- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

[Senate Hearing 117-416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

S. Hrg. 117-416

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2022

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HEARINGS

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

H.R. 4432

AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2022, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

__________

Department of Defense
Nondepartmental Witnesses

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Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

__________

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
44-165 PDF WASHINGTON : 2022

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COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

PATRICK LEAHY, Vermont, Chairman
PATTY MURRAY, Washington RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama, Vice
DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California Chairman
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
JACK REED, Rhode Island SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
JON TESTER, Montana LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon ROY BLUNT, Missouri
CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware JERRY MORAN, Kansas
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, Connecticut SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
JOE MANCHIN, III, West Virginia Virginia
CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland JOHN KENNEDY, Louisiana
MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
MIKE BRAUN, Indiana
BILL HAGERTY, Tennessee
MARCO RUBIO, Florida

Charles E. Kieffer, Staff Director
Shannon H. Hines, Minority Staff Director

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Subcommittee on Defense

JON TESTER, Montana, Chairman
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama,
PATRICK LEAHY, Vermont Ranking
DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
PATTY MURRAY, Washington SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
JACK REED, Rhode Island LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin ROY BLUNT, Missouri
JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire JERRY MORAN, Kansas
JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas

Professional Staff

Erik Raven
Mike Clementi
Abigail Grace
Katy Hagan
Kate Kaufer
Brigid Kolish
Rob Leonard
John Lucio
Andy Vanlandingham
Shannon H. Hines (Minority)
Hanz Heinrichs (Minority)
Rosie Heiss (Minority)
Rachel Littleton (Minority)
Todd Phillips (Minority)

Administrative Support

Drew Platt
Lucy Gardner (Minority)

C O N T E N T S

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HEARINGS

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Page

Department of Defense: Defense Innovation and Research........... 1

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Department of Defense: Defense Health Program.................... 47

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Department of Defense: National Guard and Reserve................ 99

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Department of Defense: Department of the Air Force: Office of the
Secretary...................................................... 177

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Department of Defense: Department of the Army: Office of the
Secretary...................................................... 231

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Department of Defense: Department of the Navy: Office of the
Secretary...................................................... 273

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Department of Defense: Navy and Air Force Weapons Systems
Divestments.................................................... 339

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BACK MATTER

List of Witnesses, Communications, and Prepared Statements....... 385

Subject Index.................................................... 389
Defense Health Program....................................... 389
Defense Innovation and Research.............................. 389
Department of the Air Force: Office of the Secretary......... 390
United States Space Force................................ 390
Department of the Army: Office of the Secretary.............. 391
Department of the Navy: Office of the Secretary.............. 391
United States Marine Corps............................... 391
National Guard and Reserve................................... 391
Navy and Air Force Weapons Systems Divestments............... 392

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

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TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10:02 a.m. in room SD-192, Dirksen
Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Tester, Durbin, Baldwin, Shaheen, Shelby,
Moran, and Hoeven.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Innovation and Research

STATEMENT OF Ms. BARBARA McQUISTON, PERFORMING THE DUTIES
OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR RESEARCH AND
ENGINEERING

opening statement of senator jon tester

Senator Tester. We'll call this committee to order.
I want to start by telling everybody here what an honor it
is to serve as chairman of this committee and with Senator
Shelby, a true gentleman, and I also want to thank Dick Durbin
for his long-time leadership on this committee, something that
I have appreciated as a member and I have continued
appreciation for his role as Whip and the chairman in the
caucus, and so thank you, Senator Durbin.
Today, we have Ms. McQuiston, and Dr. Tompkins virtually.
Thank you all for being here today, and I want to thank you for
your ongoing hard work to lead and shape the Department of
Defense Innovation and Modernization efforts.
When it comes to Federal funding priorities, few things are
more important than innovation and research, and it is critical
for Congress to continue to make strong research investments
across the board.
America is facing many difficult and evolving national
security challenges right now. We have heard from combatant
commands in recent weeks about the daily threats they face,
particularly from Admiral Davidson, the Commander of the Indo-
Pacific Command.
In this subcommittee, it is critical that we do our best to
ensure our service members continue to have access to the
world's most sophisticated and advanced technologies. So I hope
to hear the witnesses' perspective on the global race for
innovation, particularly as we compete with China and Russia,
and I look forward to learning more about ongoing and future
DOD (Department of Defense) technology innovation efforts and
whether it has the tools and resources it needs to work with
various partners across the country and that includes taking
advantage of the incredible innovations happening across this
country, including those at small businesses who can often
bring fresh ideas, nimble operations, and cutting edge
inventions to the table.
With that, I will turn to Ranking Member Shelby for his
comments.
Senator Shelby.

statement of senator richard c. shelby

Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for this
hearing. I think it's very important to have a hearing with
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). Welcome.
This committee has approved billions of dollars, Mr.
Chairman, for basic research, applied research, and advanced
technology development to support efforts that would allow our
military to maintain a competitive advantage and strategic
advantage over our adversaries.
Our technological and industrial progress remains a
constant target from China and Russia and other nation states
that are actively working to undermine and surpass our
military's advancements. I believe we need a ready and lethal
force equipped with modernized systems capable of providing
strong national security and, importantly, deterring war. Our
investments in innovative research are critical in guaranteeing
success here.
Over the last 4 years, this committee has supported the
necessary budget increases in cutting edge research areas, such
as hypersonics, artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and
microelectronics to address warfighter needs and capability
gaps, and with the top-line budget recommendations unveiled by
the current Administration last week, I'm currently concerned
about our ability to continue to make those essential strategic
investments that will allow us to keep pace.
I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today about
the progress being made in innovation and technology within the
Department of Defense and how resource constraints may impact
the department's ability to field cutting edge technology in
the future.
I also recognize that we're significantly constrained from
getting into many of the details here today that would provide
for a comprehensive discussion in an open hearing setting.
Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, I've suggested that we consider a
classified discussion with DARPA at a later date when you can
have it because what DARPA is doing is important to all of us
and especially to our Armed Forces.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Absolutely, Senator Shelby, and we will
take that up. We'll make that happen.
I would recognize Ms. McQuiston for a statement. You have 5
minutes. There is a Memorial Service at 11. So I'd ask you to
try to keep your comments to 5 minutes and so we can get some
questions. The rest of your statement for sure, your full
statement will be a part of the record. So you have the floor.

summary statement of ms. barbara mcquiston

Ms. McQuiston. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and
Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for providing this
opportunity to testify----
Senator Tester. You need to turn your mike on, please.
Ms. McQuiston. I apologize. Is it on?
Senator Tester. Bring it closer to your mouth. It might
help.
Ms. McQuiston. It's not lighting up. Okay. I apologize.
Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and Members of the
Committee, thank you for providing this opportunity to testify
before you today. It's an honor to be here alongside my friend
and colleague, Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, Director of DARPA.
I'm truly honored to represent the Research and Engineering
Workforce. I'm also excited to return to public service. I
began my first government tour in 2006 at DARPA and today I
return to public service performing the duties of Under
Secretary overseeing DARPA as well as DIU MDA Space Development
Agency Service Labs, Direct Prototyping and Experimentation.
R&E serves as the chief technology officer for the
Department of Defense, strengthening national security and
boosting economic security. Investments in science, technology,
and innovation today can pay dividends tomorrow.
When I first started at DARPA, scientists were conducting
research in vaccine technology. Today, those discoveries have
contributed to the success of the COVID-19 vaccines. I'm quite
excited and proud that we are all benefiting from past
investments as we address the global pandemic. This is just one
example of the tremendous impact DOD investments have not just
for our military but for our Nation as a whole.
To continue this track record of success, we must reaffirm
our commitment to science, technology, and innovation today to
guarantee a strong tomorrow. This strategy for the future is
critical because our competitors are moving quickly.
The use of drones in the recent conflict between Azerbaijan
and Armenia may foreshadow things to come as others move more
quickly to adopt cheap emerging technology.
As both Secretary Austin and Deputy Secretary Hicks have
stated, the People's Republic of China is a pacing challenge to
the U.S. military. Bringing new technology and innovations will
be central to meeting that challenge. Presenting a credible
deterrent to potential adversaries requires us to develop and
field emerging technologies.
We must innovate at speeds and scale. Success requires more
than a go-it-alone approach. We must explore more flexible
partnerships with the private sector and academia, with small
businesses and HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and
Universities). We must reinvigorate our Federal research
capabilities, elevate science, promote technology, and expand
partnerships with our allies.
R&E is committed to overcoming the value of death. We've
shown that innovation and modernization can be done faster with
more flexibility and commercial opportunities. From low-cost
expendable drones to safer ion batteries, we must strive to
eliminate gaps in planning or funding that can leave a project
sitting on the shelf for years. We must do more to engage the
services from day one.
Our competitors and potential adversaries will not wait for
our planning and budget cycles. We must balance oversight with
the need to move quickly in order to maintain our advantages.
This last year has demonstrated the importance of supply
chains. The President and Congress have made it clear that
onshoring the supply chain for microelectronics is critical to
our national and economic security. The department has been
taking actions to make microelectronics trustworthy, available,
and sustainable.
When I joined the government labs, our labs are the premier
place to work. Although we employ some of the best and
brightest minds, we are losing talent to the private sector and
competitors. The hiring flexibility Congress has recently given
to the department are helping, but we need to do more.
One bright spot I want to highlight is DOD Bush Faculty
Member John Rogers who pioneered the new field of
bioelectronics. Rogers' research was the foundation of a new
class of stretchable electronic devices. This research led to
the 2020 release of a new flexible skin patch that can track a
person's health through sweat. It allows for wearable devices
to detect whether someone has COVID-19. His company is award-
winning and moving to commercialize the sensors based on this
research.
While I'm optimistic about R&E's ability to be successful,
we have significant work ahead. Having an under secretary
solely focused on innovation could not be more important than
it is today.
I look forward to partnering with Congress to advance our
mission, to lead in technology dominance across the DOD, and
ensure the unquestioned superiority of the Joint Force while
strengthening the American economy.
Thank you. And I look forward to your questions.
Senator Tester. Ms. McQuiston, thank you for your
testimony, and there will be questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Ms. Barbara McQuiston
Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby and Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you
today. It is an honor to be here alongside my friend and colleague Dr.
Stefanie Tompkins, the Director of the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency, DARPA. And more importantly, I am honored to represent
the men and women of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for
Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). In addition to DARPA, OUSD(R&E)
is home to diverse group of engineers, scientists, researchers, and
staff officers who work in three separate agencies and in offices,
laboratories, and universities across our nation. OUSD(R&E)'s mission
is to maintain DoD's technological edge and to lead technological
change and innovation throughout the DoD.
In the three years since Congress directed the creation of
OUSD(R&E), and gave the office a mandate to advance technology and
innovation across the Department, OUSD(R&E) has developed and begun
implementing modernization roadmaps in key technology areas. OUSD(R&E)
has also strengthened lab and university partnerships for basic
research and worked closely with the services to improve prototyping
efforts in order to bridge the ``valley of death'' from prototype to
program of record.
Recently, Deputy Secretary Hicks assigned OUSD(R&E) the additional
role of chairing a new Innovation Steering Group (ISG). This group will
provide OUSD(R&E) with a mechanism for collaborating with leaders
across the Department, for synchronizing innovation efforts and sharing
lessons learned, and for driving initiatives to innovate at speed and
scale. We convened this group for the first time last week, and the
Deputy Secretary will hold her first Defense Management Action Group
meeting on the subject of innovation and joint experimentation later
this week. By creating the ISG, Sec. Hicks has signaled the importance
of innovation and the attention it deserves. Simply put, it is a good
time to be an innovator in the Department of Defense.
OUSD(R&E) consists of three core organizations and a number of
subordinate agencies and activities. The office of Research and
Technology (R&T) is responsible for overseeing DoD's labs, Federally
Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University Affiliated
Research Centers (UARCs), academic and basic research, manufacturing
institutes, and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR). R&T's
support for basic science provides the fuel that will power DoD's
innovation and modernization efforts well into the future.
OUSD(R&E)'s Modernization office (MOD) connects technologies
developed in laboratories with future warfighting capabilities. MOD has
developed roadmaps for DoD's 11 modernization priorities--that will be
addressed later in detail-to guide these key technologies from early-
stage science through capability fielding.
The office of Advanced Capabilities (AC) focuses on technology
transition. By conducting war games, mission engineering analysis,
prototyping, and demonstrations, AC converts technologies into
warfighting capabilities and gets those capabilities ready to field.
In addition to these headquarters organizations, OUSD(R&E) also
houses the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Space Development Agency
(SDA), the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and DARPA. DIU connects DoD
with private sector innovators who use commercial technology to address
some of the Department's hardest problems. MDA develops and fields
advanced capabilities to defend against rogue regime missile threats.
SDA is rapidly developing a new space architecture that is capable of
tracking advanced missile threats. Finally, of course, I am honored to
have the DARPA director speaking alongside me today.
facilitating transitions
The ``valley of death'' is the chasm between a technology and
warfighting capability. Countless technologies fail to transition into
warfighting capabilities and fall victim to this valley of death. To
shepherd new technologies across the valley of death instead,
OUSD(R&E)'s Advanced Capabilities (AC) directorate executes nine
programs that are dedicated to technology transition. By focusing on
different sources of innovation, technology readiness levels (TRLs),
and customer groups, these programs form a balanced portfolio that
transitions capabilities to the Services, Combatant Commands, or other
operational user groups, at an average rate of approximately 80%. This
80% ``sweet spot'' offers a responsible balance between using taxpayer
dollars wisely, while also taking measured risks to maintain DoD's
competitive edge.
Transition rate is an important measure of success because the
Joint Staff, Services, Combatant Commands, and warfighters will not
accept capabilities that do not meet their mission needs. By working
closely with these partners early in the prototyping process, AC
maximizes its transition rate by ensuring that partners are ready to
accept and field new capabilities when prototyping completes. Beginning
this year, AC added Mission Engineering to its toolbox; this process
rigorously evaluates Joint Staff and Combatant Command priority
missions and identifies new opportunities to transition capabilities
and deliver even greater impact to the Department.
prototyping pathways to deliver innovation to users
Results from OUSD(R&E)'s prototyping programs illustrate how, when
combined with experiments and demonstrations, prototyping is an
effective tool for bridging the valley of death. For example, the Quick
Reaction Special Projects (QRSP) program seeks out prototyping ideas
from across the innovation space, including small businesses, non-
traditional performers, and academia. By discovering innovative but raw
ideas and creating prototyping programs to further their development,
QRSP serves as a vehicle for ``technology push'' and offers the
warfighter capabilities that they did not realize were possible.
To ensure that DoD quickly transitions these new capabilities, QRSP
awards contracts throughout the budget year of execution. For example,
QRSP awarded a contract to the start-up Adronos which enabled it to
compete in a ``shoot off'' demonstration. During this demonstration,
Adranos achieved 15% better performance than other solid fuel
formulations: a potential game-changer for hypersonics and long-range
precision fires. QRSP's near real-time award enabled this small
business to quickly refine their novel fuel and to demonstrate its
utility to DoD.
Speed is a critical enabler of technology transition, especially
for emerging technologies. For this reason, the Emerging Capabilities
Technology Development (ECTD) program identifies promising technologies
when they first appear on the horizon. ECTD then quickly assesses the
potential utility of these technologies and creates a prototype for a
Service partner to rapidly evaluate. For example, in 2017, ECTD
initiated a multi-Service project to prototype a cognitive software-
defined radar capable of operating in congested and contested
electromagnetic environments. In less than three years, the SDRadar
prototype transitioned to U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force programs of
record.
Finally, OUSD(R&E) maintains low-cost demonstration and
experimentation venues to specifically support small business and non-
traditional performers. These venues enable DoD to access cutting edge
capabilities and ideas from across the innovation base. They also
enable small businesses and non-traditional performers to interact with
DoD users, to learn about DoD's mission, to gain experience that can be
leveraged to meet future DoD needs. Two such venues, Thunderstorm and
Stiletto, demonstrated technologies from 60 small businesses in FY20.
technology transitioned by ousd(r&e) that is making a difference for
the warfighter
Not only do OUSD(R&E)'s prototyping programs enjoy an 80%
transition rate, they also deliver cutting-edge capabilities that make
a different for the warfighter. For example:
--Low Cost ``Attritable'' Strike Demonstration (LCASD) or XQ-58A
Valkyrie, Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD):
Facing potential adversaries with increasingly complex air
defenses, INDOPACOM issued a call for an ultra-low cost, long-
range aircraft to conduct strike or reconnaissance missions.
OUSD(R&E) answered the call with the LCASD JCTD. This aircraft,
also known as the USAF XQ-58A Valkyrie, allows the United
States to avoid placing our pilots and high value aircraft at
risk during the early stages of a confrontation. The project
also demonstrated agile automated manufacturing processes,
gathered performance data (e.g., weight, strength, stiffness),
evaluated cost model data (e.g., cost, schedule lead time), and
developed in-house prototyping capability for low cost
attritable aircraft technology. LCASD also proved that it is
possible to rapidly manufacture a low cost, combat relevant
aircraft. This accomplishment has tremendous implications for a
future fleet of loss tolerant aircraft which could change the
nature and conduct of warfare itself. These capabilities
transitioned to the USAF Skyborg program and would not have
been possible without the strong support of Congress.
--More Situational Awareness for Industrial Control Systems (MOSAICS)
Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD): MOSAICS
demonstrated a semi-autonomous solution to enhance the cyber
defenses of industrial control systems associated with DoD
critical infrastructure (e.g., fuel depots and electric grids).
MOSAICS provides warfighters with tools to quickly identify,
respond, and recover from cyber-enabled attacks on critical
power, water, communication, and transportation systems. Naval
Facilities Engineering Command is already planning to
transition and sustain the first MOSAICS leave-behind prototype
at Naval Base San Diego and is evaluating other opportunities
to deploy MOSAICS capabilities at facilities in the INDOPACOM
area of responsibility. Additionally, the Department is looking
to use of MOSAICS to improve the cybersecurity of other
critical DoD systems, including offensive cyber, long-range
strike, and nuclear deterrent systems.
--Hack-A-Sat: Borrowing a common practice for testing system security
in the commercial sector, the Hack-A-Sat project invited
hackers from around the world to attempt to hack actual DoD
satellites. By watching the world's best hackers at work, DoD
identified new, cutting-edge hacking strategies and is
developing new offensive and defensive approaches for space and
cyber protection. In Q2FY21, space and cyber experts from
across DoD met to apply lessons learned from Hack-A-Sat to
develop new concepts for space and cyber operations. I welcome
the opportunity to share additional details about this effort
in an appropriate setting.
defense innovation unit transitions commercial technologies to the
warfighter
In addition to prototyping to bridge the valley of death, DoD's
investments must cultivate new workforce talent, attract first-time DoD
vendors, and identify novel solutions from across the national security
innovation base: together, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the
National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), and National Security
Innovation Capital (NSIC) partner with industry and academia to do just
that. As Chinese investments aim to compete with U.S.'s technological
lead in key sectors, DoD's investments can play an important role
laying the foundation for a successful startup ecosystem and for
ensuring national and economic security.
DIU, for example, rapidly prototypes, fields, and scales state-of-
the-art commercial solutions. Leveraging the innovation, cost-savings,
and economies of scale of the commercial sector, DIU has awarded
contracts to 189 unique companies, of which 143 are small businesses
and 61 are first-time vendors to DoD. DIU has transitioned 19 solutions
to the warfighter, including small drones, automated cyber
vulnerability detection and remediation, mobile endpoint security,
advanced data management and analytics, air threat response, predictive
mission configuration, rapid analysis of threat exposure, and space
situational awareness. DIU's predictive maintenance solution scaled
from one aircraft to fielding across the Air Force and Army and its
small drone solutions scaled from the Army to all levels of the U.S.
government. At DIU, there is also an opportunity for larger defense
contractors to integrate the innovative commercial technology of
smaller firms to provide ready-made solutions to the warfighter.
Like DIU, NSIN works to redefine what national security service
means for academics, technologists, and entrepreneurs. NSIN runs
problem-solving programs such as Hacking for Defense (H4D) to produce
new concepts and capabilities for DoD end users. NSIN also works to
commercialize dual-use technology developed at DoD laboratories and to
support company formation and the scale-up of dual-use hardware
manufacturing capabilities, including those in autonomy,
communications, power, sensors, and space. NSIN partners with 66
universities in 46 states and has placed 175 people in DoD STEM
positions, of which 47% were women or minorities.
mission engineering
Mission Engineering (ME) is an analytical approach for evaluating
potential capabilities in the context of real-world missions and
threats. Rigorous and data-driven, ME can help inform DoD's
requirements definition and technology investment processes and can
support the development of government reference architectures. In
December 2020, OUSD(R&E), in collaboration with the Services, Joint
Staff and the OSD engineering community, codified the ME process by
releasing the first edition of the Mission Engineering Guide. This
guide disseminates best practices, invokes critical thinking, and
provides a consistent methodology for practitioners to use when
performing ME analysis.
In FY21, OUSD(R&E)'s Mission Engineering team initiated four
analyses to answer priority questions for the Department; analysis
topics include: high energy lasers for base defense, position,
navigation, and timing in highly contested environments,
electromagnetic spectrum maneuver and mission data integration, and
rapid precision strike-next. These topics were identified through a
OUSD(R&E)-led workshop which included participants from the Joint
Staff, Combatant Commands, and other OSD organizations. The topics were
subsequently approved by the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
To perform these and other analyses, ME requires a technical
database capable of managing a large amount of data and models.
OUSD(R&E)'s new Mission Engineering Digital Environment (MEDE) serves
as one such database, providing analysts with a collaborative, agile,
secure, interoperable, and responsive digital environment in which to
conduct ME activities. OUSD(R&E) is also standing up a mission
integration/mission engineering war room to facilitate collaboration
across all classification levels and to meet the technical demands of
multiple concurrent analyses.
To further analyze the potential mission impacts of emerging
technologies, OUSD(R&E)'s Strategic Intelligence and Analysis Cell
(SIAC) established an Emerging Disruptive Technology (EDT) wargame
series. Wargaming is an analytical approach that enables DoD to jump-
start the innovation process by grappling with the implications of
emerging technologies well in advance of their maturation. EDT wargames
holistically examine emerging technologies' technical capabilities and
policy considerations, as well as their potential impact on operational
requirements and threats. EDT wargames have examined topics such as:
autonomy in undersea warfare, AI's applications to command and control,
directed energy weapons, and emerging technology considerations for the
Joint Warfighting Concept (JWC). Wargame outputs help inform future
concept and capability development, mission engineering studies,
prototyping and experimentation, threat forecasting, and S&T
investments.
EDT wargames also provide a unique opportunity to integrate a
diverse set of subject matter experts across program office,
technology, and Service stovepipes. EDT wargames include members of the
technology, operational, and intelligence communities from OSD, the
Joint Staff, the Services, Combatant Commands, and intelligence
agencies. This inclusive approach creates a mutually beneficial
feedback loop among the organizations and individual participants. For
instance, the operational community gains a better understanding of the
opportunities and risks of emerging technology and the technology
community gains an appreciation for future concepts and capability
requirements. Both communities further benefit by learning from the
intelligence community's depiction of future threats.
These feedback loops were readily apparent in 2020, during EDT
Wargame 4. By assessing the 2030 technology landscape and identifying
technical opportunities for the S&T community to align with the JWC,
EDT 4 informed JWC's Supporting Concept capability requirements.
Additionally, within OUSD(R&E), wargames are designed to inform
prototyping activities, to shape modernization roadmaps, and to
integrate across technology portfolios, thus enabling OUSD(R&E) to
deliver the next generation of integrated capabilities to the
warfighter.
trmc delivers capability for test and evaluation
The Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) ensures the readiness of
the test and evaluation (T&E) infrastructure and workforce. TRMC also
supports DoD modernization by forecasting future test infrastructure
needs, assessing current test ranges and facilities, and developing
critical test technologies and capabilities for use across the DoD T&E
enterprise. TRMC, of course, also supports DoD-wide modernization by
facilitating testing of key capabilities. Recent examples include:
--Improved aeroshell testing by developing an arc heater that more
accurately produces hypersonic flight conditions and can
evaluate thermal protection system materials;
--Upgraded a wind tunnel by developing a nozzle that provides air
flow up to Mach 18 and that enables the measurement of
hypersonic aerodynamics and weapon system stability;
--Enhanced the realism of nuclear survivability testing by
prototyping a test capability that produces ultra-short, pulsed
neutron radiation and can be used to assess the survivability
of microelectronics and critical control circuits; and
--Improved 5th/6th generation aircraft testing against modern air
defense systems by fielding sixteen threat-representative radar
signal to assess detectability, survivability, and system
performance.
In addition to strategic modernization investments, TRMC also makes
foundational investments to improve test capabilities and lower the
cost of testing across the Department. For instance, TRMC fielded a
common range instrumentation system at eight open-air ranges. This
system tracks aircraft under test with sub-meter accuracy and securely
transmits highly classified flight test data down to the ground at four
times the rate of previous systems.
where innovation research and technology begins
The Deputy Director for Research and Technology champions the
Department's relationships with academia, is piloting efforts to
attract a new and more diverse talent pool to the Department's science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, is promoting
the use of new hiring authorities and flexibilities, and through the
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology
Transfer (STTR) is working to bring small and innovative businesses
into the Department.
growing the pipeline of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (stem) talent
The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART)
Scholarship Program provides scholarships to U.S. citizens to pursue
bachelors, masters, or doctoral degrees, and in doing so, helps build a
future workforce capable of addressing the Department's most
challenging problems.
Upon graduation, recipients work in a civilian position in a lab or
agency of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or other DoD entity and have a
one-year service requirement for each tuition year. In 2019, DoD
targeted scholars with academic backgrounds that aligned with DoD's
modernization priorities, including: quantum science, microelectronics,
biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Continuing to recruit
stellar candidates into the SMART program will enable DoD to build a
workforce that is capable of addressing even the most challenging
science and technology problems in the future.
our commitment to diversity
To attract and advance an inclusive DoD STEM workforce, the
Department's STEM Education and Outreach efforts are working to
increase women's and other underrepresented groups' involvement. For
example, OUSD(R&E) conducts SMART Scholarship program outreach at
Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving
Institutions (HBCU/MI). DoD's long-standing partnership with HBCUs/MIs
not only contributes to a diverse STEM workforce, it also focuses
research grants on core DoD modernization priorities. Furthermore,
although the DoD's HBCU/MI program research focuses specifically on
defense, program investments also contribute to commercial innovation.
The HBCU/MI Program also manages nine centers of excellence that
provide leadership, research, and education in DoD priority areas. The
newest centers focus on quantum sensing, artificial intelligence/
machine learning, networks, aerospace education, research, and
innovation. The program is also working to establish to new centers
focused on biotechnology and materials science. Finally, two other
centers of excellence have a STEM workforce focus, and are cultivating
a cohort of students through an education program that is coupled with
exposure to the DoD's research and development enterprise. Many of
these students also participate in DoD internships; after completing
internships, 57 STEM scholars who also participated in the DoD HBCU/MI
Program have accepted job placements with defense laboratories since FY
2018.
leveraging international talent
To stay ahead of our competitors, both economically and militarily,
the U.S. must continue developing and attracting world-class scientists
and engineers. The Department employs more than 130,000 scientists and
engineers, and nearly half of this number work in one of the
Department's laboratories or engineering centers. Despite challenges in
recruiting and retaining technical talent, the Department maintains an
exceptional workforce. Many of the U.S.'s top researchers and
entrepreneurs have come here from other countries. To take advantage of
this fact, in just the last year, OUSD(R&E) re-invigorated the
Department's J-1 Visa waiver program. This effort will reduce barriers
for foreign nationals who want to stay in the country to work in STEM
fields.
Today's U.S. universities welcome a high percentage of
international students, scientists, professors, and industry
collaborators, and our adversaries compete with the U.S. to recruit
from this same talent pool. Immigrants have been awarded 38% of the
Nobel Prizes won by Americans in Chemistry, Medicine, and Physics since
2000 and immigrants or their children founded 45% of the 2019 Fortune
500 companies. We want these individuals to come here, stay here, and
choose to work with us no matter where they were born. It is our
strategic imperative to continue recruiting the best, highly-skilled
individuals-regardless of national origin-to work within the U.S.
research enterprise.
utilizing hiring flexibilities
The Department continues to make extensive use of recruitment and
retention authorities to enhance its science and technology workforce.
These authorities give Service laboratories the ability to conduct
direct hiring in particular fields, such as cybersecurity, to support
continuing education, provide recruitment bonuses, and reward employees
with performance-based pay.
These tools allow DoD laboratories to recruit and retain top S&T
talent and remain competitive with the private sector. For instance,
the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has used the Enhanced Pay
Authority to hire subject matter experts in the areas of autonomous
systems, data analytics, and communications and networking, which
directly enhances their ability to support the Department's
modernization priorities.
the role of small business
The Department invests nearly $2 billion annually in innovative
small businesses, entrepreneurs, and academic research institutions
through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business
Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs provide the DoD
access to the small business community, reaching experts and academics
that may not otherwise be engaged.
Small businesses that begin working with DoD through the SBIR/STTR
programs have the option of partnering with existing contractors or
larger businesses that may already be working on Programs of Record or
fielded services. For many small businesses this is a ``foot in the
door'' providing experience working with the DoD and providing DoD with
access to new perspective and talent from the small business community.
Moreover, SBIR/STTR projects are often dual-use, and are both
transitioned to the military and commercialized for private-sector
benefit. The Department facilitates both military transition and
private sector commercialization opportunities through Component SBIR/
STTR Commercialization Readiness Programs (CRP) and the OSD Transitions
SBIR/STTR Technologies (OTST) Program. The Department also held its
first Virtual Symposium on transition in October 2020 with over 1,000
participants from small businesses, primes, and academia.
DoD has focused the SBIR and STTR investment programs on the
Department's modernization priorities. Additionally, DoD has
streamlined and modernized the SBIR and STTR proposal submission
process, with the goal of making these programs more accessible to
small, domestic firms.
In order to promote small business within the defense contracting
space, the DoD facilitates licensing opportunities through our national
partnership intermediary, TechLink. Partnership with TechLink offers
licensing support to small businesses working with the DoD, which is
mutually beneficial, delivering value to the small business and
enabling further innovation.
Additionally, the Department encourages larger defense contractors
to work with small businesses, including SBIR/STTR performers, through
specific subcontracting requirements and through the Mentor Protege
program managed by the Office of Small Business Programs within the
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and
Sustainment. These mechanisms further assist small businesses to
contribute to Defense innovation, while also making it easier to do
business with the DoD.
how small business innovation in dod helps america broadly
DoD reaps tremendous benefits from partnering with small
businesses. A recent study of the SBIR/STTR programs found the
Department achieved a 22-to-1 return on investment in small business
research and development over the past 23 years, resulting in $347
billion in total economic output. An economic impact study conducted in
2018 on the DoD license agreements active during the 2000-2017 period
revealed $27 billion in sales of new products and services, including
at least $5 billion in confirmed sales to the U.S. military. Overall,
these agreements generated over $58 billion in total economic impact
and created approximately 215,000 jobs. In this study, small businesses
accounted for approximately 80% of the licenses.
the defense manufacturing base
Manufacturing is critical to the advancement of our technology
modernization objectives. The DoD Manufacturing Technology program
(ManTech) executes a portfolio of project investments across OSD, the
Services, and Agencies, focusing on advanced manufacturing
technologies. The ManTech program also serves as a lead Federal
strategic investment partner to 9 of the 16 Manufacturing USA
innovation institutes (MIIs).
These MIIs promote domain-focused manufacturing ecosystems in areas
of value to the Department and identify emerging areas of importance to
the U.S. manufacturing base. The MIIs employ pre-competitive technology
advancement and investment, and facilitate community building and
workforce development. They bring together industry, academia, and
federal partners to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and
promote a robust and sustainable national manufacturing R&D
infrastructure.
For example, the Manufacturing times Digital (MxD) Institute
recently welcomed 5G on its Future Factory Floor to serve as a testbed
for demonstrating the opportunities 5G, artificial intelligence, and
machine learning bring to manufacturing. The ManTech team has also
begun to accelerate advanced manufacturing technologies through public-
private partnerships in cybersecurity, photonics, and regenerative
medicine.
Solar power and our most advanced medical diagnostic machines both
depend on advanced photonics. The American Institute for Manufacturing
Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics) is an engineering technology
consortium that has established a U.S.-based Photonic Integrated Chip
(PIC) manufacturing ecosystem. This ecosystem is leading efforts in the
prototyping, validation, and final packaging of advanced node
microelectronics and photonic chip fabrication, and the development of
test, assembly, and packaging facilities.
Last year the Department established its ninth DoD-lead
Manufacturing Innovation Institute--BIOMADE, to specifically focus on
bio-industrial manufacturing. This institute leverages emerging
biotechnologies, including modern engineering biology techniques, to
foster domestic leadership in bio-manufacturing. BIOMADE is already
building partnerships across the U.S. bio-economy and strengthening
linkages between defense needs and industry and academic partners.
Hypersonic weapons depend on the manufacturability of carbon-carbon
materials. Working to address this need, ManTech is sponsoring the
manufacture of carbon-carbon composite for the Hypersonics Applications
(MOC3HA) initiative. This effort works directly with domestic
manufacturers of carbon-carbon material to streamline processes and
improve quality and reliability volume and size, reduce cost and cycle
time, and increase yield.
The department has convened a DoD-wide Manufacturing Council to
coordinate activities addressing defense-wide challenges as well as
human capital investments and strategies, and to serve as a touchpoint
for industry. Through this Council, we align the funds in the ManTech
program, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment effort, and Defense
Production Act Title III authorities to achieve our modernization goals
and to maintain our technical advantage.
supporting dod's miis response to the covid-19 pandemic
America Makes, the DoD-sponsored institute for additive
manufacturing, rapidly partnered with the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), HHS/Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR),
National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Veterans Affairs (VA) to
efficiently and safely match health care provider needs for PPE. This
project also developed a rapid method for design submission and
approval of 3D PPE designs under DoD funding.
As of February 25, 2021, more than 624 published designs were
available on the Exchange, with 34 designs optimized for clinical use
and 28 designs optimized for community use. These designs have been
downloaded over 200,000 times with more than 2.5 million views. Through
the effort, America Makes assisted front line workers in obtaining
hundreds of thousands of pieces of critical PPE supplies from qualified
manufacturing across the U.S.
The NextFlex Manufacturing Innovation Institute facilitated a
project that uses novel RNA sequencing technology to prove the
environmental contamination and transmission pathway, then refined and
expanded production capacity of antimicrobial mats called ``clean
surfaces'' to address surface contact infections. Virus and bacteria
surface contact infections are frequent, and pathogens often remain
viable and contagious between surface cleanings even if proper episodic
procedures are followed.
For this novel ``clean surface'' technology, any time microbes
contact the mat surface, an embedded circuit board sends a micro-
electric impulse along printed conductive traces to that location to
activate antimicrobial silver and copper ions that quickly eradicate
the contaminants. The flexibility of these mats allows them to be
placed around the side rails of hospital beds, on tables, or doorknobs.
The application of this innovation to public, medical and retail
infrastructure in the long-term could impact how future viral outbreaks
are controlled, especially during flu seasons. The mats went through
validation testing throughout the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center hospital system and are now being installed in six hospital ICUs
for a six-month experiment to measure pre- and post-infection rates.
The Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is a DoD-
sponsored advanced fabrics institute and was selected to participate on
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Manufacturing Emergency Response
Team. Alongside the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, AFFOA
helped administer $5.6 million in funds for PPE through the
Massachusetts MII program for domestic manufacturers pivoting to
manufacture PPE, identified opportunities to rapidly optimize the PPE
supply chain, matched PPE manufacturers with producers of raw
materials, and connected hospitals to manufacturers to quickly produce
needed products. AFFOA also built a distributed PPE material-testing
network to assist hospitals, state emergency management agencies, first
responder organizations, and domestic manufacturers to test their
materials and PPE products and ensure product performance and
regulatory compliance.
strengthening our defense research base
Scientific discoveries occurring at universities and laboratories
supported by the DoD, have led to dramatic commercial and national
security advances and have significantly improved citizens' lives
around the world. DoD's relationship with academia is an incredibly
valuable force multiplier for the basic research enterprise.
In addition to our Defense Laboratories, the Department's FFRDCs
and UARCs are a critical element of our innovation base, providing the
independent and objective scientific and technical expertise that the
Department relies on to create technical superiority. Last year, we
undertook a concerted effort to ensure the Department employs our
FFRDCs for maximum strategic impact.
In FY19, the FFRDCs and UARCs made numerous contributions to
enhance the capabilities of the Joint Force. For example, the Aerospace
Corporation was an integral part of the Government and contractor team
that successfully launched a GPS III on a Falcon 9 rocket. This was the
first flight of a competitively awarded National Security Space Launch
mission in nearly 20 years. In another instance, the Johns Hopkins
Applied Physics Laboratory developed a technically rigorous ``space
game'' that enabled participants to grapple with realistic and
technically informed timelines, authorities, questions, and rules of
engagement, and the operational implications of pursuing different
space architectures. Playing out these scenarios has informed the
department's investment decisions.
international partnerships
Our Allies are essential to our national security. This is true in
research as it is in warfighting. We continue to develop our
international partnerships through the SMART program. Two examples from
the SMART program to highlight are the Alan Turing Institute in the
U.K., where SMART scholars can perform research on artificial
intelligence and machine learning, and the von Karman Institute for
Fluid Dynamics in Belgium, where SMART scholars can perform research on
hypersonics. Through these efforts, scholars work with their peers
overseas improving our S&T community and contributing to the
Department's international partnerships.
technology protection
Our military's technological edge is at risk. Competitor nations
are acquiring intellectual property and sensitive technologies from our
academic research system and industry through illicit and legal means.
The department is taking a multipronged approach to address this issue.
We are applying protections for critical technologies and programs that
prevent technologies from falling into the wrong hands. We are
establishing procedures to reinforce the integrity of our research
enterprise. We are also engaging the broader S&T community and our
stakeholders to provide improved threat awareness, inform necessary
controls, and develop best practices that can be institutionalized
across the DoD S&T enterprise.
We continue to look for new methods to secure our technology.
Technology Area Protections Plans (TAPPS) are new initiatives we are
using to provide a common understanding of what needs to be protected
and a strategy to establish protections. TAPPs will help S&T
organizations get information regarding emerging and disruptive
research that can be used to apply safeguards through Program Plans.
The TAPPs in development align with the 2019 DoD list of critical
programs and technologies mandated by Section 1049 of the FY2019 NDAA.
We have also taken other steps to protect open research at U.S.
institutions. R&E is currently working with other federal research
funding agencies to develop common standards for identifying and
adjudicating conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment. We are
fully engaged with the White House Office of Science and Technology
Policy to develop Federal guidance for Research Security and Integrity.
In March 2019, we issued instructions to our partners in academia,
requiring that key research personnel funded by DoD grants, cooperative
agreements, Technology Investment Agreements, and other non-procurement
transactions disclose all current and pending projects and funding
sources. We are also revising research grant and cooperative agreement
procedures to exclude research funding for individuals posing an
unacceptable risk to national security or participating in foreign
talent recruitment programs. Moreover, DoD encourages academic
institutions, associations, and councils to develop training modules
for faculty to clearly explain the landscape of threats to research
integrity.
Technology protection requires a nuanced and multifaceted approach
as well as partnerships with other government agencies, industry,
academia, and allies. An uncoordinated, broad-brush approach to
technology protection can result in damaging consequences that inhibit
leading-edge research. At the same time as we work to protect our
technological edge, we recognize that the free exchange of ideas and
collaboration are critical to our continued success. We must preserve
the long-standing norms that have benefited our research institutions
while at the same time punishing bad actors who break the law. While we
must guard against espionage and the theft of intellectual property, we
must also nurture an open, pioneering and collaborative culture that
has historically served our country so well.
creating and promoting new technologies
The office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering for
Modernization develops and coordinates Department-wide science and
technology strategies to guide and drive technology development and
inform requirements. By developing S&T roadmaps, we prioritize
resourcing, support future technology insertion, and provide
opportunities for investments to accelerate development efforts. Our
current efforts are focused on 11 modernization areas; 5G, Hypersonics,
Directed Energy, AI, Biotechnology, Microelectronics, Cyber, Quantum
Science, Autonomous Systems, Fully Networked Command and Control, and
Space.
Microelectronics
Microelectronics is a critical focus area for DoD Modernization.
Advanced capability microelectronics technology development directly
influences success in fielding disruptive technologies, including
Artificial Intelligence, Hypersonics, and 5G. The US is struggling to
maintain global competitiveness in leading edge fabrication and design
innovation, despite supporting a diverse infrastructure of research,
design, intellectual property (IP) rights, and physical plants that
should enable the US to be an attractive market for the semiconductor
industry. Additionally, aggressive investments and actions by peer
competitor nations threaten U.S. leadership. Russia and China have
publicly stated that advanced microelectronics and AI are the keys to
economic and military dominance. Nearly 90 percent of the world's
semiconductor foundry market share belongs to companies with foundries
in Taiwan, South Korea and China. This imbalance is prompting calls to
boost domestic capacity.
R&E's Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) Program is
executing the development of key technologies in accordance with the
DoD Microelectronics roadmap. The broad goals of the T&AM program are
to secure U.S. microelectronics interests, reverse the erosion of
domestic innovation and supply, and establish a strong leadership
foundation for the next-generation of microelectronics technology for
DoD applications. We are involved in three lines of effort to reach
these goals:
1. Assurance of the integrity of microelectronic products as they
move through the supply chain through the development and
application of enhanced assurance technologies, services, and
standards.
2. Availability of critical and common IP, manufacturing
capabilities, and assurance tools and services required for DoD
research, development and acquisition programs.
3. Access to design modules, design capabilities, manufacturing,
and verification and validation services at commercial sources
with lowered barriers and integrity/confidentiality protection
measures.
We plan to continue investing in advanced capability
microelectronics, ensuring access to State of the Art microelectronics,
advanced packaging and test, and to radiation hardened
microelectronics. We are also moving forward with the establishment of
the Joint Federated Assurance Center, and continuing to investment in
the DARPA led Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI). ERI is intended
to ensure U.S. microelectronics technology leadership well into the
21st century. ERI will pursue electronics performance advancements by
leveraging circuit specialization, to include materials, architectures
and designs.
artificial intelligence
We are in a global arms race in artificial intelligence technology
and applications, most notably with China, who has set a goal to lead
in AI technology by 2030. To maintain US dominance in AI, we will:
1. Continue to invest in cutting-edge AI research through
organizations such as DARPA and Office of Naval Research (ONR).
2. Democratize DoD AI innovation by developing modern data and
software development processes providing end-users and
warfighters the ability to engage with AI development directly.
3. Accelerate AI adoption by supporting a rapid development
pipeline, from research to our engineering centers to the
service software factories and program offices.
This three-prong approach will lead to: trusted AI capability that
has high utility to the warfighter, decreased development timelines,
lowered cost-structures and reduced maintenance; increased
understanding and availability of DoD data which is so vital to AI
development; and improved talent development and retention within the
civilian and service member community. Although this revolution is in
its early phase, the capability is currently being tested in such areas
as predictive maintenance, business operations, and automated target
recognition. More generally, AI will enable a myriad of capabilities
across the force, including intelligence fusion and analysis, planning
and prediction, and longer-term autonomy.
Just as the second wave of AI research performed within the
Department 20 years ago led to the explosion of commercial activity in
the US today, R&E is heavily involved in a third wave of advanced AI
techniques and capability that will further strengthen the American AI
ecosystem and have future commercial impacts.
cyber
Our adversaries are engaged in wide-ranging and highly impactful
malicious activities in cyberspace, often with near-impunity.
Fortunately, through the implementation of the 2018 DoD Cyber Strategy,
which embraces a defend-forward and persistent engagement approach, US
Cyber Command and the Service Cyber Components are now blunting and
disrupting many of our adversaries' malicious cyberspace activities.
Through this approach, and by leveraging new capabilities made possible
through significant and long-term DoD S&T investments, our cyber forces
are now exacting far greater costs on our adversaries.
To build on this momentum and ensure increasing dominance, our
cyber strategy calls for increased investments to accelerate the
development and rapid transition of technologies that provide the basis
for 1) vastly enhanced resilience of DoD systems and critical
infrastructure 2) substantially increased capacity and unrivaled
capabilities for the conduct of cyber and cyber-enabled operations, 3)
overmatching skills and expertise within the Cyber Mission Forces, and
the Cybersecurity and Cyber S&T workforces.
Further, thanks to Congress' support of FY20 and FY21
appropriations totaling $20M, OUSD(R&E) is awarding the first three
academic Cyber Institute consortiums in April 2021. Known as VICEROY
(Virtual Institutes for Cyber and Electromagnetic Research and Employ),
they will prepare future ROTC and DoD-minded civilians for challenging
cyber and electromagnetic spectrum operations and research careers
through experiential learning. These increased investments in both
technology and human capital will compound the dividends of the now
decade-long increased focus, by DARPA and the Services, on the
development of innovative and increasingly sophisticated cyber
technologies.
5G
Technology to secure 5G communications is paramount to leveraging
5G for operations and communications superiority. As an investor in and
significant consumer of technological innovation, the Department drives
a cycle that parallels civilian industry and leads to new capabilities
and services that would otherwise not be available. The technologies
being developed and tested in the 5G Initiative will drive U.S.
technology and innovation. Further, the dual-use applications being
developed will help U.S. industry get 5G-enabled products to the
commercial market more quickly while also providing DoD with new
operational capabilities.
Security is often ``bolted on'' after a system has been developed.
5G networks, prototypes, and operating procedures are being developed
now, and the 5G Initiative is actively working with industry to address
security early by engaging both large integrators and non-traditional
performers in experiments at over a dozen DoD facilities around the
country. Examples include new 5G techniques for device authentication,
using network slices (virtual networks on top of the underlying
network) for threat detection and protection, and using multiple
network paths for added resilience. We are working with industry and
the standards community to build security into the design from the
start, so security is viewed as a key metric, comparable to factors
like network speed and latency.
Our 5G Initiative emphasizes Zero Trust principles, that is, moving
away from defenses based on perimeters to defense in depth. Perimeter-
based defenses are ineffective in dynamic environments that include
multiple mobile devices, potentially untrusted supply chain components,
and massive scale--all of which are anticipated under 5G. A perimeter
defense is like a castle and moat defense; one builds a moat and wall
around the protected center to keep the threat outside the castle and
moat. In dynamic 5G environments, there is no castle. Instead, we need
to think in terms of an in-depth defense strategy that assumes an
adversary may be anywhere in the 5G environment. Continuous monitoring
and rapid detection of unintentional faults and malicious attacks allow
us to adapt in real time.
The 5G Initiative is developing multiple 5G testbeds across the
country to demonstrate the efficiency and capability that 5G will
enable for the Department of Defense. The testbeds provide the Services
the ability to develop and test novel capabilities in at-scale
environments that would otherwise not exist. The testbeds represent 10
different projects spanning 14 military locations and representing over
seven tactical and operational mission areas/use cases. At Hill AFB,
the 5G Initiative develops technology to enable 5G networks to share
spectrum with airborne radars dynamically. At Naval Base Coronado and
Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, the 5G Initiative is developing
smart warehouse technology enabled by 5G. The technology will enable
more efficient, accurate, and timely delivery of warfighting material.
At Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the 5G Initiative develops Augmented
Reality/Virtual Reality for the training environment.
Finally, ongoing dialogues with Service Programs of Record (PORs)
ensure that the research projects address service requirements and that
PORs are making plans to transition and incorporate successful 5G
developments.
Autonomous Systems
DARPA's ``Grand Challenges'' on autonomous vehicles served as the
primary catalyst for significant interest--and investment--by academia,
industry, and government in autonomous systems. Building on this
legacy, DoD application of intelligent, autonomous behaviors to robotic
and unmanned systems (across all warfighting domains) is poised to
allow humans and machines to team and achieve an overwhelming
warfighting advantage not possible by humans or machines acting alone.
These behaviors increase efficiency by reducing the physical and/or
cognitive loads on the warfighter; reduce risk to warfighters by
reducing manned operation in harsh and unpredictable environments; and
provide the potential to generate cost-effective combat mass. Moving
beyond today's current limited fielding of intelligent autonomous
systems that primarily support intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance activities with platform-level autonomous navigation,
future capabilities will be applied across the spectrum of warfighting
functions.
In the near-to-mid-term, autonomy efforts within research and
engineering will result in advances in a number of areas, including;
responsive fires support based for both manned and unmanned sensor and
weapon systems; effective, resilient resupply using autonomous systems
from point of manufacture to delivery; and joint all-domain and control
enabled by autonomous systems increasing reconnaissance and
surveillance ability.
To speed the development of these effective, appropriate, and safe
intelligent autonomous systems, the DoD will continue to develop the
digital engineering infrastructure necessary to design, fabricate, and
test these systems throughout the entire Robotics and Autonomous System
lifecycle. Successful fielding of these systems will leverage ongoing
efforts to develop and implement a comprehensive Joint all domain
command and control system as well as efforts to develop a secure cloud
environment including a cloud-to-edge strategy suitable for contested
environments. In concert, we must conduct virtual and live
experimentation to fully explore future operational concepts as well as
continue to develop sound, thoughtful, and ethical principles for the
employment of Robotics and Autonomous Systems.
biotechnology
Biotechnology will fundamentally change the future battlefield, and
US adversaries (most notably China) are aggressively pursuing related
capabilities. Furthermore, China has signaled willingness to use this
and other emerging technologies against their opposition without
respect for protocols, conventions, or human rights. Biotechnologies
hold potential to broadly impact defense capabilities; however, until
recently, DoD investments have almost exclusively focused on medicine
and chem-bio defense missions.
A key application of biotechnology to national security is the
ability of bioindustrial manufacturing to generate novel, domestic,
safe, and sustainable sources of critical supply chain components. For
example, a project executed by ONR and NAVAIR China Lake demonstrated
the use of engineered bacteria to produce linalool, which can be
efficiently converted to jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, and high density
missile fuels. Other DoD efforts, such as DARPA's Living Foundries
program, have illuminated the potential for more than 1,000 DoD-
relevant molecules to be produced using biology.
The Department is prioritizing partnerships with Industry, to
include BIOMADE--the newly awarded Bioindustrial Manufacturing
Innovation Institute (MII)--and in collaboration with the Services, is
focusing biotechnology modernization on: (1) building a common
foundation of physical and digital infrastructure to create a rapid
prototyping pipeline, (2) identifying and prioritizing use cases for
prototyping and demonstration, and (3) enhancing workforce development
opportunities. Investing in a pipeline for advanced development of
bioindustrially-sourced products will not only provide critical
materials and capabilities for our warfighters and maintain our
competitive advantage in the field, a robust industrial base will also
ensure that the future global bioeconomy is made in America.
directed energy
Directed Energy Weapons can provide US forces with a high rate of
fire weapon with a reduced logistical burden. This capability will be
especially important as potential adversaries continue to develop
advanced missile capabilities. We are working with the Services to
accelerate operational weapon system development and operational
experimentation, to build the industrial base, to develop the needed
science and technology, and to carry out the capability development and
demonstrations leading into programs of record.
Through our Laser Scaling Program, we are using industry to build
300 kW high-energy lasers by the end of 2022, and then we are
increasing power to 500 kW by the end of 2025, and to 1000 kW by the
end of 2028, all while reducing the size, weight, power, and thermal
needs of these systems. Through our Rapid Prototyping Fund, the Navy
will operationally test new laser and high-power microwave weapon
prototypes at sea in 2020 and beyond. Further, we have partnered with
the Special Operations Command to accelerate programs for airborne and
land-based laser strike weapons. We have partnered with the Army
Futures Command and the Navy to accelerate land- and sea-based laser
and high-power microwave weapons for integrated air-and-missile
defense, with initial demonstrations in 2022, key decisions in 2023,
and initial capability in 2025.
In anticipation of new and more lethal directed energy weapons
transitioning to programs of record, we are upgrading our test and
evaluation capabilities with new infrastructure at the test ranges.
Along with all this effort there is a tightly coupled science and
technology effort aimed at lethality, beam control, propagation, power,
and thermal management. Multi-domain mission analysis is being carried
out to expand the range of missions and to enable directed energy
weapons integration into the Joint Force.
fully networked command, control & communications (fnc3)
To improve command, control and communications (C3) the department
is focused on providing the capability to evolve rapidly and
independently between systems, equipment and users. This effort
involves integrating stove-piped C3 systems into a layered
architecture. The FNC3 effort is closely tied to Joint All Domain
Command and Control (JADC2) and together these efforts are
synchronizing investments across the DoD to ensure that the Joint
Force's C3 are interoperable, resilient and capable.
By breaking-up the current stovepipes, we can increase resilience
and improve Quality of Service (QoS--data rate and latency).
We are also making rapid developments in software defined radios
and investing digital active electronically scanned antennas and
optical communications systems. This will strengthen the resilience of
individual links, grow capacity, improve interoperability and enable
rapid fielding of better waveforms and algorithms. DoD is already
transitioning and taking advantage of these new capabilities, such as
the upgrades to the Multifunctional Information Distribution System
(MIDS), which includes Link-16, and the Warrior Robust Enhanced Network
(WREN).
We are leveraging recent concepts in Software Defined Networking
(SDN) such as network slicing, to manage all the available diversity
and deliver the much needed resilience with the necessary Quality of
Service. Our investments are targeted at optimizing SDN concepts to our
DoD tactical and strategic networks, as they are different from the
commercial networks where SDN has been implemented to date. The US
Navy's Tactical Data Dissemination Initiative (TDDi) is an early
transition of these SDN technologies. To improve interoperability
between applications in the short term, machine-to-machine
interoperability technologies (e.g. efficient translators) such as
DARPA's STITCHES program are ready for transition.
In the medium and long-term the Department (led by the DoD CIO's
Office) is moving towards a federated data-centric architecture to
reduce the overhead associated with current approaches to
interoperability. In support, we are investing in a data-centric
approach to C2 messaging (known as Universal Command and Control--UC2)
that takes advantage of a recent encoding innovation, variable format
binary (e.g. ProtoBuf and EXI), to produce a C2 messaging standard that
is simultaneously efficient, evolvable and broadly applicable. An
initial demonstration of the data-centric C2 techniques applied to the
Counter Unmanned Ariel Systems mission is planned for the end of this
year. Improving our C2 applications ability to better infer relevant
information from the available data and provide decision support is
also key to better C2 with investments coordinated across multiple
modernization portfolios including AI, Autonomy and FNC3.
hypersonics
Hypersonic systems take advantage of speed, maneuverability and
sustained flight in the altitude gap between air defenses and ballistic
missile defenses to provide transformational capability for survivable,
long-range, lethal, time-critical strike of heavily defended and high
value targets.
Hypersonic systems are enabled by innovations in highly integrated
aerodynamic configurations, high temperature materials and structures,
high speed propulsion, and advanced guidance, navigation and control.
Over the past decade, focused research, development, test and
evaluation has created the opportunity to rapidly transition
developmental system concepts to weapon system prototypes and to
operational weapon systems. We are working in close coordination with
the Services to accelerate development and fielding of multiple air,
land and sea launched conventional hypersonic strike weapons to defeat
targets of critical importance.
Our potential adversaries are rapidly evolving high-end offensive
and defensive systems creating highly contested anti-access/area denial
(A2/AD) environments that challenge our tactical battlefield dominance
and necessitate the development of hypersonic strike capabilities.
Additionally, our potential adversaries are aggressively pursuing,
and now fielding a variety of hypersonic systems. This compresses the
timescale on the tactical battlefield, creating asymmetry, which we are
working to address. We will continue to implement our integrated
strategy to enable fielding of operational prototypes in quantity from
land, sea and air by the mid-2020s.
We are also working with the Missile Defense Agency to accelerate a
comprehensive layered defeat capability against adversary tactical
hypersonic weapons including kinetic defense in the terminal and glide
phases of flight, as well as left-of-launch strike of missile launch
complexes. The DoD hypersonics capability fielding strategy is being
implemented through a highly coordinated set of programs across the
services and agencies, to include a joint service memorandum of
agreement and middle tier acquisition programs to effectively
accelerate capability to the warfighter. Critical investments in our
industrial base, our workforce, applied technology, and test
infrastructure are being made to enable this acceleration and to pave
the way for technical superiority for decades to come.
The Joint Hypersonics Transition Office (JHTO), which resides in
our Advanced Capabilities directorate, works in close coordination with
our Principal Director for Hypersonics to accelerate the development
and transition of hypersonic technology to the warfighter. As the
engineering and execution arm for hypersonics in the Office of the
Secretary of Defense, the JHTO works closely with the Principal
Director for Hypersonics to identify and address critical science and
technology and workforce gaps and opportunities to ensure the success
of the Hypersonics Strategy. In a resource-constrained environment with
an adversary operating with more resources and faster development
timelines, the JHTO addresses the need to accelerate and more
efficiently develop hypersonic technologies by tying S&T investments
directly to identified military needs, providing mechanisms for closer
collaboration and coordination across the government, and identifying
opportunities to tap into non-traditional performers such as
universities and foreign allies.
The JHTO has five lines of effort aimed at increasing the speed of
innovation in the U.S. and allied hypersonics enterprise:
1. the JHTO develops capability-based S&T roadmaps covering basic
and applied research to guide the hypersonics S&T enterprise
and funded $48M in FY2020 in 28 projects to accelerate
technologies that address the most critical S&T gaps.
2. the JHTO is sponsoring an effort with Boeing and Aerojet and
the AFRL to mature a propulsion design to enable a hypersonic
cruise missile option for aircraft carrier-based F/A-18s and a
joint USAF/USN missile.
3. the JHTO in November 2020 stood up a university consortium of
applied hypersonics at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment
Station (TEES) that enables nearly 100 universities to work on
applied hypersonics research, provide expertise to the
government, and to address workforce gaps. The JHTO is funding
$20 million a year in university research through the
consortium and has made this research ecosystem available to
the rest of the government to access applied hypersonics
research.
4. As the lead for allied engagements in hypersonics, the JHTO is
the co-chair of the Australia-US Hypersonics Working Group
(HWG) formed in August 2020 to develop a bi-lateral strategy
and coordinate S&T and activities in hypersonics.
5. the JHTO in October 2020 stood up the JHTO Systems Engineering
Field Activity at NSWC Crane in Indiana to provide the systems
engineering rigor to JHTO-funded S&T efforts to ensure that
they can transition into our programs.
quantum science
Successes in the area of quantum science research at DoD
demonstrates how early-stage research can have a multiplier effect in
other areas important to national security. A clear line can be drawn
to the 20+ years of basic research funding within the DoD, and the
major successes we are now seeing in U.S. commercial industry related
to atomic clocks, quantum computing, the growing importance of quantum
sensors, and quantum networks. These quantum technologies have
significant economic and national security impact, made possible as a
result of long-term, dedicated basic research funding.
Recent increases in federal funding through the National Quantum
Initiative Act have led to increased levels of coordination with
government partners. Increased commercial investments in quantum
computing and quantum sensors are leading to new opportunities for DoD
to engage and look towards transitioning this technology for military
advantage. DoD is focused on the long-term opportunities of this
technology for both military and civil applications.
Advances in quantum science are only beginning, and there is much
more potential to discover through research. As quantum technologies
develop, their importance to our economy and to national defense are
likely to increase.
space
The US cannot cede its dominance in space. Space related work will
enable the US economy, diplomacy, and the military.
The dominance of the US in space is being challenged. Potential
adversaries are showing their ability to rapidly deploy space
capabilities, they are extending their reach to the Moon, the area
between the Moon and the Earth, and they are innovating with
technologies that challenge norms of behavior and provide asymmetric
advantages threatening both terrestrial and space capabilities.
We are exploring numerous game-changing technologies with the labs
and international partners such as advanced quantum encryption,
artificial intelligence and smaller satellites that provide more
capabilities, and austere on-demand responsive launch systems. Most
notably, we have just initiated a new space research consortium program
to mine the best and brightest researchers from universities and the
tech base to focus on the hardest of space challenges identified
collaboratively through a Board of Directors consisting of R&E, US
Space Force, DARPA, DIU, Department of Energy, NASA and others. In
addition to speeding the deployment of new space technologies through
efforts like SpaceWerx and the space software factories, we are
exploring cis lunar architectures and technologies such as space domain
awareness, rapid maneuver and long-duration station keeping, through
collaborative efforts in nuclear power and propulsion with the
Department of Energy.
missile defense and space development agencies
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Defense Innovation Unit
(DIU), and the Space Development Agency (SDA) fall under the R&E
umbrella. MDA and SDA are working on programs providing our nation with
defense against some of the most advanced threats in the world. DIU
plays an essential role in providing an entry point for innovators in
the private sector to engage with needs of the DoD.
missile defense agency
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is developing capability and
technologies that address the evolving missile threat. MDA will develop
a Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), which improves homeland missile-
defense performance and survivability against the assessed rogue nation
threats as part of the Missile Defense System (MDS). In FY 2021, MDA
will award the design and development activities for two competitive
NGI development contracts. The initiation of the NGI program and the
continued Ground-based Midcourse Defense Service Life Extension Program
will extend the existing Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force
Base, California, capability to defend the homeland from ballistic
missiles beyond 2030.
The Department is investing in technologies and studying
capabilities to defeat regional offensive hypersonic weapons, the first
element of which is to detect and track incoming missile threats. MDA
delivered a capability for USINDOPACOM for real-time sensing and
display of hypersonic and maneuvering vehicle tracks. This capability
is operational now in support of the Missile Warning and Missile
Defense missions. In collaboration with industry partners, US Space
Force, USNORTHCOM, USSTRATCOM, USSPACECOM, and the Space Development
Agency, MDA is pursuing a Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space
Sensor (HBTSS). Once deployed, HBTSS will become a key element of the
MDS in hypersonic defense by providing a persistent, layered capability
to detect and track dim boosting ballistic missiles, hypersonic glide
vehicles, and raids in all phases of flight. MDA awarded two agreements
earlier this year to industry to build an on-orbit prototype-
demonstration space vehicle for a planned launch in 2023.
With the achievement of Initial Fielding in fourth quarter FY 2021
and operational acceptance in first quarter FY 2023, MDA will add the
Long Range Discrimination Radar in Alaska into the MDS architecture to
provide a persistent capability to defend the United States homeland
against IRBMs and ICBMs. This past year the Department demonstrated the
ability of the Patriot missile defense system to intercept a short-
range ballistic missile target using THAAD/AN/TPY-2 track and
discrimination data. MDA also is continuing to mature an integrated air
and missile defense capability for regional defense.
MDA, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, demonstrated early
capability against maneuvering threats during flight-testing of the
Standard Missile (SM)-6 Sea-Based Terminal (SBT) defense, and it will
further demonstrate this capability against an advanced maneuvering
threat-representative target later this year. We will continue to
advance our SBT capability to address the regional hypersonic threat
and will test that capability in the FY 2024 timeframe. MDA plans to
accelerate the hypersonic missile defense program under a newly
designated Glide Phase Intercept initiative to develop a capability to
defeat a regional hypersonic threat. The eventual goal is providing
greater depth of fire in a regional layered defense architecture. MDA
is also pursuing advances in joint all-domain and global command and
control to support USNORTHCOM in countering very long-range cruise
missiles.
The Department's previous missile defense technology innovations
have transitioned into weapon systems and vastly improved interceptor
seeker capability, increased the speed and range of intercept with
advances in propulsion, and increased the probability of single-shot
kill using multifaceted tracking and discrimination algorithms. As an
example, the technologies developed as part of the Multiple Object Kill
Vehicle effort were presented to NGI bidders, and may be included in
the proposals. Additionally, MDA invested in directed energy kill
mechanisms, including multiple laser types, high-powered microwave, and
component technologies to support development of sensors and
interceptors, such as beam control and lethality. These investments
allow the country to outpace the missile threat. We must continue to
sustain, modernize, and expand the MDS by pursuing rapid, yet measured,
development of advanced missile defense concepts and technologies for
homeland and regional defense.
MDA is continually assessing emerging and disruptive technology for
potential applications to missile defense utilization. Investments are
being made in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Nanosat
technology, Left-through-Right integration, Cybersecurity, and Quantum
Science. Key to understanding the potential of technology has been the
development of testbeds that allow MDA to exercise and demonstrate
capabilities and test new concepts, algorithms, simulations, and
software. MDA works extensively with partners, leveraging and expanding
technology opportunities through cooperative, collaborative engagements
with DoD partners, DoE labs, academia and U.S. allies and international
partners.
MDA continues to drive for the inclusion of small businesses and
universities through outreach, such as their Industry Innovation Summit
and University Innovation Summit. These events present MDA's greatest
technology challenges and offer one-on-one sessions for the Nation's
most innovative minds to present their capabilities and solutions. MDA
is committed to ensuring the use of small business to the maximum
extent practicable, monitoring prime contractor performance to ensure
contractors are achieving their proposed small business goals and
objectives and have a mitigation plan in place to do so. MDA actively
supports the DoD Mentor Protege Program (MPP), currently overseeing
five active DoD MPP agreements.
The MDA Small Business Advocacy Council (MDASBAC) consists of MDA
large prime contractors dedicated to fostering and showcasing a
superior collaborative environment to develop and promote successful
small business relationships to achieve common goals. MDA has a robust
outreach program and takes full advantage of the outreach resources
administered by Procurement Technical Resource Centers/Small Business
Development Centers to connect large defense contractors with viable
small businesses to support the agency's mission.
space development agency
The Space Development Agency (SDA) was established in March 2019 to
develop and field an alternative National Defense Space Architecture
and accelerate the deployment of next-generation space capabilities to
the warfighter. SDA is developing capabilities to address a wide range
of national security space needs identified in the DoD Space Enterprise
Vision of August 2018. To address current near-peer threats, SDA is
focused on the most urgent of these needs by delivering a mesh network
that will provide low-latency data transport in space to enable
advanced missile tracking and beyond-line-of-sight targeting of land
and maritime targets.
At its second anniversary in the Department, SDA has shown itself
to be a ``constructive disruptor'' in national security space. Its
model is tied to two main pillars: proliferation of satellites in Low-
Earth Orbit (LEO) and spiral development, delivering new capabilities
on-orbit every two years, starting in FY22. SDA's mission begins and
ends with the warfighter, guiding SDA to stick to schedule so that
needed capabilities are available for end users to address the threat
at or ahead of need. The Agency has established a Warfighter Council to
ensure the needs of the Combatant Commands, Services, Joint Staff, and
Intelligence Community determine the minimum viable product for each
tranche, or generation of satellites.
SDA is hitting its milestones and forming partnerships with the
Services, Combatant Commands, and other DoD agencies to reduce risks
and gain user insight. The agency delivered two satellites for launch
nine months after receiving funding, was designated by the Department
of Defense as the lead for the proliferated LEO Joint All-Domain
Command and Control (JADC2) backbone, and awarded contracts for all
four segments of its initial tranche. SDA is preparing to launch
several capability demonstrations and risk-reduction experiments this
year, in partnership with others from across the space enterprise,
including DARPA, the Air Force Research Lab, Missile Defense Agency,
and several small businesses developing state-of-the-art space
technologies.
SDA actively seeks ways to leverage commercial advances in
technology to enable its space architecture. New space companies are
supplying satellites for the first generation of the architecture as
well as the launch vehicle for that tranche. To kick off 2021, SDA
published an update to the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA)
Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency
Announcement (BAA) seeking studies, technologies, and prototypes that
enable Real-Time Global Awareness and Connectivity; Comprehensive
Space-Based Sensing; and Omniscient Command, Control, and Execution.
This BAA is in place to establish an ``intellectual pipeline'' to
access ideas from across the community to inform the future
architecture, enable leap-ahead improvements for future tranches, and
enable new capability layers that address emerging warfighter needs.
SDA is also focusing on maturing and transitioning technologies from
America's small businesses, start-ups, and research institutions
through a series of SBIR/STTR opportunities this spring.
In FY22, SDA will launch and operate the first tranche of
satellites to demonstrate the Transport layer, the mesh network of
communications satellites, and the Tracking layer, Overhead Persistent
Infrared (OPIR) sensing satellites that provide missile warning,
detection, and tracking capabilities. Tranche 1, the next generation of
these capabilities, is slated for delivery in FY 2024, followed by
future generations every two years that will incorporate battle
management command and control and other layers of capability needed to
provide persistent global access to protect national security. In FY23,
the SDA will transition to the Space Force in accordance with the
direction of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2020.
conclusion
Our mission is to foster technological dominance across the
Department of Defense, ensuring the unquestioned superiority of the
American joint force. We are dedicated to ensuring that the
technological edge remains in our favor. This statement while
comprehensive, is not exhaustive in capturing all the activities being
undertaken to maintain technological dominance in the present and
future. The projects and programs contained in this statement do
provide important examples of how crucial innovation is to the national
security of the United States. I thank you for your time and I look
forward to your questions.

