing innovation and depth to Army modernization 
efforts. Army Reserve talent is an integral part of Army Modernization 
efforts. The Army Reserve has a higher proportion of Soldiers with 
graduate degrees than any other Army component. Nine percent of Army 
Reserve Officers have doctorates and over 32% have Masters degrees.
    Talent is not limited to the Officer ranks. More than 13% of Army 
Reserve Enlisted Soldiers have Bachelors degrees. We have Enlisted 
Soldiers who are investment bankers, executives, and technologists. The 
call to service attracts individuals from all walks of life and 
professions.
    Our Soldiers live in two worlds. They bring their civilian 
experiences to bear in their military duties and their innovative 
mindsets, acquisition skills, and project management expertise help 
solve the Army's most complex challenges. As the Army moves towards the 
conduct of multi-domain operations, our Soldiers will play a critical 
role in linking the private sector into the defense enterprise. Our 
pools of talent in areas like defensive cyber operations and additive 
manufacturing are valuable wells of capability ready for the Nation to 
tap. Part-time service is a valuable mechanism to attract talent that 
might otherwise forgo military service.
    Soldiers, Civilians and Families are the centerpiece of our efforts 
to stay ready and evolve. Ready and resilient Soldiers, capable 
leaders, cohesive teams, strong families, and supportive employers are 
the key to a ready and capable Army Reserve.
Ready Now! And COVID-19
    Over the last three years, the Army Reserve focused on rebuilding 
collective readiness to contend with a near peer in Large-Scale Combat 
Operations (LSCO). However, in March of 2020, like the rest of the 
world, we encountered an unforeseen threat.
    Our readiness paid dividends in unexpected ways. Within 24 hours of 
the President invoking involuntary mobilization authority, the Army 
Reserve rapidly aggregated critical medical capabilities in response to 
the COVID-19 Pandemic and initiated one of the largest domestic 
mobilizations in its history. In days, the Army Reserve assembled over 
2,800 Soldiers, including 1,200 healthcare professionals, and deployed 
them to crisis zones around the country. By mid-April, 15 custom-built 
UAMTFs--Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces--prepared to treat 
patients in New York, Seattle, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, New 
Jersey, and Connecticut. Each of these UAMTFs had the capacity to man a 
240-bed hospital and relieve some of the burden falling on our civilian 
medical infrastructure at the start of the pandemic.
    In addition to direct medical support, the 76th Operational 
Response Command and 807th Medical Command controlled forces across the 
United States; the 377th Theater Support Command and 4th Expeditionary 
Sustainment Command provided logistics to units from all components; 
the 505th Intelligence Brigade helped U.S. Army North track COVID's 
spread, and 180 Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers (EPLOs) 
integrated federal, state, and local responses. Forward Engineering 
Support Teams helped to convert commercial buildings into hospitals, 
contractor support personnel arranged for vital services, and Army 
Reserve Aviation units flew over 600 missions, moving 1,870 personnel 
and over 8,000 pounds of cargo to points of critical need around the 
country.
    Outside of the United States, Army Reserve formations assisted our 
allies and overseas installations with their pandemic response. In 
Europe, the 7th Mission Support Command provided Civil Support Teams to 
decontaminate high traffic areas across the U.S. Army Garrison in 
Kaiserslautern, Germany, and performed COVID-19 testing and analysis in 
Poland. The Medical Support Unit-Europe delivered medical supplies, and 
the 9th Mission Support Command based in Hawaii deployed nurses, 
medical planners and EPLOs, supported three federal staging areas, and 
moved more than 11,500 pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 
and medical gear into the Pacific Territories, Hawaii, and Alaska.
    In total, between March 1, 2020, and March 15, 2021, 4,578 Army 
Reserve Soldiers mobilized to support the Nation's COVID-19 response.
    The Army Reserve continues to train while maintaining support to 
U.S. Army North in COVID-19 operations around the country. Early in the 
pandemic, the Army Reserve began making use of cloud-based tools to 
conduct virtual battle assemblies.
    Army Reserve Cyber Soldiers continued required individual and team 
collective training through use of the Persistent Cyber Training 
Environment (PCTE), enabling Soldiers to complete complex cyber 
exercises while geographically separated. This synthetic training 
environment enabled Soldiers to collaborate via the Internet from 
personal computers, which maintained individual training and readiness 
goals for the year.
    When conditions permitted, Army Reserve units transitioned to team- 
and squad-level collective training with the intention of getting back 
to normal operations where possible. Units incorporated medical 
screening procedures, testing (as available), and control measures to 
decrease risk during in-person gatherings. Leaders also utilized 
innovative tools that provided real-time data on area infection rates 
to make informed decisions on the risks of conducting collective 
training.
    None of these activities and operations prevented the Army Reserve 
from supporting Combatant Commanders. Since March 1, 2020, the Army 
Reserve mobilized 17,894 Soldiers in 268 units to support operations 
around the globe.
    The Army Reserve will continue to implement measures to mitigate 
the risk imposed by COVID-19 to keep Army Reserve Soldiers and their 
families healthy and safe, and to ensure that the Army Reserve is ready 
to defend the Nation against any threat to our national security 
interests at home or abroad.
Shaping Tomorrow... and the Army Reserve Mission Force
    In addition to resuming challenging collective training, supporting 
the Nation's COVID-19 response, and providing trained Soldiers and 
units to Combatant Commanders, the Army Reserve developed a readiness 
concept known as Army Reserve Mission Force (ARM Force) to prepare our 
formations for competition, crisis, conflict, and change.
    The ARM Force prioritizes resources and support for units based on 
mission alignment. Forces earmarked for competition or conflict receive 
highest priority, followed by those designated to modernize or generate 
forces in case of full-scale mobilization. ARM Force nests under the 
Army's Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model (ReARMM) 
and provides a commonsense framework to align resources across the 
component. The concept complements ReARMM's efforts to transform the 
Army into a multi domain-capable force by aligning current force 
structure against competition requirements, and providing predictable 
mission cycles that allow for training and modernization.
    The ARM Force is just one part of how the Army Reserve aims to 
shape tomorrow, a journey we are pursuing with the Total Army. The Army 
Reserve is heavily engaged in shaping future capabilities from 
Information Advantage to next-generation Protection with investments in 
systems like Joint Battle Command-Platforms to ensure interoperability 
with the Total Army.
    While still in early stages of operation, the Army Reserve's 75th 
Innovation Command (75IC) currently adds value to the Army, Army 
Futures Command, U.S. Army Reserve Command, and Combatant Commands by 
providing relevant technology scouting and critical subject matter 
expertise, serving as the bridge between the Army's modernization 
objectives and private sector innovators and technology leaders.
    Army Reserve subject matter experts have assisted the Army's Chief 
Information Officer, the Army Science Board, and Army Futures Command 
with the critical challenges of cloud computing, cyber security, 
artificial intelligence implementation and enterprise architecture, and 
participated in major events such as Project Convergence 2020, Joint 
Warfighting Assessment 2020, and the Army Software Factory concept.
    Personnel from the 75th Innovation Command also serve in key 
leadership roles for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Office 
of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Army.
PEOPLE
    Modernization, however, means nothing without the Soldiers in our 
formations. Army Reserve priorities are in line with the Army Senior 
Leadership. People are our most precious resource and our number one 
priority.
    By investing in our people, we will make our Soldiers, units, and 
ultimately the Army as a whole, a stronger and more lethal force. 
Moreover, a ``People First'' culture builds unit cohesion by creating a 
foundation of strength, resilience, discipline, inclusiveness and trust 
that leadership will always take care of their Soldiers.
    The Army Reserve is a highly diverse and educated force. In total, 
the Army Reserve has more Service members who identify as Black, 
Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaskan Native 
than any other Reserve component across all branches of service. 
Twenty-five percent of Army Reserve Soldiers are female.
    Diversity extends to the senior leadership of the Army Reserve as 
well. Women constitute 19% of our General Officers. We also have double 
the proportion of General Officers who identify as Hispanic or as 
Asian/Pacific Islander. We expect these numbers to increase even 
further as individuals from the diverse ``Gen-X'' and ``Millennial'' 
generations reach eligibility for flag rank.
    People and diverse teams remain critical to our success in all 
efforts. We intend to reinforce success by implementing an Army Reserve 
People Strategy that aims to:
  --Continue to create a vibrant and diverse organization with members 
        from all demographics, walks of life, and regions of the United 
        States.
  --Strengthen trust across our formations by ensuring people feel 
        valued as members of cohesive, disciplined, and fit teams, 
        rightsizing operational tempo, and supporting programs such as 
        Project Inclusion, Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and 
        Prevention (SHARP), and Equal Opportunity.
  --Invest in an improved quality of life for Soldiers and Families by 
        fostering and maintaining supportive relationships with 
        employers and encouraging other partnerships that enable 
        meaningful Army Reserve service, dual civilian- military career 
        progression, and strong, supportive families, and communities.
  --Embrace reform by empowering junior leaders with the authorities 
        and permissions they need to successfully lead and train their 
        Soldiers, and remove unnecessary administrative steps and 
        pointless requirements that stifle progress and hinder informed 
        analysis.
Families and Employers
    Readiness depends upon both the Families who support and sustain 
our Soldiers and the employers who enable them to serve the Army and 
the Nation. Strong Families are crucial to individual readiness and to 
overcoming many problems that confront military Families.
    The National Defense Strategy relies upon the support of an 
operational Army Reserve, and our relationships with Families and 
employers directly impacts our ability to sustain readiness.
Taking Care of Soldiers
    ``This is My Squad'' focuses on building cohesive teams that 
increase good order and discipline which, in turn, helps ensure that 
suicide, sexual harassment and assault, and extremism have no place in 
the Army Reserve. Supporting this philosophy are quarterly foundational 
readiness events.
    Army Reserve Family Programs provide a host of services for 
Soldiers, Family members, command teams and civilians throughout the 
geographically dispersed Army Reserve community.
    For example, the Army Reserve Volunteer Program promotes and 
strengthens volunteerism by uniting community efforts and establishing 
volunteer partnerships.
Suicide Prevention
    America's military men and women are strong, dedicated, and 
resilient. However, physical, mental, and spiritual stress can lead to 
issues ranging from diminished mission capability to the tragedy of 
suicide. Without a doubt, years of multiple deployments, frequent 
family separations, and interruptions of primary careers degraded the 
capability of geographically-dispersed Soldiers. The social isolation 
created by the COVID-19 pandemic has increased these stressors.
    Army Reserve commanders, leaders, Soldiers, and Civilians share the 
responsibility to prevent suicide. The Army Reserve is working to 
increase critical resources and eliminate the stigma associated with 
seeking help with suicidal ideations and other emotional or 
psychological issues. Army Reserve commanders are also authorized to 
place Soldiers serving in an Ask-Care-Escort capacity and those 
Soldiers at-risk for suicide into a duty status when ideations are 
identified.
    Many tools and resources are available to Soldiers and leaders to 
increase individual resiliency and prevent suicide. For example, 
Military OneSource provides free financial counselors for military 
members facing serious financial issues--a key suicide risk factor.
    The Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) Program is a model aimed at 
the entire force, not just people in crises. The H2F program focuses on 
Physical, Nutritional, Mental, Spiritual, and Sleep, to help Soldiers 
and others improve their overall readiness and learn how to thrive 
during demanding periods.
Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP)
    Sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention and response is 
critical to preserving individual dignity and unit cohesion at every 
level. Army Reserve Leaders are focused on promoting awareness, 
reporting allegations, prosecuting offenders, protecting survivors and 
creating a positive environment of trust, dignity and respect. 
Eliminating sexual misconduct in the ranks is critical to increasing 
personal and organizational readiness.
    The Army Reserve's People Strategy reinforces the correlations 
between sexual harassment and sexual assault and command climate, and 
empowers both Soldiers and leaders who recognize potential violations 
to act to prevent and respond to incidents. The strategy reflects the 
Army Reserve's commitment to safety, respect, inclusiveness, diversity 
and freedom from sexual harassment and sexual assault.
    Sexual harassment and sexual assault training, accountability and 
victim-recovery programs are a priority in every Army Reserve Command. 
The Army Reserve is fully committed to creating and maintaining an 
environment of dignity and respect.
Domestic Extremism
    Today, lone offenders and small cells of individuals, including 
Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs) constitute the primary terrorist 
threat inside the United States.
    Like all components within the Department of Defense, the Army 
Reserve is conducting extremism stand-downs that highlight the 
importance of our oaths to the Constitution, our responsibilities to 
the Nation as Soldiers, and that involvement with groups that advocate 
for political violence or crimes of hate run counter to our oaths.
    The Army Reserve takes all allegations of Soldier involvement in 
extremist groups seriously. Extremist ideologies and activities 
directly oppose our values and beliefs and those who subscribe to 
extremism have no place in our ranks.
    Extremist activity presents a direct threat to readiness and is 
counter to the ``This is My Squad'' philosophy. Extremism in the ranks 
thwarts the Army Reserve's effort to eliminate barriers to team 
cohesion; puts personnel and facilities at risk from physical assault; 
hinders recruiting efforts; and breaks trust with the American people.
Resourcing the Army Reserve
    Sustaining critical operational capabilities requires consistent, 
adequate, and predictable funding to ensure the Army Reserve can meet 
the needs of the Army and our Combatant Commands across the full range 
of military operations. Ensuring component interoperability across war 
fighter platforms, such as Communications and Command and Control 
systems, and addressing gaps identified by the Army in its ability to 
conduct Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) remains a central 
challenge.
    We are grateful for consistent appropriations that positively 
impact Army Reserve readiness and modernization efforts which support 
survivability and lethality on the battlefield.
Ready Now! Shaping Tomorrow . . .
    The future holds many challenges, but today's Army Reserve is the 
best trained, best equipped, and most ready Army Reserve in our 
Nation's history. We will continue to build on that strong foundation 
to meet the needs of the Nation and shape the Army Reserve of tomorrow.