Senator Tester. Now we'll go to Dr. Tompkins for her
statement.
STATEMENT OF DR. STEFANIE TOMPKINS, DIRECTOR, DEFENSE
ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY
Dr. Tompkins. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and
Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to
testify today and for your strong support of DARPA over the
years.
My name is Stefanie Tompkins, and I serve as the Director
of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA.
It's a real pleasure to be here with my friend and
colleague Ms. Barbara McQuiston from the Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
While we work closely with Ms. McQuiston's organization,
DARPA has a unique mission in both the DOD community and the
broader U.S. technology ecosystem. That mission is to prevent
strategic surprise by making investments in breakthrough
technologies for national security.
What that means is we anticipate, create, and demonstrate
technologies that are nowhere on technology roadmaps and often
outside most people's imaginations.
For over 60 years now, in partnership with innovators,
inside and outside government, DARPA has repeatedly delivered
on our mission. We've transformed revolutionary concepts and
seemingly impossibilities into practical capabilities.
Examples of those capabilities include stealth technology,
precision-guided weapons, unmanned aero-vehicles, as well as
many icons in modern society, such as the Internet, automated
voice recognition and language translation, and GPS receivers
small enough to embed in nearly any consumer device.
Technologies like these provide more options for our
Nation's leaders and the military services and today, with
increasingly complex challenges and a rapidly-changing world,
DARPA's role has never been more vital.
At DARPA, we think not just about scientific and
engineering innovation now but also about the innovation
ecosystem. That ecosystem includes many overlapping and
adjacent communities from academia, industry, and government.
It includes everything from fundamental research to global
scale systems of systems. It includes innovation not only in
technology but in processes and transition strategies, as well,
and, most importantly, it includes a rotating cast of DARPA
program managers who come from and will return to that
ecosystem and who seek to solve not just today's problems but
tomorrow's, as well.
One of the best illustrations of how DARPA works is related
to the COVID-19 pandemic. So about 5 years ago, when I was
serving in a different role at DARPA, I spent a lot of time on
the road trying to expand and diversify our pro forma base.
One of the programs I talked about the most involved heavy
investment into something called mRNA vaccines. So mRNA
vaccines are pretty much a household word today, but at the
time they were much, much more obscure and DARPA's investments
were based on the insight of individual program managers who
anticipated their need for both military and public health
missions.
The research that DARPA first initiated more than a decade
ago is now playing a leading and catalytic role in today's
fight against COVID-19. In typical DARPA fashion, we made
significant investments in the technology years before it was
known to be needed, leading to high-impact capabilities related
to prevention, diagnostics, and treatment that have helped to
mitigate the current crisis.
From vaccines and diagnostics to defensive and offensive
hypersonic technologies, state of the art artificial
intelligence, quantum systems, micro-electronic solutions, and
much, much more, DARPA has forged new paths and continues to
deliver on our mission.
I look forward to working with the members of this
subcommittee and others in Congress to ensure the security and
resilience of our Nation, and I would be most pleased to answer
your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Stefanie Tompkins
Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby and Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you
today. I am Stefanie Tompkins, Director of the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency, DARPA. It is a pleasure to be here with my
colleague, Ms. Barbara McQuiston, from the office of the Undersecretary
for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) in the Department of Defense.
Our organizations work together every day to advance our Nation's
defense technologies. DARPA plays a particular role in this community
and in the broader U.S. technology ecosystem. That role is to
anticipate, create, and demonstrate breakthrough technologies that are
outside and beyond conventional approaches--technologies that hold the
potential for extraordinary advances in national security capability.
For more than 60 years, DARPA has held to a singular and enduring
mission: to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for
national security. Working with innovators inside and outside
government, DARPA has repeatedly delivered on that mission,
transforming revolutionary concepts and seeming impossibilities into
practical capabilities. The results have included game-changing
military capabilities like precision weapons, stealth technology, and
unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as icons of modern civilian society
such as the internet, automated voice recognition and language
translation, and Global Positioning System receivers small enough to
embed in myriad consumer devices.
DARPA creates and executes programs that rely on and inspire an
innovation ecosystem of academic, corporate, and government partners.
We focus on developing capabilities for national security leaders and
the nation's military services, who work with us to create new
strategic opportunities and novel tactical options. For decades, this
interlocking ecosystem of collaborators has proven to nurture intense
creativity. Today, DARPA's role has never been more vital. From being
front and center in our nation's fight against the COVID-19 virus, to
defensive as well as offensive hypersonics technologies, state of-the-
art artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and directed energy
solutions, DARPA today is delivering on our most pressing security
needs.
DARPA pursues game-changing technologies and capabilities in a way
that provides surprising advantage for U.S. and Allied warfighters and
at a much faster pace than the state of the art. DARPA's work with the
Services and other agencies aims to meet not just known but as-yet
unrecognized needs and move swiftly to deployment. That includes an
increased emphasis on prototyping and joint projects--and, especially,
a tighter emphasis on designing, building, and testing aspects of
technology. Today, I will focus my testimony on how DARPA seeks to: 1)
counter near-peer adversaries, 2) extend DARPA innovation to the
warfighter and beyond, and 3) promote continued American innovation
throughout the broader S&T ecosystem of university and industry
partners.
1. Countering Near-Peer Adversaries
We seek to present adversaries with surprising warfighting
scenarios that create dilemmas or completely disrupt their decision
calculus. To do so, we must disrupt our own warfighting enterprises and
provide decisive advantage across air, land, and sea, as well as space,
cyberspace, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Big, monolithic platforms
designed, built, and procured to do everything cost too much, take too
long to field, and are usually technologically outdated by the time
they are available. DARPA seeks a new asymmetric advantage--one that
imposes complexity on adversaries by harnessing the power of dynamic,
coordinated, highly autonomous, and flexible architectures.
A. New Warfighting Constructs
Modern warfare is becoming less about singular platform and weapon
capabilities, and more about combinations of systems that can be
rapidly developed and composed into more effective warfighting
constructs. DARPA's Assault Breaker II (ABII) and Mosaic initiatives,
along with their resulting technologies, seek to fundamentally change
the way the military thinks about designing, buying, and deploying
future systems.
First, the ABII program addresses several challenges posed by our
near-peer competitors. Patterned after the original Assault Breaker
program in the late 1970's, a memorandum of agreement was signed by
DARPA and the vice chiefs of all five Services to establish a joint
service team creating technology solutions to these critical
challenges. Interacting closely with the intelligence, military
operator, and technology communities, the team's first objective is to
design warfighting operational constructs based on new and emerging
technologies and capabilities.
The program's second objective is to develop an advanced modelling
and simulation environment to support analysis of true cross-domain
(seafloor to space) cross-service warfighting constructs. Finally, the
program is tying the advanced modelling and simulation environment into
an interactive experiment environment to support exploration of highly
complex, interdependent approaches that characterize the future of
warfighting.
ABII seeks to organize this evolution in warfighting and act as a
conduit to both communicate technology solutions to the services as
well as articulate critical challenges to the technology development
community in a manner where they can appreciate the larger picture.
ABII will serve as the technical baseline for multi- domain operations
moving forward.
In addition to ABII, DARPA has also been spearheading the
``Mosaic'' construct of future warfare. The Mosaic concept posits that
using less expensive systems brought together on demand as the conflict
unfolds, could facilitate the creation of ``effects webs,'' enabling
diverse, agile applications--from a kinetic engagement in a remote
desert setting, to multiple small strike teams operating in a bustling
megacity, or an information operation to counter an adversary spreading
false information in a population threatening friendly forces and
strategic objectives. Mosaics, therefore, can rapidly be tailored to
accommodate available resources, adapt to dynamic threats, and be
resilient to losses and attrition. Two Mosaic-related technologies--a
novel decision aid for mission commanders and a rapid software
integration tool--played a critical role in the recent Air Force
demonstration of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS).
The Adapting Cross-domain Kill-webs (ACK) program and the System-
of-systems Technology Integration Tool Chain for Heterogeneous
Electronic Systems (STITCHES) were among a number of technologies
employed late last summer in the ABMS on-ramp demonstration, which
involved attacks using live aircraft, ships, air defense batteries, and
other assets. ACK is developing a decision aid for mission commanders
to assist them with rapidly identifying and selecting options for
tasking--and re-tasking--assets within and across organizational
boundaries. Specifically, ACK assists users with selecting sensors,
effectors, and support elements across military domains (space, air,
land, surface, subsurface, and cyber) that span the different military
services to deliver desired effects on targets. Instead of limited,
monolithic, pre-defined kill chains, these more disaggregated forces
can be used to formulate adaptive ``kill webs'' based on all of the
options available.
ACK was used in an air defense scenario during the ABMS
demonstration, where an air commander faced incoming aerial threats and
needed to quickly decide the best way to counter them. In the demo, the
ACK decision aid software analyzed thousands of options to form cross-
domain kill-webs and recommended assets and the best command-and-
control ``play'' to the mission commander.
The machine-to-machine communications to enable this distributed
fire control was performed by the STITCHES integration toolchain.
STITCHES is a software-only and fully government owned (non-
proprietary) toolchain specifically designed to rapidly integrate
heterogeneous systems across any domain. STITCHES innovation is in
auto-generating middleware between systems without needing to upgrade
hardware or breaking into existing system software. The toolchain does
not force a common interface standard; rather it rapidly creates the
needed connections based on existing fielded capabilities obviating the
need to upgrade in order to interoperate.
B. Responsive and Flexible Space Operations
The Department of Defense has prioritized rapid acquisition of
small satellite and launch capabilities. Through leveraging commercial
acquisition practices, DARPA has been able to streamline a number of
militarily-relevant missions in the last year from conception through
services acquisition and launch. These missions are validating emerging
concepts for resilient capabilities that would reside in low Earth
orbit--a capability which will revolutionize communications,
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Right now, satellites critical to our national security and
warfighting capabilities traditionally are custom designed. In the
increasingly contested space environment, these exquisite yet costly
and monolithic systems have become vulnerable targets that would take
years to replace if degraded or destroyed.
Meanwhile, the evolution of commercial space has led to the design
and manufacturing of LEO constellations intended for broadband internet
service, which could offer previously unavailable economies of scale.
DARPA is interested in leveraging these advances through our Blackjack
program and driving them forward in order to demonstrate military
utility.
Blackjack aims to develop and demonstrate the critical technical
elements for building a global high-speed network backbone in low Earth
orbit. That would enable highly networked, resilient, and persistent
DoD payloads that provide over-the-horizon sensing, signals, and
communication, and hold the ground, surface, and air domains in
constant global custody. To do that, researchers are investigating
innovative vehicle delivery approaches that enable revolutionary
advances in payload size, weight, power, and cost.
For Blackjack, we are targeting a series of risk reduction
rideshare flights that will continue through this year. With these
flights, the goal is to develop and validate the technologies necessary
for the Blackjack constellation.
C. Attribution of Malicious Cyber Actors
DARPA researchers are identifying and addressing critical cyber
vulnerabilities that threaten global stability and security. Malicious
actors in cyberspace currently operate with little fear of being caught
due to the fact that it is extremely difficult, in some cases perhaps
even impossible, to attribute malicious actions in cyberspace to
specific individuals. The reason cyber attribution is difficult stems
at least in part from a lack of end-to-end accountability in the
current internet infrastructure.
To address this problem, DARPA launched the Enhanced Attribution
(EA) program. EA is making currently opaque malicious cyber adversary
actions and individual cyber operator attribution transparent by
providing high-fidelity visibility into all aspects of malicious cyber
operator actions. Furthermore, if successful, EA will increase the
government's ability to publicly reveal the actions of individual
malicious cyber operators without damaging sources and methods. Over
the last three years the program has developed techniques and tools for
generating operationally and tactically relevant information about
multiple concurrent independent malicious cyber campaigns, each
involving several operators, and the means to share such information
with U.S. law enforcement, intelligence, and Allied partners.
Late last year, DARPA EA researchers used their data analytics to
develop timely, accurate threat information regarding Russian-
attributed malicious cyber infrastructure and associated actor
personas. EA shared this information with close partners at the FBI
Atlanta and Pittsburgh field offices, contributing to the October 2020
indictment of six GRU personnel associated with a worldwide destructive
malware campaign and the remediation of that malware campaign in U.S.
and Allied critical infrastructure.
D. Hypersonics
The ability to field hypersonic systems ranks high on the DoD's
list of priority technologies, due in part to the pace of research by
peer adversaries. Hypersonic flight at velocities of more than five
times the speed of sound offers major advantages on the tactical
battlefield, especially for conducting military operations from longer
ranges, with shorter response times, and enhanced effectiveness
compared to current military systems.
DARPA is developing technology demonstrations in 2021 for a number
of operational capabilities. For example, the Hypersonic Air-breathing
Weapon Concept (HAWC) program is a joint effort with the U.S. Air Force
(USAF) seeking to develop and demonstrate critical technologies to
enable an effective and affordable air-launched hypersonic cruise
missile. The program emphasizes efficient, rapid, and affordable flight
tests to validate key technologies. HAWC is pursuing flight
demonstrations to address three vital technology challenge areas: air
vehicle feasibility, effectiveness, and affordability.
The Tactical Boost Glide (TBG) program is another joint DARPA/USAF
undertaking, striving to develop and demonstrate technologies to enable
future air-launched, tactical-range hypersonic boost glide systems. In
such systems, a rocket accelerates its payload to high speeds, the
payload then separates from the rocket, and glides unpowered to its
destination. TBG plans to include ground and flight-testing in 2021 to
mature critical technologies and demonstrate system performance.
2. Innovations for the Warfighter and Beyond
A. Stopping Pandemics
A primary aim of the DARPA Biological Technologies Office (BTO) is
to improve total force health protection and readiness. One of the
biggest vulnerabilities to deployed military personnel and civilians is
a lack of protection against many endemic and emerging bio-threats
(e.g., the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or mosquito-borne viruses such as
Chikungunya and Dengue).
DARPA's approach to pandemic prevention advanced the current state
of the art by enabling antibody discovery in days to weeks rather than
months to years. Additionally, DARPA investments in new diagnostic
platforms allowed researchers to pivot rapidly to emergent viruses such
as COVID-19. In 2011, DARPA began investing in gene-encoded vaccines
based on DNA or RNA. Unlike traditional vaccines, which nearly all
require laborious, expensive, and lengthy development times to counter
each new threat, gene-based vaccines have the advantage of directly
delivering coded genetic instructions to the body on how to produce its
own protective antibodies against a specific threat. This means gene-
encoded vaccines can be easily manufactured at scale using largely
synthetic processes, versus being cultured in eggs; transported and
stored without many of the cold-chain logistics required by traditional
medical countermeasures; delivered with near-immediate efficacy; and
safely expressed in the body for only a limited duration, causing no
permanent alteration to the genome. This approach has shown great
promise as a means to provide safe, reproducible, long-term immune
protection. However, vaccines often require more than one dose and
weeks to months before protected status is achieved, creating
vulnerability either directly to warfighters if they are deployed
before immunity has been established or to the mission due to the
delayed deployment of personnel until they achieve immune protection.
DARPA's fundamental research and development (R&D) investments,
fortunately, have resulted in discovery of several gene-encoded
monoclonal antibody platforms, and has greatly de-risked the gene-
based medical countermeasure (MCM) field. DARPA R&D investments have
catalyzed significant commercial and transition interest. Several
companies (including Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Inovio) have made major
investments in the budding field of gene-encoded MCMs and have released
vaccines to curb the spread of COVID-19. DARPA investments also spurred
spin-out companies such as RenBio, which is optimizing the delivery of
gene-based MCMs for increased efficacy and tolerability.
Early in 2020, DARPA allied closely with department medical and
chem/bio defense organizations as well as Health and Human Services
(HHS) components to join the fight against COVID-19. Many of these
intergovernmental allies--including the DoD's Joint Program Executive
Office for Chemical and Biologic Defense (JPEO CBD), the HHS Biomedical
Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the HHS
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)--partner
with DARPA to perform advanced development after our initial
investments, ensuring the scale-up and distribution of novel medical
countermeasures.
Building on existing DARPA investments to accelerate the discovery
of novel countermeasures, DARPA-funded researchers were responsible for
discovering therapeutics--antibodies--from blood samples of recovered
coronavirus patients. DARPA also partnered with advanced developers
(public and private) to manufacture at scale using DNA/RNA techniques
in addition to traditional cell-based bio-manufacturing.
B. Extending the ``Golden Hour"
When a Service member suffers a traumatic injury or acute
infection, the time from event to first medical treatment is usually
the single most significant factor in determining the outcome between
life and death. First responders must act as quickly as possible, first
to ensure a patient's survival and then to prevent permanent
disability. The Department of Defense refers to this critical, initial
window of time as the ``golden hour,'' but in many cases the
opportunity to successfully intervene may be less than sixty minutes,
which is why the military invests so heavily in moving casualties as
rapidly as possible from the battlefield to suitable medical
facilities. However, due to the realities of combat, there are often
hard limits to the availability of rapid medical transport and
emergency care.
DARPA created the Biostasis program in 2018 to develop new
possibilities for extending the golden hour, not by improving logistics
or battlefield care, but by going after time itself, at least how the
body manages it. Biostasis is attempting to address the need for
additional time in continuously operating biological systems faced with
catastrophic, life-threatening events. The program leverages molecular
biology to control temporarily the speed at which living systems
operate, and thus extend the window of time following a damaging event
before a system collapses. Essentially, the concept aims to slow life
to save life.
C. Serving Wounded Veterans
With a focus on wounded warriors and facilitating their return to
military service, the Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX)
program is pursuing key technologies to enable precision control of and
sensory feedback from sensor-equipped upper-limb prosthetic devices. If
successful, the resulting system would provide users near-natural
control of prosthetic hands and arms via bi-directional peripheral
nerve implants. The program has a strong focus on technology transition
and aims to create clinically relevant technology in support of wounded
warriors suffering from single or multiple limb loss.
HAPTIX builds on prior DARPA investments in the Reliable Neural-
Interface Technology (RE-NET) program, which created novel neural
interface systems that overcame previous sensor reliability issues
(sensors now last for the lifetime of the patient). A key focus of
HAPTIX is on creating new technologies to interface permanently and
continuously with the peripheral nerves in humans. HAPTIX researchers
are designing technologies to tap into the motor and sensory signals of
the arm to allow users to control and sense the prosthesis via the same
neural signaling pathways used for intact limbs. Direct access to these
natural control signals will, if successful, enable more natural,
intuitive control of complex hand movements, and the addition of
sensory feedback will further improve prosthetic hand functionality by
enabling users to sense grip force and hand posture. Sensory feedback
may also provide important psychological benefits such as improving
prosthesis ``embodiment'' and reducing the phantom limb pain that is
suffered by approximately 80 percent of amputees.
In addition to seeking to return sensation to amputees, DARPA is
also aggressively investigating technical solutions to spinal cord
injury (SCI), which is of significant concern to the Department of
Defense. Of the 337,000 Americans with serious SCIs, approximately
44,000 are veterans, with 11,000 new injuries occurring each year. SCI
is a complex condition--the injured often face lifelong paralysis and
increased long-term morbidity due to factors such as sepsis and
autonomic nervous system dysfunction. While considerable research
efforts have been devoted toward restorative and therapeutic
technologies to SCIs, significant challenges remain.
DARPA's Bridging the Gap Plus (BG+) program aims to develop new
approaches to treating SCI by integrating injury stabilization,
regenerative therapy, and functional restoration. Last year, DARPA
announced the award of contracts to a handful of university researchers
to advance this crucial work. Multidisciplinary teams at each of these
universities are tasked with developing systems of implantable,
adaptive devices that aim to reduce injury effects during early phases
of SCI, and potentially restore function during the later chronic
phase.
3. Promoting American Innovation
One of the classic models of technology development begins with
basic research that uncovers a new principle or phenomenon, which
innovators then apply and develop into a new capability that enables
people to do more than they could before. This model cannot account for
the origin of all of the technologies DARPA has had a hand in, but it
applies to many of them. Indeed, DARPA's job is to change what's
possible--to do the fundamental research, the proof of principle, and
the early stages of technology development that take ``impossible''
ideas through ``implausible'' and then to, surprisingly, ``possible''
or even ``likely.'' No other DoD agency has the mission of working on
projects with such a high possibility of producing truly revolutionary
new capabilities--or such a high possibility of failure. A big part of
DARPA's expertise is seeking high pay off capabilities by managing risk
in ways that help keep the innovation pipeline flowing. The following
are examples of the kinds of foundational efforts that promise to
impact national security just like other DARPA ``firsts,'' including
the ARPAnet, miniaturized GPS, stealth aircraft, UAVs, and monoclonal
antibody therapeutics.
A. Artificial Intelligence
DARPA has been a leader in artificial intelligence since the 1960s.
We played key roles in realizing the first and second waves of AI
(first rule-based, then statistical-learning-based), and now we are
working to realize the third wave, which can be described as contextual
adaptation. To better define a path forward, DARPA announced in
September 2018 a multi-year investment of over $2 billion in new and
existing programs called the ``AI Next'' campaign.
Currently, DARPA is pursing more than 30 programs that are
exploring ways to advance the state-of-the-art in AI, pushing beyond
second-wave machine learning techniques towards contextual reasoning
capabilities. In addition, more than 60 active programs are applying AI
in some capacity, from agents collaborating to share electromagnetic
spectrum bandwidth to detecting and patching cyber vulnerabilities.
Under the AI Next campaign, key areas being explored include
automating critical DoD business processes; improving the robustness
and reliability of AI systems; enhancing the security and resiliency of
machine learning and AI technologies; reducing power, data, and
performance inefficiencies; and pioneering the next generation of AI
algorithms and applications, such as ``explainability'' and commonsense
reasoning.
DARPA also announced a quick-turn funding mechanism called
Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIE) that allows us to quickly
test the feasibility of AI concepts by rapidly developing prototypes.
AIE Opportunities are released on a rolling basis from across DARPA's
portfolio, providing awards in as little as 90 days of up to $1 million
each for 18-month periods of performance. During these periods of
performance, very high-risk, high-reward topics will be investigated
with the goal of determining feasibility and clarifying whether the
area is ready for increased investment. The ultimate goal of each AIE
Opportunity is to invest in research that leads to prototype
development that may result in new, game-changing AI technologies for
U.S. national security. To date, we have made 141 contract awards for
more than 20 AIE topics.
A representative example of DARPA's AI Next campaign is the Assured
Autonomy program, which is working to provide continual assurance of a
learning enabled cyber physical system's (LE-CPS) safety and functional
correctness. The program is developing mathematically verifiable
approaches and tools that can be applied to different types and
applications of data-driven machine learning algorithms in an LE-CPS to
enhance their autonomy and assure they are achieving an acceptable
level of safety. To help ground the research objectives, the program is
prioritizing challenge problems in the defense-relevant autonomous
vehicle space, specifically related to air, land, and underwater
platforms.
To assess the technologies in development, research teams
integrated them into a small number of autonomous demonstration systems
and evaluated each against various defense-relevant challenges. After
18 months of research and development on the assurance methods, tools,
and learning enabled capabilities (LECs), the program is exhibiting
early signs of progress.
During a recent demonstration, DARPA researchers integrated tools
with an Iron Bird X-Plane simulation and a small test bed aircraft, and
tested them against challenge problems relevant to ground operations,
specifically assuring taxi operations on an airfield or aircraft
carrier deck.
During the live aircraft exercise, the assurance methods were able
to detect the presence of an obstacle during taxi, which triggered a
safety that identified and executed a response route around the
obstacle. The assurance methods also detected when the camera feed was
being noised or obscured, kicking-in a safety method that identified
and executed what it deemed the safest response--stopping the aircraft
until it could safely resume operations. Additionally, the tools were
able to detect anomalies that could cause their LEC to misbehave, and
allowed the system to maintain safe operations despite those anomalies.
Further, the use of formal models and specifications provided
assurances about the system's safety both at design and run time.
B. Microelectronics
In June 2017, DARPA announced the Electronics Resurgence Initiative
(ERI) as a bold response to several technical and economic trends in
the microelectronics sector. Among these trends, the rapid increase in
the cost and complexity of advanced microelectronics design and
manufacture is challenging a half-century of progress under Moore's
Law, which holds that the number of transistors per silicon chip
doubles about every two years. Meanwhile, non-market foreign forces are
working to shift the electronics innovation engine overseas, while
cost-driven foundry consolidation has limited DoD access to leading-
edge electronics, challenging U.S. economic and security advantages.
Moreover, highly publicized challenges to the nation's digital backbone
are fostering a new appreciation for electronics security--a longtime
defense concern.
Building on the tradition of other successful government-industry
partnerships, ERI aims to forge forward-looking collaborations among
the commercial electronics community, defense industrial base,
university researchers, and the DoD to address these challenges. There
is significant historical precedent to suggest the viability of this
approach, as each wave of modern electronics development has benefitted
from the combination of defense-funded academic research and commercial
sector investment.
Given today's cost, complexity, and security challenges, it is
critical that the nation collaboratively innovate on the next
generation of electronics advancement. DARPA envisions four key areas
of development--3D heterogeneous integration, new materials & devices,
specialized functions, and design & security--each of which have been
central to ERI since its inception. Leveraging 3D heterogeneous
integration, the next wave should support continuing electronics
progress despite challenges to traditional silicon scaling. This
integration will enable innovators to both add new materials and
devices to the silicon foundation and create specialized functions
precisely designed to meet the diverse needs of the commercial and
defense sectors. To manage the complexity of working in three
dimensions, the next wave will also demand new architectures and design
tools that address rising design costs, enable rapid system upgrades,
and make security integration a primary design concern. Several
technological advancements developed in the DARPA CHIPS, PIPES, and HI3
programs are in transition leveraging SOTA commercial manufacturers in
the OUSD(R&E) the State-of-the-art (SOTA) Heterogeneous Integrated
Packaging (SHIP) program. This is a critical microelectronics
performance enabler for DoD modernization priorities, including
hypersonics, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Cyber, and Space.
C. 5G Networks
Emerging 5G mobile wireless networking technologies are slated to
dramatically increase in both scale and speed, enabling much faster
access to data collected from billions of connected devices (60 billion
nodes by 2023). This supercharged information highway is envisioned to
play an important role across many industries, ranging from medicine to
manufacturing. Major advances in 5G will make it easier to customize
the network at a wide variety of locations. This new flexibility offers
many benefits, but at the same time introduces novel security
challenges. Today's proprietary 5G technologies make it difficult to
achieve the transparency necessary for security-related risk analysis
and mitigation. This lack of security assurance makes it harder to
deploy these technologies for defense capabilities.
In 2020, DARPA created the Open, Programmable, Secure 5G (OPS-5G)
program to tackle many of the security challenges facing future
wireless networks. OPS-5G is exploring the development of a portable,
standards-compliant network stack for 5G mobile networks that is open
source, and secure by design. The program seeks to enable a ``plug-and-
play'' approach to various network software and hardware components,
which reduces reliance on untrusted technology sources. OPS-5G will
also explore the development of cost-effective SWaP-conscious
cryptography with scalable security protocols. Overall, the goal of
OPS-5G is to enable more secure 5G as well as future generations of
networks beyond 5G.
D. Quantum Information Science
Quantum information science (QIS) includes computation,
communication, and sensing technologies that exploit our understanding
of quantum mechanics. Theory promises significant advances over the
state of the art, with some practical successes, but much of the QIS
field remains technically nascent. The successes are largely related to
sensors that deliver exquisite sensitive measurements in small
packages. For the DoD, this supports RF devices for radar and
communications, it also enables precise stable measurement of time--
useful for communication and for navigation. Much has been published on
the use of quantum technology for secure communications, a technical
area that saw successful DARPA investments over a decade ago. The
capabilities promised by theorists for quantum computation have been
more elusive. The notion of a quantum computer that can outperform
conventional computers to solve useful problems is attractive, but in
practice has not been possible to achieve.
DARPA is currently pursuing basic and applied QIS research. One
program aims to produce small portable devices that maintain GPS-
quality time and position for weeks--in the absence of GPS signals.
Another program seeks to understand what may be the limits of
electromagnetic sensing using clouds of atoms. Several programs explore
aspects of quantum computation to determine which approach offers the
most promise for substantial practical advantage. These computation
efforts include two of note: how to use a moderate number of imperfect
quantum bits, while another seeks to bring rigor to the fledgling
quantum computing marketplace with the introduction of insightful
benchmarking. There is much valuable science that quantum-based
computation may make possible in diverse fields including material
science, machine learning, and biology, but it remains a DARPA-hard
field in which to work.
E. Nurturing the Innovation Base
Over the past two years, DARPA's Embedded Entrepreneurship
Initiative (EEI) pilot program has helped 30 pre-seed research teams
raise over $100 million in U.S. investment, spin out a dozen new
companies, establish numerous joint development agreements with
corporate partners, and commission multiple manufacturing facilities.
In February of this year, DARPA launched an expansion of EEI with the
goal of accelerating 150 DARPA-backed technologies out of the lab and
into products that promise to fundamentally change the way we live,
work, and fight. The initiative augments technical research teams with
critical entrepreneurial expertise, top-tier commercialization mentors,
and provides connections to investors. This important work delivers an
effective counter to aggressive foreign investors by building stronger
companies that have the ability to attract U.S. capital.
In this effort, DARPA is teaming with IQT Emerge, a new
organization within In-Q-Tel (IQT) that provides entrepreneurial
expertise as well as connections to early-stage U.S. investors. IQT
Emerge leverages IQT's unique place at the intersection of venture
capital, government, and the startup community to keep the national
security community at the forefront of technology innovation.
EEI provides catalytic funding, mentorship, and investor and
corporate connections for select DARPA researchers. Resources include:
an average of $250,000 in non-dilutive funding to hire a seasoned
entrepreneur or business executive for one to two years with the goal
of developing a robust go-to-market strategy for both defense and
commercial markets; dedicated commercialization mentors with extensive
private sector experience; and engagement with DARPA's private sector
Transition Working Group comprising over 100 top-tier U.S. investors
and corporations key to scaling and supply chain development.
DARPA-funded scientists and engineers are an invaluable resource
for national competitiveness. Supporting these researchers with
tailored business expertise to advance their innovations for public and
military use is critical to obtain the full benefit from taxpayer
funded R&D investments.
Since 2018, roughly the same time frame from the inception of EEI,
DARPA has also stepped up its outreach to university researchers.
Security concerns in recent years have significantly increased the
barriers to university research for the DoD, and better communication
of opportunities and expectations is critical to minimizing those
barriers. DARPA's academic outreach initiative began in earnest with
visits to a handful of public universities. During the pandemic,
however, the agency was forced to change tactics and hosted a large
virtual event in September 2020 called the ``DARPA Vice Presidents and
Chancellors of Research Summit.'' The Summit attracted 223
representatives from 126 schools across the nation; twenty percent of
the schools had never done business with the agency. During the three-
hour summit, participants learned about the agency's near-term
investment priorities and how to pursue funding opportunities through
existing contract vehicles.
In addition to small business and university outreach efforts
currently underway, DARPA also has three formal programs aimed at
supporting the next generation of researchers. The first effort is the
Joint University Microelectronics Program (JUMP). JUMP is a major
public/private initiative that includes several leading companies from
the semiconductor and defense industries such as Intel, IBM, Micron,
Analog Devices, EMD Performance Materials, ARM, Samsung, TSMC,
Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin who have tasked six
research centers to undertake high-risk, high-payoff research that
addresses existing and emerging challenges in microelectronic
technologies. JUMP comes at an inflection point in the history of the
semiconductor industry where application and system research are
critical to enabling the development of superior electronic systems to
meet DoD and commercial needs.
Under JUMP, the challenges of the ``application-centric'' research
centers focus on accomplishing application-oriented goals and spurring
the development of complex systems with capabilities well beyond those
available today. Diving deep into cognitive computing, intelligent
memory and storage, distributed computing and networking, and radio
frequency (RF) to terahertz (THz) sensor and communications systems,
among other areas, these research centers are developing systems that
will be transferable to military and industry in a five year timeframe
and ready for field deployment in ten years.
Also, earlier this year, DARPA announced a post-doctoral fellowship
program for talented young scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in
the field of computer science with grants sized to support each fellow
for up to two years. Participation in DARPA's new program is open to
current U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have received a Ph.D.
degree no earlier than June 2019 or who will have received a Ph.D.
prior to the date of award, and who will be appointed to a postdoctoral
position at a U.S. institution of higher education during the 2021-22
academic year.
The longest running program that DARPA has supporting university
researchers is the Young Faculty Awards (YFA), which has been providing
funding opportunities since 2006 as a forward-looking way to
familiarize rising researchers in junior positions with national-
security-relevant work within the DoD. The YFA program provides
funding, mentoring, as well as industry and DoD contacts to awardees
early in their careers with the long-term goal of developing the next
generation of academic scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who
will focus a significant portion of their career on national security
issues. To date, 447 researchers from 40 states have participated in
the YFA program.
conclusion
From DARPA's perspective, the technological future--the endless
frontier--is enormously attractive, bright with opportunities, but also
fraught with unanticipated risks. For more than 60 years, the men and
women of DARPA have taken very seriously their unique mission to serve
the Nation by preventing--and when necessary fomenting--technological
surprise.
Although I have just recently returned to DARPA, it is clear to me
that we are stronger and more committed to that mission than ever. I
look forward to working with the members of this subcommittee and
others in the Legislative and Executive branches to ensure that the
United States maintains its historic lead in the investigation and
development of powerful technologies, in addition to their safe and
responsible application in support of a more stable, secure, and
sustainable world.

Senator Tester. Thank you, Dr. Tompkins, for your
testimony.
Because Senator Durbin has a commitment for the Memorial
Service, I'm going to recognize him first.
Senator Durbin: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and
thank you to the witnesses who have joined us today.
I guess my opening question is not going to be specific to
any area of innovation but just very generic.
If you ask the Department of Defense and previous
Administrations and I'll bet in this one, as well, who are our
hard targets, who are our major adversaries in the world, they
would usually report four pretty obvious ones, China, Russia,
North Korea, and Iran, and then if you'd ask a follow-up
question, how much do each of these major adversaries spend in
their annual budget for their military, you would find numbers
that range from very small to still very modest in comparison
to the United States.
The reason I raise this question regularly is we spend more
than all of the other nations in the world on defense and
security. We certainly want to be safe as a Nation, but it's
our job here in this committee to ask a question, are we
getting our money's worth out of this, and when it comes to
innovation, I noticed, Ms. McQuiston, in your statement, as
well as the statement by Dr. Tompkins, there was reference to
competition with adversaries.
You would think when you consider the hundreds of billions
of dollars that we spend each year, that that would hardly ever
be the case. It's like a high school team regularly beating the
New York Yankees. You just don't expect that to happen when you
compare the resources that are being dedicated.
Can you put innovation in that context and ask whether or
not our investment in innovation gives us a natural lead, an
acquired lead in this competition that the budget figures
belie?
Ms. McQuiston. I will take that answer. We're very lucky.
We just started the Innovation Steering Group under Deputy
Secretary Hicks, and what we're doing in innovation is looking
across the DOD as transforming a lot of the processes in order
to be better adaptors of technology and to more efficiently and
rapidly modernize.
Our services have the burden sometimes of having the legacy
systems and the newer technologies and disruptive technologies
coming onboard. We're moving modernization ahead, but we can
always do it better and more innovatively.
When I think of innovation, I think of two things:
efficiency and effectiveness. So efficiency is doing things
right and effectiveness is doing the right thing. So with the
range of new technologies that can be adopted at a greater
speed for us, I believe that we can come up to par and actually
exceed the market and our competitors.
Senator Durbin. So I've read some histories of DARPA,
Pentagon's Brain, and books like that, very impressive, and I
notice that time and again there was disruptive thinking and
planning and some of it fell flat on its face but that's to be
expected.
So I guess my question is as we fund things already
discovered with massive amounts of taxpayers' dollars, how do
you combat the fighting the last war syndrome and establishment
syndrome that says we've got to keep doing more of what we've
done before, and how do you get into asymmetrical thinking in
an establishment as large as the Department of Defense?
Ms. McQuiston. The Disruptive Innovation Unit that we have
under Research and Engineering has that mission entirely
because they're working with the National Security Innovation
Network, the National Security Capital, and bringing in market
innovations and commercialized technologies. With the
activities to date, they have a 189 companies now on contract.
75 percent are small business, 32 percent are first-time
vendors, and 10 percent have already transitioned into military
use, and that's the key, to be flexible and to work at speed,
at commercial speed in order to integrate the technology
rapidly into the service.
At the same time, we need to understand what the disruptive
technology can mean for our advantage and also for the needs
within the military, so war gaming and putting together
exercises and demonstration to show what could be capable.
As DARPA can show you, a lot of times we put the needs and
the requirements forward but oftentimes the newer technology is
a capability that no one even concede would have been possible.
So it's the merging of the future with the needs of today that
actually will keep technology in the leading edge and keep us
competitive with the national security and the economic
security of our country.
Senator Durbin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Senator Shelby.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for this
hearing. I think it's very important.
As I said earlier, I don't know what we can get into that's
sensitive in this open hearing today, but the Chairman has
indicated that we will have a closed hearing and hope to get
you back and so forth.
In the area of quantum and artificial intelligence, China
and Russia, you know, we all know, are advancing their military
technologies always, and increasing their defense budgets at
alarming rates.
How is the department continuing to reform its processes
and investment decisions to ensure that the U.S. will maintain
the technical dominance necessary to deter our adversaries, and
what can you speak to in this area? I don't know.
Ms. McQuiston. Well, there's a few things I can speak to.
We have been looking at quantum from the scientific side
probably at least 20 years or more, but we've had success----
Senator Shelby. Touch on how important quantum computing is
if we can ever work it all out, and it's also important to our
adversaries, is it not?
Ms. McQuiston. Yes, actually, the future of network
technology and security will greatly rely on quantum
technology, and DARPA, I know, has had initiatives in this
area.
I'm happy to say that a lot of them are starting to see
commercialization, as well. So I think our investment in that
area is starting to pay off. So I think you will actually see
more activity on there.
Some of the technologies we can brief you in another venue.
Senator Shelby. What trade-offs in the area of hypersonics
are we having to make as it relates to weapon development and
fielding which would come with it due to resource constraints?
Are you getting what you need at DARPA for this sensitive, very
important research?
Dr. Tompkins. Yes, sir. To the extent that I can----
Senator Shelby. Go ahead.
Dr. Tompkins [continuing]. Discuss this in this hearing,
the support that we have on our hypersonics program, both
offensive and defensive, is adequate and we can go into more
details on trade-offs in a different venue.
Senator Shelby. Okay. In the area of space development, 2
years ago the Space Development Agency was created to
accelerate the development and fielding of the next generation
space capabilities.
Where we are there today and where are our adversaries?
Ms. McQuiston. Well, I'm happy to say for what the Space
Development Agency has put together is rapidly developing new
space architectures and commercial development processes in
alignment with capabilities and speed.
We're integrating ground stations for advanced data links
at Fort Greely, Alaska. We're working with putting forward
constructive disruptors for operations at LEO (Low Earth
Orbit). The first satellite demonstrations for communication
are scheduled for fiscal year 2022, and working on what I would
call commercial speeds, commercial launch speeds and setting up
satellite operations at Grand Forks and at Redstone Arsenal.
I really do believe that speed and adaptation of spiral
development and what we already see in commercial launch
processes is where we need to step up in timing for being able
to put our capability up in space. So, again, if we want to
talk specifics on where we are tactically in another venue, we
would be happy to go into that.
Senator Shelby. Thank you. Dr. Tompkins, in the area of
cyber technology, how important is quantum computing and
hopefully good research coming out of there? What will that do
for us, hopefully do for us?
Dr. Tompkins. So in cyber technology, quantum computing
offers a few different opportunity spaces.
One obviously is in the area of quantum encryption which I
think has been most broadly discussed. The other, I think, is
in the area of quantum computing and simulation, which then
allows us to solve different kinds of optimization and sort of
complexity-type problems, which would allow us to focus on
analyzing, understanding, modeling, and predicting a much wider
range of potential cyber behaviors and activities, and then,
similarly, defending against them.
Senator Shelby. Dr. Tompkins, one more question, if I
could. In the area of hypersonics, we all know that we've got a
challenge there as far as developing the hypersonic offensive
weapon and also defending against it.
Where are we today, and what kind of timeframe do you think
we have before we can really field what we need for the
security of the country?
Dr. Tompkins. So DARPA has two initiatives in the defensive
hypersonics arena. Details of both obviously, as you had
mentioned, are going to have to go into a different session.
There is one very specifically, the Program Glide Breaker,
in which we're working closely with NDA to derisk certain key
aspects of the overall technology space. The timing of exactly
when the transition of those technologies would go into a
broader end-to-end system.
I think it's both a conversation that goes beyond just
DARPA but also does require the ability to talk in a closed
setting.
Senator Shelby. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, thank you for your
indulgence.
Senator Tester. Yes. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
Ms. McQuiston, I want to touch on a couple things. I want
to touch on, Number 1, our competitiveness compared to where we
were 5 or 10 years ago and how you assess our success. I know
you talked about war gaming, I want to get into that a little
more, but let's start with our competitiveness compared to
where we were. Are we ahead, behind?
Ms. McQuiston. I think the United States is one of the best
innovators of technology overall. I think that we have some of
the brightest people, the determination, the freedom, the
flexible financial systems, and the determination to really
succeed.
To match that with the Department of Defense, we need to
have the same innovative culture as we have in our commercial
industry. That's why adoption of commercial technology at the
speed of which activities occur in the commercial world will be
critical to more rapidly be able to gain the capabilities that
the new technology and modernization will give to the military.
We are in a good position but we can always be in a much
better one.
Senator Tester. So is it fair to say, by what you've just
said, that we are more competitive today than we were 5 or 10
years ago?
Ms. McQuiston. I believe we are, and I believe it's because
we are modernizing.
Senator Tester. Okay. And then how do you assess that
competitiveness? How do you assess, you know, defining where
we're at?
Ms. McQuiston. Well, you know, in an open session along
this line, I would actually point to the vaccine technology.
We've been thinking a lot about new frontiers, about challenges
that the world is facing right now, and we've been thinking
about them and doing things for awhile, and so surprises never
come--disruptive technology never comes out of the blue.
DARPA has been our great jewel in being able to anticipate
these things and start the technology ecosystem in new
capabilities that have really been transformational for the
United States.
Senator Tester. Okay. So one more, and that is, innovative
technologies cover a wide range, how are we prioritizing those
investments, and could you give me a preview of the
Administration's priorities? They may be the same answer for
both questions.
Ms. McQuiston. At Research and Engineering, the Office of
Modernization currently has 11 priorities. They fold into a lot
of what is going on relative to being able to add capabilities,
such as in AI (Artificial Intelligence), hypersonics, other
areas of the 11 modernization techniques. Some of them will be
more mature and able to have rapid adaptation. Other
technologies will need more time, based on its development.
That said, I do believe we can move faster to adopt those
technologies.
With regards to where they stand with the Administration,
the Secretary of Defense and the prioritizations, I would defer
to the agency overall.
Senator Tester. Okay. Dr. Tompkins, DARPA invented the
Internet for the Department of Defense. It was adopted
worldwide.
You talked about the mRNA vaccines. Are you working on any
other technologies that have broader appeal beyond the
Department of Defense, Dr. Tompkins?
Dr. Tompkins. Certainly. One example would be work that
we're doing in 5G technologies for communications. So, you
know, 5G is one of those areas which suffers a little bit from
siloed, proprietary, vendor-driven capabilities, and so DARPA
has a program called Open Co-fundable and Secure 5G, which
basically seeks to create an open source 5G capability which
would open up both from military perspectives and also
ultimately from commercial/economic perspectives the power of
5G for a wide range of sort of dual-use capabilities.
Senator Tester. All right. I'm going to go to Senator
Moran.
Senator Moran. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Thank
both of our witnesses for joining us.
Let me begin by asking a question of Dr. Tompkins about
cybersecurity. This has been a priority of mine and we have
lots of reasons for that to be the case. It's important, but
could you describe for me how mosaics and other related cyber
initiatives will not only support the department's cyber
defense but the industrial partners that are critical to our
Nation's security?
Dr. Tompkins. Certainly. So DARPA has a fairly large number
of different programs focusing on cybersecurity with priorities
in the areas of prevention, so things like network operations
analytics, but as well as looking at topics in the area of
attack attribution and graceful degradation and recovery
because we do understand that as long as we are in defense, we
also have to be prepared for the attack that does get through.
In those cases, they are looking not only at military
systems but they translate very naturally to corporate systems.
They translate to infrastructure systems, such as, you know,
the power grid, water supply security, and many others.
Senator Moran. Are those programs receiving the support
they need to deploy new capabilities from the lab to the force?
Dr. Tompkins. Yes, sir, I do believe they are. One of the
really nice things about cyber technologies, especially if they
are mainly for system software, is that they transition much
more naturally and much more quickly than a lot of hardware-
focused technologies.
So some of these again are things we would have to discuss
in a different venue, but we have excellent collaboration,
particularly with organizations, like Cyber Command, where we
often go into demonstrate and experimental capability and can
very quickly turn it into something that transitions to their
operational use in the course of a program.
Senator Moran. Doctor, thank you very much.
Ms. McQuiston, let me follow up with what Senator Shelby
was conversing with you about, hypersonics. Can you please
provide an update on the industrial base partnerships that DOD
has entered into to support carbon-carbon manufacturing
initiatives?
Ms. McQuiston. Additive manufacturing for hypersonics has
been key. In fact, it's been a real enabler in commercial
technologies, as well. It's not only sort of the breakthrough
technology for hypersonics, but it's also being used in the
automotive industry to really dramatically change fuel
efficiency.
I personally have not had the time to go through other
agreements that we may have within the industry, but I would
welcome that opportunity to come back to you with the details
on that.
Senator Moran. I'd welcome further conversations with you.
As our hypersonic batteries come online and we begin to
manufacture hypersonic missiles to scale, do we have the
industrial base capacity to manufacture at scale?
Ms. McQuiston. I believe we do. I believe that we are up
for the challenge and can meet it.
Senator Moran. So what are the challenges that we have in
ramping up our production?
Ms. McQuiston. Well, right now, we have a roadmap as to
where we're moving it for fielding and production use. It is
moving ahead and I'm unaware of any specific challenge that we
might have right now.
Senator Moran. I'd appreciate additional conversation with
you. Maybe we can have a meeting or----
Ms. McQuiston. I think in another venue we could actually
get into more detail, exactly.
Senator Moran. Thank you. Let me ask a final question, this
one about space. I now co-chair the Senate's Space Force
Caucus, and I'm the Ranking Member of the CJS (Commerce,
Justice, Science), the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) Appropriations Subcommittee, along with Senator
Shaheen.
How is your office working with commercial and government
partners to make certain that satellite constellations remain
secure from cyber and kinetic attacks?
Ms. McQuiston. That's very important to us in looking at
that. In fact, recently we had used adopted commercial
processes which often in the past financial institutes would
use to basically open up a satellite opportunity to hack-a-sat,
we called it. So you could have hackers try to break in and
disrupt options of the satellite.
This has actually been a very good learning platform and to
strengthen our own security within our satellite systems. So,
again, adopting both commercial and putting together new
technologies for defensive security operations within LEO and
our satellite operations is going to be a very high priority
for the Department of Defense.
Senator Moran. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Moran.
Senator Baldwin.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Our military is reliant on lithium ion batteries to power
critical systems, including plant energy-intensive
applications, like advanced radars and sensors. Unfortunately,
we are also reliant on foreign companies, including in China,
for components that go into these batteries.
We have really struggled to stand up domestic R&D
capability to discover and validate new battery chemistries and
technologies that would improve performance and safety and
reduce costs for both military and commercial applications.
Currently, most of our innovation and resulting
intellectual properties have been in Asia. On this latter
point, I believe the U.S. needs to build a robust independent
commercial cell development and testing capability to support
advanced battery technologies needed for our military systems
and commercial applications, like electric vehicles and
electric grid storage.
Ms. McQuiston, I would like to hear your thoughts on how
DOD can make investments to address these challenges and
support next generation battery technology.
Ms. McQuiston. Safe uses of lithium batteries actually has
been a priority for the science and the university work that
we've been doing.
That said, battery technology has quite a range within the
military, from the amount of batteries that need to be in the
field to moving forward with high-power weapon systems.
I would say that battery technology is going to be key for
micro grids that we would need at basing and forward sites. I
think batteries are a priority. The science and the materials
can actually move forward, I think, if we focus our energies.
DARPA is always good at looking at materials and batteries
have always been a capability that they've had at modernizing
and perhaps inventing new technologies and safer approaches at
higher density, energy density.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. I've been advocating for
strengthening our Buy America policies, including extending
domestic content requirements down the supply chain to support
the U.S. industrial base. Those efforts are critical but more
focused on the acquisition side of DOD investment policy.
I also believe that we need to do more on the research,
development, and innovation side, those areas, Ms. McQuiston,
over which you have responsibility.
If we look at the pacing threat of China, let's say in the
shipbuilding sector, DOD has reported that it has become the
top ship-producing nation in the world and produces most of its
critical components, like engines, weapons, and electronic
systems.
The Chinese Government is investing massive sums to ensure
that those components are high-performing and manufacturable at
scale.
I believe that the DOD using existing authorities should
provide funding to our domestic shipbuilding industrial base,
particularly small- and medium-size businesses, to increase
their technical capability, grow their capacity, and improve
their manufacturing technology, design, and engineering
processes.
Across the DOD research and engineering enterprise, what
are your priorities for supporting the industrial base and what
programs and investments will you make to support the
technological competitiveness in manufacturing capacity of our
critical defense suppliers?
Ms. McQuiston. Manufacturing is key to a number of
technologies across the board and being able to modernize and
work with manufacturing and make investments is also key to our
economic security.
When you look at manufacturing, it's not only for perhaps
DOD enabling capability and scale, but it's also to derisk some
of the newer technologies that are required, and we have a
number of manufacturing programs in this area that we're moving
forward, but we are working with aspects of this from 5G and
the micro electronics side straight through to materials,
battery technology, as we just discussed, and moving into a
program that we have at a university that's working in
materials that would be supported for difficult marine
environments.
So I concur with you on the need for manufacturing.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Baldwin.
Senator Shaheen.
Senator Shaheen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to Ms.
McQuiston and Dr. Tompkins, thank you both very much for your
work and for testifying today.
I appreciate the importance of DARPA and of our investing
public dollars in innovation and research for our national
security, but you alluded to this, I think, earlier, Ms.
McQuiston, when you talked about the private sector, and the
fact is much of the innovation that we benefit from comes from
the private sector, is that correct?
Ms. McQuiston. I would say that it's quite an engine for us
in innovation, absolutely.
Senator Shaheen. And one of the programs that has been
really successful in promoting small businesses to do that kind
of research is the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research)
Program. Can you speak to how important you think that is?
Ms. McQuiston. I think it's very important. You know, SBIRs
and STTRs (Small Business Technology Transfer) have been quite
an engine for us economically and moving investments forward in
this area can have a great net gain in the economy, as well.
Small businesses from the investment side are 22:1 return
on the DOD investment. So anything we can do to encourage and
bridge the gap, so to speak, between defense needs and small
business capabilities will be critical. We have a protege
program going forward with large companies so that the smaller
companies can sort of be able to contribute in a way that's
more meaningful to the DOD mission.
We are also looking through DIU (Defense Innovation Unit)
to bring on more small businesses and non-traditional
performers, to bring capability to the warfighter' mission. So
I think that's a huge focus.
We have to be able to work at the speed of commercial
flexibility because we don't want to just be able to understand
what their technology is, we need to be able to capitalize on
it and field these systems for the warfighter. So that's going
to mean that we have to move at speeds that are within a
commercial timeframe. So that's going to be critical in not
only encouraging small business but actually being able to
retain fielded systems and the support of growing our economy
with small businesses.
Senator Shaheen. Well, thank you very much. We extended the
SBIR Program or reauthorized it for 5 years back in 2017, but
that means it's going to expire again in 2022.
So, Mr. Chairman, I would just say based on what we've
heard and what we know is significant about the SBIR Program,
we should start from now to extend/reauthorize that, and I
would argue we should reauthorize it permanently. So thank you.
Can you speak to what happens when we develop innovative
technologies that are then adopted by our adversaries and used
to undermine the United States? How do we prevent that? What
can we do to better make sure that what we're doing in
innovation doesn't get pirated by our adversaries?
Ms. McQuiston. Well, I think securing our technology is
key. WE have the TAPS (Transition Assistance Program) Program,
which is working to make sure that our research and development
dollars are secure, looking at university funding and having
transparency in an area of research that we think is critical,
so that we understand other areas of funding that are coming
in.
We also want to carefully work with scientists and
researchers who we do not feel that there's an individual that
could be a risk to the performance there, but I do believe we
need to be smart and strategic about what we need to protect
and keep the pace of surprise moving forward. That's the great
thing about DARPA because there's always a new frontier and
there'll always be, you know, people adopting and catching up,
but if we're always moving ahead, we make the process of
catching up that much more difficult, though security, I think,
especially at the rate of cybersecurity and really protecting
our own investments, has got to be in the forefront as we move
forward, but to do it smartly.
Senator Shaheen. Thank you. I only have a few seconds left,
but I did want to ask you because you were talking about the
challenge of legacy systems and innovation and how to balance
phasing one out or addressing new innovative technology.
When we do that, is it usual that contracts are awarded
when we've got a technology that has not been proven or tested
or fielded in any way? Can you answer that?
Ms. McQuiston. Off the top of my head, I would say that we
definitely need to make sure that we have trust in the system
before it's fielded which is why we've stood up three offices
between the Systems Engineering Office at SCO (Strategic
Capabilities Office), DIU, with the Experimentation and
Fielding, and then Emergent Technology Capability and working
with that to demonstrate its capability.
But in some technologies, it can move quite rapidly. So if
we're looking at evolving technologies, such as in
cybersecurity, we should have a rapid pace at being able to
develop, test, and field this capability rather quickly.
Obviously other technologies would take more time and
testing, but we have to be flexible in how we approach the
technology, which goes back to innovation, and it goes back to
what I was saying in the beginning. You have to be doing the
right thing and doing it correctly, but you have to adopt the
flexibility in the program to account for the type of
technology you're managing with the goal of fielding it as
rapidly as you can.
Senator Shaheen. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shaheen.
Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate it. And
thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today.
Secretary McQuiston, earlier you mentioned SDA, the Space
Development Agency, working with Grand Forks Air Force Base. We
appreciate that very much. As you know, we've worked very
diligently to develop all things unmanned aviation there and
obviously that whole link and the development with the
satellites is incredibly important. We think we have an
absolutely unique resource there. So we appreciate it and we
appreciate the working relationship we have with the Space
Development Agency.
We think that SDA needs to continue, to accelerate the
development of technology for the warfighter. We think that's
incredibly important.
So tell me, how will you ensure that SDA can provide
innovative and independent support for our warfighters, even as
you transition to Space Force in October of 2022, and obviously
we're very concerned about supporting that effort because we
think it's very worthwhile but also because we think it's
important. Grand Forks Air Force Base is part of that.
Ms. McQuiston. Yes, I believe keeping in place the spiral
development process that they've put in to work at commercial
speeds and to very quickly be able to field capability will be
the best way to work with this development of technology for
space.
I think it's already a proven pace that you see with
commercial entities and I believe that what we have started
right now with the Space Development Agency will prove itself
by their 2-year cycle time for being able to update
capabilities that we're bringing to the warfighter.
Senator Hoeven. Good. And we appreciate very much the
working relationship that we've had with you.
Is there anything that we can do at this time that you
think is particularly helpful to make sure that we continue to
advance this initiative?
Ms. McQuiston. Well, we appreciate your support for this
effort and that is invaluable in itself. So thank you.
Senator Hoeven. And same questions for Dr. Tompkins. Did
you have anything that you would add?
Dr. Tompkins. I agree with Ms. McQuiston regarding the
support and appreciation for all the support you've provided,
and DARPA works very closely with the SDA specifically in
developing new technologies which then derisk, you know,
elements of the technology for them to deploy and we look
forward to seeing the fruition of some of those efforts in the
near future.
Senator Hoeven. Good. And again we want to make sure that
we continue to offer any and all assistance so that that
development continues as it is. We think it's incredibly
important.
Back to Ms. McQuiston. Now talk to me in terms of the next
step, which is not just that communication with the satellites,
but then also the communication between satellites and unmanned
aviation, and again that's one of the things that we've
developed in a way like no other, and obviously that's going to
be an incredibly important part of this whole effort.
So talk to me about development on that second step, as
well.
Ms. McQuiston. Yes. Looking at being able to have the
battle space information, backbone in place, we have JADC2 as a
program, and we also have AB2 moving forward, and looking at
the information moving within the network and able to be used
between ground and space will be critical. So the network and
the data availability will actually be quite a platform for
innovation and being able to constantly grow our capabilities
at a rapid speed for the warfighter.
Senator Hoeven. Yes. And tell me a little bit more about
that interagency cooperation because one of the things we've
done is we've broken down barriers. I mean, we're working with
everybody. It's not just at the State and local level but all
the different agencies, including NASA, Department of Defense,
FAA, and everybody else.
How are you working to make sure that you're integrating
all of the agencies in there, as well, in this effort?
Ms. McQuiston. We are working with all the agencies, and I
believe the relationships are very good because everybody wants
to move forward in this area. So I would say right now, we keep
the pace moving forward.
Senator Hoeven. Great. Thank you so much. And, Dr.
Tompkins, anything else that you might want to add on that
issue?
Dr. Tompkins. I completely agree with everything Ms.
McQuiston has said. I think in the interest of time, I'll leave
it there just with our thanks and our excitement about the
future.
Senator Hoeven. I just want to thank both of you for your
innovation and your creativity and your strong leadership. We
truly appreciate the working relationship. Thanks so much, and
we'll continue to support your efforts in this very important
area.
Ms. McQuiston. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Hoeven.
Just one more question from me and then we'll close out.
This is for both of the testifiers and it's been talked about
with previous questions. I think it's important that we add
value by tapping into academia and private sector, small
business and large business.
From your guys' perspective, has there been greater
participation by folks outside your agencies over the last
years, has it been pretty static, or less?
Ms. McQuiston. I think there's been larger participation
and mostly because of the outreach programs that we've put
together, especially through the Defense Innovation Unit,
because we're seeing a lot of non-traditional companies coming
in, and we're seeing an increase of small business that are
excited to work with the Defense Department and able to
demonstrate their capabilities, but more is required.
Senator Tester. Okay. Dr. Tompkins?
Dr. Tompkins. Yes, similarly. Of course, DARPS's funding
goes entirely to those external partners. So what we would be
tracking is sort of the diversification of that pro forma space
and what we've looked for are organizations that have never
worked with DARPA before, have never worked with the DOD, and
through those kinds of outreach activities that Ms. McQuiston
just mentioned, we are seeing that increase and we hope to see
it even more.
To get the best ideas and to get the best capabilities we
need to be reaching the broadest possible and most diverse pro
forma pool possible.
Senator Tester. Do either of you see any existing barriers
to working with your particular agencies and if you do, are
those barriers things that you can break down or do you need
congressional help?
Ms. McQuiston. Well, right now at R&E, launching the
Innovation Steering Group, I'm looking for areas of continual
improvement and I think that we will be able to articulate sort
of changes that need to take place internally in order to
become more rapid in an adaptation of technology and to be more
flexible in being able to do that.
Senator Tester. So no barriers?
Ms. McQuiston. At this time, I would say it's a matter of
rolling up our sleeves.
Senator Tester. Okay. Dr. Tompkins?
Dr. Tompkins. The one thing I would suggest is that we're
going to be taking a hard look at some of the sort of potential
barriers for organizations that have traditionally worked with
the Department of Defense, looking at the cost of compliance,
and looking at sort of the murkiness of how organizations can
successfully comply.
I think this is particularly tough on smaller businesses,
commercial organizations that haven't worked with Defense
before, and many different classes of universities where the
amount of overhead that they can afford to put in to being able
to be sufficiently compliant can be really challenging and so
we would be looking for ways to sort of meet them in the middle
and find ways to make it easier for them to participate while
still being fully compliant with our requirements.
Senator Tester. Okay. Thank you.
Senator Shelby, do you have anything you wanted?
Senator Shelby. I have nothing else.
Senator Tester. Okay.
Senator Shelby. We do look forward to some classified
hearings with this group because I think it's very important.
Senator Tester. We will make sure that our staffs together
and make that happen.
I just want to express my appreciation for the testimony
that was presented here today.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senators need to know that they may submit additional
written questions and we would ask you to respond to them 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 Ms. Barbara McQuiston
Questions Submitted by Senator Jeanne Shaheen
Question. Ms. McQuiston, the Department has been working to improve
domestic manufacturing for semiconductors and ``microelectronics''
through a number of initiatives, including through the National
Security Technology Accelerator. At the same time, the Department has
stated that is aware of the threats posed by overseas control of
printed circuit board manufacturing.
Does the Department consider Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) to be
microelectronics'' within the scope of existing funding authorities?
Answer. Yes, the Department considers printed circuit boards to be
critical for higher level assemblies for microelectronics, but they are
not addressed by the effort ``access to State of the Art (SOTA)
Microelectronics'' in the Trusted and Assured Microelectronics program.
The issues surrounding Printed Circuit Boards are industrial base
related, and are being addressed by the Under Secretary for Acquisition
and Sustainment in coordination with the DoD PrCB Executive Agent.
Question. How does the Department intend to encourage the reshoring
of PCB manufacturing capabilities?
Answer. The Department is developing strategies for re-shoring
critical microelectronics, including printed circuit board technology
products with the help of the DoD Executive Agent for Printed Circuit
Boards. Partnership with the interagency, especially the Department of
Commerce with respect to infrastructure funding associated with the
CHIPS Act, will ensure DoD unique requirements and demand are included
in any execution plan.
Question. Ms. McQuiston, I understand that the Army recently
awarded a fixed price Production Agreement for the Integrated Visual
Augmentation System (IVAS) using Other Transaction Authority (OTA).
However, this technology has not completed full testing or fielding for
its night vision capabilities.
Could you describe the importance of testing and fielding for night
vision technology in particular?
Answer. Fundamentally, the purpose of Test & Evaluation (T&E) is to
enable the DoD to acquire systems that support the warfighter in
accomplishing their mission. To that end, T&E provides engineers and
decision makers with knowledge to assist in managing risks; to measure
technical progress; and to characterize operational effectiveness,
operational suitability, interoperability, survivability (including
cybersecurity), and lethality. This is true for all technology
acquisitions including for night vision technologies.
Question. How might fielding equipment that has not gone through
rigorous operational testing impact the end user?
Answer. Fielding technology prior to operational testing introduces
risk and potentially compromises the reliability and value of the
technology fielded. Integrated testing, and the sharing of information
across Developmental Test and Operational Test provides necessary data
for the operational test agency to evaluate operational effectiveness,
operational suitability, and overall mission capability. While IVAS did
not conduct an initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), they
did undergo an Operational Assessment. In this instance, the IVAS
system milestones and fielding decisions are made by the Service
Acquisition Executive, and therefore R&E would need to defer to the
Army on their programmatic decisions.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Jerry Moran
Question. In order to achieve a multi-band/multi-orbit resilient
and redundant enterprise architecture, leveraging non-LEO SATCOM assets
is essential.
What are your plans, if any, to leverage Medium Earth Orbit SATCOM
capabilities?
Answer. Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) SATCOM capabilities are actively
leveraged from the commercial space sector via the procurement
activities of the Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO), at
the direction of the Chief of Space Operations, United States Space
Force (USSF), and in accordance with public law. USSF CSCO is the sole
authority for procurement of said services for the Department of
Defense (DoD) and satisfies COMSATCOM requirements on behalf of the
Combatant Commands, the Services, other DoD and Federal agencies, as
well as NATO and FVEY partner nations. Currently, USSF CSCO has
approximately 18 MEO-based task orders awarded to the commercial space
sector on behalf of DoD and others, providing SATCOM services in
various geographic Areas of Responsibility.
Question. The research, development, and production of hypersonic
missiles will continue to be a major strategic priority for the
Department of Defense.
Can you please provide an update on the industrial base
partnerships that the DoD has entered into to support carbon-carbon
manufacturing initiatives?
Answer. The Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology program
has engaged the carbon-carbon industrial base through multiple
investment mechanisms. The Manufacturing of Carbon-Carbon Composites
for Hypersonic Applications Initiative has ongoing projects to improve
the automation of 2D and 3D processing of carbon-carbon materials. The
Manufacturing Innovation Institute network has issued two Manufacturing
Challenges to their respective networks to address additive
manufacturing techniques for Hypersonic applications, high-temperature
Composites, integrated computational materials engineering tools, and
advanced manufacturing methods specifically for Hypersonic
applications.
Additionally, the Department's Defense Production Act Title III
authorities allow opportunities to invest in industrial capabilities
such as carbon-carbon manufacturing. In particular, there is a request
for proposals for Ultra-High and High Temperature Composite materials
open now, which allows our industrial partners to be considered for
funding for manufacturing initiatives.
Question. As our hypersonic batteries come online and we begin to
manufacture hypersonic missiles to scale, do we have the industrial
base capacity to manufacture at scale?
Answer. The Department is working with industry to rise to the
challenge of producing hypersonic missiles at scale. R&E has partnered
with A&S on a deep dive effort to assess the state of the current and
future industrial base. This will help address current Service program
needs, and pave the way to have a responsive industrial base to meet
future requirements. The Department is using the results of this deep
dive to inform the decisions necessary to build at scale, but a number
of challenges still remain, particularly relating to supply chain
management and supplier capacity. Providing a clear demand signal to
our industry partners, in the form of validated requirements and steady
procurement, will provide them with the confidence and business case to
invest in their sub-tier suppliers and internally build capacity
necessary for full scale hypersonic production.
Question. What are the challenges to ramping up production?
Answer. The challenges to ramping up hypersonic production are not
unique--workforce and talent, data management, long lead production,
and capacity and testing bottlenecks. However, they are exacerbated by
the increased complexity of the technology and systems necessary to
enable these game changing weapons that provide the Department with
transformational capability. As these programs are still in
development, their configuration and manufacturing processes are new
competencies for industry. Some of the manufacturing processes are
highly manual and labor intensive, and require specialized skills. Many
need to be transitioned to industrial partners with sufficient
throughput, automation, facilities, and technical understanding to
produce reliably at scale.
______

Questions Submitted to Dr. Stefanie Tompkins
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
Question. Climate change is one of the top issues facing our
nation, and both President Biden and Secretary Austin have made clear
that we must address climate change as a national security issue--one
that impacts the resilience of DoD facilities and operations. We must
also invest in power and energy R&D to improve performance at our
installations and optimize military capability. And this past year, the
COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that we must also support research and
development when it comes to public health and public agriculture, and
the intersection of climate change, pests and diseases, food security,
and more.
Please provide an overview of DARPA's public health and public
agriculture research that can help ensure we are better prepared
against a future pandemic.
Answer. DARPA is currently funding several public health and
agriculture research efforts that tackle current limitations in
preparation against a future pandemic. Through the Defend Against Crop
System Attack program, technologies are being developed to protect
staple crops, especially mature plants, that are particularly
vulnerable to the most severe threats relevant to disease and climate
change. The Pandemic Prevention \1\ program is focusing on novel
methods to accelerate medical countermeasure discovery, pre-clinical
testing, and manufacturing. Pandemic Prevention will enable an
integrated therapeutic development platform that leverages state-of-
the-art technologies to prevent disease outbreaks. The Deployable
Medical Countermeasures for Warfighter Readiness program will make
nucleic acid-based medical countermeasures available to the warfighter
where and when they are needed. The Preventing the Emergence of Disease
(PED) program is investigating how animal pathogens are transmitted to
humans and exploring novel approaches to prevent these events. The
Expanding Human Resiliency program aims to maximize warfighter
resiliency by leveraging the signals of the human microbiome to improve
physiology. This program will develop new technologies to control and
manipulate the microbiome and reduce attraction and feeding of insect
vectors, such as mosquitoes, that carry disease.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ All programs named/cited refer to the Research and Development
Descriptive Summaries (RDDS) from the Department of Defense fiscal year
2021 Budget Estimates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DARPA received and has obligated $113 million in CARES Act funding.
These funds have been used to accelerate the development and deployment
of technologies for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-
19. Activities and impacts include the following:
--Diagnostics ($18.0M): DARPA research is producing tests that offer
earlier, more sensitive, and widely distributable diagnosis of
SARS-CoV-2-infected patients.
--Novel Prevention and Treatment Approaches ($64.0M): DARPA is
rapidly screening previously approved drugs using methods such
as organ-on-a-chip systems and using AI and machine learning
methods.
--Pharmaceutical Supply Chain ($29 million): DARPA researchers are
developing and commercializing technology that directly
addresses supply chain vulnerabilities to enable an end-to-end,
deployable, and scalable capability for the production of
medicines made from readily available ingredients that can be
sourced within the U.S.
--Environmental Monitoring ($2 million): DARPA is developing and
enabling a persistent, broad-scale screening system to detect
the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Question. We lack robust surveillance systems to identify new pests
and diseases and track where they are moving. How can DARPA fix that?
Answer. DARPA focuses on developing technologies to rapidly detect
and characterize threats, prevent surprise, and maintain force
readiness. Several programs at DARPA focus on creating novel detection
platforms for rapid identification of potential pathogens and
biosurveillance of animal disease transmission. The Preventing the
Emergence of Disease (PED) program is investigating how animal
pathogens are transmitted to humans and exploring novel approaches to
model, predict, and prevent these events. Promising intervention
approaches will be developed to prevent viral species jumps from animal
reservoirs to humans. Predicting such jumps is a key capability to
mitigating outbreaks in human populations. The Forensic Indicators of
Threat Exposure (FITE) program is developing a field-deployable
resource for indicators of an individual's exposure history. This
program has already supported COVID-19 Health Action Response for
Marines (CHARM) by providing rapid delivery of accurate diagnostic
results for Marine recruits to ensure training continuity at Parris
Island. The Biology for Security (BIOSEC) program seeks to investigate
novel approaches to address the DoD need for rapid detection of unknown
and/or emerging biological threats by identifying pathogens based on
specific behaviors, such as how they interact with and are toxic to
host cells. Advances in this area will produce a completely new
capability to assess the emergence of pathogens and to detect pathogens
that can evade detection by traditional methods. The Gene Editing
Enabled Diagnostics & Biosurveillance program will develop fieldable,
low-cost gene editing based diagnostics for rapid, specific, sensitive,
and multiplexed detection of biological threats in military and public
health scenarios. The distributed biosurveillance device will deliver
the strategic awareness needed to prevent outbreaks of known diseases,
while having the flexibility to quickly detect new emergent bio-
threats, thereby serving as a firebreak and significantly contributing
to DoD humanitarian and stabilization efforts.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Jerry Moran
Question. Many experts are concerned about future animal pandemics
threatening U.S. agricultural systems, affecting trade, jobs and rural
communities. Many areas of the world are currently facing African Swine
Fever--it has now spread from Africa, to Asia and Europe. There is a
strong likelihood that the virus will eventually arrive in the US,
which could be devastating to pork producers and processors, as well as
to corn and soybean growers who provide feed. Just as in the COVID
response, we will need coordinated public private partnerships (PPP) to
drive vaccine development and affordable diagnostics. We will also need
to increase our surveillance capabilities including platforms to track
disease threats. These tools will not only help us protect our
agriculture and food producers, but will also create systems to prepare
us for future biological threats that could materialize in the coming
years.
For big challenges in agriculture that require urgent responses,
such as protecting our agricultural and food systems from the impacts
of climate change and bioterrorism, do you see the need for increased
investments in agricultural research and a role for PPPs in prepare us
for future pandemics?
Answer. DARPA is currently pursuing research investments that offer
the ability to stabilize vulnerable coastal areas from erosion and
flood-related disasters as well as identify, track, and respond to
emerging agricultural threats expected to develop on faster timescales.
This research should lead to developments that assist the Department of
Defense in risk and vulnerability mitigation strategies related to
vulnerabilities that reside in the global food system. The development
of capabilities that provide early detection and identification of
emerging threats and/or disruptions to the global food system will
likely benefit from coordinated public private partnerships that ensure
broadest dissemination and sharing of data related to global food
system security.
Question. Your office is focusing heavily on technology transition
projects to improve cyber defenses for the Department and its
industrial partners.
Can you please describe how MOSAICS and other related cyber
initiatives will not only support the Department's cyber defense, but
the industrial partners that are critical to our national security?
Answer. DARPA's cyber initiatives support both the Department's
cyber defense and the industrial partners that are critical to our
national security.
DARPA is developing the computing, networking, and cyber security
technologies required to protect and enhance systems that are essential
to DoD, USG, and U.S. civil infrastructure.
Information technologies are a focus of intense computation with
both peer and non-peer adversaries, and this competition will be
ongoing.
Systems. DARPA programs are developing the technologies to enhance
the security, resiliency, and adaptability of complex software systems.
Enhanced security and resiliency are essential to meet increasingly
sophisticated cyber threats. Adaptability is needed to rapidly
assimilate new capabilities in an evolving operational environment.
Systems with rich supply chains pose particular challenges. Our work
includes not just techniques for the development of new systems, but
also, importantly, techniques that can enhance security and
adaptability for a wide range of existing systems.
Operations. DARPA programs explore data-intensive analytics for
enterprise cyber defense, including fusion to support attribution of
attacks for targeted response, new confidentiality techniques based on
applied cryptography applicable to privacy and Internet Freedom,
resiliency techniques to enable resilient recovery from attacks, and
social engineering defense for phishing attacks. Programs also enhance
the capability of cyber operators through improved data sourcing and
analytics, tools and frameworks, and operator experience design,
including environments for command centers.
In addition to developing information technologies, DARPA works to
transition the results of its R&D to operations through applications
such as the following:
--Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity: With regard to cyber-defense
of the power grid, DARPA-developed cyber tools and a test bed
were transitioned to the Department of Energy and commercial
utilities under a MOA between 16th Air Force, U.S. Cyber
Command, and DARPA that establishes a Joint Electric Power
Range (JEPR) at Fort Carson. The JEPR will be an enduring
national resource for power grid cyber resilience
experimentation and development.
--Cyber Attribution: DARPA-developed cyber analytics were used to
generate timely, accurate threat information regarding
malicious Russian cyber activities. This information was shared
with partners at the FBI Atlanta and Pittsburgh field offices,
contributing to the indictment of six GRU personnel associated
with a worldwide destructive malware campaign and the
remediation of that malware campaign in U.S. and allied
critical infrastructure.
--Cyber Protection for Combat Vehicles: DARPA-developed technology
has been selected by the Army Combat Capabilities Development
Command Ground Systems Vehicle Development Center to provide
cyber protection to their Next Generation Combat Vehicle. The
technology will be matured to TRL-6 for Army ground vehicle
environments under this transition.
--Cyber Command and Control: DARPA initiated the Plan X program in
2013 to develop a command and control platform for military
cyber operations. Plan X technology was transitioned to the
Strategic Capabilities Office in July 2019, where it was
further developed under Project Ike, and has now been
transitioned again, this time to the Joint Cyber Command and
Control (JCC2) program management office.

SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

Senator Tester. The Defense Subcommittee will reconvene on
Tuesday, April 20, at 9:30, for a hearing on the Defense Health
Program.
With that, this subcommittee stands in recess.
Ms. McQuiston. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 10:55 a.m., Tuesday, April 13, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday,
April 20.]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

----------

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 9:31 a.m. in room SD-192, Dirksen
Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Tester, Baldwin, Shelby, and Boozman

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Health Program

STATEMENT OF DR. TERRY ADIRIM, ACTING ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR HEALTH AFFAIRS

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JON TESTER

Senator Tester. I am going to call this committee meeting
to order. I want to welcome Dr. Adirim, General Dingle, General
Hogg, Admiral Gillingham for your testimony here today and
especially for your service to this country. Thank you all.
Nearly 9.5 million Americans from private to general, from
servicemember to spouse, from recruit to retiree depend on you
for healthcare services that you oversee. Your job is a
difficult one because so many people are depending on you to
have the right medical professionals, and the right treatment
at the right time because their lives count on it.
Over the last few years, the Department of Defense and
Congress have made significant investments in our military's
readiness, but there is no readiness issue more important than
continuing to ensure the physical and mental health of the
force.
Like our witnesses, this subcommittee is committed to doing
our part to ensure that the military force we have is as
healthy as possible. This means meeting the medical needs of
servicemembers and their families at home and abroad.
This challenge is even more important as we are dealing
with a global pandemic. I would like to know more about how the
DOD is dealing with COVID, both in the terms of impact to
troops and their families and whether the military healthcare
system is adequately funded for this emergency.
Once again, I want to thank you for your service and for
your work to better the lives of our personnel entrusted to
your care. It is an essential part of maintaining a ready
force, and I look forward to your testimony.
Senator Shelby.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY

Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for
holding this hearing.
I want to, like you, welcome our witnesses today, and I
want to thank them for being here today to review the Defense
Health Program.
The pandemic has tested our military and its health system
profoundly, and I would like to applaud the Defense Health
Program's work and achievements during this extremely trying
time.
Our warfighters, I believe, are our greatest defense asset,
and their readiness and capabilities depend on a strong and
sustainable military healthcare system. Our military's health
system is responsible for providing care to 9.5 million
servicemembers and their beneficiaries who deserve the best
quality of care that we can provide.
In order to guarantee that standard, Mr. Chairman, we must
ensure that the system is appropriately resourced, something
this committee has prioritized. The military health system has
undergone substantial transformation over the last several
years, and I look forward to hearing about the challenges each
of you have faced in this transition and how you have worked
together to overcome them.
In addition to providing healthcare, our military's health
system also conducts medical research on a wide variety of
topics such as cancer, infectious diseases, traumatic brain
injury, and burn research, just to name a few. Funding for
these important research efforts has grown from $210 million in
1992 to nearly $1.5 billion last year. That is a substantial
investment and I believe one that does not take into account
the billions of dollars that we also provide annually to the
National Institutes of Health to conduct research in many of
the same areas.
What is more, the President's budget request proposes to
create the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health at NIH
(National Institutes of Health). This new $6.5 billion
federally funded research agency will focus on cancer research
and other diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer's. With all
this seeming duplication of research dollars, I question at
times whether DOD's (Department of Defense) medical research
investments are truly focused on addressing our warfighters'
health and readiness concerns or simply investing in scarce
defense resources and medical research that is also underway at
NIH.
So, while we can all agree that this research is necessary,
I hope our witnesses can provide a clear explanation regarding
defense medical research dollars, what they are doing that NIH
funding cannot or is not doing. In other words, is there
duplication here, and if so, how do we get away from it?
Thank you for holding this hearing, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
Now we will go to opening statements. I would ask that each
of you limit your opening statement to 5 minutes each. Your
entire written statement will be put in the record, and we will
start with you, Dr. Adirim. You have the floor.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF DR. TERRY ADIRIM

Dr. Adirim. Good morning. Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman
Shelby, distinguished members of the subcommittee, I am honored
to represent the military and civilian medical professionals in
the Military Health System who are serving around the world and
here at home, delivering healthcare in support of our 9.6
million beneficiaries as well as support to millions of
Americans throughout the United States.
My testimony will provide the subcommittee with information
on major activities that will inform our budget proposal for
the coming fiscal year. The most significant issue looming over
all of our projections is the national response to the COVID-19
pandemic.
Secretary Austin has made clear that the greatest proximate
challenge to our Nation's security is the threat of COVID-19.
The Department has, and will continue to, act boldly and
quickly to support Federal Government efforts to defeat this
disease.
My written testimony provides a comprehensive review of the
critical health support the Military Health System is providing
worldwide in support of our primary mission and as part of the
whole-of-government response to the COVID crisis.
We remain deeply appreciative of the fiscal year 2020
supplemental appropriation of $2.2 billion as part of the CARES
Act that covered the significant costs incurred during the
initial months of the response.
In fiscal year 2021, however, costs attributable to the
pandemic continue to accumulate. As of March 31, 2021, our
midyear review of the Defense Health Program identified likely
shortfalls as part of the ongoing pandemic response projected
at over $1.8 billion, $1 billion of which is private-sector
costs.
In addition, the financial impact of our military support
to the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) missions,
which remains ongoing, are still being assessed. We are working
within the Department to try and mitigate these shortfalls that
are challenging.
The Department continues to focus on internal business
process improvements to find greater efficiencies and remains
vigilant about variation in year-to-year expenditures. We are
appreciative that Congress continues to grant the Department
carryover authority each year. We are also grateful for this
committee's long-term advocacy and support for our military
medical research program. Military medical research advances
the state of medical science in those areas of most pressing
need and relevance to today's emerging threats, which includes
the COVID pandemic.
When released, our fiscal year 2022 budget will present a
balanced, comprehensive strategy that aligns with the
Secretary's priorities to include the ongoing response to the
pandemic. We look forward to working with you over the coming
months to further refine and articulate our objectives in a
manner that improves value for everyone: our warfighters, our
combatant commanders, our patients, our medical force, and the
American taxpayer.
Thank you for inviting me here today to speak with you
about military medicine, our response to the global pandemic,
the essential integration between readiness and health, and
about our plans to further improve our health system in support
of the National Defense Strategy on behalf of our uniform
servicemembers and the families we serve.
Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Terry Adirim, MD, MPH, MBA
Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, distinguished Members of the
Subcommittee, I am pleased to represent the Office of the Secretary of
Defense to discuss the Defense Health Program (DHP) and its
contributions to the health affairs of the Department. I am honored to
represent the dedicated military and civilian medical professionals in
the Military Health System (MHS), which provides direct support to our
combatant commanders and delivers health care for our 9.6 million
beneficiaries.
This hearing is occurring in advance of the formal release of the
President's FY22 full budget. My testimony will provide the
Subcommittee with information on major activities that will inform our
budget proposal for FY22 as well as issues affecting FY21 execution.
The most significant issue, looming over all of our projections, is the
national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our national success in
reducing the spread of the virus, and vaccinating our population, will
affect every aspect of our health care costs. For that reason, my
testimony will begin with the current state of the DoD response to
COVID-19.
covid-19 response
The past fourteen months have represented a unique and challenging
period for our Nation as we've confronted and responded to the COVID-19
pandemic. In line with the President's priorities, Secretary Austin has
made clear that the greatest proximate challenge to our Nation's
security is the threat of COVID-19. The Department has, and will
continue to, act boldly and quickly to support Federal government
efforts to defeat this disease. The MHS is providing critical health
support worldwide to our military forces, supporting other Federal and
state entities as part of a whole-of-government response to this
crisis, and continuing to meet other strategic, global mission
requirements, while sustaining high quality health services to our
military Service members and their families.
Beginning with the declaration of a global pandemic in March 2020,
the MHS provided essential crisis response services in support of
military leaders and civilian demands. Though this summary is not all-
inclusive, I will briefly mention several critical initiatives that
contributed to the national response and also generated additional
expenditures for the Department.
Surveillance and Laboratory Testing. Soon after the pandemic began,
the Secretary of Defense established the DoD Coronavirus Task Force
that included a Diagnostics and Testing Line of Effort. The Department
grew its laboratory testing capacity from 16 operational laboratories
in late March 2020 to 189 operational laboratories by March 2021, and
increased on-hand SARS-COV-2 tests from approximately 200,000 to over
1.8 million. To date, the Department has conducted well over 3 million
tests and has tests on-hand to conduct more than 100K tests per week.
Testing is a key public health intervention that has helped to limit
the spread of SARS-COV-2 within the military. Coupled with other public
health measures like social distancing and masking, military
installations have consistently lower positivity rates than their
surrounding communities.
Even as vaccination efforts continue to increase, testing will
remain a key pillar of our public health strategy to battle this
disease and maintain a ready force. Screening through antigen and PCR
testing using a variety of testing strategies in a post-vaccination
environment will continue as part of the Department's COVID-19 risk
mitigation strategy to drive cases down toward zero. The Department is
also committed to whole genome sequencing and identification of
variants of concern and interest and to understanding their prevalence
among our Service members and other beneficiaries. The Department has
already committed the resources and funding to more than double the
number of specimens the Department can sequence and analyze each week.
Clinical Support for Treatment and Therapeutics. Early in the COVID
response, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) developed and released the
first DoD COVID-19 Practice Management Guide (PMG) to provide
clinicians and Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs)--our military
clinics and hospitals--with a single document on best practices
informed by the latest evidence, and guidance across all clinical care
specialties. The PMG has been continually updated and rereleased, with
the most recent version (Version 7) published in March 2021. The DHA
also established a Joint Registry for COVID-19. Using the Joint Trauma
Registry as a foundation for this effort, the COVID Registry collects
and assesses clinical information on COVID patients, in order to inform
our military medical community on the rapidly evolving science behind
this disease. In April 2020, DHA also put forth the Health Protection
Condition (HPCON) Guidance in a COVID-19 Environment, which contained
CDC informed guidance to support MTFs in healthcare delivery in
response to COVID-19, based on the locally-determined risk level.
In June 2020, DHA began an effort to collect donated units of
plasma from patients who had fully recovered from COVID-19 to support
development of an effective treatment against the disease. Again, the
DHA relied on the COVID-19 registry to identify potential donors, as
well as capture the use of, and outcomes from, convalescent plasma on
hospitalized COVID patients. In August 2020, after receiving Emergency
Use Authorization (EUA) from FDA, COVID-19 convalescent plasma was made
available to MTFs for investigational treatment of COVID-positive
patients who met established criteria in accordance with approved
protocols.
The MHS worked closely to implement other, FDA-approved treatments
for COVID. In September 2020, shortly after Veklury (remdesivir; first
FDA-approved treatment for COVID- 19) received an expanded EUA, the
medication was rapidly pre-positioned throughout DoD to ensure
availability to hospitalized patients with suspected or laboratory-
confirmed COVID-19, irrespective of their severity of disease.
Similarly, in November 2020, after receiving an EUA from FDA for COVID-
19 monoclonal antibody treatment, DHA developed and disseminated
specialized guidance to assist MTFs and healthcare providers regarding
patient care considerations when administering this treatment for mild
and moderate cases.
Individual Medical Readiness. COVID-19 did affect medical readiness
within the military. The Department uses a concept called Individual
Medical Readiness (IMR) to measure medical readiness, which consists of
six elements. These are Dental Readiness, Immunizations, Medical
Readiness Labs, Deployment-Limiting Medical Condition (DLMC) Status,
Periodic Health Assessment (PHA), and Individual Medical Equipment. In
2015, the DoD Total Force Medically Ready (TFMR) goal was set at 85%.
Since 2015, the Total Force has consistently met or exceeded the 85%
goal. With COVID-19 pandemic beginning in the 2nd quarter of 2020, TFMR
decreased below the Department's 85% goal. As of the 4th Quarter of
Calendar Year 2020, TFMR compliance was 82.2%; Active Component IMR
compliance was 82.4% and Reserve Component IMR compliance was 81.7%.
The COVID-19 pandemic most affected Dental Readiness and
Immunizations. These IMR requirements can only be completed via in-
person clinic visits. Of note, throughout the pandemic, medical
readiness for deploying Service Members was prioritized and all
personnel are required to be fully medically ready prior to deployment.
Capabilities such as virtual and telephonic medical appointments
allowed MTFs to continue to provide access to medical readiness support
services. We expect IMR rates to quickly recover and return to pre-
COVID levels as our vaccination campaign proceeds through spring and
summer 2021.
Healthcare Delivery and Deferred Medical Care. In both the direct
care system and the TRICARE network, the Department has worked to
ensure beneficiaries receive medically necessary and readiness-related
care throughout the pandemic and we are currently working to address
delayed or deferred care. In addition to guidance for MTFs on standard
processes to provide medically necessary care that could not be
delayed, the Department significantly expanded the use of Virtual
Health (VH) to meet beneficiary demand while minimizing unnecessary
risks for patients and staff.
MTFs and Markets are increasing the number of available
appointments to meet patient demand for care and schedule previously
delayed care. Despite additional workload associated with COVID-related
deployments and vaccinations, MTF appointment availability is
approaching pre-pandemic levels and access to appointments for routine
and follow-up care averages 4.8 days, which is better than the standard
of 7.0 days or fewer. Likewise, specialty referrals are up from spring
2020 levels and are approaching pre-pandemic rates. While direct care
performance on cancer and other preventive screening is lagging
compared to strong pre-pandemic performance, MTF staff members are
actively reaching out to beneficiaries to encourage and facilitate
screening appointments.
For network care, DHA worked with the managed care support
contractors to develop strategies to ensure our beneficiaries' ability
to access care in the network, ensured resources were monitored to
confirm provider availability, expanded availability of VH and eased
beneficiary access to providers by extending referral and authorization
limits and adjusting rules impacting beneficiary cost shares.
Public Health Planning. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the
importance of integrated DoD and interagency public health planning,
which includes conducting realistic exercises with federal, state and
local public health partners. However, the MHS pivoted quickly and
effectively in responding to the pandemic across a wide range of
requirements, both internal to DoD and across the public health
universe. In the process, we learned lessons and developed associated
recommendations that can have an immediate and sustained impact on the
ability of the MHS to support the ongoing pandemic and to prepare for
future major public health emergencies. Chief among these actions is
developing even tighter integrated coordination with interagency
partners such as the National Institute of Health, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
and other organizations regarding global medical surveillance of cases
and variants of concern. As a primary partner in the interagency
scientific community, DoD shares genetic sequencing, seroprevalence
information and other relevant surveillance data with interagency
partners.
Medical Education & Training. The collaborative leadership efforts
of the Medical Enlisted Training Campus and the Services resulted in
minimal disruptions in training by maximizing the interoperability and
capabilities of alternative learning modalities and technology
adoption. The MHS kept graduation rates on target, and the end-strength
of enlisted medical career fields healthy and ready to support
Combatant Commanders. Additionally, the MHS expanded support for
continuing education credits (CE) for 16 healthcare specialties and
awarded over 90 thousand continuing education/medical credits.
Continuing education credits are required for health professional
licensure and certifications. The Defense Medical Modeling and
Simulation Office recognized an opportunity to provide immediate
support in meeting COVID-19 related simulation training gaps/needs of
the transitioned Markets and associated Military Medical Treatment
Facilities.
COVID-19 Vaccine and Immunization Implementation. Since December
2020, the Department introduced a global immunization campaign to
deliver expanding supplies of vaccines approved for use under an EUA.
In December 2020, DHA issued a DHA Interim Procedures Memorandum to
implement instructions, assign responsibilities, and prescribe
procedures for the COVID-19 Vaccination Program. DHA continues to issue
updates on the coordinated strategy for prioritizing, distributing, and
administering the COVID-19 vaccine, with the most recent DoD
Vaccination Plan modification (MOD-12) released in April 2021.
As of April 16, 2021, the Department had administered over 2.5
million doses of the three vaccines authorized by the FDA under an EUA.
However, on April 14th, DoD implemented the CDC and FDA recommendation
to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until federal
health experts conclude their review of the rare, severe adverse events
that have occurred in a small number of individuals. Although DoD was
distributing all of its Johnson & Johnson vaccine to overseas
locations, the Moderna vaccine still represented the majority of our
overseas allocation. If this pause extends beyond several weeks, DoD
will consider adjusting its current allocations to accommodate our
overseas requirements.
Adapted from the CDC tiered framework for prioritizing individuals
for vaccination, the DoD population schema includes persons in critical
national security positions and deploying forces in the Tier 1
priorities. Vaccinations are being administered at 350 DoD sites around
the world, in addition to access to civilian sources for our
beneficiaries. On April 19, 2021, the Department fully opened vaccine
appointments to all eligible individuals, consistent with the
President's direction to all jurisdictions.
The vaccine remains voluntary for all eligible persons to include
active duty Service members. The Department has implemented a
comprehensive outreach and communications effort to encourage all
eligible persons seek out these highly safe and effective vaccines. We
are encouraged by the trends in vaccine acceptance, and are confident
that all individuals over the age of 15 who want the vaccine will be
fully vaccinated by mid-Summer.
Defense Support to Civilian Authorities. In addition to the
comprehensive response in support of the military mission, the Defense
Department has provided significant expertise, logistics support, and
personnel to civilian communities. Early in the pandemic, the DHA
coordinated the delivery of critical inventory from existing strategic
reserves to the Department of Health and Human Services for
redistribution to civilian communities. This support included delivery
of five million N-95 masks and over two thousand ventilators. The US
Navy deployed the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy to civilian ports on the
east and west coasts to provide hospital bed surge capacity for cities
in crisis. Throughout 2020, Army, Navy and Air Force personnel deployed
as units to civilian hospitals around the country to augment local
staff. Military medical personnel took on key positions with Operation
Warp Speed, and infectious disease experts and medical researchers from
DoD medical research and development offices collaborated closely with
the broader American medical research community.
COVID-19 After Action Review (AAR). The MHS is a learning
organization, and we are committed to continuously improving our
performance--whether in battlefield medicine, health care quality and
safety, or our COVID response efforts. Consistent with the FY21 NDAA,
Section 731, the MHS established a rigorous AAR process, led by the
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. This AAR builds
on the MHS interim AAR process and report established by the ASD(HA) in
May 2020 and completed in January 2021. The Department will submit a
substantive, interim report to Congress under Section 731 by 1 June,
and submit a final report by the close of 2021.
Effects on the FY21 Budget. We remain deeply appreciative of the
FY20 supplemental appropriation of $2.2 billion, as part of the CARES
Act, that covered the significant costs incurred during our initial
response.
In FY21, however, costs attributable to the pandemic response
continue to accumulate. As of March 31, 2021, our mid-year review of
the Defense Health Program (DHP) identified likely shortfalls as part
of the ongoing pandemic response, which we are working with the
Department to resolve. In addition, the financial impact of our
military support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
missions, which remain ongoing, continue to be assessed. The most
significant cost drivers include higher than projected Private Sector
Care costs; additional laboratory testing; personal protective
equipment (PPE) expenditures; and numerous other requirements from
public health surveillance to antiseptic cleaning of medical
facilities.
While there are opportunities to realign funds to meet the
operational imperative of the pandemic response, actions will still
create additional risk and financial liability at a later date.
mhs reforms and transition
The FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) enacted
sweeping reforms to the organization and management of military
medicine. The over-arching direction from Congress was to centralize
and standardize many military health care functions in a way that
better integrates readiness and health delivery throughout the
Department. Included among these reforms: the expanded authority and
responsibility of the DHA to manage MTFs worldwide; and the authority
to adjust medical infrastructure in the MHS to maintain readiness and
core competencies of health care providers.
Following a strategic pause in transition activities due to the
initial COVID-19 pandemic response, which was directed and then lifted
by the Secretary of Defense in April and November 2020 respectively,
the MHS has continued executing the transition of Military Medical
Treatment Facilities (MTF) to DHA management in accordance with the
Department's approved, conditions-based execution plan that meets the
intent of Section 702 of the FY17 NDAA.
In the coming weeks, we expect to certify all Wave 1 Market Offices
(i.e, San Antonio, Tidewater, Colorado, Puget Sound, and Hawaii). These
critical markets account for 34 percent of the MHS' dispositions, 48
percent of the MHS's direct care expenditures, and 11 percent of the
MHS's purchased care expenditures--providing tremendous opportunities
for continued standardization and optimization. Wave 2 Market
Establishment planning is underway, and we plan to institute an
intermediate headquarters to manage the remainder of our small
hospitals and clinics in early June. There are still outstanding
personnel transfer issues to resolve, however, that place at risk our
ability to complete this transition by the congressionally established
deadline of September 30, 2021.
Section 703 of the FY2016 NDAA directed the Secretary of Defense to
submit to the congressional defense committees an implementation plan
to restructure or realign military medical treatment facilities. This
report was transmitted to Congress on February 19, 2020. The report
articulated the DoD's decisions to align MTFs to increase the readiness
of our operational and medical forces and achieve a proper balance
between meeting readiness requirements and managing the total cost of
health care in the direct and purchased care systems.
All restructuring efforts were paused on April 2, 2020 as a result
of the resources required to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
Department is revalidating the assumptions made regarding its readiness
requirements prior to the pandemic, as well as the assessment of
network capacity to absorb additional patients where we intend to
proceed with right-sizing plans. The DHA will take a conditions-based
approach to any transition of medical services. In other words,
transition will only occur when we are certain that local TRICARE
networks can provide timely and quality access to health care. If they
cannot, we will revise our plans.
mhs genesis implementation
The Department continues to proceed with the multi-year
implementation of its new, Electronic Health Record (EHR), MHS GENESIS.
Although we paused a number of specific, in-person activities during
the COVID-19 response, we still delivered the two Waves scheduled for
completion in 2020, two currently in 2021, and remain on schedule for
enterprise completion in 2023. As of today, MHS GENESIS supports the
delivery of safe, high-quality data to patients and providers across 20
MTFs.
The value of MHS GENESIS has become even more apparent during the
COVID-19 response. We were able to implement COVID-specific
configuration changes in MHS GENESIS within hours on several occasions
that provided senior military and civilian leaders with timely
information on COVID laboratory testing results and the health of our
force and our beneficiaries; the same changes in our legacy systems
took nearly four weeks to implement.
MHS GENESIS' mass vaccination capabilities have produced a
significant improved workflow that allows the Military Departments to
assess the status of service member inoculations in order to ensure
readiness. For example, medical personnel at Twentynine Palms,
California successfully screened 700 active duty Marine records within
days of going live with MHS GENESIS in September. The process was so
successful that Cerner made the solution part of its baseline product
for commercial use.
DoD and VA continue to closely collaborate on a fully integrated
EHR with the oversight of the Federal Electronic Health Record
Modernization (FEHRM) office. The Departments collaborated with the
FEHRM to launch the joint health information exchange (joint HIE) in
April 2020, creating a single common gateway through which DOD and VA
providers can send data to and retrieve data from participating private
sector partners. With the FEHRM's leadership, the Departments support a
Federal Enclave providing a single, common record with high
cybersecurity standards, joint configuration boards to ensure
standardized workflows, and shared risks, schedules and lessons
learned.
tricare 5th generation contracts (t-5)
The Department continues to manage the TRICARE Program in a manner
that seeks to reduce the growth in health care costs while ensuring our
health benefit remains an exceptional tool for recruitment and
retention of military personnel and their families. Among the most
important strategies we pursue is the development of effective TRICARE
contracts that deliver high-value, patient-centric care designed to
seamlessly integrate military and private sector care in support of
readiness and health outcomes.
The T-5 contracts represent the next generation of contracts that
provide DHA with the flexibility to adjust network requirements,
improve professional services support, and adapt care delivery models
in support of evolving mission requirements and changes in American
health care delivery. After an extensive, multi-year engagement with
Department leaders, industry, and other stakeholders, as well as three
draft Requests for Proposal (RFPs) shared with industry, the Department
issued the T-5 RFP on April 9, 2021. The goals of this procurement
support (1) military medical readiness and the readiness of the medical
force; (2) beneficiary choice; (3) high value care; and the adoption of
Industry Business Standards.
The Department looks forward to healthy competition from industry
and the inclusion of new health care delivery models in the coming
proposals. As part of the T-5 process, the Department will conduct
``Competitive Demonstrations'' during the contract's period of
performance. Twenty-one potential markets are identified in geographic
areas where MTFs may rightsize, downsize or where DHA provides TRICARE
Prime but no MTF exists. The RFP also specifies three innovations:
Virtual Value Networks, Advanced Primary Care, and Care Collaboration
Tools that will start with T-5 initiation and up to seven other
demonstrations are planned during the life of the contract. DHA
anticipates receipt of offeror proposals no later than August 13, 2021.
The new contracts are planned to begin health care delivery in Calendar
Year 2024.
medical research and development
The Department is grateful for the long-term advocacy and support
for its military medical research program. The DHP research,
development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) focus is to advance the state
of medical science in those areas of most pressing need and relevance
to today's emerging threats, which includes the COVID-19 pandemic.
We seek to discover and explore innovative approaches to protect
and support the readiness, health, and welfare of military personnel;
to accelerate the transition of medical technologies to development and
acquisition; and to accelerate the translation of advances in knowledge
into new standards of care and treatment that can be applied in the
field or in military medical treatment facilities.
In the coming years, we hope to leverage new technologies to
include artificial intelligence and machine learning, biotechnology,
and autonomous systems. The goal is to accelerate the transition of
medical technologies to development and acquisition programs, and to
further the translation of new standards of care to support and
treatment that can be applied in the field or in military medical
treatment facilities. We will seek to mitigate deployment-limiting
medical conditions for service members by focusing on injury prevention
and rehabilitation.
The MHS continue to employ and strengthen our enterprise-wide
performance management systems that provide stakeholders--both medical
and line leadership--at all levels of the military with visibility into
how we are performing on key metrics. These dashboards show
longitudinal performance in measures of readiness, health, access,
quality, safety and cost. We monitor critical indicators of quality and
safety--that point us toward high reliability as a system of care.
Access to primary care and specialty care are measured along with
patient satisfaction to ensure we are meeting patient expectations. We
have provided Department leadership, MTF commanders and staff with
visibility into COVID-19 specific measures that include, but are not
limited to operational hospital bed capacity and surge capabilities,
timely laboratory test results, PPE inventories, COVID-19 vaccine
target population and vaccine administration data, as well as important
private sector care data.
Our dashboards can be viewed at an enterprise level, by Service, by
market, and by individual hospital or clinic. We will continue to adapt
this management system as the MTF transition progresses. Commanders can
assess their performance against expected benchmarks, against peer
institutions, and--where possible--against civilian sector performance
as well. These dashboards help us to both assess how we are doing in
these areas, and where we need to invest resources, training, or
management attention in order to achieve further improvement.
other significant health initiatives
There are several other health initiatives that merit comment--
chief among these is access to timely, high quality mental health
services and related activities to reduce the incidence of suicide
among our service members, their families, and all beneficiaries. The
Department is committed to the health, welfare and safety of our
service members and families and we have undertaken a broad-based
campaign encouraging service members to seek mental health treatment
when signs or symptoms occur, help service members and their families
to identify those signs and symptoms, and to de-stigmatize mental
health care overall.
The DoD has invested in a number of programs to increase access to
mental health care for Service members who are experiencing symptoms of
a psychological health condition. Service members are eligible to
receive free, comprehensive behavioral health care (including clinical
assessment, psychotherapy, and psychiatric treatment) at their local
military medical treatment facilities. We also have programs that embed
psychological health providers in operational units to assist Service
members in their everyday work environments. The primary care medical
homes provide follow-up when Service members disclose psychological
health concerns to their primary care provider. Military OneSource is
our 24/7 resource to connect Service members to information about their
psychological health, non-medical counseling for stress management, and
referrals to healthcare providers.
We have witnessed significant improvements in destigmatization and
increased use of behavioral health services. Nonetheless, suicide rates
remain unacceptably high. Suicide is a very complex issue with many
biological, social, and psychological factors that contribute to
suicide. In recognition of this complexity, the DoD implements a
comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention and
intervention. The DoD is focused on using every available resource to
support our Service members.
For example Service members are screened for symptoms of
psychological health conditions throughout their service. All Service
members who are deployed in connection with a contingency operation
receive a series of deployment health screenings designed to identify
psychological health concerns, including posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) that may require referral for additional care and treatment.
Additionally, all Service members, regardless of deployment status,
receive a mental health assessment upon separation from military
service to ensure documentation of any psychological health conditions
and arrange for appropriate follow-up.
Currently the DoD and VA are working together in the development of
a single Separation Health Assessment that will include a Mental Health
Assessment. This effort will make the separation process more efficient
and improve the mental health care of our Service members. Clinical
Practice Guidelines have been formulated for all major clinical
conditions in mental health, and Joint VA/DoD Clinical Practice
Guidelines (CPGs) for mental health care facilitate delivery of
evidence-based mental health care practices and strengthen the ability
to maintain mental health readiness.
Beyond individual approaches, the public health approach also
includes broader efforts, such as those targeted for our populations of
greatest concern (young and enlisted Service members) and developing
initiatives to support military families. For example, current efforts
include interactive educational pilot programs to teach foundational
skills to effectively deal with life stressors and to address help-
seeking concerns and encourage use of support resources.
The Department continues to promote initiatives that increase
awareness of risk factors for suicide, safe storage of lethal means
(e.g., firearms and medications), and communicate how to intervene in a
crisis. For example, DoD trained more than 2,000 non-medical military
providers to provide Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) to
Service members and families to increase awareness of risk factors for
suicide, safe storage of lethal means (e.g., firearms, medications, and
other lethal means), and how to intervene in a crisis. DoD is expanding
on this pilot program for other influencers, such as spouses.
overall fy22 budget
The soon-to-be released budget will prioritize our resource
requirements to address the COVID-19 pandemic and also address health
care delivery challenges caused by the pandemic.
The Defense Health Program funding level that will be proposed by
the Department in the FY 2022 President's Budget re-baselines health
care program resources based on FY 2020 execution prior to the onset of
COVID. Some residual risks remain, such as the COVID-related effects of
previously delayed care that may return, potentially deleterious
impacts on beneficiaries' health due to delaying or forgoing care,
unrecognized impacts of COVID-19 among asymptomatic or long-term,
persistent disease, and the inherent uncertainty in predicting
healthcare costs.
The MHS is not unique in the variability associated with predicting
health care costs as all health insurers face these same challenges
when forecasting their health expenditures for a given year. Changes in
medical practice, demand for services, and new procedures and drugs are
hard to predict. COVID has only exacerbated these challenges.
It is important to consider the FY22 budget request in the context
of MHS cost control for the last ten years. Over the period of FY 2012
to FY 2018, both private health insurance premiums and National Health
Expenditures per capita rose 25% (or 3.7% annually). However, the
Department, working with Congress, instituted a series of initiatives
that reduced DoD costs well below the rate of civilian growth. A
combination of benefit changes, payment savings initiatives, contract
changes, and population reductions masked underlying increases in
health care costs. Starting in FY 2019, cost patterns returned to
normal growth until the COVID pandemic significantly reduced the
utilization of health care services beginning in March 2020.
The Department continues to pursue efforts focused on internal
business process improvements and structural changes to find greater
efficiencies, such as further integrating and standardizing the
operation of hospitals and clinics; continuing the deployment of MHS
GENESIS; modernizing clinical and business processes; and, streamlining
internal operations. The Department is not requesting any additional
changes to beneficiary cost-sharing in the FY22 budget.
The Department remains vigilant about variation in year-to-year
expenditures, and we are appreciative that Congress continues to grant
the Department carryover authority each year. Carryover authority
allows DoD to maintain better funding flows to minimize disruption of
health care services to our beneficiaries. We are committed to making
our health care cost projections even more transparent in the year of
execution, providing regular updates to the committee, and providing
full visibility to Congress on potential plans for reprogramming funds
within the fiscal year should that possibility unfold. Furthermore, we
will ensure that available funding is directed toward unfunded medical
readiness and health care delivery requirements. Carryover authority is
an invaluable tool that provides the Department with needed flexibility
to manage issues that emerge during the year of budget execution.
When released, our FY22 budget will present a balanced,
comprehensive strategy that aligns with the Secretary's priorities, to
include the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to
fulfill our requirements associated with our congressionally directed
transition. We look forward to working with you over the coming months
to further refine and articulate our objectives in a manner that
improves value for everyone--our warfighters, our combatant commanders,
our patients, our medical force, and the American taxpayer.
Thank you for inviting me here today to speak with you about
military medicine and our response to the global pandemic, the
essential integration between readiness and health, and about our plans
to further improve our health system in support of the National Defense
Strategy and for our beneficiary population.

Senator Tester. Thank you, Dr. Adirim.
General Dingle.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL R. SCOTT DINGLE,
SURGEON GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
General Dingle. Chairman Tester, Vice Chair Shelby, and
distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for your
support and for the honor to speak to you on behalf of over
83,000 active-duty Guard and Reserve Army soldier medics.
COVID-19 and unexpected challenges to our national security
attempted to attack the foundation of our Nation, but it did
not disrupt the fabric of our Constitution and its Army's
response to it.
I honor the soldiers that I am privileged to lead. As
General McConville, our 40th Chief of Staff of the Army,
states, ``People first and winning matters.'' I am proud to say
that our Army is ready to win. Within days of our Nation's
call, we collaborated with Health and Human Services, the
Department of Homeland Security, and our State governments. We
expanded critical testing capacity, inculcated retiree recalls,
deployed vaccine and medical teams in support of civilian
entities, and partnered with medical research and development
in support of the whole-of-government approach.
Soldiers deployed to three countries, 19 States, and three
territories, to include California, Illinois, North Dakota,
Washington, and Wisconsin to support and to save American
lives. You called, we were ready, we responded.
My vision for Army Medicine is clear. We will be ready,
reformed, reorganized, responsive, and relevant in this era of
unprecedented global complexity whether in support of our
National Defense Strategy and whenever our government calls.
So, when the Army deploys today and fights tonight, Army
Medicine will be right there to return our soldiers to duty
tomorrow. From the foxhole to the fixed facility, we will
conserve the health and fitness of the fighting force and
reinforce our readiness requirements through healthcare acuity
for our beneficiaries.
I will ensure that integrated medical efforts occur with
strong fiscal stewardship and partnership between Army
Medicine, the Joint Force, and the Defense Health Agency
ensuring the readiness of our soldiers. The vision and
operational focus for Army Medicine remains at building
readiness and properly manned and proficiently trained units
and modernizing to remain ready and relevant for future
conflicts and challenged. Medical reform directors will be
implemented to maximize readiness in support of the Army
mission.
Finally, we are committed to sustaining and improving our
partnerships, foreign and domestic, to elevate battlefield
interoperability, and to support our National Defense Strategy.
In closing, I thank the committee for your long-standing
support to the Army and military medicine. I look forward to
answering your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle
Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and distinguished members
of the subcommittee thank you for the opportunity to speak to you on
behalf of our Army's health professionals--Soldiers, Civilians, and
their Families, about the state of Army Medicine. As the 45th Army
Surgeon General, I want to express my gratitude for your unwavering
support.
Today, in the 20th year since 9/11, over 190,000 Soldiers are
engaged worldwide to support contingency operations, multiple
exercises, and theater security cooperation activities. Before this
novel coronavirus pandemic, Army Soldiers and Civilians had served
throughout the world as part of the Joint Force. This last year,
however, has made our work like no other in our Nation's history.
Before I begin my comments, I would like to acknowledge those
tragically taken by the virus and other violent acts. They were
mothers, fathers, first responders, healthcare providers, the elder,
and the young, too many lives sacrificed. May they rest in peace.
I would also like to honor the Soldiers, civilians, contractors,
and volunteers I am privileged to lead. As our 40th Chief of Staff of
the Army states, ``People First, Winning Matters!'' I am proud to say
that our People are ready to win. Within days of the Nation's call,
Soldiers began building hospitals and testing centers where the Nation
needed them most. Soldiers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
state, and local partners converted the Javits Convention Center in New
York City into an alternate care facility to meet the potential demand
for hospital beds created by COVID-19. Our researchers, project
managers, logisticians, public health officials, health facility and
operational planners, and scientists were embedded with the interagency
for the whole-of-government effort against COVID-19. Over 1,850 service
members augmented civilian hospitals or community vaccination programs.
You called. We were ready. We responded.
We marshaled our best and very talented professionals from across
the Army. Our scientists and public health officials developed
therapeutics, pandemic surveillance modeling, and testing strategies
that produced the relevant outcomes we see today. Medical research and
public health, the Army's vital asset in fighting diseases, contributed
to the national effort under the Military Infectious Diseases Research
Program and partnered with civilian, academic, and federal agency
counterparts at all echelons in the whole of government response. Army
Medicine did this while sustaining the health of our Soldiers, family
members, retirees, and civilians both at home and abroad.
Since 2019, the Army and Army Medicine have been diligent in
separating the resource requirements for the Services' readiness needs
from benefit delivery. This deliberate effort has enabled the Army to
expeditiously provide the foregoing actions to support operational and
readiness requirements.
As The Army Surgeon General, my top priority is the health,
welfare, and readiness of our Soldiers, their Families, our Civilians,
and our Soldiers-for-Life, especially after two decades of persistent
conflict across the globe. The Army and Army Medicine must consider the
policy and funding needs to keep us ready and relevant for future
challenges. This is what we must discuss today.
army medicine 2028
The Army Medicine 2028 vision operationalizes my plan to meet Army
Medicine's strategic readiness priorities along with five key
objectives--Ready, Reformed, Reorganized, Responsive, and Relevant.
--Ready.--Taking care of people, our Soldiers, and our Families, is
paramount to readiness. Their physical, cognitive, and
emotional health are the cornerstones to personal readiness. We
will build and sustain strategic readiness to ensure the
operational force can win across all domains--land, air, sea,
space, and cyber, by embracing modernization efforts through
emerging technologies, synthetic training, and partnerships.
--Reformed and Reorganized.--Our Army remains committed to medical
reform initiatives. Similarly, Army Medicine must effectively
reorganize in accordance with reform requirements and Army
Senior Leader directives to remain nested with the Army
Campaign Plan and the Army Modernization Strategy.
--Responsive.--Army Medicine will tailor our expeditionary force to
support the new paradigm of multi-domain operations,
synchronized as part of the Joint Health Service Enterprise.
--Relevant.--Army Medicine must change at the speed of relevance.
This includes the modernization of critical capabilities,
technical innovations, and expanded alliances and partnerships
to meet the shared challenges of our time.
army medicine strategy
The strategic vision positions Army Medicine to achieve the
objectives and priorities set forth by the Army. The vision of Army
Medicine 2028 is clear: we are responsive and relevant with
expeditionary, tailored, medically ready, and ready medical forces to
support the Army mission to deploy, fight, and win in a joint, multi-
domain, high-intensity conflict.
Nested with Army vision and priorities, I lay the foundation for
evolving concepts, tactics, and requirements in five specific ways to
achieve this vision. We must synchronize and integrate the medical
effort. We must continue to build Army medicine readiness through
proper manning, organizing, training, equipping, and leadership. We do
this while continuing our modernization and medical reform efforts. We
must do this while cultivating our international alliances and
partnerships, force multipliers, and strategic assets to our national
defense.
Synchronize and Integrate the Medical Effort.
In line with the Secretary of Defense's and Army senior leaders'
guidance, Army Medicine will remain responsible and reliable for our
teammates and stakeholders. We do this through our teamwork as the
Army's medical voice regarding COVID-19 response, conserving the
force's health and fitness, and caring for our beneficiaries, active
and retired, at our treatment facilities. Our integrated efforts occur
within and across the Army, between the Army and Defense Health Agency,
and through the Joint Staff and Combatant Commands.
COVID-19 Response: The Nation called; the Army was there with the
relevant expertise, equipment, and technology to respond to this
unprecedented public health crisis. We will not rest until the virus no
longer threatens our Nation. The greatest proximate challenge to our
Nation's security is the threat of COVID-19. Army Medicine is
decisively engaged in fighting COVID-19 at all levels, supporting the
Department of Defense and interagency partners to eradicate COVID-19. I
will participate in the statutorily mandated COVID-19 medical health
system review panel in the coming months. Per fiscal year (FY) 2021
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 732, my team will
contribute and support the Secretary of Defense's strategy for pandemic
preparedness and response plan. They are studying our response to
COVID-19 and modifications to a pilot program on civilian and military
partnerships to enhance medical interoperability and surge capability
and capacity of the National Disaster Medical System. I finally want to
express my gratitude to our Soldiers-for-Life. Last year, the Army
asked our retirees to assist the historic effort to defeat COVID-19,
and they responded. All of these men and women volunteers are true
patriots and exemplars of the unwavering dedication of the Army
Medicine team.
Research, Development, and Acquisition: Army Medicine is the Army's
medical shield defending the force against COVID-19 in this whole-of-
government approach. We responded to the Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome, Ebola, and Zika outbreaks in the recent past. The Army
Medical research enterprise delivered therapeutics, including
antibodies in convalescent plasma, collaborated on the study of 40
million compounds, and managed approximately 80% of the Defense
Department's investments dedicated to medical research and product
development. To date in FY21, the Medical Research and Development
Command dispersed $363 million for research, development, test, and
evaluation; $280 million for operation and maintenance; and $59 million
for procurement across myriad programs supporting the health of the
Department and our Nation. In the year since COVID-19 became a
household word, our research and development team used these needed
funds to protect the Nation from deadly viruses.
Health and Holistic Fitness (H2F): Holistic Health and Fitness, or
H2F, is now part of our doctrine per Army Field Manual 7-22. As the
Army Chief of Staff states, ``People are my #1 priority: Our Army's
people are our greatest strength and our most important weapon
system.'' To maintain our military strength, we will invest in
understanding, assessing, and improving the American Soldier's holistic
health. That means we have a comprehensive schema to enhance and
maintain the Soldier's performance by making Army medical and health
professionals part of building cohesive combat teams. In April 2020,
3.75% of the Army is currently medically non-deployable, equating to
38,400 Soldiers. Musculoskeletal injury contributed significantly to
the Army's healthcare burden, negatively impacting Soldier health and
Army readiness. To conserve the force, Army has 536 military
authorizations in the future years' defense program (FYDP) between 2022
and 2026 for physical therapists, occupational therapists, registered
dietitians, and enlisted specialists to be forward arrayed within our
combat formations to prevent or mitigate injuries and ensure faster
recovery to maintain combat power.
Army Recovery Care Program (ARCP): The Army maintains a robust
Warrior Care program for managing recovery and complex care for
wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers across all Army components. Our
program, formerly the Warrior Care and Transition Program, is a
critical enabler of Army readiness. Through the use of 14 Soldier
Recovery Units, ARCP manages the recovery of wounded, ill, and injured
Soldiers requiring complex care at Division/Corps installations and
specialty medical centers. The program also provides resources and
advocacy for Families and caregivers of Soldiers recovering in the
program. Since the program's inception in 2007, more than 84,000
Soldiers have entered the program. As of October 1, 2020, the program
completed a two-year Army-directed restructure. Its current population
of 1,752 reflects the single entry criteria for all three components
and is in line with original restructure estimates of 1600-1800 as of
December 31, 2020. The latest restructure has reduced 501
authorizations and $35 million for Program Objective Memorandum (POM)
2021, but will not decrement operations and support to the wounded
warrior.
Medical Military Construction: The construction of medical
healthcare and research facilities supporting Army and Department of
Defense personnel and missions continues. Army Medicine, the United
States Army Corps of Engineers, and the Defense
Health Agency provide collaborative leadership and management to
multiple projects. I thank you for your enduring support of the medical
military construction program. The Army will recapitalize over 78% (15
of 19) of inpatient facilities between 2005 and 2026. The military
health system continues to require future investments in military
construction to support safe, quality care for our Soldiers, Family
Members, and Soldiers for Life, as well as capital investments for
medical research and public health activities. As of this submission,
there are currently 14 active hospital, medical research, clinic, lab,
and blood program projects supporting Army equities.
Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans' Affair (VA) Partnership:
Caring for our Soldiers-for-Life reflects our commitment to People and
synchronizing the medical effort. In collaboration with the VA, the
Army has an integrated joint effort for providing care to our retired
population through robust healthcare resource sharing programs. Between
2018 and 2019, Army Medicine provided $138.2 million in reimbursable
care to veteran beneficiaries in our Army treatment facilities. All
Army facilities with excess capacity to provide care to the veteran
population under the healthcare resource sharing program. Our Soldiers-
for-Life are America's strategic reserve. We are obligated to care for
them.
Build Readiness.
Building and maintaining readiness is critical to my strategic
goal. Army Medicine is pivoting to proficiently trained and manned
units led by competent leaders, equipped with modern capabilities to
provide expeditionary life/limb-saving to a multi-domain operations
capable force by 2028. I acknowledge legislation regarding our force
mix options and service models, as well as legislation regarding the
military medical manning end strength. Readiness and deployability must
remain a top priority of Commanders and Soldiers.
Medical Readiness: To build combat readiness, we affirm the need to
reduce the Army's non-deployable rate to 5%, even during the pandemic.
This means that despite COVID-19, Soldiers continued to complete their
annual health assessments and dental exams. Initially, COVID-19
impacted our ability to conduct the screenings. To clear the backlog of
Soldiers who fell out of compliance during the early phase of the
pandemic, we began to use video or telephonic health assessments. At
the end of calendar year 2020, only 3.75% of Soldiers were medically
non-deployable.
Individual and Collective Training: The Army is committed to the
readiness for large-scale combat operations. I will provide the combat
force high-quality medical care across the full continuum of combat
casualty operations by reforming our medical training processes and
seeking innovative partnerships and solutions to providing a ready
medical force. Army Medicine is using various initiatives to build
deployment readiness:
--Army Graduate Medical Education.--Five to seven years of training
after medical school is required to produce a board-eligible
surgeon. The graduate program generates 96% of critical wartime
specialty surgeons.
--Military-Civilian Partnerships.--Army Medicine has entered into
medical training agreements with civilian trauma centers and
medical centers around the country. Pursuant to recent
legislation, Army Medicine has placed doctors, nurses, and
medics into facilities across the Nation, where, for example,
members from forward surgical teams maximize their exposure to
a high volume of patients with critical injuries. This cost-
efficient initiative provides skills sustainment opportunities
alongside our civilian counterparts in premier trauma centers
and hospitals.
Support Modernization of the Medical Force.
Army Medicine's modernization efforts include developing medical
concepts parallel with Army efforts. These expeditionary medical
capabilities leverage emerging technologies, design the future medical
force, ensure interoperability, and invest in synthetic training
environments to provide the ``sets and reps'' required to be
battlefield-ready. We must consider leveraging technology and updating
our strategies to meet the realities of the landscape.
Recruiting and Retention of Health Professional Officers (HPOs)
(Talent Management): Our Army's philosophy is People First, and our
attitude is Winning Matters. The Army is about People. I want to thank
our legislators for acknowledging the need to increase special pay
incentive programs and rate caps. The increase in health professional
compensation assisted with medical accession bonuses, health
professional scholarships, Financial Assistance Program, loan
repayment, professional training and education programs and incentives,
allows us to recruit and retain health professional officers as they
make the tough decision to serve the Nation or answer the lucrative
opportunities in the private sector. Per section 757 of the Fiscal Year
2021 NDAA, at the direction of the Department of Defense, we will
participate in the congressionally-mandated review of our force mix
options and the service models to enhance our medical force's
readiness.
Virtual Health: As we sustain and modernize Army Medicine's talent
management systems and organization, our hardware and software must
match the dynamic threat landscape of the 21st century. In this regard,
the legislation directs a review of our use of virtual health services
across the Army. Leveraging this capability during the pandemic was
critical in delivering medical treatment and timely access to care.
During the year of COVID-19, when many dreaded entering medical
treatment facilities, telehealth provided direct care to our patients.
In FY15, there were over 40,000 virtual health encounters in Army
Medicine. About 80% of these encounters were related to behavioral
health. From March 2020 to January 2021, we had an extraordinary 4.2
million virtual health encounters. Virtual health improves patient
satisfaction, continuity of care, readiness, and access-all components
for efficient and effective medical care.
Medical Simulation/Synthetic Training: The Department of Simulation
at the Medical Center of Excellence is the lead agency for Army medical
modeling and simulation policy and strategy. Working with the Army's
Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation, and
in collaboration with Army Futures Command, our simulation efforts will
improve medical skill training through synthetic cross-functional
training. The artificial environment will provide the realistic
repetitions necessary to train and sustain combat lifesavers and
medical personnel for Multi-Domain Operations. Other examples of our
technological needs include:
--Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS).--This system enhanced
casualty care through a combination of technologies and
augmented reality delivered in the form of a Head-Up Display
device. The system will include a casualty response function
enabling the Close Combat Force to exercise squad-level
response to taking casualties in tactical training scenarios.
--Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) Simulation.--A first-person
game that allows a Soldier to play a combat medic's role during
an infantry squad mission in an urban environment.
--Vertical Lift.--The next-generation medical vertical lift, such as
the medical variant of the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft,
will give Army Medicine an aircraft with increased speed,
range, survivability, and maneuverability to allow the Army to
evacuate the injured from the battlefield to the point of care.
We must make investments to develop further and purchase the
required hardware and software to create the Synthetic Training
Environment Medical training platforms and next generation of vertical
lift.
Medical Reform.
The Medical Reform initiative aims to ensure the highest Soldier
and provider medical readiness while reducing administrative
requirements associated with military treatment facilities (MTFs)
health and business processes, procedures, and practices to deliver
more effective and efficient beneficiary care at less cost. The
Department of the Army and Army Medicine are committed to this
initiative as we diligently evaluate the Medial Department's structure,
ensuring its coherence to the needs of Title 10 and our operational
demands.
Medical and Dental Treatment Facility Transition: Due to the novel
coronavirus response, the military health systems reform efforts were
paused in the last year. The Defense Health Agency will assume
authority, direction, and control for all United States- based MTFs by
September 30, 2021. The Army will transfer 126 Medical and 60 Dental
Treatment Facilities to the Defense Health Agency. The Army retained
statutory Title 10 responsibility for training, readiness, and
oversight of Soldiers at the Medical Treatment Facilities, Dental
Treatment Facilities, Public Health establishments, and Veterinary
Treatment Facilities.
Defense Health Program Funds Transfer: The FY21 appropriations
drafted by this committee provided more than $1.1 billion from the
Defense Health Program to the Army Operation and Maintenance account
consisting of over 15 service-centric medical readiness programs--over
$655 million within Army Medicine and over $445 million across Army
Major Commands. We understand that we need to further evaluate our
readiness requirements in subsequent years as the medical health
systems reform and transition progress. We acknowledge this committee's
recommendations on the need for precise details and justification for
Army's Medical readiness programs. Finally, we are also working with
the Defense Health Agency to ensure that those medical readiness
services within the Defense Health Agency purview (about $895 million)
are meeting the Army's requirement for comprehensive readiness for our
Soldiers and their family members.
Strengthen Alliances and Partnerships.
Finally, our allies and partners are collaborators and force
multipliers with whom we engage through various multilateral and
bilateral affiliations, security cooperation programs, and global
health engagement opportunities. From the early 1800s, to today, and
into the future, the Army has a long-standing history responding to
international public global health issues as a result of our
responsibility to protect the health of our forces and to ensure that
they are ready to deploy for missions anywhere in the world at a
moment's notice. One component of global health engagements involves
building, sustaining, and improving partner capacity so that nations
can mature into competent combat health service support providers for
their forces and coalitions in which they will operate. Among other
capabilities, my goal in the Army Medicine strategy is to create a
global network of military medical capabilities that will provide niche
and system medical services to ensure ready, relevant, responsive, and
excellent health service support both in the field and in the
institutional setting.
Funding for global health activities, partnership activities, and
global health engagements has always been a challenge. As we have seen
in the last year, our scientists' international work is a crucial
funding concern. Allocated appropriations from Defense Health Program
funds provided by our partner nations do not yield impactful results.
Partner nation, Combatant Command, and Army Service Component Command
prioritization toward combat and combat support capabilities are
frequently below the cut line, underfunding global health engagements
and medical security cooperation.
To achieve global health objectives, medical forces would benefit
from funding investment to continue and capitalize on our critical
relationships with international ministries of defense, health,
interior, academia, non-governmental, and private sector organizations.
As required by statute, we will work with the Department to assess the
feasibility of establishing medical security partnership with Taiwan
(FY21 NDAA, Section 1260B) and the grant program to collaborate with
Israel on post-traumatic stress disorder research.
Medical Research and Development Command laboratories in Thailand,
Philippines, Nepal, Cambodia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and the
Republic of Georgia conduct essential surveillance of biological
threats and groundbreaking research on infectious diseases and diseases
of military and public health significance. Through regional and
functional health commands, the Army's global presence also serves as a
force for good, offering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
when requested.
The Army Medical Center of Excellence provides officer and enlisted
medical leadership training to approximately 200 soldiers from partner
nations. Of these, our relationship with the Israel Defense Force
medical services, based on the 1978 United States-Israel Data Exchange
Agreement on Military Medicine, or ``Shoresh,'' sustained our
relationship through their International Medical Programs office and
the Army's Medical Strategic Leadership Program. Similarly, our
relationship with Taiwan (one which Army Medicine looks forward to
expanding) was sustained through our educational programs, which had 25
participants in recent years.
Army Medicine will build on our experience from multinational staff
hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan as the opportunity affords. We do
this while leveraging current experiences in Europe with our allies and
partner nations to strengthen our many long-lasting international
relationships with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the
American-British-Canadian-Australian-and New Zealand alliances. When
matured, these relationships will enhance the readiness of future US
military operations in that region. The corporate and national response
to the global pandemic, ongoing research and development of freeze-
dried plasma, advancements in prosthetics and rehabilitation, and more
effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and other
combat stress-related injuries have made Army Medicine a proven and
formidable partner in global health and military medicine.
conclusion
In closing, I want to thank the committee for your long-standing
support to the Army and Military Medicine. I remain committed to
working with our defense, interagency, intergovernmental,
multinational, and civilian partners to improve Army readiness. At the
same time, our healthcare professionals continue to care for our
Soldiers, Civilians, and their Families.
From the foxhole to the fixed facility--Army Medicine will be
ready, reformed, reorganized, responsive, and relevant. My vision will
ensure that we sustain mutual trusted relationships within the Army,
the Joint Force, and the Nation. When a Soldier calls for a medic, Army
Medicine will be ready and responsive with expertly trained Soldiers
capable of healing injuries to the body. Medical units should be
adequately manned and equipped with the best equipment and technology.
It is not about fighting the last war. We must have the People,
cutting-edge tools, medical concepts, doctrine, capabilities, and the
training for the next conflict. I appreciate the subcommittee's work
and your continued support to our Soldiers, Army Medicine, and our
Army.

Senator Tester. Thank you, General Dingle.
General Hogg.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL DOROTHY A. HOGG,
SURGEON GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR
FORCE
General Hogg. Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, and
distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify on behalf of more than 55,900 total
force airmen who comprise the Air Force Medical Service. Your
sustained confidence and support enables us to remain mission-
focused, excellence-driven, and ready to fight tonight.
Over the past year, our airmen have been involved in every
aspect of the COVID-19 response. From the early days of initial
public health emergency response to supporting the whole-of-
government vaccine administration efforts, Air Force medics
showed their ability to innovate.
When COVID-19 epicenters in New York, California, Texas,
and North Dakota were facing critical staffing shortages, we
acted quickly, embedding critical care strike teams directly
into civilian facilities.
Today we have 1,000 Air Force medics deployed to 11 FEMA
vaccination sites in 10 States to administer COVID-19 vaccines,
and we expect them to surpass the 1 million mark this week.
A year before the first COVID-19 case hit the U.S., we
established our newest C-STARS training program at the
University of Nebraska in Omaha. This Center for the
Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills focuses on disease
containment.
Our infectious disease specialists worked alongside
civilian counterparts to treat some of the very first COVID-19
patients using the university's biocontainment unit.
We took our air medical evacuation capabilities into new
territory when we were tasked to transport COVID-19 patients.
Early in the pandemic, the rapid rise of cases drove the need
to move more patients at once while mitigating the spread of
COVID-19 to our aircrew members.
We partnered with teams across the Department of Defense
and the civilian industry to develop a new infectious disease
transport system called the Negatively Pressurized Conex. This
Conex can safely transport up to three times as many patients
as the previous isolation system, and as of 19 April, we have
completed 96 missions and moved 366 COVID-19 patients safely.
While battling the pandemic, we also remained dedicated to
the MHS (Military Health System) transformation efforts. We
have worked side by side with the Defense Health Agency to
identify all necessary processes needed to mature their
functional capabilities. We also implemented a new medical
reform model to improve our airmen's and guardians' readiness
and deployability.
We reorganized our medical treatment facilities into two
squadrons. The first squadron focuses on the health of our
airmen and our guardians, and the second squadron focuses on
the health of our beneficiaries. This new model has been
implemented at 66 bases, and early analysis has already shown
the model enhances force readiness and lethality.
This pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, but it also
provided opportunities to accelerate, change, or lose, to
become more agile, resilient, and capable to face the unknown.
This is what we train for. We remain ready for the right. This
mentality must remain in focus as we evolve to face the next
major threat.
It has been an honor to serve as the Air and Space Force
Surgeon General alongside extraordinary medical professionals
on the joint team. This is my final time to appear before this
subcommittee, as I will be retiring this summer.
Thank you for your continued support and for the
opportunity to address you today, and I look forward to
answering your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Dorothy A. Hogg
Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and distinguished members
of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf
of the 55,945 active duty, reserve, national guard, and civilian Airmen
who comprise the Air Force Medical Service. It is an honor to serve
with these Airmen who demonstrate their ongoing dedication to the
mission resulting in the success of the Department of the Air Force.
Your sustained confidence and support in our efforts enables us to
remain mission-focused, excellence-driven and ready to fight tonight.
The Air Force Medical Service supports the Department of the Air
Force's mission to fly, fight and win, and defend American interests in
air, space, and cyberspace. Our strength resides in our resilience and
on our willingness to succeed in austere, dynamic, and challenging
environments. Our readiness focuses on delivering lifesaving care,
whether on the battlefield or within our own communities. We train to
successfully operate in field hospitals with limited supplies, pushing
the limits of our capabilities to stretch our problem solving
abilities. The Air Force Medical Service can successfully function, in
fact, excel, on any cargo aircraft available to move our service
members to higher levels of care. Air Force medics ensure combatant
commanders have a medically ready and fit force. With the launch of our
newest military branch, the U.S. Space Force, Air Force medics are also
responsible for maintaining the readiness for Guardians operating the
nation's space capabilities. We embrace these unique physical and
psychological demands of Space mission sets and are planning for the
future demands of space medicine requirements.
My responsibility to provide the best prepared medical force has
not been dampened by the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, in fact,
it has proved the resilience and flexibility of our Airmen. This
pandemic tested our capabilities; we faced many challenges, but at the
core of our success was our medics. Their training, commitment, and
dedication to service provided a resource our nation depends upon.
air force medical service covid-19 response
Over this past year, our medics have been put on the front lines
like never before, to combat a new enemy, one that struck in our own
backyards and bases around the globe. The pandemic brought military
medical capacity and capability to the tip of the spear in our nation's
response in combating COVID. Our medical Airmen from nearly every
specialty and position have been working tirelessly alongside our
sister services and civilian partners to conquer this disease. We have
deployed to the hardest hit areas of our country to support overrun
civilian hospitals. In the midst of these challenges, our Airmen have
continued to innovate and respond to my call for disruptive innovation.
One example is the Negatively Pressurized Containment unit. During the
2014 Ebola epidemic, it became clear the Department of Defense needed a
way to safely transport multiple patients within the same airframe who
were suffering from a highly infectious disease. Four months from when
the need was identified, the transport isolation system was introduced
and ready for patient movement. It is easily transported on existing
cargo aircraft, including the C-130 and the C-17 and provides a
contained area for medics to care for these patients. While we trained
to execute this system, it never saw an operational mission until the
COVID-19 pandemic. The first operational mission for this isolation
system took place on April 10, 2020, when three COVID-19 positive
patients were transported from Afghanistan to Ramstein Air Base,
Germany.
While the mission was a success, the rapid rise of COVID-19 case
numbers required us to move larger numbers of patients at one time.
This was a challenge, but our Airmen partnered with teams across the
Air Force, Department of Defense, and civilian industry, under the
direction of the Program Executive Office for Agile Combat Support, to
develop and procure an innovative solution. In less than 100 days, a
new isolation system, the Negatively Pressurized Conex, was launched.
This innovation rapidly went from an idea to a solution, and on July 1,
2020, Airmen successfully transported 12 COVID-19 patients on a C-17.
As of February 25, 2021, we have completed 39 missions and moved 216
COVID-19 patients in this system.
Our Air Force medics also provided the nation with innovative
solutions to solve bed space and personnel shortages. When COVID-19
epicenters in New York, California, North Dakota, and Texas were
experiencing bed space shortages, our team went to work developing
solutions and designed four COVID Theater Hospitals, consisting of more
than 200 beds, to provide the support the communities were desperately
seeking. As cases surged, it soon became apparent that these solutions
would not accomplish the immediate needs of our civilian partners, so
we quickly tailored a better solution. We broke our theater hospitals
into smaller critical care strike teams and embedded them directly into
civilian facilities to augment their capabilities. Nearly 800 Air Force
medics were deployed into civilian facilities to work alongside their
civilian counterparts. Most recently, we deployed an additional 1,000
Air Force medics to 11 vaccination sites in 10 states to administer
COVID-19 vaccines. As of April 6, 2021, we have successfully
administered more than 678,162 vaccines.
delivering care to our warfighters
While the nation's attention shifted to combating COVID-19, the Air
Force Medical Service never took the eye off of the ball in supporting
the operational demands of the Air and Space Force missions. Our medics
hold the sacred responsibility for treating service members so they can
complete the mission and return home safely. We have continued to
bolster our existing capabilities.
Currently, we are halfway through a five-year rollout of a new
initiative to embed base Operational Support Teams at all Department of
the Air Force installations. The Operational Support Teams consist of a
clinical psychologist, social worker, physical therapist, exercise
physiologist, and a team leader who are all focused on improving
operational performance of our Airmen. The team will provide direct
unit-level medical engagement outside of Air Force military treatment
facilities. This is accomplished by enhancing both physical and
psychological resiliency, as well as employing military occupational
injury prevention techniques. These teams will temporarily embed into
high-risk squadrons and begin to build and foster trusting
relationships, conduct unit-focused needs assessments, provide
interventions, and conduct consultations. The overall goal of this
initiative is to address unit-specific health concerns before they have
a chance to negatively impact Airmen, Guardians, or the mission.
keeping medical airmen ready to deliver care
The readiness of my medics is my number one priority. The primary
readiness platform for medical skills are our military treatment
facilities. However, some of our treatment facilities do not have the
patient volume, diversity, and acuity Air Force medics require to have
a current skill set. To address this gap, I have developed several
partnerships and training agreements with civilian organizations. In
the past year, we continued to grow these opportunities with our most
recent partnership--the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In 2019,
we started our newest C-STARS-Omaha program with a primary focus on
disease containment. This site focuses on the care of highly infectious
disease patients. Our Air Force medics, working alongside their
civilian counterparts, were able to treat some of the first COVID-19
patients utilizing the university's biocontainment unit. On March 1st
of this year, we launched the inaugural course on principles of
biocontainment care, covering topics on recognition, diagnosis and
management of highly-infectious disease, infection prevention and
control principles, and safe donning and doffing personal protective
equipment. This course will pay huge dividends for future pandemic
events.
In addition to establishing civilian partnerships to maintain
currency, we are also developing an internal training program called
Medic-X. This program is designed to expand medical support skills in
mass casualty scenarios where patient load overwhelms medical
capabilities. This approach fundamentally changes what defines an ``Air
Force Medic,'' extending response capabilities to all Air Force Medical
Service skillsets and ranks, including non-clinical careers such as,
pharmacists, lab officers, medical administrators, and medical
logisticians. We have identified 58 specific skills aimed at equipping
non-clinical Airmen with the ability to respond in the event of a mass-
casualty event. A beta test of non-clinical personnel was conducted in
May 2020 at 10 different locations with a 96.5% success rate of
comprehension, retention and execution of these skills. We plan on
rolling out the Medic-X program in phases with the goal of full
integration into all of our bases by 2025.
commitment to military health system transition and transformation
Despite challenges posed by implementing the changes outlined in
section 702 of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act and COVID-
19, we remain dedicated to the smooth transition of the delivery of the
health benefit, and associated functions and personnel to the Defense
Health Agency, so I can focus on my responsibility of delivering
medically-ready Airmen and Guardians and ready medical Airmen. The Air
Force Medical Service has been engaged with the Defense Health Agency
to help them formalize processes, mitigate risks, and address
challenges. We have provided a detailed framework that identified all
functions and personnel required to stand up DHA's functional
capabilities. We also worked with DHA to identify ways to standardize
these services across all military treatment facilities. Despite a
temporary pause in transition activities due to COVID-19, the Air Force
Medical Service continues to provide the necessary transition support,
providing requested resources and manpower needed to maintain specific
functional capabilities at military treatment facilities. This direct
support is expected to end on October 1, 2021.
As our Air Force Military Treatment Facilities continue to
transition to the authority, direction, and control of the Defense
Health Agency, we also implemented an Air Force Medical Reform Model to
align with the Air Force's Strategic Plan to enhance readiness,
increase lethality, and utilize cost-effective modernization. Resource-
neutral changes in structure were applied to focus and improve the
deployability of the forces. Under this new model, we reconfigured and
launched two new squadrons with distinct missions. The first squadron,
the Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, focuses on the health of
Airmen and Guardians, and the second squadron, the Healthcare
Operations Squadron, focuses on delivering care to all other
beneficiaries. Analysis to date, has shown a decrease in the duration
of Mobility Restriction by 6.6 days, an increase in Individual Medical
Readiness by 1.1% and a decrease in Non-Deployable, All Reasons status
by 2.3%.
new frontiers and new domains
Our readiness posture has equipped us to swiftly and effectively
respond to COVID-19 while maintaining the demands of our mission. We
now need to be ready for a more dynamic and demanding battlefield,
forcing us to push the boundaries of our capabilities even further Our
future ground medical forces and equipment must be more agile, lighter,
leaner, and more autonomous when considering logistical support may be
limited. Wherever our Airmen and Guardians go, Air Force medics must
follow.
As mentioned earlier, the U.S. Space Force is now a year old. Space
Force medical support focuses on addressing the occupational challenges
that emerge while operating unmanned satellites. As the demands of the
Space Force increase, so will the necessary medical support to keep
those members fit for duty.
The Arctic region's increasingly strategic importance, along with
the Department of Defense's significant regional investment, requires a
deliberate and forward-thinking approach to ensuring the U.S. can
compete and protect the nation's interests in the region. This means
leading the development and establishment of the Air Force Medical
Service's capability to provide medical care in this environment. In
support of the Department of the Air Force Strategy, on my direction,
the Air Combat Command Surgeon, in collaboration with the Air Force
Medical Readiness Agency conducted a Capabilities-Based Assessment
focused on identifying capability gaps and requirements necessary to
operate and sustain medical operations in extreme cold environments,
called Below Zero Medicine. We convened two Below Zero Medicine
Summits, made up of diverse groups of subject matter experts, to
support the establishment of a Medical Pilot Unit and a Cold Weather
Region Center of Excellence (Medical) at Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson. This initiative is focused on identifying and implementing
innovative ways to bring the hospital to the patient in any
environment.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has consumed much of the nation's
attention, bringing with it unprecedented and unpredictable challenges.
It forced our medics to adapt at breakneck speeds and face an unknown
enemy, and they did just that. They worked to keep themselves safe, to
protect the mission and continue to save lives. While many may see a
group of military medics working against insurmountable odds, I see
military medics putting their training into action. I see the
deployment of agile, resilient and capable medics equipped with what
they need to face the unknown. This is what we train for--we remain
ready so we can fight tonight. This mentality must remain in focus as
we evolve to face the next major threat.
I am honored to serve as the Surgeon General for both the Air Force
and Space Force and to work alongside the talented leadership in both
Services, our Army and Navy partners, and the DHA as we continue to
battle COVID-19 and transform the Military Health System. Most
importantly, I am honored to work for our medics who are at the
frontlines whenever and wherever they are needed. Thank you to the
Subcommittee for your continued support of our remarkable Air Force
medics and the health of our Airmen, Guardians, Soldiers, Sailors and
Marines.