    Senator Tester. Thank you, General Daniels.
    General Hokanson of the Guard Bureau, you're up.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL DANIEL R. HOKANSON, CHIEF, U.S. 
            NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU
    General Hokanson. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, 
and Distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, it's an honor 
for our Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead and I to join 
you today on behalf of the soldiers and airmen of your National 
Guard.
    Earlier this month, we reached a key milestone, the 10 
millionth person vaccinated against COVID-19 by members of our 
National Guard. This is not only a reason for hope and relief, 
it's a testament to our abilities and a triumph of our 
partnerships.
    As a primary combat reserve of the Army and the Air Force, 
we are manned, trained, and equipped to fight our Nation's 
wars, but in times of emergency, our people, training, and 
equipment help us respond to our communities.
    Last June, more National Guard troops were mobilized than 
at any time since World War II. Nearly 120,000 soldiers and 
airmen were deployed supporting the war fight overseas or 
involved in domestic operations here at home, and despite the 
COVID environment, we continued our military training and met 
every overseas deployment requirement.
    In January, in response to the attack on the Capitol, we 
mobilized and deployed 26,000 National Guardsmen to D.C. within 
2 weeks. Using organic National Guard air support and 
logistics, soldiers and airmen from every State and territory 
arrived to secure our 59th Presidential Inauguration.
    This past year was an extraordinary one for our National 
Guard and in the interest of time, I'd like to highlight just 
one weekend, Labor Day of 2020. That weekend, while many 
Americans were on holiday, more than 65,000 National Guardsmen 
were on duty around the globe. Roughly 20,000 were deployed 
across 34 nations in support of our combatant commanders.
    During that same weekend, more than 18,000 were helping 
their communities fight COVID-19 from manning testing sites to 
working in food banks so our fellow Americans would not go 
hungry.
    More than 3,500 were helping their communities recover from 
Hurricane Laura in Texas and Louisiana. More than 2,600 were 
supporting Customs and Border Patrol on the southwest border. 
More than 1,500 were protecting the rights of peaceful 
protesters and safeguarding communities against violence in 
Georgia, Texas, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.
    That same weekend in Alaska, a team of Guardian Angel 
airmen rescued two hikers, one of who fell more than a hundred 
feet off a cliff. For their actions, they were awarded the 
Wilderness Rescue of the Year by the American Red Cross of 
Alaska.
    And still on that same weekend, especially modified C-130s 
from the California and Nevada Air National Guard, along with 
helicopters and unmanned aircraft from multiple States, were 
fighting record wildfires. This included the dramatic rescue of 
240 people trapped by wildfires in the Sierra National Forest 
by the California National Guard's 40th Combat Aviation 
Brigade. This daring night rescue in heavy smoke was possible 
because our crews were equipped with modernized helicopters and 
the latest generation night vision goggles. For their heroism 
and extraordinary achievement, the air crews were awarded the 
Distinguished Flying Cross.
    This one weekend is just one of many weekends for the 
National Guard. Our country and our communities needed us, so 
our Guardsmen left their families and their civilian jobs and 
proudly served as soldiers and airmen. Their selfless service 
is both important and inspiring and is reflected in our 
recruiting and retention.
    It's no surprise the National Guard was ready for the 
challenges we faced in 2020 and continue to face in 2021. This 
would not have been possible without your investments over the 
last 20 years that transformed the National Guard from a 
strategic reserve to today's operational reserve.
    I'm grateful for the committee's support in helping provide 
our soldiers and airmen the facilities, equipment, and training 
resources they need to be interoperable on the battlefield and 
responsive in our communities.
    Combined with our partnerships at every level, from local 
first responders to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) 
to our 82 international state partnerships, we are posturing 
for the future. However, there are still places we fall short.
    Our equipment must be deployable, sustainable, and 
interoperable. Our facilities must be repaired or replaced if 
they're no longer functional, and our full-time support must 
increase so we can better manage our resources and, most 
importantly, our people.
    There are also distractions our soldiers and airmen face 
every day. If they don't have healthcare, what happens if they 
get hurt or injured after they come off orders? If they're 
doing the same job as their Active or Reserve counterparts, why 
are they treated differently? If they've invested their career 
in the Space Mission, will there still be a home for them in 
the National Guard?
    Every day our team is working to address these issues and 
their solutions. I am committed to working with the Army and 
the Air Force and you to find them.
    Among my most pressing concerns are premium free healthcare 
for Guardsmen, the establishment of a Space National Guard, and 
elevating six of our general officers commensurate to the 
levels of their responsibility. These are strategically 
important issues and they are the right thing to do.
    The National Guard is about 20 percent of our Joint Force 
and anything that impacts our readiness reduces our Nation's 
ability to deter and makes us less competitive, less capable, 
and less lethal.
    Help us keep our promise to remain always ready, always 
there.
    Thank you for the opportunity to be here. I look forward to 
your questions.
    [The statement follows:]
             Prepared Statement of General Daniel Hokanson
    The National Guard is a lethal, cost-effective, dual-role 
operational force that provides strategic depth to the Army, Air Force, 
and Space Force, and responds to crises in our homeland. We are capable 
of operating in a complex global security environment and continue to 
invest in modernization and readiness to prepare for the threats of the 
future. Today's National Guard is an integral part in addressing the 
gravest challenges facing the Joint Force.
    Globally, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and violent extremist 
organizations continue to present significant threats to U.S. 
prosperity and security. At home, our adversaries use of cyber-attacks 
and disinformation threaten our democracy while the growing frequency 
and severity of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and a global pandemic 
challenge the safety of our citizens and communities.
    The year 2020 was unprecedented and historic. National Guard 
members supported every Combatant Commander around the globe and met 
every mission here at home. On June 6, 120,000 National Guard Soldiers 
and Airmen were mobilized in support of overseas and domestic missions, 
one of the highest levels of National Guard support to our nation since 
World War II.
    Given the uncertain future and budget priorities, we expect the 
Department of Defense to rely on the National Guard more, not less. 
Therefore, we must be ready to execute our three core missions: 
fighting America's wars; securing the homeland; and building enduring 
partnerships that support our nation's strategic objectives. Continued 
investment in the National Guard ensures we can meet today's demands 
while preserving the capability, capacity and deterrence our nation 
needs against a broad spectrum of potential future threats.
                                warfight
    The National Guard is the primary combat reserve of the Army and 
Air Force, and provides operational capability to the Space Force. We 
provide enduring, rotational, surge, and follow-on forces to meet any 
Joint Force mission. Today, thanks to the substantial investment in 
training, equipment and readiness by Congress and DOD leaders, we have 
become the most capable, professional, ready, and combat proven 
National Guard in the history of the United States.
    In 2020, Soldiers with the North Carolina Army National Guard's 
30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, who tested their combat skills at the 
National Training Center in 2019, returned from their deployment to 
Kuwait and Syria and began supporting their communities COVID-19 
response efforts and civil disturbance missions. Also in 2020, the 
Idaho Air National Guard's 124th Fighter Wing deployed their A-10s and 
Airmen to the region as well. The 124th's deployment, the wing's 
second-largest ever, required pilots, security forces, maintainers, 
medical personnel, special warfare tactical air controllers and 
staffers to support operations across two continents.
    The National Guard is also a trusted space and cyber partner. For 
25 years, National Guard space units have provided operational, unit-
equipped, surge-to-war capability to protect our nation's vital 
interests in this contested domain and today supply the Space Force 
with 11 percent of its space professionals and 60% of offensive 
Electronic Warfare capability. In addition, our cyber warriors bring 
their military and civilian skillsets to bear in support of Cyber 
Command's global commitments.
    Two decades of investment and modernization in the National Guard 
has paid measurable dividends to our Joint Force's lethality and our 
nation's security.
                                homeland
    Unique to the National Guard is our ability to apply the training 
and equipment from our wartime missions to our state responses in the 
homeland. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen logged over 10.9 million 
days serving our communities in 2020--more than four times as many as 
2019.
    The events of 2020 required an unprecedented response to various 
unforeseen events within the homeland. Most significantly, the men and 
women of the National Guard served more than 7.6 million days in 
support the COVID-19 pandemic--a mission that continues today. They 
provided over 632 million meals to neighbors, distributed over 539 
million pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to essential 
workers, and tested or screened over 16.1 million people for the virus 
across the 50 states, 3 territories and the District of Columbia in 
2020. In addition, they were called to fight record wildfires in 
California with specially equipped C-130s, helicopters, MQ-9 drones and 
shovels; expedited recovery efforts after a record number of named 
hurricanes battered the Gulf Coast; and provided support to cyber 
security, cyber assurance and recovery from cyber-attacks at the local, 
state, and federal levels.
    In 2021, your National Guard is making concerted efforts to assist 
in logistics, distribution, and vaccination of the communities they 
serve. To date, Guard Soldiers and Airmen have vaccinated millions of 
civilians, administering well over 150,000 shots a day--with those 
numbers continuing to grow.
    The National Guard's skills and abilities developed for the 
warfight (such as leadership, training, logistics, and communications), 
coupled with its unique array of authorities and trusted local, state, 
and federal partnerships, makes it a natural choice for tackling some 
of the most difficult challenges we face at home.
                              partnerships
    Building enduring partnerships at the international, federal, 
state, and local levels contributes to our nation's strength and 
readiness. Our approach makes the National Guard a force other nations 
and organizations are eager to partner with.
    At the international level, the National Guard's State Partnership 
Program (SPP) is a key pillar to the Department of Defense's focus on 
alliances and partnerships. Through the SPP, the National Guard 
maintains long-term relationships that strengthen alliances, enhance 
interoperability, reassure allies and deter our adversaries. Improving 
the military, security and emergency response capacity of partner 
nations improves their resiliency, benefiting the entire international 
community. Through 82 SPP partnerships, the National Guard is engaged 
with 89 nations, 45% of the world's nations, and ensures the Department 
of Defense has capable, trusted and interoperable partners at our side.
    At the federal level, the National Guard maintains productive 
interagency relationships with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human 
Services, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection that contribute to 
rapid and unified responses when disasters strike. Additionally, the 
National Guard runs several counterdrug schools that offer in-person 
training courses to federal, state and local law enforcement personnel.
    At the local level, we develop partnerships and connections in the 
communities we serve through efforts such as the National Guard Youth 
ChalleNGe, and DOD's Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) and STARBASE 
programs. Youth ChalleNGe is a community-based program that leads, 
mentors and trains 16-to-18- year-old, at-risk youths on values, life 
skills, education, and the self-discipline required to become 
productive citizens in America's future. The IRT program connects 
annual military training opportunities with the needs of disadvantaged 
or remote communities to produce mission-ready forces, civil-military 
partnerships and strong communities. The STARBASE program also exposes 
our nation's most underrepresented youths to activities in the Science, 
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) career fields through a hands-
on learning experience at National Guard and other DOD installations 
across the nation.
                      chief, national guard bureau
    As the 29th Chief of the National Guard Bureau and member of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff, I provide input into every decision impacting 
our Joint Force and advise the Secretary of Defense on all matters 
involving the National Guard and the capabilities the National Guard of 
the 50 states, 3 territories, and District of Columbia provide the 
Joint Force. The health and welfare of our service members is 
fundamental to these capabilities, and it's imperative we continue to 
provide our Soldiers, Airmen, space professionals, families and 
civilians access to the resources needed to maintain their resilience. 
Maintaining the welfare of our force also means ensuring our 
organization continues to promote inclusion, equality, diversity and 
resilience, with zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or 
discrimination. Finally, we cannot lose sight of the importance of our 
employers. Employers are critical to the success of our part-time 
business model and we must continue to foster an employer-service 
member relationship that is sustainable and mutually beneficial.
    Today's leaders will have to contend with budget pressures, 
training shortfalls, time constraints and modernization gaps. We must 
develop leaders capable of performing at today's pace of change; 
redefine how we train forces and approach readiness; and seek to become 
more joint and multi-domain minded. This is critical as we look to 
normalize the capabilities of an operational National Guard within the 
DOD's processes.
    My goal over the next four years is to build on past National Guard 
accomplishments and contributions to the Joint Force in achieving 
National Defense Strategy objectives through a continued focus on our 
three core missions of warfight, homeland and partnerships. I intend to 
build a sustainable operational force for the future by focusing on 
four priorities: people, readiness, modernization and reform. Today's 
National Guard is the most modern, ready and interoperable Joint Force 
in our 384-year history. However, our adversaries do not rest. We must 
continue to build a National Guard that is stronger and more 
responsive, one with greater lethality, global influence and the combat 
readiness to deter aggression.
                       always ready, always there
    Serving with the 443,000 men and women of the National Guard is an 
honor. We provide combat-proven forces when needed and tirelessly help 
our communities where we live. We stand ready to face the threats of 
today, and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. Serving in nearly 
every zip code, and answering the call in nearly every corner of the 
globe, the National Guard remains Always Ready, Always There!
Army Guard SNAPSHOT
  --Provides the Army 39% of its operational forces
  --334,575 Soldiers
  --8 divisions
  --27 Brigade Combat Teams
  --2 Special Forces groups
  --1 Security Force Assistance Brigade
  --42 multifunctional brigades
  --56 functional support brigades and groups
  --13 command & control headquarters
  --24,687 buildings, 1,397 firing ranges, and 110 training centers in 
        2,416 communities.
Air Guard SNAPSHOT
  --Provides the Air Force 30% of its operational forces.
  --108,100 Airmen across 90 wings.
    Manpower contribution to 5 core areas:
  --10% of Air, Space and Cyber Superiority.
  --13% of Command and Control/Intelligence, Surveillance and 
        Reconnaissance.
  --40% of Agile Combat Support.
  --20% of Rapid Global Mobility.
  --17% of Global Strike.
1,053 Air Guard Aircraft
  --Provides 36% of Air Force's tanker capability.
  --Provides 26% of Air Force's fighter/attack capability.
  --Provides 30% of Air Force's strategic/tactical airlift capability.
  --Operates 15 of 16 Aerospace Control Alert sites.
  --Provides 13% of Air Force's overseas MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial 
        vehicle capability.
                        fighting america's wars
Force for the Future
  --The National Guard has supported more than one million overseas 
        mobilizations to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, the Balkans, 
        Guantanamo Bay, the Sinai, and other overseas locations since 
        9/11.
  --National Guard Soldiers and Airmen served more than 10.2 million 
        personnel days supporting warfight missions in 2020.
  --More than 20,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are currently 
        deployed in support of missions in Afghanistan, Kuwait, 
        Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Ukraine, Poland, Kosovo, Eastern 
        Europe, the Horn of Africa, Central and South America, and the 
        Sinai Peninsula.
  --Two National Guard brigades will deploy to the National Training 
        Center in Ft. Irwin, Calif. this year: Mississippi Army Guard's 
        155th Armored Brigade Combat Team in June; and Oklahoma's 45th 
        Infantry Brigade Combat Team in July.
  --Three National Guard brigades will deploy to the Joint Readiness 
        Training Center in Ft. Polk, La. this year: Ohio's 37th 
        Infantry Brigade Combat Team in June; Arkansas's 39th Infantry 
        Brigade Combat Team in July; and Indiana's Security Force 
        Assistance Brigade in August.
Overseas Presence
  --The Louisiana Army Guard's 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is 
        deployed to Iraq providing Security Forces and conducting 
        Advise and Assist missions with Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and 
        partner units in the AOR to enhance capabilities and secure 
        critical sites in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
  --The Illinois National Guard's 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is 
        deployed to Ukraine providing training to the Armed Forces of 
        Ukraine to help them develop defense capabilities and build 
        interoperability.
  --The South Carolina Army Guard's 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade 
        is providing command and control to Air and Missile Defense in 
        the U.S. European Command in support of Operation Atlantic 
        Resolve.
  --The South Dakota Army Guard's 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is 
        deployed to the Horn of Africa working with the Suriname 
        Defense Force to promote regional security, dissuade conflict, 
        and protect U.S. and coalition interests.
  --More than 1,200 Guard Airmen from 48 units served in nine different 
        locations while filling 33% of the Total Force's civil engineer 
        needs overseas last year.
  --The Air Guard is providing 25% of the Total Force's Distributed 
        Common Ground System (a system that produces military 
        intelligence for multiple military branches) capacity in direct 
        support of the overseas Combatant Commanders.
  --The Texas Army Guard's 36th Infantry Division deployed to Kuwait 
        and provides division-level command and control of Army forces 
        in Kuwait and Jordan in support of Operation Spartan Shield. 
        The Ohio Army Guard's 16th Engineer Brigade is also supporting 
        Spartan Shield by providing engineering expertise, project 
        management, and command of subordinate engineer battalions.
  --The Pennsylvania Army Guard's 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation 
        Brigade is providing command and control of all Army Aviation 
        units in Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield and 
        Operation Inherent Resolve.
    --Nearly 1,500 Army Guard Soldiers and 64 aircraft are supporting 
            U.S. Central Command aviation missions in Afghanistan and 
            Kuwait.
                         securing the homeland
  --National Guard Soldiers and Airmen spent a record 10.9 million days 
        serving their communities supporting missions such as COVID-19, 
        wildfires, civil disturbances and hurricanes.
  --Air Guard personnel protect the airspace over America by operating 
        15 of the 16 NORAD Aerospace Control Alert sites and the 
        Eastern and Western air defense sectors. Guard ACA pilots flew 
        2,058 sorties in FY 2020--1,825 scramble sorties (practice and 
        real-world) and 233 Operation Noble Eagle sorties.
  --To allow effective communication between local, state and federal 
        emergency agencies, National Guard Joint Incident Site 
        Communications Capability teams set-up and operated a ``self-
        contained communications package'' at the Super Bowl and 
        numerous other major events and exercises last year.
  --The 57 full-time National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil 
        Support Teams carried out 2,475 missions in FY 2020 ranging 
        from no-notice call-outs to identify substances; to supporting 
        national security events; to training and assisting state 
        partners. CSTs can typically respond in 1 to 3 hours.
  --The National Guard runs 17 battalion-sized (nearly 2,400 people) 
        Chemical, Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Enhanced 
        Response Force Packages or CERFPs in 17 states capable of 
        responding in 3 to 6 hours.
  --National Guard Soldiers and Airmen comprise 55 percent of the 
        Defense Department's chemical, biological, radiological, 
        nuclear (CBRN) response capability.
Cyber Centric
  --There are more than 3,900 Army and Air National Guard personnel 
        serving in 59 DOD cyber units in 40 states.
  --1,219 Guard members detected 57 ``vulnerability events'' while 
        supporting the Nov. 3, 2020 national election. They provided 
        their state's IT support; vulnerability assessments; network 
        monitoring; vehicle/foot traffic control; and COVID-19 
        screening and sanitizing.
  --290 National Guard cyber warriors from 15 states also responded to 
        33 reported state cyber events in 2020.
Taking Drugs off the Streets
  --More than $11.2 billion of illicit drugs, weapons, property, and 
        currency are off the streets thanks in part to the efforts of 
        over 2,600 National Guard Counterdrug professionals assisting 
        civilian law enforcement agencies throughout the 50 states, 3 
        territories and DC.
  --National Guard counterdrug operations supported 1,362 law 
        enforcement agencies and over 439 community-based 
        organizations.
  --Five National Guard counterdrug schools trained nearly 60,000 law 
        enforcement personnel in 2020, using subject matter experts who 
        are able to draw upon their military education, operational 
        experience, and knowledge of DOD capabilities.
10.9 Million Days
    When COVID, Wildfires, Civil Disturbances and Severe Weather hit 
home in 2020, Guard members in each state, territory and DC left their 
jobs and families to serve their communities--responding in record 
fashion.
Pandemic Response
  --632 Million: Meals provided by Guard members in 2020.
  --36.9 million: Masks made by Guard members in 2020.
  --16.1 million: People tested or screened for COVID-19 virus by Guard 
        members in 2020.
  --11.5 million: Miles driven to deliver supplies in 2020.
  --2.4 million: Calls answered, made at call centers in 2020.
  --71,259: Facilities deep cleaned by Guard members in 2020.
  --19,211: Increased bed capacity at Alternate Care Facilities in 
        2020.
Fighting Fires
  --Guard members from 19 states logged 155,108 days responding to 
        52,834 wildfires covering over 9.5 million acres in 2020--
        Maryland is 7.9 million acres.
  --C-130 crews, equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne 
        Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS), flew 470 missions and logged 549 
        flying hours while dropping over 1.3 million gallons of fire 
        retardant.
  --Air Guard RC-26 fixed-wing and MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft crews 
        logged over 2,000 hours providing real-time fire mapping; 
        evacuation route identification; and new fire/hot spot 
        detection.
  --Two California National Guard helicopter crews were awarded the 
        Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery by the President after 
        saving over 200 stranded residents from the Creek Fire.
Supporting Peace
  --Guard members from 38 states logged 627,659 days supporting law 
        enforcement agencies in 2020 by providing crowd control, 
        monument/infrastructure security, traffic control, and roving 
        patrol missions.
  --At its peak on June 7, 2020, 43,351 Guard Soldiers and Airmen were 
        providing civil disturbance support.
Bringing Calm after the Storms
  --Guard members from 22 states supported 22 severe weather events in 
        2020 and a record 12 named storms.
  --During hurricane responses, Guard members rescued 9,812 people; and 
        distributed over 6 million meals, 12.1 million gallons of 
        water, 1.6 million bags of ice, and nearly 319,000 tarps in 
        2020. They also cleared over 2,700 miles of road to assist 
        recovery efforts.
  --Guard members logged 118,748 personnel days responding to 
        hurricanes and tropical storms; 36,767 days for earthquakes; 
        11,340 days for floods; 5,106 days for severe weather; 3,502 
        days for tornadoes; and 1,174 days for winter storms in 2020.
                         building partnerships
  --Competition with rivals demands greater cooperation with partners. 
        The National Guard's network of 89 allies and partners through 
        the State Partnership Program (SPP) provides our nation a great 
        advantage and directly supports competition objectives outlined 
        in the National Defense Strategy.
  --Through the SPP, National Guard and partner nation personnel learn 
        together, work together, and prepare--if necessary--to fight 
        together.
  --National Guard Soldiers and Airmen conducted more than 1,200 SPP 
        activities worldwide in support of Geographic Combatant 
        Commands in FY20.
    --Since 9/11, 27 SPP partner countries have contributed troops to 
            coalition operations--15 of those SPP countries deployed 
            forces alongside their National Guard partners.
  --The SPP is a cost-effective program that provides DOD decision-
        makers a proven tool to help address today's security 
        challenges and a wide range of potential future threats.
  --The National Guard's reputation in disaster response at home and 
        proven combat capability overseas makes it an attractive 
        partner to nations faced with military and non-military 
        threats.
    --The National Guard plans to grow two new partnerships per year.
  --In the homeland, planning and training with local, state and 
        federal responders has resulted in unified and rapid responses 
        to man-made and natural disasters--ultimately, saving more 
        lives and property.
                     soldiers, airmen and families
  --Army National Guard Child and Youth Services conducted over 2,598 
        events for over 66,800 National Guard youth ages 6-18 in an 
        effort to promote resilience and sustain the quality of life 
        through high-quality support services and enrichment programs. 
        Coordinators transitioned 202 events into virtual/online 
        programming that might have otherwise been canceled as a result 
        of COVID-19.
  --The Air National Guard Home Community Care Program is available at 
        over 42 Air National Guard Wings with state accredited 
        providers offering free child care to Guard members. In FY20, 
        the Home Community Care Program, provided over 27,000 hours of 
        child care, spending $290K, in support of Air National Guard 
        families.
  --The Joint Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program helped over 31,229 
        service members and families connect with their local community 
        support services before, during, and after deployments by 
        overseeing 440 nationwide events in 2020. The Army National 
        Guard conducted 419 events and supported 26,319 Soldiers and 
        family members, while the Air National Guard conducted 21 
        events for 4,980 Airman and their families.
  --The NGB Employment Support Program reached 102,141 Guard members 
        and provided assistance to 45,385 Guard members, their 
        families, veterans and other reserve component members seeking 
        jobs. The effort resulted in over 4,100 job referrals and 
        nearly 900 hires. Each state has a program support specialist.
  --The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a DOD program 
        established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding 
        between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian 
        employers. The network of 3,300 volunteers across the nation 
        bring a vast wealth of experience to assist members resolve 
        conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment.
  --Transition Assistance Advisors impacted the lives of nearly 189,026 
        service members and veterans in FY20 by providing support, 
        advocacy and information. Advisors are located at each National 
        Guard Joint Forces Headquarters to provide resource and 
        referral information for such issues as education, employment, 
        VA healthcare enrollment, and disability claims.
  --The Army Guard provided over $36 million in Federal Tuition 
        Assistance benefits to more than 19,000 Soldiers enrolled in 
        over 71,000 courses in FY20.
  --The National Guard's Strong Bonds conducted over 630 virtual 
        retreats and events for over 17,600 Soldiers, Airmen, and their 
        families to increase family readiness and resiliency through 
        relationship education and training.
  --Army Guard Survivor Outreach Service coordinators assisted 46,708 
        surviving family members in FY20, an increase of 2% over last 
        fiscal year.
  --The National Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program 
        provided training, services and advocacy to victims of sexual 
        assault with its 134 full-time, nationally certified Sexual 
        Assault Response Coordinators. There are also 1,618 part-time, 
        nationally certified Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and 
        victim advocates.
  --The Army Guard's team rendered honors at 94,285 service member 
        funerals in FY20. The funeral honors team is projected to 
        conduct over 104,147 requests to render burial honors for 
        veterans and retirees in FY21.
  --Due to the Army National Guard Resilience program's robust training 
        platform, they received HQDA's only exception-to-policy to 
        conduct a 2-week Master Resilience Training certification 
        remotely during the pandemic. The team used the lessons learned 
        to conduct 9 one-week and two-week trainer certification 
        courses, helping to offset attrition caused by 3 canceled 
        classes due to the pandemic. The Resilience program trained 648 
        total Master Resilience Trainers in FY20, bringing the total 
        number of MRTs trained to 7,297.
  --The MRT schoolhouse in Wisconsin is now certified to bring any 
        Resilience, Suicide Prevention and Substance Abuse training to 
        the 50 states, 3 territories and DC upon request. Three Army 
        Guard MRT Mobile Training Teams provided Resilience, Risk 
        Reduction, and Suicide Prevention training 25 times last year.
  --The Army National Guard provides 54 Suicide Prevention Program 
        managers, one to each state, territory, and DC. They provided 
        advanced training to 76,479 Soldiers and family members in 
        FY20, enabling them to recognize the signs of suicide, giving 
        them the skills to intervene appropriately, and connect those 
        in need to military and community resources.
  --The Army National Guard provides between 1-to-4 contracted Risk 
        Reduction and Prevention Coordinators in each state, territory 
        and DC to help commanders assess high-risk behaviors that are 
        counterproductive to readiness--such as substance abuse, sexual 
        crimes, family violence, and suicide. Despite COVID-19 
        restrictions, coordinators were able to survey over 150,000 
        Soldiers in FY20, resulting in remote drills, risk mitigation 
        plans for 2,588 units, and nearly 3,000 prevention training 
        events.
Resilient Warriors
  --The Chief, National Guard Bureau established NGB Warrior Resilience 
        and Fitness to ensure multiple programs supporting the well-
        being and resilience of Guard members and their families are 
        synchronized into a holistic and integrated model that 
        leverages the Total Force Fitness framework.
    --Warrior Resilience and Fitness developed a Compendium of Warrior 
            Resilience and Fitness Strategies with over 167 research-
            informed programs aimed at preventing and responding to 
            suicide, sexual assault, and substance abuse.
    --Warrior Resilience and Fitness Innovation Incubator provides 
            funding and technical assistance to 22 pilots across 29 
            states and territories to assist with implementation and 
            evaluation of programs that promote resilience and prevent 
            harmful behaviors.
    --NGB signed a memorandum with the Veteran's Administration to 
            provide greater access to behavioral health services for NG 
            members during drill weekends. The initiative has seen an 
            increase in the number of NG members receiving services 
            during drill weekends (14%) and at Vet Centers (44%).
    --SPRINGboard is the first NG-specific readiness tool that will 
            help leaders make more informed decisions about the health 
            of Service members.
    --NGB partnered with the Uniform Services University and Purdue 
            University to train community-based behavioral health 
            providers in military culture. More than 800 providers have 
            received specialized training.
    --NGB signed a memorandum with Psych Hub to provide NG members with 
            access to the COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub that has 
            over 600 videos and podcasts that support mental health and 
            reduce stigma about seeking care.
    --NGB and the Marines partnered on the first Innovation, 
            Prevention, and Outreach (IPO) forum to improve behavioral 
            health, access to care, and overall well-being for 
            geographically dispersed Reserve Component members and 
            their families.
Give Teens a Second Chance
  --Forty National Guard Youth ChalleNGe and 5 Job ChalleNGe academies 
        across the country have graduated more than 187,923 cadets 
        since the program's inception in 1993. The 5-1/2 month, Youth 
        Challenge in-residence course takes at- risk 16- to 18-year-
        olds and teaches them the life skills and self-discipline 
        needed to succeed, while helping them to earn credits toward 
        high school diplomas or prepare them for a GED. The 5-month Job 
        Challenge in-residence program allows some Youth ChalleNGe 
        graduates to obtain job certifications, credentials or 
        apprenticeships to facilitate obtaining living wage jobs.
  --Nearly 83% of all ChalleNGe graduates earn their high school 
        diploma, GED or obtain college credits; nearly 32% go on to 
        attend additional college or other schools.
  --The per-student-cost for a ChalleNGe graduate averages $21,450 
        compared to the almost $63,000 per-year cost for a youth in 
        juvenile custody.
25 Years in Space
  --The National Guard provides our nation and DOD partners a proven 
        capability by supplying 100 percent of its unit-equipped, 
        surge-to-war operational reserve forces.
  --Currently, the Air National Guard provides 60 percent of the Space 
        Force's offensive space electronic warfare capability.
  --The Air National Guard operates the nation's only survivable and 
        endurable strategic missile warning/nuclear detection 
        capability and provides the nation's strategic missile warning 
        on the High Frontier.
  --In support of DOD space missions, NG members conduct training that 
        bolsters space capabilities and enables homeland protection.
  --The Air National Guard's 14 space units in 7 states (AK, CA, CO, 
        FL, HI, NY, and OH) and one territory (Guam) are conducting 
        daily missions in support of global Combatant Command 
        operations.
  --Long-standing partnerships and civilian employment with state and 
        local space entities, in both the public and private sectors, 
        allows for access, seamless integration and immediate response.

    Senator Tester. Thank you, General Hokanson.
    Next up, we have Vice Admiral John Mustin of the Navy 
Reserve.
STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL JOHN B. MUSTIN, CHIEF, U.S. 
            NAVY RESERVE
    Admiral Mustin. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and 
Distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the 
opportunity to appear before you today.
    It's my distinct honor to report to you on the status and 
the vision of America's Navy Reserve.
    I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize my wife Kim 
whose steadfast support through my nearly three-decade Navy 
career exemplifies the service and sacrifices typical of our 
military spouses.
    I'd also like to express my gratitude to Navy Reserve Force 
Master Chief Chris Coates, my partner and confidante, who 
tirelessly advocates for our enlisted Reserve sailors every 
day.
    This is also the perfect time to publicly thank my fellow 
Reserve service chiefs for their ongoing support, counsel, 
collaboration, and partnership.
    Finally, I'd like to recognize the 109,000 sailors, our 
nearly 500 dedicated civilians, the families who support them, 
and the thousands of employers who value and enable the service 
of our citizen sailors worldwide. They are all equally critical 
stakeholders in the success of our Navy Reserve.
    Your Navy Reserve sailors are flexible and responsive. This 
past year alone to address the coronavirus-19 pandemic, the 
Navy Reserve activated more than 7,000 sailors in direct 
support of the Nation's emergency response.
    I remain humbled by their agility, capability, and their 
sacrifices as well as the enduring support of their families 
and employers.
    Your Reserve force is also a strategic asset. Aligned with 
the National Defense Strategy, the Tristar Maritime Strategy, 
and the Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan, the Navy 
Reserve is at an inflection point, pivoting to develop 
essential strategic depth.
    This renewed maritime focus on integrated all-domain naval 
power will address the provocative behavior we experience daily 
from a rising China, a resurgent Russia, and other ambitious 
authoritarian states who seek to disturb global norms and the 
rules-based international order.
    To this end, the singular priority of the Navy Reserve is 
simple: warfighting readiness. Modernization of our equipment, 
training systems, and mobilization processes will generate 
efficiencies that enhance our contribution to the total force 
at an attractive resource-informed cost.
    To ensure our sailors are operating relevant modern 
equipment, procurement of the Juliet Variant to replace legacy 
C-130 aircraft is the Navy Reserve's Number 1 equipment 
priority. With an average age approaching three decades and a 
mission-capable rate of only 25 percent, the current C-130 
Tango Fleet is challenged to meet sustained fleet logistics 
requirements.
    With the mission-capable rate of nearly 75 percent, the KC-
130 Juliette, on the other hand, would provide an additional 
$200 million per year in transportation cost savings to the 
Navy.
    Similarly, modernization of Navy Reserve high-end adversary 
aircraft is aligned with the Navy's divestment of legacy FN-18 
Hornets. Increasing Navy Reserve capability and capacity to 
support Navy adversary requirements will extend Active 
component strike fighter service life while concurrently 
enabling the dedication of precious fleet aircraft and flight 
hours to the fleet-specific operational missions they were 
purchased to perform.
    The totality of Navy Reserve modernization also includes 
enhancing the processes and systems employed to mobilize our 
sailors. For example, adaptive mobilization will increase 
current activation capacity 15-fold while reducing the 
mobilization timeline by over 80 percent, effectively 
activating the entire force in 30 days.
    Integral to this process is the implementation of the Navy 
personnel and pay system, NP-2, the single-most important 
administrative enhancement in decades, which will become 
operational in January of 2022.
    Your Reserve sailors are one team. Central and vital to the 
generation of critical enduring advantage are or people. The 
Navy Reserve continues to forge a culture of excellence based 
on the Navy's core values, honor, courage, and commitment, and 
our four core attributes.
    We're dedicated to fostering the diverse inclusive culture 
that generates our decisive warfighting advantage. They are a 
winning team and they are ready.
    That said, delivering surge and warfighting ready maritime 
forces to the total force would be impossible without your 
continued support. Specifically, we appreciate your support in 
the modernization efforts of the Reserve maritime, patrol, and 
reconnaissance capability. The acquisition of P-8 Alpha 
Aircraft ensures the Reserve force continues to deliver 
necessary operational strategic value across the force.
    Additional modernization efforts supported by the National 
Guard and Reserve Equipment Account, which is vital to ensuring 
the readiness and lethality of Reserve equipment, and 
ultimately the timely delivery of a fiscal year 2022 
appropriations bill will provide predictability to our sailors, 
to their families, to their employers, and, most importantly, 
to our global combatant commanders.
    Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, I remain humbled 
every day by the commitment and contribution of our citizen 
sailors, our dedicated civilians, and the supporting families 
that collectively are your Navy Reserve. They all serve our 
Nation with distinction every day in every theater around the 
globe 24/7/365. They are the sentinels of our security.
    Their readiness is not coincidental nor guaranteed and yet 
our Navy and our Nation are counting on them to be ready when 
called. With your continued support, they will deliver proudly 
and capably.
    I thank you for your support and attention and I welcome 
your questions.
    [The statement follows:]
           Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral John B. Mustin
    Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, distinguished members of the 
Committee, it is my distinct pleasure to report to you today on the 
contribution of the Navy Reserve to the national defense, both as it 
stands today and as we urgently adapt to address future challenges.
    The Navy Reserve, like the Reserve Service of each other military 
branch, provides the strategic depth and surge capacity necessary to 
assure the security and prosperity of the United States, whenever and 
wherever needed. In the two decades since 9/11, the Navy Reserve has 
executed 93,362 mobilizations, with 69,449 individual Sailors 
responding to support the global war on terrorism and related military 
operations and contingencies. This past year, in response to the acute 
early phase of the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Navy Reserve 
mobilized to support the missions of USNS COMFORT and USNS MERCY in New 
York and Los Angeles to relieve overburdened local hospitals. In total, 
the Navy Reserve has executed 7,310 activations as part of the nation's 
emergency response to the pandemic, and today nearly 900 Reserve 
Sailors are serving on active duty in support of COVID-19 related 
missions. These examples highlight the flexibility, readiness and value 
our citizen-Sailors provide. And yet, these significant contributions 
merely hint at what may be required from the Navy Reserve in a future 
conflict with a near-peer maritime competitor.
    As the President recently expressed in his Interim National 
Security Strategic Guidance, the United States must ``renew our 
enduring advantage'' in response to growing rivalries with China, 
Russia, and another authoritarian states. The Navy, in partnership with 
the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, is urgently adapting to generate 
Integrated All-Domain Naval Power to confront these and other emerging 
challenges, and the Navy Reserve is similarly transforming to prepare 
for the future. Last year, I issued the Navy Reserve Fighting 
Instructions, directing the
    Reserve Force to adapt to address the challenges authoritarian 
regimes pose to the free, open, rules-based international order we have 
enjoyed for decades. Firmly aligned with the Tri-Service Maritime 
Strategy and the Chief of Naval Operations' (CNO's) Navigation Plan 
(NAVPLAN), these Fighting Instructions make clear that my number one--
and only--priority for the Navy Reserve is warfighting readiness.
    The focus on warfighting readiness begins with our people. The Navy 
Reserve will continue to foster a diverse, inclusive team of Sailors 
and Civilians who view respect as our cornerstone attribute. We 
recognize the critical importance of forging cohesive teams that 
succeed in cooperation, prevail in competition and win in conflict. We 
are actively addressing extremism and promoting a positive culture 
based on the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment. 
Additionally, the Navy Reserve invests heavily in programs that provide 
services to those at risk for destructive behavior. With the Culture of 
Excellence Campaign as our foundation, we will continue to modernize 
the systems supporting our Sailors and target our investments to train 
a highly effective warfighting force.
    While central and critically important, our team of highly trained 
and motivated Sailors alone will not win the day in a modern conflict. 
Achieving warfighting readiness also demands that we provide our 
Sailors with cutting-edge warfare systems and equipment. For 
capabilities with relatively low peacetime operational requirements, 
the reserve component is a cost-effective alternative for providing 
surge capacity during a conflict. To ensure interoperability with the 
Navy and Joint Force, the Navy Reserve plans to acquire modern 
capabilities and to upgrade legacy platforms. As we have demonstrated 
for over a century, investment in Reserve equipment and capabilities 
provides the Navy with surge capacity for long-term strategic 
competition at a favorable, resource-informed cost.
    Our modern, highly trained fighting force must be capable of 
surging to the battle quickly. To that end, the Navy Reserve is 
modernizing its mobilization infrastructure to assure the ability to 
mobilize the entire Selected Reserve population--roughly 50,000 
Sailors--within 30 days. The design and implementation of a distributed 
activation process will rely on regional and local Navy Reserve 
Activities to mobilize Reserve Sailors directly to their wartime 
billets. Advanced data analytics will allow us to better predict and 
address the availability of Sailors for mobilization. We are also 
leveraging information technology to create efficiencies that enable 
operational capability for our geographically distributed force. 
Together, these changes will make the Selected Reserve more responsive 
and accessible to emergent crises and conflict.
    Timely, predictable and relevant funding from Congress is critical 
for the Navy Reserve to meet mission requirements and, as always, we 
are grateful for your continued support and enduring interest. 
Specifically, keeping the Reserve Personnel Navy account funded at 
President's Budget levels enables the Reserve Force to generate 
warfighting readiness through trained Sailors who are ready to fight 
and win in the early stages of conflict and sustain combat operations 
following the outbreak of hostilities. Continued Congressional support 
will ensure that the Navy Reserve provides relevant, modern capability 
and capacity and a resilient surge force today, and into the next 
decade and beyond.
People
    Future conflicts will demand a great deal from the men and women of 
the Navy Reserve. Our Sailors, Civilians and the families who support 
them collectively embody a Culture of Excellence that makes a 
formidable fighting force. To provide a ready, capable force, we owe 
our Sailors exceptional training, modern equipment, and a network of 
support that enables them to balance civilian jobs, military 
requirements, and family obligations.
            Culture
    Consistent with the Chief of Naval Operations' direction, the Navy 
Reserve continues to nurture a Culture of Excellence and to develop the 
resiliency of the force, while eliminating destructive behavior of all 
kinds. The warfighting readiness of the Navy Reserve depends on a 
diverse force with varying perspectives, united by a firm resolve to 
uphold our core values of honor, courage and commitment. Our 
organization has no tolerance for discrimination, extremism, or sexual 
assault and sexual harassment. Similarly, we are committed to the 
mental wellness of our Sailors and addressing the complicated and 
tragic issue of suicide.
                    diversity, equity and inclusion
    The Navy Reserve is committed to cultivating diversity, equity and 
inclusion across the Force. This effort promotes organizational trust 
and transparency, and is a key factor in generating and maintaining 
warfighting readiness. To this end, the Navy Reserve played an active 
role in Task Force One Navy's efforts to identify and dismantle 
barriers to equality. We will continue to fortify a culture that values 
diversity and will inculcate the CNO's ten Signature Behaviors as a way 
of life for our Sailors and their families. These efforts leverage our 
differences and capitalize on individual strengths to create a cohesive 
and unified force where each Sailor's unique experiences, background 
and contributions are valued.
    In alignment with the Secretary of Defense's direction, the Navy 
Reserve is also committed to eliminating extremism in the Force. Our 
policies prohibit Reserve Sailors from participating in organizations 
that advance supremacist, extremist or criminal gang doctrine, ideology 
and causes. This prohibition includes organizations that advocate 
illegal discrimination or encourage the use of force to deprive 
individuals of their civil rights. Leaders in the Navy Reserve are 
empowered with the full range of disciplinary authority, including 
administrative separation and criminal prosecution, to deal with 
Sailors who engage in extremist activities. We are also incorporating 
screening for these behaviors and ideologies as new Sailors apply to 
join the Reserve Force. We value inclusion and will remove those 
individuals whose extreme views are contrary to the law or our 
standards of conduct.
                            sailor wellness
    Each Sailor, Civilian and family member is invaluable to our 
warfighting force, and we are dedicated to ensuring their wellness. The 
21st Century Sailor office provides the policy guidance for the support 
network, programs, resources, training, and skills needed for our 
Sailors and families, both active and reserve, to overcome adversity 
and thrive. Tailored to our deploying and returning Sailors, the Yellow 
Ribbon Reintegration Program provides preemptive services, such as 
Returning Warrior Workshops, Deployment Readiness Training, and 
Deployment Health Assessments to address challenges facing Reserve 
Sailors and their families while serving the nation. We also provide 
the Psychological Health Outreach Program (PHOP) as a resource to 
enhance the resiliency of our Reserve Sailors. PHOP counselors and 
coordinators provide Resiliency Check-In events to new Sailors and 
Commands, enabling one-on-one mental wellness assessments and 
electronic behavioral health screening for immediate access to 
services.
    In addition to programs that promote Sailor well-being, we provide 
safety nets for those Sailors who are struggling with depression or 
post-traumatic stress, and who may be at risk for suicide. To prevent 
such tragedy, we provide easily accessible resiliency-building 
resources, promote seeking support as a sign of strength, and encourage 
the connectedness of our people. Sailor Assistance and Intercept for 
Life, an evidence-based suicide prevention program, provides rapid 
assistance, ongoing risk assessment, and care coordination and 
reintegration assistance for activated Reserve Sailors who have 
demonstrated suicide related behavior. The prevention of suicide is an 
``all hands on deck'' effort.
            eliminating sexual assault and sexual harassment
    All members of our team perform at their best when the prevailing 
culture is one of inclusion, diversity, and respect. Conduct contrary 
to these values undermines our readiness and impacts our ability to 
execute warfighting missions. Sexual assault and sexual harassment are 
crimes that must be eliminated. We are breaking down the barriers that 
lead to non-reporting, and training all Sailors on the programs 
available to assist them in addressing sexual assault and sexual 
harassment. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program is an 
integral piece of our concerted effort to eliminate sexual crimes in 
the Force. Leaders at every level are responsible and accountable for 
the culture of their command and our resolve to eliminate sexual 
assault is focused and indefatigable.
Supporting Our Sailors
    Just as our Sailors cannot thrive without a positive culture, they 
would be hamstrung without practical policies and processes that enable 
their service. To that end, we are streamlining pay and personnel 
processes that govern how we bring Reserve Sailors onto active duty and 
how they are paid. Duty status reform, incentive pay and bonuses, and 
the Navy Personnel and Pay (NP2) system are the practical means that 
retain the best Sailors and help forge an effective warfighting force.
                           duty status reform
    For the past 25 years, efforts to reform the complex system of RC 
duty statuses have garnered attention without closure. Recently, in 
response to urgent tasking to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, we 
placed Navy Reserve Sailors in important roles, but in a variety of 
dissimilar order types. The varied benefits associated with myriad duty 
statuses makes it possible for us to compensate Sailors differently, 
and to provide dissimilar protections, for equivalent work--a situation 
that highlights the need for reform, simplification and 
standardization. The Navy Reserve supports the Department of Defense's 
efforts to consolidate and simplify the approximately 30 existing 
Reserve duty status legal authorities. This consolidation will address 
imbalances and disruptions in pay and benefits, reduce overall 
complexity, and ensure programming and budgeting processes align to the 
categories, purposes, and duration of the orders.
           navy reserve special and incentive pay and bonuses
    The Navy Reserve must recruit and retain Sailors with the skills 
required to compete and win in today's challenging security 
environment. Recognizing that many of our Sailors' specialized skills 
are highly sought after in the civilian marketplace, we provide special 
and incentive pay and bonuses to attract Sailors in hard-to-fill 
specialties. The current bonus structure for Reserve incentive programs 
is critical to mitigating manning shortfalls in specific, high-demand 
skills and paygrades. Sustained Congressional support of predictable, 
critical RPN funding is necessary to ensure the Navy Reserve can 
attract and deliver the talent we need to prevail in a modern conflict.
                         navy personnel and pay
    Pay problems, largely caused by antiquated pay systems, continue to 
challenge and frustrate our Reserve Sailors and their families. An 
integral component of the MyNavy HR Transformation, the Navy Personnel 
and Pay (NP2) system offers a modernized pay system that will enhance 
the quality of life for our citizen-Sailors while serving our nation. 
NP2 will integrate active and reserve component personnel and pay 
systems into a single Navy system. Specifically, in 2022, NP2 will 
achieve Initial Operating Capability for Treasury Direct Disbursement, 
with continued development of Personnel products and capabilities to 
achieve Full Operating Capability. The resulting changes will enable 
Reserve Sailors to seamlessly transition on and off active duty, 
without a disruption in pay. A seamless transition to active duty 
provides the efficiency necessary to mobilize large numbers of Sailors 
in a short time, as may be anticipated when surging forces to confront 
a near-peer rival. Similarly, this system will enable seamless 
demobilization processing without the burdensome, manual pay processes 
that characterize today's workflow.
Training the Warfighter
    Changing global dynamics and growing rivalries with authoritarian 
states demand a renewed focus on maritime tactics, techniques and 
procedures. With an inclusive culture and supporting systems as a 
foundation, we will emphasize training our Sailors to develop the 
critical warfighting skills required to prevail in high-end conflict. 
We are assessing and updating policies to focus our Sailors on training 
for their mobilization billets, while reducing land-based individual 
augmentations and distracting administrative commitments unrelated to 
the Navy Reserve's traditional maritime role.
                         mobilization to billet
    Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Navy began 
augmenting the Joint Force with Sailors who deployed as Joint 
Individual Augments (IAs) to alleviate land forces' high operational 
tempo during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. 
Initially, the Navy sourced IAs from both the active and reserve 
components equally based on mission suitability. Over time, however, 
the reserve component assumed the majority of IA mobilizations. 
Specifically, in the last three years (FY18, 19 and 20), the RC sourced 
over 76% of the Navy's IA requirements, many outside the maritime 
domain. During this same period, the Navy Reserve has adhered to the 
Department of Defense's mobilization to dwell ratio policy. Under this 
policy, following a one year deployment, each Sailor requires Secretary 
of Defense approval to deploy with their unit if less than four years 
from the previous mobilization period, resulting in a loss of strategic 
depth and reduction in the capability and readiness of their unit. At 
present, with 9% of the force mobilized on IA missions and 18% 
sequestered in dwell, 27% of the Force is effectively fenced from surge 
mobilization as a result of IA demand. Eliminating involuntary, non-
maritime individual augmentation requirements will restore strategic 
depth, and more effectively focus the Reserve Force on critical naval 
roles at sea and ashore.
    Future conflict with our maritime rivals may come with minimal 
advanced warning, leaving little time to prepare. Our renewed focus on 
potential maritime conflict recognizes that a rapid response requires 
Selected Reserve Sailors to be trained and proficient in the functions 
and tasks associated with their programmed wartime billets. This 
mobilization-to-billet concept demands all Selected Reserve personnel 
train to the requirements of their warfighting role, ready to 
contribute to the fight in the earliest stages of conflict. Under a 
train-mobilize-deploy model, Reserve units will mobilize and deploy 
together as a unit, rather than individually, to conduct the 
warfighting missions they will have trained in advance to perform.
Capability and Capacity
    To confront near-peer maritime rivals, the Navy Reserve will adapt 
its Fleet Design to provide the Navy with a cost-effective, 
sustainable, warfighting and surge-ready Total Force, structured to 
prevail in future competition and conflict. A critical aspect of this 
transformation is modernization of legacy platforms, systems, and 
equipment to ensure alignment with the latest Navy, Marine Corps, and 
Coast Guard operating concepts. The future fight may also require the 
strategic depth provided by our Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), and as 
such, we are updating our policies, systems, and processes to enhance 
IRR accessibility and effectiveness.
            Future Fleet Design
    The Navy Reserve is optimizing its force structure to develop 
warfighting capabilities that generate the strategic depth required for 
long-term strategic competition. My Fighting Instructions directed 
Reserve leaders, in close coordination with their active component 
counterparts, to assess the requirement for additional Reserve 
capability or capacity to address future challenges. For example, 
increasing complexity and the prospect of global conflict will require 
Fleet commanders to provide command and control of a large number of 
distributed Navy and Joint forces. Innovative Navy operating concepts 
call for distributed operations in contested environments, presenting 
logistics and communications challenges where peacetime solutions that 
leverage civilian supply chains and communications infrastructure may 
prove unreliable. Manning shortfalls in critical areas in the active 
component, combined with an intractable maintenance backlog, may 
challenge the Navy's ability to surge fleet forces in response to a 
crisis. The contest in the space and cyber domains and a greater 
leveraging of unmanned systems are transforming the nature of modern 
warfare, requiring specialized knowledge and skills. We will base 
decisions to place such capabilities or capacities in the reserve 
component on the Reserve Force's ability to deliver these capabilities 
at a reduced cost, within acceptable risk, relative to the active 
component.
            Equipment Modernization
    The Tri-Service Maritime Strategy and CNO's NAVPLAN mandate that 
the Navy Reserve keep pace with our active duty counterparts to provide 
seamless integration with the force. We are actively pursuing 
modernization of the Reserve Force to ensure interoperability between 
active and reserve platforms and systems, and divesting legacy systems 
that have exceeded their useful life. Last year's purchase of Reserve 
P-8 aircraft to recapitalize two aging--but highly operational--P-3C 
squadrons was a significant step forward in this endeavor.
                  navy unique fleet essential airlift
    Since World War II, the Navy has relied on aviation combat 
logistics to enable the expeditionary requirements associated with 
global naval operations. Operated entirely by the Navy Reserve, Navy 
Unique Fleet Essential Airlift consists of 30 C/KC-130T and 17 C-40A 
aircraft that provide the Navy's sole source of organic intra-theater 
air logistics. These platforms are capable of providing oversized cargo 
(F-35 engines, AMRAAM and Harpoon missiles, submarine masts, etc.) to 
forward-deployed and expeditionary Naval Forces, a critical link in the 
warfighting supply chain. Last year, fleet logistics (VR) squadrons 
flew 22,707 flight hours and transported 111,625 passengers and 22.2 
million pounds of cargo for the Navy and the Department of Defense. 
Executing these missions generated a cost avoidance of nearly $1.0 
billion per year relative to alternative means of transportation.
    At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Navy Reserve VR squadrons 
ensured the continuity of Navy training pipelines, safely flying 
Sailors between training sites when commercial options were reduced or 
unavailable. Supporting global operations, VR squadrons also 
transported personnel between U.S. overseas bases around the world. 
Specifically, C-130 missions increased 7.5% (from 817 missions to 878), 
while flight hours increased 16.6% (from 7,922 to 9,235 hours). Even 
with the increased execution of flight hours and missions, demand 
continues to increase for C-130 lift, with unmet lift requests 
reflecting a gap between demand and capacity. To date, FY21 indicates 
an even greater demand for cargo this year than in FY19 and FY20.
    Procurement of the KC-130J to replace the legacy C/KC-130T is the 
Navy Reserve's top equipment priority. Transitioning from legacy 
airframes to the modern KC-130J aircraft is necessary to fill critical 
capability and capacity gaps and ensure interoperability with our 
active and reserve component Marine Corps and Air Force partners, who 
have already transitioned to the KC-130J. Every mission capable 
aircraft generates an average of $48.6 million in cost avoidance for 
the transport of equipment. The current Mission Capable rates of the C/
KC-130T average 25% of Total Aircraft Inventory, and required 
modifications of that legacy airframe will limit aircraft availability 
to a maximum of 33% until 2030. Comparatively, we expect to realize a 
70% mission capable rate for the KC-130J which will provide an 
additional $200 million per year in transportation and cost savings to 
the Navy. The current C/KC-130T fleet struggles to meet current fleet 
demand and lacks the required capability and capacity to meet wartime 
intra-theater logistics requirements, a situation best remedied through 
recapitalization.
                      aviation adversary training
    The Reserve Tactical Support Wing (TSW) maintains 31 F-5N/F 
aircraft to provide low-to-mid level threat replication. These aircraft 
are split between two squadrons: VFC-111 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Key 
West, Florida, and VFC-13 at NAS Fallon, Nevada. In order to increase 
Adversary capacity, the Navy purchased 11 F-5E/F aircraft from 
Switzerland in FY20. Prior to delivery, these aircraft will receive 
modern avionics and an airframe reconfiguration to match the current 
active Navy airframe configuration. These 11 aircraft will deliver to 
TSW squadrons from 2022-2025 as F-5N+/F+, increasing both capacity and 
capability.
    TSW currently provides critical high-end Adversary support to the 
Fleet with 27 F/A18A-D aircraft assigned to VFA-204 at NAS Joint 
Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana, and VFC-12 at NAS Oceana, 
Virginia. Due to the extremely high projected cost per flight hour 
(+$44,000) of these ``Legacy Hornets,'' the Navy is accelerating 
divestment from the F/A-18A-D aircraft. VFC-12's transition from the F/
A-18A-D Hornet to the Block I FA-18E/F Super Hornet in FY21 is the 
first step towards accelerating Legacy Hornet divestment. Because there 
is an insufficient quantity of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft to 
recapitalize the entire F/A-18A-D fleet assigned to TSW, a plan has 
been proposed to replace the F/A-18C with F-16 aircraft from the United 
States Air Force and Air National Guard. Providing the Fleet with 
advanced, high- fidelity Adversary support will require future funding 
to further modernize these aircraft with threat representative 
capabilities such as Infrared Search and Track Systems and the 
evolution of the Adversary data link known as RedNet.
    Within the next decade, 62% of the Navy Reserve's current Adversary 
aircraft will be retired due to the high cost of each service hour, or 
because they have reached the end of their service life. 
Recapitalization and expansion of Adversary capacity in the Navy 
Reserve presents a cost-effective, sustainable solution to develop 
warfighting readiness. In FY20, active component Strike Fighter 
squadrons flew 13,129 hours of Adversary support, generating more than 
half of the total Navy Adversary hours while adding costly flight hours 
on inventory-limited fleet aircraft. Flying more Adversary hours in the 
Reserve increases service life of those active Fleet Strike Fighter 
aircraft and at the same time reduces overhead operational costs. As 
such, increasing Navy Reserve support to Navy Adversary requirements 
will improve active component Strike Fighter service life, while 
enabling the dedication of Fleet flight hours to train for warfighting 
readiness.
Warfighting Capacity: Individual Ready Reserve Management
    A highly trained, well-designed Selected Reserve with the latest 
equipment may still be insufficient to confront our maritime rivals. In 
global conflict, the Navy will require ready access to the additional 
capacity and talent resident in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). The 
Navy's IRR consists of 41,000 trained Sailors with previous service in 
the active component or Selected Reserve, now serving in a non-pay, 
non-participation status. IRR Sailors have residual military service 
obligations and are available for Selected Reserve accessions, as well 
as mobilization to support Navy and Joint operations. The emergence of 
COVID-19 provided an opportunity to re-imagine how we employ the IRR, 
prioritize and facilitate participation, and examine our abilities to 
leverage resident skills to meet warfighting requirements. In alignment 
with Navy Reserve Force initiatives and the Chief of Naval Personnel, 
we are exploring programmatic changes that enable proactive management 
of the IRR to improve readiness and reconstitute the strategic depth of 
the Total Force.
Mobilization Infrastructure and Technology
    A growing rivalry with near-peer maritime competitors demands the 
capability to rapidly surge forces for conflict. The Navy Reserve is 
adapting our mobilization processes and leveraging Information 
Technology to meet this demand.
            Total Force Mobilization
    The Navy Reserve is transitioning from a mobilization process 
tailored to meet Joint IA demands associated with the global war on 
terrorism, to one that accelerates access to the reserve component by 
providing greater throughput suitable for the demands of an evolving 
security environment. This new process, known as Adaptive Mobilization, 
requires achieving efficiencies in Full Time Support (FTS) manpower 
across geographically distributed mobilization centers. Realignment of 
selected Navy Operational Support Centers (NOSCs), and the Sailors who 
staff them, is necessary to realize this efficiency.
                         adaptive mobilization
    Surging to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Navy Reserve first 
operationalized the Adaptive Mobilization concept in the face of real-
world urgent demands. Nearly 1,000 Sailors mobilized through their 
local Navy Reserve Activity rather than through a single, centralized 
processing site as Sailors had done for the last decade. This change 
eliminates the bottleneck associated with the legacy process and 
promises strategically significant improvements in accessing the force 
in large-scale global conflict.
              navy operational support center realignment
    The Navy Reserve maintains at least one Navy Operational Support 
Center (NOSC) in each of the 50 states and two US territories. This 
presence has historically provided Navy representation in communities 
far from fleet concentration areas. To achieve the accessibility 
improvements promised by Adaptive Mobilization, however, the current 
infrastructure profile requires realignment. A rigorous review of all 
122 NOSCs identified opportunities for consolidation to reapply FTS 
manpower for the Adaptive Mobilization model. Closure decisions will be 
based on criteria that includes the presence of other NOSCs in close 
proximity, whether the center is on a military facility, changes in the 
local Selected Reserve population, the age of the facilities, and 
operating and repair costs. Should any NOSC be identified for 
consolidation, we will redistribute the FTS staff to support 
implementation of the Adaptive Mobilization model across the force.
    These changes will significantly accelerate our ability to surge 
Sailors to the fight and meet warfighting requirements. Further, they 
simultaneously reduce sustained force protection risk, administrative 
redundancies, and operating and maintenance costs. Additionally, 
consolidation will mitigate the inherent risk to aging infrastructure 
from forces such as climate change. For example, in FY21, we spent 
$600,000 for hurricane damage and repairs, and there are repairs 
remaining from the FY21 Texas freeze and other hurricane disasters. 
Closing a select few NOSCs will capture cost savings, reduce 
redundancy, divest aging infrastructure, and allow strategic investment 
in the redistribution of Full Time Support manpower to support Adaptive 
Mobilization processes. NOSC realignment will better position the Navy 
Reserve to adapt to meet the changing needs of the global security 
environment.
Information Technology
    The Navy Reserve leverages information technology (IT) capabilities 
to enable the training and readiness of a geographically distributed 
force and has begun to employ data analytics to achieve greater 
efficiencies for force mobilization.
     cloud computing, mobility innovations and digital capabilities
    The Navy Reserve's strategy for information technology provides 
approximately 59,000 geographically dispersed Ready Reservists world-
wide access to critical IT business systems. The strategy emphasizes 
improving efficiency and lethality through three core technological 
advances: Cloud Computing, Mobility Innovations and Digital 
Capabilities. Secure mobile applications, innovative technological 
solutions that simplify processes, and the use of data science to 
inform strategic decisions are force enablers that keep the Reserve 
Force operating in a technologically advanced battle space. During the 
peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Navy Reserve seamlessly continued 
mobilization and warfighting readiness and training requirements as 
well as steady operational support due to IT capabilities on par with 
commercially available technology.
                      non-deployability analytics
    The Navy Reserve is maturing its data analytics capability to reap 
the benefits of advances in data science and emerging technologies such 
as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML). Navy Reserve 
Sailors must meet deployability standards to be eligible for 
mobilization to the battlefield. Using AI/ML, we have developed an 
application that accurately predicts those Reserve members at highest 
risk for mobilization cancellation. More importantly, the Mobilization 
Assurance and Assistance Program for SELRES (known as MAAPS) identifies 
unique factors for each Reservist in much the same manner as a ``FICO 
score,'' allowing leadership to tailor interventions to their 
particular challenges, thus increasing the overall deployability of the 
Force.
                               conclusion
    The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are urgently adapting to 
provide Integrated All-Domain Naval Power to address the reemergence of 
maritime rivals. Similarly, the Navy Reserve has prioritized 
warfighting readiness to provide a surge-ready Total Force capable of 
defending the nation, as we have done for more than a century. The Navy 
Reserve is committed to forging our Sailors into an effective maritime 
warfighting force, underpinned by a strong cultural foundation, shared 
values, and tactical proficiency. A future fleet designed around 
capabilities that provide a decisive advantage, enabled by modern 
platforms and hardware, will ensure the Total Force prevails in 
competition or conflict. Greater efficiencies realized through advances 
in our mobilization infrastructure and information technology will 
provide the ability to deploy war-wining forces rapidly to the conflict 
theater. These enhancements to the generation of the Navy Reserve's 
warfighting readiness support the strategic direction reflected in the 
National Defense Strategy and current service doctrine, and will 
contribute to prevailing in conflict if necessary.
    On behalf of the men and women of the United States Navy Reserve, 
thank you for your steadfast support of Navy Reserve Sailors, 
Civilians, families, and employers. The Navy Reserve enjoys a 106 year 
history of facing and overcoming challenges. Beginning with our 
founding in 1915, anticipating the emerging global insecurity of the 
First World War, adapting to the capability, capacity, and scale 
required by the Second World War, evolving during the long phases of 
the Cold War and into the Global War on Terror, our Navy Reserve has 
adapted in each era to answer the emerging challenges of national 
security. Today, we have entered a new era with new challenges. With 
your continued support, we will lead the adaptation of our Navy Reserve 
to address the current and future global environment with speed and 
agility.