Senator Tester. Thank you, General Hogg, and we appreciate
your support to the services and wish you well in retirement
when that time comes.
Admiral Gillingham.
STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL BRUCE L. GILLINGHAM, SURGEON
GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
Admiral Gillingham. Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby,
distinguished members of the subcommittee, it is my privilege
to update you on Navy Medicine. I am grateful for your
continued leadership and support as we execute our medical
readiness mission in support of the United States Navy, United
States Marine Corps, world's premier Naval Force.
Last year has been like no other in our lifetimes as we
confronted a deadly adversary, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the
disease it causes, COVID-19. The battle continues today.
Navy Medicine's operational tempo remains high as we
protect the readiness and health of our sailors, marines, and
their families, along with making direct contributions to the
whole-of-Nation pandemic response.
To date, we have deployed over 6,000 active and reserve
component medical personnel in support of operational COVID-19
missions. I want to assure you that despite these unprecedented
challenges, the One Navy Medicine team remains relevant, ready,
and responsive.
We continue to be guided by our strategic priorities:
people, platforms, performance, and power. Well-trained people
working as cohesive teams on optimized platforms, demonstrating
high-value, high-velocity performance that will project medical
power in support of naval superiority.
With the earliest identification of the SARS-CoV-2 virus,
it was evident that we were battling an adversary whose
behavior is highly unpredictable, particularly with respect to
its asymptomatic transmission. While all of us in military
medicine are trained to respond to medical emergencies, we
quickly recognized that protecting our personnel in this public
health crisis along with maintaining operational effectiveness
would be our primary mission.
Actions and intervention by experts across Navy Medicine
during early stages directly impacted our ability to better
understand the virus, mitigate and contain its spread,
effectively support ongoing fleet operations, and preserve Navy
and Marine Corps readiness out forward.
We rapidly applied lessons learned from the early outbreaks
on board USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Kidd and continually
incorporated the latest critical information from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention as well as Navy Medicine,
public health, and R&D experts.
Navy leadership quickly operationalized this guidance for
the fleet in the form of standard operational guidance, and
this is currently in its fourth update. This direction
incorporates the most up-to-date scientific and public health
information, to include testing, restriction of movement,
isolation, quarantine, physical distancing, face coverings,
contact tracing, and now vaccinations. Importantly, our sailors
and marines have demonstrated tremendous personal
responsibility, resilience, and adaptability in responding to
the pandemic.
Their work in concert with strong commitment from our
operational leaders has been instrumental in allowing our ships
and personnel to stay mission capable, despite the pandemic.
Our highest priority remains ensuring that all Department
of Navy personnel have access to the vaccine in order to
protect themselves, their shipmates, their families, and their
community. As the Navy Surgeon General, I have been clear in my
guidance that these vaccines are for the most effective
protection against this deadly virus.
The bottom line is that we are getting shots in arms and
providing our personnel with what I refer to as ``biological
body armor.'' To date, Navy sites have administrated over
three-quarters of a million vaccines, and over 50 percent of
our sailors and marines have now received at least one vaccine
dose.
Navy Medicine continues to answer the call to help our
Nation. Navy and Marine Corps personnel are now currently
deployed around the country to assist with vaccine
administration in community vaccination centers.
I recently had an opportunity to see firsthand the
significant impact they are making in the lives of our fellow
citizens affected by the virus.
Navy Medicine's COVID-19 response is marked by grit,
resolve, and an unbreakable spirit. While battling the pandemic
remains a primary line of effort, we remain fully engaged in
all aspects of our mission of improving readiness and enhancing
operational capabilities to increase warfighters'
survivability.
My written testimony provides you details on many of these
important initiatives that directly support physical and mental
well-being of our sailors, marines, and their families.
In summary, the Nation depends upon our unique
expeditionary medical expertise to support our Naval Forces.
The Navy Medicine team, some 63,000-strong, is privileged to be
entrusted with these responsibilities.
Again, thank you for your leadership, and I look forward to
your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Rear Admiral Bruce L. Gillingham
Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, distinguished Members of the
Subcommittee, it is my privilege to update you on Navy Medicine. The
last year has been like no other in our lifetimes as we confronted a
deadly adversary, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes,
COVID-19. The battle continues today. Throughout this global pandemic,
the operational tempo of Navy Medicine remains high, as we protect the
readiness and health of our Sailors, Marines and their families, along
with making direct contributions to the whole of Nation response to
help our fellow citizens in need. I want to assure you that despite
these unprecedented challenges, the One Navy Medicine team remains
relevant, ready and responsive. I am grateful for your continued
leadership, support, and confidence as we execute our medical readiness
mission in support of the United States Navy and United States Marine
Corps, the world's premier Naval Force.
aligning strategy, priorities and resources
Foundational to Navy Medicine's mission effectiveness is full
synchronization with the strategic direction articulated by the Chief
of Naval Operations and Commandant of the Marine Corps in their seminal
documents CNO Navigation Plan 2021 and the Commandant's Planning
Guidance 2019, respectively. This guidance, along with the Tri-Service
Maritime Strategy (2020), details the way forward in meeting current
and future challenges posed by a dramatically changing international
security environment. We in Navy Medicine recognize that our lines of
effort must be vectored to support these strategic imperatives. Our
four priorities--People, Platforms, Performance and Power--ensure
important readiness linkages to our Marines and Sailors: Well-trained
People, working as cohesive teams on optimized Platforms, demonstrating
high value Performance that will project medical Power in support of
Naval Superiority.
To help ensure that we execute these critical priorities, I have
added additional analytical rigor and alignment to our strategic
planning process through a series of directive-type memoranda for our
key program investments. Each must align with one or more of the Navy
Medicine priorities. This process is critical as we shape our decision
making; including, guiding our resource allocations, assessing
organizational capacity and capability, and assessing performance.
Overall, I am encouraged that these priorities are taking hold at all
levels within Navy Medicine. Our personnel recognize that Navy Medicine
is a team sport; and as such, everyone, collectively and individually,
is performing an impactful role in contributing to mission success.
In FY2021, additional Defense Health Program (DHP) resources were
realigned to the Department of the Navy (DON) to support medical
readiness activities which occur outside of military medical treatment
facilities (MTFs). These resources are important to DON's efforts to
execute non-MTF responsibilities in direct support of medical
readiness. We are grateful for the financial resources provided in the
FY2021 Defense Appropriations Act, as well as the supplemental funding
that was provided last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I
want to assure you that inherent in our business practices is the
application of sound fiscal stewardship of to the resources entrusted
to us.
responding to the covid-19 pandemic
With the earliest identification of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it was
evident that we were battling an adversary whose behavior was highly
unpredictable. While all of us in military medicine are trained to
respond to medical emergencies and crises, we quickly recognized that
protecting our personnel in this public health emergency, along with
maintaining operational effectiveness, would be our primary mission.
Actions and interventions by experts from the Navy Medicine Public
Health and Research and Development enterprises during the early
stages, directly impacted Navy Medicine's ability to better understand
the virus's behavior, mitigate/contain the virus spread, effectively
support ongoing Fleet operations, and preserve Navy and Marine Corps
readiness. To illustrate, using state-of-the-art technologies and
research-use only assays for COVID-19, personnel from the Navy Medical
Research Center deployed to USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) providing
the first COVID-19 detection onboard a Navy ship, and filling a
critical gap in COVID-19 in the Fleet prior to the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) issuing Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for
COVID-19 diagnostic devices available onboard ships.
This work continued as we learned how to deal with the virus from
the early outbreaks on THEORDORE ROOSEVELT and USS KIDD (DD-661),
particularly regarding its asymptomatic transmission. Rapidly applying
lessons learned from these ships and continually incorporating the
latest critical information from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and Navy Medicine experts, Navy leadership quickly
operationalized this guidance for the Fleet in the Standardized
Operational Guidance (SOG), currently in its fourth update. SOG
incorporates the most current scientific and public health information
to include testing, restriction of movement, insolation/quarantine,
physical distancing, face coverings, contact tracing, and vaccinations.
This direction is critical for both individual and unit health
protection and is impactful in preserving operational readiness while
protecting shipmates, installation and communities from COVID-19
transmission. Our Sailors have demonstrated tremendous personal
responsibility, resilience and adaptability in responding to the
pandemic. More than a year from the onset of the initial outbreak, the
SOG, along with other key lines of efforts throughout the Navy, have
been instrumental in allowing our ships and personnel to stay mission
capable despite the pandemic.
In an effort to gain more insight into SARS-CoV-2 virus, Navy
Medicine conducted two important studies, both of which were published
in the New England Journal of Medicine on November 11, 2020: (1) An
Outbreak of COVID-19 on an Aircraft Carrier analyzed epidemiological
data from the outbreak of SARS-Cov-2 onboard THEORDORE ROOSEVELT in
order to understand the transmission and impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the
crew. This work provides a better understanding of the behavior of the
virus shipboard and supports the development of updated guidance for
the Fleet to mitigate future outbreaks. (2) SARS-CoV-2 Transmission
among Marine Recruits during Quarantine reports on the COVID-19 Health
Action Response for Marines (CHARM) which took place at Marine Corps
Recruit Depot Parris Island and examined asymptomatic and symptomatic
transmission in a young adult population. A follow-on study with the
initial Marine volunteers, CHARM 2.0, is currently underway. This
research is important for Naval Forces but also reaffirms our
commitment to widely contribute to further the understanding of the
SARS-CoV-2 virus both nationally and internationally.
An important epicenter for actionable information is our Navy
Medicine Scientific Panel, comprised of Navy Medicine scientists,
clinicians and public health experts. They advise leadership and work
directly with operational medical personnel to facilitate rapid
consultation and enable high velocity learning with respect to COVID-
19. In addition, their work is reflected in the widely disseminated
Navy Medicine Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report that provides
current and timely scientific, clinical and surveillance updates.
In addition to Navy Medicine's work efforts in support of Navy and
Marine Corps unique requirements, collaboration with the DoD COVID-19
Task Force, the Joint Staff, the Defense Logistics Agency, the DHA, the
other Services, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
(USUHS), interagency partners, and many others have been important to
the pandemic response. This work provides the needed coordination,
standardization, and unity of effort in critical areas impacting all
the Services including diagnostics and testing, therapeutics, contact
tracing, personal protective equipment, COVID-19 convalescent plasma,
vaccinations, logistics, technology and other key areas. Within the
Military Health System (MHS), a compelling example of the synergy that
comes from this collaboration across our clinical communities is
reflected in the development and publication of the DoD COVID-19
Practice Management Guide (version 7), an excellent resource that
contains practice guidelines and studies for our providers.
We also recognize the tremendous work by General Gustave Perna,
United States Army, who led the federal response for accelerated
development, manufacturing and distribution of vaccines. These efforts
have resulted in the FDA issuing EUAs for three vaccines, and likely
more to follow. Currently, our highest priority remains ensuring that
all Sailors, Marines, and all DON personnel have access to the vaccine
in order to protect themselves, their shipmates, their families and the
community, consistent with the DoD prioritization schema. As the Navy
Surgeon General, I have been clear in my guidance that inoculation with
these vaccines, which is currently voluntary, is the most effective
protection against this deadly virus.
Navy Medicine continues to answer the call to help our fellow
citizens through medical surge support and vaccination support. In the
early stages of this public health emergency, at the request of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Navy deployed both hospital
ships, USNS MERCY (TA-H 19) and USNS COMFORT (TA-H 20), as well as
personnel assigned to our expeditionary medical facilities, to support
overwhelmed civilian hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities
in several states. Applying lessons learned, Navy Medicine quickly
developed new adaptive capabilities with smaller acute care teams and
rapid rural response teams, which proved effective in augmenting staff
at smaller hospitals in medically underserved locations including
Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Navy and Marine Corps personnel are now
currently deployed to assist with vaccinations as part of the DoD
Community Vaccination support. These personnel are administering
vaccinations to fellow citizens in state-run, federally-funded
community vaccination centers around the country. I had an opportunity
to visit several of these teams and see firsthand the impact they are
making in the lives of our fellow citizens most affected by the virus.
To date, Navy Medicine has deployed over 6,000 active and reserve
component personnel in support of operational COVID-19 missions.
projecting medical power
Navy Medicine's COVID-19 response continues to project medical
power. It is marked by grit, resolve and an unbreakable spirit. While
battling the pandemic remains our primary line of effort, we remain
fully engaged in all aspects of our mission; directly focused on
improving our readiness and enhancing capabilities to increase
survivability. These efforts include leveraging all dimensions of
people, platforms, performance, and, power.
People: Recognizing that our dedicated and diverse workforce is our
greatest strength, Navy Medicine published its Human Capital Strategy
(2020--2025). This strategic framework provides a pathway to help
ensure that our Force, active and reserve component personnel and Navy
civilians, is structured to meet the requirements of evolving
operational demands. It also requires us to optimize and align our
talent management efforts placing right people in the right place with
the right training at the right time.
Overall manning in each of active and reserve component officer
Corps (Medical, Dental, Medical Service and Nurse) remains good;
however, we continue to focus on shortfalls in critical wartime and
readiness specialties to ensure we can meet our operational
requirements in support of the National Defense Strategy. This emphasis
is important given the need to assess and realign our uniformed
personnel requirements and platforms to better support medical
capabilities of the Naval Forces with the transition to Distributed
Maritime Operations (DMO) and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
(EABO). We are also prioritizing the need to increase mental health
specialists assigned to the Fleet and Fleet Marine Force, and to
quickly provide full spectrum force health protection in response to
public health emergencies.
We must invest in recruiting, training and retaining our personnel.
Continued accession and retention incentives are critical to the
success of these efforts. Student accession programs are vital,
considering Navy relies on USUHS and the Health Professions Scholarship
Program for the vast majority of new Medical Corps accessions each
year. Thank you for your continued assistance in this area, including
the authorities contained in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization
Act (NDAA) for increased special and incentive pays for officers in the
health professionals.
For the Hospital Corps, manning for active and reserve component is
at 99 percent and 95 percent, respectively. Similarly, efforts are
targeted to shortfalls in critical wartime specialty Navy Enlisted
Classifications (NECs), including Independent Duty Corpsmen (surface,
submarine, dive and Fleet Marine Force reconnaissance). These highly
trained independent providers are vital to delivering expeditionary
medical support to Naval Forces operating forward. To this end, we
launched a campaign to highlight the professionally rewarding
opportunities in these challenging NECs and expanded the eligibility
pool for qualified candidates. We also increased retention bonuses. In
addition, USUHS approved the Independent Duty Corpsmen curricula for
incorporation in their College of Allied Health Sciences which will
allow these Sailors to earn college credits.
Navy Medicine civilians, a highly skilled workforce of
approximately 11,500 professionals, are essential to our mission. They
can be found throughout our world-wide enterprise delivering essential
health care services--clinical care, research and development, public
health and disease surveillance, logistics, and administration and much
more. In addition to providing mentorship and training to our military
personnel, they also provide much needed continuity in our facilities.
We recognize that we face formidable competition with the private
sector in attracting talented, highly qualified candidates, and we must
work to recruit and expeditiously onboard these personnel. Expanded
direct hire authorities provided in 2020 increased the number of
specialties from nine to 27. Currently almost 55 percent of our
civilian workforce is covered under these authorities which allows use
of additional flexibilities for hard-to-fill health care positions.
Again, we appreciate your support in helping us recruit the best and
brightest. To date, Navy Medicine has transferred 40 Navy civilians to
the DHA under transfer of function provision. We anticipate 150
additional employees will transition later this year.
Our priority is to have ready and confident personnel, with the
knowledge, skills and abilities gained by experience and high velocity
learning. The Navy Medicine Training and Education enterprise is
critical to preparing our personnel for their warfighting mission. In
spite of challenges posed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Navy Medicine
maintained these capabilities and developed innovative solutions to
mitigate interruptions, delays, and cancellations. Training commands,
staff education and training departments, and operational training
sites maximized use of virtual learning platforms, medical modeling and
simulation, partnerships, cross-training, and blended learning to
sustain ready medical forces. In 2020, we graduated 2,905 Hospital
Corpsmen from basic ``A'' school and 1,235 students from advanced ``C''
schools, while 1,252 Hospital Corpsmen completed Field Medical
Battalion Training. Directly supporting our maritime readiness, experts
from the Navy Medical Modeling and Simulation Training program
developed a mock shipboard training environment onboard the Medical
Education Training Campus (METC). To date, over, 2,075 students have
been trained in shipboard medical emergencies and mass casualty
exercises utilizing this realistic operational training environment.
In addition, our nationally recognized graduate medical and health
education programs are critical to Navy Medicine. I refer to this
robust training as Navy Medicine's ``industrial base'' since they are
foundational to sustaining our pipelines to generate a proficient and
combat credible medical force.
Our partnerships with leading trauma and academic medical centers
are essential in helping our providers get the trauma volume,
complexity and experience to maintain competencies to save lives at sea
and on the battlefield. We continue to leverage our existing
collaborative agreements with the James H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in
Chicago, Illinois; the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in
Jacksonville, Florida; and the University Hospital Cleveland in
Cleveland, Ohio. Earlier this year, we established a new partnership
with WakeMed Hospital, a Level I trauma center in Raleigh, North
Carolina, while continuing to support a relationship with the Cleveland
Clinic to provide skills sustainment specifically for Independent Duty
Corpsmen. Pre-deployment training for our teams continues at the Navy
Trauma Training Center at Los Angeles County + University of Southern
California. In addition, we are working closely with the University of
Pennsylvania Health System in establishing a military-civilian
partnership for trauma skills sustainment.
Inclusion and diversity are important components to a mission-ready
Navy. Diverse, high performing teams provide us power, advantage and
unity. We are a stronger Navy because of our differences as we draw on
the diverse culture, skills and perspectives of our shipmates. All of
us recognize that we have more to do. These efforts must be
consistently demonstrated through our behaviors and a commitment to
achieving a Culture of Excellence grounded in our Navy Core Values of
Honor, Courage and Commitment.
Platforms: Navy Medical personnel remain forward deployed with the
Fleet and Fleet Marine Force. They are engaged in all warfare domains
with the focus of keeping our Sailors and Marines ready and healthy to
perform their demanding missions. To be effective, they must have
optimized platforms and capabilities to deliver the full range of
medical support, including combat casualty care at sea, rapid public
health response, humanitarian assistance/disaster response, as well as
Defense Support of Civilian Authorities missions.
To meet the demands of sustained operations at sea, Navy continues
to develop new medical capabilities as well as to re-shape current
capabilities to operate throughout the range of military operations. We
recognize that Naval Expeditionary Health Service Support in the DMO
environment requires modular and scalable capabilities able to provide
theater hospitalization and forward resuscitative care, ashore and
afloat. Additionally, we are focused on improved patient movement and
enroute care capabilities, along with more dispersed holding
capabilities to maximize survivability. An important priority currently
in development is fielding a Role 2 Enhanced medical payload for the
Expeditionary Fast Transport (T-EPF) Flight II, hull 14 currently under
construction. Progress continues in support of our overarching
deployable medical systems strategy with the direction and resource
sponsorship of the Navy's Medical Systems Integration and Combat
Survivability Office and in close collaboration with the United States
Marine Corps.
It is also important to note that MTFs serve as important readiness
training platforms. Within the MTFs, as well as through other
partnerships, our providers get needed readiness-centric medical cases
to keep their skills sharp and stay ready to deploy. Accordingly, our
Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands (NMRTCs) provide the
critical command and control for Navy Medicine personnel and ensure,
through the Readiness Performance Plans, that our men and women have
the clinical and operational currency and competency to support
operational platforms such as hospital ships and expeditionary medical
facilities. We work to ensure that we man, train and equip our
personnel for current and future operations. These efforts continue to
be impactful during the deployments of personnel from the MTFs in
support of the COVID-19 medical and vaccine response. Furthermore, our
overseas facilities function not only as vehicles for health care
delivery, but more importantly as in-theatre pre-positioned medical
capabilities that are critical components of Combatant Commanders'
operational plans.
Performance: Navy Medicine's success is measured by those we serve,
our Sailors and Marines. All of us recognize that it is necessary to
ensure we provide well-trained personnel serving on agile platforms
with the proper equipment sets; however, we also recognize that it is
not sufficient. We must complement these efforts with relentless
pursuit of applying the principles of a high reliability organization
in all our actions, particularly in the operational forces. High
velocity learning, rapid cycle feedback, and applying lessons learned
are the underpinnings of our collaborative work to improve clinical
outcomes and patient safety. Drawing on our high reliability successes
in MTFs, we are rapidly moving to fully operationalize these tenets to
improve warfighter readiness and increase survivability including the
establishment of six operationally-focused clinical communities: female
force readiness; psychological health; neuromusculoskeletal;
operational medicine; trauma; and, dental services. This priority is
also clearly evident in the whole of Navy Medicine response to the
pandemic as led by our network of chief medical officers and others to
rapidly assimilate and disseminate relevant clinical and scientific
information and best practices throughout the enterprise.
It is critically important that our Sailors and Marines have access
to mental health services, where and when they need them. Navy Medicine
maintains a ``no wrong door'' approach to deliver prevention, early
identification and evidence-based mental health treatment. Services are
available world-wide in mental health specialty clinics, within primary
care, at Navy and Marine Corps installation counseling centers, on the
waterfront, and embedded within the Fleet and Fleet Marine Force to
decrease stigma and ensure access to care for our Sailors, Marines, and
their families. In 2020, embedded mental health (EMH) continued to
expand with 35 percent active component mental health providers and 30
percent of behavioral health technicians assigned to EMH billets. MH
providers are permanently assigned to support aircraft carriers,
submarine forces, amphibious assault and surface combatant ships, Naval
Expeditionary Combat Command units, Marine Corps Ground Combat and
Logistics Element units, and Navy and Marine Corps Special Operations.
Navy Medicine supports operations and readiness, collaborating with
stakeholders on enterprise-wide strategies to address EMH manning,
laydown, and practices, Disaster Mental Health, resiliency, suicide
prevention efforts, and expansion of Operational Virtual Mental Health.
Navy Medicine adeptly responded to new challenges presented by the
pandemic through proactive mental health guidance, surveillance, and
outreach, as well as rapid transition to virtual mental health
modalities in MTFs and EMH. Mental health assets deployed across the
Fleet to support COVID-19 related missions and increased operational
tempo. This support included deploying a Special Psychiatric Response
Intervention Team (SPRINT) to THEODORE ROOSEVELT during the COVID-19
outbreak. Navy Medicine continues to execute and expand the Caregiver
Occupational Stress Control program to support psychological health and
prevent burnout in Navy Medicine personnel, which may be particularly
relevant during COVID-19.
We remain acutely aware of the impact of traumatic brain injury
(TBI) on our Sailors and Marines. Services are provided through a
network of TBI clinics with a range of care levels, including Intrepid
Spirit Centers at both Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton, and larger
programs at Naval Medical Centers Portsmouth and San Diego providing
scalable, multidisciplinary, evidenced-based TBI care with a high
return to duty rate. Programs at Camp Lejeune and Naval Medical Center
Portsmouth offer TBI evaluation and treatment tracks specifically
targeted at tip-of-the-spear warfighters who are at greater risk for
sustaining TBI.
Supporting a medical ready force requires that we work diligently
to improve the deployability of Sailors and Marines each and every day.
Navy Medicine emphasizes the importance of completing a deployability
assessment at every provider-based encounter. We also have made
significant improvements to the management of our personnel on limited
duty to include changing the assignment of limited duty from a fixed,
prescriptive duration (180 days) to one that allows for the recommended
recovery period to be determined by the specific medical condition for
the service member. Navy Medicine is also refining algorithms within
our information systems to better identify potential deployment
limiting and temporary non-deployable conditions. All of us know that
warfighting is inherently demanding and we need to do everything we can
to support full recovery when a Sailor or Marine is injured or ill.
Recognizing the unique health care needs of our female Sailors and
Marines, we developed our comprehensive Navy Medicine Female Force
Readiness Strategy. The focus is to organize and coordinate efforts to
increase medical readiness, resiliency, and retention in the female
force and to improve comprehensive care delivery. We are prioritizing
efforts to increase patient education, improve access to care and
striving to ensure front-line provider proficiencies specific to
women's health. To this end, we launched a pilot program to embed a
women's health provider within care settings closer to operational
units to increase service women's ability to resolve health concerns
and minimize time away from duty. The pilot is in place at two Fleet
sites, Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Station Mayport, and both are
yielding promising results. We also published the Deployment Readiness
Education for Service Women Handbook, a digital women's health
education resource for active duty Marines and Sailors.
DON does not tolerate sexual assault. As part of Navy's Culture of
Excellence, we continue to focus on developing and implementing
prevention efforts while maintaining victim support and resiliency.
Navy Medicine remains ready to respond to sexual assault by ensuring
the availability of sexual assault medical forensic exams, ashore and
afloat. We continue to provide responsive medical forensic care during
the pandemic. Collaboratively, the Services sustained ongoing training
by creating a virtual training platform for Sexual Assault Medical
Forensic Examiner students to meet the requirements of the 80 hour
multi-disciplinary course. These efforts helped ensure that we had the
personnel trained to provide sexual assault care in both MTFs and
operational settings. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, we trained 83 new
medical forensic providers for total inventory of 167 serving across
Navy Medicine platforms.
Navy Medicine continues to support the fielding of MHS GENESIS,
DoD's modernized electronic health record. This effort is essential to
our work to drive standardization, improve patient safety and foster
high reliability within the MHS. From 2017 through March 2021, MHS
GENESIS has been deployed to nine Naval facilities in Washington and
California. Lessons learned from the earlier MHS GENESIS deployments
have been applied to current sites and we are seeing substantive
improvements in both training and implementation. We are fully engaged
in joint implementation and optimization efforts in the fielding of MHS
GENESIS and will continue to work collaboratively with DHA and the
other Services. Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
significant progress has been made with implementation and the MHS
remains on track to complete MHS GENESIS deployment by 2024.
Power: Navy Medicine's capability to project medical power is
critical to increasing the survivability of Naval Forces, at sea and on
the battlefield. Our contributions include providing the best combat
casualty care along with rapidly addressing the threats that contribute
to disease non-battle injuries. The global pandemic has demonstrated
that we must be prepared to employ the full strength of our One Navy
Medicine capabilities to protect the health of Sailors and Marines.
Our Navy Medicine Research and Development enterprise continues to
demonstrate that it is responsive to operational requirements and is
capable of providing rapid solutions for the warfighter. Collectively,
their expertise in unique Naval environments provide high-value, high-
impact knowledge and materiel products as evidenced by the significant
contributions in battling the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including diagnostic
testing, genome sequencing of potential viral variants and
countermeasures development.
In addition, we conduct a range of research from basic research,
applied research, advanced development, to testing and evaluation. Navy
Medicine is engaged in work that directly supports Sailors and Marines,
including advancing treatments of decompression sickness among diving
and submarine personnel, providing research response to unexplained
physiological events in tactical aircraft, and studying the impact of
blast exposures on personnel. Due to the strategic location of labs,
many projects involve infectious disease surveillance and international
outbreak response enabling better understanding of global emerging
health threats to military readiness.
Our partnerships with nations on six continents, U.S. academia,
non-profit organizations and the private sector, along with access to a
global network of scientists, allow for research focused on keeping
service members healthy and ready.
Similarly, the Navy Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) and
its field activities continue to be on the vanguard of Navy's public
health efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their impactful
contributions are reflected in all aspects of our strategy of
prevention, mitigation, and recovery. Contributions include deploying
public health and preventive medicine expertise on COVID-19-related
missions to developing science-driven and evidence-based publications
such as the ``Playbook for Managing Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a
Shipboard Operational Setting'' which details management of SARS-CoV-2
outbreak with platform specific recommendations for sanitation,
prevention and treatment. Their portfolio is broad and includes
laboratory operations, environmental health, population health as well
as preventive medicine. NMCPHC brings the unique and vast expertise
that is sought after, and, more importantly, is valued by Navy and
Marine Corps operational leaders.
Global Health Engagement (GHE) remains a critical element of global
stability and national security, particularly in support of security
cooperation by strengthening strategic partnership and alliances. Given
its importance, GHE represents another important line of effort in
support of projecting medical power. Our health security cooperation
officers and global health specialists are working in support of
Combatant Commanders, Navy Component Commanders as well as interagency
and international partners. In addition, Navy GHE improves readiness,
builds resiliency and provides competencies of our Navy Medicine
personnel and prepares them to address an increasingly complex and
interconnected world where health threats do not respect borders.
Given that our Naval Forces are operating forward around the world,
we must continue to leverage the inherent power of Naval Virtual
Health, applying technology to provide care and clinical consultations,
without the constraints of time and distance. Our response to the
COVID-19 pandemic served to accelerate our efforts as Navy Medicine
used virtual health services, both operationally and in-garrison, to
continue to support the operational readiness of Sailors and Marines
during a time when access to face-to-face care diminished, and movement
limitations impacted our personnel. We saw significant increases in
virtual health visits in many areas, but most notably in mental health.
This trend is very encouraging and signals that we are able to maintain
important access to care for our patients, particularly given the
stressors brought about by the pandemic. We are also working to expand
virtual health reach in important readiness areas including periodic
health assessments, deployment-related assessments, suitability
screening and others. A key complement to our virtual health priorities
is Navy Medicine's enterprise-level efforts to advance and integrate
data and data analytics throughout our decision making processes
through capabilities such as machine learning, robotic process
automation and metrics dashboards.
moving forward
We continue the important work of MHS transformation. While the
COVID-19 response necessitated an extended pause for many of these
efforts, we have returned to planning and implementing the relevant
Congressionally-directed reforms. Military Medicine's response to the
pandemic provides us a meaningful organizational stress test to assess
our capabilities and progress, essentially identifying what's working
well, along with highlighting areas that need attention. Critical self-
assessment and applying lessons learned derived from rapid cycle
feedback are important as we build a high reliability organization.
Within the DON, our leadership recognizes the tremendous
opportunity we have to refocus our efforts on medical readiness while
transitioning health care benefit administration and management to the
DHA, including direction and control of the MTFs. Properly executed,
this construct will provide important opportunities to increase
standardization, eliminate redundancies and favorably impact safety,
quality and access within the MHS. In addition, it affords the DON
capacity to focus exclusively on medical readiness and its unique
responsibilities to provide a trained and ready medical force capable
of operating in the maritime domain to meet their missions of Naval and
Joint Forces.
To this end, our work continues to address the smooth transition of
MTFs to the DHA as well as the key mission and functions of our NMRTCs
in providing critical command and control structures for Navy Medicine
personnel to meet Navy and Marine Corps missions. NMRTCs, at the local
MTF level, will facilitate and reinforce the mutually supportive
relationship between Navy Medicine and the DHA. Our goal remains to
build an integrated system of readiness and health. While there is much
work ahead, I see tremendous potential for military medicine to be a
national model for health care high reliability and integration.
All of us in Navy Medicine understand the important
responsibilities placed on us by the Nation to care for our Sailors and
Marines who go in harm's way. Again, thank you for your support.

Senator Tester. Thank you, Admiral, and thank you all for
your testimony.
We are going to start with 5-minute rounds of questions.
Dr. Adirim, in your testimony, you talked about a $1.8
billion shortfall, $1 billion with TRICARE, $800 million with
military shortfall. Do these shortfalls impact the delivery of
service of care to our servicemembers, retirees, or their
families?
Dr. Adirim. Senator, our first priority is our healthcare
to our troops and to their family members. That will never
suffer any decrement whatsoever. That is our first priority.
And those numbers that I cited are projections that we are
making. Currently, we have about $673 million in costs that
were not expected due to the COVID response, but we project
that it will be over $1.8 billion.
Senator Tester. Okay. And so what are your plans to address
these shortfalls? Does Congress need to step up?
Dr. Adirim. The Department is not planning to ask for a
supplemental. We are looking to other programs within the DHP
(Defense Health Program), such as sustainment, modernization
funding. We will have to postpone facilities maintenance. We
are looking for things like that, and we will likely have to
look to the Department as well to fill these shortfalls.
Senator Tester. So you are going to fill these shortfalls
with transfers within the Department of Defense?
Dr. Adirim. We are currently now looking at how we can
mitigate the shortfalls in any way that we can. It is a
challenge.
Senator Tester. Okay. I may come back to another question
on that in a bit.
I want to talk about TRICARE. I am going to stay with you,
Dr. Adirim. Can you tell me what impact the recent
implementation of enrollment fees for TRICARE Select is having
on the number of beneficiaries enrolled?
Dr. Adirim. Sure. I am not aware that there has been an
impact due to any historical increase in fees. I can get you
more precise information for the record if that is what you
want, but I am not aware that there has been a decrement in our
enrollment due to the fees.
Senator Tester. So you are not seeing a decline in
enrollment in TRICARE?
Dr. Adirim. Senator, I think I would like to take that for
the record so we can get you a more precise answer.
[The information follows:]
effect of new enrollment fees on tricare participation
The overall decrease in TRICARE Select enrollments from December,
2018 to April, 2021 for Retirees and their family members who are not
Medicare eligible and the corresponding increase in the number not
enrolled in a TRICARE plan may be attributable to the statutory
requirement that most Group A Retirees and family members pay TRICARE
Select enrollment fees beginning January 1, 2021 and the availability
of other health insurance (OHI) options to some of these beneficiaries.
There is certainly a correlation between implementation of
enrollment fees and changes in the number of enrolled beneficiaries but
an exact causation is more difficult to predict. If fees were not paid
by early February, 2021, their existing TRICARE Select coverage was
terminated for failure to pay enrollment fees, as required by statute.
About 139,000 (15.9 percent) remaining Group A retirees and family
members have until June 30, 2021 to request reinstatement of their
TRICARE Select coverage if they desire to stay in TRICARE for the 2021
calendar year.
--Select Enrollment for Retiree & their family members who are not
Medicare eligible fell by about 160,000 (18 percent) between
December 2020 and March 2021, then went up by 10,000 in the
April 2021 data. It is inferred that the increase in the April
2021 data was a result of beneficiaries paying fees and
enrolling following the failure to pay notifications.
--Aside from the differences between the Select and Prime
populations, one could conclude that other insurance options
are available and there may be other reasons for enrollments
(i.e. Medicare eligibility, change of address) to change over
time. As an example, Prime Enrollment for Retiree and their
family members who are not Medicare eligible dropped 18,000 (1
percent) between December 2020 and March 2021, then decreased
another 3,500 from March to April.

Senator Tester. Okay. That would be good.
In 2018, when the Military Health System was first
beginning to implement reforms, we saw increases in TRICARE
copays for specialty care, and this includes physical therapy
and mental health, two treatments that are very common in
military and veteran communities. Can you speak to the impact
these increased copays have had on utilization of physical
therapy and mental healthcare treatments under TRICARE?
Dr. Adirim. Sure. And again, Senator, I am not aware that
there has been an impact on utilization of those services due
to the copays, and I am happy to take that back too and get you
a more precise answer. We can compare years for you.
[The information follows:]
effect of higher copays on demand and accessibility of mental health
services
With our data, we cannot estimate the impact that copay
modifications had on the utilization of these therapies, as there are
many factors which modify utilization rates.
For all behavioral health we saw increases in utilization in all
years 2018-2020 for all beneficiary categories, though the rise in
utilization was smaller for Retirees than Active Duty Family Members.
For physical therapy, there were increases in utilization for ADFMs
in 2018-2019. In 2020 we saw increases in Prime ADFMs, but a slight
decrease in Select ADFMs. In 2018 there were decreases in Retiree
utilization, a similar increase in 2019, and a small decrease in 2020.
However, the data show that utilization of physical therapy for
Prime Retirees fluctuated throughout 2011-2020, and not just the time
period after implementation of NDAA 2017.

Senator Tester. That would be good. I think it is
critically important we know this. This is information that we
need to know, and I will tell you why, because I am hearing
about it on the ground in Montana. And if I am hearing about
it, I am sure a lot of other Senators and Representatives are
too.
Dr. Adirim. Sure, Senator. I am happy to bring that back.
Senator Tester. Okay. So considering the reforms that have
taken place, not to beat this mule anymore, but considering all
the reforms that have taken place for TRICARE beneficiaries
over the last 3 years, do you believe this benefit has retained
the same level of historical value?
Dr. Adirim. Absolutely. I think it is a very rich benefit,
especially when you compare it to the civilian sector. It is a
uniform benefit. So all beneficiaries have access to the same
benefit and menu of services that TRICARE offers.
I believe that with the new T5 Request for Proposal coming
out and that new contract, that we will see even more benefits
for beneficiaries.
Senator Tester. Okay. I want to go back to the shortfall,
the $1.8 billion, and this is for the other folks who are here,
the Surgeon Generals. Do you have any concerns about whether we
are risking a shortfall? I mean, with this shortfall, that it
is going to impact care to your troops?
Go ahead, General Dingle. We will just go down the line
here.
General Dingle. I will start it off, Chairman Tester.
So, as the Army looks at the operational force, what we do
in conjunction with the Defense Health Agency and the Defense
Health Agency and OCD (Office of Civilian Defense) Health
Affairs, we identify our readiness requirements up front.
Right now, we do not have a shortfall, as we have worked
through our readiness requirements as we identify those, but we
will have to assess that as the fiscal year continues on.
Senator Tester. But the answer right now is no?
General Dingle. Correct. Yes, sir.
Senator Tester. Okay. General Hogg?
General Hogg. Yes. So, along the same lines, Chairman,
medical readiness of our force is paramount and number one, and
so everything that we do will be directed toward that. At this
point, yes, no shortfall.
I do, however, have a concern that as we move forward, if
there is a shortfall, how that is going to get covered.
Senator Tester. Yep, I gotcha.
Admiral Gillingham.
Admiral Gillingham. Yes. Thank you, sir.
Like my colleagues, I think this is something that we will
watch carefully and continue to work internally. At present, I
do not see a threat to our medical readiness, and as always, we
will make sure that we provide most effective and high-quality
care we can to our beneficiaries.
Senator Tester. Appreciate that.
Senator Shelby.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Adirim and General Dingle, I will direct the first
questions to you, both of you. As I noted in my statement, this
committee continues to invest in medical research without
regard to other similar Federal investments, it seems to me, at
NIH, and maybe NIH is doing things you are doing better. I do
not know that.
Can you answer the question that I posed in my opening
remarks, which is this?: What specifically are Defense medical
research dollars doing that NIH funding cannot or is not doing?
I think that is an important question.
Dr. Adirim. Senator Shelby, I will start with this
question, and I think that is a very good question.
We focus our research priorities within the Department on
the warfighter and on the needs of the Joint Force and on those
conditions which may greatly impact our troops.
We work very closely with the NIH and other agencies,
coordinate very closely on research so that----
Senator Shelby. What do you mean by working closely? Is
that collaborative working together----
Dr. Adirim. Yes. Yes, we do.
Senator Shelby [continuing]. On specific things? Name some
of them.
Dr. Adirim. Sure. So, for example, for something like
suicide and mental health, there is collaborative research that
we work with NINDS (National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke), have annual meetings on the research
that comes out of both departments. The work groups work
together to ensure that the research that is being done and
sponsored by each department or together, because sometimes
these research proposals come out of both departments are
aligned to the requirements of our force.
Senator Shelby. Ma'am, I realize, and I think we all do,
that the military has certain needs that the general population
does not need, but the military at the same time probably needs
all of the needs and all the things that the general population
in addition to the military specific things. Is that a fair
statement?
Dr. Adirim. Sure. Yes, sir.
Senator Shelby. So name your top three research areas that
you are doing through the military research.
Dr. Adirim. Sure. I am going to turn it over to my
colleague, General Dingle.
Senator Shelby. Okay. General.
General Dingle. Vice Chair Shelby, one of the things, to
tag on to what Dr. Adirim was saying, the thing that the
military also brings, as it takes the National Defense
Strategy, the DOD guidance, and our service guidances, the
focus is on the survivability of the soldiers.
Senator Shelby. Absolutely.
General Dingle. So prolonged real care in combat
operations, trauma care, the latest technologies that we get
from the civilian sector or in NIH, but taking those civilian
technologies, medical technologies, it takes that military
service research and development to incorporate it into
tomorrow's battlefield on how it is going to be incorporated in
a multidomain environment. And I think that is one of the key
things that we bring from the military as we couple with the
civilian sector, academia, and the industry.
Senator Shelby. Okay. In the area that we all see a lot of,
that is, improvised explosive devices dealing with our military
that is a traumatic thing. We see it with our soldiers and
everywhere. Is there any connection between our efforts to
detect and prevent that and the treatment of the victims, our
soldiers, after they have sustained huge blasts?
General Dingle. Yes, sir. And that is one of the beauties
of what the Chief of Staff of the Army set up with our Army
Futures Command, because it takes that prevention mode and the
detection to get ahead of that blast, but then even if that
blast happens, occurs, that is when the medical research and
development piece comes in and we are studying those blast
injuries and how to conserve and save lives.
So the short answer, yes, we are doing those preventive
measures. It is all being done under Army Futures Command in
which medical is incorporated across all of the cross-
functional teams.
Senator Shelby. Is there any correlation in research
dealing with, say, trauma medicine, emergency medicine,
domestically, civilian, and what the soldiers--you know, the
soldiers are shot at. They are shelled. They step on mines.
They do this, a lot of the civilians are shot at too much in
the country, but I guess, the treatment of wounds, is there
correlated research there, Doctor?
Dr. Adirim. Yes. And I am an emergency physician, and there
is a number of research that has come out of the military that
has----
Senator Shelby. Absolutely.
Dr. Adirim [continuing]. Greatly benefited the civilian
sector. I mean, I can name the REBOA, which is a device that is
used in trauma. There is fresh frozen plasma, which is
currently being used for battlefield, which will have civilian
applicability. So, yes, you are exactly right. A lot of what we
do within the Department of Defense, especially around trauma
research, is applicable to the civilian sector.
Senator Shelby. In the area of warfighter, our soldiers,
sailors, and marines, Air Force readiness and their health, is
there research going on between the military research and the
NIH research regarding with the health of our people, the
health of our soldiers? Of course, the soldiers are probably--
not probably--are exposed to a lot different environments than
the average American is.
Dr. Adirim. Well, Senator, as you alluded to, there are
multiple domains of research that we do in coordination and
collaboration with the NIH and a lot of which has applicability
to the civilian sector and to the American people at large.
Senator Shelby. Admiral Gillingham, I want to shift to the
ambulance ship, transport ship.
The Navy recently issued a $235 million contract
modification to construct a multipurpose Expeditionary Fast
Transport ship. Can you talk about Navy Medicine adapting to
Distributed Maritime Operations and specifically how the
Expeditionary Fast Transport ship and ambulance ship will add
value to those operations?
Admiral Gillingham. Yes, sir. Thank you for this
opportunity.
We are enormously excited about what is known as the EPF
Flight II, which is the vessel that was previously known as the
Joint High Speed Vessel, designed initially as a logistics
ship.
In reviewing medical concept of operations for the
Distributed Maritime Operations and Expeditionary Advanced Base
Operations in support of the Marine Corps, recognized that we
had a gap in the ability to respond quickly and much more
quickly than we can with our Role 3 platform, the T-AH, or the
hospital ship.
So the ambulance ship, as envisioned, will allow us to
respond to ships in distress, ships that may have been damaged
in combat, be able to assist in personnel recovery.
Senator Shelby. It also gives you a lot of mobility on the
water, does it not?
Admiral Gillingham. Yes, sir. The speed is--it is a
catamaran, bi-hull catamaran. It moves very quickly. It will
allow an Osprey aircraft to land for medevac purposes. It will
allow us--as envisioned and as being built and adapted with
that additional funding, it will have an operating room that
will accommodating two operating room tables, a room for 18 ICU
beds, a medical-enhanced Role 3 medical staff of about 100
personnel.
We see this as filling a critical gap in the DMO (Defense
MilPay Office) environment.
Senator Shelby. Would you say this--fairly say this is a
high priority for Naval Medicine?
Admiral Gillingham. Yes, sir. It very much is.
Senator Shelby. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
We have Senator Baldwin virtually.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Adirim, how many cases of COVID-19 has the military
seen this year and in 2020? And I also would like to hear the
breakdown of the number of military personnel who have been
hospitalized or who have passed away from COVID-19 since we
first identified that threat.
Dr. Adirim. Sure. Thank you for that question. I do not
have the precise numbers, and we can get those to you. But what
I can say is having looked at our percent positivity and
following the hospitalizations, it is much less than in the
civilian sector, which is what you would expect for a younger,
healthier population.
Currently, right now, we are seeing a test positivity rate
of about 4.4 percent, and it is 6 percent out in--nationally.
So we have a lower case rate than we see out in the civilian
sector, and we have lower hospitalization rates as well.
But I will get you those precise numbers for the record.
[The information follows:]

statistics on covid-19 infections/hospitalizations/deaths within the
tricare population

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All beneficiaries Active duty
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Private
Direct Care Sector Care Total Direct Care Sector Care Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All COVID+........................ 220,377 257,464 477,841 133,866 33,370 171,807
Hospital admissions............... 5,171 37,941 43,112 948 750 1,698
Deceased.......................... 262 10,018 10,280 7 37 44
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Senator Baldwin. I will appreciate that.
How many anthrax cases has the military seen over the same
period of time?
Dr. Adirim. Ma'am, I am not aware of anthrax cases.
Senator Baldwin. Okay. Are you aware of potential anthrax
exposure incidents that the military has experienced in the
last year or the last 5 or 10 years?
Dr. Adirim. Ma'am, I would not have that information. I can
ask one of my Surgeon General colleagues if they might know the
answer to that.
Senator Baldwin. Does anyone have any information about
anthrax exposure or cases in the last decade?
General Dingle. Senator, This is Lieutenant General Dingle.
We do not have that information on us. However, we do have
a very detailed Environmental Health Surveillance Registry,
which that information is documented in. We would have to take
that for record to come back to you to provide you those
details.
[The information follows:]
statistics on anthrax infections/hospitalizations/deaths within the
tricare population
The military has not had any cases of anthrax this year and in
2020. There were a number of laboratory-based exposures in 2015 where
individuals were treated with antibiotics and vaccinations. While there
have been limited cases of potential anthrax exposure due to naturally
occurring disease or laboratory incidents, the DoD maintains the
requirement for anthrax vaccination in our personnel to counter the
threat of the use of anthrax as warfare agent, to include use in
bioterrorism. The advancement of biotechnology only increases this
risk, and this is a validated threat for both DoD and the larger U.S.
Government.

Senator Baldwin. Okay. Does the Department of Defense plan
to continue procuring anthrax vaccines moving forward, and if
so, how many?
Dr. Adirim. Senator, the anthrax is still considered a
threat to our forces. Other governmental agencies as well has
determined that anthrax is a threat. So to answer your
question, it is yes. We do plan to protect our forces from
those threats.
Senator Baldwin. Okay. I think you can get a sense of the
point that I am trying to make. There has been a lot of concern
over vaccine declination rates for COVID-19 vaccines. There has
also been a long history of concern over compulsory
vaccinations, including for anthrax, beginning in the--towards
the end of the 1990s. I would like to hear details on how the
DOD has increased voluntary participation in vaccines in the
past, and how does the Department approach making decisions
about whether vaccinations should be compulsory for our
servicemembers?
Dr. Adirim. Right. Thank you for that question.
And I can talk about COVID because we are doing a lot with
regard to helping our servicemembers make their decisions about
taking the vaccine.
As you know, under EUA (Emergency Use Authorization), the
vaccine is voluntary, and we are using every avenue possible to
provide information, social media, and town halls. We have MTF
physicians available to answer questions. We do Facebook live
sessions. We put information on websites in order to provide
accurate information about the vaccine, and as you alluded to,
we do not have a perfect acceptance rate.
We do not know what the declination rate is, really,
because we only just yesterday opened up vaccination to all
eligible beneficiaries. But we do track this, and we are very
interested in helping our servicemembers and other
beneficiaries make the decision to get vaccinated.
Senator Baldwin. Dr. Adirim, you stated in your testimony
that the greatest proximate challenge to our Nation's security
is the threat of COVID-19, and I asked about anthrax because I
am concerned that our spending priorities are not aligned with
both current and emerging threats.
We have known that a pandemic based on a novel virus, that
it would attack the respiratory system, could cripple our
country, and yet we did not purchase PPE (Personal Protective
Equipment), and we did not reassure manufacturing of critical
medical supplies or vaccines, yet 2020 saw one of the largest
purchases of anthrax vaccines, a threat that to my knowledge
has not been included in annual worldwide threat assessments or
highlighted in testimony to the Congress in many years.
And from 2015 through 2020, we spent about $1 billion on
anthrax vaccines, even though many experts, including Dr.
Fauci, have suggested that the best approach towards anthrax is
antimicrobial therapy.
I understand the continued need to monitor this thread, but
it does seem to me like we have prioritized the requirement for
this vaccine at the expense of preparing to protect our
servicemembers and families against things like global
pandemics. So I am looking forward to following up on my line
of questioning.
Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Baldwin.
I only have one request, and then we will close this
hearing out. And it is for Dr. Adirim. I would like to have you
get to me and the committee, the research that is being done in
respiratory ailments as it applies to burn pits, and I would
ask that you be specific on the respiratory ailments that you
are looking at. It is a big, big, big issue that has got some
legs, this Congress, as far as providing benefits to our
veterans.
[The information follows:]
health issues associated with burn pits
The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) have funded many research studies related to the possible
respiratory effects of airborne hazards in theater, including burn pit
exposure. Many studies have been published on the relationship between
exposure to airborne hazards and respiratory conditions, including:
respiratory symptoms (chronic cough, dyspnea (shortness of breath), and
wheezing); asthma; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, that
is, chronic bronchitis and emphysema); constrictive bronchiolitis; and
several other lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis. DoD is currently
funding human health studies on the relationship between burn pit
exposure and the following conditions: respiratory symptoms; asthma;
chronic bronchitis; constrictive bronchiolitis; and several other lung
and cardiovascular diseases. VA is currently performing a long-term
mortality study of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), which will evaluate the death rates
due to several types of lung diseases and several types of cancer. The
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a nationally recognized
organization that is independent of the Federal Government. The NAS
published a comprehensive 270 page report in September 2020, entitled
``Respiratory Health Effects of Airborne Hazards Exposures in the
Southwest Asia Theater of Military Operations.'' The NAS reviewed
hundreds of health studies related to airborne hazards in theater,
including studies funded by DoD, VA, and non-Federal sources. The NAS
report evaluated the scientific evidence on 27 respiratory health
outcomes, including all the diseases mentioned previously. The NAS
report concluded there was limited evidence that there is an
association (relationship) between exposure to airborne hazards in OIF/
OEF and respiratory symptoms of chronic persistent cough, shortness of
breath, and wheezing. DoD and VA are continuing to fund multiple human
health studies to develop more definitive evidence on the relationship
of exposure to airborne hazards in theater and long-term health
effects.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senator Tester. I want to thank Senator Shelby and Senator
Baldwin for their questions today. I want to thank you for your
testimony today. The witnesses know that Senators may submit
additional written questions, and we ask you to respond to them
within a reasonable 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 Dr. Terry Adirim
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
Question. This Subcommittee has long prioritized life-saving
medical research--it improves our military edge, protects our service
members and their families, and produces real, tangible benefits for
all Americans.
As the Defense Health Agency works toward a larger role in defense
medical research, how do you plan to ensure that the effort continues
to prove its value?
Answer. DHA recognizes the long history of Research, Development
and Acquisition (RDA) accomplishments made within DoD. DHA seeks to
continue that history with support to the vital DoD research enterprise
in advancing the delivery of capabilities to the warfighter and
beneficiaries through support to elements such as the Congressionally
Directed Medical Research Program that fosters synergy with academia,
industry and other Federal agencies and continued support to CONUS and
OCONUS DoD laboratories. As DHA takes on a larger role in the defense
biomedical research enterprise, metrics will be captured that will
demonstrate the value of a consolidated enterprise medical research
organization.
Question. Over the years, DoD has leveraged civilian partnerships
to stretch limited dollars wisely and maximize research efforts, direct
care, and military readiness. For example, DoD has successfully
partnered with academic institutions on trauma training, through
engagement on various programs as well as even assigning military
medical personnel to civilian trauma centers. And in fiscal year 2019,
Congress created a new pilot program to treat members of the Armed
Forces for psychological conditions--such as PTSD--stemming from
military sexual trauma, with the idea being that DoD should partner
with civilian institutions for this effort. As we know, sexual assault
can be a significant source of trauma stress for service members and
their families. And while service members can and do receive adequate
care within the Department, it is to DoD's advantage to have outside
treatment options available to accommodate service members, where
public stigma has too long been a barrier to care. However, I have been
disappointed that in implementation of this new pilot, for which
Congress has appropriated $9 million between fiscal year 2019 and
fiscal year 2021, DoD has yet to choose a civilian academic medical
center to participate.
Please elaborate on the benefits of civilian partnerships within
the defense health program and provide some examples.
Answer. The defense health program (DHP) engages in civilian
partnerships to address emerging needs that are not able to be met by
existing government capacities. Civilian partnerships are most valuable
when they provide expertise and/or programmatic capability that the
government cannot feasibly or efficiently deliver in the timeline
needed. Several examples are noteworthy. In 2010 the DHP funded and
established the Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC). The MSRC
leverages civilian scientific expertise as well as DoD capabilities to
study the causes and prevention of suicide. Suicide etiology and
prevention are complex scientific fields with substantial research gaps
that cannot entirely be met by existing internal defense health program
efforts. The military's Alcohol and Substance Abuse Disorder Research
Program (ASADRP) expedites the identification of therapeutic compounds
for the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders through the
multidisciplinary expertise of researchers from both the DoD and the
civilian sector, most notably the University of California San
Francisco and the Research Triangle Institute. The Study to Assess Risk
& Resilience in Service members Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS) benefits
from a broad DoD/civilian partnership to address behavioral health
issues in the military. The STARRS-LS collaboration taps the diverse
skills of investigators at numerous research institutions including
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the University of
California at San Diego, Harvard Medical School, and the University of
Michigan. In addressing treatment needs associated with military sexual
assault and sexual harassment, the VA/DoD Women's Health Working group
has also engaged with civilian partners with subject matter expertise
from the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado-Denver and
the University of Washington.
DoD outreach campaigns to support transitions and reduce stigma
also significantly benefit from collaborative partnerships with
academic, industry, and civilian organizations. For example, the
inTransition program and the Real Warriors Campaign make dedicated
efforts to engage and foster collaborative partnerships with the
Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Washington Nationals Baseball, Sesame
Workshop, Give an Hour, Army Wife Network, Operation Homefront, Emory
University Healthcare Veterans Program, General Electric, George Mason
University, the University of Texas, and the American Red Cross.
If the government has the capability and expertise to complete the
mission, external partnerships may not be warranted. Internally
conducted government projects ensure that incentives are aligned with
internal needs and priorities, with minimal financial or scientific
biases. Sometimes, however, contributions from civilian partners can
add knowledge, resources, scope, and efficiencies that DoD alone cannot
offer. Ultimately, the choice whether or not to work with external
partners is determined by the availability of expertise, the maturity
of the scientific and programmatic field, and the timeline for
delivery.
Question. How has DoD used the appropriated funds for the
implementation of the MST pilot, and how do you intend to use the
fiscal year 2021 funds?
Answer:
--Healthcare Cost Impact: Actual healthcare costs are not available
due to claims lag. Based on the current participation rate (43
participants as of 4/30/21), it is projected that DoD will
execute the full amount of $174,000. The pilot ends 8/31/21
with last admission to the pilot program on 7/31/21.
--Administrative Cost Impact: The total administrative cost as
reflected in the definitization modifications of the contracts
is $200,059. The contractor's proposal costs came in lower than
the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE), therefore,
lower costs were negotiated.
--Related tasks/adjustments: Based on the current participation rate,
it is not expected that there will be higher enrollment as
projected. Therefore, DoD cannot execute $297,000 for related
tasks or adjustments as indicated in previous spend plans.
Question. How does DoD plan to expand its civilian partnerships
when it comes to the MST pilot, and will there be an opportunity for
academic medical centers to participate?
Answer. Section 702 of the NDAA for fiscal year 2019, authorized a
pilot program to treat psychological sequelae associated with sexual
assault to be accomplished through partnerships with public, private,
and non-profit healthcare organizations and institutions. These
partnership institutions must provide healthcare to TRICARE eligible
members of the Armed Forces (including National Guard and Reserve). The
pilot program is focused on treatment of Service members suffering from
psychological health conditions associated with sexual assault
including PTSD, substance misuse and depression. The pilot is designed
to assess the feasibility and advisability of DoD-wide implementation
of a DoD/civilian partnership model utilizing the IOP treatment format.
All academic and private civilian intensive outpatient programs
were eligible to participate in the pilot if they met TRICARE standards
and were TRICARE certified (based on TRICARE Operations Manual chapter
6010.59-M, Chapter 18, Section 8). Despite an open call for partners
across civilian and academic medical centers, no academic medical
centers applied for TRICARE certification.
Civilian partner IOPs were selected in September 2020. To date,
five TRICARE-certified intensive outpatient programs have enrolled in
the pilot as well as two DoD intensive outpatient programs. All
civilian partner IOPs have been engaged and are in active data
collection.
Enrollment numbers are in line with expectations overall, but the
Humana sites have lower enrollment (Humana = 2, Healthnet = 41, DoD =
133). PHCoE has engaged in several efforts to increase enrollment in
civilian sites. PHCoE met with THP and Humana clinics to review
implementation procedures and problem solve, DHA Communications was
engaged to increase awareness of pilot among end users, and Humana has
plans to pivot to 100 percent telehealth in an effort to mitigate
travel concerns.
Civilian Partner IOP programs include:
--Oceans at Waco, TX
--Oceans at Biloxi, MS
--Help for Heroes at Denver Springs, CO
--Strong Hope at Salt Lake Behavioral Health
--Aurora Behavioral Health at San Diego
Due to data collection being underway at all DoD sites and civilian
partner sites, no additional sites are projected to be added to the
pilot prior to its completion in August 2021.
Question. I am pleased that the Defense Health Agency (DHA) chose
the Army's Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA) as its provider of
human resource support. I worked to ensure that CHRA, based at Rock
Island Arsenal, was the primary office responsible for supporting DHA's
human resource needs. I recognize that COVID placed a hold on hiring of
many positions within the Department of Defense and, to date, only
about 50 positions have been filled at Rock Island in support of the
DHA contract.
Can you detail for me when you expect the freeze on civilian
hiring to be lifted?
Answer. There has not been a freeze on civilian positions in the
DHA. The DHA leverages all available human resource authorities to fill
positions above the MTF level that include: Transfer of Functions,
Management Directed Reassignments and competitive hiring since CHRA
became the Human Resource Service Provider to the DHA.
Question. Further, can you detail how many additional positions you
expect CHRA to hire in order to support DHA requirements?
Answer. The DHA has in excess of 450 civilian positions being
actively recruited through CHRA. There are over 310 additional vacant
positions available to the DHA for recruitment.
Question. I understand the importance of the on-demand blood
program and it's potential benefit to readiness and addressing critical
supply challenges.
Can you elaborate on the anticipated funding for the program this
current fiscal year as well as into the FYDP?
Answer. The total funding for this program is $110 million over 5
years. To date the program has received $15 million (fiscal year 2019;
Year 1) and another $12 million (fiscal year 2021, Year 2; pending
award) this year for a total of $27 million.
Question. Can we expect future budget requests to seek making this
program a program of record within the Department of Defense? Why or
why not?
Answer. Currently the On-Demand Blood (ODB) program and its host,
the USU-4D Bio3 Center for Biotechnology, are not Programs of Record
and rely on annual budget funding prioritization. The ability to
manufacture clean blood products near the point-of-need, even austere
environments, could mitigate blood supply vulnerabilities not only for
our warfighters deployed overseas but also for our Nation as reported
in the 2020 HHS Report to Congress: Adequacy of the National Blood
Supply (attachment). This report highlighted multiple challenges with
sustaining the National Blood Supply that are particularly problematic
during national emergencies such as the current COVID-19 Pandemic. With
this program, we hope to mitigate the various National Blood Supply
vulnerabilities by creating an alternate source of clean blood to
traditional blood donation, not only for our Warfighters but also for
the Nation and Global Health Community.
Question. Has DoD done enough with interagency partners and the
scientific community to address concerns? What type of interagency
collaboration is occurring with this project?
Answer. The USU-4D Bio3 ODB program consists of collaborations with
the FDA, Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as three
industry partners. The program is also in partnership discussions with
other Federal agencies, to include National Institutes of Health (NIH),
Armed Service Blood Program (ASBP), Assistant Secretary for
Preparedness Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and
Development Authority (BARDA), Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the UK Ministry of
Defense and Innovate UK.
Question. Does the Department of Defense have plans to develop a
demonstration of on-demand blood in a real world training scenario like
any of the major training exercises in the Pacific?
Answer. Yes, in conjunction with USU-4D Bio3's Fabrication in
Austere Military Environments (FAME) Program, it is our goal to conduct
demonstrations of the On-Demand Blood program's capabilities to
fabricate blood in austere environments. Currently, we are also
exploring development of autonomous means to provide blood in theater.
The team is in discussions with leadership of the ASBP and individual
COCOMS to determine a transitional training scenario for fiscal year
2022/2023 as the bioreactor technology that fabricates the blood
products will be ready for in-field testing/deployment at that time.
Question. I am concerned that there has been significant decrease
in DHP core neurosensory research especially in vision-ocular trauma
intramural funding that decreased from fiscal year 2019 $5.8 million
under the JPC-8 Army Medical Material Research Command (MMRC) in the
core vision research funding to $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 and
fiscal year 2021 with no further funding fiscal year 2022 to fiscal
year 2025. This leaves military trauma ophthalmologists with no
internal trauma research funding, despite wounded warrior research
remaining a priority at DoD.
Please provide the amounts that DHP has funded for core trauma
research funding for sensory injuries, including vision and hearing,
TBI, orthopedic, and spinal cord injury research for fiscal year 2021.
What is projected for fiscal year 2022 for each?
Answer.