    Senator Tester. Thank you, Admiral Mustin.
    Next, we have Lieutenant General Richard Scobee, the Air 
Force Reserve.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL RICHARD W. SCOBEE, 
            CHIEF, U.S. AIR FORCE RESERVE
    General Scobee. Hello, Chairman Tester, Ranking Member 
Shelby, and Distinguished Members of the Subcommittee.
    It's an honor for me to be here today with my other service 
counterparts, and it's also an honor for me to represent the 
airmen of the Air Force Reserve.
    I would normally be joined today by my senior enlisted 
advisor, Chief Master Sergeant Tim White, but he is supporting 
the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the Chief Master 
Sergeant of the Space Force at their Quality of Life Hearing 
with the House.
    As a command team, the Command Chief and I are continually 
amazed at the accomplishments of our Air Force Reserve citizen 
airmen, despite every challenge that has been put in front of 
them over the past year.
    The Air Force Reserve is a cost-effective, accessible, and 
ready force. We provide strategic depth with rapid surge 
capability across every Air Force core mission set. We do so 
cost effectively because we are predominantly a part-time force 
and we are an accessible force, contributing globally to Joint 
Force operations every day, and, finally, we are a ready force.
    When the Nation needed rapid pandemic response, we had 
medical personnel on the ground in New York City and New Jersey 
within 48 hours of being notified. We provide strategic depth 
for national defense while operating on only 3 percent of the 
Air Force budget.
    We're committed to attracting top talent and fostering a 
culture of inclusion where every airman is valued and can 
thrive.
    With Congress's assistance, we preserve pre-pandemic gains 
in both individual and unit level readiness and through things 
like force innovations, such as virtual training. We modernize 
key weapon systems and lessen critical manpower shortfalls. We 
increased our organizational effectiveness and enhanced our 
ability to provide excellent care for citizen airmen and their 
families through internal reforms and process improvements.
    The Air Force Reserve invests every congressionally-enacted 
dollar for maximum return. We are grateful for the $19.5 
million we received in CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
Economic Security) Act funding, which allowed us to rapidly 
scale our telework capability to protect our workforce during 
the pandemic.
    We are also grateful for continued direct hire authority 
for critical career fields. Last year with this authority, we 
significantly increased our Air Reserve technician pilot 
manning from where it was at 75 percent the last time we talked 
to 97 percent today.
    Our requested fiscal year 2022 budget will ensure the Air 
Force Reserve meets national defense strategy objectives and 
the multi-domain force that we need.
    We are in step with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's 
vision to accelerate change or lose. We are able to compete 
with our nation's adversaries across the spectrum of conflict 
and will continue to do that by capitalizing on our readiness 
gains we made last year.
    We diligently request only those funds we can execute, the 
Reserve personnel appropriations and operation, and maintenance 
funds which drive our readiness. These accounts fund our 
training, our flying hours, mobilization requirements, our 
equipment maintenance, and our salaries.
    In particular, our flying hour and civilian pay programs 
have taken considerable reductions in recent years, rightfully 
so, due to insufficient justification and an overestimation of 
funds that we needed.
    We've made significant internal strides in adjusting these 
accounts, and I look forward to working with you to enhance 
readiness and reduce risk in our fiscal year 2022 budget.
    I also want to thank you for enabling access to Tricare 
Reserve Select. We are all on this panel in agreement that this 
major legislative accomplishment will offer affordable 
continuity of care for our members and their families.
    However, the legislative currently doesn't take effect 
until 2030. To improve our Reserve force's quality of life and 
readiness, I request your support for accelerated 
implementation and funding of this healthcare access.
    One final area I would like to touch on is equipment 
parity. We accomplish this primarily through the National Guard 
and Reserve Equipment Appropriation. NGREA enables us to 
modernize equipment, sustain our capability, and replace 
obsolete equipment to maintain parity with the Active component 
when recapitalization is not feasible.
    Parity is critical to seamless total force integration and 
we remain grateful for these appropriations and cannot 
overemphasize how vital they are to our readiness. I appreciate 
your support for NGREA now and in the future.
    Thank you for the opportunity to be here before you today 
and for your steadfast support as we ensure the Air Force 
Reserve remains prepared to defend our great Nation and the 
American people. I look forward to answering your questions.
    [The statement follows:]
       Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Richard W. Scobee
    As an integral component of the Total Force, the Air Force Reserve 
provides experienced manpower and critical capabilities for our 
National Defense. Our Citizen Airmen are interchangeable, 
interoperable, and integrated across the Total Force. We execute the 
full spectrum of Department of the Air Force missions, while providing 
daily operations at a fraction of the cost of a standing force.
    Total Force operations require Total Force readiness. The Air Force 
Reserve must be structured, trained, and equipped for the future fight. 
Operational success in tomorrow's battlespace requires an agile, modern 
force. We must be prepared to provide ready forces for joint 
operations, defend our homeland, counter violent extremist 
organizations and rogue nations, and deter aggression through nuclear 
and conventional readiness.
    Because of the hard work and support of Congress, we were able to 
make steady gains in readiness during Fiscal Years (FY) 2018 and 2019 
and preserve those gains in FY 2020. Funding from the Coronavirus Aid, 
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was integral in our efforts 
to maintain readiness during the pandemic. With nearly $19.5 million in 
additional funding, we were able to invest in needed software and 
information technology infrastructure, allowing us to preserve our 
force and provide virtual training. With this investment, we scaled 
from an average of less than 1,000 remote workers to supporting nearly 
15,000 across the Total Force. Passing legislative relief to allow 
Reservists to complete a qualifying year for retirement if the COVID-19 
pandemic prevented them from doing so, has the potential to be 
extremely beneficial by preventing career disruption.
    With the assistance of Congress, we have preserved both individual 
and unit level readiness across the Air Force Reserve. Our nuclear 
deterrence forces are mission ready, and we increased our priority unit 
readiness. We modernized key weapon systems and lessened critical 
manpower shortfalls. Through internal reforms and process improvement 
initiatives, we increased our organizational effectiveness and enhanced 
our ability to provide excellent care for our Citizen Airmen and their 
families.
    While we continue to preserve our force and readiness, we still 
face challenges. Due to limited resources, the Air Force Reserve will 
continue to balance requirements and prioritize critical system 
upgrades to our aircraft to enhance our ability to provide relevant 
warfighting capacity to the Total Force in order to enable joint all-
domain operations. Additionally, we will begin to prioritize backlogged 
infrastructure and facilities requirements within our existing 
resources to optimize our training.
    The Nation's adversaries have studied our vulnerabilities and 
employed technological advances to exploit them, thereby eroding our 
longstanding advantages, altering the nature of warfare, and expanding 
conflict into new domains. The changing battlespace has given rise to 
new operational missions and generated a need for advanced 
capabilities.
    In his paper, Accelerate Change or Lose, the Chief of Staff of the 
Air Force presented a clear case for the changes needed to ensure we 
are able to meet the challenges of the security environment. Accelerate 
Change or Lose outlines a path toward ensuring the Total Force is ready 
when called to defend our Nation and its interests. Because we are 
involved in every core Air Force mission set, nearly every Active 
Component initiative impacts the Air Force Reserve. To remain relevant 
contributors to joint operations, we must maintain interoperability as 
a Total Force. We optimize our operational capability when we maintain 
parity with our Active Component counterparts. The concurrent fielding, 
recapitalization, and divestment of airframes, systems, and equipment 
is essential to the Air Force Reserve's ability to more effectively 
integrate within the Total Force. Associations between geographically 
co-located Active and Reserve component units greatly enhances this 
integration, providing multiple benefits to the Total Force at the best 
value for the American taxpayer.
    Our readiness, operational capabilities, and success as an 
organization all depend on our Reserve Citizen Airmen. They are both 
the heart of our organization and its foundation. Our Reservists are 
incredibly talented. Their diversity and high level of experience 
multiplies our operational capabilities, and their dedication enables 
execution of our mission. It is therefore incumbent upon us to develop 
our Airmen as individuals, technical experts, and leaders, ensuring 
they have the resources and support they require. We are absolutely 
committed to providing excellent care to our Citizen Airmen and their 
families.
    The Air Force Reserve is a cost effective force, and will continue 
its excellent stewardship of American taxpayers' dollars.
                the air force reserve in the total force
    The Air Force Reserve is a predominantly part time force which, 
when mobilized, provides full time support to the Joint Force. In 
addition to our daily contributions to global operations, we provide 
rapid surge capability and strategic depth for national defense. We 
participate in almost every Active Component mission, operating as part 
of an integrated Total Force across nearly all Air Force core 
functional areas and weapon systems.
    On average, over 6,000 Reserve Citizen Airmen contribute to world-
wide operations every day. Typically, approximately two thirds of those 
Airmen are volunteers. Our personnel support all combatant commands and 
are deployed to every geographic area of responsibility. Last year, 
approximately 5,500 Airmen mobilized or volunteered to support 
operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Within 48 hours of a 
request for forces, we were able to generate airlift to ensure that 120 
medics were in place in the New York City metropolitan area. In total, 
274 medical personnel were deployed to the northeastern United States 
in support of the national COVID-19 response, representing the largest 
unplanned mobilization of Reserve forces since 9/11. Last year, our 
Reservists provided nearly two million days of support to the Active 
Component and the Joint Force.
    In addition to supporting global military operations, the Air Force 
Reserve partners with and supports multiple federal and civil 
organizations and institutions. We routinely participate in 
humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts. We also support global 
scientific research programs in addition to education and technology 
initiatives. This year, we added new winter weather reconnaissance 
capabilities to collect data on Atmospheric Rivers on the West Coast, 
supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 
in forecasting floods. We also flew 164 missions to cover 20 of 30 
named storms.
    In 2020, the nearly 4,000 Reservists supported 91 service, joint, 
and multinational exercises, increasing Joint Force integration and 
strengthening relationships with allies and partner nations. The COVID-
19 pandemic increased exercise participation manpower costs, as 
restriction of movement measures mandated significant personnel 
isolation before and after exercises. The pandemic also resulted in 53 
planned exercises being cancelled. This resulted in nearly 4,000 
Reservists missing an opportunity to receive readiness or proficiency 
training and approximately $11 million in unobligated Reserve Personnel 
Appropriations.
    Approximately 75 percent of Air Force Reserve members serve part 
time. In addition to their military training and experience, our part 
time force brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from their 
civilian careers to their military service. This strengthens our 
capabilities, enables the integration of civil sector best practices, 
and facilitates beneficial partnerships with industry and other 
institutions. Many of our members have civilian careers similar to 
their military jobs, which enables Citizen Airmen to bring scope and 
depth to their military positions. This is particularly advantageous 
for emerging and evolving missions, such as cyber and space, into which 
we actively recruit personnel with civilian experience.
    The Air Force Reserve provides the Total Force with a method to 
retain talent, by providing a continuity of service options for Active 
Component members who would otherwise separate. The Department of the 
Air Force understands the importance of retaining experience and 
talent, and seeks to leverage the value, which the Reserve Component 
brings to the Total Force. In addition to using Total Force 
partnerships to place newly trained members in units with highly 
experienced personnel, the Air Force is currently exploring flexible 
service options designed to allow members to easily transition between 
components of the Total Force. The Air Force Reserve fully supports 
these efforts, which will benefit our Airmen, our readiness, and our 
national defense.
    Total Force Integration is exemplified by associations between 
geographically co-located Active Component and Reserve units. In this 
construct, equipment resources are officially assigned only to the lead 
unit, but are shared between the lead and associate unit. Associations 
further enhance our interoperability and give the Active Component 
access to the experience resident in the more seasoned Reserve force. 
This ensures parity in equipment and training, while providing cost 
savings and readiness benefits to both components.
    Currently, there are 79 associations between the Reserve and the 
Active Component. Most of these are classic associations, in which the 
Active Component is the lead organization. Active associations, in 
which the Reserve is the lead unit, comprise a little more than twelve 
percent of current associations. The Reserve and the Active Component 
have associations in nearly every major mission set, and many training 
units, including every undergraduate pilot training wing, pilot 
instructor training, and major aircraft formal training units. We are 
also the lead component for the B-52 and C-5 Formal Training Units.
               implementing the national defense strategy
    After nearly two decades of counter-terrorism operations, great 
power competition has re-merged as the highest priority for national 
security. The rise of peer and near-peer competitors on the world stage 
in an age of unprecedented global economic interdependence, combined 
with the proliferation of swiftly advancing technology, has created a 
unique and complex environment. Accelerate Change or Lose affirms that 
a rapid shift in military operational focus and capabilities is 
imperative to remain competitive in this security environment. The 
United States must be able to combat adversaries across the spectrum of 
conflict and operate simultaneously in all warfighting domains. The 
2018 National Defense Strategy provides the framework to ensure we can 
compete, deter, and win in tomorrow's battlespace, and we are 
diligently working to meet that intent.
    Our efforts align under those of the Department of the Air Force 
and support the Total Force's mandate to provide ready forces for 
national defense. In order to operate seamlessly in a combat 
environment, we must have the capability to connect with the Joint 
Force. The Total Force must be capable of conducting robust nuclear and 
conventional deterrence, homeland defense, and counter-extremism 
operations. Meeting this mandate in the future operational environment 
will require the Total Force to dominate space, generate combat power, 
and conduct logistics under attack. As the Airmen who execute the 
mission represent the most important element in this and every 
undertaking, the Department of the Air Force is simultaneously focused 
on developing and caring for our people and their families.
Air Force Reserve Strategic Priorities
    To restore readiness rapidly and prepare for the future fight, the 
Air Force Reserve established three priorities. The first, prioritizing 
strategic depth and accelerating readiness, focuses on the requirement 
to prepare for future operational requirements while maintaining 
present-day readiness. This includes sustaining our present level of 
support to the Joint Force. The second, developing resilient leaders, 
serves two purposes: to enhance the physical, mental, and emotional 
fitness of all Reserve Citizen Airmen and to develop mission-focused 
leaders who can operate independently. Our final priority, reform the 
organization, aims to increase efficiency and effectiveness through 
internal process improvements and innovation.
    The Air Force Reserve strategic priorities were developed based on 
the challenges outlined in the National Defense Strategy and are 
aligned with Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, and 
Chief of Staff of the Air Force directives. We made significant gains 
in 2020, preserving overall readiness, implementing new leadership 
development programs, and improving our internal operations. We are in 
the process of expanding and accelerating these efforts to further 
enhance our mission readiness and our ability to support Air Force 
Reserve Citizen Airmen and their families.
Air Force Reserve Future Force Framework
    Both the Future of Defense Task Force Report 2020 and Accelerate 
Change or Lose acknowledge that our technological advantages are 
rapidly eroding in a strategic environment that is defined by great 
power competition. Both of these documents call for change to meet the 
requirements of the National Defense Strategy. To align Air Force 
Reserve capabilities and force structure with the National Defense 
Strategy and to posture our force to execute tomorrow's missions, we 
developed the Air Force Reserve Future Force Framework. This will 
enable us to deliberately organize, train, and equip our force to best 
prepare for conflict in highly contested environments. This framework 
directs mission optimization through assessing capabilities to 
determine which mission sets are best suited for the Air Force Reserve 
to align and improve policy, planning and programming efforts. The 
framework also provides for tailored and prioritized training. This 
element synchronizes training efforts and capitalizes on technology to 
optimize unit training assemblies by enabling the completion of 
ancillary training requirements through virtual methods. Finally, the 
Air Force Reserve will continue to leverage civilian sector strengths 
by capitalizing on member expertise and knowledge, cultivating industry 
partnerships, and tailoring recruitment efforts to develop the force of 
the future.
                     infrastructure and facilities
    Maintaining and modernizing our infrastructure and facilities is 
critical to readiness, force protection, and ensuring a safe work 
environment for our Airmen. These efforts are funded through Military 
Construction (MILCON) appropriations, which provide for new facilities 
and major infrastructure projects, and with the Facility Sustainment, 
Repair, and Modernization (FSRM) funds included in our O&M 
appropriation. FSRM appropriations are used to repair and modernize 
existing facilities and to extend the service life of existing 
infrastructure. Through the FY 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
Congress provided funds for the construction of a new F-35 simulator 
facility and squadron operations facility at Naval Air Station Joint 
Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas.
               generating combat power today and tomorrow
    The Air Force Reserve provides daily operational support to the 
Joint Force, while maintaining a strategic force for sustained 
operations during major conflict. We provide surge capacity and rapid 
response capabilities, enabling the Joint Force to quickly adapt to 
operations tempo increases and unforeseen events, such as national 
disasters and contingencies. We also fill Active Component manning 
shortfalls and provide augmentation to meet short term manpower 
requirements.
    Our ability to meet current taskings and to supply strategic 
manpower are predicated on our readiness. As an operational reserve, we 
must maintain our readiness to support present-day missions while we 
align our capabilities to meet the intent of the National Defense 
Strategy and prepare for future requirements. Last year, we focused on 
preserving the readiness gains of the previous two years, concentrating 
efforts specifically on mission essential personnel preparing to deploy 
and entering training pipelines.
    The Air Force Reserve must be able to decisively employ both 
traditional and emerging capabilities. In order to enhance our ability 
to compete, deter, and win in any environment, we remain focused on key 
mission sets and are actively expanding our capabilities in the space 
and cyber realms. As warfighting domains become increasingly 
integrated, we must be prepared to conduct joint all-domain operations, 
which will allow us to create decisive, asymmetrical advantages in 
future conflicts.
Nuclear Deterrence Operations
    Nuclear capability is a foundational element of our national 
defense, and the Air Force Reserve shares in the nuclear mission. Our 
Nuclear Deterrence Operations assets include nuclear strike, air 
refueling, and command, control, and communications capabilities. In FY 
2020, we supported one Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection to 
assess the readiness of our forces to conduct Nuclear Deterrence 
Operations. Our nuclear forces remain mission ready.
Air Superiority
    In order to defeat a peer or near-peer adversary, we must be able 
to generate combat power in contested environments. Maintaining parity 
with the Active Component is essential for assuring the ability to 
operate in contested environments. Program upgrade delays and limited 
delivery of replacement aircraft add risk to the ability to sustain air 
superiority strategic surge capacity in the future.
    The Air Force Reserve has Classic Associations in several F-35 
units. We execute F-35 combat operations in our association at Hill 
AFB, Utah. Additional associations execute F-35 formal training at Luke 
AFB, Arizona and Eglin AFB, Florida, and operational test and weapons 
instructor course missions at Nellis AFB, Nevada. The Air Force 
Reserve's first unit-equipped F-35 wing will execute combat operations 
and be part of an Active Association.
Aerial Refueling
    The Air Force Reserve air refueling fleet in FY 2021 consists of 
seven unit equipped wings and four associate wings. In December 2019, 
our Unit Equipped wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (AFB), North 
Carolina, began its KC-46 airframe conversion. Four of the twelve 
aircraft were delivered in FY 2020 with the remaining eight scheduled 
for delivery early in FY 2021. Half of the crews have already completed 
conversion training, along with 85 percent of maintenance personnel. 
The Classic Associate unit at McConnell AFB, Kansas entered conversion 
in April 2020 with 50 percent of both operations and maintenance 
personnel completing conversion training in 2020.
    At present, we have eight wings which operate the KC-135, two of 
which are currently undergoing conversion to the KC-46. Six of these 
wings are unit-equipped, and three are tasked with an alert mission. We 
are focused on the readiness of our KC-135 force, with the goals of 
improving mission capable rates, increasing aircrew and maintenance 
manpower, and providing better training for our aircrew and maintenance 
personnel. The first Air Force Reserve aircraft began datalink 
modification with ``Real Time Information in the Cockpit'' (RTIC) in 
early 2021. This modification increases the communications and 
information capabilities of the aircraft increasing its support 
capacity in a fast paced contested environment.
    The Air Force Reserve has two wings who associate with the Active 
Component to fly and maintain the KC-10. The Air Force Reserve remains 
committed to this aircraft and mission as long as it remains a part of 
the air refueling force. As the inventory is reduced, the Air Force 
Reserve will work with the Department of the Air Force to convert those 
units and their manpower to the determined follow-on missions.
Airlift
    The Air Force Reserve enables combat delivery through our strategic 
and tactical airlift fleets. In order to effectuate the C-5 formal 
training requirements, the Air Force Reserve requires a ground training 
device to increase training efficiency and precluded the requirement 
for a dedicated flyable aircraft for ground training. The C-5 fleet 
continues to invest in programs to address safety, obsolescence, 
regulatory compliance, and long term sustainability. The C-130H fleet 
Aircraft Modification Program Increment 2 (AMP 2) contract award 
resulted in a savings of $540 million across FY 2020-2024. The C-17 
fleet continues to provide operational and strategic depth to the 
Global Reach enterprise.
Dominating Space
    The establishment of the United States Space Force (USSF) in 
December 2019 underscored the importance of space to our national 
security. The Air Force Reserve is a major contributor to space 
operations. In the last year, our personnel executed up to 30 percent 
of daily space missions directly supporting United States Space Command 
taskings. We added 30 space manpower authorizations in FY 2021. In 
addition, the Air Force Reserve has already taken steps to provide 
focused support to the USSF for the near term. Our space units are 
aligned with and will be able to integrate effectively with USSF forces 
for the foreseeable future.
Cyber Defense
    Digital technology permeates nearly every aspect of modern life. 
This technology is both pervasive and inexpensive, making the cyber 
domain easily accessible. The increasing integration of cyber 
capabilities enhances our ability to generate combat power, yet exposes 
us to new threats. Therefore, the Air Force Reserve is building and 
expanding our foundational capabilities to conduct operations in the 
information environment, by evolving our cyber mission portfolio and 
repurposing our cyber force to better defend against future threats.
    We provide support directly to Air Forces Cyber, Sixteenth Air 
Force, and United States Cyber Command. We are implementing the Cyber 
Squadron Initiative and are developing Mission Defense Teams with three 
of ten teams projected to reach Initial Operational Capability 
declaration during FY 2021. These teams will be located at Air Force 
Reserve host installations, as well as Naval Air Station Joint Reserve 
Base Fort Worth, Texas where we are the lead Air Force unit.
    We are in the process of transitioning our cyber personnel from 
information technology support to mission assurance and defensive cyber 
operations. Along with our Active Component counterparts, we are 
replacing our internal communications network with contractor delivered 
information services. The shift to Enterprise Information Technology as 
a service will allow us to leverage modern systems and practices from 
civilian industry for our internal networking needs, while enabling our 
personnel to focus on cyber operations and defense.
    The Air Force Reserve is continuing to develop and implement new 
programs to expand accessibility and better utilize data. Our goal is 
to migrate from stove-piped service information technology systems to 
cloud based platforms. As part of this effort, we are transitioning to 
an operating-system agnostic framework. We are extending mobile-based 
capabilities and implementing alternative platforms to enable increased 
user accessibility. These efforts allow users to connect securely to 
Air Force networks through virtual desktop applications, enabling 
access from any device and any location. They also significantly reduce 
the equipment, software, and maintenance support requirements to 
maintain infrastructure. Our work in these areas prior to the pandemic 
allowed for our rapid scaling of telework initiatives. We are working 
with the Air Force Chief Data Office to create a mature Shared Data 
Environment, which will serve as a single source for information.
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)
    The Air Force Reserve ISR enterprise is uniquely designed to 
provide strategic depth and operational surge capacity in traditional 
and emerging mission sets. Tailoring mission profiles is necessary to 
ensure our ISR forces are readily available for mission execution. We 
will develop capabilities in areas that support the Joint Force while 
ensuring current mission sets are relevant to multi-domain operations 
and great power competition. Investments in the operational use of 
publicly available information, increased presence in battlespace 
characterization, and support to key capabilities--such as nuclear, 
space, and cyber operations--are necessary to ensure that we are 
postured to meet the needs of Joint Forces.
    The Air Force Reserve continues to provide approximately 500 
experienced pilots, sensor operators and intelligence Airmen to support 
Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operations at five associations with 
our counterparts in Air Combat Command and Air Force Special Operations 
Command. We will maintain our contribution of both steady state and 
surge capacity to MQ-9 combat lines, as the Total Force RPA enterprise 
reorganizes to a leaner and more lethal force.
Command and Control (C2)
    The Air Force is preparing for the future fight by fielding new 
concepts and capabilities which enable Joint All-Domain Command and 
Control (JADC2), the Department of Defense's top modernization 
priority, which is critical to executing joint all-domain operations. 
JADC2 is a system that uses data, machine learning and state-of-the-art 
software to seamlessly link ``sensors to shooters'' and create a 
resilient, adaptable line of communications across all domains--air, 
land, sea, cyber and space to faster and more accurate enable decision 
making. The Air Force Reserve's current C2 program will continue to 
provide strategic depth for the Total Force as the Air Force pursues 
the development of JADC2.
    As part of the Air Force's strategic initiative to strengthen joint 
leaders and teams, Fifteenth Air Force will now provide the Department 
of Defense with an air-centric capability to task during crisis 
operations and be offered as part of the dynamic force employment model 
to meet the National Defense Strategy for more integrated and multi-
domain operations. Our FY 2021 budget allocated 60 Air Force Reserve 
positions to stand up a classic associate unit for the service-
retained, Joint Task Force (JTF)-capable organization at Fifteenth Air 
Force, JTF Headquarters at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. This classic 
associate unit is projected to reach Initial Operational Capability 
during 2021.
                         manning a ready force
    Adequate manpower is vital to readiness. For several years, our 
overall manpower has hovered slightly below end strength targets. 
During the pandemic, the Active Component experienced high retention 
rates, which impacts our ability to recruit prior service Airmen. While 
we do have part time manning shortfalls in some locations and in 
certain critical career fields, our total assigned part time personnel 
is near the total authorized. Although there have been improvements in 
the past year, our full time assigned manning remains below the 
authorized level.
    Our full time personnel continue to preserve our readiness while 
maintaining a high operational tempo. However, our full time force is 
overtasked. We place too many requirements on too few Airmen. We owe it 
to them to reduce some of the burden.
    Our full time force is a mix of Air Reserve Technicians (ART) and 
Active Guard Reserve (AGR). Between 2013 and 2018, our ART manning 
levels dropped from 80 to 74 percent, largely due to the highly 
competitive civilian job market. This decrease in positions filled was 
further exacerbated by the civil service hiring process, which 
prolonged vacancies and caused us to lose candidates.
    Ensuring our full time personnel are fairly compensated for their 
work is essential to recruiting and retaining talented individuals. 
Therefore, we implemented several initiatives to fill our full time 
manpower positions. These efforts are producing results. At the start 
of FY 2019, our full time manning level was approximately 75 percent. 
By the end of the first quarter of FY 2021, the number of assigned ARTs 
increased to 82 percent of authorized.
    The increase in our assigned full time manning levels is due, in 
part, to the conversion of a percentage of our ART billets to AGR 
authorizations. AGR manpower and retention rates are higher than that 
of the ART force, with a comparatively faster hiring process. Please 
also note, younger workforce members often have difficulty 
demonstrating the qualifications required to be listed on a hiring 
certification for ART positions. AGR positions, with an effective off 
ramp strategy, can provide a way to gain sufficient experience to be 
considered for ART positions at the end of a three year AGR tour. The 
ART to AGR conversion initiative is a multi-year effort, which began in 
FY 2018. In FY 2020, we executed 521 conversions, and we are rapidly 
progressing on our remaining 816 conversions planned for FY 2021.
    Our ART manning and overall full time manpower also benefited from 
Direct Hiring Authority. This authority, which Congress granted, 
streamlines the civil service hiring process for certain critical 
career fields, drastically decreasing hiring timelines. Direct Hiring 
Authority provided particular benefit to our full time maintenance 
force. This authority allowed us to hire 1,166 ARTs and civilians, 
increasing full time maintenance manpower to 80 percent. Direct Hiring 
Authority enabled us to decrease our ART maintainer vacancies to their 
lowest level in nearly five years.
    Extending this authority to pilots has produced similar results. In 
FY 2020, our full time pilot manpower was nearly 75 percent of 
authorized. Last year, Direct Hiring Authority was used for 55 percent 
of pilot hiring, helping us achieve a full time manning level of 97 
percent of authorized. Overall, pilot manpower has remained steady over 
the last year, at above 85 percent. We are exploring new options to 
increase both full time and part time pilot manning, including updating 
pay grade determination criteria for ART aircrew members and offering 
additional civilian recruitment and retention incentives.
    We are grateful to Congress for authorizing Tricare Reserve Select 
(TRS) for military technicians and other Title 5 civilians who also 
serve in a Reserve Component. When enacted in 2030, this will serve as 
a significant retention tool, as it provides Reserve Component members 
a cost effective option for obtaining premium healthcare for themselves 
and their families.
    In addition, the Air Force Reserve took steps to improve retention 
in both our full time and part time force. Reducing attrition preserves 
readiness and provides cost savings by decreasing training 
requirements. We are presently targeting retention through bonuses and 
special salary rates, which offer a marked return on investment. A 
single $15,000 retention bonus results in a cost avoidance of roughly 
$45,000 in training funds and prevents an approximately three year 
readiness gap, which occurs while a replacement is trained.
    While we have experienced a two year positive trend in increasing 
retention, we are continuing to focus our retention efforts on Airmen 
with six to ten years total service, which is the group with the 
highest attrition rate. In addition to expanding existing programs, we 
are seeking new methods of increasing retention and engaging wing 
leaders in these efforts. We also reduced barriers to recruiting, 
including decreasing hiring timelines, eliminating mileage 
restrictions, and removing unnecessary interview requirements. In FY 
2020, our attrition rates were 10.3 percent, below the goal of 10.9 
percent. To date, our FY 2021 attrition rates are at 10 percent with a 
goal of staying below 10.5 percent.
    Our full time to part time force mix is based on pre-Gulf War force 
structure and operational tempo. In order to effectively accomplish our 
mission, train our force, and maintain readiness, we must increase the 
percentage of full time manpower in relation to our end strength. 
Presently, full time uniformed military members constitute 
approximately 25 percent of Air Force Reserve authorizations. Based on 
current requirements, we need to continue our efforts to increase this 
type of full time support which is essential to maintaining readiness.
            modernizing and improving the air force reserve
    Tomorrow's operational environment will notably evolve when 
compared to how we conduct operations today. The return of great power 
competition, combined with the rapid advancement and widespread 
availability of digital technology, drives the need to transform our 
forces so they can generate combat power effectively to win, despite 
contested environments established by our potential adversaries. This 
requires fielding new warfighting concepts and capabilities and 
modernizing existing platforms to meet future threats.
    We implemented multiple readiness initiatives, including bolstering 
training, removing unnecessary requirements, and instituting internal 
reforms to streamline our operations and enhance support to our Reserve 
Citizen Airmen. We are prepared to meet both current and future 
requirements, and we must carry our present momentum forward into the 
coming years to further optimize our force.
Maintaining Operational Parity with the Active Component
    In order to effectively support the Active Component and connect 
with the Joint Force, the Air Force Reserve must modernize 
simultaneously as the Air Force upgrades legacy platforms, adding 
capabilities required for the future fight. Our operational 
capabilities are tied to our ability to integrate into the Total Force, 
therefore we must maintain parity with the Active Component whenever 
possible.
    Concurrently fielding new airframes, aircraft upgrades, and other 
equipment is critical to sustaining and improving this operational 
parity. 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 systems, and we are most 
effective when we can operate interchangeably with our Active Component 
counterparts. Concurrent fielding enables our personnel to train on the 
same systems employed by the Active Component, facilitating 
interoperability within the Total Force. This maximizes the Air Force 
Reserve's ability to support operational missions and enhances our 
integration with the Active Component, assuring we are capable of 
providing the Total Force with the warfighting capability necessary to 
achieve decisive victory against future threats and in all domains.
    In addition to concurrent fielding, the Reserve must recapitalize 
and divest weapon systems in conjunction with the Active Component. 
This prevents problems which arise when the Reserve Component continues 
to operate a legacy system that is no longer used by our active 
counterparts. In this situation, the Reserve becomes responsible for 
all aspects associated with that particular platform, such as 
standardization and evaluations and safety. Asynchronous divestment can 
also lead to significant sustainment cost growth with diminishing 
vendors for spare parts. Furthermore, once the Active Component divests 
a weapon system, the Reserve is unable to hire qualified Active 
Component aircrew separatees for that specific airframe, increasing 
training costs and reducing readiness.
Weapon System Modernization and Sustainment
    While acquiring new platforms such as the F-35, KC-46, B-21, and F-
15EX will enhance our capabilities, both the Active Component and the 
Reserve will continue to rely on many of the proven platforms currently 
in our inventory. This necessitates aircraft modernization and system 
upgrades, which will provide the capabilities needed for the future 
fight and ensure survivability if operating in a contested environment.
    Key modernizations are required to keep our legacy fleet relevant 
in the prioritized missions outlined in the NDS. Necessary A-10 
enhancements include the installation of upgraded mission computers, 
Helmet-Mounted Targeting, Anti-Jam Global Positioning System equipment, 
and missile warning systems which will provide enhanced threat 
awareness and weapons delivery capabilities in contested environments. 
The A-10 is also undergoing critical flight safety upgrades like wing 
replacements, which will avert a predicted grounding of 35 aircraft in 
FY 2023. Our B-52 fleet requires upgrades to radar and defensive 
systems and the install of advanced data link equipment, and is in the 
process of integrating Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications 
capability. The fleet also requires engine replacements to sustain 
itself through 2050. Our F-16s require active electronically scanned 
array (AESA) radars to more effectively support homeland defense and 
other priority NDS missions.
    After decades of operating in a permissive environment, we must be 
prepared to conduct logistics under attack. The C-5 and C-17 are both 
vulnerable to radar guided missile threats which would be mitigated by 
the installation of a layered defense and awareness suite. Currently, 
the Radar Warning System upgrades for both aircraft are unfunded. We 
are presently installing the Mobility Air Forces datalink system in our 
C-5 fleet and to equip our KC-135 aircraft with the Real-Time in 
Cockpit situational awareness system. Our KC-135 fleet is also 
scheduled to continue Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures 
modifications during programmed depot maintenance. The installation of 
additional threat awareness and self-defense systems will provide 
further protection for this aircraft.
    In addition to modernization, many of our airframes require 
upgrades, repairs, and component replacements in order to maintain 
airworthiness and extend service life. These weapon system sustainment 
actions are critical to both our mission capability and aircraft 
availability rates. Maintaining a mission capable aircraft fleet is 
essential to meeting operational taskings and training our personnel. 
The lack of weapon system sustainment funding can ground aircraft, 
hampering our ability to support global operations and degrading our 
readiness, therefore, the Air Force Reserve will continue to prioritize 
these efforts within its appropriated funding levels.
    Years of continuing resolutions, lack of flexible funding, and an 
aging fleet have increased weapon system sustainment requirements. 
Historically, due to competing higher priority requirements, the Air 
Force Reserve has had approximately 75 percent of our share of these 
requirements funded. We obligated over $445 million for weapon system 
sustainment in FY 2020. Our FY 2021 appropriations are approximately 
$743 million, of which we are on track to fully obligate, with 88.9 
percent funded to requirements 27 percent already obligated.
    Our current sustainment requirements include measures to extend the 
B-52's service life by an additional thirty years and to replace this 
platform's engines with new, more fuel-efficient ones. Our A-10 fleet 
requires wing replacements and our C-130H aircraft need avionics and 
propulsion upgrades, which we will prioritize when and as needed.
Internal Improvements
    Reforming our organization through internal improvements and 
increasing our operational efficiency continues to be one of our major 
focus areas. Our intent is to increase our overall readiness and 
enhance our ability to support our Reserve Citizen Airmen by 
streamlining our internal processes and eliminating requirements, 
policies, and programs which either detract from or do not contribute 
to our readiness or provide support to our personnel.
    In FY 2020, we continued to fill full time healthcare provider 
vacancies by leveraging ART to AGR conversions. This enabled a 32 
percent improvement in processing fitness for duty case completion. The 
significant process reforms from FY 2019 yielded a 14 percent increase 
in quality and reduced medical downtime for Reserve Citizen Airmen 
awaiting a return to duty determination. We were also able to 
capitalize on the Shared Data Environment to make Individual Medical 
Readiness reporting more visible to senior leadership. An increased use 
of Individual Medical Readiness services under the Reserve Health 
Readiness Program enabled completion of Separation History and Physical 
Exams to increase from 9 percent to 42 percent.
    We are currently accelerating and expanding our internal reform 
efforts. We identified additional areas within our organization that 
require enhancement and are working to improve the most critical of 
these. One of several of these initiatives is the holistic reform of 
our manpower and personnel programs and processes. We are also 
identifying processes which create problems for our Airmen, such as pay 
and benefits issues.
    As part of this enterprise-wide initiative, the Air Force Reserve's 
Force Generation Center is presently improving our mobilization and 
deployment processes through process and system upgrades. In FY 2020, 
the Force Generation Center ran a proof of concept test for a 
Deployment Orders Cell (DOC). The initial test supported 8 units and 
595 Airmen. Centralizing this process cut the average orders processing 
time from 59 days down to 7 days for the Airmen in the test group. This 
will expedite orders approval, enabling Airmen to receive benefits 
earlier in the process and reducing gaps in support. These improvements 
will alleviate problems caused by our current lengthy process, helping 
our personnel, their family members, and their civilian employers 
better plan and prepare for deployments.
    In addition to our own internal efforts, we participate in 
Department of the Air Force development and reform initiatives, 
including the Air Force War Fighting Integration Capability team. We 
also support and will benefit from the Department of the Air Force's 
ongoing predictive maintenance efforts and are working to acquire 
additive manufacturing capability. To date, five Air Force Reserve 
wings have purchased equipment required to manufacture items in house, 
which are currently being used for training and familiarization. 
Personnel at Pittsburgh Air Reserve Base, Pennsylvania and Keesler Air 
Force Base, Mississippi have completed initial online training but due 
to the pandemic they have not been able to complete the necessary in 
person training to manufacture aircraft parts. These two initiatives 
will decrease aircraft repair time, ultimately improving mission 
capable and aircraft availability rates.
Exercise Planning
    Operating in contested airspace requires both modernized aircraft 
and trained aircrew. We must ensure all Reserve Citizen Airmen receive 
realistic training and are fully capable of employing the systems which 
will be required in the future operating environment. One of the ways 
in which we are ensuring our ability to operate in a future threat 
environment is the Deliberate Planning Exercises (DPEX) program. DPEX 
shifts from an ad hoc method of scheduling exercises to a centrally 
planned, readiness driven, comprehensive exercise program that 
deliberately schedules personnel for exercises to boost unit capability 
toward specific mission essential tasks.
            providing excellent care to airmen and families
    Our Airmen are our greatest asset. They are ultimately responsible 
for maintaining our readiness, aligning our organization to meet future 
requirements, and executing our operational missions. Their success 
depends on our support. The Air Force Reserve is absolutely committed 
to providing excellent care to both our Airmen and their families. This 
mandates a holistic approach, and we continually seek ways to better 
support our personnel and enable their personal and professional 
success. We currently have numerous personnel support initiatives, 
including reducing the administrative burden on our Airmen, improving 
education and training, growing our resiliency programs, and providing 
our Airmen and their families with access to needed resources. Our 
ultimate goals are to improve the quality of life for our personnel and 
to foster an environment where people want to stay and serve.
Diversity and Inclusion
    Diverse, resilient, and ready Citizen Airmen are the bedrock of the 
Air Force Reserve's readiness and lethality. The Air Force Reserve 
continues to fully operationalize Diversity and Inclusion to leverage 
its remarkably diverse citizenry for decisive, lethal advantage.
    As an organization, we are committed to ensuring an environment in 
which every person is valued and is able to reach their fullest 
potential. To that end, we have realigned our organization to ensure 
that the Chief Diversity Officer is a director-level position on the 
major command staff. We have also ensured that at each wing the vice 
commander is the Diversity and Inclusion Program Manager and provided 
training on a quarterly basis for these duties.
    The Air Force Reserve is in the process of conducting an internal 
racial disparity review as a compliment to the Department of the Air 
Force's ongoing racial disparity review. This review is focused on 
processes unique to the Air Force Reserve that may contribute to racial 
disparity in the areas of discipline and career development. The review 
is being conducted in three phases. The first phase identified 
processes with the potential for racial disparity. The second phase, 
which is underway, consists of conducting a thorough analysis of these 
processes for disparity and making policy recommendations. The final 
phase will be continuous review and sustainment.
Suicide Prevention
    Over the last two calendar years, the Air Force Reserve has 
experienced an increase in member suicides. Our rates are not going in 
the desired direction. Losing even one Airman to suicide is a horrible 
tragedy, with every life having its own deeply personal story.
    In response to this heartbreaking trend, we expanded upon our 
existing support programs and are adding new leadership tools to assist 
with suicide prevention and intervention. Suicide is a complex 
interaction of factors; while there is no one ``fix,'' we are committed 
to addressing suicide comprehensively. The Air Force Reserve Suicide 
Prevention Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based, 
multidisciplinary program that is dedicated to a leadership driven and 
safety oriented culture. Its focus areas are building connections, 
detecting risk, promoting protective environments and equipping Airmen 
and their families.
    Although the Air Force has found no direct link between deployments 
and member suicide, all personnel receive mental health screenings 
before, during, and after deployment and as part of their annual health 
assessment. These screenings assess suicide risk along with other 
behavioral and mental health issues. We conduct Suicide Analysis 
Boards, modeled after safety investigation boards, to identify the 
causes and contributing factors behind member suicides.
    Our intent is to create protective policies and programs which will 
reverse this trend and bring our suicide rate to the only acceptable 
number: zero.
Personal Resiliency
    The personal wellness of our Airmen and their families is 
incredibly important. The Air Force Reserve has multiple on base 
entities which provide support and resources to our personnel. We 
employ dedicated Sexual Assault Response Coordinators in all wings and 
Violence Prevention Integrators 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. In FY 2019, we began building out 
embedded Religious Support Teams at our host installations with 
Religious Affairs Airmen. In FY 2021, we are completing this process by 
filling 10 Chaplain positions.
    In addition, the Air Force Reserve promotes and provides mental 
health resources as part of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. 
This initiative supports Reservists and their family members through 
pre-and post-deployment events. This program has seen an overwhelming 
success, with over 97 percent of attendees finding the events 
beneficial. Over the past year, the program cancelled 14 planned in 
person events, due to the pandemic, shifting to a virtual delivery 
model. These virtual events primarily focused on pre-deployers. In 
2020, the program supported 902 members and 1561 family members., For 
the remaining Reservists and their family members who were unable to 
attend in person events, these members will be eligible for in-person 
post-deployment events once resuming these events is safe.
Childcare Benefits
    The Air Force Reserve has worked to ensure that childcare is 
available on Unit Training Assembly weekends at no cost to parents 
through the Home Community Care (HCC) program. Airmen who do not have 
another adult for childcare due to being a single parent or a dual 
military couple are eligible for the program. The HCC program mitigates 
host locations without Child Development Centers and a lack of 
availability of Active Component facilities on weekends. Currently, the 
HCC is available or in progress at 41 Air Force Reserve locations, 
working to recruit providers by zip code.
                                summary
    We will continue our diligent efforts to meet the intent of the 
National Defense Strategy, increase our interoperability within the 
Total Force, and further our integration within the Joint Force while 
ensuring that we remain a cost effective force that provides strategic 
depth to the Nation.
    Our recent readiness gains would not have been possible without 
your support. The approval of our FY 2020 and 2021 budget requests 
enabled us to improve our readiness while maintaining robust support to 
global operations. Funding from the CARES Act allowed us to rapidly 
scale telework capabilities to protect our people. Recent legislative 
actions, such as Direct Hiring Authority, removed barriers to success 
and improved the quality of life for our Citizen Airmen. The future 
operational environment will require a capable, modern, and combat-
ready force. With your continued support, we are confident the Air 
Force Reserve will remain prepared to fly, fight, and win, delivering 
airpower anytime, anywhere.

    Senator Tester. Thank you, General Scobee.
    I want to thank each one of you for your testimony here 
today.
    I'm going to start with you, General Hokanson. The Air 
Force has come under some scrutiny lately for its basing 
decision for the Air National Guard's C-130Js. After Congress 
appropriated funds for more aircraft to modernize several 
units, there were discussions within the Air Force to redirect 
some of these aircraft to a C-130 training base that was not 
included in the last basing decision.
    So the question is, will all four units, including the unit 
in Georgia, be fully converted to the modern C-130Js provided 
in last year's appropriation bill?
    General Hokanson. Chairman, my understanding in working 
with the Air Force is that all four of those squadrons will 
convert to the J model over the timeline. I'm not specific on 
the last one. It'll depend on additional purchases, but the 
goal is to get all four converted to J models.
    Senator Tester. Okay. And can you tell us, because this 
directly relates to the answer you just gave, what is the 
timeline for redistributing the H aircraft?
    General Hokanson. Chairman, my understanding in working 
with the Air National Guard, as soon as the J models are 
available that they'll start moving the other, the H3 models 
and 2.5, to the units with the oldest C-130s so that we can 
retain the capability and capacity our Nation needs.
    Senator Tester. So if you don't have it at your fingertips 
now, is it possible to get us that timeline since you said you 
didn't have it?
    General Hokanson. Chairman, absolutely, we'll take that for 
the record.
    [The information follows:]

  --June-August 2021: Texas and West Virginia C-130H3 aircraft depart 
        to 
        Connecticut and Montana.

  --June-December 2021: Texas and West Virginia receive 5 C-130J 
        aircraft each.

  --June-September 2021: Connecticut and Montana divest their C-130H1 
        aircraft.