Planned RDT&E Funding for Trauma Research
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year
Research Area -------------------------------
2021 ($k) 2022 ($k)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vision.................................. $-- $--
Hearing................................. $10,538 $7,587
TBI..................................... $105,065 $47,272
Orthopedic.............................. $19,641 $19,511
Spinal Cord............................. $4,272 $2,377
Other (non-specified)................... $71,107 $59,686
Total............................... $210,623 $136,433
------------------------------------------------------------------------

______

Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
Question. As you know, the Department of Defense has a long
standing need for agents to prevent disease and death caused by plague
and botulinum toxin, with the Department of Homeland Security issuing a
Material Threat Determination in 2004 for both of these diseases.
However, funding for these two vaccines under the Joint Vaccine
Acquisition Program (JVAP) were zeroed-out as a result of the fiscal
year 2021 Defense-Wide Review despite significant previous financial
investment and completion of both Phase 1 & 2 clinical trials. Why are
these programs being cancelled without alternatives in place? Will the
Department propose other avenues to ensure servicemembers are not at
risk?
Answer. While OASD(HA) supports the Warfighter and all DoD
personnel for all health aspects, we would have to defer questions on
the development of countermeasures against manmade threats such a
plague and botulinum toxin to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs. OASD(HA)
is a stakeholder within the Chemical and Biological Enterprise, but we
do not have control over the resourcing and developmental decisions in
this space.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Jeanne Shaheen
Question. The Biden Administration has reported that National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is examining the
durability of the immune response and that the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and
Department of Defense (DoD) are assessing whether vaccine-induced
immunity, or natural immunity from prior infection, can be effective in
combating COVID 19 emerging variants. T cell testing has been
integrated into the United Kingdom COVID immune response assessment.
What are your views on the need to measure immune response?
Answer. The Department believes it critical to understand the
immune responses to COVID vaccination (and wild-type disease) to
establish a known correlate of protection. This will help improve
diagnostics and vaccines and help drive the future efforts to combat
this disease.
Question. What role do you see for T cell mediated response being
integrated into vaccine efficacy assessments at DoD?
Answer. The Department supports further study of the T cell
compartment, as various studies have shown differing results between
the B cell and T cell compartments, to include distinct kinetics.
Although T cell tests are not routinely used clinically, they do
provide extremely valuable insight to ultimately determine efficacy of
some vaccines. We are committed to continued collaboration/partnership
of DoD with national efforts. An Uniformed Services University/
Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program protocol proposal is just
one example of that commitment.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Susan M. Collins
Question. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the
nation saw a huge spike in demand for modular negative pressure room
containment systems that can offer civilian hospitals or Military
Treatment Facilities the capability to safely assess and treat patients
with suspected COVID-19 symptoms. It is clear these commercial-off-the-
shelf systems can help ensure the readiness of the defense health
system worldwide, especially in the case of future pandemics or
biological attacks. Section 732 of the recently enacted fiscal year
2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires a report of the
Department's pandemic preparedness. I was pleased that the Department
has committed to ensuring that these modular negative air pressure room
containment systems are included as part of that Pandemic Preparedness
Report directed by the NDAA. Provisions unanimously approved in the
Senate's fiscal year 2021 NDAA bill also required a specific review of
these systems.
Given the use of these systems in the civilian sector and in VA
hospitals, what does the DoD believe to be the potential benefits of
these systems?
Answer. Although there is limited published literature that
provides a comparative analysis of modular negative air pressure room
systems to traditional structures, such systems have demonstrated value
in specific situations and environments. Specifically, these systems
are believed to create a negative pressure environment designed to
contain airborne infectious pathogens with minimal assembly time and
disruption to permanent facility structures. One unique system with
demonstrated success is the USTRANSCOM/Air Mobility Command developed
Negatively Pressurized CONEX and CONEX Light (NPC, NPCL), which allows
the transport of critically ill patients with highly contagious
diseases aboard pressurized, military cargo aircraft. The CDC
highlights the fact that inadvertent exposure to airborne pathogens can
result in significant morbidity and/or mortality and the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) has emphasized that disease outbreaks (i.e., epidemics and
pandemics) are increasing in frequency and reach.
Question. How could these types of systems be used by DoD in the
future to help mitigate the spread of future pandemics or biological
agents in the future?
Answer. Understanding that some facilities and environments may not
be conducive to construction of permanent fixtures, modular negative
air pressure room systems have the potential to serve as an alternative
solution for pathogen containment. Integration of such systems is most
applicable in situations where facilities are at risk for operating
beyond surge capacity (e.g., uniquely positioned OCONUS facilities) and
therefore emergency preparedness should be directly aligned to each
facility's risk assessment. ASHRAE supports such statements and
emphasizes that, Mitigation of infectious aerosol dissemination should
be a consideration in the design of all facilities, and in those
identified as high-risk facilities the appropriate mitigation design
should be incorporated.
Given the unique mission of the DoD, integration of innovative
solutions such as the NPC/NPCL is critical for effective emergency
preparedness with broad-scale applicability, including protection of
personnel from pathogens during humanitarian relief operations.
Decision-making regarding any emergency preparedness strategy must
consider the evolving nature of biologic threats and therefore
integrate a multi-layered systems approach in collaboration with
bioenvironmental engineering.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Question. A multitude of studies indicate that those who have
served in the military are at a much greater risk of developing ALS
(ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive
neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the
spinal cord) and dying from the disease than those who have no history
of military service. I was pleased that $40 million in funding was
provided to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program
(CDMRP) for peer-reviewed ALS research for fiscal year 2021. Support
for this research has been a long-time priority of mine, and an issue
that is near and dear to my heart.
Do you believe enough research on ALS is being done through the
DoD's Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP)?
Answer. The annual appropriation for the Peer Reviewed Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Research Program (ALSRP) has grown from $10
million in fiscal year 2019 to $20 million in fiscal year 2020 to $40
million in fiscal year 2021, totaling $149.4M since the program was
established in 2007. With a focus of expediting the pipeline from bench
science to new clinical therapeutics, historically, the ALSRP has
offered awards in the areas of ``Therapeutic Development'' and
``Therapeutic Ideas,'' with maximum awards up to $1 million and $500k
in fiscal year 2020 respectively. This has resulted in 84 awards made
through fiscal year 2019 and currently 19 awards made against the
fiscal year 2020 appropriation.
The Therapeutic Development award mechanism supports post-discover
validation and development of candidate therapeutic agents through the
steps required prior to FDA approval as an Investigational New Drug
(IND). The Therapeutic Idea award mechanism supports high risk/high
reward hypothesis-driven therapeutic ideas in an early stage of
development. In fiscal year 2020, a third category, ``Clinical
Development'' was introduced with a maximum award of $300k. This
category of award is designed to support leveraging of patient-based
ALS resources to define subtypes, predict therapeutic responses,
improve the value of ongoing clinical trials, and/or optimize the
components of current ALS clinical care.
Question. Do you anticipate that an increase in funding will be
needed to continue research under the new realities that the pandemic
has imposed on us?
Answer. The cost of research is always increasing due to inflation.
The ALSRP adjusts the number of awards made in order to fund
scientifically and technically appropriate research that provides the
greatest impact in support of the programmatic vision established by
the Programmatic Panel as part of the five-step process for soliciting,
reviewing, and funding research. As an example and as described in the
question above, the increase to $20 million in fiscal year 2020 enabled
a new award mechanism to be established.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Jerry Moran
Question. Dr. Adirim states in her written testimony that Joint VA/
DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have been formulated for
provider use for all major clinical conditions in mental health.
However, there are not any current CPGs available that address serious
mental illness (SMI) and conditions such as bipolar disorder and
schizophrenia. In Public Law 116-171 Sec. 304, Congress directed DoD
and the Department of Veterans Affairs to work together to develop
current CPGs that address these SMI conditions.
Can the Department please provide an update on the establishment of
the work group directed by Congress in this Act in order to begin the
development of the SMI CPGs?
Answer. The VA and DoD are collaborating on two new VA/DoD CPGs
that address serious mental disorders, one for schizophrenia and the
other for bipolar disorder. Both VA and DoD teams have secured working
group members and are awaiting on final arrangement with the VA
contractor to start the work. A new CPG usually takes anywhere from 12-
18 months to complete.
Question. Dr. Adirim, I continue to have concerns in regards to the
high rate of suicide among our service members in the 1 year period
post-transition. In your written statement, you mention that the
Department and VA are currently working together to develop a
Separation Health Assessment which will feature a Mental Health
Assessment.
Can you provide any more detail on what this Mental Health
Assessment will include?
Answer. The Mental Health Assessment (MHA) of the Separation Health
Assessment (SHA) will have five components. These components are (1)
The PC-PTSD-5, a screening instrument for PTSD; (2) The Patient Health
Questionnaire (PHQ)-2, a screening instrument for depression; (3) The
AUDIT-C, a screening instrument for alcohol use; (4) The Columbia
Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Screener, a screening instrument
for suicide risk; and, (5), A 2 question screening instrument for
violence risk.
Question. Further, do you have an estimated timeline for when this
assessment will be rolled out to service members?
Answer. The Department anticipates that the SHA will be implemented
in late 2022.
Question. How will the DoD and VA share information to make certain
recently-separated individuals receive the care they require?
Answer. The DoD and VA will utilize the Electronic Health Record
(EHR) to share information to make certain recently-separated
individuals receive the care they require. Additionally the DoD's
inTransition program and the VA's Military and Veterans Crisis line
have integrated efforts to provide improved, comprehensive support for
service members. The inTransition program works closely with the MVCL
to connect callers with follow-up treatment after receiving crisis care
at a military or civilian emergency department.
Question. There is a somewhat long and complicated process for
active duty service members in allied healthcare occupation specialties
to receive approval and funding for professional credentialing
opportunities. This leaves service members unable to translate their
military training and experience into skills and qualifications
required by private sector healthcare employers. As the COVID-19
pandemic puts an increased burden on the healthcare workforce,
improving the credentialing process seems like an easy way for DoD to
assist in this space while helping thousands of service members
transition to civilian life.
Does the Department have a strategy to assist the service branches
to fund and strengthen the credentialing process, such as through DHA's
Education and Training Directorate?
Answer. This question primarily concerns enlisted service members
in the MHS, thus this answer focuses on the Medical Education and
Training Campus (METC) and the work it does to both enhance the skills
and education of our enlisted healthcare personnel while also assisting
them in obtaining credentials that translate to the civilian sector
upon separation or retirement. The METC offers 48 enlisted education
and training programs and is accredited by the Council on Occupational
Education (COE). METC's institutional accreditation qualifies
individual programs to obtain specialized or programmatic
accreditation. Both institutional and programmatic accreditation are
prerequisite to students earning a certification, or a professional
license.
The METC has 14 accredited programs and five non-accredited
programs that generate a student certification or license.
In addition to maintaining institutional and programmatic
accreditations, the METC is a branch campus of the College of Allied
Health Sciences (CAHS) under the Uniformed Services University of
Health Sciences (USU). The METC/CAHS branch campus is currently
comprised of 15 enlisted training programs, all of which have Associate
of Science in Health Sciences (ASHS) degree plans.
Students attending programs that are part of the METC/CAHS branch
campus receive a USU transcript with credit hours for successfully
completed course work. Credit hours can be applied toward the programs'
established degree plan, or transferred directly to the student's
choice of school. All 48 enlisted medical education and training
Programs have an avenue to receive college credit which can be
transferred directly to colleges or universities, or applied to a
bridge school program.
The METC also partners with colleges and universities to offer
Bridge Degree Programs. This program offers pathways to college degrees
and certifications by giving credit for military education and
articulating the credit into a career/college degree pathway.
Currently, METC has 89 Bridge Degree Partners and over 1400 degree
bridge pathways. This program saves both enlisted service members' and
veterans' time and money, and makes the possibility of earning a
college degree more attainable. Colleges and universities that wish to
become a bridge partner express interest and then navigate a
streamlined 8-step process that usually includes a campus tour,
curriculum crosswalk, a question and answer session via email or other
venues, a proposal of transfer credits, feedback from METC program
directors, and acceptance of the proposal and bridge pathway that
signifies an informal partnership. Degree bridge programs, plans, or
pathways illustrate the courses military members must complete to earn
a specific college degree after transfer credits have been authorized.
Maintenance and expansion of these partnerships and pathways are vital
to the well-being of veterans and their families and saves the DoD
millions in education related costs. This program is at no-cost to the
government and free to the service members receiving transferable
credit. The only cost occurs when the service member attends the
institution of choice to complete the remaining degree requirements as
spelled out on the degree pathway.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
Question. To immunize our service members as well as the general
population, we need to produce enough vaccines. This includes having
enough domestic manufacturing capacity to effectively produce the key
components of the vaccines. As you may be aware, Aldevron is a company
based out of Fargo, North Dakota, that manufactures advanced biological
materials such as those used in the COVID-19 vaccines. They have a
history of working with Federal partners, and are uniquely fitted to
meet our future vaccine materials needs. Aldevron has been in
communication with the Defense Production Title III Office at the
Department of Defense as well as with the Biomedical Advanced Research
and Development Authority (BARDA) to discuss their manufacturing
capabilities.
Will you work with my staff to ensure that American manufacturing
companies like Aldevron, which supply key starting materials for the
production of medical countermeasures and vaccines, can be part of the
solution as we continue to respond to COVID-19 and prepare for future
pandemics?
Answer. OASD(HA) is happy to work with your staff to look at ways
to improve the readiness of our Forces, including scale up and access
to pandemic vaccines. We also have a robust relationship with Health
and Human Services including BARDA, and are happy to explore
partnerships that enable the Department to increase the protection of
our force where it is most needed.
Question. I note from your testimony the work that you are doing
with the Veterans Administration to develop a single separation health
assessment for those leaving service. You mentioned that this would
include a mental health assessment, which is an important component. In
the past, we have taken steps to support our active duty force but left
out our service members in the reserve components.
Can you confirm whether this assessment would be available to
members of the reserve component who are separating from service?
Answer. Currently this assessment would be available to members of
the Reserve Component (RC) who are separating from Service if they meet
the eligibility requirements as specified in Section 1145(d) Physical
Examinations for Certain Members of a Reserve Component, of Title 10.
Question. Would you support providing a single separation health
assessment, including a mental health assessment, to all members of the
Selected Reserve, regardless of whether or not they have served 30 days
in support of a contingency operation?
Answer. We support evidence-based screenings and examinations based
on known and potential risks experienced during military service and
the individual's medical needs. The single separation health assessment
under development includes a physical examination. For many short non-
contingency operations a DD2697, ``Report of Medical Assessment'' or
post-deployment health assessment and mental health assessment would be
more appropriate and efficient for the Service member and DoD.
______

Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
Question. What are you doing on a regular basis to drive an anti-
tobacco message throughout your Service? Are we making progress?
Answer. The Army Surgeon General's role in promoting tobacco-free
living and directing tobacco-free campuses creates momentum to
transform Army culture. By providing a healthier, tobacco product- free
environment and readily accessible services to help users quit, the
Army will cultivate a resilient, effective, and battle-ready force.
Revisions to Army policy, such as AR600-63, AR40-5, AR 600-85, to
name a few, highlight and emphasize the responsibility of
installations, commanders and supervisors to create a culture that
encourages and reinforces tobacco-free living.
Tobacco use has decreased by nearly 7.0 percent since 2013. As of
2017 Army has a lower rates than the general population.
Question. What is the impact that we are seeing on service members
with the rise of tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes and vapes?
Answer. Tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes and vapes are a
threat to the readiness and the resilience of our Army. 7.2 percent of
Soldiers now self-report use of E-cigarettes or vape pens. Soldiers who
use e-cigarettes realize decreased performance during physical
evaluation tests compared to those who do not use. Soldiers that smoke
and vape do the poorest.
Some Soldiers view e-cigarettes and vapes as a safer alternative to
cigarettes. Army Public Health is actively engaged with the DoD tobacco
education campaign, and is continuing to educate Soldiers on the
negative effects of e-cigarettes and resources to quit.
Question. What are you doing about the impact of tobacco on
military children and family members? Are you reviewing whether these
products should be sold in military exchanges or commissaries?
Answer. My team is working with Army Installation Management
Command, in support of a great effort called Healthy Army Communities.
Healthy Army Communities is an effort to create an environment where
the healthy choice is the easy choice. The tobacco free-living part of
this initiative is to work with installation commanders to expand
tobacco free zones to where children live and play on installations,
which is aimed at raising our Army youth as non-tobacco users.
Cigarettes used to be cheaper to buy on post than off post. One
important effort with the reduction of tobacco use in our military was
the DoD Tobacco Pricing Policy. Now, tobacco products sold on post must
be the same price as off post. This is a big change for our Soldiers
and literature demonstrates that price increase discourages tobacco use
and increases quit rates.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Susan M. Collins
Question. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation saw
a huge spike in demand for modular negative pressure room containment
systems that can offer civilian hospitals or Military Treatment
Facilities the capability to safely assess and treat patients with
suspected COVID-19 symptoms.
It is clear these commercial-off-the-shelf systems can help ensure
the readiness of the defense health system worldwide, especially in the
case of future pandemics or biological attacks.
Section 732 of the recently enacted fiscal year 2021 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires a report of the Department's
pandemic preparedness. I was pleased that the Department has committed
to ensuring that these modular negative air pressure room containment
systems are included as part of that Pandemic Preparedness Report
directed by the NDAA. Provisions unanimously approved in the Senate's
fiscal year 2021 NDAA bill also required a specific review of these
systems.
Given the use of these systems in the civilian sector and in VA
hospitals, what does the Army believe to be the potential benefits of
these systems?
Answer. In accordance with NDAA 2017 and 2019, the Defense Health
Agency assumed authority, direction, and control of DoD's CONUS medical
treatment facilities (MTF) on 25 OCT 19 with the transfer of all MTFs
and Service direct support to be complete by 30 SEP 21.
The Defense Health Agency implemented 14 modular COVID-19 screening
facilities in CONUS and another eight OCONUS. The eight units in Europe
include negative pressure rooms and HEPA filtration. The units in the
U.S. do not include negative pressure rooms.
These modular facilities are used to screen patients before they
enter the medical treatment facility. Modular, negative pressure room
containment systems were not used for the treatment of Army COVID-19
positive patients.
Hospitals used existing patient isolation capabilities and modified
rooms and HVAC systems to create isolation within their existing
footprints. Portable, self-contained HEPA filtration systems were
employed in some cases to create negative pressure in treatment spaces.
For dental clinics, DHA created Expeditionary Dental Air Infectious
Isolation Rooms (EDAIIR) for two dental chairs per clinic using
commercial-off-the-shelf HEPA whisper flow fan units and zip wall
barrier sheathing.
Question. How could these types of systems be used by Army in the
future to help mitigate the spread of future pandemics or biological
agents in the future?
Answer. From Army perspective, Military Health System can implement
a range of methods to help mitigate the spread of infectious diseases
within MTFs.
Patient isolation, personal protective equipment, frequent
cleaning, and personal hygiene all play a part.
Modular systems are one method for temporarily creating anterooms,
treatment spaces, and support spaces. These systems can be used to
physically separate visitors from patients and staff, contagious
patients from non-contagious patients, and pre-admit patients from the
admitted patient population.
Future implementation would be in DHA's decision space.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Question. Over the past year, the world has grappled with COVID,
and mental health continues to be one of the least understood and most
overlooked effects of the pandemic. Stress, fear, isolation, financial
impacts and the loss of friends and family have contributed to the
increase in anxiety and depressive disorder symptoms.
Has the Department of Defense seen an increase in service member
suicides over the past year?
Answer. Army Medical Command vigorously supports Army G-1 efforts
to assess the root cause of the Army suicide cluster.
The Army is experiencing an increase of suicides coinciding with
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Preliminary analysis by Army Public Health Center indicates the
suicide cluster among Regular Army is correlated with COVID's timeline,
however causality is not currently known.
Army Medicine provides Army Senior Leaders methods to mitigate
clinical suicide risk through critical engagements with their troops
and ensures critical information is provided to Commanders to support
those with identified risk of suicide.
Question. Have you seen an increase in the utilization of mental
health and suicide prevention services that the Department offers?
Answer. Early in the pandemic, BH service engagement by Army
beneficiaries decreased.
Army Medicine's adaption to pandemic healthcare environment
beneficiaries re-engaged in virtual behavioral services with a peak
utilization of 70 percent of services being conducted virtual
environment in April of 2020.
Social distancing policies are carefully lifted, the mix of in-
person and virtual appointments are exceeding pre-pandemic levels and
roughly 10 percent more unique beneficiaries are engaging in behavioral
health services when compared to this time in 2019.
In March 2021, greater than 38K beneficiaries sought behavioral
health services, which represents 33 percent increase from the same
time in 2019.
Innovations in the virtual space developed from necessity are
affording Army Medicine increased flexibility to provide services to
patients in their home.
Army Medicine, in partnership with DHA, will continue to
aggressively pursue and capitalize upon advancements in virtual
behavioral health services as an enduring positive outcome of the
global pandemic.
______

Questions Submitted to Rear Admiral Bruce L. Gillingham
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
Question. I remain a very concerned about curbing the use of
tobacco in the military. We know that smoking makes it harder for
individuals to perform the tasks we ask of them, lengthens medical
recovery, and increases illness, increases healing times and accounts
for greater health costs. In fact, the DoD indicates that tobacco use
costs the department at least $1.6 billion annually. And it continues
to trouble me that--amid all of the rigorous physical challenges and
testing they perform--so many of our service-members pick up these
habits after enlisting. We also know that there are continued concerns
about military members using tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes
and vapes. In addition, I was supportive of Congressional efforts to
raise the Federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to
21. But I remain concerned that we are not adequately addressing the
youth vaping epidemic
What are you doing on a regular basis to drive an anti-tobacco
message throughout your Service? Are we making progress?
Answer. I share your concerns about tobacco use in the military.
Navy Medicine is strongly committed to ensuring Sailors and Marines are
healthy, resilient, and physically and mentally fit to perform their
demanding duties. Tobacco use impairs readiness, performance and
fitness. As the Navy Surgeon General, I continue to promote tobacco
free living. Given the stress brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,
we have released messages highlighting the negative effects of tobacco
use and encouraging those who use tobacco to quit. We want our
personnel to know that Navy Medicine can and will assist them in these
efforts.
Our medical campuses are tobacco free compounds which reinforces
our messages of healthy living and tobacco free living. During our
medical and dental care, healthcare teams address tobacco use and
provide evidence based treatment for nicotine dependence. Navy provides
awareness and training on the dangers and harmful effects of tobacco
and also provides education during the command orientation and
indoctrination process. During recruit training and other schools,
students are tobacco free. We use social media messages, developed by
the Navy, Department of Defense (DoD) and Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), to promote tobacco free living along with
extensive online resources to support our personnel and providers. We
have also worked closely with the other Services and the CDC's Office
of Smoking and Health to develop a 2020 media tobacco toolkit ``Tips
From Former Smokers Military Service Members & Veterans Media Outreach
Kit'' for use and to partner with local and state organizations to
promote tobacco free military communities.
We are making progress with reducing tobacco use in the Navy and
Marine Corps. The encouraging news is that our tobacco use rates have
declined over the past decade. Data from the Navy and Marine Corps
Public Health Center's Health Risk Assessment show a reduction with
smoking cigarettes and the use of smokeless tobacco in the Navy and
Marine Corps within the past 2 years. These current trends as positive.
We also anticipate that the Tobacco 21 law will contribute to a decline
in tobacco use rates. It should be notes, however, vaping in the Marine
Corps increased during this time period similar to the national trends
of e-cigarette use.
Question. What is the impact that we are seeing on soldiers with
the rise of tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes and vapes?
Answer. We are concerned about the use of e-cigarettes, vaping and
other new and alternative tobacco products in the Navy and Marine
Corps. Over the past few years, there has been increased use of e-
cigarette use and vaping in this country among youth and adults. We
know that they are addicting, harmful and not a proven smoking
cessation strategy. E-cigarettes also contain cancer causing chemicals
and cause lung and cardiovascular disease. At this time we don't know
the full extent of and all the negative long term effects of vaping
which is being studied and researched.
E-cigarette use is not safe. The use of these products have caused
fires, explosions and injuries to our sailors and marines. As a result,
Navy Fleet Forces Command and Pacific Fleet have suspended the use,
storage and charging of any electronic nicotine delivery system device
aboard all ships, submarines, aircraft, boats, crafts, vehicles and
heavy equipment to ensure the safety of our forces. The new Secretary
of the Navy instruction (SECNAVINST 5100.13F Navy and Marine Corps
Tobacco Policy--2 December 2020) also bans e-cigarette, vaping and
other alternative tobacco product use within military workspaces and
facilities. We believe this approach helps protect the health and
safety of our Naval Forces.
Question. What are you doing about the impact of tobacco on
military children and family members? Are you reviewing whether these
products should be sold in military exchanges or commissaries?
Answer. We want our military children, teenagers and families to be
healthy and tobacco free. We address tobacco use during wellness and
medical visits for children, adolescents and family members. Navy
Medicine and the Defense Health Agency use the U.S. Public Health
Service Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Clinical Practice
Guidelines to screen for and address tobacco use, encourage tobacco
free living and provide resources, support and counseling. We encourage
parents to quit using and not to use tobacco in their homes and around
their children and families. Our medical team offers no cost, evidence-
based tobacco cessation treatment for all beneficiaries. The Secretary
of the Navy instruction protects children and families by banning
tobacco use where children live, play and learn--at playgrounds and
athletic fields, pools and schools.
Navy Medicine bans tobacco use on all medical property. Tobacco
products are prohibited for sale in any exchanges and stores that are
within hospitals, clinics or any other medical facilities. Sale of
tobacco products at other exchanges are under the purview of the Navy
Exchange and Marine Corps Exchange.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Susan M. Collins
Question. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the
nation saw a huge spike in demand for modular negative pressure room
containment systems that can offer civilian hospitals or Military
Treatment Facilities the capability to safely assess and treat patients
with suspected COVID-19 symptoms. It is clear these commercial-off-the-
shelf systems can help ensure the readiness of the defense health
system worldwide, especially in the case of future pandemics or
biological attacks. Section 732 of the recently enacted fiscal year
2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires a report of the
Department's pandemic preparedness. I was pleased that the Department
has committed to ensuring that these modular negative air pressure room
containment systems are included as part of that Pandemic Preparedness
Report directed by the NDAA. Provisions unanimously approved in the
Senate's fiscal year 2021 NDAA bill also required a specific review of
these systems.
Given the use of these systems in the civilian sector and in VA
hospitals, what does the Navy believe to be the potential benefits of
these systems? How could these types of systems be used by Navy in the
future to help mitigate the spread of future pandemics or biological
agents in the future?
Answer. Senator Collins, thank you for your question. As reflected
in my written testimony, Navy Medicine continues to work
collaboratively with the DoD COVID-19 Task Force, the Joint Staff, the
Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense Health Agency, the other
Services, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
interagency partners, and many others on the pandemic response.
There has always been a need for negative pressure capabilities in
our medical treatment facilities to meet the needs of our patients and
staff. Negative pressure systems, whether built-in or modular, can
assist patients and protect healthcare staff from certain diseases and
agents.
Navy Medicine has addressed these requirements on a permanent and
temporary basis to meet the ongoing demands of the pandemic. In
addition, both of Navy's hospital ships, USNS COMFORT and USNS MERCY,
have negative pressure capabilities.
As directed by the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization
Act, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) has assumed authority, direction
and control of military medical treatment facilities. In this role, the
DHA has primary responsibility for medical systems and their clinical
application in these facilities. Given these responsibilities, the
integration and value of portable negative pressure capabilities is
most appropriately addressed by the DHA to ensure a coordinated and
comprehensive response within the Military Health System.
______

Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General Dorothy A. Hogg
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
Question. I remain very concerned about curbing the use of tobacco
in the military. We know that smoking makes it harder for individuals
to perform the tasks we ask of them, lengthens medical recovery, and
increases illness, increases healing times and accounts for greater
health costs. In fact, DoD indicates that tobacco use costs the
department at least $1.6 billion annually. And it continues to trouble
me that--amid all of the rigorous physical challenges and testing they
perform--so many of our service-members pick up these habits after
enlisting. We also know that there are continued concerns about
military members using tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes and
vapes. In addition, I was supportive of Congressional efforts to raise
the Federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21. But
I remain concerned that we are not adequately addressing the youth
vaping epidemic.
What are you doing on a regular basis to drive an anti-tobacco
message throughout your Service? Are we making progress?
Answer. The Department of the Air Force continues to discourage the
use of all tobacco products. The DAF military treatment facilities
support enrolled beneficiaries who require tobacco cessation support,
which included access to medications, in-person counseling, and quit
line counseling.
Yes, we are making progress. Since early 2020, Active Duty
cigarette and smokeless tobacco use continues to decline, and E-
cigarette use rates have remained steady.
Question. What is the impact that we are seeing on service members
with the rise of tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes and vapes?
Answer. We have not seen a significant negative impact in reported
cases of pulmonary distress due to use of tobacco alternatives.
Retrospective study analysis illustrate individuals using vaping oils
have the highest likelihood of experiencing pulmonary distress,
particular because vaping oils are not regulated. Active military
members who use tobacco and its alternatives are provided educational
information about the dangers and available resources if they wish to
quit.
Reference: Rice SJ, Hyland V, Behera M, Ramalingam SS, Bunn P,
Belani CP. Guidance on the Clinical Management of Electronic Cigarette
or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury. J Thorac Oncol. 2020 Nov;15(11):1727-
1737. PMID: 32866653.
Question. What are you doing about the impact of tobacco on
military children and family members? Are you reviewing whether these
products should be sold in military exchanges or commissaries?
Answer. The sales of tobacco products is prohibited in all Air
Force Services Activity (AFSVA) facilities (e.g., Clubs, Force Support
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities, golf course). Note: The
military exchange and commissary are not AFSVA facilities and therefore
cannot provide further comment about their anti-tobacco policies or
initiatives.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Question. I appreciate Lt Gen Hogg's recognition of the ever
growing importance of the Arctic. I would like to hear more about the
Below Zero Medicine Program.
What challenges does extreme cold place on medical service?
Answer. The major challenges include, but not limited to, a lack of
reliable extreme cold weather functioning medical and non-medical
equipment, no suitable expeditionary medical facility, and the need to
develop standard operating procedures/clinical practice guidelines.
Question. What has the outcome been from the Below Zero Medicine
summits?
Answer. First, we developed the Cold Region Expeditionary Medical
Operations concept. Second, we increased collaboration in extreme cold
weather medicine research and facilitated joint service exercise
participation. Finally, we are pursuing the development of recurring
medical educational materials and a training curriculum proposal for
military personnel.
Question. Will the fiscal year 2022 request contain any Arctic-
centric medical requests?
Answer. There are no budget requests planned for fiscal year 2022.
Question. In October of 2018, administration and management of the
Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) began to transfer from each
Military Department to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). This transition
also came with significant cuts to active duty medical personnel, the
fiscal year 2021 plan reduces the medical force by 9.6 percent (7,422
personnel). Additionally, the transition includes restructuring the
mission and scope of each MTF which must be completed by the end of
fiscal year 2021.
Given these significant changes and cuts to medical personnel, have
medical readiness rates increased for our total force?
Answer. No, the Military Health System changes have not
significantly affected the medical readiness rates over the last 2
years.
Question. If so, have the standards for tracking medical readiness
also changed?
Answer. The standards for tracking medical readiness have not
changed.
Question. It was mentioned that COVID-19 has affected medical
readiness within the military.
Specifically Dental Readiness, how far behind has the DoD fallen
with regard to providing dental care to service members and what is
your plan to eliminate this backlog?
Answer. AF/SG has worked closely with the military treatment
facilities to develop a leveling strategy to expand scope and capacity
of dental care and to target any backlog of pending dental readiness
examinations. Pre-pandemic dental readiness in February 2020 was 93.8
percent. Currently, dental readiness is 92.7 percent and continues to
increase as we move past the pandemic. Overall, meeting dental
readiness requirements has not slowed down the ability to support the
warfighting mission.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
Question. In your testimony, you mention the ongoing rollout of a
new initiative that embeds Operational Support Teams (OSTs) at Air
Force installations around the country. Minot Air Force Base was one of
four locations to participate in the Task Force True North beta test,
where the OST initiative began. In 2020, RAND Corporation evaluated the
beta test and its initiatives. Four of five initiatives, including
OSTs, were well received by leadership, providers, and airmen and the
data supports a broad expansion of those initiatives across the Air
Force. I want to express my support for new programs like Task Force
True North and its initiatives that can improve the resilience and
well-being of our airmen and their families.
What were the key takeaways from the Task Force True North beta
test?
Answer. The key takeaways are:
--Embedded medical programs are very popular with Airmen and
Guardians. In particular, they like the accessibility, and
ability to build a relationship with the assigned medic.
--Embedded medical programs increase help-seeking, not only for their
services but for the military treatment facilities as well
(i.e. Mental Health Clinic increased 25 percent)
--Training civilian embedded professionals takes significant time, to
ensure their cultural competence and ability to synchronize
with the military treatment facility.
Question. How do you see these types of initiatives being rolled
out across the entire Air Force?
Answer. Embedded initiatives should be rolled out based on risk and
need because of the practical limitations of how many providers/
specialists the Department of the Air Force can retain or recruit
(i.e., impossible to embed personnel in every unit).
Additionally, supporting these types of initiatives requires
balancing the access demands placed on our military treatment
facilities demands.

SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

Senator Tester. The Defense Subcommittee will reconvene on
Tuesday, April 27, at 10:00 a.m. for a closed hearing on the
Missile Defense Agency.
This committee stands in recess.
[Whereupon, at 10:13 a.m., Tuesday, April 20, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday,
April 27.]

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.]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

----------

TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2021

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 2:06 p.m., in room SD-192, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester, (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Tester, Durbin, Leahy, Feinstein, Murray,
Schatz, Baldwin, Shelby, Murkowski, Moran, Hoeven, and Boozman.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force

Office of the Secretary

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN P. ROTH, ACTING SECRETARY

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JON TESTER

Senator Tester. I want to call the meeting to order.
Ranking Member Shelby is on his way, so we will get started.
I just want to start by welcoming our witnesses, folks that
have been in service to this country for a long, long time.
Acting Secretary John Roth has over 40 years of service to this
Nation as a Department of Defense civilian. With a background
in budgeting and financial management, his background makes him
an ideal witness for this hearing today.
General Charles Brown is the Chief of Staff of the Air
Force. His record as a pilot and commander is exceptional, and
I might add, he also makes an outstanding travel companion.
General, I want to thank you for visiting Malmstrom Air Force
Base and the Montana Air National Guard a few weeks ago.
And I just have a question I want you to address in your
opening statement, and that is what does the ``Q'' in ``C.Q.
Brown'' stand for?
[Laughter.]
Senator Tester. Other than that, it is good.
And finally, General John W. Raymond, Chief of Space
Operations, welcome. General Raymond has over 30 years career
in the space positions and is our Nation's first leader of
Space Force. This is the subcommittee's first hearing with
General Raymond, and I look forward to hearing your assessment
of Space Force and where it stands today.
The Air Force and Space Force are meeting the challenges of
near peer competition with other nations with an aggressive
modernization program. With new, continued investments in
updated platforms like the F-15EX, new platforms like the B-21
bomber, and leaping ahead with new space capabilities, our
witnesses are clearly focused on preparing to deter and, if
necessary, fight the wars of tomorrow. But we are also in a
time of constrained budgets. To bridge the gap between the
resources available and developing new weapons, the Air Force
is proposing to retire legacy systems.
When military leaders tell me that they believe spending
money on something is no longer a good idea, I take that very
seriously. But I also know that new weapons rarely deliver on
time and on budget. This subcommittee needs to ask the question
of whether the Air Force is rolling the dice with a strategy of
retiring airplanes in favor of systems still on the drawing
board or if some of those bets may be better than others.
I just want to close by saying I want to thank the
witnesses ahead for the testimony they are about to give, and I
look forward to hearing from each one of them. And I think we
will start with the witness testimony.
Hang on here. Okay, Mr. Roth, you may start.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN P. ROTH

Secretary Roth. Thank you very much, Chairman. Thank you,
Chairman Tester. Thank you, Chairman Leahy.
Members of the committee, it is a pleasure to be here
today. I am also honored to have General Brown and General
Raymond join me in representing the nearly 700,000 airmen and
guardians that defend our Nation. We are thankful for your
consistent and persistent support over the years, which has
enabled us to build the world's greatest air and space forces.
As an integrated force, our airmen and guardians stand
ready, willing, and able to meet responsibilities to our Nation
and continue defending the high ground. From 300 feet to 300
miles off the ground, we protect the homeland, we project
power, and we defend democracy.
The long-term strategic competition with China and Russia
demands we focus on capabilities we need today to win tomorrow.
Our Nation's competitive strategic advantage relies on air and
space superiority, which is underpinned by rapid technological
advancement and the extension of space as a warfighting domain.
In line with Secretary Austin's priorities to defend the
Nation, take care of our people, and succeed through teamwork,
our fiscal year 2022 budget is the beginning of a journey to
the Air and Space Forces of 2030. It builds the capabilities
that allow the Department to modernize while continuing to meet
the national security objectives and defend the high ground.
Specifically, we are committed to investing in, one,
empowering airmen and guardians; two, capability-focused
modernization; three, connecting us to the Joint Force; and
four, expanding partnerships.
First, our airmen and guardians remain the heart of our
ability to deter and, if necessary, defeat our competitors. We
are transforming our talent management systems to ensure we
develop and train leaders with the competence, character, and
skills required to win high-end fights. And we remain devoted
to recruiting and retaining a diverse core of multi-capable,
innovative talent to outmaneuver our adversaries today and in
the future.
We owe it to our force to provide them with an environment
where all can thrive. That is why we are directing critical
resources to rid our ranks of any corrosive elements and
injustices that degrade our ability to provide a lethal, ready
force.
Second, to remain the world's greatest air and space force,
we must look to the future through a lens of capability-based
modernization. Evidenced by nuclear modernization and next-
generation air dominance platforms, our digital acquisition
approach revolutionizes how we design and field capabilities to
the warfighters.
Moving forward, we will expand on these digital revolutions
while also investing in next-generation space systems that are
resilient and defensive. Space is no longer a benign domain.
Our U.S. Space Force was purpose-built to deter and protect
free access to space.
Third, combatant commanders require an agile military that
operates seamlessly across all domains at both speed and scale.
That is why we continue to invest in capabilities like the
Advanced Battle Management System, our contribution to Joint
All-Domain Command and Control, which will connect every sensor
to every shooter across all domains.
Likewise, access to and freedom of action in space is
central to connecting us to the Joint Force. In its second
year, the U.S. Space Force is laser-focused on integration.
Investments in space capabilities increase the effectiveness of
operations across all domains. The result is a U.S. military
that is better connected, better informed, faster, and more
precise.
Finally, the U.S. Air and Space Forces do not fight alone.
We benefit from the expertise and capabilities of our sister
services and coalition forces, as well as the whole of
government, commercial industry, and academia. We will continue
to invest in enduring relationships while expanding new
partnerships to transfer how we fight future wars.
Members of the committee, thank you for inviting us to
testify. I look forward to your support and am confident that
with your help, the Air and Space Forces will be armed with the
capabilities necessary to protect our Nation and defend the
high ground. We welcome your questions, and I ask that this
opening statement be entered into the record.
Thank you.
Senator Tester. And it will be, and thank you, Secretary
Roth.
Senator Shelby, do you have anything you would like to say
before we move to General Brown?
Senator Shelby. I just have an opening statement I would
like to place in the record.
Senator Tester. Without objection, so done.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Richard C. Shelby
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Secretary Roth, General Brown, and General Raymond, welcome.
Thank you for being here today to present your budget for fiscal
year 2022, and to provide this committee with an update on the
challenges that you face.
Our nation expects that our military is ready and capable to deter
our adversaries and defend the homeland.
Not only do our adversaries pose new and increasing threats that
erode our traditional technological advantages, but the age of some of
our most important weapon systems require that we make investments
today.
We must continue to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent, while at
the same time developing hypersonic weapons and ensuring that our
aircraft can meet the challenges posed by China and Russia.
I am also interested to hear more from you about how this budget
request recognizes the contributions of the Space Force, and the
growing importance of operations in space.
The National Security Space Launch program has been a good
investment of taxpayer dollars, and I encourage the Department of
Defense and Intelligence Community to continue to use the Space Force
launch enterprise for National Security Space Launch-class missions.
Given that the overall funding request for the Department of
Defense does not keep pace with inflation, I am concerned that we are
sending the wrong message to both our allies and our adversaries.
I look forward to hearing how your fiscal year 2022 budget request
balances all of these important priorities, thank you.

Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
General Brown.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL CHARLES Q. BROWN, JR., CHIEF OF
STAFF, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
General Brown. Good afternoon, Chairman Tester, Chairman
Leahy, Ranking Member Shelby, and distinguished members of this
committee.
I am humbled to serve as our Nation's 22nd Air Force Chief
of Staff and represent the 689,000 total force airmen serving
today. Your support to our airmen and their families is greatly
appreciated.
It is an honor to appear before you today with Acting
Secretary Roth and my fellow service chief and friend of many
years, General Raymond. As a general officer, I have spent the
last decade plus in joint positions overseas and/or supporting
operations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and most
recently the Indo-Pacific. With this context, I have been able
to look at the Air Force from varying perspectives, and I have
personally seen a reemergence of great power competition and
how the character of war has changed.
The strategic environment has rapidly evolved, and we
haven't changed fast enough to keep pace. The People's Republic
of China has recognized modern warfare as a contest among
systems, not individual units or platforms. Accordingly,
Secretary Austin has prioritized China as our pacing threat.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to modernize its armed forces,
increasing the capability of its missiles, strike aircraft,
warships, artillery systems, and nuclear weapons. And
competition and future warfare will be conducted across all
domains simultaneously. It will be transregional and a global
undertaking with complex actions and actors intertwined.
To account for these changes, our Nation, our Air Force
must change faster than we have been. If we continue on the
path of incremental change, our advantage erodes, and losing
becomes a distinct possibility.
The Air Force recently updated our mission statement ``to
fly, fight, and win--airpower anytime, anywhere.'' To keep this
mission now and into future, we must transition our Air Force
and our operational concepts from today to tomorrow, and we
must do so faster.
That is why I wrote ``Accelerate Change or Lose'' to call
attention to the changes in the strategic environment because
the mix of capabilities that our Air Force has now that were
good enough for yesterday, that are good enough for today, will
fail tomorrow. Our future Air Force must be agile, resilient,
and connected, with the ability to generate near instantaneous
effects anytime, anywhere. Not just sometime and some places,
but anytime, anywhere.
Our Air Force is the only service that provides our joint
teammates and our allies and partners the assurance of air
superiority, the advantage of global strike, and the agility of
rapid global mobility through a range of capabilities most
requested by today's combatant commanders. Additionally, the
Air Force's ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and
Reconnaissance) and command and control capabilities provide
the ability to sense, make sense, and act.
But while our past and current capabilities have sufficed
for the last three decades, they will not effectively perform
in tomorrow's highly contested environment. To address the
challenges that will endanger our national security tomorrow,
the transition to the future Air Force design must start today.
Finally, we have a financial responsibility to our airmen
and their families. I remain focused on ensuring we are ready
and that we have the tools, infrastructure, and talent
management systems to provide the environment where all can
reach their full potential. The future Air Force design
advances our core missions and new approaches to warfighting
that holistically support every combatant commander and benefit
every service chief. Investing in your Air Force is an
investment in the Joint Force.
Ladies and gentlemen, the bottom line is simple. We must
modernize for the future and focus on capabilities that
maintain our advantage both today and tomorrow.
For decades, we have collaborated with Congress and our
industry partners to modernize for the future. Now to fulfill
our responsibility to ensure our national security, we must be
willing to change, to make the tough choices required to
deliberately transform our Air Force to the future force we
need to compete, deter, and win. We have done it before, and I
am confident together we can do it again.
Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today, and
before I close, I would like to answer Chairman Tester's
question. The ``Q'' stands for ``Quinton.''
I look forward to taking your additional questions
throughout the rest of the hearing.
Senator Tester. That is a good answer because I just won
five bucks off my staff.
[Laughter.]
Senator Tester. General--thank you, General Brown.
General Raymond.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL JOHN W. RAYMOND, CHIEF OF SPACE
OPERATIONS, UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE
General Raymond. Chairman Tester, Chairman Leahy, Ranking
Member Shelby, and distinguished members of this committee, it
is an honor to appear before you for the first time and to do
so alongside Secretary Roth, the Acting Secretary of the Air
Force, and General C.Q. Brown, Chief of Staff of the Air Force,
a longtime friend and a longtime teammate.
On behalf of the guardians that are stationed worldwide,
let me begin by thanking you for the continued leadership and
strong support that you have provided to the Space Force.
The United States is a space-faring Nation. We have long
understood that our Nation is strongest economically,
diplomatically, and militarily when we have access to and
freedom to maneuver in space. For the past three decades, we
have been able to take that access and that freedom to maneuver
for granted.
Unfortunately, as the National Defense Strategy and the
newer Interim National Security Strategy identified, this is no
longer the case. Both China, our pacing threat, and Russia
continue to develop two things. First, they are developing
space capabilities for their own use. So they have that same
advantage that we have. And secondly, they are building weapons
systems specifically designed to deny our space-enabled
advantages that America currently enjoys.
These threats that they are developing include robust
jamming of our GPS satellite constellation and communication
satellites; directed energy systems that can blind, disrupt, or
damage our satellites; anti-satellite weapons in space that are
purpose-built to destroy U.S. satellites; and cyber
capabilities that can deny our access to the domain.
Thankfully, with the strong support of Congress, the United
States seized on the opportunity to make needed changes to stay
ahead of the growing threat by establishing the United States
Space Force.
This leadership is resonating globally and is already
delivering results for our Nation. We have slashed bureaucracy
at every level in order to empower our guardians to move at
speed and to increase accountability necessary to successfully
operate in this domain.
We have put together a very forward-leaning human capital
strategy, allowing us to build a more highly trained, educated,
and developed warfighting force while taking care of guardians
and their families throughout their entire career. We wrote our
first doctrine to clearly articulate the independent value of
space power to joint and coalition forces, and this importance
is fully captured in the Department's new joint warfighting
construct that is being developed.
Our international partnerships are stronger, with many of
our partner nations following our lead and elevating space
inside of their militaries. We have created a new end-to-end
capability development process from force design and
requirements to acquisition and testing, enabled by a digital
thread to move at speed while driving unity of effort across
the Department of Defense. We have rejected stovepipes by
actively working with the Joint Force and other Government
agencies and industry to compete, deter, and win at an
affordable cost.
The Space Force cannot and will not tolerate business as
usual. Our demanding mission and lean force demand nothing less
than a new standard of efficiency. The budget reflects the
shift of many Department of Defense space activities into the
Space Force, yet we remain about 2.5 percent of the overall
Department of Defense budget.
We are committed to stretching every dollar to its limit to
buy as much capability as possible for our Nation. This fiscal
year, the 2022 budget balances the need to protect capabilities
we have on orbit now while shifting and modernizing to a more
defendable architecture in the future. It is an investment that
provides assured space capabilities to our sister services, our
Nation, and to our coalition warfighting partners.
These demanding tasks could not have been possible without
sustained support from Congress, including this committee, and
for that, I thank you. We cannot afford to lose space.
I am absolutely honored and humbled to serve as the first
Chief of Space Operations and to have the opportunity to serve
side by side with the incredible guardians that I am privileged
to lead. It is because of them that our Nation enjoys the
benefits of space today, and it is because of them, America's
sons and daughters, that we will compete, deter, and win in the
future.
I really look forward to your questions. Thanks for the
opportunity.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. John P. Roth, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
and General John W. Raymond

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

The Air and Space Forces unite under the Department of the Air
Force and are inextricably linked in defense of the crucial high
ground, integral to the stability of the global security landscape.
Under civilian leadership, the Department's nearly 700,000 Airmen and
Guardians provide independent and integrated options to national
leaders while defending democracy, an ideal that President Biden said,
``holds the key to freedom, prosperity, peace, and dignity.'' The
Department of the Air Force enhances the peaceful instruments of
diplomacy, sustains instruments of deterrence that check the spread of
conflict, and ensures credible consequences for aggression.
Today more than ever, we and our national security partners must be
bold. The challenges are many: the People's Republic of China, the
Russian Federation, contested domains old and new, the vulnerabilities
of proliferated technology and weapons, climate change, a global
pandemic and its aftermath, the accumulated results of past budget
priorities and decisions, and corrosive, difficult human issues like
extremism, sexual assault/harassment, suicide, and disparate treatment
of others. We must think and act differently. We no longer have the
luxury of time to evolve into what we need to be...we must harness this
unique moment together taking action to change. We simply cannot
maintain status quo.
Given China's exponential pace of weapons development and extensive
marshalling of government and industry, we do not have the leeway to
simply maintain our current approach. China is on track to exceed our
capacity, so it is our obligation to act with a sense of urgency. China
poses challenges unlike any other in our Nation's history. We must be
clear-eyed about these threats and our response to them.We recognize
the need for change AND must create the capacity for that change. We
must substantially improve our understanding of China and the Indo-
Pacific region and prioritize the threats accordingly. We cannot afford
to keep prioritizing near-term operational posture and today's force
structure at the expense of modernization and investment.
This Department is particularly suited for these challenges. We own
the high ground with air and space today, but it becomes more contested
every day. We cannot allow the erosion of our advantages in this
crucial high ground in competition now or in a future conflict. The
speed, reach, and responsiveness of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space
Force reinforce all instruments of national power and norms of
responsible behavior. We can see, sense, and strike targets near and
far, and provide global warning, networks, and independent options in
space. We provide global strike and effects that can hold any target at
risk within 24 hours--this is not conceptual or theoretical, it is
reality. Global strike requires a unique fusion of intelligence,
surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics, access, and speed that only
the Air and Space Forces provide at a moment's notice. Our ability to
rapidly eliminate threats anywhere in the world is a consequence of our
inherent global persistence and reach, not necessarily dependent upon
pre-positioning or forward basing. We have been exceptional at this,
and until now we have also been unmatched.
The Department of the Air Force requires a modernized force that is
relevant today and long into the future. We are hard at work designing
our future force. We must invest in the cutting-edge technologies and
capabilities that are critical to securing our military advantage in
the future--this includes updating our two legs of the Nation's nuclear
triad, and our nuclear command, control, and communications systems.
Enabling our military advantage in the long term means we need to shift
away from legacy platforms and weapons systems that are decreasing in
relevance today and will be irrelevant in the future--our aircraft
fleet is 30 years old on average, and 44% are beyond their designed
service life. Maintaining our aging weapon systems is costly now and,
without change, will mortgage our future. We must also create decision
superiority by delivering information and capabilities to decision
makers at all echelons through a ``military internet of things.'' A
critical step includes accelerating command and control infrastructure
by investing in the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)--a vital
contribution by the Department of the Air Force to Joint All--Domain
Command and Control. We must methodically and immediately move out on
tough decisions in order to compete.
Similarly, we must revise the Space Force's force design to be
resilient against a significantly increasing threat. We must continue
to innovate, adapt and diversify capabilities to meet the threats that
challenge America's access and maneuverability in space and that of our
allies and partners. As we advance space defense, we must
simultaneously work with stakeholders across the Department of Defense,
the whole-of-government, our allies and partners, and commercial
industry to integrate and streamline space power efforts. Only then
will America be able to fully leverage what we have built over the last
year.
The Air Force and Space Force have been on the leading edge of
technology since their inception. By embracing novel authorities such
as middle-tier of acquisition authorities, and innovative approaches
such as agile software development, modular open systems approach, and
digital engineering, we will stay on the cutting edge. We intend to
capitalize on future investments in modeling and synthetic simulation
environments to ensure both joint warfighters and operational platforms
are ready.
As outlined in the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, we
are ``committed to realizing and defending the democratic values at the
heart of the American way of life.'' Outpacing threats in tomorrow's
complex global security landscape requires innovative thinking and
modern investments. We recognize the need for change in order to
protect the American way of life. This budget lays out a plan to
modernize our military capabilities, and will allow U.S. diplomats to
negotiate from a position of strength.
empowered airmen & guardians
America's Airmen and Guardians conduct combat operations, channel
innovation, and conquer adversity around the globe all day, every day.
We know that Airmen and Guardians are our greatest and most precious
resource. While weapons systems and tactics inevitably change, our
Airmen and Guardians remain the core of our ability to deter and, if
necessary, defeat our competitors. We need multi-capable professionals
who bring diverse ideas, leverage digital tools, and outmaneuver and
out think our adversaries. Our Airmen and Guardians have committed to
service and taken oaths pledging their lives to the protection of our
Constitution. And while we are working to provide the best environment
possible as we recruit, train, retain, and leverage our strategic
advantage--our people.
As a Department, we are working to increase diversity and
inclusion, build and fortify resiliency, support our families, and
develop empowered Airmen and Guardians. We must ensure a culture of
dignity and respect. We must ensure our people have both high quality
of service and high quality of life. This starts with ensuring Air
Force and Space Force leaders represent the Nation and our Core Values.
Our Nation's defenders must be empowered, resilient, agile, innovative,
well-led and clear on how much they are valued.
Diversity
A diverse and inclusive force is a warfighting imperative. The
Department of the Air Force must attract, recruit, and retain talented
Americans from all backgrounds to leverage diverse ideas and
experiences. By harnessing Airmen's and Guardians' diverse experiences,
geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, cultural knowledge, and
language abilities, we possess an asymmetric advantage over our
competitors.
To sustain our lethality and credibility, our force must be truly
inclusive and reflect the best of the diverse society we serve. This
includes removing barriers to service--from reviewing our accession and
assessment tools and career development, to expanding outreach to
underrepresented minorities through diversity recruiting and increasing
scholarships at minority-serving institutions. It will also include
modernizing how we develop Airmen and Guardians, transforming our
personnel and talent management systems, and championing a culture of
support and inclusion for all Airmen, Guardians, and their families.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Sexual assault is a crime that undermines force lethality,
readiness, and mission success. The Department of the Air Force is
committed to eradicating sexual assault using effective, research-based
prevention. These efforts utilize assessment tools to identify those at
high risk for unethical behavior, equip all leaders with information
and goals to reduce assault risk factors, educate the force on
intervention skills, and promote positive unit culture to eradicate
sexual assault. When sexual assault does occur, the Department is
dedicated to supporting victims and prosecuting those who would harm
others through the chain of command and Uniform Code of Military
Justice.
Suicide and Personal Violence Prevention
The prevention of suicide and interpersonal violence remains a
difficult challenge. To reduce the incidence of suicide, the Department
of the Air Force is undertaking a leadership-driven public-health
approach informed by data and analysis while partnering with academia,
industry, and our sister Services to include diverse ideas and
perspectives.
The Department of the Air Force is also committed to eliminating
interpersonal violence in any form. Domestic violence, child
maltreatment, workplace violence, and sexual assault negatively impact
victims, families, units, mission effectiveness, and the Department as
a whole. We are dedicated to a strategy that leverages the latest
science, implements best practices, and incorporates feedback from our
members. Should these acts of violence occur despite our prevention
efforts, we are committed to providing victims the necessary care and
holding perpetrators accountable.
Quality of Life
We owe our Airmen and Guardians the best quality of life possible.
We must continue work to improve all the professional and personal
aspects of life for each of our Airmen and Guardians, and their
families.It includes professional development, housing, child care
programs, healthcare, education, and spousal employment, among many
others. We are integrating the availability of quality housing, health
care, occupational licensing reciprocity, and school caliber into our
strategic basing criteria--ensuring our families have the best support
possible. The Department is committed to continuing these worthy
efforts. Our Airmen and Guardians deserve nothing less.
a department of the air force for 2030
As the Department of Air Force prepares to celebrate 75 years of
service to our great Nation, the Air Force is transforming itself to
address the challenges of near-peer adversaries while the newest branch
of the U.S. Armed Forces--the Space Force--is creating and integrating
a Service purposely built to compete, deter, and win in the space
domain. Both Services, and the entire Department of the Air Force,are
dedicated to protecting the Homeland and democracy around the globe. We
must modernize and integrate to meet the challenges posed by great
power competition, climate change, cybersecurity, fiscal constraints,
and worldwide pandemics. With Congress's support, we will maintain our
dominance of the high ground, and we will ensure the American way of
life for generations to come.

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

vision for change--america's air force for 2030
America fights as a joint team, and the U.S. Air Force is the only
Service that can meet our Nation's adversaries with mass, speed,
agility and survivability on near-immediate timelines. The Air Force
sees, senses, and communicates globally. The Air Force monitors our
adversaries' movements, deploys forces enmasse, deters competitors, and
strikes enemies without warning. No one else can do it. Without the Air
Force, the joint force loses. Only with a modernized and ready Air
Force is the joint team--and our Nation--secure.
The American homeland is no longer a sanctuary. Our citizens face
threats from a variety of actors in both the physical and digital
arenas. Competitors, especially the China and Russia, continue
aggressive efforts to negate our long-standing warfighting advantages
while challenging America's interests and geopolitical position. While
the Nation was focused on countering violent extremist organizations,
great power competitors focused on the American way of war. They
studied, resourced, and introduced systems specifically designed to
defeat Air Force capabilities that have strengthened the joint force
for a generation. That is why the Air Force must accelerate change now,
so we can protect the American way of life in 2030 and for decades to
come. Simply put, if we do not change, we risk losing. We risk losing
in great power competition, we risk losing in a high-end fight, and we
risk losing quality Airmen and families.
The President clearly stated that diplomacy is our primary means of
engaging with the world: it must be our first tool of choice. The
President likewise recognizes that our decisions and actions must come
from a position of strength. The Air Force offers safe, secure, and
effective nuclear deterrence, which strengthens national policies. It
is also important to recognize that air dominance is not an American
birthright. The Air Force is pivotal to deterring these aggressors and
bolstering our allies and partners. America remains committed to
freedom of the commons to support maintaining the rules-based
international order around the globe. Control of the air and enabling
domains ensures that the joint force has full freedom of maneuver. The
diversity of our Airmen is both a tactical and strategic advantage. We
are committed to recruiting and retaining the best of America. While
the COVID-19 pandemic provided new challenges to our force, we remain
devoted to caring for Airmen. Suicide and sexual assault persist as
challenges that we are tackling head-on. Likewise family support
programs are vital to our resiliency as a Service. A diverse and
inclusive Air Force helps us out-innovate adversaries today and
overcome challenges tomorrow. And, we know that each Airman--active
duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian, no matter their background--took an
oath to defend the Nation for all Americans.
Airmen in the near future are more likely to fight in highly-
contested environments. These complex, all-domain conflicts will result
in combat attrition rates and risks to the Homeland that are more akin
to World War II than the uncontested environments to which we have
become accustomed. Given our ability to project power from afar,
independent of forward access or lengthy prepositioning timelines,
Airmen will be the first to respond to many emerging crises. In any
scenario, the Air Force plays a unique and integral role to our
collective deterrence and joint warfighting credibility. We must
accelerate change to meet the challenges our Nation faces. This
requires a relevant, modern force based on cutting-edge capabilities
that will survive in future conflicts and shifting away from legacy
platforms that are increasingly irrelevant.
The Air Force is expected to provide enduring airpower capabilities
irrespective of the threat encountered, the technology utilized, or the
budget provided. The core missions of airpower--air superiority; global
strike; rapid global mobility; command and control; and intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance--provide unequivocal advantage to the
joint force. Only the Air Force provides air superiority, global
strike, and rapid global mobility for the Nation. Without these
missions, the Homeland is unprotected and America cannot project power
around the globe. We are innovating and advancing our competencies with
innovative capabilities such as the Advanced Battle Management System,
which will increase commanders' decision advantage. Moreover, new
approaches to our core missions enhance the joint force and answer the
challenges posed by great power competitors.
The Air Force's future force design recognizes the need for change
and the range of threats to the Nation, our allies, and partners. In
2021, we identified three key capability development areas for
investment: connect the joint force, generate combat power, and conduct
logistics under attack. Moving forward we will prioritize the resources
that will allow us to continue to make investments in these areas, with
more to come. Additionally, the Air Force will prioritize within its
resources, affordable, analytically defensible, force structure and
system capability proposals. Through partnership with Congress, the Air
Force will prioritize resources to guard the foundations of national
freedom and independence for America and our allies.
air superiority
Combat power, regardless of Service, often depends on the Air
Force's ability to deliver air superiority. Our competitors have
fielded air forces, radar systems, and missiles that can attack our
territory, bases, forces, and allies and partners, or defend against
our military actions. Our job is to stop them through control of the
air. To do this, we build understanding of the air situation and then
use the right mix of capability and capacity to control the air while
creating windows of air superiority--no matter the threat. As we stay
ahead of our competitors, the Air Force needs flexible systems and
agile design processes to field new capabilities at speed.
Current platforms will not fully support tomorrow's demands. Airmen
are deliberately balancing today's readiness risk with capability
modernization. Remaining ahead of adversaries who are committed to
negating our technological edge requires investment in advanced
capabilities. Likewise, access to domestic airspace allows us to train
in realistic environments, which is essential to developing and
maintaining these advanced capabilities. Near-peer competitors are
challenging our capability to command the air. We must take action now
to ensure the joint force's success tomorrow.
Future Air Superiority Capability
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the cornerstone of our future
fighter force and air superiority. Achieving air superiority in a
future fight is strongly dependent on full-spectrum dominance. The F-35
and its 5th-generation capabilities are part of our fighter force
design that outpaces key competitors. The Air Force is fully committed
to the F-35 and needs it to be capable, available, and affordable. As
we continue to receive the F-35 into the Air Force and increase our
capability, it is important to manage our F-35 fleet in an intelligent
and deliberate way to ensure we remain ready to deter adversaries,
support our international allies and partners, and meet our Nation's
security commitments worldwide.
The Air Force cannot successfully fight tomorrow's conflicts with
yesterday's weapons. Our adversaries recognize that full-spectrum
dominance is a national strength. As a direct result, competitors are
investing to overtake our current warfighting advantage in the air.
Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) ensures we maintain air
superiority in the future by introducing game-changing technology that
includes digital engineering, open mission systems architecture, and
agile software. NGAD is not a single platform--it is a capability
focused on fielding capabilities to mitigate identified capability
gaps, not on creating a ``next-generation'' aircraft. The capabilities
NGAD provides will ensure survivability, lethality, and persistence
while seamlessly integrating with the Advanced Battle Management System
via a mix of manned, unmanned, and even optionally-manned aircraft
along with advanced stand-off weapons.
We will complement NGAD and currently fielded 5th-generation
fighters such as the F-22 and F-35 with the F-15EX. Acquiring this re-
designed aircraft allows us to shore up our fighter force while driving
down sustainment costs, our fleet's average age, and inherent risk. By
leveraging our partners' investments in the F-15 platform, the Air
Force is efficiently fielding a familiar aircraft with proven tactics.
It also boasts an open mission software system, which allows us to
easily update the computer and avionics software.
global strike
Global strike is critical to our national power and an enduring
airpower capability. Regardless of the aircraft, weapon, or system
employed, we must maintain the capability to attack at a time and place
of our choosing. As China and Russia develop new weapons and defenses,
we must modernize and develop capabilities to maintain a competitive
advantage. Both nuclear and conventional strike must be integrated to
compete against these near-peer adversaries. Air Force strike
operations are precise, and these effects are delivered through
standoff capabilities as well as penetrating platforms.
Nuclear deterrence allows the Nation to negotiate from a position
of power. A credible, capable, and safe nuclear deterrent provides the
United States and our allies with an umbrella of protection while
discouraging the use of nuclear weapons by all nations. Likewise, a
strong nuclear strike capability deters conflict.
For precise, conventional attack capabilities to succeed, they must
be capable of penetrating highly-contested environments. To maintain
our advantage, the Air Force requires capabilities that incorporate
domain awareness, full-spectrum survivability, extended range, and
sufficient payload. It is vital that our capabilities keep pace as
threats evolve. By leveraging human-machine learning, the right mix of
manned and unmanned systems, and agile design processes, our global
strike capabilities will provide responsiveness, precision,
flexibility, connectedness, and integration across the joint force.
The United States Air Force has the unique ability to sense, see,
and strike any target, anywhere, at any time, nearly instantaneously,
from anywhere in the world. On a daily basis, one aspect of these
capabilities is on full display as our bomber task forces execute
training scenarios with our allies and partners. It is no secret that
potential adversaries closely monitor global activity--these maneuvers
make adversaries think twice about conducting malign activities while
reassuring our allies and partners.
The Air Force's global strike capabilities have the range, speed,
and flexibility required in a conflict and are far less as dependent on
pre-positioning or forward-basing. A continued investment in
modernization efforts to our bomber and tanker fleets will ensure our
long-range capability for the future. Additionally, a renewed emphasis
into air base defense, along with Agile Combat Employment and Joint
All-Domain Command and Control concepts will ensure the United States
maintains the world's greatest military asymmetric advantage well into
the future.
Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD)
The Nation requires a fully modernized nuclear triad and supporting
infrastructure to maintain our nuclear deterrence capability.
Deterrence operates in peacetime, through the gray zone, worldwide,
across all domains, and into conflict. And, deterrence requires all
three legs for a responsive nuclear triad. By not maintaining a
reliable U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) force, we risk
deterrence erosion against not one, but two strategic nuclear
adversaries. This is too high of a risk to our Nation's security.
Our ICBMs have provided a highly reliable and secure deterrent
capability since 1959. Delaying their modernization for the last two
decades necessitates a comprehensive weapon replacement.
The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), the ICBM replacement,
capitalizes on the strengths of a land-based triad component that is
survivable, efficient, and geographically dispersed, while replacing
aging components and addressing asset attrition along with the ICBM
force's declining infrastructure.
B-21 Raider
Our bomber force constitutes the second critical leg of our
Nation's nuclear triad and the B-21 Raider aircraft will be the
backbone of our future bomber force. The B-21 will possess the range,
access, and payload to penetrate the most highly-contested threat
environments and hold any target around the globe at risk. This new
bomber will provide the capabilities to deter and, if needed, win in
high-end, near-peer conflicts. And with bombers as the most flexible
leg of the nuclear triad, the B-21 underscores our national security.
This aircraft will support combatant commanders across the range of
military operations as both a nuclear and conventional bomber.
Over the past three years, the B-21 program accelerated from design
to physical manufacturing of aircraft. While building test aircraft,
the program is scaling manufacturing infrastructure and capacity across
the industrial supply base. In parallel, B-21 beddown preparations
continue on-track to support the Nation's newest bomber aircraft
projected arrival in the mid-2020s.
Long-Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO)
The Air Launched Cruise Missile is nearly 30 years beyond its
intended design life and faces evolving threats and availability
challenges. Recapitalization of these missiles via the Long-Range
Standoff Weapon (LRSO) is vital to our nuclear deterrence capability.
As our competitors improve their air defense systems, our stand-off
delivery capability diminishes. In order to maximize our capabilities,
the Nation requires a modernized bomber fleet and the LRSO. This
weapon's ability to penetrate contested airspace and survive
adversaries' defenses holds targets at risk and is a cost-effective way
to modernize the nuclear triad. Additionally, bombers armed with LRSO
provide a recallable and re-targetable capability which can hold any
target at risk--it is both a visible and tailorable deterrent.
Hypersonics
The Air Force is also investing heavily in hypersonic weapons. This
cutting-edge technology increases the Nation's rapid strike
capabilities. By leveraging hypersonic weapons' improved
maneuverability, America will have additional response options to deter
adversaries and reassure allies. An operational hypersonic air-launched
weapon enables the United States to hold fixed, high-value, and time-
sensitive targets at risk in contested environments from stand-off
distances. To that end, the Air Force is developing the Air Launched
Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) using the middle tier of acquisition rapid
prototyping authority. ARRW is on track to be the Nation's first
operational hypersonic weapon. Hypersonics--and global strike as a
whole-enable diplomacy by strengthening the negotiating position of the
United States.
rapid global mobility
The Air Force capability that most directly, and physically,
supports both the Air Force and our joint teammates is rapid global
mobility. Airmen conduct Rapid Global Mobility operations to project
and sustain combat power by moving personnel, material, fuel, and
supplies across the globe, in and through permissive and contested
threat environments on short timelines. The combination of speed,
range, flexibility, and responsiveness is what differentiates air
mobility operations from other forms of transport and is critical to
multi-modal operations contributing to a higher pace for Joint All-
Domain Operations. As threats evolve and the United States can no
longer operate from well-established fixed bases, rapid global mobility
is the lynchpin to persistent logistics, and we are examining unique
ways to utilize mobility aircraft.
Air Refueling
Air refueling, one segment of rapid global mobility, is
foundational to worldwide power projection. The ability to extend the
range and persistence of air platforms provides a decisive advantage
and deterrent against adversaries. To maintain our air refueling edge,
the Air Force must continue investment in the KC-46 while moving beyond
legacy KC-10 and KC-135 aircraft. The inability to phase the divesture
of the legacy tanker fleet shackles funding and manpower resources and
hampers the fielding of the more capable KC-46 at the rate required to
support combatant commanders. This negatively impacts air refueling
capacity and tanker advancement. Offsets from legacy tanker divestment
in both funding and manpower are critical to the success of the KC-46
and air refueling as a whole.
Emerging Logistics
Every 4.2 minutes a mobility aircraft takes off from an airfield
somewhere in the world. This is a unique opportunity as mobility
aircraft are envisioned as critical nodes in the Advanced Battle
Management System framework. Mobility platforms of all types can act as
sensor nodes, inputting information into the sensing grid and
increasing a commander's decision advantage. At the same time, we are
exploring novel approaches to logistics through Agility Prime, which is
developing electric vertical takeoff-and- landing vehicles (eVTOL).
This innovative program will help us rapidly move small numbers of
personnel and equipment around a battlefield and quickly rise to
respond to emerging challenges such as isolated Service members. We are
also training Airmen and developing concepts and practices that allow
for dispersed, defendable, and mobile logistics networks. We are
establishing agreements with allies and partners that provide access,
and the ability to expand access, to key aerial ports, seaports,
storage nodes, and associated connections.
Command and Control (C2)
Inherent to out thinking adversaries is the ability to command and
control (C2) the joint force. Combatant commanders require an agile
military that operates seamlessly across domain boundaries at both
speed and scale. The Air Force's current C2 structure is based on a
Cold War-era design that is vulnerable and slow--a roadblock to the
goal of rapid and agile decision making. The enemy can easily target
our C2 structure's centralized nodes with both kinetic and non-kinetic
means. C2 must be resilient to attack, responsive to rapid changes,
integrated across all domains, and secure from exploitation. This core
mission allows the joint force to create an advantage by converging
units and capabilities at a time and place of our choosing.
Achieving decision advantage for combatant commanders requires both
sensors to gather data and a C2 network to translate and share data
across the joint force. Real-time dissemination of actionable
information, aided by artificial intelligence and machine learning,
allows joint warfighting across all domains at a pace faster than our
competitors. This speed matters to the decision maker and the
warfighter. And, with the proliferation of technology, future
warfighters will have the ability to observe, orient, decide and act
within minutes--as opposed to hours and days.
Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)
A critical step towards accelerating command and control
architecture is the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)--the
Department of the Air Force's contribution to Joint All-Domain Command
and Control. As a new approach towards information sharing and decision
management, ABMS enables compressed decision making and converging
effects without domain or geographic boundaries. As a family of
capabilities--versus a single system--ABMS creates a digital
environment capable of increasing awareness, creating greater
understanding, and enabling superior decision making--all of which is
critical to prevailing in future conflicts.
As a simple analogy, ABMS strengthens decisions by channeling
necessary information and capabilities through a ``military internet of
things.'' This internet, designed with digital standards, is being
purpose-built to deliver critical capabilities to the joint force
including secure processing, connectivity, data management,
applications, sensor integration, and effects integration. ABMS helps
overcome the Cold War-roadblock of vulnerable command and control
nodes. For instance, by transforming from a small number of air
operations centers to a ``military internet of things,'' ABMS allows
for agile, distributed, and mobile capabilities able to execute mission
command even when fractured by an enemy attack.
ABMS's infrastructure is critical to ensuring the joint force
connects sensors to shooters with machine- to-machine precision and
speed while increasing commanders' awareness. And just like the
development of the internet, ABMS is being built across multiple fiscal
years. FY20 and FY21 have focused on exploring how we can best connect
sensors and shooters while building partnerships with our industry
partners. Moving forward, the Air Force will prioritize resources to
allow the continued building of ABMS's digital network environment and
infrastructure. By prioritizing the resources to support ABMS
investment, the Air Force will be able to initiate replacement of
human-in-the-loop data transfer processes with machine- to-machine data
exchanges allowing for delivery of multi-domain secure processing and
data management, connectivity, and applications that synchronize
sensors and networks. In turn, the joint force is enabled to make
decisions faster than the adversary is able to respond.
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3)
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) systems act as
the central nervous system of our nuclear deterrent. They link the
President and national leaders to the nuclear force--all day, every
day, under all conditions, without fail. Without NC3, we cannot
effectively command and control nuclear forces. And without effective
command and control of nuclear forces, we cannot deter adversaries.
Previously, electromagnetic pulses posed the greatest challenge to
our NC3 networks. Now, electronic warfare, cyber-attack, and threats
from space all provide challenges to key nodes and systems. Russia,
while embracing a doctrine of nuclear escalation in conventional
conflict, is nearly complete with its recent full range of nuclear
modernization efforts. Equally concerning is China's pursuit of new
nuclear capabilities tailored to achieve its national security
objectives while also modernizing its conventional military.
As we modernize our portion of the nuclear triad, we must also
modernize our NC3. The Air Force is pursuing communication capability
enhancements with respect to our bomber force and Ground Based
Strategic Deterrent so they will be fully integrated into our current
NC3 systems and has flexibility to adapt as NC3 systems are modernized.
Moreover, we understand that the strategic environment evolves and is
increasingly dynamic. Our NC3 architectures and modernization plans
will be adaptable, look beyond the near-term, and integrate with the
Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). While ABMS will enable
conventional forces, it will also enable nuclear forces with rapid,
multi-path transmissions that will transform NC3 from a Cold War-era
relic into a C2 network operating at speeds our adversaries cannot
match.
Successfully executing command and control across the joint force
requires information. A major avenue for that information is the Air
Force's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (isr)
The Air Force conducts intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance (ISR) missions to analyze, inform, and provide joint
force commanders with the knowledge needed to achieve decision
advantage. This ISR sensing grid consists of a robust multi-layered
network of sensors, platforms, people, devices, and services with the
goal of delivering a holistic, accurate, predictive, and timely
characterization of the operating environment. This network is
interoperable with the joint force, the intelligence community, allies,
and partners. Domain awareness is underpinned by automation,
connectivity and analysis; is rooted in intelligence; and is critical
to the future of warfare. In that future, ISR underpins the Advanced
Battle Management System (ABMS) architecture and allows joint force
commanders to achieve an accurate, real-time understanding of the
environment. This understanding accelerates decision making,
effectively conducts command and control, and achieves decision
advantage ahead of competitors.
Future ISR capabilities must be survivable against high-end threats
while leveraging forward-looking investments in command and control
capabilities--including emerging technology like artificial
intelligence--to present decision-ready information faster than our
adversaries' capabilities. The Air Force's current ISR systems are
viable in a counter-insurgency war, but may not effectively contribute
in tomorrow's competitive environment. Without investment in additional
capabilities necessary for the high-endfight, we will be reliant on ISR
platforms that will be ineffective in highly-contested and denied
environments. As a result, we risk fighting blind.
Survivable, Relevant Platforms
ISR platforms play a critical and continuous role in supporting a
range of military operations. The most important role of intelligence
in military operations is to provide analysis of key aspects of the
operating environment to facilitate timely military decisions. Current
ISR platforms have been able to accomplish this task with relative ease
because they operated in uncontested and low-threat environments where
the United States enjoys superiority across all domains of warfare.
Such freedom of action will not be the case in the future. Future
threats will challenge the ability of legacy ISR platforms to
successfully execute their missions.
In the near future, ISR platforms will feed critical data through
the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which in turn will
present near real-time information to joint force decision makers.
Future airborne ISR platforms will need to survive and operate in a
more challenging environment. Ongoing modernization efforts will focus
on a family of platforms that are effective, resilient, and survivable
against technologically--advanced threats, and able to pass data to
necessary networks at machine speed. In our discussions going forward,
we will steer away from platform--centric conversations and focus
instead on the capabilities needed to inform joint force operations.
Our adversaries are already fielding technologies that will hold
our legacy platforms at risk to support the range of military
operations in a future high-end fight, and the technological evolution
will continue to accelerate. In order to keep pace ahead of emerging
threats, we must work with the combatant commands to assess the demand
signal on current fleets and where acceptable risk can be taken so the
Air Force can accelerate modernization. Legacy ISR platforms, once
considered irreplaceable to operations, are often unable to survive or
deliver needed capabilities on competition-relevant timelines. These
legacy platforms must be phased out, with resources used to invest in
modern and relevant systems. Working together, we must take calculated
risk now in order to reduce the greater future risk.
For instance, the RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk was crucial to the ISR
requirements of yesterday and today. However, this platform cannot
compete in a contested environment. And tomorrow's conflicts will be
contested. Moving beyond this platform allows us to bring the ISR
enterprise into the digital-age by using sensing grids and fielding
advanced technology that includes penetrating ISR platforms. The Air
Force will continue to pursue the FY21 NDAA RQ-4 Block 30 divestment
waiver in order to repurpose the RQ-4 Block 30 funds for penetrating
ISR capability. Overall,intelligence collection will transition to a
family of systems that includes non-traditional assets, sensors in all
domains, commercial platforms, and a hybrid force of 5th- and 6th-
generation capabilities.
A comprehensive investment strategy that the Air Force is bringing
forward synchronizes divestment of legacy platforms, takes calculated
risk in upgrading existing platforms, and introduces the next-
generation ISR family of systems that will feed into ABMS.
new approaches
The Air Force's core missions encompass both enduring capabilities
unique to our Service and some capabilities shared with the joint
force. Airmen are rapidly iterating and innovating improvements to all
core missions. These new approaches to airpower overcome today's
roadblocks and focus on tomorrow's great power challenges. Both
technology and operational concepts benefit from our Airmen's
perspectives. Every day, Airmen increase the agility, speed,
resilience, and lethality of our contributions to the joint force.
Force Generation Model
The Air Force is also re-examining how we present forces to
combatant commanders. The core missions of the Air Force continue to be
in constant demand around the world. And because many of the
capabilities we provide are exclusive to our Service, our forces have
been under strain for two decades. This strain negatively impacts
readiness and our ability to modernize.
Preparing for near-peer adversaries, the Air Force is implementing
a new force generation model focused on building and sustaining long-
term, high-end readiness. Our goal is to more effectively articulate
readiness impacts and capacity limits, and instill discipline into the
system. Our new, simplified model, realigns the Air Force with the
Joint Staff's three phase model, is easily understood by combatant
commanders, builds towards sustainable readiness, and balances current
operations with the training necessary for future full-spectrum combat
operations.
Agile Combat Employment (ACE)
The Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) not only connects
sensors and shooters but also enhances persistent logistics by sensing
the threat landscape and material environment. Persistent logistics,
with the inherent ability to posture, sense, and respond, is the
warfighting answer to the key operational problem of logistics under
attack and enables Agile Combat Employment (ACE). ACE is the ability to
quickly disperse & cluster forces to a cooperative security location
and conduct operations across all domains with minimal disruption,
while maintaining operational flexibility. This new method of operating
will allow the United States to confuse the enemy and strike at a time
and place of our choosing with minimal risk. The ability of ACE to
sustain combat operations through persistent logistics has already been
validated through multiple exercises across both the Pacific and
European theaters.
ACE requires technological advances like ABMS, novel equipment, and
innovative Airmen. Our Airmen are tackling ACE, and the larger
challenge of persistent logistics, by adapting techniques previously
associated with special operators. Our commanders support these efforts
by encouraging critical thinking skills and driving decision making to
the lowest levels--in many cases our youngest frontline supervisors.
These empowered Airmen are innovating new approaches to projecting
combat power across the globe.
Base and Critical Infrastructure Defense
The Department's infrastructure defense efforts are currently
focused on directed energy research, development, test and evaluation;
counter-small UAS; and investments in cruise missile defense. In the
coming years, we will steadily increase investment of critical
infrastructure defense measures to meet the challenges of the future
fight, ACE, and logistics under attack.
As China and Russia develop weapons that challenge our superiority
in the air, they are also making strides that hold our bases at risk.
While the Air Force will mitigate some risk through persistent
logistics, the security of our air bases is essential to conducting
combat operations. Like other aspects of combat operations, base
defense is inherently joint. And just as the joint force is dependent
on the Air Force to execute our core missions, the Air Force must
leverage our sister Services for base defense.
If future expeditionary and permanent air bases are not protected
from attack, the Air Force will be challenged to conduct combat
operations. Without the Air Force's air superiority, the joint force is
at risk of attack from the air for the first time since the Korean War.
The Air Force acknowledges that this is a joint problem that requires a
joint solution, which is why we have allocated experimental funding to
explore and develop directed energy and kinetic and non-kinetic base
defense options. Looking forward, the Air Force will prioritize
resources that will allow it to continue prototyping the ability to
detect, track, identify, and mitigate small unmanned aircraft system
threats. Proper base defense encompasses significant decisions with
far-reaching impacts--we must get this right.
Infrastructure
We project power, generate readiness, test new platforms, train to
support joint operations, and provide safe and healthy communities for
our families at our bases. As the joint force becomes increasingly
dependent on an integrated battle network, installations also serve as
key nodes in enabling mission success around the world. The readiness
and resiliency of installations is a matter of strategic importance to
ensure the Air Force can always provide combat capability. Changing
climate and severe weather events are a continual threat to our
installations, and we have seen first-hand the impacts climate and
severe weather have on our installations.
The Air Force views installation resilience as the capability of a
base to project combat power by protecting against, responding to, and
recovering from deliberate, accidental, or naturally occurring events
that impede operations. We are taking a deliberate, holistic approach
to installation resilience through Department of the Air Force's
Installation Energy Strategic Plan. This includes improving the
resiliency of our energy, cyber, infrastructure, and response options.
america's air force for 2030
This year we celebrate America's 245th birthday and next year the
Air Force celebrates its 75th anniversary. Throughout our history, the
Nation prospered because of our willingness to adapt and evolve, to
adjust course when the situation dictates. Democracy is not a
birthright, and neither is airdominance. And although airpower is our
great comparative advantage, tomorrow's competitive environment
requires that we accelerate change or lose.
Tomorrow's battlespace will be shaped by human talent, climate
change, constricting budgetary resources, and challenges posed by great
powers. The Air Force and its core missions stand ready to exploit the
air domain, provide nuclear deterrence, and underwrite the national
security America expects and requires. By working with Congress, we
will protect the Homeland and defend democratic ideals. Moving forward,
the Air Force will prioritize its resources so it is able to adapt our
equipment, support our Airmen, and bolster our core missions. We must
continue to adjust course and overcome situational challenges so
America maintains its airpower advantage.
America cannot wait to modernize the Air Force any longer, not one
year, one month, or one week. To deter and defeat today's competitors
and tomorrow's adversaries, we must re-capitalize our Air Force and we
must do it now... the call to accelerate change or lose is not
hyperbole--it is a requirement.

UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE

securing an enduring advantage
The United States is a space-faring nation. We have long understood
that our nation is strongest economically, militarily, and
diplomatically when we have access to, and freedom to operate in,
space. Unfortunately, potential adversaries have taken note of the
United States' reliance on space, and this vital national interest can
no longer be taken for granted; it must be secured. The rapid
advancements of potential adversaries to threaten U.S. freedom of
operation in space must be countered with immediate improvements to our
space defense architecture and capabilities.
Competitors like China and Russia are challenging America's
advantage in space by aggressively developing weapons to deny or
destroy U.S. space capabilities in conflict. Both China and Russia have
mobile ground-based laser and electronic warfare systems capable of
jamming and blinding our satellite systems. . China has invested in
satellite grappling technologies, like the Shijian-17 satellite's
robotic arm, which could be used in future conflicts. Russia has tested
an on-orbit system that has released a projectile designed to destroy
U.S. satellites in low-Earth orbit.
The United States would prefer that conflict not begin in or extend
to space. Our goal is to deter conflict in space from happening and
from spilling over into other domains, and the best way to do so is
from a position of strength. We are prepared to protect U.S. interests
today and we are moving fast to ensure we can deter in the future, but
our ability to deter conflict hinges on demonstrating both capability
and resolve. Over-classification of existing systems threatens this
ability, and we are developing a reveal and conceal strategy to ensure
we can compete, deter, and win in this contested domain.
The Space Force was established to protect U.S. investments and
freedom of operation in space, provide space capabilities to the
Nation, the joint force, sister Services, the intelligence community,
and our allies and partners. The Space Force is designed to be lean,
agile, and innovative in order to move at speed and compete in the vast
domain of space. Our small size also makes us the ideal pathfinder to
validate new structures and approaches that can provide benefit across
the joint force. While our budget is roughly two percent of the
Department of Defense's request, the capabilities we deliver underwrite
the force design of the entire joint force. Space capabilities have
become a cornerstone of deterrence, not just in space, but in every
domain. Without space, our forces abroad, security at home,and allies
everywhere are at much greater risk. If we lose in space, America
loses.
We spent the first year inventing the Space Force, with an
organizational design that reflects the character of our operating
environment and the nature of conflict that is likely to manifest. A
headquarters and Field Command structure aligns complementary functions
and streamlines command authority in the deliberate pursuit of speed
and agility. Our first field command, Space Operations Command, stood
up in October 2020 as the primary space forces provider to the
combatant commands.We will establish the remaining two field commands
before the end of 2021: Space Systems Command will develop, acquire,
and field operationally relevant and resilient space capabilities in
resilient and defendable architectures, and Space Training and
Readiness Command will develop tactics, a testing enterprise, doctrine,
advanced warfare training, and a dedicated cadre of warfighting
professionals. We have already transferred space missions, billets, and
monetary resources from 23 Air Force units to the Space Force, and we
are preparing to merge operations, acquisition, and sustainment for
some space systems currently distributed across the Army, Navy, and the
Office of the Secretary of Defense,including the Space Development
Agency beginning next year.
In our second year, we are aggressively integrating the Service
into the fabric of national and international security by collaborating
across the Department of Defense, interagency, commercial industry, and
our allies and partners. As the Space Force creates independent
military options for decision makers, we are preparing a force
presentation model to optimize integration and delivery of space
capability to the joint force. We are working to streamline acquisition
processes to increase decision speed and expedite capability
development, creating an integrated test enterprise, and doing the
analytical and developmental work to create the most effective and
efficient force design for the domain to bring unity of effort across
the department. Lastly, we have initiated planning for a National Space
Intelligence Center to provide scientific and technical intelligence as
well as foundational space intelligence to the Service and the
intelligence community. These initiatives make us more resilient and
competitive, and they will put us in a better position to sustain
continuing advantage.
developing and caring for guardians
The character of operations and aspects of potential conflict in
space are fundamentally different from the military art of terrestrial
domains. Vast distances and speeds, potential for first-mover
advantage, and unique operating environment demand experts that are
familiar with these physical characteristics.As in all other domains,
Guardians must stay ahead of adversaries to give joint commanders and
national civilian leadership new space-based security options. This
requires a dramatic change in how we attract, recruit, develop, train,
and retain talent.
We are committed to ensuring that the Guardians reflect the diverse
character of the United States--it is a national security imperative.
Diversity gives us the perspective and skills to meet the challenges of
our security environment and ensures we can bring our nation's best
talent to bear on the hardest problems. In order to meet these goals,
we must work hard to address tough issues like sexual assault,
extremism, and discrimination within the force; solving these problems
is essential to building a Service that ensures talented people of all
genders, orientations, races, ethnicities, and beliefs are included and
empowered to reach their full potential.
Guardian Strategy
To win the battle for talent, we have created a Human Capital
Office to develop a new strategy for unified talent management for all
Guardians, in pursuit of an inclusive and team-centric culture. Our
small size creates the opportunity and the mandate for a tailored
approach to caring for and developing our Guardians from accessions to
retirement and beyond.
This ``Guardian Strategy'' will lead digital enablement by creating
a digital cadre, an optimized data infrastructure, increased process
automation, and new digital platforms. Using interviews and other
assessment tools as well as focusing our Reserve Officer Training Corps
presence at select universities will support both diversity efforts and
needs for space related research and technical grounding. We look to
develop and employ talent by taking a competency-based development
approach, mandating more robust feedback systems, and creating
potential-based promotion assessments with sequenced talent management
boards. In our first year, professional development opportunities and
promotion rates have increased significantly; we must reinforce
systemic change to make this an enduring effect.
The Space Force is developing its own officer and enlisted
professional military education (PME) programs to fit within the
broader concepts of the Guardian Strategy to ensure that all members
are career-long learners, and that learning directly relates to the
success of their current and future duties. Space Force PME will focus
on the development of space-minded warfighters who are credible and
effective in multi-domain warfare and the joint environment. We have
already expanded space curricula at Airman Leadership School; stood up
a Space Force Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Academy; expanded the
Schriever Space Scholars Program at Air University; and created the
West Fellowship for Senior Developmental Education. Finally, we are
taking a proactive approach featuring teams at the unit level to
strengthen social, physical, and mental attributes to energize personal
and organizational resiliency. As the Space Force takes care of
Guardians and their families, it must prepare them to defend our
Nation.
Space Force talent must be deliberately managed by well-positioned
human resources mission partners in the field commands and headquarters
office to support both military and civilian Guardians.
Training and Doctrine
We have completely redesigned our space training and doctrine
across all space operations competencies, beginning with publication
last year of a foundational doctrine document. Our training has
elevated from basic operation of space systems to threat- and target-
based advanced space warfare training. Guardian training and doctrine
focuses on seven core competency areas, through advanced training and
education: orbital warfare, space electromagnetic warfare, space battle
management, space access and sustainment, military intelligence, cyber
operations, and engineering and acquisition. Our shift in training and
doctrine must be complementary to our capabilities and reflect the
reality of our current and future missions.
Additionally, Space Training and Readiness Command is bringing
together training and doctrine to support our tactics, strategies, and
theories of victory.
value of partnerships
An independent Service focused on space has already provided
greatly expanded opportunities for partnerships with civil and
commercial space organizations within the United States and with allies
and partners around the world. Working through the Department of
Defense, close cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the Department of State has ensured a unified U.S.
voice in discussions about responsible behavior in space with foreign
governments. Similarly, through the Department of Defense, we continue
to work hand in hand with the Department of Commerce on shared
interests including space traffic management, positioning, navigation,
and timing programs, applications, and efforts to maintain the space
industrial base. We are working to expand cooperation with commercial
partners using both traditional and innovative development pathways;
seeking means for tighter fusion to take advantage of the enthusiasm
and energy in the commercial space sector.
Internationally, our partnerships have historically been built
around one-way data sharing agreements with a small number of
countries. As the proliferation and importance of space capabilities
increases around the world, we are fostering greater cooperation with
international partners across the board. For example, a hosted payload
agreement with the government of Norway will save us more than $900
million and helped us get capability on orbit two years faster. We are
also working with NATO to further integrate space capabilities and
knowledge in that alliance, including the stand-up of the first NATO
Space Operations Center within NATO Air Command. Cooperation with
allies and partners, on both capability development and operations,
continues to provide opportunities to decrease cost and increase speed
and innovation.
creating a digital service
Founded in the Information Age, the Space Force was ``born
digital.'' We are harnessing modern era advancements and tools to
accelerate innovation and ensure our military advantages in, to, and
from space. Under the leadership of the newly established Technology
and Innovation Office, the Space Force focuses on partnering with U.S.
government, science and technology industries, and academia to build a
digital Service to support Space Force missions and business
operations.
Digital Headquarters
Leaders at every echelon of the force require access to data and
analytics in order to make informed decisions with speed and precision.
A new data analytic environment and automation tools will streamline
headquarter processes, enable seamless data sharing, increase decision
space, and accelerate warfighting outcomes. Digital transformation is
occurring in operational readiness, talent management (recruiting and
onboarding), programming and budgeting, and capability development.
Incapability development, digital models will enhance analyses of
alternatives, iterate requirements decomposition, improve cost
estimation fidelity, and ultimately accelerate the planning,
coordination, and development of optimum solutions to meet critical
warfighter needs.
Digital Operations
Commanders and unit-level Guardians are empowered to innovate
inside their mission operations, explore novel concepts for space
domain awareness, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, collaborate
with small business innovators, and align innovation efforts for
transition into operations. This effort includes partnerships with the
Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, industry, and academia to advance
use of artificial intelligence applications and research.
Digital Workforce
Continuous transformation requires digitally-fluent military and
civilian Guardians. Therefore, we are funding software-coding training
for military and civilian personnel and leveraging Department-wide
digital training efforts to improve digital literacy using industry-
leading commercial courseware. To achieve the goal of a digital
workforce we must cultivate our collective digital acumen, develop an
expert cadre of ``Supra Coders,'' and equip and empower them to apply
agile software practices, use artificial intelligence, and data
science. Finally, we must place them strategically across the force to
unleash their talent and energy toward inventive, innovative solutions
in operations and acquisition.
accelerating capability design, decision, & delivery
The Space Force must modernize its architecture to survive and
execute space power missions in a contested domain and do so at speed.
To this end, the Space Force is engaged in an end-to-end transformation
of organizations and processes to accelerate delivery of operationally-
relevant capabilities. Consistent with our effort to become a ``Digital
Service,'' we will exploit our digital engineering systems as a
backbone to connect multiple processes and accelerate capability
development activities from analysis to integration, decision, and
acquisition.
Integrated Analysis for Optimal Design
The Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC), currently aligned
under the Space Operations Command, is leading analysis, modeling,
wargaming, and experimentation to generate new operational concepts and
force design options for the Department of Defense. The SWAC integrates
domain expertise with unique analytic tools, datasets, and intelligence
to develop operational architecture options to fulfill space missions.
By driving unity of effort, we reduce cost, duplication of effort, and
increase our speed of decision and action.
Digital Engineering to Better Inform Requirements
Rather than static reports, the SWAC's design options are digital
models, which enable testing of proposed capabilities through
simulation in an environment that accurately reflects fast evolving
threats and the space domain. The Space Force Strategy and Resources
Office (SRO) integrates SWAC's design options with the appropriate
processes to develop Service capability and programmatic options for
presentation to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy's
Management Action Group. The SRO also ensures digital models generate
required data artifacts to inform oversight; Planning, Programming,
Budgeting, and Execution; and acquisition actions.
Streamlined Governance for Timely Decisions
In order to support the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for
Space Acquisition and Integration, who will eventually have Service
Acquisition Executive (SAE) authority and chair the Space Force
Acquisition Council (SAC), the Space Force has established a supporting
Program Integration Council (PIC). As a collaborative interagency
leadership council, the PIC facilitates cooperation and deconfliction
between National Security Space Enterprise stakeholders and ensures
planning, alignment, execution, delivery, and optimization of
capabilities across all space mission areas. Streamlined coordination
across the enterprise via the PIC and SAC improves collaboration and
better enables timely decisions by the SAE. The Assistance Secretary of
the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration is an essential
element of this approach and we look forward to implementing this
congressionally-directed change as quickly as permitted by law.
Consolidated Space Acquisition Enterprise for Agility
Finally, in the summer of 2021 the Space Force will stand up the
Space Systems Command (SSC) to provide for cooperation across space
acquisition within the Department of the Air Force. Initially comprised
of the former Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and the Service's
launch enterprise, SSC will also have a limited administrative support
relationship with the Space Rapid Capabilities Office(SpRCO) and--as of
the beginning of FY23, per statute--the Space Development Agency (SDA).
By aligning three organizations with a pedigree in traditional
acquisition, disruptive acquisition, and commercial acquisition, the
Department of the Air Force can access best-of-breed solutions. Because
SSC acquirers will receive digital models with traceable requirements,
Program Managers and Program Executive Officers will be equipped to
make faster, more agile decisions and trades. In addition, the space
acquisition enterprise will continue to improve both commercial and
allied integration.
missile warning and missile tracking
Strategic and theater missile warning and missile tracking
capabilities provide indications and warning to protect the homeland,
joint forces and allies abroad. The evolution of threats to on-orbit
systems force us to re-think both how we protect and defend our
strategic assets, and how future strategic capabilities should be
designed to mitigate threats. The Space Force is partnering with
combatant commands, the Missile Defense Agency, National Reconnaissance
Office, and the Space Development Agency to design and build a
resilient missile warning architecture for the collective defense of
our nation, joint force, and allies.
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR)
We are designing and developing the future architecture for missile
warning and missile tracking. Next-Generation Overhead Persistent
Infrared (OPIR) will succeed the current Space Based Infrared System
(SBIRS) and will provide increased missile warning, missile defense,
battlespace awareness, and technical intelligence capabilities with
resiliency and defensive features to counter emerging threats.
The ground system for Next-Gen OPIR, also known as Future
Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE), migrates satellite
command and control to the Space Force's Enterprise Ground Services,
modernizes Mission Data Processing to implement an open framework, and
upgrades Relay Ground Stations to meet United States Space Command's
operational requirements. We are using Middle Tier Acquisition
authorities to rapidly prototype solutions. This pathfinder approach
delivers the first resilient geosynchronous satellite and associated
ground system in FY25 and the first polar satellite in FY28.
positioning, navigation, and timing
The Global Positioning System (GPS) remains the ``gold standard''
for positioning, navigation, and timing for the United States and the
world. GPS underpins the global economy and our way of war. Adversaries
have long recognized our dependence on GPS and have proliferated
technologies to degrade, deny, and spoof GPS signals for civil and
military users. We are pursuing modernization efforts across the entire
GPS architecture to include upgrades in space, ground, and user
segments. The Space Force's future GPS architecture provides more
robust positioning, navigation, and timing to the joint force, ensuring
at least one technical generation advantage over any adversary.
GPS Space Segment
The Space Force is pursuing significant satellite enhancements to
our GPS constellation, including higher-power military signals, new
civilian signals, upgraded nuclear detection system payloads, and
hosted search-and-rescue payloads. GPS Block III features improved
signal strength and accuracy, increased anti-jam power, and a longer
expected design life. The next block of GPS, GPS Block IIIF--available
for launch in FY26--will deliver regional military-code protection, a
higher power signal in a given geographic area of operation to boost
anti-jam capabilities for contested environments.
GPS Operational Control Segment Next (OCX)
Operational Control Segment Next (OCX) will develop and field a
modernized ground system required for the command and control of GPS
satellites. The OCX program is on track to meet current Acquisition
Program Baseline cost and schedule milestones. OCX provides expandable,
robust information assurance architecture to significantly improve
cyber resiliency, enabling the latest military and civilian GPS
signals, improving cyber protection, and allowing the system to evolve
to combat emerging threats.We have completed product test, are
currently progressing through segment integration, and will transition
to operations in FY22.
Military Global Positioning System User Equipment (MGUE)
Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) will modernize user equipment to
enable precision fires, safe navigation, and time coordination across
multiple platforms in GPS-degraded environments. Military-code receiver
cards embedded in weapon systems enable cyber-secure, anti-jam, and
anti-spoof precision, navigation, and timing for the joint force and
our partners. MGUE Increment one (1) completed developmental testing of
the Army and Marine Corps lead platforms in FY20. MGUE efforts support
finalization of card design, testing, and integration with Navy and Air
Force lead platforms. MGUE Increment two (2) leverages the MGUE
Increment one (1) technology to the maximum extent while addressing the
production of M-Code integrated circuits far into the future.
command and control (c2)
Our top priority is to develop a Joint All-Domain Command and
Control System to ensure United States Space Command and their joint
and coalition warfighting partners have the capability they require to
command and control in a contested domain. We have made considerable
gains this year, fully integrated in, and helping lead, the Advanced
Battle Management System (ABMS) effort. In recognition that legacy
space command and control capabilities are insufficient for us to
prevail in future conflict, we have prioritized the delivery of space
command and control capabilities using a development, security, and
operations (DevSecOps) approach to acquisitions. Leveraging the agile
approaches of commercial software developers, we are rapidly developing
cyber-resilient capabilities that enhance U.S., allied, and partner
nation operational-level space warfighting capabilities against the
adversary.
The initiatives below build and sustain the infrastructure required
to connect sensors to shooters using machine-to-machine planning and
tasking of warfighting capabilities.
Unified Data Library (UDL)
The Space Force built and delivered the Unified Data Library (UDL),
a cloud-based, cyber-accredited, multi-classification data store that
facilitates universal data access and serves as the foundational
element of the ABMS data architecture in partnership with the Air
Force. UDL provides all-domain secure Space Domain Awareness (SDA) data
sharing from all Services and sensors to support space-focused Battle
Management and Command and Control; it is also extensible to fit the
needs of Joint All-Domain Command and Control. This effort adds long-
term access to a wide variety of space domain awareness data sources
including commercial, allies, and academia. The UDL creates unified,
agile procurement of commercial products to bolster Combined Space
Operations Center and National Space Defense Center operations.
Additionally, it protects satellite tracking data by seamlessly
integrating defensive cyber operations.
Space C2 Open Architecture Operational Prototype (SCOOP)
The Space Force has also delivered the Space C2 Open Architecture
Operational Prototype (SCOOP) program, a modern cloud architecture that
is connected to 40 sites nationwide. Leveraging the Department of the
Air Force's prior work on open architecture standards, SCOOP delivers a
command and control capability for our most pressing needs, with the
ability to connect into other domains, and serves as the foundation of
our next generation C2 capability.
Space Domain Awareness (SDA)
Space Domain Awareness (SDA) is the cornerstone of our ability to
command and control warfighting capabilities. The Space Force budget
invests in new terrestrial radars, optical sensors, and space-based
capabilities and commercial partnerships to increase the quantity and
quality of space observations. A robust SDA architecture improves our
indications and warnings, ensures freedom of action in space, and
enables joint and coalition options to defend critical space
capabilities. Additionally, investments in secure connectivity and data
sharing tools improve our collective understanding of our adversaries'
capabilities and intent.
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications
As part of Department of Defense's efforts to modernize the nuclear
triad, the Space Force will provide and modernize the space and mission
control segments for worldwide, secure, jam-resistant, and survivable
communications. We are pursuing digital development efforts for the
future disaggregated strategic and tactical satellite communications
systems to meet emerging threats in the 2030-timeframe. Evolved
Strategic SATCOM will continue the strategic mission of the Advanced
Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite program with improved on-
board resilience features, upgraded satellite capabilities, and
cybersecurity features. We are leveraging rapid prototyping
demonstrations to speed the delivery of the space segment to meet the
warfighter need date in 2032.
Space System Prototype Transition (SSPT)
Space System Prototype Transition (SSPT) is a portfolio of programs
that rapidly advance next-generation space capabilities to the
warfighter at the speed of relevance. The portfolio leverages the
commercial industrial base and demonstrates common defense through
partnerships to enhance resiliency. One example is the development and
integration of space domain awareness payloads on two Japanese Quasi-
Zenith Satellite System spacecraft. The hosted payloads will increase
sensor diversity and enable space surveillance and event detection over
USINDOPACOM in the geosynchronous orbit regime.
Transition to Enterprise Ground System (EGS)
Enterprise Ground System (EGS) will enable the transition from a
family of legacy stovepiped satellite C2 systems to an improved, open,
resilient, and common platform. The effort funds modernized system
interfaces, virtualization, and the translation of mission applications
to ensure rapid response to emerging threats and integration of new
capabilities. We continue to develop a Minimum Viable Product for
foundational services and infrastructure to provide an initial
Enterprise Capability. EGS will integrate multiple new mission partners
within the Space Warfighting Construct & Missile Warning mission
threads, scale multiple services for existing mission partners, and
integrate them at one or more of three EGS locations. Continued
investment provides foundational services and infrastructure to deliver
enterprise-wide command and control services to all Space Force
satellite programs. We are on track to deliver a fully integrated
system by 2028.
assured access to space
National Security Space Launch (NSSL) provides assured access to
space for the nation's most critical warfighting and intelligence
capabilities. To meet the full set of National Security Space
requirements, we must continue to competitively invest in domestic
launch providers' development of new launch systems. The Space Force,
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration have a coordinated strategy to certify new
entrants to launch payloads, and continue to work with different launch
providers to reliably meet our national requirements. The Space Force
recently completed a five-year strategy to bolster a commercially
competitive market and transition to domestic launch systems by
awarding the NSSL Phase Two procurement contract.
Leveraging this strategy, we are pursuing five National Security
Space Launches to deliver warfighting capabilities on time. Following
the outcomes of our Phase Two launch procurement strategy, we will
continue to engage with industry partners regarding emerging launch
requirements and technologies to invest in continued assured access to
space.
National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Enabling Investments
We are investing in multiple public-private partnerships to develop
enabling technologies for future space access, mobility, and logistics.
Targeted investments in orbital transfer, on-orbit servicing, digital
engineering, and novel on-orbit propulsion technologies will increase
U.S. access and freedom to operate in space. We will continue to invest
in providers of domestic launch services enabling our transition from
non-allied space launch engines to domestic rocket propulsion systems.
We will also continue technical maturation, risk reduction, and public-
private partnership investment to expand domestic and cost-effective
solutions for assured access to space. Additionally, the Space Force's
research and development standards must reflect both the mission areas
and the threat environment. The Space Force is building a more
defensible and resilient space defense architecture by disaggregating
on-orbit capabilities. We are building agile and threat responsive
systems to complicate targeting.
Additionally, we are building redundancy and resiliency
countermeasures into the spacecraft and payload designs of our systems.
way forward
Congress established the Space Force to ensure freedom of action
for the United States in, from, and to space. This Department of the
Air Force Posture Statement builds on FY21 efforts in strengthening our
ability to deliver flexible capabilities and strategic options at
operationally relevant speeds to outpace emerging and dynamic threats.
The Service's streamlined and integrated organizational design also
creates new military options with the joint force, inter-agencies,
industry, and our partners and allies. We are eager to work with
Congress to build a common understanding of both the strategy and the
investments needed to secure our Nation's vital interests.

Senator Tester. Thank you, General Raymond.
We will start with questions. Senator Leahy.
Senator Leahy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I might note as a personal matter, I enjoyed talking
with General Jones before we started about his time at Aviano
Air Base, which is about 2 or 3 miles from where both my
maternal grandparents were born, and Senator Shelby has been
there, been there with me.
Secretary Roth, I have followed the Air Force's investment
in electrical vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs,
I believe you call them. I even provided a recorded message for
the AFWERX's virtual Agility Prime event last year.
When I am home in Vermont, actually I land at the
Burlington airport. And I can walk from where I got off the
plane to Beta Technologies, and I see one of these eVTOLs built
by that company running test flights in our skies, and it is
pretty impressive.
The budget request includes $57 million for Agility Prime,
makes it the centerpiece of a new AFWERX initiative called
AFWERX Prime, as you know. And what have you learned from
Agility Prime that sets a model for this new approach to use
Federal dollars to complement private investment?
Secretary Roth. Well, exactly as you outlined, Senator
Leahy. I think the key for Agility Prime, and in particular the
entire AFWERX initiative and efforts and all, is for us to
leverage in a much greater way commercial capability. In fact,
one of the names for the head of AFWERX is our ``chief
commercialization officer.'' And so that is the key here is
this is our way of seeking out partnerships with nontraditional
defense or nondefense contractors and innovative kinds of
organizations as well.
Over the last couple of years, we have awarded over 1,500
contracts through the AFWERX initiative for about $700 million,
and 75 percent of those 1,500 contracts were new--new to the
Defense Department. That is exactly the kind of thing that we
want to leverage going forward.
Senator Leahy. And I know we put--the last couple of years,
we put $25 million----
Secretary Roth. Yes.
Senator Leahy [continuing]. From this committee for Agility
Prime, and so you feel that what was accomplished from that
leads to the doubling of the request for this year?
Secretary Roth. Yes. It is part of our science and
technology program. And Agility Prime, you know, it is a neat
effort, as you say. People nickname it ``the passenger car''
and all, and it may have some combat rescue kinds of efforts or
logistics support and all. But it is just an opportunity to do
things that we don't normally do, and it has worked to such an
extent we are now going to stand up a SpaceWERX as well, okay,
to try to do the same sort of things with the space
capabilities.
And again, it is our way of trying to plug in--we
understand the commercial market, and many of these
technologies is way ahead of us.
Senator Leahy. So I am not wasting my time going by and
seeing what they are doing?
Secretary Roth. No, I hope not. I actually hope not. We are
very excited by what is going on there, and it is all a matter
of, you know, we have taken a lot of beatings over the years of
stovepipe, overly bureaucratized sort of acquisition process.
This is a way of breaking that paradigm and looking at
innovative ways of doing things, smarter, quicker, and tapping
into new technologies.
Senator Leahy. Thank you.
And General Brown, the Vermont National Guard's newest
aircraft, the F-35A, has been operating at full capacity in
Vermont for a year, over a year now. They have met all their
training requirements. They participated in responding to the
pandemic under our governor's command.
My only concern I had about them is that the smart system
purchased by the Air Force to manage that fleet's sustainment
remains behind in its capabilities, and I worry about the
maintenance and sustainability of the F-35. I know you want to
take care of our people every way you can. So my final question
is, are you looking at if this is being done as well as it
could, the maintenance and all? Whoever wants to answer.
General Brown. Sure. I appreciate the question.
And one of the key areas for us, as we work the sustainment
and to bring the sustainment costs down for the F-35, is not
only what we do in terms of the Air Force, but it is a close
cooperation with the joint program office, with our industry
partners, as we have worked through bringing down sustainment
costs.
And the key piece for the Air Force, one of the areas is
how we work our flying hour program, which that drives the fuel
cost. It is also how we work our manpower and how we work
parts. And we are focused on how we work through all three of
those. And one of the areas that is unique or different from
what we have normally done is to do more of our work in the
synthetic environment or in simulators, particularly with a
very high-end capability in some of the sense of things we want
to do that can also help to drive down some of the sustainment
costs.
Senator Leahy. And I apologize for saying at one point
``General Jones,'' and of course, I meant General Brown.
And General Raymond, our talks that we have had before I
really appreciated, and I hope we can have some more of those
this year.
So thank you all very much, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Yes. Senator Shelby.
Senator Shelby. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Department of the Air Force posture statement notes,
and I quote, that ``competitors like China and Russia are
challenging America's advantage in space by aggressively
developing weapons to deny or destroy U.S. space
capabilities.''
General Raymond, could you discuss here in open hearing
what you can what the Space Force is doing to ensure that U.S.
military and commercial space assets are protected from these
threats, as much as you can?
General Raymond. Absolutely. Thanks for the question.
And that threat, as I mentioned in my opening statement, is
very robust today, and it is growing, and it is very
concerning.
Senator Shelby. That threat is real, though, isn't it?
General Raymond. It is real today. It is not something that
we are thinking about that is going to materialize. It is real
today and something that we have to address.
We are addressing it in multiple ways. One, we are
developing and training our folks to operate in a contested
domain. We are developing tactics, techniques, and procedures
to be able to operate through that congestion. We are designing
new architectures. So rather than having a satellite
constellation that has a handful of very exquisite, very
expensive, very slow satellites that are not very defendable,
and shifting to a more defendable architecture.
We are also developing international partnerships to the
level that we have never had before in the national security
space side, and what used to be one-way partnerships now are
really two-way partnerships that are delivering advantages. We
operate together. We train together. We exercise together. We
wargame together.
And for the first time, we are actually developing
capabilities together, and now we are getting capabilities onto
orbit faster at a reduced cost. And so there is not just one
thing that we are doing. There is everything that we are doing
as we establish this Space Force is focused on being able to
stay ahead of that threat.
Senator Shelby. We recently--this subcommittee under the
Chairman's leadership, we recently had a classified hearing
regarding a lot of the future issues that we could talk about
there. But the Air Force fiscal 2022 budget request includes
increased development funding for the nuclear enterprise,
hypersonic weapons, advanced fighters, and so forth.
What could you discuss here in open session whether there
is such a need to focus on other technology areas?
General Raymond. Inside the space domain, there absolutely
is, sir. And there are four things that we are doing.
First of all, we have to protect those capabilities that we
have on orbit today. And so if you look at the budget request
that we submitted, about 50 percent of that budget growth is
for missions transferring over from other services. The other
growth is on largely classified areas that we can go to in
greater detail.
But it is protecting what we have. It is developing a new
architecture to shift to a more defendable capability. Three,
it is developing an offense because we are an armed service.
And four, it is looking at what other missions should transfer
to space because we can do it there more cheaply or more
effectively.
And so it is balancing those four priorities, and I will be
happy to go into significant detail in a closed hearing on
capabilities.
Senator Shelby. In a closed hearing. Isn't this a race,
technological race that we cannot afford to lose?
General Raymond. Sir, I could not agree more. As I
mentioned in my opening comments, we spend--and every taxpayer
dollar is precious. We spend 2.5 percent of our budget on
space. Space is a huge force multiplier.
All the other services--the Army, the Navy, the Air Force,
Marines--and all of our joint war plans, all assume that we are
going to have access to space and that we have freedom to
maneuver. If you lose that, we have a strong risk of losing,
and we cannot afford to lose space.
Senator Shelby. General, could you--General Brown, I will
direct this to you, sir. Can you comment on China's efforts,
just what you can in open session, to increase capabilities,
including their investments in advanced aircraft and hypersonic
weapons? You know, that is a given. We understand that, and
they are pretty far advanced. They have the technological base,
do they not?
General Brown. Thank you, Senator.
One of the things I would highlight is not only in my time
here as the Chief of Staff, but the past year as the PACAF
(Pacific Air Forces) commander was to watch how the People's
Republic of China and their armed forces were increasing their
capability in their testing of hypersonic weapons, their
increased operational aspect of their aircraft, the increased
range of their missiles. And we have got to continue----
Senator Shelby. That is offense and defense, isn't it?
Both.
General Brown. Both offense and defense, yes, Senator. And
so it is concerning to me that we have an advantage today, but
I think we have still got to continue to move forward so we do
not lose that advantage as an Air Force.
Senator Shelby. Mr. Secretary, I leave one for you. The
quest and the challenges that we all face in quantum computing,
but that is something that could change just about everything,
is it not?
Secretary Roth. Well, it certainly can. And with that,
things like artificial intelligence. So, I mean, there is a
series of technological priorities that we have. One is
microelectronics. We need to invest in microelectronics.
Hypersonics, the general mentioned hypersonics. We need to
invest in hypersonics.
And artificial----
Senator Shelby. Are they interrelated somewhere at times?
Secretary Roth. They are all interconnected in some manner,
shape, or form. Absolutely, Senator. You are spot on.
Senator Shelby. But it is the next generation, isn't it?
Secretary Roth. Well, that is the point. We are looking to
the future. We are looking to 2025, 2030, and beyond. And our
sense is we need, given the major power competition that we are
facing here in the future, that we need to target our
investments toward the future.
Senator Shelby. In the area of cybersecurity, we have
recently witnessed in this country a little of it, but a lot of
it in the East Coast that shut down the pipeline, Colonial
pipeline temporarily. We have the capability to do a lot of
things, too. But a lot of these countries don't really own up
to what they are doing or they let other people do under their
umbrella, so to speak.
How do we get our hands on defending cybersecurity there,
and is it more of a challenge than people think?
Secretary Roth. I will start, and the two generals can come
bail me out at some point here.
Senator Shelby. Okay. It goes through Defense and
everything, but also the private sector.
Secretary Roth. Yes. No, we need to partner with the
private sector. We--of course, we help work with CYBERCOM in
terms of their capabilities. Some of our airmen and guardians
are on their team, on their cybersecurity teams and these kinds
of things. So we work very closely with them.
We are also very concerned about protecting our networks,
and I will say, for example, that a lot of what we are going to
do in the future is this Joint All-Domain Command and Control.
Our piece of this is the Advanced Battle Management System.
Data security, cybersecurity, in order to get that data from
point A to point B, becomes absolutely fundamental for us to
operate in the future.
Senator Shelby. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Yes, thanks, Senator Shelby.
I am going to get a little more parochial. So this is for
you, General Brown. I would like to get an update from you on
the MH-139 helicopter. This helicopter is vital to our ICBM
(intercontinental ballistic missile) bases, but there are no
funds in this budget to buy more in 2022.
So a couple questions. Number one, if there are any
problems with the MH-139, what are they? When will they be
fixed? And in Montana, for example, these helicopters were
supposed to be here in the fall of 2021. They are projected to
be there in the fall of 2023, but this budget looks to me like
they are not even going to be there in the fall of 2023.
Could you just let me know what is going on?
General Brown. Sure, Senator. One of the challenges we have
run into, this is the MH-139 is built on a commercial platform
where they added military equipment to it. And then in the
process of testing, we ran into a couple of issues on the
military application that was added to the commercial
helicopter.
We are resolving that piece. At the same time, we are
continuing testing with the rest of the MH-139, and the intent
here really to get to about the second quarter of fiscal year
2023 is when we expect to have the delivery of the MH-139,
which is part of the reason why we did not go and procure
during this particular budget cycle as we complete the testing.
Senator Tester. So give me that again. Can Malmstrom expect
those helicopters in the fall of 2023?
General Brown. Second quarter 2023 is when we expect to--
fiscal year 2023, so it would be the fall or even a little bit
before that.
Senator Tester. Okay. And what impact not having any money
for those helicopters in this budget mean?
General Brown. It doesn't--we are continuing the testing.
It is just we are not going to procure any during this
particular budget cycle.
Senator Tester. Okay, okay. But these are already procured,
right?
Secretary Roth. Senator that delay actually is just a
matter of months. The contract award in fiscal year 2022 was
scheduled for the fourth quarter.
Senator Tester. Okay.
Secretary Roth. And because of the slippage in the FAA
(Federal Aviation Administration) certification, it is now
slipping into fiscal year 2022--or 2023, excuse me. So the 2022
money was actually unexecutable. So we simply made a bit of a
budget shift, and the delay there is months, not years.
Senator Tester. Gotcha. Thank you.
So, General Brown, I want to talk about 130s for a second.
I talked in my opening statement about the fact that legacy, if
you walk up to me and say we don't need this equipment anymore,
I value that perspective. And quite frankly, I am going to do
my best to make sure that we meet the needs of the Air Force,
and if these aren't needed anymore, we should do away with
them.
I do have a question about the C-130s, though. And that is
there are many, many Guard units throughout the United States
that have them. They seem to be a pretty good aircraft. They
have certainly stood the test of time, and they still have a
pretty, I think, important cargo aspect to them from an airlift
capacity.
This budget divests of eight of those C-130Hs. So the
question is, number one--and I hate to ask this question, but I
have got to ask this question. When you are looking at needs,
are you looking at domestic needs, too? I would assume the
answer to that is yes?
General Brown. We are. We look at both the needs for our
national security both overseas, but also here inside of the
United States for home and defense, both of our----
Senator Tester. Okay. So what information do you have that
shows that the National Guard has excess tactical airlift
capacity?
General Brown. It is part of the analysis we do with
TRANSCOM (United States Transportation Command) as we look at
this overall C-130 fleet. And as we look in that end, C-130Js,
the C-130Js are a bit more capable as far as range and as well
as capacity----
Senator Tester. Yes.
General Brown [continuing]. Than our C-130H models. And we
are upgrading from our H1 to our H2 and H3, which provides some
additional capacity from the older C-130s.
Senator Tester. So can you tell me--I hope you can,
actually--how many National Guard squadrons are going to lose
flying missions in this budget?
General Brown. In this budget, that is kind of a
complicated question. As we look at not only C-130s, but with
all the things that we are trying to get done across the Air
Force, in some cases, it is a one-for-one, where we are going
from H models to J models for the C-130.
Senator Tester. Yes.
General Brown. The same thing on our tankers, KC-46s to
replace 135s and KC-10s. In some cases, we are going to look to
move to future missions. And I will have to come back with more
details on the specifics, if you have a specific location you
are interested in.
Senator Tester. So the last one, and then I am going to
move on to Senator Moran. But is it fair to say that there will
be some Guard unit squadrons gone after this budget is
implemented?
General Brown. I wouldn't--Senator, I wouldn't say gone.
What I would say is what we are doing with each one of our
Guard units is not to leave any one of them uncovered.
Senator Tester. Okay.
General Brown. And making sure that we have missions,
whether it is going back into a C-130 or into another airplane,
but missions that are required for the United States Air Force,
not only for the Air Force, but for our joint teammates and for
our Nation.
Senator Tester. Okay. Senator Moran.
Senator Moran. Chairman, thank you.
General Brown, let me continue with you. I am pleased to
see that the Skyborg program is moving forward. Unmanned
autonomous wingmen have, I think, a real potential to protect
our pilots while acting as a force multiplier, and I appreciate
especially that the Air Force has recognized the expertise of a
university in my State, Wichita State University, and decided
that they should be a part of the Skyborg program.
Would you discuss for me the importance of digital design
and advanced manufacturing as the Air Force--as new Air Force
programs such as Skyborg are announced and undergo a less
traditional acquisition process?
General Brown. Sure. Senator, I see it as kind of the way
of doing things in the future when you look at a digital
acquisition approach or use digital engineering, open mission
systems, and agile software to develop our capability much
faster than we have in the past. At the same time, being able
to do that not just inside of the Department of Defense, but
how we also work with our industry partners, both our large
industry partners or even smaller companies that we don't
normally engage with or have not traditionally engaged with.
But also as we work with academia, like Wichita State.
Those opportunities are tremendous because of the brain
power and innovation we have within our Nation to bring that
capability together to use it not only for our national defense
needs, but for other needs in terms of the Nation.
Senator Moran. I appreciate that answer. Would you describe
how digital design transforms the way the Air Force designs and
maintains its aircraft?
General Brown. One of the pieces about digital design is
now you can actually share the design of whatever platform or
whatever aircraft not just with the company that is building
it, but with all the subcontractors. And so, when they are able
to share that design, all the pieces and parts come together
much more quickly.
And having had a chance to visit some of our industry
partners that are going down this path, it speeds up the
process to be able to manufacture capability. It drives down
the risk in execution in building and gets us on cost and on
schedule much better than we have been in the past.
Senator Moran. The overall budget and the end of the year
strength reductions are troublesome to me, Air Force and
otherwise. My understanding--and as an example of the concern,
my understanding is that the Air Force is still working to
restore manning levels, person levels for fully qualified
aircraft maintainers since sequestration.
And so those two things seem to me to be in conflict, and
this may be for the Secretary. What is the Air Force planning
to do to protect its aircraft maintainers from overwork and
ensure that our most skilled maintainers want to stay in the
Air Force?
General Brown. I will start. So as we have plussed up our
manpower since sequestration on the maintenance side, so we are
fully manned on our maintenance. But we are also building their
experience, and so that is important from that aspect.
The other is how do we work smarter, not harder? And being
able to use the advantages of technology, we just talked about
digital engineering. That approach helps us to speed up our
ability to fix and maintain our aircraft, but we are also
looking at our retention models and how we support the
retention of that quality airman and quality talent that comes
into our Air Force, and so we are not having to continue to
retrain.
And so we are making progress in these areas. I am pretty
proud of the fact that we are fully manned. But again, we have
got to experience that full manning to ensure we can actually
be ready----
Senator Moran. General, let me understand your answer. Are
you suggesting--and this is not I am taking offense at it. But
the premise of my question is, is no longer accurate, that
things are okay in this manning situation?
General Brown. Well, as far as we are close to 100 percent
manning. It is just the experience levels. We brought a number
of young airmen in at the same time, so building up their
experience. So we have the numbers, but the experience level
needs to increase.
Senator Moran. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you.
Senator Tester. Senator Feinstein.
Senator Feinstein. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
General Brown, it was good to speak with you on the
telephone 2 weeks ago, and I would like to follow up with you
and the Secretary on an issue I raised during our call.
California, as you know, is facing a horrible drought, and we
have had 5 times as much acreage burn this year so far as we
had last year. Last year, 4 million acres, 10,000 structures,
including 5,000 homes, burned. So that tells you a little bit
about the size.
Yesterday, I received your letter--thank you very much--
updating me on progress in modifying the seven Coast Guard
aircraft for transfer to the State of California and to CAL
FIRE in particular for firefighting. This was directed in the
2019 Defense Authorization Act.
So here is the question. You state in your letter that the
last aircraft will be delivered in June of 2023. You also say
that you will accelerate the timeline if you are able to. So is
there any news for California? Is there anything that we can do
to help you accelerate delivery?
General Brown. Again, I appreciate speaking with you as
well.
And a little more detail from our conversation and the
letter, the summer of 2023, June of 2023 will be the last of
the seven aircraft. The last of the seven aircraft will be
delivered in June of 2023. There are already--the steps for the
aircraft is to go through a depot maintenance and then put the
retardant delivery system onto the aircraft.
So there are two aircraft that are already through the
depot and going through the process of getting the retardant
delivery system put on in Sacramento. And so the first two will
be done at the fall of 2022. And then it will be through the
next 6 to 7 months you will get the rest of the aircraft by
June of 2023.
And my commitment is to try as much as we can to work with
California and the depot there in Sacramento to accelerate as
much as we can.
Senator Feinstein. Well, it is very much appreciated. As
you know, these are big fires, and the amount of acreage burned
is really huge.
I hope to get in a second question. The budget put forward
by the Department of Defense and by the Air Force is driven
largely by the need to compete with China. Today, the Senate is
considering a very broad array of measures to get tough on
China. At the same time, I have a very strong belief that
dialogue is critical to ensuring transparency and to reducing
misunderstandings.
One of the things that I learned is that there has never
been a military-to-military communication on an ongoing
effective basis with China. And I have written about this, and
is there any effort to change this and improve relations with
some military-to-military contacts, as many nations do? I think
it would be a big help.
General Brown. Senator, I would have to defer to our--
within the Department of Defense policy on where they are as
far as working through this process. But I will tell you that I
would support the opportunity for myself and I think for the
other service chiefs to communicate at a senior level to avoid
miscalculation that may cause greater risk for all of us. And I
agree with you. Dialogue is important.
Senator Leahy. I would agree.
Senator Feinstein. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Senator Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Gentlemen, thank you all for being here. Thank you for your
leadership.
General Brown, let me begin with you. You and I have had an
opportunity previously to discuss the need for additional
tanker support for missions and training in Alaska. Earlier
this year, we were made aware of an additional four KC-135s
that are going to join that fleet at Eielson. Thank you. Thank
you for that. We appreciate it.
I am also aware of the Air Force plan to divest the KC-135s
as the KC-46s are available to replace our aging tanker fleet.
Can you give me an update on the current timeline for
divestiture, when we might begin seeing those in Alaska, and
then, as a follow-on, whether or not those KC-135s will be
replaced with the KC-46s and whether there is a chance that
those KC-46s will rotate in and out of Alaska in the interim?
General Brown. Sure. So as far as the four KC-135s that we
spoke about that are coming to Alaska with about approximately
200 airmen and their families, that should occur in fiscal year
2023.
Senator Murkowski. Okay.
General Brown. That will be after we have gone through the
environmental assessment to bring up that capability.
What I do see, based on mission requirements and the
opportunity to train up in the JPARC (Joint Pacific Alaska
Range Complex) with RED FLAG-Alaska, is the opportunity for KC-
46s to come in either to support actual missions and/or to do
training. And so I do suspect that you will see KC-46s
operating up in Alaska. I would also add as we--as the Air
Force has laid out its Arctic strategy, to operate the KC-46 in
an Arctic environment will also be important.
As we go to the future for our tanker fleet, to maintain
our fleet of 479 tankers, we will get to 179 KC-46s and 300 KC-
135s. So we will maintain KC-135s for a period of time. At some
point, probably a number of years into the future, we will have
to take a look at those remaining KC-135s and how we
recapitalize those going forward.
Senator Murkowski. But you do see those KC-46s as being
part of this rotation in Alaska then at some point?
General Brown. Yes, ma'am. Because just like most of our--
for the Air Force, our capability to operate all around the
world, as I say, anytime, anywhere, to include Alaska, is an
opportunity to bring the KC-46s to Alaska and many other places
around the world.
Senator Murkowski. Good. Appreciate that.
We had a hearing a couple weeks ago with General Hokanson.
This was the National Guard and Reserve hearing. And I had
asked him if he could take a look into the HH-60 upgrades and
the additional aircraft that are needed for the three rescue
squadrons there at JBER.
What I am told is that these HH-60s that belong to the
176th have the highest operational tempo in the Air Force, and
they have the highest utilization rate. We recognize that the
wing needs additional and upgraded HH-60s. They got a pretty
stepped-up mission demand, and then this growing focus, as you
have just mentioned, that the DOD (Department of Defense) has
placed on the Arctic region just really just builds on that.
The current plan to bed down additional aircraft in the
State isn't targeted until 2026. So there is kind of a
misalignment here, and I raised this with General Hokanson. He
mentioned at that hearing that he intended to connect with you
to talk about this. So I would ask you the same question.
What options exist to allow for perhaps a reprioritization
of these assets, and is this utilization rate calculated in the
decisionmaking process?
General Brown. Senator, as we looked at the laydown for our
HH-60s and our ``gulfs'' and our ``whiskeys,'' which are our
new models, we do the swap-out based on the oldest aircraft.
And the Alaska Air National Guard, with their HH-60s have the
newest of our G models that they just received in 2020, which--
and we do look at the operational tempo. We also look at the
age of the aircraft as we make that transition, which drives to
where Alaska now has the newest of the Gs.
And then they will be in line to get the newest--the
``whiskey,'' which is our newer model, as you describe in 2026.
Senator Murkowski. Again, we recognize that there is a lot
of work that goes into that particular mission.
My time has expired. But General Raymond, know that I would
like to follow up with you, and I will probably do so by way of
a question for the record, with regards to updates on where we
are with the Space Guard Reserve force. As you know, we have
had an opportunity to talk about the role of Clear Air Force
Station there and how that is just key to essential Space Force
assets.
So I will look forward to that update.
General Raymond. Thank you, ma'am. I look forward to it.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Senator Schatz.
Senator Schatz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you,
Generals and Mr. Secretary.
I want to talk to you, Mr. Secretary, about energy
reliability. The President issued an executive order
establishing a Federal clean energy standard--electricity
standard, excuse me, and it requires all Government agencies,
including DOD, to use their procurement authority to help move
the country toward a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035.
So can you talk to me about how you are using your
procurement authority to comply with the President's executive
order?
Secretary Roth. We are, in fact, using that authority. We
have focused on developing a series of energy projects that try
to enhance our installation resilience. And so we are using
some pretty well-established contract avenues and venues to
both utilities and energy savings companies in order just to
improve our posture in terms of the energy resilience of our
bases.
There is actually something called the Federal Utility
Partnership Working Group that we are part of and that we work
with in order to enhance our energy resilience.
Senator Schatz. Those sound like ongoing efforts. Is there
anything that you have changed as a result of the President's
executive order?
Secretary Roth. Well, these are actually--the answer is we
have budgeted in fiscal year 2022 an additional $68 million
over and above what we have had in terms of the past--the past
level of funding in order to increase our emphasis on those
kinds of things.
And there is two kinds of energy resilience that we looked
at in particular. One is installation resilience, and of
course, we are a major energy user for our aircraft as well. In
terms of the entire Defense enterprise, we, the Air Force, for
better or worse, use two-thirds of the total fuel bill in the
entire Air Force.
Senator Schatz. I want to just drill down a little deeper
because----
Secretary Roth. Sure.
Senator Schatz [continuing]. It seems to me that there are
projects and programs and initiatives, right, energy savings
performance contracts and all that. And then the fuel stuff is,
I think, a longer lead time item, we can all agree.
But specifically using the procurement system for your sort
of run of the mill, especially based on installation operations
is what I am trying to get at. Because I think you can carve
out a sort of clean energy project and point to it. That is one
thing. But unless you use the full power of the Department and
its procurement authority, then I don't think you are entirely
complying with the executive order.
And I would ask you to take another look at that and not
just sort of rely upon, hey, what are we doing in clean energy,
and how does that match up with the President's executive
order? But rather, we have got these authorities. The President
is asking us to use those in our daily procurement of energy,
and I think that that part hasn't quite yet happened.
First of all, do you agree with that, or do you think I am
getting that wrong?
Secretary Roth. I am not sure. So let me do this. Let me
commit to you, let us get together and let me send some of the
folks who are the subject matter experts to talk to you. I am
not that deep on it, and so I think that is a fair point. And I
think let us provide you more details, and we can go from
there.
Senator Schatz. Okay, thank you.
And just following along these lines, after Hurricane
Michael destroyed part of Tyndall Air Force Base and damaged
more than a dozen F-22s there, the Air Force made a very quick
basing decision to move three F-35 squadrons to the base. And
it is--there is just no evidence, and I have looked very hard
for it, that the Air Force made that decision with any
consideration of the fact that we are facing increasing
severity and frequency of severe weather.
And especially where Tyndall is, it is almost a guarantee
that it is going to get hit again with a severe weather event.
And so I would like you to tell me whether there is something I
am missing regarding the analysis that was performed in
deciding to base the F-35s there. I get the range issue,
although there is--as you know, there is an Air Force
installation I think 90 miles away. So there is an argument
around that.
But more specifically, even if you did arrive at this is an
important range, we don't want to lose it, it is perfect for
the F-35, you still have to do a climate analysis, right? Not
for ideological reasons, but because we don't want to lose our
assets again. And I am wondering if you can speak to whether or
not there was any analysis about severe weather impacting our
assets?
Secretary Roth. What drove the decision in general was, in
fact, the availability of the airspace and the fact that it is
a terrific asset for us to train with. That said, I think we
are actually pretty proud of rebuilding Tyndall. If you have an
opportunity, we would love for you to come take a look at it.
It is going to be a model base, and we are taking the
climate impact very much into consideration. The building that
we are doing is well above building code. We are going to make
sure that our buildings can absorb a certain amount of storm
surge. They are going to be a foot or more above what they were
before. And the buildings are going to be built to a higher
wind standard, 165 miles an hour, whereas I think the local
code is something like 125 miles an hour.
So we are well aware of the kind of risks that are involved
in that region, and we are going to try to make sure that
Tyndall is much more resilient than it was in the past.
Senator Schatz. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Yes, we got great airspace in Montana, too.
Senator Boozman.
Senator Boozman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much. And
thank you for having this very important hearing.
Secretary Roth, we appreciated your phone call last week
regarding the basing of the F-35s and the Air Force, the
Singapore Air Force F-16s. That was good news. And again, as I
said, that is great for the area and all of that, but that
really is the best decision for the country.
General Brown, we appreciated getting to visit with you on
the phone not too long ago and talking about Air Force
priorities. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit with
Chief Bass. She represents you very, very well and I think is
doing an outstanding job. You all make a great team.
And General Raymond, earlier today, getting to visit with
you about your priorities, I thank all of you all for the great
job that you are doing, and we will help you any way we can.
You know that.
The Air Force, General Brown, is looking at adding, growing
its fleet of F-35s, fifth-generation fighters, in order to keep
up to counter our adversarial threats. They are some of the
most expensive programs in the defense budget. How does the Air
Force getting--how are we doing that? And again, this is for
all of you all. What are we doing to lower our procurement
costs? How are we able to sustain cost so that we can continue
to equip our airmen with the best aircraft in the world? Either
one----
Secretary Roth. Well, I will start----
Senator Boozman. Yes, sir.
Secretary Roth [continuing]. And then we can move on. What
we have adopted in terms of acquisition of new systems is we
are trying to take advantage of many of the new authorities
that have been provided to us in recent Authorization Acts in
terms of trying to do things smarter, trying to do things
quicker, and being more agile in how we do things, the greater
use of prototyping, greater use of using sort of serial kind of
procurement rather than focusing on one end objective and
having a 20-year kind of an acquisition program.
So we are being much more agile. We talked earlier today
about digital, the digital trinity. So we are using digital
engineering. We are using open systems architecture. And we are
using those kinds of capabilities as we go forward.
I would offer that two or three of our major examples of
that that are in the fiscal year 2022 budget is one is the Next
Generation Air Dominance program, which is platform-centric,
and it is looking in terms of making sort of a serial
improvement to the platform as we go forward.
The other is the global--the strategic missile, you know,
the ICBM replacement program. And that, too, is using heavy-
use. I actually had an opportunity to go out to Hill Air Force
Base and visit with both the Government side and the contractor
side, and it is just fascinating the way they are using just
basically modeling, digital engineering modeling in order--and
they have met every milestone in terms of cost, schedule, and
performance to date. Still relatively early in the program, but
they are making great progress.
So we are trying to make sure that we try to delegate down
to the lowest level in terms of program management and to try
to reduce the bureaucracy in terms of reviews. That said, we
establish metrics. We establish risk-based metrics, and we are
going to constantly look at whether people are meeting those
metrics or not.
So, in general, we are trying to break the bureaucracy and
trying to move more agile, quicker across the board.
Senator Boozman. General Brown, quickly or the Chairman
will yell at me, the F-15EX, why is it so important to the
tactical fighter fleet, and what capabilities does it have that
complement the fifth-generation fighters like the F-35?
General Brown. The real capability of the F-15EX is the
aspect that comes in to replace the F-15Cs. And the F-15Cs have
really aged out. We need to retire those.
The beauty of the F-15EX is that really about 70 to 90
percent of the infrastructure equipment can actually--that we
already have can be used. So it makes a very smooth transition
to this particular capability. It will also complement because
of the size in payload they can carry, can be a weapons truck
is the way we kind of describe it, to provide firepower where
we have the F-35 that actually now can penetrate more deeply,
and the combination of those two provide things that our
adversaries have to think about because we have several
different options of ways we can come at them.
Senator Boozman. Good. Thank you.
Note, Mr. Chairman that I got done on time.
Senator Tester. Right on the mark. Senator Baldwin.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
General Raymond, given your desire for affordable access to
space, you are well aware that we need to continue to lower the
cost of space launch. And the Air Force Research Laboratory is
doing some really good work in advancing the state-of-the-art
rocket engines, particularly with regard to upper-stage
engines. As a State that knows how to make things, Wisconsin
has been proudly supporting these efforts.
In that context, as we review the Space Force's fiscal year
2022 budget, I note that rocket propulsion research and
development is a particular area of concern. I want to ensure
that it is adequately resourced to support domestic--stress
``domestic''--high-tech manufacturing in support of future
space endeavors.
So can I get your commitment to, number one, acquaint
yourself with the Air Force Research Laboratory's great
progress on the upper-stage engine development and, secondly,
to ensure that future budgets include sufficient funding
necessary to expand domestic capacity to manufacture the
components that will support both our industrial base and
affordable space launch?
General Raymond. You absolutely have my commitment. Access
to space is critical to our national security. Being able to do
it responsibly is also critical, especially in a contested
domain.
Our launch has three--launch strategy has three components.
One, to have assured access. Two, to increase competition. And
three, to get off the RD-180 engine. And in all three of those
tenets our strategy is working great, and we are in a really
good spot.
We are now beginning to invest in kind of the Phase 3 areas
that you mentioned, and I am open to all comers. We want more,
broaden the industrial base, get more research and development
money to be able to do that, and give us opportunities in the
future. You absolutely have my commitment.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
My next question is for the entire panel. President Biden
announced that he will withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan by
September of this year. Ultimately, while I think it was a very
difficult decision, I think it was the right one to make.
That said, we all know that there will be an enduring
counterterrorism and intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance requirements. Considering this decision was made
while the fiscal year 2022 budget request was being developed,
where in the Air Force and Space Force budgets are these
enduring ISR and over-the-horizon requirements reflected? And
do either need particular attention paid to them in this year's
appropriations cycle?
Let us start with General Brown.
General Brown. Senator, I appreciate the question. I will
tell you that the capabilities that we have today that have
been supporting United States Central Command when you talk
about Afghanistan, but also all of our combatant commands, much
of that capability still remains inside of the United States
Air Force with this particular budget. Although I will tell you
we are also making a transition to the future.
So small levels of divestment as we start to look towards
the future, maintaining the capability that we have been using
today, at the same time looking forward at the capability that
will ensure that we are able to be connected, be persistent,
and be survivable not only in a mission environment, but in a
highly contested environment as well.
General Raymond. I agree.
Secretary Roth. Yes, and so in the budget, where would you
see it in the fiscal year 2022? Amongst other places, although
there is no longer an overseas contingency operation budget,
so-called OCO budget, we have within the base budget, we are
funding both day-to-day war operations at a much lower pace,
about $1 billion or so for the Air Force. But more importantly,
to your point and your question, there is an enduring presence
we still have in the CENTCOM (Central Command) AOR (Area of
Responsibility).
And so we have budgeted about $10 billion there. We have a
series of air bases. They will stay for the time being. That is
where your over-the-horizon capability will come from.
So we have funded as best we knew in a lead time away as it
goes. We are continuing an enduring presence in the CENTCOM AOR
in order to provide that over-the-horizon capability.
General Raymond. The great thing about space capabilities,
ma'am, are they are global, and so you don't have to build
something and just stick it over that part of the world. They
are constantly orbiting. They provide that persistence and will
continue to do so.
Senator Tester. Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate it.
Thank you, gentlemen, for being here today. Appreciate it.
General Brown, thank you for your recent visits to both
Minot Air Force Base and Grand Forks Air Force Base, very
impressive. And also General Raymond, thank you for your recent
visits to Grand Forks base and the surrounding area as well.
Mr. Secretary, I understand that our Chairman asked you
about the MH-139 and that you gave good answers, at least from
our perspective. Mine is simply are you confident we can keep
that program on schedule?
Secretary Roth. Yes, I think so. I think, as you are aware,
the reason there is a delay in the program is that we don't
have the FAA certification yet. But as I understand it, we are
on schedule. This should only mean a fairly minor delay of some
months in the program, and it is not a show stopper.
So our intent, we had eight aircraft that were funded
already in fiscal year 2021. The next tranche will be funded in
fiscal year 2023. The only reason you see a gap there in fiscal
year 2022, that particular procurement contract was simply not
executable in our judgment during the 12 months of fiscal year
2022. So it was simply a shift from late in fiscal year 2022
into early fiscal year 2023.
Senator Hoeven. And then both LRSO (Long Range Stand Off
Weapon) and GBSD (Ground Based Strategic Deterrent), do you
feel they are on schedule and can stay on schedule?
Secretary Roth. Yes. Both programs, both programs are
meeting all their schedule and cost milestones to date.
Admittedly, I would say--and channeling my former comptroller
background--it is still pretty early in both programs. But they
are doing terrific, and both programs are making heavy use of
some of the new technologies in terms of digital engineering
and those kinds of things.
So both programs, we hope for the LRSO to be able to award
the next contract this month. It is now shifting, as we speak,
into the engineering, manufacturing, development stage, so-
called Milestone B in our nomenclature. So they just had their
board review, and we anticipate being able to award that
contract this month.
Senator Hoeven. Good. Thank you.
General Brown, same question. As far as the B-52 and the
reengineering, on schedule, and do you anticipate that we could
keep it on schedule?
General Brown. I do. We are at a point where it looks like
really about this December we will be able to down select on
the reengineering down to the company that will actually do the
reengineering for the B-52.
Senator Hoeven. Okay, good. And then also, what about
getting a weapons generation facility going for Minot Air Force
Base, which is the only dual nuclear base in the country as, of
course, you well know. And again, thank you for your visit.
General Brown. Part of our discussion when we were there at
Minot was because of its dual capability, it will be the last
of the three because we will learn quite a bit from the other
two locations that we are going to do before we get to Minot.
And because of its uniqueness, I think it is really important
that we get this right. Not only for the others, but for Minot
as well.
Senator Hoeven. Well, we would like to work with your
office to get a time for starting it.
General Brown. Understood. Understood, Senator.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, General.
General Brown. Thank you.
Senator Hoeven. General Raymond, again thanks for your
visit. So we are working on laser communication with satellites
rather than radio waves. So ground to satellite, satellite to
satellite, satellite to ISR. Why is that important, and talk to
me about your commitment to accomplish that.
General Raymond. Sir, Senator, the importance is
resilience. As I mentioned in our posture statement, the domain
has become much more contested, and our adversaries are
developing capabilities to be able to deny or disrupt our
access to communication satellites. This provides a layer of
resilience that is absolutely critical. It is what we are
focused on.
Senator Hoeven. So we very much need those low-Earth orbit
satellites. We need to keep moving on this to stay ahead of our
adversaries like Russia and China, and we need to develop the
laser communications again to stay ahead of our adversaries,
and it is a high priority?
General Raymond. It is a high priority, and I would say,
Senator, we really need to develop kind of a hybrid
architecture, and the work that we are doing to do that force
design is a mix. Today, the design is small numbers of very
expensive, exquisite satellites, and we have to diversify that
architecture.
For resilience, the low-Earth orbit piece of that is going
to be important, as well as other orbits. But is absolutely
critical.
Senator Hoeven. Exactly. We need both.
General Raymond. Yes, sir.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Senator Murray.
Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, gentlemen. Really appreciate your being here.
Secretary Roth, General Brown, let me start with you. The
92nd and 141st Air Force air refueling wings at Fairchild Air
Force Base are really vital to our global mobility and our
global reach, and it is important to me that we make sure that
these units are optimally equipped to meet their mission. I
really support the Air Force's recent selection of Fairchild as
a candidate location for the next KC-46 main operating base.
They have consistently been a top-scoring installation because
of their strategic location, their existing infrastructure, and
their strong community support. And it is long past time to get
them those tankers.
But I am concerned that the proposed divestments of KC-135s
will hurt the air refueling mission based in Washington State.
What new missions and assets are you going to bring to
Fairchild to continue investing in Fairchild and the community
for the long term?
Secretary Roth. Well, in terms of, as you said, the KC-46
is a competitor. We are all the way up to main operating base
number six as we are going through our strategic basing
process. So Fairchild is a terrific candidate to receive that
next tranche of reserve of aircraft. So that is at least a
partial answer to your question that we would bring--you know,
we could potentially bring KC-46.
I would defer to the general here in terms of what other
things.
General Brown. And Senator, for the Air Force, we would
also look at other mission sets as we evolve and transform and
transition to the future of opportunities at Fairchild. Not
only the KC-46, but other opportunities.
Senator Murray. Okay. And if you can get me more details on
that, I would really appreciate it.
General Brown. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Murray. Thank you.
General Raymond, the space industry is really growing
rapidly. As access to space increases and demand for space-
based products and services is really growing, my home State of
Washington is becoming a major hub now for launch, satellite
engineering, education, and many other parts of the space
community. And that growth and innovation is really important,
both for our economy and for achieving the goals of the defense
space strategy, but Government support is going to play an
essential role in helping this industry through its nascent
stages until it can reach its full potential.
So talk with me about how the Space Force will use its
market power to really encourage diversity and growth in the
space industry?
General Raymond. Well, first of all, I would agree
wholeheartedly with you that there is incredible things going
on in that part of the country. I have been up there personally
several times to visit launch and satellite manufacturing. It
is really important.
I think if you look at the challenges that we face, the
challenges that we face are many, but we have even greater
opportunities, and those opportunities are those innovative
small companies. And what we are doing to get after this is
working a force design that allows us to diversify our
architecture, to allow smaller satellites that are more
operation relevant to be--to play a greater role in our
national security architecture.
And so we are doing that design work now. That is going to
open up more opportunities for those types of capabilities to
be a critical part of our path going forward, and I think there
is great opportunity.
Senator Murray. Good. Well, I look forward to working with
you on that. It is really exciting.
General Raymond. Thank you, ma'am.
Senator Murray. Secretary Roth, across the country and in
my home State of Washington, families are facing a real
shortage of affordable housing. The military is supposed to
cover housing costs as part of the servicemembers' benefits,
but more than three-fourths of them are having to supplement
that out of pocket right now. And of course, military moves are
made more stressful by long on-base housing waitlists. We are
seeing them everywhere and really competitive rental and buyers
markets off base.
I am hearing from military families at Fairchild, for
example, about they are just really struggling with these
challenges. How does the Air Force evaluate the need for
additional on-base family housing under the Military Housing
Privatization Initiative, and what can be done to help families
near Fairchild with this right now?
Secretary Roth. Well, one, the basic allowance for housing
is reviewed annually, and we work with our Office of Secretary
of Defense partners to do the analysis. It is locality based.
It is not a general rate across the country, and so it is
tailored to each individual location.
And so the intent is that the basic allowance for housing
cover the cost in any particular area. If it is not, if there
is an unusual spike or something, we try to catch up as best we
can.
In terms of actively looking forward in the future in terms
of any further military housing, like privatization initiative
and that type of thing, right now it was enormously successful
15, 20 years ago. We did a lot of progress and all, but we did
so in part because we got an exception to the Office of
Management and Budget scoring rules in order to allow us to
capitalize with private money and put up a fairly modest amount
of Government money and leverage some private money.
Under the current rules, the Office of Management and
Budget has fallen back now to the old rules, where they would
require us to capitalize that up front and under a full funding
concept pay for it up front. That gets to be very expensive. So
for the time being, unfortunately, we are not pursuing that. We
would have to work with the administration and the Office of
Management and Budget to see if any further waivers were
possible or not. But----
Senator Murray. I would like to follow up with you----
Secretary Roth. Sure.
Senator Murray [continuing]. After this on that because
this is really a critical problem for our families, and I am
worried about the stress it is putting on them. And it is just
not tenable at this point.
And I know I am out of time, Mr. Chairman. I did just want
to mention childcare to all of you. The waitlists are really
long, and we are hearing from everyone that this is just really
a stark reminder that we need to deal with this.
I don't have time for a question right now. I will follow
up with all of you, but I have not lost interest on this. And
Mr. Chairman, it is a huge problem for our military families.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Murray.
Senator Durbin.
Senator Durbin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
General Raymond, I was a skeptic when it came to the
creation of the Space Force. I listened to critics argue that
it was a new bureaucracy that would be top heavy, a pile of
brass and not much underneath, and that it wasn't needed. I
never questioned the role of space in terms of our own defense
and the critical achievements which we can point to over the
last few years.
So you are the man in transition from the old way to the
new way. How has it changed?
General Raymond. It has changed significantly, and I will
tell you it is quantifiable. When you elevate from a major
command of an Air Force to a service chief, your level of
authority and responsibility goes way up. I have a stronger
role and requirements. I am a member of the Joint Chiefs, so I
can make sure that space is integrated into the joint
warfighting construct.
We interact more effectively with our allies and partners
at the service level. In fact, with Norway, we just inked a
deal where it saved us $900 million to put two hosted payloads
on their satellites rather than our own satellites.
The development of our space professionals has gone through
the roof. Promotion rates before were 20 percent below the Air
Force average for colonels, and lieutenant colonels about that
same number. Today, we are above that average. We have got more
people knocking on our door wanting to come into the Space
Force than we have positions for. We can be very selective of
who we bring in.
Across the board, we have seen measurable, quantifiable
increases that is great for our Nation.
Senator Durbin. So, General Brown, when you hear that, does
it give you any kind of pause or inspiration for the rest of
the Air Force in terms of what has happened with Space Force?
General Brown. It does. And one of the key areas that I see
is because of the elevation of Space Force, it actually has
brought in more I would say collaboration between the Air Force
and the Space Force across our airmen and our guardians because
of the dialogue that happens at a much lower level on how we
talk about space capabilities. And so there are some real
pluses there.
The other part is now that we have someone who is really
focused on that domain. A year and a half ago, 2 years ago, my
predecessor would have been responsible for both. Now you have
someone who is focused on a new domain, and it allows the both
of us to really work very closely together on how we use those
future capabilities and align those capabilities between our
two services.
Senator Durbin. Secretary Roth, are there any changes in
procurement or acquisition with the Space Force that you are
considering or have implemented?
Secretary Roth. Well, first of all, the Space Force is
another one that is making maximum use of some of the new
authorities we have in terms of using things like digital
engineering and being more agile and the like. So I would have
to say that the Space Force is out and leading on that as well.
What is going to happen eventually on 1 October 2022, or at
least no later than 1 October 2022, is the Space Force will
have their own service acquisition executive. Right now, we
have one service acquisition executive for both the air and
space side, but under the Authorization Act of a year or two
ago, we have to stand up a separate office, an Assistant
Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and
Integration. But space acquisition here to the point.
So I would think here, too, very similarly you have someone
then who will be focused on space acquisition and won't be
``distracted'' by other functions as well.
General Raymond. Could I add in, sir? I just want to say
very clearly that we would not be anywhere near where we are
today without the great support of General Brown and the Air
Force.
Now when the law was passed that established the Space
Force, it said to focus on space superiority and rely on the
Air Force for the support pieces. They provide us spectacular
support. As we have built this, they have really been a huge
partner.
Senator Durbin. Secretary Roth, different subject. Our
modern military has really been grounded on civilian control
and the separation of men and women in uniform from political
influence. What are you doing to make sure that the next
generation serving in the Air Force lives up to that model?
Secretary Roth. Well, I think the short answer to it is by
leadership and making sure that the Secretariat does, in fact,
use its authority and its influence as we go forward. Clearly,
I think that is--you know, we are in a period of transition now
from one administration to the other, so it is a bit of an
uncertain time until we fill all the positions.
And so the imperative will be to get a full team of
political appointees in place and then to move forward under
the guise of ensuring military--excuse me, civilian oversight
over the military. I work very closely with both of the chiefs.
I value their opinion and all. But at the end of the day, the
Secretariat is, in fact, the leadership position within the
Department of the Air Force.
Senator Durbin. Thank you.
General Brown, in closing, I just want to commend you for
statements that you have made on diversity and race relations
in the military. I am sure that there are many stories that
have gone untold that you could fill us with, fill in with some
of your experiences. But thank you for reaching the top of your
profession. I am glad you are there, and thanks for the example
and model you set.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Durbin.
We appreciate you folks being here today. We appreciate the
testimony you have given today, and we appreciate the job that
you do every day. So thank you. I thank the witnesses.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senators may submit additional written questions, and we
ask you to respond to them within a reasonable amount 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 Acting Secretary John P. Roth
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
tactical airlift aircraft requestors
Question. I have been concerned about Air Force reductions in
Tactical Airlift Aircraft inventory. The fiscal year 2022 Budget
Request divests 8 C-130H aircraft, without funding for any new C-130Js,
which would bring the total tactical airlift fleet down to 279
aircraft. This is despite the fact that the fiscal year 2021 NDAA
requires a minimum inventory of 287 aircraft, and the most recent
mobility capabilities and requirements study recommended at least 300
such aircraft to meet National Defense Strategy requirements. These
cuts may disproportionately impact the Air National Guard, which
provides half of the Air Force's tactical and mobility airlift while
also supporting a number of critical domestic priorities--COVID-19,
civil unrest, and natural disaster response. The 182nd Airlift Wing in
my home state for example, has a strong history of outstanding
performance, including among the highest mission capability rates in
the Air National Guard over the past 10 years.
What would such a reduction have on the Air Force's ability to
conduct overseas operations?
Answer. The proposed reduction in aircraft would have no
significant impact on the Air Force's ability to conduct overseas
operations. We continue to carefully analyze our tactical airlift fleet
size and posture to ensure the nation's needs are met, and that this
fleet does not take on a level of risk that is out of line with the
other fleets in our Air Force. With a total tactical airlift aircraft
inventory of 255, we believe 163 C-130Js and 92 C-130Hs, supported by
222 C-17s, are capable of executing the required level of tactical
lift.
Question. Have any decisions been made about where such cuts may
take place?
Answer. These decisions are ongoing. Over the next few years the
Air Force goal is to reduce the C-130 fleet to 255 aircraft, contingent
on our ability to find mutually agreeable replacement missions for any
C-130 unit we would remission.
Retaining additional aircraft that are not required to compete and
win in the future fight diverts limited resources from higher priority
National Defense Strategy focused recapitalization and modernization
efforts across the Air Force enterprise, weakening our military's
competitive advantage. Incremental reduction of the fleet will allow
the Air Force to refocus personnel and resources toward emerging
mission requirements.
Question. For the past several years you have heard me and others
ring the alarm about water contamination caused by PFAS chemicals in
firefighting foam. This public health crisis also hit home for me. The
Air Force has been working with communities around Scott Air Force Base
in Southern Illinois where PFAS chemicals leeched into a drinking water
well, and I understand testing continues around the Peoria and
Springfield Air National Guard Bases. As you all know, these substances
can have a devastating impact on health, and the process is absolutely
nerve racking for my constituents.
How much does the Air Force need in fiscal year 2022 to accelerate
the process of investigation and cleanup of PFAS across the country?
Answer. The DAF could execute an additional $49 million in fiscal
year 2022 to accelerate investigations and cleanup of PFAS.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Dianne Feinstein
space training and readiness command
Question. California is at the center of commercial and military
space applications. I was pleased to hear Space Systems Command will be
established at Los Angeles Air Force Base. I believe the Space Force
should leverage the existing personnel, expertise, and infrastructure
available at Vandenberg Space Force Base and the surrounding community
for the Space Training and Readiness Command.
What factors is the Air Force considering as part of its decision
in locating Space Training and Readiness Command?
Answer. Pending Secretary of the Air Force approval, criteria will
consist of mission, capacity, environmental, and cost factors. The
Department of the Air Force will also comply with the guidance in 10
USC 483 and the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act
Sec. 2883.
Question. When do you expect that decision to be made?
Answer. We anticipate Department of the Air Force approval of the
criteria in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
fairchild afb future missions
Question. [full context provided on p. 40-41 of the transcript]
What new missions and assets are you going to bring to Fairchild
AFB to continue investing in Fairchild AFB and the community for the
long-term? Not only for the KC-46, but other opportunities?
Answer. The Department of the Air Forces uses its strategic basing
process to determine locations for new missions. The DAF will continue
to consider Fairchild Air Force Base for new missions, dependent on
mission requirements and where it meets the enterprise definition of
locations eligible for consideration.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Brian Schatz
federal clean energy electricity standard
Question. [full context provided on p. 29-30 of the transcript]
The president issued an executive order establishing a Federal
clean energy standard, electricity standard. It requires all government
agencies, including DoD to use their procurement authority to help move
the country towards a carbon free electricity sector by 2035. So, can
you talk to me about how you're using your procurement authority to
comply with the president's executive order? Is there anything you've
changed? I'd ask you take another look at: ``We've got these
authorities, the president is asking us to use those in our daily
procurement of energy,'' and I think that part hasn't quite yet
happened. Do you agree with that or you think I'm getting that wrong?
Answer. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is using all
available authorities in the process of procuring a full spectrum of
cleaner energy project types. These projects improve our energy posture
and empower mission assurance as a critical distributed energy
generation source. To expand this procurement of clean energy and the
development of energy projects, we are reviewing project execution
rates within its installation energy governance structure. The
Department is also developing Installation Energy Plans to identify
potential opportunities and use all available authorities to develop
clean energy projects.
In fiscal year 2020, DAF on-base renewable energy production was
488,136 MWh, including owned and third party owned projects located on
Department lands. The DAF continues to utilize authorities provided by
Congress, such as Enhanced Use Leases (EULs), to leverage underutilized
properties where private developers can construct clean energy systems.
In return, the DAF receives a financial benefit, such as reduced energy
rates or other in-kind considerations.
The DAF is primarily using third party financed performance
contracts, such as Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs); ESPCs
provide the Federal Government with a partnership opportunity to
procure energy savings and facility improvements with no up-front
capital costs.
The Department is also pursuing a wide range of solar and battery
storage projects using performance contracts and Power Purchase
Agreements (PPAs) initiatives to enhance energy assurance and
resiliency at mission critical installations. At the end of fiscal year
2020, the DAF had 327 renewable energy projects in operation on 105
sites through a variety of project delivery methods, including PPA,
EULs, Energy Resilience Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP), and
Military Construction (MILCON).
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Roy Blunt
the role of c-130s
Question. Secretary Roth and General Brown, 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. The Department of the Air Force agrees that tactical
airlift is an integral homeland defense mission. Every state has
tactical airlift capacity and there are procedures in place for states
to share resources. In addition to the C-130s in the ANG, there are six
states unit equipped with 48 C-17s to support Defense Support to Civil
Authorities missions. By looking at this fleet in isolation--in
isolation from other Air Force missions, or in isolation from the
remainder of our airlift fleet--we would fail to appreciate the balance
the Air Force needs to strike between capability, capacity, readiness,
and modernization across all of our missions.
the future c-130 force structure and the 139th airlift wing at
rosecrans air national guard base
Question. Secretary Roth and General Brown, 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 you, General Brown, and to
Lieutenant General Michael Loh, 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. We are committed to preserving the mission of the 139
Airlift Wing (AW) and I assure you aircraft coding is consistent across
units which host Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) missions. We recognize
the challenges the 139 AW faces as host to the C-130H WIC and Advanced
Airlift Tactics Training Center. 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.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
mh-139 procurement requestors
Question. Your budget request does not include procurement of any
MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters, which are slated to replace the Vietnam-
era Hueys at our ICBM bases. I understand that procurement has been
pushed back due to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification
issues.
Given the delay, how many MH-139s do you project to purchase in
fiscal years 2023 and 2024?
Answer. Fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 quantities are still
under review. The MH-139 contract allows for a quantity range of 2 to
16 aircraft per fiscal year.
Question. When should we expect to procure MH-139s that will be
based at Minot Air Force Base (AFB)?
Answer. The Minot basing options will depend on an updated buy
profile which is currently being developed.
Question. When will MH-139 aircraft arrive at Minot AFB?
Answer. The Minot basing options will depend on an updated buy
profile which is currently being developed.
______