  --June-September 2021: Connecticut and Montana receive the C-130H3 
        aircraft that departed Texas and West Virginia.

  --July-November 2021: Kentucky C-130H2.5 aircraft depart to Delaware.

  --July-November 2021: Delaware C-130H2 aircraft depart to various 
        locations.

  --October-December 2021: Kentucky receives 2 C-130J aircraft.

    Senator Tester. Okay. Thank you.
    There have been discussions throughout the year, mobility 
capabilities and requirement studies, on this total end 
strength for Air Force's 130 fleet.
    Can you comment on the Air National Guard's requirements?
    General Hokanson. Mr. Chairman, we're waiting. I know in 
July is when the mobility capabilities requirements study comes 
out and previously they have not included the domestic 
requirements here in the United States and so we're asking that 
they consider that because we think that that may influence the 
actual number of C-130s that the Air Force would retain.
    Senator Tester. All right. Okay. Yes. And so how many C-
130s is the Air Force Reserve seeking to upgrade?
    General Scobee. Chairman, right now in the Air Force 
Reserve, we are in good shape across the spectrum in our C-
130s.
    What we have prioritized is (1) upgrade of our H models and 
making sure that they're still viable going forward and the 
other thing is in our special missions. You're very familiar 
with our firefighting capability, our aerial spray capability, 
and our hurricane hunters.
    The hurricane hunters have already been upgraded to C-130Js 
and right now we're looking at between our fire-fighting mobile 
airborne firefighting units and the aerial spray units to also 
upgrade those to C-130Js and we're on the timeframe to do that 
now with the Secretary of the Air Force.
    Senator Tester. Thank you.
    This is a question for all of you. The horrific crime of 
sexual assault is finally getting the attention it needs from 
this Administration, and I commend Secretary Austin for calling 
for a 90-day independent review commission.
    So to all of you, why is sexual assault on the rise in many 
of your components? Is there a difference between units or 
regions of the country or is it a command climate issue?
    General Bellon. Senator, I first want to start by 
acknowledging that the service takes sexual assault extremely 
seriously. We understand that our most solemn obligation is to 
the families and the citizens who give us the young Marines and 
sailors who elect to serve and our moral obligation is to 
provide a safe environment for them to develop not only as 
sailors and Marines but also as citizens.
    So there is no course of action that Congress may suggest 
to increase the opportunity for safety and to increase the 
overall wellness of those Marines and sailors that we would 
even begin to think adversely about. So we're open to all COAs 
in order to get us to a better place.
    I do acknowledge that within the Marine Corps the reporting 
has increased. There's several different ways to look at that 
and one of that is that, you know, the first thing we had to do 
is establish credibility with the force that by reporting they 
could trust the institution to do something about that and we 
believe that that's part of the increase in reporting. That by 
no way mitigates the actual crimes that are being committed.
    So what we're trying to do with overall health and wellness 
of the force, particularly with sexual assault, is to continue 
to educate, continue to hold accountable those transgressors, 
and to increase the overall safety at all bases and stations 
for our young people.
    Senator Tester. General Daniels.
    General Daniels. Across the Army Reserve, we're seeing our 
numbers declining. However, that does not make us a perfect 
organization as any of these numbers is just too many.
    So we're still tackling the challenges. We're working on 
our command climate. We're working on using--this is my squad 
philosophy to get after those conversations, to have soldiers 
and their leaders have much greater interaction and knowledge 
of backgrounds, to make sure that we're treating everyone with 
dignity and respect, and they're all brought in.
    We've done an extensive effort to retrain our lawyers and 
refresh their capabilities so that they have immediate 
conversations with all new commanders so that commanders know 
and understand their responsibilities should these allegations 
come forward.
    We've had a lot of retraining and reinvigorating of 
knowledge of dignity and respect across all of our formations 
and we will continue to do so. We're taking a hard look at how 
should our programs be structured. Is there a difference 
between preventative measures and then response measures? 
Should these programs be delivered in different methods, and so 
we're taking a really hard look at all this to help our force 
turn out a much better outcome.
    Thank you.
    Senator Tester. General Hokanson.
    General Hokanson. Chairman, shortly after becoming the 
Chief of the National Guard Bureau, we stood up a sexual 
assault task force because obviously what we've been doing in 
the past has not made a significant difference and so we're 
looking across all 54 States and territories and D.C. to look 
at those programs that seem to show promise and make sure that 
we invest in that, and I'm looking forward in June to see the 
readout from that group.
    Some of the things that we learned is obviously alcohol and 
bystanders are a factor. We need to address that immediately. 
Also, the training of our sexual assault response coordinators 
is making sure we get enough class dates for them, so we have 
trained personnel in all of our organizations, and, frankly, 
sir, as the father of a daughter that serves in the military, 
this is intolerable and it is something we must address at 
every venue.
    Senator Tester. Thank you, General.
    Admiral.
    Admiral Mustin. Not surprisingly and very consistently 
amongst all the Reserve chiefs, the elimination of destructive 
behaviors of every kind is, first and foremost, on our minds.
    We also, as General Daniels mentioned, are seeing a 
reduction in the numbers of sexual assault. We peaked in 2019. 
We saw a slight decrease in 2020 and are on glide slope now to 
continue that decrease.
    I agree that the increase in reporting is helpful. We've 
determined now that the culture of excellence umbrella concept 
is designed to demonstrate what right looks like. So the 
creation of a culture wherein every sailor can serve in an 
environment where they're not only safe but they're encouraged 
to perform is the outcome we seek and, frankly, while we see--
the elimination, of course, is paramount, but every single 
incidence is one too many.
    And so we are all driven together and this is not a Navy 
Reserve initiative but a Navy initiative. So our culture of 
excellence is the umbrella concept. Our task force One Navy 
recently did a deep dive across multi-constituent/multi-
stakeholder leadership to determine what is it that we can 
implicate at the lowest ranks where we see the predominance of 
reporting and of incidence.
    So we continue to look at that from the bottom up as well 
as from the top down, but I think you'll find consistency 
amongst all of us in our approach.
    Senator Tester. And General Scobee.
    General Scobee. Chairman Tester, as you can hear from my 
fellow witnesses, we are in lockstep on our way forward and, in 
fact, we meet on a regular basis to discuss issues just like 
this.
    This tears at the fabric of who we are as the Department of 
Defense and while we continue to make strides in supporting our 
victims of this scourge, we also recognize that sexual assault 
is a persistent challenge that we will have to work with 
together and it's not easily beaten by any stretch.
    One of the things we're working with specifically in the 
Air Force Reserve Command is ensuring we have a climate that 
does not promote this type of behavior and we remove the 
opportunity at every chance we get the opportunity to do.
    The other thing is the currency we work in within the 
Department of Defense's trust and our airmen, especially if 
they've been victimized by this, have to trust that we as 
commanders will do the right thing for them and get them the 
help that they need and all these things we're working together 
to ensure that we're doing for our members.
    Senator Tester. Thank you.
    I apologize to the committee members for running over, but 
this is an issue that has to be addressed, has to be addressed 
ASAP. As one of you has already pointed out, even one incidence 
is one too many.
    Senator Shelby.
    Senator Shelby. Thank you.
    General Hokanson, I'm concerned about the enduring cost of 
having National Guard and Reserve troops here on the Capitol 
Grounds. I have two questions.
    One, what is the impact of those costs to your budget, 2021 
budget, and, two, at what point do you truly reach a budgetary 
breaking point if you do not receive resources to backfill 
those costs?
    General Hokanson. Senator, the cost since January 6 is 
about $521 million to the National Guard and we've cash flowed 
that through our pay allowances and operations and maintenance 
funds.
    We will need that funding back in our accounts by the first 
of August. Otherwise, it will impact our drill periods for both 
August and September.
    Senator Shelby. In the area of readiness and modernization, 
General Daniels and General Hokanson, this question, can you 
tell us here more about the requirement behind this new model, 
how it will be resourced, and what overall improvements it will 
provide for our Guard and Reserve components in the Army?
    General Daniels, you want to start?
    General Daniels. So, I'm sorry, the REARM Model, is that--
--
    Senator Shelby. Mm-hmm.
    General Daniels. Yes, sir. So what that will do, it will 
allow us to do multiple different things. One is to have 
regional affiliations, habitual relationships with units, and 
it will also give us additional predictability in terms of how 
long we're going to be spent during modernization, training, 
and then mission. So it will allow us to get into a very 
predictable cycle for our units and that will help the 
employers and the families and the service members know when 
they're going to be going off and doing these missions.
    General Hokanson. And, sir, with the National Guard, the 
benefit there is if you look at our State partnership, we're 
already regionally aligned and particularly with the Army 
National Guard, we've taken our eight divisions and actually 
allocated the subordinate force structures so they're actually 
eight full divisions. So that will allow us to help deter and 
also be part of the total Army so that we can align those units 
and develop long-term training relationships not only with our 
State partners but also in those regions.
    Senator Shelby. General Hokanson, with the recent riots and 
cyber attacks against the U.S., what's the National Guard's 
role in defending the homeland from cyber attacks, and how is 
it working with other Federal agencies with similar 
responsibilities?
    Finally, does the Guard have the resources it needs for 
cyber defense, the personnel and everything?
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir. If you look at our cyber 
forces, we have about 4,000 cyber professionals within the 
National Guard and that's in 59 units and 40 States. We also 
have what's called a Defensive Cyber element in each State and 
we did a year-long study under the CMAT (Cyber Mission 
Assurance Team) Program which basically looked at a CST-type 
and what came out of that is we believe that establishing those 
existing units to be aligned with what Cybercom would utilize 
and we would man, train, and equip them the same. They would 
provide that capability within each State.
    If you look over the past year and a half, we had two 
incidents, both in Louisiana and Texas, where the Governors 
activated their cyber professionals within the National Guard 
under State Active Duty to address a cyber attack, one to a 
school district and another one to a county, and using 
Louisiana as an example, they were able to come in and mitigate 
the ransomware and save tens of thousands of IT systems which, 
as we all know, is something a school district could not absorb 
with their budget.
    Senator Shelby. General, the CBO (Congressional Budget 
Office) in the area of Space National Guard and Reserve that 
you mentioned earlier, the CBO has estimated that an additional 
$100 million annually will be required to create a Space 
National Guard and Reserve unit with a bill up to $490 million 
annually for a larger Space Guard.
    Given the level of defense funding proposed by the current 
Administration, how does the National Guard plan to prioritize 
resources for modernization while also standing up a new 
service component and do it without more resources?
    General Hokanson. Sir, the actual cost is about $200,000 
and that's just to change the name tapes on their uniform and 
the sign outside their buildings and the flags of the unit.
    The units already exist. They're already performing the 
mission today. We don't need any additional MILCON (Military 
Construction) or any additional over-structure. We basically 
just take the folks that are doing today and instead of Air 
Force, it says Space Force on their name tag with an extra 
weekend.
    Senator Shelby. That's good news, best I've heard in a long 
time. Thank you.
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir.
    Senator Tester. Senator Durbin.
    Senator Durbin. Thanks very much, Mr. Chairman.
    I want to focus for a minute on January 6 and ask General 
Hokanson as follows. If we use some 26,000 National Guardsmen, 
and I thank all of them, their families, for their service to 
our country and sacrifice, as well as others, COVID-19, but if 
we use some 26,000 to protect this Capitol after the 
insurrectionist mob overran the Capitol on January 6, 
conversations are ongoing about what to do next.
    I'm afraid all the prospects are terrible in terms of the 
access of the public to this building, but I wonder if you were 
in on those conversations and whether there's a basic question 
asked as to whether we have to go beyond the National Guard and 
Reserve and really think of a permanent military presence on 
Capitol Hill.
    General Hokanson. Senator, with respect to that, I was 
basically in many cases just asked to provide force and so I 
worked directly with the 54 to make sure that we got the 
personnel that were required to get here.
    When I did get a chance to read the Task Force 1-6 report, 
looking back, I tend to agree with the Number 1 requirement 
that there's a lack of number of U.S. Capitol Police officers 
which caused the reliance on other agencies and so when I look 
at this as a Guardsman, I see this primarily as a law 
enforcement issue and I think it would be a law enforcement 
solution to that.
    Obviously until that capability is there, the Guard is 
there to do whatever we're asked to do and currently, sir, the 
2,300 that we have here today are scheduled to end their 
mission on the 23rd of May and we are not aware of any 
requirement beyond that and so at that time our folks will all 
go home.
    Senator Durbin. well, it really raises a basic practical 
question. If the complement of law enforcement is not adequate 
to the challenge, for instance, the thousands that left the 
President's rally and came marching up here to crash through 
the windows and doors and to assault the policemen and that, 
there was need for supplemental help for sure,----
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir.
    Senator Durbin [continuing]. And it took several hours but 
they arrived and finally brought the Capitol back under 
control.
    I'm just asking whether or not that is something that is 
naturally a National Guard function or should be a regular 
military function.
    General Hokanson. Sir, if we look at our full-time manning 
within the National Guard, they're basically there to 
administer and train the part-time force. We don't really have 
any forces that are there full time with a dedicated mission 
set and so for us to do that, it would cause some legislative 
changes for the National Guard to do that.
    Senator Durbin. Okay. Let me ask a follow-up question. At 
the heart of domestic terrorism in America, according to the 
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the Attorney General, 
is white supremacy, racism, white nationalism. We're seeing in 
those who were arrested and charged with January 6 veterans of 
the military and I think in one instance, at least one, Active 
military who were participating.
    So if the issue of sexual predation should be dominant in 
our thinking, so, too, should the issue of racism in the ranks.
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir.
    Senator Durbin. What are we doing, what are you doing to 
deal with this issue and to make certain that it is not a 
challenge to the integrity of your unit?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator. So we follow very closely 
the training requirements of both the Army and the Air Force 
and, frankly, there is no room for extremism of any sort within 
our organization and so we rely on our lower level commanders 
and our adjutants general when they identify personnel that may 
be susceptible to this that they either address it within the 
military chain of command or within local law enforcement, 
whichever is the appropriate means.
    Senator Durbin. So let me ask, General Bellon, would you 
like to comment on the same issue?
    General Bellon. Sir, at this time we're adequately 
resourced. We project forward. As you know, the service is in 
the middle of a force design and the commandant has made it 
very clear that we're looking at reinventing ourselves within 
the resources we currently have and so at this point in time, 
we're not asking for additional resources.
    Senator Durbin. Sir, I'm sorry, on the issue of race and 
discriminatory conduct and such, would you comment on what's 
being done?
    General Bellon. Yes. I think, as we talked about before 
with sexual assault, the first part is acknowledging it and I 
can report to Congress at every level of the Marine Corps as I 
engage from second lieutenants in Quantico all the way up to my 
peers, we are actively acknowledging the problem, and it is not 
a nice to have, it is not an additional burden for us to solve. 
It is a primary problem set within the culture of the service.
    By talking about that and by signaling at every level that 
this is the priority, then the natural culture of our service 
to align, follow orders, and execute priorities kicks into 
effect, and from my experience, the level of candor that goes 
on in the conversations right now, I've never seen anything 
like it on any issue.
    The acknowledgement, the candor, the sharing of the 
different underrepresented populations about what their life is 
like as a minority, for example, or what they perceive on 
social media and how it contradicts our culture is exceptional, 
is exceptional right now and that's the beginning.
    Senator Durbin. Thank you for that, and there have been 
programs. I won't take any more time of the committee this 
morning, but there have been programs which have suggested that 
even though we nominally ended racism in the military in the 
1940s under President Truman, the reality is much different and 
I think that can be said across America in many different 
venues.
    I think we have to take a very honest, forthright, and open 
position on this, that if you're a racist, you have no place in 
the military. If you're guilty of sexual predation, you have no 
place in the military.
    I hope that that is clear and I'm going to ask each of the 
branches to respond as I don't want to take any more time this 
morning.
    Thank you.
    Senator Tester. Senator Collins.
    Senator Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    General Hokanson, as you indicated, the year 2020 was 
unprecedented in terms of National Guard activations and 
deployments. The main Guard, for example, has deployed service 
members to our southern border to assist the overworked and 
overwhelmed Border Patrol, to Africa to help with security 
missions, to Washington, D.C., to provide support for our 
Capitol Police, all the while assisting the State of Maine with 
clinics and logistics and responding to the pandemic.
    During all of this activity, the Air Guard Wing in Bangor, 
Maine, continues its extraordinary work refueling our tankers.
    General, the average age of the Maine National Guard's 10 
KC-135s stationed in Bangor is over 60 years old. They are 
pressed into service to operate all over the world and Bangor's 
a critical location for flights crossing the Atlantic.
    Can you provide us with some insight on the roadmap that 
the Guard and the Air Force are using to recapitalize this 
aging tanker fleet and ensure that units like Bangor, which are 
in strategic geographic locations, are able to continue their 
vital mission long into the future?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator. So when we look at the 
recapitalization with the KC-46 fleet, the next analysis are 
for 7 and 8, are coming out I believe in 2023, and so they'll 
look very closely at each of the mission sets, the locations, 
and the unit's capability to convert, but between now and then 
and actually long after that for the rest of our KC-135 fleet, 
it's absolutely critical to our Nation's defense not only in 
terms of day-to-day requirements but also other requirements, 
as well, and so we're working with the Air Force to make sure 
we've got a 25-year plan.
    I think some of these aircraft may be approaching a hundred 
years old, but the recapitalization and investment in those air 
frames is critical so that we can maintain that required 
capability and capacity for our Nation.
    Senator Collins. Well, I would welcome your coming to see 
the Air Refueling Wing and would be delighted to host you for a 
visit. I think you'd be very impressed.
    General Hokanson. Yes, ma'am, would love to get there.
    Senator Collins. I recently traveled to the southwest 
border and witnessed the ongoing crisis there. I very much 
appreciate the work of the Maine guardsmen and women who have 
been supporting the Border Patrol in Arizona. I happened to go 
to Texas.
    I understand that the Department of Defense has received a 
request from the Department of Homeland Security to continue 
supporting these border deployments beyond the end of the 
fiscal year.
    What is the status of the planning to extend the Guard's 
presence into the new fiscal year?
    General Hokanson. So, Senator, we received that request 
recently. I know it's going through the Office of the Secretary 
of Defense right now to determine how that's going to be 
resourced going forward with the rescinding of the Declaration 
of National Emergency, a Title 10 authorization.
    We're looking out for the guardsmen to potentially fill 
that but it may be Active component, but they're looking at all 
options right now, ma'am, but we know the current units that 
are scheduled there are to come home on the 30th of September. 
So we're making sure that we do this as quickly as possible to 
notify those forces so that there's no break in coverage.
    Senator Collins. Given the 20-year high in the number of 
migrants crossing the border, it is evident that the Border 
Patrol agents simply, though they work so hard, are overwhelmed 
and really need assistance. So I hope that will be approved or 
that Active Duty forces will assist them.
    Thank you.
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator.
    Senator Tester. Senator Feinstein.
    Senator Feinstein. Thanks very much, Mr. Chairman.
    My question is of you, General Hokanson, and I very much 
appreciate your highlighting the California National Guard's 
very heroic efforts battling wildfires.
    Last year alone, four million acres in California burned, 
10,000 structures were destroyed, 5,000 of them homes, 31 
people lost their lives. So I am very interested in what the 
Guard can do to be helpful to us.
    Do you have any suggestions that you might care to make?
    General Hokanson. Senator, thank you for the question, and 
thankfully there was a river between one of those fires and my 
parents' house.
    Senator Feinstein. Wow!
    General Hokanson. But when we look at the way we fight 
forest fires, we've really kind of taken the approach that 
we've learned from hurricanes and this March was the first time 
we actually had a wild land firefighting symposium where we 
brought all the States together that fight forest fires along 
with the National Interagency Fire Center to take really a 
different approach because it's no longer a fire season. We 
start to call it a fire year now.
    What we've tried to do is identify, particularly in 
California, Washington this year where aviation units may be 
deploying, and identifying States to make sure that they train 
their air crews so they can fill that gap in case there's a 
need in California or any of the States that fight wild land 
firefighting.
    We're also looking at the ability when we look at some of 
our Title 32 Active, Guard, and Reserve personnel. 
Traditionally, they are only on for 72 hours under immediate 
response authority.
    We're working on a policy which I should have completed by 
the end of the month to give adjutants general the ability to 
retain some of those personnel on an emergency basis to help 
support firefighting because it's absolutely critical our 
leaders are with them at all times.
    Senator Feinstein. I note that--first of all, thank you for 
that answer--that some 14 percent of the Guard members lack 
health insurance. It's my understanding that while on Active 
Duty orders for more than 30 days, guardsmen are eligible for 
military medical coverage. However, once their orders end or if 
members are activated for less than a month, they have fewer 
options.
    Would this be something we might be able to do to be 
helpful and encourage people to remain in the Guard and serve 
as your Guard serves in California which is really top of the 
ladder?
    General Hokanson. Senator, that would be--that's my Number 
1 legislative priority is to get premium free healthcare for 
all of our guardsmen.
    When we look at the past year and what we asked them to do, 
particularly we did not know what a COVID environment would be 
like, we always want the family members and the service member 
to know that no matter what we ask them to do because we ask 
them to be ready at any time, that they're medically ready and 
if anything happens, if they're injured or sick before or after 
their duty, that they know that they're going to get the care 
they need to continue their civilian employment or their 
military employment.
    One of the other things we're concerned of is when you go 
from orders, sometimes you have to change medical care from 
your civilian provider to Tricare and in some cases they'd have 
to find new medical providers, but by it being a standardized 
process and coverage, they could keep that same healthcare 
provider through all of it which we think is really important.
    And lastly, ma'am, one of the things we've looked at is 
when we look at the number of soldiers and airmen that don't 
have healthcare coverage, if they have access to mental health 
care or counseling, if that might benefit the number of 
suicides that we have in our organization.
    Senator Feinstein. Well, thank you. I'd be very happy to 
work with you on that and I would suspect other members would, 
as well.
    I'm a big fan of the Guards and when these wildfires come 
to California, we really see with great appreciation their 
service. So I want you to know that.
    Thank you very much.
    General Hokanson. Thank you, ma'am.
    Senator Tester. Senator Murkowski.
    Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 
all for being here this morning and for your service.
    General Hokanson, I'd like to start with you, if I may. In 
recent conversations that I've had with Major General Sacks, 
he's the Alaska TAG, we were discussing the search and rescue 
mission there in Alaska and the 176 Wing located at JBER (Joint 
Base Elmendorf-Richardson). There are three rescue squadrons, 
you're familiar with them, which utilize the HH60 in their 
operations.
    We're told that the HH60s belonging to the 176 have the 
highest operational tempo in the Air Force and the highest 
utilization rate. We know that the Wing needs some additional 
and some upgraded H60s to keep up with the mission demands and 
to support the growing focus the DOD (Department of Defense) 
has placed on the region, on the Arctic region.
    The current plan to bed down additional aircraft in Alaska 
isn't targeted until 2026 and so you've got kind of a 
misalignment there, if you will, with the growth in mission 
requirements, the operational requirements, and the aging of 
the existing helicopters.
    So can you update me? Are there options that exist to allow 
for perhaps a reprioritization of these assets, and then also 
is the utilization rate calculated into the decisionmaking 
process?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator, and so obviously as a 
former rescue pilot, I follow 176 very closely, and they do an 
incredible amount of rescues and----
    Senator Murkowski. They're amazing.
    General Hokanson [continuing]. Make a huge impact every 
day, and I'll be working with the Air Force. I'll make sure, 
Number 1, that we have no gap in coverage in terms of the 
number of aircraft there, but also ask that they take a look 
at, based on the operational tempo and the requirements, 
particularly unique to Alaska, especially as the Arctic begins 
to open more and there may be additional requirements for them 
in that area.
    I know the future combat rescue helicopter, once that's 
online, our maintenance rates should go up on those, but 
between now and then, I think it's 2026, I'll continue to work 
with the Air Force to see if we can get reprioritization or 
additional aircraft to cover the gap.
    Senator Murkowski. Well, I appreciate your eyes on that and 
the fact that your background allows you to be intimately 
familiar with their mission. I appreciate that, but we are 
concerned about any potential for gap because what they do and 
what they provide is extraordinary unique and they truly are 
the best of the best there.
    I appreciate your response to Senator Shelby here with 
regards to the Space Force. As you know, we currently have 
members of both the Guard and the Reserve in Alaska that are 
working to support the Space Force missions there in Alaska.
    I understand that you've given a little bit of background 
in terms of the CBO score and the cost but know that we're 
certainly at the ready to do what we can to help with that very 
important mission.
    Another question to you relating to suicide and mental 
health issues. This is something that I have paid particular 
attention to within this subcommittee, making sure that our 
service men and women and their families are cared for.
    We all know that this past year has been tough on everybody 
and you couple the effects of the pandemic with the challenges 
that you have in certain areas, particularly remote 
assignments, like Alaska, but I don't know if you can speak to 
the statistics within the Guard, whether we've seen an increase 
in suicides this past year, and then what more we can be doing 
to provide those levels of support for mental health and 
behavioral health issues that may exist within the National 
Guard.
    General Hokanson. Senator, we actually watched this very 
closely over the past year and at the end of 2020, we were 
actually just one below our 10-year average, but, frankly, any 
one is devastating, not only to the family but also to the 
organization, and I actually stood up a Suicide Prevention Task 
Force to take a look at what we're doing across the entire 
National Guard.
    Coming into today, we're about five below where we were 
last year at this time, but, once again, any single one of 
those is just a devastating impact to the entire organization.
    One thing that we've done is we've looked at some 
additional programs and we have 27 pilots that we're running, 
pilot programs. We reached out to the 54 States and territories 
that they brought up as potential benefit to our service 
members, and one I'd like to highlight is called SPRING. It's 
the Suicide Prevention Readiness Initiative for the National 
Guard.
    What it does is it takes existing data from every county in 
the United States and identifies potential risk factors and 
when they reach a certain level, the adjutants general and the 
commanders wit State can assess a region based on the things 
that are taking place within those counties and also hopefully 
preventively address that and provide additional training or 
counselors within that region to make sure that our service 
members know that there's opportunities for them to discuss any 
concerns they might have.
    Senator Murkowski. Appreciate that. Mr. Chairman, I think 
that's an interesting approach, recognizing that oftentimes 
these factors are community-based, regionally-based. So I look 
forward to knowing and understanding a little bit more.
    Thank you.
    Senator Tester. Thank you.
    I believe we have Senator Schatz virtually.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Thank you to all of our panelists. I want to continue the 
line of questioning from Senator Murkowski regarding mental 
health access and suicide prevention.
    You know, I think there's two issues. One is making sure 
that Guard members, while being deployed, don't feel 
stigmatized from accessing mental health services and the other 
is, to the extent that we're making progress in that area, in 
reducing stigma and encouraging everybody across our society to 
understand that mental health is just health and that every 
Guard member ought to access those services, I worry a bit 
about the transition from deployment to regular life when they 
have access to all these great services and programs and 
initiatives that you've started up and then they're back to 
their regular life and may need continuing mental health 
services and that transition can be challenging.
    So could you speak to both issues, the stigma issue and 
then how do we transition when someone's coming out of their 
deployment?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator. So when we look at the day-
to-day, the stigmatism related to that, when folks come off 
deployment, they have the opportunity to meet with medical 
professionals on their way out and they can request help and 
they can also be aware of the services available to them and 
that extends for about 6 months post deployment.
    Also, they do a periodic health assessment, which allows 
them to go online and fill out a lot of questions and having 
recently done it, they ask a lot of questions, if they have any 
mental health concerns, if they'd like to see someone, and they 
can do that really anonymously.