Questions Submitted to General Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
Questions Submitted by Senator Jon Tester
air national guard flying squadrons
Question. [full context provided on p. 21 of the transcript]
How many [Air] National Guard squadrons are going to lose flying
missions in this [fiscal year 2022] budget?
Answer. We are not intending to close any units and are carefully
evaluating several future missions in which the Air Force needs to
bring on. Most units will retain a flying mission, but not all. Some
squadrons will experience a one-for-one replacement of flying missions
(KC-10, KC-135, F-15C), some will be replaced with a mixture of flying
and non-flying missions (A-10, E-8), and some flying missions are going
away and will be replaced with a non-flying mission (C-130). As we
continue to invest in our future force, it is imperative that Air Force
manpower be appropriately aligned with new, higher priority, missions
or the Air Force cannot modernize against the emerging threat.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
tactical airlift aircraft requestors
Question. I have been concerned about Air Force reductions in
Tactical Airlift Aircraft inventory. The fiscal year 2022 Budget
Request divests 8 C-130H aircraft, without funding for any new C-130Js,
which would bring the total tactical airlift fleet down to 279
aircraft. This is despite the fact that the fiscal year 2021 NDAA
requires a minimum inventory of 287 aircraft, and the most recent
mobility capabilities and requirements study recommended at least 300
such aircraft to meet National Defense Strategy requirements. These
cuts may disproportionately impact the Air National Guard, which
provides half of the Air Force's tactical and mobility airlift while
also supporting a number of critical domestic priorities--COVID-19,
civil unrest, and natural disaster response. The 182nd Airlift Wing in
my home state for example, has a strong history of outstanding
performance, including among the highest mission capability rates in
the Air National Guard over the past 10 years.
What would such a reduction have on the Air Force's ability to
conduct overseas operations?
Answer. The proposed reduction in aircraft would have no
significant impact on the Air Force's ability to conduct overseas
operations. We continue to carefully analyze our tactical airlift fleet
size and posture to ensure the nation's needs are met, and that this
fleet does not take on a level of risk that is out of line with the
other fleets in our Air Force. With a total tactical airlift aircraft
inventory of 255, we believe 163 C-130Js and 92 C-130Hs, supported by
222 C-17s, are capable of executing the required level of tactical
lift.
Question. Have any decisions been made about where such cuts may
take place?
Answer. These decisions are ongoing. Over the next few years the
Air Force goal is to reduce the C-130 fleet to 255 aircraft, contingent
on our ability to find mutually agreeable replacement missions for any
C-130 unit we would remission.
Retaining additional aircraft that are not required to compete and
win in the future fight diverts limited resources from higher priority
National Defense Strategy focused recapitalization and modernization
efforts across the Air Force enterprise, weakening our military's
competitive advantage. Incremental reduction of the fleet will allow
the Air Force to refocus personnel and resources toward emerging
mission requirements.
f-15 upgrades requestors
Question. The fiscal year 2022 Air Force budget request includes
funding for 12 F-15EX aircraft, and the Unfunded Priorities List
includes a funding request for an additional 12 F-15EX aircraft. The
request also includes a divestment of 48 F-15C/Ds. The F-15C/D fleet is
aging, with high sustainment costs, and many of these aircraft are
expected to run out of service life within the next decade.
Can you explain why it's faster, cheaper, and more critical to
upgrade to these new F- 15s instead of investing in other aircraft?
Answer. With a majority of the F-15C fleet flying beyond designed
service life, it is critical that we recapitalize units with modern
fighters as quickly as possible. The F-15EX was developed from a
provided design, with significantly upgraded systems, using funds from
Foreign Military Sales customers. The purchase of these aircraft
offered the Air Force an opportunity to augment F-35 purchases and
quickly recapitalize these units.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick Leahy
air force readiness improvements
Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving
readiness, it is crucial that the Air Force take a fresh look at
policies and practices that may not support all service members. To
that end, please outline what changes, if any, the Air Force has made,
is making, plans to make, or is considering in order to:
Improve diversity in leadership positions;
Answer. To improve diversity in leadership positions, the
Department of the Air Force has taken a holistic review of potential
barriers to development and inclusion. Adjustments have been made to
uniform and appearance policies and several adjustments have been made
to help improve deliberate development of diverse leaders. One such
area was the DAF establishment of diversity requirements for Key
Developmental Slates. The purpose of this initiative is to promote
greater opportunity and consideration among qualified candidates, who
offer diverse perspectives and represent diverse backgrounds and
experience. This initiative will require that the pool of Airmen
considered for key military developmental positions and nominative
assignments (e.g. Aide-de-Camp, Military Assistant, Executive Officer,
Career Field Manager, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Commander's Action Group
member) include qualified, diverse candidates based on gender, race
and/or ethnicity.
Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
Answer. To assist with improving diversity retention the Department
of the Air Force has identified and began removing disparate policies,
procedures, barriers and other cultural practices that may be unfairly
impacting the retention of Airmen and Guardians. These changes include
revisions to dress and appearance regulations, expanding child/career
balancing options such as deferring the decision to separate 12 months
post birth, expanding parental leave, and continued utilization of the
Career Intermission Program (CIP). Since CIPs establishment in 2014, 54
percent of all participants have been female and 99 percent of the
Airmen who completed the program have returned to service. The
Department of the Air Force acknowledges that diverse, resilient, and
ready Airmen and Guardians (both military and civilian) are the core of
the Department's present and future readiness and lethality.
Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention,
with input from women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members,
and sexual assault survivors;
Answer. The Department of the Air Force is committed to improving
training that improves the lives all of our diverse Airmen and
Guardians while promoting a sense of belonging to the DAF. The DAF is
working hard to ensure our training is evidenced based and includes
considerations of and input from many vulnerable populations including
women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members, and both male and
female sexual assault survivors. We are working closely with the DoD
Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military and the
DAF Interpersonal Violence Taskforce; and we have developed a
prevention plan of action to improve prevention efforts that provide a
foundation for concrete actions to address interpersonal and self-
directed violence. We are committed to providing a respectful,
inclusive environment for all Airmen and Guardians, and taking all
appropriate steps to improve.
Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health
support services for Service members and their families, including
services tailored specifically toward minority service members;
Answer. To maximize the availability of our mental health services,
the Department of the Air Force (DAF) has sought to create mental
health clinic workflows to match patient needs and increase
efficiencies. Through the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown period, the DAF
expanded its tele-mental health services 3600 percent compared to 2019.
As a result, the DAF mental health enterprise was able to sustain 90
percent of its 2019 care operations levels during this period.
Furthermore, in order to improve readiness and support of Airmen
who are minority service members, the Air Force Surgeon General
established an Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This office is
actively working with the Defense Health Agency to evaluate and
intentionally address any identified disparities in healthcare
delivery.
Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority service
members facing discrimination from within their units; and
Answer. The Department of the Air Force continues to evaluate and
refine the Out and About outreach program used to gather equal
opportunity and human relations information that may impact service
members.
The Installation Equal Opportunity Director is responsible for
scheduling Out and About Assessments in coordination with unit
leadership and ensures unit leadership receives a summary of
observations following the assess. Observations and discussions focus
on EO, human relations and organizational effectiveness factors that
impact morale and mission readiness to include, but are not limited to:
Interpersonal communication/interaction/polarization (break rooms, work
areas, recreation/entertainment facilities, etc.); Accessibility to
unit leadership; Bulletin board and public display items (individual/
group recognition, policy letters/posters, etc.); Workplace conditions/
environment; Dormitory conditions/environment; Graffiti; Personal
display of pictures, posters, artifacts, etc.; and overall general
impressions. Information gathered throughout the assessment is used as
part of the overall Organizational Climate Assessment Program.
Question. Improve medical care for transgender service members,
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy,
and post-partum care.
Answer. In order to improve readiness and support of Airmen, the
DAF established a Transgender Health Medical Evaluation Unit (THMEU) at
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The THMEU operates under a patient-
centered care model that ensures compliance with Department of Defense
(DoD), DAF, and Defense Health Agency policies and transgender
healthcare clinical guidelines, regardless of where patients are
located.
In addition to the THMEU, the Air Force Surgeon General established
an Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office to improve readiness and
support of Airmen who are minority service members. This office is also
working with the Defense Health Agency to evaluate and intentionally
address disparities in healthcare delivery, which would include
pregnancy and postpartum care.
On top of these efforts, the DAF is also focused on improving the
pregnancy and postpartum care provided to Airmen, particularly with a
focus on return to duty and readiness. For example, Air Force
Instruction on Duty Limiting Conditions (48-133) was updated to allow
fitness assessment exemptions following perinatal loss (miscarriage and
stillbirth). A parallel update regarding convalescent leave after such
losses is currently pending revisions to Air Force Manual on Tricare
Operations and Patient Administration (41-210). Additionally, updates
were made to breast feeding policies (AFGM2020-36-01) to improve Airmen
and Guardians access to breast pumping resources and milk storage, as
well as increase flexibility in scheduling pumping time during the duty
day.
Furthermore, in order to better address the needs of Airmen
following pregnancy and birth of a newborn, the DAF is working on a
multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive postpartum care and
reintegration. At select locations (currently Nellis AFB, expanding to
Seymour Johnson AFB and Joint Base Langley-Eustis), DAF Units are
piloting a program facilitating comprehensive Airmen and Guardian
fitness during pregnancy and in postpartum. This program includes
fitness classes, lactation support, mental health, wellness screening
and access to services such as physical therapy and nutrition.
In addition to the efforts mentioned above, the Air Force Medical
Service and the Defense Health Agency are working together on
implementing the latest evidence-based perinatal care services at
military treatment facilities. Across the Military Health System,
postpartum bleeding procedures were established to improve maternal and
neonatal outcomes. New guidance was also developed to standardize
ultrasound examinations to improve the identification of abnormal
findings. Moreover, a Defense Health Agency review board was
established to review cases of severe maternal harm in order to
identify areas of improvement. Finally, a working group was established
to identify and address any racial disparities in obstetric outcomes,
unconscious bias education, and cultural competency in maternity care.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
rq-4 global hawk requestors
Question. The budget request proposes to divest the Block 30
version of the Global Hawk but continues to fund operations for the
Block 40 version.
Do you forecast operating the Block 40 Global Hawk throughout the
five year budget window?
Answer. Yes, upon retirement of 20 RQ-4 Block 30s in fiscal year
2022, the Air Force plans to operate and sustain the remaining 10 RQ-4
Block 40s through the fiscal year 2021 FYDP (fiscal year 2021-fiscal
year 2026).
minot afb weapons generation facility
Question. [full context provided on p. 38-39 of the transcript]
When will Minot AFB Weapons Generation Facility construction start?
Answer. While we can't commit to a specific year when we will
request funding, the AF is committed to replace the Weapons Storage
Area (WSA) at Minot with a Weapons Generation Facility (WGF). Since the
weapons generation facilities are new designs that incorporate current
safety and surety standards, they are complex structures. Minot's is
even more complex because it will house assets for multiple weapon
systems--both for missiles and assigned bombers. We are learning
valuable lessons from the two facilities currently awarded, which will
help us design and build the more complex facility at Minot
effectively. These lessons learned will incorporate cost effectiveness
in the Minot WGF.
______

Questions Submitted to General John W. Raymond
Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick Leahy
space force readiness improvements
Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving
readiness, it is crucial that the [Space] Force take a fresh look at
policies and practices that may not support all service members. To
that end, please outline what changes, if any, the [Space] Force has
made, is making, plans to make, or is considering in order to:
Improve diversity in leadership positions;
Answer. To improve diversity in leadership positions, the United
States Space Force (USSF) is taking intentional steps in the following
areas:
--Leveraging the platform of Selection Boards to increase diverse
representation, including:
--Senior Enlisted Leader Development Teams (SEL DT) for Command
Chief Boards (CCB)
--Development Teams for Squadron Command and Director of Operations
Boards
--Command Screening Boards for Delta and Garrison Command positions
These efforts have begun to yield positive results such as 75
percent of the new Chiefs from the SEL DT and 32 percent of the
new Commanders from the CSB are of diverse representation.
--Increasing diversity and inclusion acumen among USSF leadership
through education improving diversity and enhancing team
performance skills. Current courses include:
--Pre-Command Course
--Squadron Command Course
--Senior Leadership Officer Course
--Expanding Project Aristotle across the Force rather than for just
one targeted Guardian population.'' Project Aristotle is a
homegrown USSF program that has two distinct goals: (1) Match
USSF General Officers (Development Coaches) with every O-6
Guardians (Mentees) to grow USSF senior leaders into strategic
leaders that can lead brilliantly across a dynamic
environment--deliberately focusing on human and soft skills
growth; (2) Assist with placement of an extremely capable and
diverse O-6 candidate pool into the right USSF assignment at
the right time. Currently, all of my O-6 and O-6 (Select)
Guardians are matched with a general officer. Moving forward,
the USSF plans to expand the program more broadly across the
force.
--Revising the entire O-6 management process to handle the
development and assignment of each officer individually.
Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
Answer. The United States Space Force is fostering a culture that
is resilient and inclusive. Through the integration of evidence-based
best practices and benchmarks, we aim to create a work environment that
is cohesive and collaborative. The following have been implemented:
--Recently signed policy to establish diverse pool for candidates on
non-statutory boards. This initiative develops our Guardians,
enhances retention, and serve as a developmental experience
helping prepare members for future Senior Leadership
opportunities.
--Space Force Chief Human Capital Officer co-leads the Department of
the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Groups, alongside the
Air Force's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (SAF/ODI) and
Manpower, Personnel and Services (AF/A1). These senior leaders
provide oversight of various affinity groups to include but not
limited to the Women's Initiative Team, Hispanic Empowerment
Action Team and the Black Employment Strategic Team. These
groups provide an environment conducive to networking,
enhancing belonging, and raising concerns or issues affecting
these populations to Senior Departmental leadership for
awareness, guidance, and actions.
--Initiated formal intern programs, expanding access to new talent,
supporting Space Force's contributions to National Defense,
while growing Space-related competencies and retaining diverse
talent. Two programs being used are:
--Premier College Intern Program. These interns are college majors
in Computer Science, Cyber, and Information Systems
programs.
--Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings Intern Program, which
provides Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets the
opportunity to conduct their summer intern program within
USSF. The objective is to allow access to the cadets to
learn new skills and increase their knowledge on the space
mission and contributions to National Defense.
--Executed Space Force's first-ever Sword Athena titled ``Women In
Space.'' Sword Athena provides female Guardians a professional
development forum and networking mechanism. It was deliberately
designed to inform, inspire and motivate Guardians.
--Partnered with Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS) to establish a
dedicated cadre of recruiters to conduct targeted Guardian
recruitment in underrepresented communities. These dedicated
recruiters will brand the USSF, while educating and informing
potential applicants, influencers, and civic leaders about the
benefits of becoming a Guardian, and why the USSF should be
considered a premium career choice.
--Established the University Partnership Program (UPP), promoting
diversity through partnerships with diverse institutions,
including Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Under UPP, the USSF
will provide educational scholarships and commissioning
opportunities to underrepresented members attending select
universities. Additionally, the USSF is establishing Junior
Reserve Officer Training Corps units at selected high schools
to seed opportunities in underrepresented communities.
--Focused Space Force military and civilian recruitment initiatives
on expanding the pool of potential STEM applicants from a
diverse cross-section of our nation by leveraging partnerships
with academia, industry, and other government agencies that
promote and provide opportunities for underrepresented groups
to pursue science and technology-focused degrees and career
opportunities.
Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention,
with input from women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members,
and sexual assault survivors;
Answer. The Space Force is committed to improving training that
improves the lives all of our diverse Airmen and Guardians while
promoting a sense of belonging to the Space Force. The Space Force is
working hard to ensure our training is evidenced based and includes
considerations of and input from many vulnerable populations including
women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members, and both male and
female sexual assault survivors. We are working closely with the DoD
Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military and the
Interpersonal Violence Taskforce; and we have developed a prevention
plan of action to improve prevention efforts that provide a foundation
for concrete actions to address interpersonal and self-directed
violence. We are committed to providing a respectful, inclusive
environment for all Airmen and Guardians, and taking all appropriate
steps to improve.
Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health
support services for Service members and their families, including
services tailored specifically toward minority service members;
Answer. To maximize the availability of our mental health services,
the Department of the Air Force (DAF) has sought to create mental
health clinic workflows to match patient needs and increase
efficiencies. Through the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown period, the DAF
expanded its tele-mental health services 3600 percent compared to 2019.
The DAF mental health enterprise was able to sustain 90 percent of its
2019 care operations levels during this period.
Furthermore, in order to improve readiness and support of
Guardians, the Air Force Surgeon General established an Office of
Diversity and Inclusion. This office is actively working with the
Defense Health Agency to evaluate and intentionally seek to correct
disparities in healthcare delivery.
Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority service
members facing discrimination from within their units; and
Answer. The Space Force continues to evaluate and refine the Out
and About outreach program used to gather equal opportunity and human
relations information that may impact service members.
The Installation Equal Opportunity Director is responsible for
scheduling Out and About Assessments in coordination with unit
leadership and ensures unit leadership receives a summary of
observations following the assessments. Observations and discussions
focus on EO, human relations and organizational effectiveness factors
that impact morale and mission readiness to include, but are not
limited to: Interpersonal communication/interaction/polarization (break
rooms, work areas, recreation/entertainment facilities, etc.);
Accessibility to unit leadership; Bulletin board and public display
items (individual/group recognition, policy letters/posters, etc.);
Workplace conditions/environment; Dormitory conditions/environment;
Graffiti; Personal display of pictures, posters, artifacts, etc.; and
overall general impressions. Information gathered throughout the
assessment is used as part of the overall Organizational Climate
Assessment Program.
Question. Improve medical care for transgender service members,
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy,
and post-partum care.
Answer. In order to improve readiness and support of Guardians, the
DAF established a Transgender Health Medical Evaluation Unit (THMEU) at
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The THMEU operates under a patient-
centered care model that ensures compliance with Department of Defense
(DoD), DAF, and Defense Health Agency policies and transgender
healthcare clinical guidelines, regardless of where the Guardian is
assigned.
In addition to the THMEU, the Department of the Air Force Surgeon
General established an Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office to
improve readiness and support of Guardians who are minority service
members. This office is also working with the DHA to evaluate and
intentionally address disparities in healthcare delivery, which would
include pregnancy and postpartum care.
On top of these efforts, the DAF is also focused on improving the
pregnancy and postpartum care provided to Guardians, particularly with
a focus on return to duty and readiness. For example, Air Force
Instruction on Duty Limiting Conditions (48-133) was updated to allow
fitness assessment exemptions following perinatal loss (miscarriage and
stillbirth). A parallel update regarding convalescent leave after such
losses is currently pending revisions to Air Force Manual on Tricare
Operations and Patient Administration (41-210). Additionally, updates
were made to breast feeding policies (AFGM2020-36-01) to improve
Guardians' access to breast pumping resources and milk storage, as well
as increase flexibility in scheduling pumping time during the duty day.

SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

Senator Tester. Next week, the full Appropriations
Committee will hear testimony from the Secretary of Defense and
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That will be on June
17th at 10 a.m.
This Defense Subcommittee will reconvene on Tuesday, June
22 at 10 a.m. to hear from the Army leadership on the fiscal
year 2022 Army budget request.
And with that, this committee stands in recess.
[Whereupon, at 3:31 p.m., Tuesday, June 8, the subcommittee
was recessed, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 22.]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

----------

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., in room 192, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Tester, Leahy, Baldwin, Shaheen, Shelby,
Murkowski, Blunt, Moran, Hoeven, and Boozman.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Office of the Secretary

STATEMENT OF HON. CHRISTINE E. WORMUTH, SECRETARY

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JON TESTER

Senator Tester. Good morning. Let me begin by welcoming our
witnesses. Christine Wormuth was recently confirmed as the 25th
Secretary of the Army. She is no stranger to breaking barriers,
and I look forward to working with her to tackle the tough
issues in store over the coming years. General James McConville
is the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army. He is a war fighter
first, having received too many awards and decorations to list
in this short opening statement. His expertise as a
distinguished helicopter pilot makes him uniquely qualified to
help oversee the Army's current aviation modernization efforts.
General, I want to thank you for your service, and we look
forward to your testimony.
As we continue our efforts to confront growing threats from
abroad, the Army has recognized the need to become a more
distributed and agile force. In plain English, this means being
able to fight on the move, across the ground, air, sea, space,
and cyber domains. There is always more room to collaborate
with other services working in these domains, and I commend the
Army for embarking on a historic change in how it will fight
the wars of the future. To do this, the Army is on an
aggressive pursuit of modernization, including ground combat
vehicles, soldier lethality, aviation, and long range attack
capabilities. The Army has tried this before, the last two
decades, tens of billions spent on R&D programs, but we have
little to show for it.
Today, we are beginning to see these modernization programs
not only in advanced development stages, but also initial
production. Secretary Wormuth and General McConville, this is
promising news. And I ask you to keep the Army on this good
track. The Army's budget took an overall top line reduction,
but still increased investment in its top priorities. As a
subcommittee, we need to know whether the dollars in this
budget are enough to continue development and increase
production on all of these new capabilities without
jeopardizing today's readiness.
We must also look down the road a few years and ask if the
Army is prepared to afford all these new systems that they are
getting ready to procure. High tech weapons are expensive, and
we must be able to buy them fast enough if budgets remain
stable. Once again, I want to thank Secretary Wormuth and
General McConville for appearing here today. I look forward to
your testimony and perspective on the fiscal year 2022 budget.
Senator Shelby.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY

Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary, warmest
welcome to your first hearing before our subcommittee in your
new role. Congratulations. General McConville, thank you also
for being here. You are no stranger to this place. I look
forward to hearing about the Army's budget proposal for 2022.
This discussion is particularly important, I believe, because
the Army's budget proposal reflects a 2 percent reduction from
fiscal year 2021.
The reduction is proposed despite the need to maintain
readiness and make progress on key modernization priorities
like the long range hypersonic missile and improve lethality
capabilities. You are both well aware that our adversaries,
including China and Russia, pose new and increasing threats
that erode our traditional technological and battlefield
advantages. They are making unprecedented investments in their
capability and capacity. And China specifically has stated--has
a stated object of surpassing us by the middle of the century.
They made a lot of progress.
We can't let them do that though. Given that the overall
funding request for the Department of Defense does not keep
pace with inflation, and the Army budget proposal reflects a
decrease from last year, I am concerned that we are sending the
wrong message to both our allies and our adversaries. I look
forward to hearing today regarding the 2022 budget request and
I look forward to question and answer time. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby. We will start
out with your testimony, Secretary Wormuth.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. CHRISTINE E. WORMUTH

Secretary Wormuth. Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby,
distinguished members of the committee, thank you so much for
your continued support for our Army and our people, and thank
you for the warm welcome today. I am very glad to be here. It
is a real privilege to be with you today, and I would like to
very honestly and earnestly take a moment to thank General
McConville for his lifetime of service to our Army and to our
Nation. In my about month of time in the job, he has been a
great partner and we are off to a running start.
I am honored to be serving as the Secretary of the Army and
to be working with Secretary Austin and Deputy Secretary Hicks
once again. I thank them for their continued leadership. As I
have stepped into the role, I am surprised--I am impressed but
not surprised to see the State of our Army and its
professionalism, the hard work of our soldiers and families,
and the continued sacrifice that our soldiers and leaders make
every day as part of our--the world's greatest land fighting
force. I would like to highlight a few key observations on the
state of our Army as I see them today.
First, the Army must continue to heavily invest in the
development of its people. People are the strength of our Army.
We are steadily working to enhance our force structure, build
inclusive leadership, and invest in quality of life
initiatives. Like my predecessors, I can assure you that the
character, culture, and climate within our formations at every
installation will reflect a continued focus on placing people
first.
The harmful behaviors of sexual assault and harassment,
racism, and extremism cannot and will not be tolerated. We will
purposefully work to stem the tide of suicides that we have
experienced in our Army in the last few years. Our
responsibility is to ensure every soldier and civilian has the
right leadership, policies, and resources to be safe and
successful among their teams so that they can continue to be
successful in our Nation's defense. Second, the Army is now a
leader in new technology. From Army future's command to cross-
functional teams to the Rapid Capabilities and Critical
Technologies Office, to fielding next generation soldier
equipment for individual unit members, the Army is prototyping
and experimenting with new capabilities and concepts.
The Army is at the forefront of developing and fielding new
technology in counter UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) directed
energy, hypersonic weapons, next generation assured positioning
navigation and timing devices, pushing software coding to the
edge, and many other areas. Third, the Army is opening doors in
the Indo-Pacific, Europe and beyond. The Army can be relied
upon to engage with our allies, foster partnerships, maintain
deterrence, and set conditions for success prior to or while
engaging in conflict.
Deterrence requires boots on the ground, and our Department
of Defense must be present to succeed in crisis. The Army is
recognized as an enduring, reliable partner that can directly
contribute by bringing resources, training, and expertise to
countries in regions around the world. Our partnership can lay
the groundwork for access and cooperation and contingencies in
crisis. Fourth, the next fight will be in all domain conflict.
Future conflict will be in across all domains with ground
forces to secure terrain, penetrate defenses, and achieve
objectives. The Army's transformation is directly aimed at
supporting joint war fighting that will depend on joint all
domain command and control, expeditionary joint logistics, and
joint maneuver across domains.
As the Army continues to modernize, we will maintain our
overmatch against near peer adversaries, helping make future
conflict less likely by ensuring that the cost to our
adversaries outweigh any benefit. And finally, the Army's
readiness, gains, and modernization procurement requirements
must be prioritized to continue. The Army recognizes the need
to modernize concepts and capabilities to sharpen our global
competitive edge. Working in close coordination with you all in
Congress, we established a deliberate, achievable path to
deliver a ready, modernized Army.
Significant progress has been made, but success can only be
assured through continued transformation. The Army has already
made and will continue to make tough decisions to ensure the
best use of resources to adapt to and stay ahead of the
capabilities of our adversaries, whether they are near peer
nations or newly emerging threats. The Army will also compete
successfully below the threshold of conflict. The President's
budget will help us to care for our people, maintain and
enhance our readiness, and innovate and modernize. With your
continued support, we will pivot to next generation
capabilities to ensure we can win now and in the future.
Our Army is in great shape, but we have important work
ahead. I want to use this window of opportunity in the next few
years to make certain that the Army will continue to provide
modernized and ready forces capable of responding globally.
I join General McConville in striving to ensure we provide
the Army with the resources it needs to succeed. I know the
Chief is eager to share his thoughts as well, and I look
forward to your questions. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Secretary Wormuth. General
McConville.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL JAMES C. McCONVILLE, ARMY CHIEF OF
STAFF
General McConville. Well, thank you. And I would like to
thank the Secretary for her leadership during this critical
time in the Army. Chairman Tester, Vice Chair Shelby,
distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the
opportunity to be here today and your continued support for our
Army and our people, our soldiers, our families, our civilians,
and our soldiers for life, our retirees and veterans.
The Army currently has 485,000 active duty soldiers in a
little more than 1 million in the total force. That is roughly
the same size Army that we had on 9/11. Army soldiers are
presently supporting combatant commanders around the world and
in more than 140 countries. They form the most lethal and
decisive land force in the world, and they stand ready to fight
and win the Nation's wars as part of the joint force. I could
not be more proud of each and every one of them.
Since last October, the Army's priorities have been people,
readiness, and modernization, making us well aligned with
emerging national security guidance. Putting people first means
recruiting and retaining the best talent our Nation has to
offer, maximizing their potential, and taking care of them. We
are building a culture of cohesive teams that are highly
trained, disciplined, and fit where everyone is treated with
dignity and respect. And that is how we prevent the harmful
behaviors that hurt our soldiers and break trust with the
American people. These being sexual assault and harassment,
acts of racism, extremism, and death by suicide.
All three of my children, two sons and a daughter, plus my
son in law, are currently serving in the Army. Providing a safe
and secure environment for our soldiers is not only my
responsibility as chief of staff the Army, it is also a deeply
held personal commitment. We win through our people. The best
fighting forces in the world ensured their soldiers and units
are masters of their craft. That is why we are shifting to a
foundational readiness model that prioritizes training at the
company level and below first.
The Army has rebuilt a high level of readiness with the
support of Congress, but that readiness level is fragile. We
must sustain that high level of readiness while continuing our
most comprehensive transformation and modernization efforts in
over 40 years. That is the only way we will maintain our
overmatch against our near peer competitors and would be
adversaries. This year, we are turning our multi domain
operations concepts into real doctrine. We are not only
developing but delivering on our six modernization priorities,
including our 31 plus 4 signature systems.
With new doctrine, organizations, and equipment, the Army
is offering multiple options to combatant commanders and
multiple dilemmas to competitors and adversaries. And we are
doing so alongside our sister services and alongside our allies
and partners. The U.S. Army never fights alone. We are the
strongest land force in the world and a great source of that
strength comes from our allies and partners. As a people based
organization, we are uniquely qualified to foster these
relationships.
Thank you for your continued support to America's sons and
daughters in uniform. I look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Christine E. Wormuth
and General James P. McConville
evolved priorities
America's Army remains prepared to compete globally and fight and
win the Nation's wars as a member of the Joint Force. As demonstrated
repeatedly over the past year, we also remain the Nation's principal
response force to protect our country and communities in the face of
unexpected crises. We thank Congress for the consistent, predictable,
and sustained funding you have provided. This funding enabled us to
deliver a ready Army that responded promptly and superbly to a dynamic
and unpredictable security environment, like the COVID-19 pandemic,
Middle East tensions, civil unrest, cyberattacks, and south-west border
mission. Our priorities are well aligned with the Interim National
Security Strategic Guidance: investing in people, sustaining readiness,
divesting of legacy systems to reinvest in cutting edge technologies
and capabilities, mitigating the impact of climate change, and
strengthening our alliances and partnerships.
Last October, the Army evolved its priorities to people, readiness,
and modernization. This evolution reflects the achievements of a multi-
year effort to rebuild readiness and accelerate modernization. Six
years ago, we recognized that readiness had declined precipitously
after years of reduced funding, uncertain budgets, and deferred
modernization. We also recognized the need for new concepts,
capabilities, and posture to compete aggressively in the Indo-Pacific
and Europe. With your support, we rebuilt tactical readiness in our
units and built strategic readiness in our power projection
infrastructure. We deliberately executed internal reforms over the last
four years by realigning over $35 billion within the Army budget to
self-fund modernization priorities in support of joint all-domain
operations.
Thanks to your continued support for Army modernization, we are
successfully pivoting from the incremental improvements of the past to
fulfilling the robust Army Modernization Strategy that Congress
prescribed in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. Because of
this strategy, and new Congressional authorities to streamline the
acquisitions process, we are already beginning to field new systems in
long-range precision fires, air and missile defense, and soldier
lethality, with more on the way in next generation combat vehicles,
future vertical lift, and the Army network. With these modernization
capabilities, we are able to deliver multi-domain concepts,
capabilities, and formations that will give the Joint Force asymmetric,
all-domain advantages against near-peer potential adversaries. Our
gains are real, but fragile. With Congressional support, we established
a deliberate achievable path to deliver a ready and modernized Army by
2028 and a transformed multi-domain Army by 2035. However, sustaining
today's readiness and modernizing for tomorrow's readiness is only
possible through your timely, adequate, predictable, and sustained
funding.
strategic environment
A dynamic global security landscape continues to challenge our
nation. These challenges include: (1) borderless threats, like COVID,
cyber, violent extremism, and climate change; (2) the global siege on
democracy to include an increasingly contested information environment;
and (3) the changing distribution of global power that draws new lines
and value propositions for many of our allies and partners. These
challenges require an agile, ready, modern, and multi-domain Army that
works alongside strong allies and partners. Strategic competitors and
regional actors are testing American norms, institutions, and
alliances. China, our pacing threat, increases its global
assertiveness, while Russia increases its disruptive behavior. Threats
from Iran, North Korea, and violent extremism and terrorism remain.
While America's Army maintains a tenuous overmatch, it is fleeting.
Future conflicts will manifest at longer range, across all domains, and
at much greater speed, both physically and cognitively.
Climate change is altering the Army's operational environment and
adding new mission demands; mitigating these effects has been an
ongoing priority for the Army for several years. Climate change impacts
Army installations globally and opens the Arctic as a new geographic
theater for competition. The Army must consider alternative energy
sources, improved energy storage, fuel-efficient design, more robust
power distribution, and new technologies, such as weather pattern and
terrain stability modeling to better inform operations.
The Army must also contend with threats from within. The harmful
behaviors of sexual assault, sexual harassment, racism, and extremism
hurt Soldiers and break trust with the American people. The Army is
working diligently to solidify a culture of cohesion and intervention
to protect our Soldiers, not only from the deliberate fratricide of
these behaviors, but from the invisible danger of mental and behavioral
health issues, and other stressors that can increase the risk of
suicide.
people first
Listening to Soldiers led to our very deliberate decision to re-
align our priorities. The Army's number one priority is now people. Our
people are our Soldiers from the Active, Guard, and Reserve components,
Army families, Army civilians, and retiree and veteran Soldiers for
Life. At every echelon, the Army must promote and build cohesive teams
(1) that are highly trained, disciplined, and fit, (2) that are ready
to fight and win, and (3) in which each person is treated with dignity
and respect. Cohesive teams are the foundation of all our people
initiatives and how the Army can best sustain readiness and transform
for the future. Three critical enablers from the 2019 Army People
Strategy continue to set conditions for putting people first: Army
Culture, Quality of Life initiatives, and a 21st Century Talent
Management System.
Army Culture
Last December, the Army stood up the People First Task Force to
address and implement the 70 Fort Hood Independent Review Committee
recommendations, with the understanding that the issues identified are
not unique to a single installation. Army leaders are stewards of a
special bond of trust and confidence with the American people. We held
accountable those leaders deemed to have broken that trust. We have
fundamentally transformed our command selection process in order to
improve the way we choose future leaders to assume positions with the
most influence over Soldiers. We are piloting independent climate
assessment teams of subject matter experts to identify unit climate
trends early and respond before systemic problems emerge. We are
listening to our people to learn and lead better. We conducted 96
listening sessions across 14 locations in addition to a special
``Solarium'' conference that asked junior- and mid-career leaders to
develop solutions. The Army is now working to change policies and
aspects of Army culture that impede prevention and response to harmful
behaviors. The first policy change introduced ``absent--unknown'', an
additional duty status code which affords missing Soldiers oversight
not present in ``Absent Without Leave (AWOL).''
``This is My Squad'' is the foundational principle for Army
culture. This initiative, led by the Sergeant Major of the Army,
promotes cohesion by encouraging Soldiers to better know those around
them, develop greater compassion, and intervene early to protect
others. Implementation actions include increased non-commissioned
officer professional military education, redistribution of experienced
leaders, and better reception processes for integrating new Soldiers at
each installation and unit.
Project Inclusion is a holistic effort to improve diversity,
equity, and inclusion across the force. As of March of this year, the
Army had conducted 83 Project Inclusion listening sessions with over
4,700 attendees. Separately, the Army reviewed its policy on official
photos and removed official photos from all promotion boards. The Army
later redacted race, ethnicity, and gender data from Soldier Record
Briefs in accordance with the Secretary of Defense's direction. The
Army is building relationships with influencers in diverse cities and
communities to better acquire, develop, employ, and retain the best
talent across the entire nation.
Quality of Life (QoL) Initiatives
Putting people first also means creating a duty and installation
environment that allows Soldiers to thrive. The Army continues to
prioritize the QoL focus areas identified in 2019. The COVID era only
reinforced how essential each of those initiatives is to the well-being
and readiness of our Soldiers and their families.
Housing and Barracks. We continue executing the Army Housing
Campaign Plan to shape policies, procedures, and processes at every
echelon. The Army implemented 14 of the 18 tenets of the Tenant Bill of
Rights in its Residential Communities Initiatives (RCI) projects. We
expect the remaining four (common tenant lease, 7-year maintenance
history, dispute resolution and rent segregation) to be available at
the majority of installations with privatized housing by June 1, 2021.
We implemented mechanisms that hold privatized companies accountable to
residents for proper maintenance and customer service, hired additional
personnel to provide quality assurance oversight, and implemented 100
percent change of occupancy inspections and quality assurance checks.
To address environmental hazards (mold and lead), we developed
educational materials, a response registry, and policies for
habitability and displaced residents. Through the RCI, we are
committing over $1.8 billion and reinvesting another $1 billion to
improve residential housing. Additionally, the Army is projected to
invest over $10 billion in the next 10 years, in both Restoration &
Modernization and Military Construction funds, which will renovate or
replace more than 1,200 barracks for all components and eliminate sub-
standard barracks.
Healthcare. Army Medicine is partnering with the Defense Health
Agency to deliver the best care for our beneficiaries across our
installations. We are focusing on readiness as the Military Health
System reforms. We will emphasize operationally oriented training,
modernized capabilities, and innovative operational concepts. We are
grateful to Congress for increases in Health Professional Officer
special pay caps. This necessary investment ensures Army Medicine can
recruit and retain the best quality healthcare professionals for the
sustainability of the force.
Childcare. Childcare professionals serve on the front line of the
Army's response to the COVID-19 pandemic as they allow mission
essential personnel to maintain Army readiness. The Army has a multi-
pronged strategy to maintain, and in some cases, increase access to
care. With continued Congressional support, we plan to build 21
additional Child Development Centers by FY30, adding approximately
4,000 spaces.
We appreciate Congressional support for the three centers funded in
FY21, two in Hawaii and one in Alaska. We continue to invest in these
professionals, adjusting compensation to recruit and retain quality
staff. We are incentivizing the family child care program, like a
$1,000 bonus for new providers and for families that stay in the
program after a move. We implemented revised DoD priorities for
childcare to grant more access to military families. Finally, we
continue to invest in fee assistance to buy down the cost of off-post
care when on-post care is unavailable.
Spouse Employment. With the support of Congress, the Army continues
to make improvements in spouse employment. The Army reimburses up to
$1,000 for professional licensing and certification in a new state,
with Army Emergency Relief offering an additional $2,500. We thank
Congress for its efforts to bolster the support of individual states in
granting reciprocity. We streamlined the Home-Based Business
application and approval system, improved policies for military spouse
hiring preference, strengthened the Employment Readiness Program, and
made the transfer of non-appropriated fund employees between
installations easier. We continue to work with the Office of the
Secretary of Defense (OSD) to promote workforce development
scholarships, improve state license reciprocity and professional
license compacts, and reduce overseas employment barriers.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Moves. Soldiers are now receiving
PCS orders an average of 120 days before their report date, an
improvement of 30 to 90 days. Families can now claim 100 percent of
their costs for reimbursement when conducting a personally procured
move. Our development and launch of the ``Army PCS Move'' app and
automation of several business processes, including the Smart Voucher
program, are helping families research, book movers, track progress,
and file claims, expediting reimbursement. Though COVID-19 heavily
impacted last summer's peak PCS season, we still executed over 70,000
moves with a 95 percent satisfaction rate.
21st Century Talent Management System
The Army continues to refine and implement its 21st Century Talent
Management System in order to effectively acquire, develop, employ, and
retain talent. We are maximizing the potential of each Soldier. We are
evolving our marketing and recruiting with initiatives like Army Hiring
Days and the ``What's Your Warrior?'' campaign to bring in the best
talent from across the country, including cities and communities with
populations who may be unfamiliar with the opportunities military
service affords. This year the Army launched cutting-edge digital
talent initiatives. Our Army Artificial Intelligence Center partners
with Carnegie Mellon University to grow data engineers and data
technicians, while our Software Factory leverages the extraordinary
existing talent in our Army to grow coders to solve Army problems.
At the heart of the Army's 21st Century Talent Management System
are new approaches, systems, and processes that leverage deep data
about unit needs and Soldier knowledge, skills, behaviors, and
preferences. The Integrated Personnel and Pay System--Army (IPPS-A) is
on track to go live across all three components by the end of this
calendar year. Release 2 is complete, having brought IPPS-A to the Army
National Guard across 54 states and territories. Release 3, currently
in testing, will integrate the active and reserve forces and complete
the Army's transition to a single system across all components capable
of identifying needed talent and managing Soldier careers from
accession to transition.
Talent management starts with having the right Army leaders at the
battalion and brigade-level. These are the Army's most consequential
leadership positions in terms of affecting retention and attrition. In
the biggest change to the Army's command selection process in fifty
years, the Army now uses a Commander Assessment Program to select
future battalion and brigade commanders, as well as command sergeants
major. This intensive five-day program evaluates individuals for their
temperament, cognitive fitness, physical health, and leadership skills.
We are also expanding to build a system to assess and select our Army
Acquisition Corps civilians at the same echelons. We are putting the
right people in the right place at the right time to remain ready
today.
Ready Today
The Army stands ready today to compete globally and fight and win
the Nation's wars in support of the Joint Force. This is only because
we recognized six years ago that readiness had declined precipitously
after three years of reduced funding and uncertain budgets. Since then,
and funding from Congress, we rebuilt tactical readiness and built
strategic readiness. However, readiness is fragile. We require
continued support to maintain it, in order to reliably meet the needs
of combatant commands without overstressing our people.
People are the Army's most important weapon system. The Army
represents 25 percent of the Defense budget, 35 percent of the active
force, and 45 percent of the active and reserve forces, but meets over
half of global demands. Today, the Total Army supports the Joint Force
by supplying Soldiers to combatant commanders in more than 140
countries. Over 69,000 Soldiers are in the Indo-Pacific, including over
25,000 forward deployed on the Korean peninsula. Over 30,000 Soldiers
are in Europe supporting NATO and the European Deterrence Initiative,
including the forward command post of our newly reactivated V Corps. We
remain dedicated to our counterterrorism and train, advise, assist
missions, providing over 21,000 Soldiers in support of the U.S. Central
Command theater. In our Nation's Capital this year, over 26,000
National Guard Soldiers mobilized from 28 states to assist with medical
evacuation, communications, security, logistics and safety support.
Last year, we executed 64 brigade-equivalent deployments and moved 45
thousand pieces of equipment through 55 ports of embarkation/
debarkation in support of worldwide missions.
This past year highlighted the need for the Army to defend the
Nation at home as well as abroad. In response, the Army continually
demonstrated its capability and capacity to provide timely and
effective support in crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic expanded the Army's
existing mission set as DoD's leader in protecting the warfighter from
biological threats and investigating infectious diseases that threaten
public health. Since last March, Army scientists, medical
professionals, engineers, and logisticians from all components have
deployed nationwide to aid COVID prevention and response efforts. For
its vaccine development and distribution initiative, America turned to
an Army logistician to lead operations. Our National Guard and Reserve
units across America supported both neighbor and nation in an
unprecedented level of mobilization, not only for COVID support, but in
response to civil unrest, hurricanes, and wildfires, all while
continuing to train for wartime missions.
In 2020, the Army demonstrated strategic readiness through its
series of DEFENDER exercises, despite the constraints of a pandemic
environment. Strategic readiness involves installation capabilities to
mobilize, train, and deploy formations and then sustain them from the
homeland. DEFENDER-Pacific 2020 witnessed the deployment of combat
credible forces across the breadth of the Indo-Pacific theater from
Guam and Palau to the Aleutian Island chain and mainland Alaska. Under
the command and control of U.S. Army Pacific, combined joint forces
executed strategic readiness operations that included cargo delivery,
forcible entry operations, rapid infiltration of High Mobility
Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), operational maneuver of Army
watercraft, and fighter combat patrols. DEFENDER-Europe 2021 is
currently underway with over 30,000 multinational forces from 27
nations conducting nearly simultaneous operations across 30 training
areas. This year's exercise will incorporate Security Force Assistance
Brigades, the Army's new V Corps, and U.S. Air Force and Navy assets.
DEFENDER-Europe 21 is led by the Army's newly consolidated U.S. Army
Europe and Africa Command.
The foundation of Army readiness is our people. The Army is moving
to a foundational readiness model that prioritizes the training of
individuals and small units at the company level and below. The best
combat units in the world ensure their individuals and small units are
masters of their craft. To foster individual readiness, the Army is
also investing in holistic health and fitness. We continue to study the
impact of the Army Combat Fitness Test in accordance with Congressional
guidance in order to better connect individual fitness with combat
readiness. A solid foundation of readiness enables unit agility and
provides the greatest return on an investment of limited time and
resources. We will continue to use the combat training centers to bring
these highly trained, disciplined, and fit teams together for large-
scale collective training that validates the combat effectiveness of
our battalions and brigades.
The Army must balance the continuous demand for current readiness
from combatant command requirements with the imperative to secure
future readiness, all without overly stressing our people or our
equipment. To this end, the Army developed, tested, and rehearsed a new
unit lifecycle model that will go into effect October 2021: the
Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model (ReARMM). ReARMM
will harmonize historically conflicting Army priorities. It will take
care of people by reducing operational tempo and maximizing
predictability and stability to commanders, Soldiers, and families.
ReARMM will sustain readiness by carving out dedicated windows for
building readiness at echelon while aligning units with primary regions
and functions.
Regional alignment provides units deep wells of knowledge on the
terrain, culture, and people where their units are most likely to
operate. Joint force commanders also gain by leveraging habitual,
trusted relationships between Army formations and Allies and partners.
Finally, ReARMM will facilitate modernization by giving units dedicated
windows to integrate new equipment, reorganize formations, and train on
new doctrine. Adopting this model transitions the Army from small,
incremental, evolutionary modernization of platforms to large-step
modernization of our formations.
Army Modernization--Transforming for Tomorrow
The Army faces an inflection point that requires innovation,
creativity, and entrepreneurship in the application of combat power.
The battlefield is increasingly faster, more lethal, and more
distributed. Overmatch will belong to the side that can make better
decisions faster. To meet emerging challenges, the Army is transforming
to provide the Joint Force with the speed, range, and convergence of
cutting edge technologies that will generate the decision dominance and
overmatch required to win the next fight. We are leading the way in
developing and fielding advanced technology in support of the Joint
Force.
The Army's materiel modernization transformation--what we fight
with--is based on the six modernization priorities announced in 2018:
Long Range Precision Fires, Next Generation Combat Vehicle, Future
Vertical Lift, the Army Network, Air and Missile Defense, and Soldier
Lethality. The Army's conceptual transformation--how we fight--begins
with our Multi-Domain Operations concept, which we are currently
turning into doctrine. The Army is using Project Convergence, our
campaign of learning and annual capstone event, to shape future
concepts and capabilities. By 2035, the Army will realize its vision of
a multi-domain force.
The Army is committed to seeing our signature materiel
modernization efforts through to completion. Many are coming on line
according to, or ahead of, our accelerated development schedule and
being delivered to our Soldiers. Through continuous reform efforts, we
have been able to redirect scarce resources to these key modernization
efforts; however, we could not achieve this without Congressional
support and authorities. Army Futures Command is providing
unprecedented unity of effort across the modernization enterprise,
having changed our business model and culture through public-private
partnerships and a focus on Soldier-centered design. This allows us to
gain immediate operator feedback, accelerating the development process
and ensuring new systems are effective in operational environments.
These reforms, combined with early experimentation through Project
Convergence, are paying significant dividends. Judicious use of Middle
Tier Acquisition and Other Transaction Authorities enable progress from
characteristics to fielded capabilities in as short as three years,
versus the five to seven years it took just to prescribe requirements
in the past.
Long Range Precision Fires
Long range precision fires provide the capability to penetrate
Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) environments, suppress air defenses and
strike maritime targets at range from land, and establish our own A2/AD
capability to open windows of opportunity for the Joint Force to
exploit. In 2019, OSD directed the Army to develop a ground based long-
range hypersonic weapon. In FY23, the Army will field the first Long
Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) firing battery. The Army is also
developing a ground-launched, Mid-Range Capability that will complement
the LRHW and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) capabilities. The PrSM
is on schedule to conduct its maximum range test in 3QFY21 and deliver
30 missiles in FY23. It will provide greater range, lethality, and
survivability at a lower cost per shot than ATACMS. The Extended Range
Cannon Artillery remains on schedule for delivery in FY23. It will
establish overmatch against peer adversaries in the close and deep
operational maneuver areas with an extended range out to 70km.
Next Generation Combat Vehicle
Next generation combat vehicles will increase the firepower, speed,
and survivability of land forces, allowing them to maneuver into
positions of advantage in the future operational environment. After
rebaselining the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program last
year, the Army issued the final request for proposal for the concept
design phase on December 18, 2020. OMFV is an example of how our new
acquisitions process enabled the Army to learn early and recover before
programs become too big to fail. The Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV)
effort envisions an unmanned platform that provides decisive mobility,
lethality, survivability, and increased situational awareness to
formations. RCV will undergo increasingly rigorous experiments and
capability demonstrations with a decision to procure by FY24. The
Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) is an adaptable and more
survivable multi-variant vehicle that replaces the 1960s era M113
Family of Vehicles. Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) is an armored
combat vehicle that will provide, large caliber, long-range direct
fires in support of Infantry Brigade Combat Teams. The first unit
equipped with MPF will be in FY25.
Future Vertical Lift
Future Vertical Lift platforms and technologies increase the
maneuverability, range, endurance, lethality, and survivability of Army
aircraft, providing joint commanders with increased operational reach
and effectiveness against near-peer competitors. Our new acquisitions
process has put the onus on industry to innovate and invest early,
allowing the Army to ``fly before we buy.'' The Future Armed
Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) closes the gap left by retirement of the
Vietnam-era Kiowa. Two prototypes will fly in FY23 followed by a year-
long flight demonstration. The Future Long Range Assault Aircraft
(FLRAA) will replace the UH60 Blackhawk with increased speed, range,
payload, and endurance. We expect initial FLRAA prototypes in FY25.
Future vertical lift will leverage advances in Unmanned Aircraft System
(UAS) technology to develop Air Launched Effects (ALE) with a wide
array of payloads and extended communication mesh networks with a
fielding plan in FY24.
Army Network
The Army network modernization underpins Project Convergence as the
Army's contribution to Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control.
It provides necessary information technology (IT) infrastructure to
link the right sensors to the right shooters through the appropriate
command and control node. In FY21, we will field more than 150 units
with new technologies while simultaneously developing the next
capability set of equipment. The Army is also modernizing current
Global Position System (GPS) receivers to meet current and emerging
threats by providing the Joint Force with advanced assured precision,
navigation and timing (APNT) systems. Included are modernized receivers
that meet congressional mandates to transition to M-code GPS and
integrate alternative APNT technologies for our ground combat
platforms, dismounted Soldiers, precision weapons and munitions, and
aviation systems. We are fielding the first generation mounted APNT
systems to our forward deployed formations with a second generation
ready not later than FY23. Additionally, the Army continues to invest
in space-based technologies that close operational gaps in deep sensing
and targeting activities. We are coordinating with partners in the
Intelligence Community and private industry to enhance Army access to
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space-based sensing and link with national-level
capabilities to provide tactical-level sensor to shooter capability to
combat formations.
Air and Missile Defense
Air and missile defense capabilities defend the Joint Force,
allies, and partners against manned and unmanned air and missile
threats. The Army's integrated air and missile defense capabilities
will protect joint forces from adversary aircraft, missiles, and drones
to protect the force and enable operations. This includes both theater
systems and tactical/short-range air defense like the Maneuver-Short
Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) which defeats aerial threats to the
maneuver force with a mix of kinetic capabilities. The Rapid
Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) is developing a
Directed Energy (DE) M-SHORAD variant that utilizes a 50kW class laser.
We will field four DE prototypes for experimentation and further
development. Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) will defend
fixed and semi-fixed assets primarily against cruise missiles and
Unmanned Aircraft Systems as well as fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Based on the authorization in the 2021 NDAA, the Army is currently
preparing two Iron Dome batteries for operational deployment at the end
of FY22. This spring the Army will conduct a shoot-off to inform our
decision on the enduring IFPC solution. RCCTO is also working on two
IFPC variants, a High Energy Laser (HEL) and a High-Powered Microwave
(HPM). The IFPC-HEL uses a 300kW-class HEL to defeat Rocket, Artillery,
and Mortar (RAM) threats and is on track for demonstration. The IFPC-
High-Powered Microwave is being developed with the Air Force to produce
the Tactical High Power Microwave Operational Responder (THOR) in FY21
with a prototype expected in FY24. The Integrated Air and Missile
Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) initial operational capability is
3QFY22 with fielding. IBCS is a revolutionary command-and- control
system that streamlines sensor to shooter linkages for air and missile
defense engagements--and once fielded with enable optimized employment
of the Patriot force. This enhanced tracking system delivers an
unambiguous view of the operating environment, allowing commanders and
air defenders to make critical decisions within seconds. The Lower-Tier
Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) will deliver the next
generation sensor that leverages the capabilities of the Patriot
Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) interceptor and is fully integrated into
IBCS.
Soldier Lethality
Soldier Lethality improvements to weapons, sensors, body armor, and
training will deliver decision dominance and overmatch at the level
where it matters most-, allowing individual Soldiers to quickly
understand and react to emerging situations. With ReARMM, we are
incorporating Guard and Reserve units into the fielding schedule much
earlier and more broadly than in past modernization efforts. The Army
seeks continued Congressional support for the rapid prototyping,
development, and procurement of the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW)
Rifle and Automatic Rifle, Enhanced Night Vision Goggles (ENVG),
Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)--Heads-Up Display (HUD)
3.0, and the Synthetic Training Environment (STE). By 1QFY22, we'll
equip the first unit with IVAS. In 4QFY22, we will equip the first unit
with the Next Gen Squad Weapon Rifle and Automatic Rifle, as well as
General Purpose Ammo. STE efforts that complement IVAS include the
Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer (as part of IVAS) and the STE
Information System that includes: One World Terrain, Training
Simulation Software, and Training Management Tools.
In addition to our six priorities, the Army understands the need
for considerable investment in long-term research to deliver science
and technology solutions. The Army is aligning its laboratories towards
modernization and partnering with over 250 research institutions. The
Army's priority research areas are: disruptive energetics, Radio
Frequency (RF) electronic materials, quantum research, hypersonic
flight, artificial intelligence, autonomy, synthetic biology, material
by design, and advanced manufacturing.
The Army is also investing in deep sensing and analysis to provide
intelligence support to long range precision fires and commanders'
situational awareness during Joint All-Domain Operations. We will
continue to drive intelligence modernization by acquiring capabilities
and capacities across the Space, Aerial, Terrestrial, and Foundation
Layers nested with and in support of the Army's six modernization
priorities. We will continue to leverage the Intelligence Community
(IC), other Services', and commercial partner enterprise-level
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance collection programs to
provide timely, accurate, and relevant intelligence to support Army
targeting efforts and enhance commanders' decision making.
The Army is not just modernizing concepts and materiel. We require
continued budget support to modernize infrastructure and execute
workload in our Organic Industrial Base (OIB) of depots, arsenals, and
ammunition plants, along with our power projection and Mobilization
Force Generation Installations to better project power from and into
contested environments. We must be able to address the risk of new and
emerging cyber, information, and physical threats that can thwart our
ability to project power by disrupting installation operational
capabilities and the supply chains supporting our forces, whether from
malign actors or nature. Our installations must be resilient to
disruption and modernized in support of the modernized Army force. The
Army is investing significant time and resources to mitigate the
effects of climate change on our installations. We are establishing
energy and water resilience, efficiency, and affordability across our
installation enterprise. In the past five years, energy programs,
partnerships and initiatives recognized a cost avoidance or savings of
more than 14 percent, every installation has added a full-time energy
manager position, and 16 of 26 Army OIB depots, arsenals and ammunition
plants have transitioned from fossil fuels to clean energy
alternatives. We are also partnering with private industry to implement
energy and utility savings contracts that maximize the latest
technology to drive efficiency and reduced costs, with 99 agreements
currently in execution.
The Army is also not modernizing in a vacuum, but in partnership
with our sister Services. We have completed two Army-Air Force
Warfighter Talks and one Army-Air Force-Navy joint session to ensure
the Army's Project Convergence initiatives remains synchronized with
the Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System and the Navy's
Project Overmatch to meet the unique needs of each Service. As we work
to stand-up a Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) in Europe later this year,
our Indo-Pacific aligned MDTF continues to synchronize effects with the
Joint Force during multiple exercises. The MDTF's All-Domain Operations
Center enables Joint training, to include hosting Carrier Strike Group-
3 for the Navy's Fleet Synthetic Training--Joint exercise and
connecting to the Navy's Continuous Training Environment network.
During INDOPACOM's Pacific Fury 21, the MDTF validated its ability to
virtually synchronize long range fires and effects with the Joint
Force. The MDTF will participate in USINDOPACOM's upcoming Northern
Edge and Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) Simulation
Experiment (SIMEX) in May before rotating into the Indo-Pacific later
this summer to participate in joint exercises with PACAF, PACFLT, and
MARFORPAC.
Strengthening Alliances and Partnerships
America does not fight alone. Alliances and partnerships are among
the greatest sources of our military strength. This global landpower
network is DoD's foundation for competition, creating inroads and
maneuver space for Joint and whole-of-government strategic engagement.
As a people organization, the Army is uniquely qualified to maintain
and expand this vital network, especially given that partner militaries
and their senior leaders are predominately land force-centric. Our
roadmap for building and strengthening relationships spans a range of
activities that include military and key leader engagements, education
and training programs such as the Department of State's International
Military Education and Training (IMET) and International Professional
Military Education (IPME), security assistance through Title 22 Foreign
Military Sales, and advise and assist capabilities. Boots on the ground
deter would-be adversaries, and small, scalable engagements with our
Allies and partners open doors to the access and presence we need to
compete effectively. The Army's new Security Force Assistance Brigades
(SFAB) demonstrate our commitment to alliances and partnerships and our
capability to compete.
Last year we completed the activation of all six SFABs, five in the
Regular Army and one in the Army National Guard. Since then, 5th SFAB
has already completed missions with multiple partners across the Indo-
Pacific theater, including elements of the Thai, Indonesian, and Indian
armies. Later this year, many of those partners will join their
American counterparts in combined exercises at the National Training
Center. Engagements such as these are vital, not only for
interoperability, but in recognition that Cold War-era exclusive
allegiance to a single great power no longer exists. Many if not all of
our allies and partners maintain concurrent relationships with both the
United States and our competitors and potential adversaries. We cannot
take for granted these relationships and the vital access and presence
they provide us.
closing
The men and women of the United States Army are the greatest
Soldiers in the world. The Army is cultivating cohesive teams,
maximizing talent, sustaining tactical and strategic readiness,
progressing through our greatest transformation in over 40 years, and
strengthening our alliances and partnerships. We are leading the way in
developing and fielding high technology for the Joint Force. We are
opening operational and strategic doors in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
We are succeeding through calibrating our force posture around the
globe to assure our partners and deter would-be adversaries. And we
need your continued support. With timely, adequate, predictable, and
sustained funding, we will remain ready to fight and win our Nation's
wars--now and into the future.