    Now with respect to the enduring concern, this really goes 
back to my Number 1 priority legislatively and that is to 
pursue Tricare Reserve Select for all of our guardsmen where 
they don't pay for any principal related to that.
    The key there is that way, it's always available to them 
because you never know when you're going to need it because 
your life situation can change at any time, but knowing that 
they can get mental healthcare or see a counselor, I think is 
something that we don't know the benefits of but I believe it 
certainly will help.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you, General, and you certainly have 
my support for that very important legislative initiative.
    Moving on to the Asia Pacific Region, you know, I have 
talked to Indo PACOM commanders or ambassadors in the region. 
Everybody loves the State Partnership Program. So I'm wondering 
if you could just help us to understand how we can use the 
State Partnership Program to support Indo PACOM Pacific 
deterrence initiative.
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir. So when you look at the 
National Guards, over 20 percent of the entire Joint Force and 
specifically to the Indo PACOM Region, we have 13 state 
partnerships. In fact, as the adjutant general of Oregon, I had 
state partnerships with both Bangladesh and Vietnam, and the 
great asset that it provides to the Indo PACOM commander is 
we're fully integrated into their theater security cooperation 
plan and these enduring relationships that we've built with 
these countries also is an additional U.S. presence but also 
gives us many times the opportunity to counter some of the 
messaging that they receive from China and other countries.
    So I think it's absolutely critical we continue that and 
we're in close coordination with Indo PACOM to help in any way 
we can with their Pacific Defense Initiative.
    Senator Schatz. One final question. You know, we lose some 
time obviously during COVID as everybody did with partners and 
just wondering how we're specifically focusing on relationships 
that were maybe tenuous but being built and then COVID 
interrupted that relationship-building in the context of the 
State Partnership Program.
    Are there particular countries that we're sort of anxious 
to get moving again in terms of our partnerships with?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator, and, in fact, I would say 
we're pretty anxious to get back with all of them as quickly as 
we can.
    The one thing that was nice is I think on both of our 
parts, our part and our state partners, we realized the 
limitations we had in terms of travel and so we're able to find 
virtual ways to connect with them, continue our relationships, 
but we're very much looking forward to the ability to travel to 
all of our state partners as soon as possible to continue to 
develop those relationships.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you. On energy resilience, I just 
wanted to flag the President, as you know, issued an Executive 
Order establishing a Federal Clean Energy Standard. This may 
not have immediately been risen to your desk, but I'm going to 
submit a question for the record about the particular ways in 
which you're going to have to change your procurement process 
in order to comply with the President's Executive Order, but 
I'll submit that to you for a response for the record.
    Thank you.
    General Hokanson. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Tester. The Senior Senator from Kansas, Senator 
Moran.
    Senator Moran. Mr. Chairman, thank you for that 
recognition. Assuming that it has nothing to do with age, I 
appreciate it.
    General Hokanson, there's a pilot program that was 
authorized in the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act), in 
the fiscal year 2021 NDAA that would allow the testing and 
development of National Guard partnerships across state lines 
in regard to cybersecurity.
    The opportunity was for the private sector to participate. 
In one State, the National Guard in that State then be able to 
assist other National Guards in another State in regard to 
training, preparation, response to a cybersecurity attack. I 
don't think it's necessary to say but something that's hugely 
important and front and center for all of us.
    As you know, I think, the Kansas National Guard is home to 
some of our Nation's best cybersecurity operators and we also 
have a number of civilian stakeholders who are interested in 
assisting in that mission. So that pilot program has been 
authorized.
    My question is if we provide you with proper funding, is 
the DOD prepared to pursue, make the assessments, tell us how 
that program might work, and do you foresee any roadblocks that 
would prevent the mission that is contemplated by this pilot 
program from being accomplished?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator. So I'm looking forward to 
seeing the end results of that, but what we've done internally 
is take a look at that, as well, and I really look at cyber in 
many ways like a hurricane. So we need additional truck 
companies to come down there and the same with cyber.
    If we need additional cyber help through the EMAC 
(Emergency Management Assistance Compacts) process, we can move 
them State to State to provide that capability, and in some 
cases, they don't even need to move. They can operate from 
their current location. So that's very important.
    But I think to your point, a lot of our relationships with 
the civilian providers or companies that have, you know, 
exquisite experience and many of our guardsmen work for them 
and they bring that to their cyber jobs is absolutely critical, 
but when we look at the fact that we're literally, you know, at 
war every day on the cyber battlefield, it's important that our 
guardsmen are trained and up-to-date and they can respond 
wherever they're needed within their communities and that's 
where we look at the State Active Duty capabilities under the 
authority of the Governors to address issues within their State 
or request help from outside the State.
    Senator Moran. General, in my words, I would say that 
you're telling me, telling the committee that this has value, 
and in part it may be accomplished regardless of the outcome of 
the pilot program with the active participation of you and 
those on your team to accomplish it. Is that a fair assessment 
of your response?
    General Hokanson. Yes.
    Senator Moran. And you know of no roadblocks that I need to 
be pursuing to remove?
    General Hokanson. Sir, not at this time. We'll have to work 
specifically with each of the States because some of them have 
different laws that have to be followed, but we work very 
closely with the 54 to look at overarching policies that we can 
put across the entire organization to facilitate the need to 
address any issues within our communities.
    Senator Moran. Also, thank you for recognizing what really 
takes place in Wichita with our Red Team in the private sector 
who employs those Guard members and then that gives them the 
capability to devote significant attention and expertise to 
national security matters. I appreciate you knowing that.
    Let me ask all our witnesses. DD-214 reform, one of the 
things we're trying to overcome is the tremendous burden that 
members of the military and their families encounter when they 
leave the service and my goal is to make it simple for National 
Guard and Reserve members to keep track of their records of 
deployment.
    My question is would you support, do you support providing 
a comprehensive document of military service for the Reserve 
component similar to the DD-214?
    General Daniels. I'll say absolutely, yes, sir, we would 
very much welcome that so that it's easier for members, once 
they've served, to show that they have served and it's a 
universally-accepted document.
    Senator Moran. Has General Daniels received any criticism 
or disagreement from any of her colleagues?
    [No response:]
    Senator Moran. Let the record show that all are in 
agreement.
    My final question in my last 46 seconds, the Moms Leave 
Act. Last year a bill that I authored authorized maternity 
leave for mothers in the Reserve component. That bill was 
signed into law.
    Women in the Guard and Reserve across the United States are 
waiting for the department to implement this law so that they 
receive comparable support to their Active Duty counterparts.
    Does the department require any clarifying language? Are 
there any challenges in getting this implemented so that those 
mothers, mothers-to-be and mothers that are currently in that 
circumstance can receive the benefits of this legislation?
    General Hokanson. Senator, I would say we're working very 
closely with OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defense) on 
implementation guidance and we think this is absolutely the 
right thing to do for our reservists to be treated exactly like 
their Active counterparts, and it's an acknowledgement that we 
need to recognize their service and adjust accordingly.
    Senator Moran. Anyone else have a response?
    General Scobee. Senator Moran, it's Rich Scobee here at the 
end of the table from the Air Force Reserve.
    We are in lockstep with what General Hokanson just talked 
about. In fact, the Reserve chiefs met last week to discuss 
this very issue and so as the department determines how this is 
going to be fleshed out across the board, they are working hard 
with our elected officials to ensure that we get this Act.
    Any barrier that we have to anybody being able to serve 
within our commands is extremely important that we get through 
and that's what we're working on.
    Senator Moran. Thank you. General Daniels.
    General Daniels. As stated, we did talk just like 3 days 
ago about this very matter. So this is high on our list of 
implementation actions.
    Senator Moran. Thank you. It might be hypocritical for me 
to complain about the length of time it's taking for 
implementation because it took a significant amount of time to 
get it passed through Congress, but it is important and 
timeliness does matter.
    Thank you all.
    Senator Tester. Senator Shaheen.
    Senator Shaheen. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and 
thank you to each of you for your service to this country and 
for your testimony this morning.
    General Hokanson, I want to begin with you and actually I 
should say I should start by echoing the remarks of the 
Chairman and so many of my colleagues with thanks to the Guard 
for all of their extraordinary efforts over the last year as we 
have battled COVID.
    In New Hampshire we could not have done it without the 
National Guard, and they have been on consistent deployment now 
for over 400 days. So I think it's imperative for all of us to 
thank everyone for what they have done. It has made a huge 
difference. So thank you very much.
    I want to go back to Senator Collins' questions about the 
KC-135s because, as you're aware, the 157th Air Refueling Wing 
at Pease was the first National Guard Base to get the KC-46s 
and we were so excited about that. We said good-bye to our last 
KC-135 with the anticipation that we would get those 46s and 
they have come in and now we're the first Guard base to get all 
of our component of the tankers and we can't use them and it's 
really frustrating and I know you all share in that 
frustration.
    But there were serious concerns voiced last year about the 
retirement of our legacy tankers because of the delays in 
getting the KC-46s operational and, in fact, in the fiscal year 
2021 NDAA, we restricted divestment of the KC-10 and KC-135s.
    Now I understand that the President's budget has been 
released or at least the outline and it states that retiring 
legacy systems should be a priority for the Defense budget this 
year.
    Do you agree with that position and perhaps I should ask, 
General?
    General Hokanson. Thank you, Senator. So when I Look at 
the--obviously we do need to modernize, but we also must retain 
the capability and capacity that our Nation needs. So in some 
cases, although we have legacy systems, until they're 
modernized, I think it's important that we continue to retain 
like the KC-135 to meet all the requirements of our Nation.
    Senator Shaheen. General Scobee, do you agree with that?
    General Scobee. Senator Shaheen, I appreciate that question 
very much.
    It is vital that the Air Force is able to project power 
across the world. The KC-46 is the linchpin in that. As General 
Hokanson said, he's exactly right, we are trying to balance the 
new equipment we bring in with modernizing the KC-135 and those 
two air frames are going to be what take us into the future.
    Having had the opportunity to fly the KC-46, two things I 
was able to take from that. One is I'm not as good of a pilot 
as I used to be, and the other thing is, is that it's an 
incredibly capable machine and I know that General Van Ovost at 
AMC (Air Mobility Command) is going to make sure that we get 
all the capabilities out of that we can, and it is also 
fielding the Air Force Reserve now. So my confidence is high we 
are on the right path forward.
    Senator Shaheen. Well, thank you. I've had a chance to fly 
on it, as well, as a passenger and was very impressed with the 
potential, and I guess that adds to the frustration around it.
    Now I understand that the 46s would be able to perform 
other missions and particularly aeromedical missions are on 
that list and that makes our Guard in New Hampshire very 
excited, but one of the challenges to actually doing those 
missions if a new problem that's come up and we don't talk 
about that as much as we do the remote vision systems, but the 
air transportable galley lavatories, basically the bathrooms, 
the ATGLs (Air Transportable Galley-Lavatory) are now a problem 
that I guess we're going to have trouble flying some of those 
missions until that gets fixed.
    Do you have any sense, General Hokanson, when that's going 
to happen and what I can tell the 157th in New Hampshire about 
when they might be able to fly those missions?
    General Hokanson. Ma'am, I do not, but we can certainly get 
back to you on the exact dates until that's resolved.
    Senator Shaheen. Thank you. Also a question for Boeing as 
we see this come up, when we didn't realize--we thought we had 
nailed down the other issues with the tanker and this has 
become a new problem. So thank you. I would appreciate knowing 
more about that.
    I have a final question for you, General Hokanson, because 
one of the challenges that--and I guess, General Daniels, this 
is a concern for you, as well.
    One of the challenges our Guard has in New Hampshire is 
with the age of some of our facilities. They are decades-old 
and replacing those has been costly. The State doesn't have the 
funds to do that at this point.
    So can you talk about how important it is for us to replace 
some of those facilities so that our Guard and Reserve are 
prepared when they're called up?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator. If you look within the 
National Guard, 26 percent of our facilities are over 60 years 
old and I know I've worked with General Mikolaities on the 
State not having to have a match, especially during the COVID 
environment, but it's absolutely critical and this really goes 
back to the climate.
    If you look at how inefficient so many of our facilities 
are and everything that we build new or replace, we make sure 
it's modernized and it's more efficient, so it reduces the 
energy to offer those.
    But also if you look at the armories, these were built in 
the '50s and '60s and back then, an infantryman could put 
everything in a wall locker and that's not the case anymore. 
There's significant equipment requirements and security 
requirements.
    So any additional funding we can get, we always put to good 
use.
    Senator Shaheen. Thank you. Do you want to add to that, 
General?
    General Daniels. We're in a very similar situation. We're 
funded at about 86 percent of our requirements and we continue 
to do the best we can with the resources that we've got and we 
continue to look for modernization and efficiencies wherever 
possible.
    Senator Shaheen. Thank you both.
    Mr. Chairman, I know I'm out of time, but I would suggest 
that as we're thinking about any infrastructure package, 
thinking about how we can support our Guard around the country 
would be an important piece of that.
    Thank you all.
    Senator Tester. Senator Hoeven.
    Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    General Hokanson, thank you for visiting with me earlier, 
appreciate it, and I want to begin by talking about the MQ-1C 
Gray Eagle. That's important equipment for Active Duty Army. As 
a matter of fact, the Gray Eagle, they operate all across of 
their combat aviation brigades, and so given that the Army 
National Guard is expected to deploy and fight alongside the 
Active Duty counterparts, it seems to me it would be very 
important that you have the Gray Eagle, as well, for your 
soldiers and that you are trained on it, and so I would ask 
your opinion and do you support fielding the MQ-1C Gray Eagle 
for the Army National Guard?
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir, and we look at the Army 
National Guard divisions. So there's 10 Active Duty divisions 
and we're now forming eight National Guard divisions and that 
capability currently resides in the combat aviation brigades on 
Active Duty.
    I want to make sure that our National Guard is equipped and 
looks just like the Active component and so if they have Gray 
Eagles in their combat aviation brigades, I would strongly 
advocate for the same capability within the National Guard so 
that our units are interoperable and we have the same 
capabilities in each of our divisions.
    Senator Hoeven. So what steps need to be taken to 
accomplish that?
    General Hokanson. Sir, I believe the Army would need to be 
resourced because, as we brought the eight additional Guard 
divisions on, those capabilities, like DFARS (Defense 
Acquisition Regulations System) and other organizations, are 
being stood up in the National Guard right now, so that we have 
the same and look the same.
    Senator Hoeven. Also, I want to ask about the MQ-9 Reaper. 
Our Air Guard flies that, the Happy Hooligans, in Fargo, and 
they were one of the very first Guard units to get that 
mission, originally Predator, now Reaper, and they've been 
flying it continuously ever since.
    We're building a new operations facility which is good, but 
we're flying the Block 1 MQ-9, and we need to get to the Block 
5, and so we worked to authorize and fund 16 of the new 
aircraft for this fiscal year. We'll continue to work to do 
that, but I would like, you know, your assurances that for 
Guard units like ours that they will transition in a timely way 
from the Block 1 to the Block 5.
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir, and I believe they're scheduled 
to convert in 2024, about the same time as the facilities will 
be completed, and obviously, sir, if there's any opportunity to 
speed up, we'll work with the Air Force to do that, but I know 
Currently the plan is in fiscal year 2024.
    Senator Hoeven. Appreciate that. My next, I guess, question 
relates to tuition assistance. A huge tool for recruiting and 
retention for the Guard and all Reserve units is making sure 
that the educational benefit is there, both the Federal tuition 
assistance and the G.I. Bill educational benefit, and I have 
put in legislation with Senator Pat Leahy to make sure that the 
Guard and all Reserve components can use both because you need 
it for recruitment to get these--I mean, your business is a 
high-tech business that calls for certainly capable people 
physically but they have to be super sharp now in terms of 
using all the technology, you know, to stay ahead of our 
adversaries. So our legislation would make sure that all Guard 
and all Reserve components could use both.
    Now good news is that the DOD has said yes, we're going to 
do that. So tell me where are we in getting that done and 
getting it out to our soldiers, our men and women in uniform.
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir. So within the Army National 
Guard, we've got it out and we've had that capability 
previously.
    Within the Air National Guard, we've had to fund that and 
currently we have 14 States that are doing that, but based on 
the success of that program, we are now funding within the Air 
National Guard eight additional States every year until we get 
all 54, but, sir, as you mentioned, it's an incredible benefit 
to our guardsmen.
    Senator Hoeven. It really is, and I would welcome comments 
from any of the others on that and the Tricare Reserve Select 
benefit is something that we have to have out there for Guard 
and Reserve, as well, starting with you, General Hokanson, and 
then General Scobee and anyone else that wants to weigh in on 
either of those, the education or healthcare benefit.
    General Hokanson. Yes, sir. As I mentioned, that's my 
Number 1 legislation priority. It's a benefit not only just to 
the medical readiness of the organization but to the family 
members and also it's a benefit to the employer knowing that if 
they employ a guardsman, they have their own healthcare.
    Also, we talked about potentially benefits when it comes to 
suicide prevention by having mental health readily available as 
well as counseling.
    Senator Hoeven. General Scobee.
    General Scobee. Senator Hoeven, exactly right. General 
Hokanson has explained it correctly. What I would really tell 
you from a Reserve perspective, this is a new benefit that we 
have on the education piece, and we're very thankful that you 
started that and that the Department of Defense has followed 
through with what we wanted for our airmen.
    Our airmen now are so much better than they were in the 
past as far as education, high-tech, and the things that we've 
been able to do over the last few decades. We really need these 
benefits because it attracts and retains the airmen that we 
need.
    And then as you talked about, Tricare Reserve Select, we 
are extremely thankful for that benefit. Right now, it's 
scheduled to take place in 2030. We'd like to move that up 
sooner, if able, but the ability for our airmen not to have 
lapses in coverage is exactly what we've been talking about up 
here as a group is to ensure that we have all the medical 
benefits that should be allowed for our members to use, 
especially when it comes to mental illness or anything that 
would happen to them and when they are activated.
    Thank you.
    Senator Hoeven. I know I'm over my time, Mr. Chairman. Just 
any other thoughts that----
    General Scobee. Senator, I'd offer just a slightly 
different perspective. I think all of these benefits are 
welcome by all the service chiefs and they're of great use and 
utility to our force, our future force.
    The problem becomes if you look in the lens of future 
resourcing. Our obligation is to train these young warriors to 
be prepared for the next fight and if we push all of our 
resourcing into education and health benefits, which are 
exceptional, where are we aggregating risk if we're cutting 
into the resources that we really have to use which is 
preparing them for war?
    There's a fine balance here. If there's one pie to slice 
from, we have to look at where we're taking those slices from 
and then consider the actual risk to the human beings that 
we're trusted to safeguard.
    Thank you.
    Senator Hoeven. Appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Senator Baldwin virtually.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    General Hokanson, as we discussed recently, I wrote to the 
DOD Inspector General late last year concerned that not all 
Guard members were protected as whistleblowers due to the 
Inspector General's interpretation of military whistle-blower 
protection statutes.
    The IG (Inspector General) wrote back last month saying 
that it would begin expanding whistleblower protections to 
Guard members operating under Title 32 status. This is a 
welcomed updated, but I really believe that all members of the 
Guard should be protected, regardless of duty status.
    Further, I do not believe it was Congress's intent in 
passing military whistleblower protections to have these 
protections be dependent on a specific duty status instead of 
simply tied to being a member of the Armed Forces in general.
    In Wisconsin, because of brave whistleblowers, the National 
Guard Bureau's Office of Complex Investigations uncovered a 
history of reprisal, retaliation, and command-initiated 
investigations that were out of line with DOD sexual assault 
prevention policy. We have to ensure that these types of 
whistleblowers are protected from reprisal.
    So can you discuss the importance of ensuring that 
whistleblower protections include all Guard personnel, and do 
you support a change in definition of ``member of the Armed 
Forces'' that would ensure whistleblower protections for all 
members of the Guard?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator. So when we look at the 
intent of that policy, our key is to work with the 54 adjutants 
general and their States to make sure that they follow the 
intent of that policy unique to their State and so we will look 
very closely with them and work with the adjutants general as 
those are the ones that would implement that to make sure that 
we have a policy that covers all of our Guard members based on 
their service.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you. General Hokanson, can you 
explain a little about how the Office of Complex Investigations 
works? For example, how are cases assigned, how are 
investigators trained, and how does OCI (Office of Complex 
Investigations) decide which sexual assault cases it 
investigates?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator, and thank you for the 
opportunity to talk about this.
    So when we look at our Office of Complex Investigations, 
because 95 percent of what we do operates in the Title 32 or in 
the State status, the majority of time we're not under Title 10 
and so we rely on our local law enforcement and local 
prosecutors to address serious events, specifically sexual 
assault, and in cases where the local law enforcement may not 
take the case, we have created an administrative review under 
our Office of Complex Investigation.
    In that case, the victim or the adjutant general can ask 
for the OCI to come into their State and conduct an 
investigation, administrative, and make recommendations to the 
chain of command and so what that allows us to do is to take a 
look at some cases that may not be accepted or may not meet the 
criteria of local law enforcement and it gives us an avenue to 
address those issues.
    When we look at where we are today, traditionally we had 
about 18 to 24. Shortly after becoming the Chief of the 
National Guard Bureau, I reached out to the 54. We were able to 
get 32 trained investigators right now. We also separated it 
from our General Counsel and is independently and is now led by 
a general officer with legal background in a civilian career 
who General Walker is doing some incredible work making sure 
that we look at all of the new cases but also the backlogs.
    The key is we're trying to get the older ones done as 
quickly as possible so that we can get current and reduce the 
timeframe from when it's reported until that adjutant general 
receives a completed report.
    Senator Baldwin. Does the Office of Complex Investigations 
have enough investigators to investigate every case sent to it 
from the States at the current staffing level?
    General Hokanson. Senator, we could always use more 
resources. For us, it's finding qualified personnel across the 
organization that have the time to do this or could leave their 
civilian career to do this. So we could obviously always use 
more, but it's a fine line between that and those capable to do 
it that are volunteering to do it.
    Senator Baldwin. Yes. How many investigators would the 
Office of Complex Investigations need to keep current and what 
funding or other assistance from Congress could help you get 
there?
    General Hokanson. So, Senator, I know we have 32 today and 
General Walker recently came onboard. He's doing a complete 
review of the entire organization. So if you don't mind, I 
would prefer to get back to you directly from him because I 
know he's looking at the caseload and the number of folks he 
would need and the exact resources.
    Senator Baldwin. I appreciate that and will look forward to 
that information.
    Let me add on to that. What would the National Guard Bureau 
require in order to have the Office of Complex Investigations 
do, say, top-down reviews for each Guard unit on a rotational 
basis or as a matter of routine in order to ensure that their 
sexual assault policies are in line with Federal law?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator, I'll defer to General 
Walker and I'll get his specifics there, but I know this is 
something that we work with our 54 adjutants general to make 
sure that they're following the policies directed by each of 
the services and that they meet those requirements and that we 
review them to make sure that they have the personnel assigned 
to the areas where they're supposed to be and also to make sure 
they're trained and one thing this has brought up is the 
availability of school seats.
    Also, the unique environment the national guardsmen operate 
in since 95 percent of our time is in a Title 32 status and so 
we're actually right now exploring the potential of creating 
our own schoolhouse to really take the best of what the Army 
and the Air Force does but also train to the unique environment 
the National Guard operates in.
    Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Baldwin.
    Senator Baldwin. Appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Yes. Thank you, Senator Baldwin.
    Senator Boozman.
    Senator Boozman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all 
for being here.
    I also want to echo the great job that the Guard and 
Reserve did during COVID. Just last week, the Arkansas National 
Guard concluded its 13-month mission to help distribute roughly 
56 million pieces of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to our 
communities and medical facilities. I think that just 
illustrates what went on all over the country. So be sure and 
pat yourselves on the back and all of those that have worked 
so, so very hard.
    Lieutenant General Daniels, I enjoyed our recent 
conversation hearing about your efforts to recruit and retain 
soldiers. The Army Reserve contains a significant amount of the 
Army's medical capabilities with many of your soldiers having 
civilian careers in various medical fields.
    Can you walk us through your efforts with the Urban 
Augmentation Medical Task Forces and the role they are designed 
to play in combating COVID-19?
    General Daniels. Thank you, Senator.
    We took a paper that had been written and within 48 hours 
created these Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces of 85 
medical professionals and within 2 weeks were then putting them 
up into the Northeast cities and places where those hospitals 
were under great stress to help provide some relief.
    We were very careful and cautious where we pulled these 
individuals from so they were not hurting their local 
communities but were in a place that they could go and provide 
assistance to others.
    We deployed 15 of those very early on and then later during 
the COVID response, we put another three out to the West Coast 
and we had another four on standby.
    Senator Boozman. Now that's a great story and in normal 
times that 48 hours would take months and months and months, 
maybe years. So thank you for your leadership and again, you 
know, making things happen.
    General Hokanson, in your written testimony, you spoke 
about providing the necessary forces to meet Joint Force 
mission. You mentioned several Guard units that deploy overseas 
and the extensive training that is necessary for them to go. 
Locations, such as Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, have the 
capabilities to provide first-class alternate locations for 
units to train to meet the growing demand of Joint Force.
    I guess the question is can you comment on the current 
readiness of the National Guard and do you have the necessary 
capacity needed to train those forces?
    General Hokanson. Yes, Senator. So when we look at the 
current readiness, even despite the COVID environment, we met 
every single one of our overseas deployment requirements and 
also we met every requirement from our Governors.
    However, that did have an impact on us, particularly when 
you look at recruiting, the inability to meet face to face like 
we previously had, has caused a lot of innovative ways to get 
recruiting and retention and also training.
    Now you train virtually and now we're to the point where, 
you know, with maintaining social distancing and all the other 
requirements, we're able to continue our training and also, in 
fact, it was the National Guard's 34th Armored Brigade Combat 
Team was the first one to go through a combat training center 
rotation in a COVID environment.
    But, sir, aside from that, when we look at Fort Chaffee and 
a lot of our other training areas, it's absolutely critical 
that we maintain those so that we have the ability to train our 
guardsmen within their States or nearby because the amount of 
training space that we have and ranges is continually getting 
encroached upon.
    Senator Boozman. Right.
    General Hokanson. So it's important for us to retain every 
single one of those.
    Senator Boozman. Very good. General, in your written 
testimony you stated, ``The National Guard is a lethal, cost-
effective, dual-role operational force that provides strategic 
depth to the Army, Air Force, and Space Force, and responds to 
crisis in our homeland. Some estimates put that cost 
effectiveness of the Guard at 30 cents on the dollar.''
    Knowing that, would you say that the Guard funding request 
from the services have been adequate over the years, and then 
also how critical is the National Guard and Reserve equipment 
account funding to the continued operations of the Guard, 
particularly in domestic missions supporting the homeland?
    General Hokanson. So, sir, related to the last question 
with NGREA, the equipment account, it's absolutely critical to 
the modernization of the National Guard and I think all of our 
Reserve components.
    Our services don't always have enough funding to modernize 
the entire organization and so that allows us to help 
supplement that, but also when we look at a lot of the critical 
dual-use capabilities, like I'll just use fire buckets as an 
example to fight forest fires, that allows us to do that, to 
purchase that equipment and maintain it in case our communities 
ever need it.
    Senator Boozman. Very good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Boozman.

                     ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

    We appreciate all your testimony here today. Senators may 
submit additional written questions and we ask you, if you 
receive those, to respond to those in a reasonable period of 
time.
    [The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but 
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the 
hearing:]
           Questions Submitted to General Daniel R. Hokanson
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick Leahy
    Question. For each of the previous three fiscal years, I have 
supported additional funding through the appropriations process for a 
National Guard preventative mental health program executed by the 
Office of Warrior Resiliency and Fitness. Evidence shows that building 
resiliency in individuals before they experience stressful events 
enhances their ability to avoid or recover from post-traumatic stress. 
An essential part of the concept is to use data and analysis to build 
tailored prevention programs for behavioral health by state, region, 
and even individual.
    What is your assessment of the progress made towards establishing a 
preventative program?
    Answer. In November 2018, NGB published CNGBI 0300.01 to establish 
a Warrior Resilience and Fitness (WRF) Program, which created a 
framework to integrate prevention efforts across the States, 
Territories, and DC. In July 2019, NGB formally created the WRF Office 
which is organized under the J1 Directorate. There are currently three 
lines of effort including Innovation and Outreach, Program 
Implementation, and Prevention Integration. In 2019, NGB developed the 
Warrior Resilience and Fitness ``Innovation Incubator'' (WRFII) 
initiative which selects and pilots innovative State-level best 
practices that aim to enhance the readiness, wellness, and resilience 
of geographically dispersed members of the NG. We currently have 27 
pilot programs being reviewed for broader implementation at State or 
National level. In addition, WRF is currently evaluating Secretary of 
Defense Immediate Action #3 (Establishing a Prevention Workforce) to 
analyze status, gaps, requirements, and opportunities of the National 
Guard prevention workforce.
    Question. How often do you meet directly with the head of the 
program or other behavioral health specialists involved in the program 
on progress towards achieving the program's goals especially those 
related to developing analytic tools and tailored behavioral health 
training?
    Answer. I have met with RADM Matthew Kleiman, the Chief of Warrior 
Resiliency and Fitness, on multiple occasions over the past year to 
discuss mental health resources, suicide prevention strategies, and the 
development of analytic tools to support the resiliency of the force. 
Additionally, RADM Kleiman leads our Suicide Prevention Task Force and 
in this role meets with the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lt 
Gen Sasseville, approximately twice a month, and more as needed, to 
provide updates on our prevention efforts.
    Question. What is the progress in providing analytic tools to help 
commanders tailor preventative programs for greater effectiveness?
    Answer. NGB has partnered with the Office of the Secretary of 
Defense to leverage the Advana system to create a predictive analytics 
dashboard (SPRINGboard) that uses external social determinants of 
health data and internal DoD metrics to capture geographic risk and 
protective factors across the National Guard. Using machine learning, 
this tool can help analyze probable health outcomes and provide data-
informed decisionmaking to leaders at all levels.
    In June 2020, we began disseminating this tool to Behavioral Health 
leaders across the States, Territories, and District of Columbia. We 
are continuing to disseminate and expect this tool will be fully 
disseminated by December 2021. Of note, full implementation of the tool 
is dependent on a data-sharing agreement to get full access to 
Department of Defense data for National Guard members. By December 
2021, we expect the data-sharing agreement to be in place.
    Question. In what fiscal year do you anticipate programming for 
this critical function?
    Answer. We requested programmed funding for WRF beginning in fiscal 
year 2023. I have included this program as a funding priority in the 
fiscal year 2023 funding priorities memorandum to the Secretary of 
Defense, Secretary of the Army, and Secretary of the Air Force.
    Question. Since 2019, members of the National Guard have been 
called upon to perform more missions that at any time since the Second 
World War, many of them domestically, such as supporting local 
officials in coronavirus response and supporting local response to 
civil disturbances.
    What is the amount and status of reimbursement for funds spent 
related to activities of members of the National Guard on orders 
pursuant to 32 USC 502(f)?
    Answer. To date, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued 
reimbursable funding authority to the National Guard totals $4.5B. 
Current obligations total over $2.9B with $1.6B billed. Ongoing 
reconciliation of funds received with obligations will result in bills 
or return of funding to FEMA.
    In support of Capitol Response, the National Guard has obligated 
$520.9M ($450 million Army National Guard and $71 million Air National 
Guard) from current year National Guard appropriations. To date, the 
National Guard has not received reimbursement for these expenditures 
and if the National Guard Bureau does not receive confirmation funds 
will be reimbursed by July 15, 2021, the National Guard Bureau must 
take fiscally prudent steps to prevent an Anti-Deficiency Act 
violation. These steps will include notifying the Adjutants General to 
cancel August and September Inactive Duty for Training (IDT) and all 
remaining Annual Trainings effective August 1, 2021.
    Question. What is your assessment of improvements that could be 
made under policy or law to more smoothly place members of the National 
Guard on orders pursuant to 32 USC 502(f)?
    Answer. Duty Status Reform would prove extremely helpful to 
smoothly place members of the National Guard on orders pursuant to 32 
USC 502(f) and other reserve component mobilization authorities. The 
Administration is working with the Department of Defense to streamline 
mobilization authorities and potentially change benefits associated 
with mobilization authorities. The intent of Duty Status Reform is to 
enhance readiness with less disruptions to Service member pay and 
benefits. The earliest time that the Administration will provide 
Congress with a Reserve Duty Status proposal for consideration will be 
before the development of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense 
Authorization Act.
    Question. In early 2020, I asked General Joseph Lengyel, then Chief 
of the National Guard Bureau, about items that would have been 
purchased to respond to a pandemic, if the National Guard Reserve and 
Equipment funds had not been transferred to pay for a border wall in 
the southwest.
    What equipment and resources gaps currently exist that may curtail 
the Guard's ability to respond to pandemics or other public health 
crises?
    Answer. The National Guard has not identified any resource gaps 
that may curtail the ability to respond to a public health crises. 
However, the National Guard did identify certain equipment gaps during 
the 2020 pandemic response. Equipment gaps included shortages of 
thermometers, hand sanitizer, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE 
such as masks, gloves, and eye protection).
    Since there is not a National Guard stockpile of PPE for a pandemic 
or disaster response, all on-hand stocks are limited in quantity and 
designed to support complex domestic chemical or radiological 
responses. The expectation is that all PPE requirements will be 
provided by the supported state, Federal agency or facility.
    Question. What lessons have been learned about equipment needs for 
responding to pandemics or other public health crises?
    Answer. There were several lessons learned about pandemic or other 
public health crises equipment needs, including M50 gas mask 
limitations, PPE for non-healthcare workers, and disinfection of 
respirators. The U.S. Army Medical Command, Office of The Surgeon 
General and NGB published guidance recommending M50s only as a last 
resort option for COVID-19 response, which also requires coordination 
through chain of command/designated POCs. Unit commanders and medical 
personnel need to be cognizant of the limitations of M50s when making 
PPE or disease spread control recommendations. For example, the M50 
mask does not filter exhaled air.
    Units should reference the DoD Force Health Protection Supp 7, CDC, 
and OSHA guidance. The Air Force Surgeon General has engaged in 
conversations specifically regarding PPE for Law Enforcement (LE) 
activities with known or suspected COVID-19 positive individuals. A 
small percentage of Security Forces Squadron (SFS) and some Office of 
Special Investigations operations include law enforcement activities. 
Close contact is primarily anticipated during arrests, booking, finger 
printing and DNA swabbing. It is recommended that law enforcement 
activities in SFS be granted access to elective use N95s. As it is 
difficult for the SFS community to determine when a particular defender 
may engage in LE activities, the enhanced PPE including N95s may be 
staged with first aid kits and leveraged when necessary.
    The disinfection procedures for elastomeric full/half face 
respirators and powered air-purifying respirators following potential 
COVID-19 exposure and after common mask fit testing, should be 
conducted according to manufacturer recommendations using an EPA 
approved disinfectant. Masks should be immersed and cleaned with soap 
and disinfectant. Respirator wipes are not recommended.
                                 ______
                                 
            Questions Submitted by Senator Susan M. Collins
    Question. You said in your written testimony that the National 
Guard's State Partnership Program (SPP) ``is a key pillar to the 
Department of Defense's focus on alliances and partnerships.'' That is 
absolutely correct. The Maine National Guard's longstanding partnership 
with Montenegro is an excellent example of SPP building capable, 
trusted, and interoperable military partners. The Maine Guard's work 
with Montenegro was crucial to the country's accession into NATO in 
2017.
    What are your top priorities for the State Partnership Program in 
fiscal year 22?
    Answer. Thank you for your question regarding the State Partnership 
Program (SPP) and my priorities for the future of this critical 
program. Since the SPP started in 1993, all events and engagements have 
been designed to enhance the national security of the United States by 
building relationships with our Partner Nations.
    I have four priorities for SPP. First, normalizing funding will 
enable NGB to more deliberately plan SPP training events and 
engagements, which would help strengthen existing alliances and 
partnerships through greater stabilization and predictability of 
funding. Second, NGB is working closely with OSD and the GCCs to build 
a strategic and deliberate process to best pair state National Guards 
with future partner nations. Third, it is important that NGB be able to 
provide a Bilateral Affairs Officer for each partnership due to their 
critical role in building and maintaining strong relationships with the 
partner nation and Embassy teams. Lastly, I'm prioritizing efforts to 
`professionalize' our SPP force through our outstanding relationship 
with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. This emphasis ensures the 
SPP workforce is trained and certified for their positions.
    Question. The Maine Guard is currently seeking to partner with a 
new nation--the African Island nation Cabo Verde. I think this would be 
a great partnership, and many state and local institutions in Maine, 
including the University of Maine, have signed on to support the effort 
and provide their own unique knowledge. I wanted to highlight my 
support.
    When do you expect a decision to be made?
    Answer. The State Partnership Program pairing process is highly 
deliberative. After a comprehensive analysis and review with all 
stakeholders and the States, Territories, and the District of Columbia, 
NGB will send its recommendation to OSD by the end of August 2021.
                                 ______
                                 
                Questions Submitted by Senator Roy Blunt
 the 2-152 infantry battalion transfer from the indiana national guard 
                     to the missouri national guard
    Question. General Hokanson, I, along with others of the Missouri 
Congressional Delegation, wrote to you last month to express our 
support for your decision to re-station the 2nd Battalion, 152nd 
Infantry Regiment with its 700 excellent National Guard men and women 
to the Missouri National Guard.
    Once the execution timeline has been determined, we look forward to 
supporting the National Guard Bureau and the Missouri TAG, Major 
General Cumpton, to ensure this transfer is seamless and successful.
    As you know the Missouri Army National Guard is well positioned to 
assume and incorporate this great and storied unit.
    Also, I want to say thanks and look forward to continue working 
with you to complete the AVCRAD Phase 3B and 4 projects in Springfield, 
Missouri.
    Please let us know if there is anything you need to support these 
two efforts. Answer Question 1:
    Answer. Thank you for your support, we look forward to the 
opportunity to build an additional infantry battalion in Missouri and 
to continue efforts to improve Army aviation maintenance support 
provided in Springfield. General Cumpton has a great plan to 
incorporate these additional combat and aviation support capabilities 
into the Missouri Army National Guard.
                           the role of c-130s
    Question. General Hokanson, I would like to note my continued 
concerns about the Air Force's proposed reductions of C-130 Total 
Aircraft Inventory.
    My understanding is that Air Force seeks to cut five flying 
squadrons as part of an effort to reduce the number of C-130s to 
approximately 255 planes over the next 5 years, with the majority of 
reduction coming from the Air National Guard.
    I know a number of Senators, including many members of this 
committee, have articulated the detrimental impact of reducing our 
national airlift capacity.
    Furthermore, the targeted reduction of Air National Guard C-130s 
would make it difficult--if not impossible--for the Guard to support 
routine training missions, as well as domestic operations to respond to 
emergencies and disasters.
    If any proposed reductions come from within the Guard C-130 force 
structure, there will be a significant loss of domestic operations 
capabilities. As we have seen over the last several years, those 
domestic requirements are not letting up.
    Please provide your perspective on the breadth and depth regarding 
the role our C-130s play in supporting the requirements of domestic 
operations.
    Answer. Air National Guard (ANG) C-130s play an important part in 
supporting domestic operations. Since 2017, ANG C-130s have conducted 
50 percent of all ANG airlift supporting domestic operations while 
simultaneously executing Federal operational requirements. These 
domestic operations include hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria as well 
as responding to civil unrest operations in 2020 and Operation Capital 
Response (2021). Specifically regarding Operation Capitol Response, ANG 
C-130s flew 352 sorties, which transported 5,197 personnel and 481 tons 
of cargo. The ANG C-130s also constitutes 75 percent of all national 
wildland aerial firefighting capability with the Modular Airborne Fire 
Fighting System supporting the National Interagency Fire Center.
    The Mobility Capability Requirements Study (MCRS) for NDAA 2020 is 
currently being conducted by United States Transportation Command. The 
MCRS will evaluate current operational plans to determine a level of 
intra-theater airlift required to balance force structure with 
operational risk. The ANG is awaiting the MCRS out-brief to determine 
the total force intra-theater airlift requirement for the Federal 
operational taskings. If a force structure reduction is recommended, 
the ANG wishes to discuss which component(s) will shoulder the 
reduction, given the dual role operations levied upon ANG C-130s for 
both Federal and domestic support.
    the future c-130 force structure and the 139th airlift wing at 
                   rosecrans air national guard base
    Question. General Hokanson, while the Air Force and Air National 
Guard have indicated that there will be no reduction of C-130H aircraft 
at the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, I 
expressed in a letter last month to General Charles Brown, and 
Lieutenant General Michael Loh--and I want to express to you--my 
concerns should any optional course of action be considered.
    As you know, the 139th Airlift Wing supports both the C-130 Weapons 
Instructor Course and the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center. The 
Air National Guard acknowledged that two C-130s at Rosecrans supporting 
the Weapons Instructor Course mission were improperly coded as Backup 
Aircraft Inventory. If the 139th were to lose one of these aircraft, it 
would lose its ability to conduct these unique and necessary training 
missions that support the broader Air Force enterprise.
    I would appreciate your commitment to ensuring the Air National 
Guard correctly recodes these aircraft, and confirming your commitment 
to preserving the vital mission of the 139th Air Wing mission.
    Answer. The men and women of the 139th Airlift Wing (AW) make 
significant contributions to the tactical airlift mission and our 
Nation's defense. We understand your interest in preserving the C-130H 
aircraft currently based in Missouri.
    We recognize the challenges the 139 AW faces as host to the C-130H 
Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) and Advanced Airlift Tactics Training 
Center (AATTC). The 139 AW has the appropriate resources to execute 
these missions while continuing to perform its operational mission and 
meet the training needs of assigned aircrew. The Program Change Request 
(PCR) mentioned is being coordinated through standard Air Force 
procedures and will be considered once all applicable stakeholders have 
had a chance to provide input.
    We value all ANG C-130 units and, as such, use objective, 
analytical data when making force structure decisions. We intend to 
retain ANG C-130H/J tactical airlift aircraft that contribute to 
missions, including Defense Support to Civil Authorities and other 
domestic operations. The ANG has a plan to meet the fiscal year 2021 
force reduction by divesting aircraft from the C-130H Formal Training 
Unit (FTU). The 139 AW is not impacted by these fiscal year 2021 force 
structure reductions.
    The Department faces a number of tough choices each budget cycle. 
Our data-driven analysis seeks to balance risk across the Total Force 
and our core missions, grounded in guidance defined by the National 
Defense Strategy. Divestment of legacy C-130H aircraft will allow 
investment in new tactical airlift capabilities to meet demands posed 
by the future spectrum of conflict and will enable the Joint Force to 
project combat power into highly-contested environments.
                                 ______
                                 
      Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General Richard W. Scobee
                Questions Submitted by Senator Roy Blunt
the enduring mission of the a-10 and the 442nd fighter wing at whiteman 
                             air force base
    Question. Lieutenant General Scobee, Senator Kelly and I recently 
introduced a resolution in support and recognition of the A-10. I'm 
pleased that we have made great progress with the support of this 
committee to ensure our aircraft at the 442nd Fighter Wing and across 
the A-10 enterprise are modernized.
    The 442nd is an incredible source of fighter pilot experience in 
close air support and search and rescue, in addition to enjoying access 
to air space and training ranges, first-class facilities, and lack of 
encroachment at Whiteman Air Force Base.
    As we look into the out-years, I look forward to working with you 
to position the 442nd for an enduring mission beyond the operational 
life expectancy of the A-10.
    Please let us know if there is anything you need to support this 
effort.
    Answer. The A-10 remains a valuable asset for close air support and 
I thank you for your continued advocacy to ensure these aircraft remain 
combat effective.
    While acquiring new platforms will enhance our capabilities, the 
Air Force Reserve will continue to rely on many of the proven platforms 
currently in our inventory such as the A-10. This necessitates aircraft 
modernization and system upgrades, which will provide the capabilities 
needed for the future fight and ensure survivability if operating in a 
contested environment.
    Necessary A-10 enhancements include the installation of upgraded 
mission computers, Helmet-Mounted Targeting, Anti-Jam Global 
Positioning System equipment, and missile warning systems, which will 
provide enhanced threat awareness and weapons delivery capabilities in 
contested environments.
    In 2022, the Department of the Air Force is looking to begin a 
slight reduction in the A-10 fleet and then reapply the resources, 
including manpower, to capabilities needed to counter future peer 
threats. However, this decrease will not impact the Air Force Reserve's 
A-10s and the Department of the Air Force is committed to extending the 
A-10's service life on our retained aircraft.
    When it comes to modernization and equipment parity, the funding 
provided by Congress via the National Guard and Reserve Equipment 
Appropriation is vital. NGREA enables us to modernize equipment, 
sustain our capability, and replace obsolete equipment to maintain 
parity with the Active Component when recapitalization is not feasible. 
Parity is critical to seamless Total Force Integration. We remain 
grateful for these appropriations, and cannot overemphasize how 
essential they are to our readiness. I appreciate your support for 
NGREA now and in the future.
    I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the 442nd, they are 
a premier source of combat-ready Airmen and I am extremely proud of the 
work they do every day in defense of our Nation. The Air Force Reserve 
looks forward to maintaining our presence at Whiteman Air Force Base 
for years to come.

                           SUBCOMMITTE RECESS

    Senator Tester. The next Defense Subcommittee will 
reconvene on Wednesday, May 26, at 10 a.m., for a Closed 
Hearing on Intelligence Committee. On the housekeeping front, 
the hearing after the next one because it will be a closed 
hearing. So this won't apply.
    But we will ask questions on this committee based on 
seniority and who is physically present. After those questions 
have been asked, then we'll go off of seniority virtually.
    So that's a little change in process, but we've got some 
direction from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention) now that I think will help encourage folks to be 
here in person.
    So with that, thank you all very much, and this committee 
is adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 11:43 a.m., Tuesday, May 18, the 
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of 
the Chair.]