Senator Tester. Thank you, General. Appreciate the comments
of you and the Secretary. First off, I want to thank the Army,
especially the soldiers of the National Guard, for their
efforts in supporting the capital security mission over the
last several months. While there has been discussion on a much
needed supplemental appropriations bill to cover these costs, I
am getting nervous about what will happen if those funds are
not approved and approved soon.
So, Secretary Wormuth, can you give us some insight on how
much the Army is insured across its components from that
mission? What sort of tradeoffs you are going to have to make
as you push funds around to cover those costs in the short
term?
Secretary Wormuth. Yes, Chairman Tester. Right now, the
resources basically to pay for the support that the National
Guard has provided to the Capitol, and I want to take a minute
also to just recognize their enormous contribution, is about
$450 million. So that is the bill associated with the support
that they provided in this execution year.
If we are not able to cover that, right now the Army Guard
is basically in a situation where they are concerned about
their ability to pay for training for the rest of this year. So
without that, those resources, the Guard, for example, and you
know, and this is in States all around the country, will find
themselves with training issues that are going to affect, you
know, both their aviation readiness, for example, their ability
to have readiness with their ground vehicles, they are going to
have, you know, again, many of the training exercises that they
have put off because of everything else they have been doing in
support of COVID, in support of the Southwest border, in
support of being here in the capital.
All of that regularly scheduled training has been postponed
and now is at risk of not being able to be funded. And so it is
definitely a concern and something that will impact our Guard
all around the Nation.
Senator Tester. So has training been postponed already?
Secretary Wormuth. Senator, no. My sense of the situation
is at this point, they have been--they are in a position where
they don't want to with--spend funds for the remainder of the
year because then they will be basically at a point of being in
violation of the Anti-deficiency Act. So it is really looking
at the summer months, July, August, September.
Senator Tester. That is when it will kick in?
Secretary Wormuth. Yes.
Senator Tester. That is good to know. General McConville,
one proposal that is being floated openly is the idea of a
standing military quick reaction force for capital security.
How do you feel about this mission, and do you think it is
appropriate for the Army?
General McConville. Well, my best military advice, Senator,
is law enforcement should be conducted by law enforcement
agencies and the military should be the last resort when it
comes to law enforcement.
Senator Tester. I appreciate your direct answer to that.
Thank you very, very much. Shifting to the Pacific, where we
are driving a lot of modernization priorities to fight China.
The Army's going to need helicopters with increased range and
speed and missiles, very long ranges. This year's budget
request includes an increase in investments in the Army's
modernization priorities from $9.5 billion to $11.3 billion.
General McConville, can you give a quick overview of your
increased investments in fiscal year 2022 and how they support
the shift to the Pacific?
General McConville. Yes, Senator. We have about $1.9
billion focused on the Pacific. That does not include the pay
for the 69,000 soldiers that operate the Pacific. The key to
what we are providing the combatant commanders out there is we
provide the new organization Security Force Assistance
Brigades, which allows them to work closely with our allies and
partners in the region and build up their capacity. We are
developing a multi-domain task force that provides really two
capabilities, long range precision effects, which is very, very
important in the competition, because they can do intelligence,
they can do information operations, they can do cyber
electronic warfare, and space operations.
They also have the capability which we are developing, it
is long range precision fires, which helps with deterrence
because it gives us the ability to potentially penetrate any
type of anti-access area denial capability that is set up by
potential competitors in the region. We are also doing multiple
exercises, so we have a chance to work with our allies and
partners, and we are present throughout the region, which is
very, very important to reassuring our fellow land components
that will be there when they need us.
Senator Tester. Thank you, General. Senator Shelby.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Army's fiscal
year 2022 budget request for research and development continues
to focus on six modernization priorities, yet the 2022 budget
proposal for research and development funding is $1.3 billion
less than last year. Madam Secretary, now that you have taken
the helm and begun to review these modernization efforts, are
you considering any changes to the focus areas or the approach
that the Army has taken to its modernization priorities?
Secretary Wormuth. Vice Chairman, Generally, I am very
comfortable with the modernization priorities that the Army has
at this time. And as General McConville was just speaking to, I
think the kinds of capabilities we are looking at in terms of
long range precision fires, future vertical lift, you know,
next generation vehicles, and air and missile defenses also are
all very appropriate to the kinds of near peer challenges that
we are facing. So broadly speaking, I am comfortable with where
we are heading.
I think, you know, we are going to have to continue
carefully balancing between our modernization emphasis while
also maintaining our readiness and taking care of our people.
But I think we are going in the right direction on
modernization, sir.
Senator Shelby. Would you deem research and development a
very high priority, period?
Secretary Wormuth. Yes, it is very important that we
continue to emphasize development.
Senator Shelby. For tomorrow's weapons----
Secretary Wormuth. Yes, exactly. And we have got about 74
percent of our R&D account focused on our 31 plus 4 priorities
for modernization.
Senator Shelby. General McConville, could you provide a
General overview, knowing we are not in closed session, on the
progress of the Army's six modernization priorities and outline
what risk that the Army is accepting by reducing its research
and development funding as it pursues those priorities? It is a
dangerous road, you know.
General McConville. Yes. Well, as the Secretary said, we
have done some tremendous work, we call it night court, to take
a look at our modernization priorities and make sure that we
align the resources with them and the research development. So
we have moved a tremendous amount of money, about 74 percent of
our research and development funds focused on those
modernization priorities. They are moving along very, very
well. As you know, Senator, hypersonics is moving extremely
quickly. We expect our first battery and in 2023, our mid-range
capabilities, moving along very capability, we expect to be
able to send ships in 2023.
Our present strike missile capabilities is moving along
very capable. We expect to have the first battery around 2023.
Our next generation combat vehicle is moving out. That is going
to come in about 2028. And future vertical lift, we have two
different aircraft that we are developing, both are flying
models right now. Again, this is exceptionally fast, delivering
that to the troops. We want to fly before we buy and that is
coming in around 2028. We are making great strides in air and
missile defense so we can counter unmanned aerial systems. We
are making great strides in convergence with our network and
bringing together our sensors and shooters, so we have the
overmatch we need.
And finally, for our soldiers, we are getting them the
lethality they need through an integrated visual augmentation
system, a new carbine that can be much more lethal on the
battlefield, and a new squad automatic weapon system. So we are
very, very pleased with the progress that we are making on the
six modernization priorities and really very pleased the way we
are working with industry in a different way.
Senator Shelby. Sir, the Army's Rapid Capabilities and
Critical Technologies Office is leading the development of the
long range hypersonic weapons. This program is scheduled to
conduct several test events in 2022. What do you expect to
learn, that you talk about in this session today, to the test
of the schedule next year, and how will this data from test
events lead to decisions for the program? And how is
development going on the thermal protection system, which I
think is very important there?
General McConville. Well, Senator, as you know, we had a
very successful test last year. We are getting ready to do
another test over the upcoming months. That test is, again, is
going to confirm a lot of the systems. It is going to make sure
that the range--that, you know, we are going to get a much
better idea of what type of range the system can work. We know
the precision is there. So what we are going to take away from
the testing is more assurity when it comes to what is the
range, you know, the max range, the system, what is the
precision of the system, and so far, we are very pleased with
the progress.
Senator Shelby. General, how is the development going on in
the sensor integration display for the heads up display
component of the system?
General McConville. Well, the heads up display for--I want
to make sure----
Senator Shelby. The integrated visual augmentation--
General McConville. Well the integrated visual augmentation
system is transformational. It is coming along very, very well.
It is probably one of the most transformational systems that we
have in that we are able to fuse night vision capability with
an infrared capability. But more importantly, it provides
situational awareness to our soldiers that we have never had
before. And the future will be that soldiers will be able to
fight with this system, they will be able to rehearse with this
system. They will actually be able to train with this system in
virtual reality.
Senator Shelby. Madam Secretary, quickly, in the area of
production, some of us are concerned that some of the proposed
delays in building things with our industrial base, you know,
this could be a problem. What is the Army doing to ensure that
the industrial base will remain viable for these programs if
you slow-walk some of them?
Secretary Wormuth. Well, Senator, very quickly, I would say
I think the primary thing we are doing is having Army Materiel
Command undertake a 15 year plan to essentially try to align
our future requirements and make sure that our organic
industrial base and the commercial industrial base can meet
those needs over time. That is the primary----
Senator Shelby. Keeping that industrial base together is
very critical, is it not?
Secretary Wormuth. Absolutely. We have to be able to have
that industrial base to make all of the new next generation
systems that the Chief was mentioning. And as you know,
ensuring, frankly, the cybersecurity of our suppliers and our
industrial base is also a key issue that we have to get after.
Senator Shelby. Part of it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby. Senator Leahy.
Senator Leahy. Thank you very much. And thank you for
having the hearing. And thank you both for appearing. General
McConville, You may find it unusual that in an Appropriations
committee meeting there may be questions that sounds parochial,
but I think this has a broader meaning. The Vermont National
Guard's Mt. Calvary Battalion opened every position to women,
it can recruit women directly to any position. I believe it is
the first Army National Guard Cavalry Unit at that level in the
Nation do so.
I visited Bravo Troop from that battalion. They were here
at the U.S. Capitol following the January 6th insurrection. And
now they are deployed overseas. It is a remarkable feat I
think. Anyway, I am very impressed by it. The challenging
nature reminds me why many of us supported the removal of
barriers to women serving as well as all sorts of soldiers of
different walks of life. I have always felt the Army is
strongest when it finds the best soldier for the job, not the
soldier who meets certain preconceived notions.
So how does the Department's budget request support the
recruitment and retention of soldiers from diverse backgrounds
to a unit like Vermont's Mt. Calvary?
General McConville. Yes, sir, I think the point is well
taken. You know, we are in a competition--in fact, we are in a
war for talent in the United States. We want the best and
brightest to come into the military. We want the military to
represent the diversity of the Nation. And we are doing that by
having the right leadership with the right background. So if
you want to take a look and see who is commanding, recruiting
command is a person of diversity so people can look up to see
people like them.
Our recruiters come with diversity so someone can talk to
them if they want to be in the infantry, if they want to be in
the armor. And from where we sit is we want everyone to have an
opportunity, and we are appealing to them, and we are giving
opportunities at every level so people can look up and see
people who look like them. And that is how we keep the
diversity in the Army.
Senator Leahy. I appreciate that. I look at a place like
New England where it is getting harder and harder to recruit. I
would urge you to empower local recruiters and Adjutants
General as much as you can. Madam Secretary, the U.S. military
has long been at the forefront of energy revolutions. We all
know making energy cheaper and less supply line intensive makes
a military force more capable.
The President has been investing in clean energy and energy
efficient technology a priority for every part of the U.S.
Government. This Committee has even supported research with the
Army Corps on energy efficiency technology over the years
because it would free up money for other things. How does your
request support development of clean energy and energy
efficient technology?
Secretary Wormuth. Thank you, Senator. Within our budget,
we are trying to do a few different things to try to help us
advance clean energy, and particularly in terms of our vehicle
fleets. You know, we are exploring where we can look at hybrid
vehicles potentially, how we can increase electrification in
our vehicle fleet. We are looking at trying to use battery
powered where we can. So there are a variety of efforts that we
are trying to look at across all of our different types of
vehicles to work with clean energy.
We are also, you know, again, looking at other ways that
our installations can be more energy efficient. We are doing
quite a bit to look at where we can use solar power, for
example, or wind power at our installations. I was just at Fort
Hood and saw the solar panel fields there, for example. So we
have a number of different places where we are trying to
advance and go more towards clean energy.
Senator Leahy. And the solar panel field, you wouldn't have
seen a few years ago?
Secretary Wormuth. That is probably true. I actually grew
up in Texas and I don't recall seeing solar panels there.
Senator Leahy. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I have a question
which I will submit for the record for the General. It is
about--it is a little bit involved on construction issues, but
I really do want an answer. And I know you will supply one.
General McConville. Yes, Senator, I sure will.
Senator Leahy. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Leahy. Senator Moran.
Senator Moran. Chairman, thank you. Madam Secretary,
General McConville, welcome. Congratulations on your new
position as Secretary, and for your long distinguished service,
General McConville. I am going to visit Germany and Poland in
the near future, and I will see transnational training
exercises focused on Russian deterrence. We face lots of
challenges around the globe. Our focus is sometimes shifted by
necessity and by changing circumstances. What should be my take
away? What do you hope I see and come back confirmed of the
importance of what we are doing?
Secretary Wormuth. I want to make sure my mic is on. Well,
Senator, I think what I would hope that you would see is, is a
couple of things. First of all, I hope you will see the close
partnerships we have with our land forces in Europe. And
obviously, you know, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
is our center of gravity there. You know, our enhanced forward
battalions with NATO are very important. And from an Army
perspective, I hope you will see the value added that the
forward element of the 5th Corps that we have now put in
Poland, what that is doing to again bring our partners together
and present a strong deterrent to the Russians. That is what I
would ask that you look. Chief may have additional----
General McConville. I agree with the Secretary. I hope you
see peace through strength, and that strength comes from a
strong military, a strong Army, and strong allies and partners.
And I was just over there last week. We hosted a conference for
European armies, had 32 Chiefs of Staffs from all the countries
coming together. They want American leadership. They want to be
good allies and partners with us. They want to have a strong
friendship.
And I think the way we deter others who wish us harm is by
having all that come together. And in the training is
important. Just like any professional team, you have got to
train, you have got to rehearse, you have got to prepare, and
that is where that strength comes from.
Senator Moran. Thank you both. General McConville, given
the rapid modernization of Russia and China's armed forces, I
have some concern that the Army's budget dropped significantly
below what is necessary to modernize a full brigade of Abrams
tanks each year. If Congress provides additional funding for
Abrams production, can you assure us that you will keep the
Abrams production, at least at the level of one brigade a year?
General McConville. What I can assure, Senator, is on my
unfunded requirement list. And if we do receive additional
money, we will prioritize that and go after those unfunded
requirements.
Senator Moran. What is our capabilities of ascertaining or
making certain that the active and guard units that are
scheduled to upgrade those tanks receive them on time?
General McConville. Well, that is why we want--you know,
that is why it is part of my unfunded requirement is to make
sure--you know, we have had to make some tough decisions in the
Army based on priorities. And we are--when I look at the Abrams
tank that is not legacy to me. I see that as an enduring
requirement. We also have modernization requirements which are
the six modernization priorities. But the Abrams tank is going
to be here for a while. And we have incrementally improved it
and we need it for the future. But we also need to modernize
the Army. And we are going to have to make the, you know, tough
decisions based on the resources we get. And we will do that on
the priorities.
Senator Moran. Secretary, digital design and engineering
has become an important resource for weapon system development
and sustainment. It has already proven its ability to increase
sustainment efforts on legacy platforms and I think we will
play a major role in the design of future defense programs. Can
you discuss the importance of making these digital designs more
accessible to service members to give them the tools to
increase readiness on legacy combat vehicles? And how does the
Department plan to invest in this new technology as we develop
this next generation of warfighting platforms?
Secretary Wormuth. Senator, what I would say is certainly
incorporating digital designs into our prototyping and
modernization process is very, very important. And frankly, we
are trying to bring in as many different types of new
techniques to help us be more innovative as possible. So, for
example, I think that we are using digital design as we look at
the new optionally manned fighting vehicle, for example. And
there are undoubtedly other programs within our 31 plus 4 where
we are making use of that. I have not been able to dive in-
depth into how we are using digital design, but again, I know
we are trying to be much more innovative.
We are collaborating with various universities, for
example, with companies, you know, smaller startup companies in
Austin, for example, where we have Austin--or where we have
Futures Command. So we are very much trying to bring things
like digital design into our process.
Senator Moran. I hope to have you as a guest in Kansas
where we can demonstrate that technology.
Secretary Wormuth. I would welcome that.
Senator Moran. Thank you, ma'am.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Moran. I will get you as
you entered the room, Senator Shaheen.
Secretary Shaheen. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank
you, Secretary Wormuth and General McConville, for your
service. One of the new potential areas of conflict, and
certainly of a lot of other activities, is the Arctic. And so
it is very important that we know as much as possible and have
as much research as possible about the Arctic. One of the labs
in this country that does that research is in Hanover, New
Hampshire. It is the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab.
So can you just speak to whether, I guess this is for you,
Secretary Wormuth, whether you think the Army Corps of
Engineers labs are uniquely situated to confront the challenges
that the Army and the joint force are going to be facing in the
Arctic?
Secretary Wormuth. Senator, I think, yes, the Corps of
Engineer labs are very helpful to us as we explore these new
environments and what kind of requirements they are going to
present to us. The Arctic is absolutely becoming an arena of
competition between the Russians and the Chinese, for example.
You know, Russia in particular has been enhancing its military
posture in the region. China is definitely engaging in
exploration more oriented towards natural resources.
And as we think--as you know, the Army has put forward an
Arctic strategy. And as we think about building that out and
what kind of formations and gear that we are going to need, I
think we will want to leverage the Corps of Engineer labs, and
again, other, you know, partnerships with universities to help
us think that through.
Secretary Shaheen. But yet the budget request cuts the
Army's research and development. So can you speak to how we are
going to continue the research that we need to do if we are
making those cuts?
Secretary Wormuth. Senator, I think, you know, again, I
would want to look carefully at what exactly the labs have to
offer, and the resources associated with that. I was not yet in
the Secretary position, as you know, when our budget was made.
But we have had to make very difficult choices. Again, as we
balance readiness, people, and modernization, we have had to
make some difficult choices. But I would certainly look into
that and be happy to talk with you.
Secretary Shaheen. Thank you. General McConville, do you
have anything to add to that?
General McConville. Well, I do have is, as the Secretary
said, you know, we have put a new strategy for regaining
dominance in the Arctic. It is a place that we really haven't
taken a hard look at. You know, we have got a great State of
Alaska. We have troops up there. But we see us operating more
in the Arctic than we have in the past. So we are going to have
to have that capability.
We are developing equipment, we are developing
organizations that can do that. We are going to recruit the
right people that can operate in that environment, make sure
they have the right clothing, and the right capabilities. But
we see that as a place in the future that we need to be. And as
I said, I have met with our European allies and the Arctic
States are very interested in working with us on those
capabilities.
Secretary Shaheen. Thank you. The enhanced night vision
goggles, the vernacular ENVG, is currently being fielded and it
has received really positive reviews. I know about this because
we make it in New Hampshire, but I understand the fiscal year
2022 request is approximately $218 million, which is less than
what we had been projecting. So can you tell me, does the Army
still plan to make those investments for the ENVG in 2023?
General McConville. Well, Senator, as you know, those--the
troops really like those goggles. They are extremely good. And,
you know, we are developing two systems, the enhanced night
vision goggles, Bravo, which that is called, which our troops--
it is great investments. We are also developing the IVAS
system, which is a more sophisticated system. But that enhanced
night vision goggles process is still going to be around. It is
very, very good. It fuses both night vision and flare
capabilities. Some incredible videos out there of the troops
talking about it. So we are committed to moving forward there.
Again, there are tough decisions being made on the budget and
they are reflected in our budget.
Secretary Shaheen. I have a question which I will submit
for the record on IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmented System),
but on Afghanistan just briefly because I have only a little
bit of time left, will there be a change in our budget
requirements for Afghanistan because we are going to be leaving
earlier than anticipated? I understand we expect all troops to
be out by the end of July.
Secretary Wormuth. Senator, our budget reflects, you know,
the expected savings from the retrograde out of Afghanistan. I
think as the Department determines exactly what the posture is
going to look at in support of the over the horizon
requirements, you know, we may have to look at what the
resources are going to be attached to that.
Secretary Shaheen. And can you tell me what the savings
are?
Secretary Wormuth. I don't have that----
Secretary Shaheen [continuing]. don't immediately put those
dollars into the over the horizon.
Secretary Wormuth. I don't have that number off the top of
my head, Senator, but I am happy to take the question for the
record and get back to you.
Secretary Shaheen. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thanks, Senator Shaheen. Senator Blunt.
Senator Blunt. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. Secretary
Wormuth, congratulations on your nomination and confirmation as
Secretary. Look forward to the work you will be doing there.
Our biggest base in Missouri is Fort Leonard Wood. It is in
many ways the schoolhouse for a lot of the military right now,
principally Army still, but I think on any given day, there are
probably more people from different services there than any
base in the country. I hope you can get that on your list to
visit and you will find the community incredibly supportive of
the fort and what happens there. And General McConville, thank
you again for your service and for being here today. With the
future budget necessities, I don't think that includes, is
likely to include a basic combat training reduction or not. I
would like both of your thoughts on that.
And if there is a basic combat reduction there, we are
talking about Fort Leonard, where the original goal at Fort
Leonard Wood was basic training. We have gone way beyond that,
but still an important part of what happens there. There are
three other basic training facilities. If there is a reduction,
I think people representing those four facilities, certainly
me, would advocate that that reduction be proportional rather
than eliminating training in one base.
So one, do you think there will be a reduction? And two, do
you have thoughts on what would happen in those four bases in
training if there is a reduction? General.
Secretary Wormuth. Senator, to my knowledge at this time,
we are not contemplating a reduction in basic training at this
time, but I think, you know, certainly if we had to do that, it
would be concerning. But I think we would want to look at what
makes most sense in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in
terms of managing our resources.
So I would want to look at the four places where we do
basic training and basically run the numbers to see where, if
we had to reduce basic training, how we could do that most
efficiently. It might be that doing that proportionately would
be most efficient, but it might be that it made more sense to
perhaps consolidate our training in, you know, some less than
all four locations. So I think I would want to look at that.
Senator Blunt. General, do you have a view of that?
General McConville. Yes, Senator. My view is, as I
discussed, you know, we have got an active strength of 485,000,
a little over 1 million. We think that is required. We think
the training to support that is required. And so we do not
anticipate, unless we have some type of resource reduction, to
cut basic training. I think we need the Army we have given the
situation that we see around the world.
Senator Blunt. Well, if you do cut a location, we could
discuss at that time. But clearly, if you get into an up tempo,
again, having to start another location from what would have
become a dramatic reduction would make a difference. And while
we are on Fort Leonard Wood, we have made substantial
commitments there in the last four budgets toward the Fort
Leonard Wood Community Army Hospital. It was the number--it was
number one on the Surgeon General--on the Army Surgeon
General's list and the overall Force Surgeon General's list for
a long time. And we are well into that process.
I think the monies being requested for fiscal year 2022 to
finish that hospital really matters to the base and really
matters to the community. On the--General, as we withdraw from
Afghanistan, what impact is that going to have on our rotation
of forces which have been Afghanistan, Korea, Europe and
elsewhere? Still thinking rotating--is the best way to handle
that?
General McConville. I think, Senator, you know, what is
being done is really a global posture review. We will take a
look at what type of forces we need. There is some value in
having rotational forces. There is value in having permanent
forces. There is value in having what we call prepositioned
stocks, so the troops rotate in and fall on those equipment.
And we are in the process of--the Administration is having that
discussion. And what we will do is lay out those options based
on what it looks like. And so when you look at Afghanistan,
there is discussions of what is over the horizon, you know,
what does the future look like in the Middle East.
So that has to be looked at. The Administration is taking a
look at what does the Indo-Pacific look like and then certainly
what Europe looks like. All those will come into discussion,
and we will provide the appropriate best military advice on how
to accomplish that mission. But I do see some rotational
forces. I don't see all rotational forces.
Senator Blunt. Alright. At least one of the questions I
will ask for the record would be as we pull the contingency
overseas account into the regular budget, what impact that has
on our flexibility when we have something we don't anticipate?
And I am out of time, so I will ask that for the record and
look forward to your response on that. Thank you, Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Blunt. Senator Baldwin.
Secretary Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The upcoming
JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) recompete provides an
opportunity to seek upgrades and to improve the vehicle's
capabilities. I am particularly interested in efforts to
transition the JLTV to electric power trains, considering the
advantages it would provide in future environments and because
it would support the President's interests in promoting green
energy. I know you just had a little discussion about
electrification within the Army. Why is that JLTV program not
pursuing a more aggressive transition to electrification? And
is this something that you are considering for the recompete?
Secretary Wormuth. Senator Baldwin, again, I have not had
the opportunity to dive deeply into some of these programs. I
know that the follow on production for the JLTV is on track and
we are looking at, you know, how to move forward with that
particular contract. I would ask General McConville to try to
speak to your question of how the Army has been thinking about
it in terms of electrification efforts.
Secretary Baldwin. Please.
General McConville. I think the Senators, what we are
seeing--you know, we have efforts going for electrification. We
have got a reconnaissance vehicle that we are actually trying
to make fully electric. These tend to be smaller vehicles
rather than larger vehicles. So, you know, and there is value
in that. And first of all, reduces our ability to divide fuel,
which we like to do. That keeps, you know, trucks off the road
in those type things. But they are also very, very quiet, which
is helpful when you are maneuvering on the battlefield.
Some of the bigger vehicles in the joint light tactical
vehicle--first of all, that is a great vehicle. It is very good
for the troops. Is we are looking at probably a hybrid, you
know, how do you reduce fuel in a hybrid? You know, and we are
looking at bigger vehicles too. You go to hybrid first. We are
concerned and we have people looking at electrification, but on
the larger combat vehicles, what can you do in the near term?
What can you do in the long term?
And in some cases, we are not sure we can get to fully
electrification, but can we get to a hybrid that cuts fuel by
25 percent? Can we reduce how they operate at idle, which, you
know, saves fuel? And so we have folks taking a look at that.
But as far as going to a full electrification of that vehicle,
I don't think we are there yet.
Secretary Baldwin. Okay. On modernization, I know the Army
is divesting from legacy programs to fund other priorities, but
the JLTV certainly is not a legacy program or platform. Yet
over the last 4 years, the Army has often characterized the
platform as a smaller MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) or
designed for the last war. The requirements that drove the
creation of the JLTV do not support this claim, and the program
was never designed to be the next MRAP for Iraq and
Afghanistan. To their credit, the Marines have looked to the
JLTV in their shift to supporting the Navy against peer
adversaries, using the JLTV as the platform to support new
shore to ship and long range fire capabilities. Are you
familiar with these Marine Corps initiatives, and are you
exploring any similar efforts at this point in time?
General McConville. Yes, I am aware what the Marine Corps
is doing. They have got some innovative ideas with the joint
light tactical vehicle. What we are looking at is how we bring
it into the force. And our numbers are significantly larger
than what the Marine Corps is doing with the joint light
tactical vehicle. That we have goals set up there. And really
what happens, that is an enduring vehicle. That is not a legacy
vehicle.
I just want to make sure people--because we have kind of
had it characterized there is legacy, there is enduring, and
there is the modernization efforts we have. So I see you really
three categories as we discussed. The joint light tactical
vehicle is an enduring vehicle. It is something that we need in
the future. But it all comes down to, we are trying to give you
all the best Army we can give you with the resources we have.
Secretary Baldwin. Okay, I just would point out that JLTV
continues to sort of act as a bill payer for other programs in
the PB (President's Budget) 2022, resulting in about $120
million unfunded requirement for the Army. So that is of
concern. Let me just add, I think I have limited time left,
that Senator Shelby asked earlier about the industrial base.
And I believe, Secretary, you said that there was a report in
the works from Materiel Command. I would like to get briefed on
that report when it is available. And so I look forward to
receiving that.
Secretary Wormuth. Yes, Senator, it is in development now
and we would be happy to discuss it when it is complete.
Secretary Baldwin. Alright, thanks.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Baldwin. Senator
Boozman.
Senator Boozman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all
for being here, and we really do appreciate your service to our
country in so many different ways. As ranking on MILCON
(Military Construction) of the Appropriations subcommittee, I
know the importance of investing in quality of life projects
such as barracks and family housing, as well as the impact of
increased morale among the soldiers and their families, that
that generates.
The strength of the Army is people, and certainly I know
that you all agree that that should be right at the top of the
list regarding priorities. Madam Secretary, given a tough
budget cycle this year, how do we adequately address the
funding for America's family housing and other quality of life
issues that are so important?
Secretary Wormuth. Senator Boozman, you are absolutely
right that housing for our soldiers and our families is very,
very important. And the Army has undertaken a number of
initiatives in the last few years to try to make sure that we
are providing the kinds of housing for our families and
soldiers that they need. You know, we have consolidated, for
example, oversight of our privatized housing with Army Materiel
Command and Installations Command. In terms of barracks in
particular, we have a plan to invest about $11.5 billion over
10 years to refurbish those barracks that are not as in good
condition as some of the others.
And for example, I was just at Fort Hood a week or two ago
and I saw some of our newer barracks, which I thought were
quite satisfactory. But some of the barracks, frankly, that
need to be modernized. And we are trying to do that as quickly
as we can in the context of a flattening budget.
So there have been some difficult choices. I think there
are some barracks facilities, for example, on General
McConville's unfunded requirements list. But we do have a plan
to try to move forward as quickly as possible to make sure that
our soldiers have the housing they deserve.
Senator Boozman. Very good. And we appreciate the list,
General. You all are not bashful at all, and hopefully we can
be of help in securing some additional funds along those lines.
General, over the past 4 years, the Army has worked tirelessly
to restore its readiness levels, which again is so important.
It is fragile, if not adequately sustained. It can decline very
quickly, as we have seen at different times in the past.
You mentioned the Army is implementing a foundation
readiness model that will prioritize training at the company
level. I guess the question is, do we have enough training
capacity and resources on the active duty installations, or do
we need to perhaps augment those installations with regional
maneuver training centers to meet the intent of your
foundational readiness model?
General McConville. Well, Senator, I think we have the
appropriate amount of training areas available. You know, what
we are finding is this is a time for soldiers to train. And
what we are trying to do is we are trying to focus--you know,
if you only have so much time and so much resources, where do
you spend those resources? I argue that you do that when you
have new troops. You have new troops coming in units.
We bring in about 125,000 soldiers every single year. They
have to get the basics. They have to get the training. They
live in our organizations we call squads. And so you get the
squad straight, you get the platoon straight, you get the
company straight, and then we can take our battalions and
brigades to our national training centers and our combat
training centers and making sure they get the higher level type
training. But if you don't get the foundation right, it is like
building a house on a poor foundation.
It may look good in the top, but it is not good in the
bottom. So that is the shift we are doing right now with the
time and resources we have available.
Senator Boozman. So with Afghanistan coming down, will the
up tempo decrease or will it be maintained or----
General McConville. Well, the amount of troops we have in
Afghanistan is pretty small. I mean, we are talking, you know,
2,500 troops at the time. That is not a tremendous amount of
troops when you take a look at where we were at. So a lot of
people say, hey, is that going to change a whole lot of things?
Not too much for the Army. The 2,500, you know, brigade plus,
you know, brigade minus is not a huge amount of troops.
Senator Boozman. Very good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Boozman. Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. General, the Army
National Guard is expected to deploy and fight alongside the
active duty counterparts. Army currently trains on the MQ-1C
Gray Eagle out of Fort Huachuca in Arizona. And I understand
there you are having trouble getting enough training for the
active duty members, just the volume. And so my understanding
is, it is also difficult to get Guardsmen through that
training. So are we training enough soldiers to operate the
Gray Eagle in a timely fashion? My first question.
General McConville. I think so, Senator. I am sure we could
train more, but at least the amount of aircraft we have, which
is the trade off, is that those are going to use them--you
know, the other thing with the Gray Eagle as we look to the
future is that, and we see it contested air defense
environment, we are going to have to take a look at what the
utilization of that aircraft is.
As we take a look at our intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance aircraft that we have in the Force, many were
designed for what we call irregular warfare, counterterrorism,
counterinsurgency, where there is not a big air defense
capability. So as we look in the future, we are going to take a
hard look at what type of aircraft we have doing that mission.
Senator Hoeven. Right. But the Army National Guard doesn't
have its own MQ-1C aircraft or great--what are they called,
Gray Eagle, excuse me, aircraft. They don't have it.
General McConville. That is right.
Senator Hoeven. So it seems to me you have got bit of a
bottleneck in terms of just getting your active duty forces
through level and training guard. Then the Guards are supposed
to support that mission, which they do tremendously well, and
many others, but they don't have the Gray Eagle. So both in
terms of training and then actually having units that have the
Gray Eagle, how do we address that? Because you get both the
training issue, but you also have an equipment issue when you
want the Guard supporting your active duty forces and you have
to have that equipment to train on.
General McConville. Well, that is what we are taking a look
at, Senator, and we can take that for the record and come back
to you, because I think--I saw, you know, as I look at where we
are going in the future, we have got to come up with a--as the
strategy has changed, we need to come up with the way we are
going to do that.
Senator Hoeven. Right. But you got that equipment across
all your battle groups, active duty, but nothing in the Guard
have you got training. So it is something we do need to help
you address.
General McConville. Yes, we will take a look at it.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, General. Appreciate that. Madam
Secretary, so obviously unmanned is a big issue, and then also
countering unmanned aircraft, and then various forces deal with
it, you know, in different ways. Obviously in the Army sphere,
you have got the small, unmanned aircraft that you have to deal
with for your troops. You operate the Joint Counter Small
Unmanned Aircraft System Office, which works with DOD
(Department of Defense) to counter small unmanned UAS--we have
one of the UAS sites--as a matter of fact, the first one
established in North Dakota, the upper plains, the test site,
or Great Plains test site I should say.
We work a lot with Customs and Border Protection, too,
because we have got 900 miles of border responsibility on
counter UAS. So how are you working that issue? And how can we
be helpful to and continue to develop this counter small UAS
arms issue?
Secretary Wormuth. Thank you, Senator. Certainly we are,
you know, the entire Department of Defense is concerned about
the UAS problem. All you have to do is look at and see how
drones were used in Nagorno Karabakh, for example, to see the
potential threat that they pose both, to our forces overseas,
but potentially here at home. We are the executive agent for
the joint program office that is responsible for looking at
counter small UAS capabilities, and the Office of the Secretary
of Defense, which we work with closely, is actually responsible
for liaising, if you will, with the interagency, for example,
with Department of Homeland Security and the Customs and Border
Patrol.
But we are working very closely with them, as well as with
the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to look at how best
to counter those kinds of threats. And I think the Center of
Excellence can be very helpful to us as we continue to work
that hard problem.
Senator Hoeven. So who would we link in with at your office
or Army, who would be the right person for us to connect with
to really talk about how we can do some partnering or provide
some assistance in this effort?
Secretary Wormuth. Well, you could certainly talk to us in
our joint program office. And I think in terms of looking
towards other partners in the Federal family, you would
probably want to talk to the OSD (Office of the Secretary of
Defense) Homeland Defense Office.
Senator Hoeven. I mean, we have a ton of partners. I mean,
Guard, active duty, military forces, Customs and Border
Protection, the State--I mean, we have got a ton, NASA
(National Aeronautics and Space Administration). So I am just
trying to understand the best point person to make sure we have
clicked in with you in terms of what Army's needs are.
Secretary Wormuth. Yes, I think our joint program office is
the best belly button.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Secretary. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Hoeven. Senator
Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam
Secretary, General, welcome. Thank you, Madam Secretary. I
haven't had an opportunity to personally congratulate you so we
did it over the phone. But nice to have you here. I appreciated
the conversation that we had last week regarding the Arctic.
And as Chairman, I feel like I have arrived when the Senator
from New Hampshire asks the first Arctic question for the
hearing. It is like, hallelujah, we are here. We have been here
for a long while. And the military has recognized that,
certainly the Army has recognized that. We have had an
opportunity to talk about the Arctic strategy document that has
been released. This is probably for both of you with regards to
where--in the strategy, we note that the current unit
distribution and alignment for Arctic operations may require
configuration.
The Army will evaluate and adjust its necessary tactical
and operational headquarters and unit relationships to best
support. So where are we in this? What specifically and when
specifically can we see this evaluation moving forward, where
in the organization is this review being considered, and let me
know where we are with this alignment for Arctic operations?
Secretary Wormuth. Senator Murkowski, it is nice to see you
as well, and thank you for those congratulations. We are having
now issued the Army Arctic strategy. We are really in the
process of looking at exactly its implications in terms of what
kind of units we might want to see in the Arctic, exactly what
kinds of equipment they would need to carry out those roles.
And I have to be briefed, frankly, in more detail myself in
terms of where we are precisely in our thinking. So why don't I
ask if General McConville can speak in a little bit more detail
to your timelines.
General McConville. Senator, as we lay out in the strategy,
we have an administrative headquarters right now in Alaska. We
see that becoming an operational headquarters. How that
actually kind of works out, we have got other operational
headquarters similar to maybe what is in Italy right now. It is
not a division, but it is an operational headquarters, has the
ability to respond and command and control troops. That is what
General Eifler will set up and that is in the process of being
done.
We are taking a look at how we equip really the Striker
Brigade with the appropriate equipment, because the strikers
are a great capability, but it is not really designed to
operate 12 months a year up in Alaska. So we are taking a look
at what that looks like and how we put that capability. We are
also taking a look at--I was up in Natick, which is developing
some really high speed cold weather gear. And that is the type
of, gear we would like to get to that brigade so they can truly
operate. They do a lot of great work up there, but how do we do
that?
And then even looking at what type of people do we recruit
for that brigade? You know, people that live there. You know
that we can reach out to people that would be very--we really
want to go and work in that environment. So the States and
certainly Alaska, where we can write contracts. If you want--we
will guarantee you are going to serve in this area. You can do
those type things.
We are taking a look at a, potentially a multi-main task
force. What that looks like, you know, is we have the
capability for anti-access area denial capability, working that
with NORTHCOM. So all these things are kind of coming together.
And as we do the posture review, as we look at the resources
available, that will all drive this as we move out over the
next couple of years.
Senator Murkowski. Well, it is really encouraging to hear
you say this, because it is really all encompassing. It is
looking at the assets, the equipment that we need to have. And
I want a little bit of an update on where we are with this
bridging the gap between the SUSV (Small Unit Support Vehicle)
and the CATV (Cold-weather All-Terrain Vehicle). We recognize
that you have got to have the equipment, but if you don't have
the gloves and the gear and everything that you need in an
Arctic environment, it is pretty tough even to operate the
equipment that we are talking about. So things like clothing
are actually pretty important.
So, again, it was good to hear Senator Shaheen even
acknowledge that. But I am really intrigued about the focus on
what you are calling focused recruiting, looking at men and
women who perhaps come from a part of the country where it is
mountainous, it is cold. You have got, perhaps not Arctic
conditions, but you are used to the cold.
I think we recognize that part of the quality of life
initiatives that we deal with in a place like Alaska, it is
really hard with certain individuals and their families when
you have never, ever, ever had an exposure to the cold, to the
dark, to snow, and then we plant you there and say, go off and
do your job. And it is challenging. And I think we see this in
some of the issues that we have been facing. We have had an
opportunity to talk about this spike in soldier suicide.
That is something that we have got to get our arms around.
But I really appreciate that from a strategy perspective, it
really is a much more broad and encompassing. I have kind of
dangled the question about the SUSV and the CATV. I am over
time. But if you have a quick update on that?
General McConville. I know right now we are in the process
of--and I have got be careful--we will come back with an answer
on that. I know we are going through the process right now, and
I am kind of concerned if I talk about the process I might not
be doing what I should be doing. We will come back with an
answer. And I know we are working on that right now.
Senator Murkowski. I appreciate that, General. Thank you,
Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Murkowski. As the Arctic
becomes more and more real, which is real right now, the points
you bring up are certainly valid and sign me up. That is all I
got to say. I don't think I would meet the qualifications you
need in the Army right now, but what the hell.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

We are going to close this out right now, and I really
appreciate your testimony here today. Senators may submit
additional written questions. And of course, we would ask you
to answer 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 Hon. Christine E. Wormuth
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard Leahy
Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving
readiness, it is crucial that the Army take a fresh look at policies
and practices that may not support all servicemembers. To that end,
please outline what changes, if any, the Army has made, is making,
plans to make, or is considering in order to:
Improve diversity in leadership positions;
Answer. In 2020, the Secretary of the Army (SA) and the Chief of
Staff of the Army (CSA) announced an effort entitled ``Project
Inclusion.'' Project Inclusion operationalizes the Army People
Strategy: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by organizing and leveraging
resources across the Army to rapidly advance Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs ASA(M&RA) prioritized efforts.
The ASA(M&RA) signed the Army People Strategy: Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion on September 1, 2020. The Army People Strategy fulfills the
fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 529
mandate for the military services to develop a diversity and inclusion
strategic plan by December 20, 2020. The five main goals of the plan
include Leader Commitment, Talent Management, Organizational Structure,
Training and Education, and Equitable and Inclusive Environment.
As this year continues, within the talent management initiates, the
Army Talent Management Task Force (TMTF) has established programs
seeking to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Programs
like the Command Assessment Program (CAP) provide the Army ways to
improve opportunities for under-represented populations. The CAP
incorporates active measures to reduce opportunities for bias by
conducting double-blind interviews, conducting anti-bias training with
voting panels, and anonymizing files presented to voting panels.
In addition, the Career Mapping and Succession Planning tool is
currently under design. This tool will interface with the Army Talent
Alignment Process (marketplace) and Soldier Talent Profile to recommend
future assignments using individual knowledge, skills, and behaviors to
indicate where individuals should take military and professional
courses, seek training, pursue a new assignment, or take other career
actions in order to advise individuals on achieving their career goals.
When reversed, the Career Mapping algorithm is used for Succession
Planning, to look at the population identified as best fit for these
positions. The identification of these talent pools early on can be
used to adjust policies and remove obstacles to a talented and diverse
population being considered for key leadership positions at all levels.
Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
Answer. In response to the 21 May 2020 SA/CSA Dual Signed memo
addressing diversity in the Army, the ASA(M&RA) directed an Operational
Planning Team (OPT) to develop an Implementation Plan to Expand Diverse
Talent in the Army Officer Corps which will guide the Army to new
accomplishments which strengthen diversity and inclusion in the force.
The operational planning team developed 20 initiatives to meet four
objectives addressing how the Army will acquire, develop, employ, and
retain diversity. It marks an acceleration of new people plans,
programs, and policies aimed at expanding diversity and inclusion in
the Officer Corps, the Warrant Officer Corps, and the Enlisted Corps.
The Implementation Plan to Expand Diverse Talent in the Army Officer
Corps was published on January 7, 2021. ASA(M&RA) has also developed
OPTs to develop plans for our Enlisted, Warrant, and Civilian cohorts,
and the Civilian Implementation Plan was published in January. The
Implementation Plans for Warrant Officers and Enlisted Soldiers are in
development.
As a part of the Implementation Plan for the Officer Corps, the
Army has implemented several initiatives as a part of its efforts to
increase diversity across the ranks. Initiatives include the Urban
Access Program (Aug 2020); a Combat Arms Outreach Pilot Program (Mar
2021); Talent Based Branching at USMA and USACC (2019 & 2020);
Incorporated Diversity and Inclusion education and training into PME
(Apr 2021); started conducting the Department of the Army Career
Engagement Survey (May 2020); Army ROTC Senior Officer Mentor Program
(June 2021); Incentivize Select Sources of Commission Positions (June
2021); and Incorporating Mentorship into the Army PME System (fiscal
year 2021). Some of these initiatives will also positively impact the
recruitment and retention of Army Civilians, Warrant Officers, and
Enlisted Soldiers.
Strengthening Cadet mentoring programs is also an Army focus within
recruiting and retention. The goal of the cadet mentorship programs is
to increase officer accessions and to help cadets make informed
decisions about their future Army careers. Staffing a diverse mix of
Army Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers to serve as faculty and
mentors at United States Military Academy (USMA) and Reserve Officer
Training Corps (ROTC) locations not only increases the visibility of
Army professionals at our sources of commission, but can influence and
enhance the cadets' understanding of various branches. Going forward,
the Army Human Resource Command (HRC) continues to work with ASA(M&RA),
DCS G-1, and the sources of commissions to assign best fit officers to
positively support the strategic outcomes of the Army People Strategy.
Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention,
with input from women, LGBTQ servicemembers, BIPOC servicemembers, and
sexual assault survivors.
Answer. The Army SHARP Academy, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the
proponent for SHARP training across the Army, is aware of DoD's
research efforts to identify evidence-based practices to address the
need for culturally-competent care for men, women, LGBTQ service
members, BIPOC service members, and sexual assault survivors. Once
those best practices have been identified/codified, the SHARP Academy
will develop curricula needed to enhance training for the Army's Sexual
Assault Response Coordinators (SARC), Victim Advocates (VA), and the
total force. Currently, the SHARP Academy develops curricula with input
from women and BIPOC service members. The curricula instruct Army
advocates on how to care for sexual assault victims and sexual
harassment complainants with dignity, respect and compassion regardless
of their race, gender, orientation, religion or any other identifying
characteristics. The SHARP Academy continues to train SHARP
professionals to respond to all victims and complainants without
judgment or segregated advocacy actions. As DoD releases future
guidance and information pertaining to culturally-competent care, the
Army will rapidly assimilate the information into SARC/VA training
courses and will add additional content to the Army-wide training
support package and SHARP Annual Refresher Training.
Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health
support services for servicemembers and their families, including
services tailored specifically toward minority servicemembers.
Answer. The U.S. Army supports the Defense Health Agency's
Behavioral Health Diversity Working Group, which was recently chartered
to support advancements in mental health services for women, LGBTQ, and
ethnic minorities. The working group will offer clinical guidance to
enhance the care provided for minorities. Additionally, since the onset
of the COVID epidemic, virtual mental health has expanded to provide
services within the comfort of patients' homes.
This is particularly important for low-income families, many of
whom are minorities. By eliminating the need to travel to an in-person
appointment, beneficiaries have fewer barriers to seeking care.
Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority
servicemembers facing discrimination from within their units;
Answer. Education, awareness, and bystander intervention are at the
heart of the Army's efforts to combat racism. The Army is working to
improve outreach and support to minority servicemembers facing
discrimination. The Army has developed a ``Your Voice Matters''
campaign, which is a listening session concept designed to develop
atmospherics and determine any local and/or Army-wide diversity and
inclusion policy requirements; demonstrate care and commitment to the
well-being of our military and civilian personnel; and provide an
opportunity for personnel to engage with concerns or questions about
issues that impact their personal and professional lives. It has also
assisted local command teams and the Army Headquarters to better
understand diversity, equity, and inclusion issues currently affecting
the Army and society writ large. As of July 13 2021, the Army has
conducted 134 sessions with multiple servicemembers at 19 different
locations. Further, the Army is updating Army Regulation (AR) 600-20,
``Army Command Policy,'' to improve the identification and resolution
of discrimination issues through education, awareness, and bystander
intervention efforts. The Army has also updated Equal Opportunity
training to address racial issues and other related issues at all
Professional Military Education (PME) levels, from junior Soldiers to
General Officers.
Question. Improve medical care for transgender servicemembers,
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy,
and post-partum care.
Answer. Army Medicine proudly serves all servicemembers and their
beneficiaries, regardless of sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity.
Since Executive Order 14004 (``Enabling All Qualified Americans to
Serve Their Country in Uniform'') was signed in January 2021, the
Army's Office of The Surgeon General (OTSG) has been coordinating with
the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Defense Health Agency to
improve care for our transgender Soldiers and our Soldiers with gender
dysphoria, including modifying those policies that have a negative
impact on these Soldiers. DoD recently updated two DoD policies to
ensure that all Soldiers and applicants can serve freely in their self-
identified gender.
Further, as safety is a priority when caring for all Soldiers
through pregnancy and post-partum care, per established clinical
practice guidelines, ensuring specialty referral needs are met is a
part of prenatal and post-partum care. The standard of care is applied
to every servicemember and is tailored to the individual based on risk
factors, including ethnicity.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
future of weapons
Question. Secretary Wormuth, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
testified to our House counterparts in response to a specific question
regarding maintaining a technological advantage that we are facing a
rapid developmental convergence of an assortment of technologies
including hypersonic weapons. He also said that ``if we do not put a
lot of money towards developing [hypersonic weapons] to a level of
capability to deploy the joint force, we will be at a significant
disadvantage to those countries that do develop them.''
Where does the Army see the biggest infrastructure or support
challenges in developing our race to develop these weapons?
Answer. The biggest infrastructure or support challenges for
hypersonic weapon development fall into two general categories: (1) the
immature commercial industrial base; and (2) the Department of Defense
(DoD) test infrastructure.
First, as part of the joint Army/Navy program, one of the Army's
assigned missions is to transition the Common Hypersonic Glide Body
(CHGB) technology from Sandia National Labs (SNL) to commercial
industry. The Army is executing this responsibility through a
competitive industrial base selection using a ``leader-follower''
method with industry embedded with the government team at SNL. The
industry team (the ``follower'') is learning to build the CHGBs from
the scientists at SNL (the ``leader''). In parallel to the ongoing
knowledge transfer activities, industry is building the necessary
commercial production capability to support the CHGB demand signal.
Upon completion of the commercial production facility, SNL will become
the ``follower'' at the commercial facility with the commercial partner
taking the role of the ``leader.'' The first CHGB produced wholly by
industry will be delivered in fiscal year 2022.
Second, the current test infrastructure for hypersonics is
challenged by the limited number of locations and each location's
available capacity. The hypersonic test need is a sub-set of the DoD
test infrastructure, where all Services, as well as allied and partner
nations, use the same assets across numerous programs, both hypersonic
and conventional in nature. As the pace of hypersonic and long range
missile testing accelerates, the test infrastructure must be expanded
to meet projected demands.
Question. What is the Army's current capacity to test hypersonic
weapons and where are we doing so?
Answer. The current capacity for testing hypersonic weapons is
challenged by the combination of multiple DoD programs, both hypersonic
and conventional, that are concurrently in test phases, as well as
supporting allied and partner nations testing. The Army uses high
demand/low quantity testing assets for hypersonic weapons, such as arc
jet heaters, wind tunnels, static ground testing facilities, and
dynamic ground test infrastructure. The facilities, which are limited
in availability by location and capacity, are required to validate
designs, complete component testing, and conduct end-to-end weapon
system testing. These limitations create a challenge of balancing the
demands of not only the Army's hypersonic needs, but also those of
multiple Services. As the Army fields additional batteries, and new
hypersonic technologies are developed across the Services, the
facilities will continue to have issues with meeting the increased
demand.
Due to the long corridors required for flight tests, the Army and
Navy use locations such as the Reagan Test Site-Kwajalein, Pacific
Missile Range Facility, Hawaii, Pacific Spaceport Complex, Alaska, and
the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Complex, Florida.
Question. How does this budget request support the Army's ability
to develop and test hypersonic weapons?
Answer. The Army's fiscal year 2022 budget request for the Army's
Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) supports fabrication and assembly
of major components of the system, including the missile stack, missile
booster, and Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB). The fiscal year 2022
request also supports industrial base activities for the commercial
production line building the CHGB and completion of the first
commercially produced CHGBs. The fiscal year 2022 funds support
continued software and hardware testing and systems integration
activities for the Transporter Erector Launchers (TEL) and Battery
Operations Center (BOC). The TELs and BOC will be fielded to the unit
of action in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 to begin Soldier
training with the equipment.
Following the fielding, software development and hardware testing
will continue to support upcoming flight tests and validate the mission
planning concepts of operation.
The Army's fiscal year 2022 hypersonics budget request supports two
major tests that will validate the configuration of the LRHW system.
The Army will field the LRHW in fiscal year 2023, and Soldiers from the
fielding unit will be deployed to support both of these tests. The Army
will conduct these tests in conjunction with the Navy.
The Navy's hypersonic budget also supports the Army's LRHW effort,
as the Army leverages the Navy's development efforts in their
Conventional Prompt Strike Program. The Army and Navy are partnered to
execute hypersonics through use of a CHGB, common missile design,
common mission planning system, and joint test opportunities.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lindsey Graham
paladin integrated management (pim)
Question. Secretary Wormuth, The Army identified an Unfunded
Requirement of $149.5 million for the Paladin Integrated Management
(PIM) program that when coupled with the fiscal year 2022 President's
Budget Request, would procure up to 36 sets of equipment. However, this
is still only a little more than half of the full rate production
volume specified in the DoD approved acquisition program baseline of 60
sets per year. This lower volume will likely cause significant unit
cost growth and workforce downsizing. Given this, can you tell me what
the impact will be on fielding PIM to soldiers and on the industrial
base by moving away from the current volumes of 44 to 48 PIM sets per
year? Additionally, what analysis did the Army use to determine the
Unfunded Requirement funding amount for this program?
Answer. The impact of reducing to 25 PIM sets per year is that the
Army will procure one less Brigade Combat Team (BCT) set of PIM in
fiscal year 2022, delaying the fielding of PIM to one BCT when the
fiscal year 2022 procurements are delivered in fiscal year 2025. There
are no anticipated impacts to the industrial base given that 25 sets is
above the Minimum Sustainment Rate for production.
As for the Army's Unfunded PIM Requirement analysis, the Army
forecasted in its fiscal year 2021 budget request the procurement of 43
sets in fiscal year 2022. However, based on the reduced Army topline
and competing Army modernization priorities, the Army reallocated PIM
funding to higher priority modernization efforts. The Army's Unfunded
Requirement amount of $149.5 million would restore the funding to its
original fiscal year 2022 funding position and procure 43 sets.
______

Questions Submitted to General James C. McConville
Questions Submitted by Senator Richard Leahy
Question. Over the last year the Army National Guard has
demonstrated quite visibly that they have a connection with nearly
every community in America. They are friends and neighbors who deliver
food during the pandemic, or guarantee the right to safe and peaceful
protest, or are there with drinkable water when the flood waters wipe
out every other road to a town. The key organizing point they use for
all these missions and more are Readiness Centers, which serve as the
physical center point--the infrastructure, if you will--for everything
they do for their communities.
After two decades of war, the list of Army construction and
facility needs is extremely long, and there was a hearing last week to
talk extensively about MilCon needs. But I wanted to hear from you,
General, about what that construction means operationally.
What is the significance to a Guard unit of an up-to-standards
Readiness Center--meaning everything from meeting safety regulations to
having bathrooms for women, which too many of our readiness centers do
not--for performing its various missions?
Answer. An ``up to standards'' Readiness Center is the result of an
approved project that has been completed according to approved plans,
specifications, criteria, and standards. These Readiness Centers allow
Army National Guard units to store all equipment and materiel in one
location for timely issuance to Soldiers and expedient mission
readiness. This prevents the loss of valuable time spent retrieving
units' equipment from geographically dispersed sites and facilities.
``Up to standards'' Readiness Centers are also designed to include
facilities, such as locker rooms and restrooms, for all Soldiers. The
Army fully acknowledges that substandard facilities negatively affect
Soldier quality of life and thus, recruiting and retention. The Army is
aiming for Readiness Centers that ensure all Soldiers are provided the
space to accomplish all mission functions for a timely and efficient
Army response. This includes infrastructure that supports all
communication and data systems for training, readiness, and response
needs. In summary, Readiness Centers that are ``up to standard''
significantly increase the readiness of the National Guard.
Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving
readiness, it's crucial that the Army take a fresh look at policies and
practices that may not support all servicemembers. To that end, please
outline what changes, if any, the Army has made, is making, plans to
make, or is considering in order to:
Improve diversity in leadership positions;
Answer. In 2020, the Secretary of the Army (SA) and the Chief of
Staff of the Army (CSA) announced an effort entitled ``Project
Inclusion.'' Project Inclusion operationalizes the Army People
Strategy: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by organizing and leveraging
resources across the Army to rapidly advance Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs ASA(M&RA) prioritized efforts.
The ASA(M&RA) signed the Army People Strategy: Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion on September 1, 2020. The Army People Strategy fulfills the
fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 529
mandate for the military services to develop a diversity and inclusion
strategic plan by December 20, 2020. The five main goals of the plan
include Leader Commitment, Talent Management, Organizational Structure,
Training and Education, and Equitable and Inclusive Environment.
As this year continues, within the talent management initiates, the
Army Talent Management Task Force (TMTF) has established programs
seeking to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Programs
like the Command Assessment Program (CAP) provide the Army ways to
improve opportunities for under-represented populations. The CAP
incorporates active measures to reduce opportunities for bias by
conducting double-blind interviews, conducting anti-bias training with
voting panels, and anonymizing files presented to voting panels.
In addition, the Career Mapping and Succession Planning tool is
currently under design. This tool will interface with the Army Talent
Alignment Process (marketplace) and Soldier Talent Profile to recommend
future assignments using individual knowledge, skills, and behaviors to
indicate where individuals should take military and professional
courses, seek training, pursue a new assignment, or take other career
actions in order to advise individuals on achieving their career goals.
When reversed, the Career Mapping algorithm is used for Succession
Planning, to look at the population identified as best fit for these
positions. The identification of these talent pools early on can be
used to adjust policies and remove obstacles to a talented and diverse
population being considered for key leadership positions at all levels.
Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
Answer. In response to the 21 May 2020 SA/CSA Dual Signed memo
addressing diversity in the Army, the ASA(M&RA) directed an Operational
Planning Team (OPT) to develop an Implementation Plan to Expand Diverse
Talent in the Army Officer Corps which will guide the Army to new
accomplishments which strengthen diversity and inclusion in the force.
The operational planning team developed 20 initiatives to meet four
objectives addressing how the Army will acquire, develop, employ, and
retain diversity. It marks an acceleration of new people plans,
programs, and policies aimed at expanding diversity and inclusion in
our Officer Corps, our Warrant Officer Corps, and our Enlisted Corps.
The Implementation Plan to Expand Diverse Talent in the Army Officer
Corps was published on January 7, 2021. ASA(M&RA) has also developed
OPTs to develop plans for our Enlisted, Warrant, and Civilian cohorts,
and the Civilian Implementation Plan was published in January. The
Implementation Plans for Warrant Officers and Enlisted Soldiers are in
development.
As a part of the Implementation Plan for the Officer Corps, the
Army has implemented several initiatives as a part of its efforts to
increase diversity across the ranks. Initiatives include the Urban
Access Program (Aug 2020); a Combat Arms Outreach Pilot Program (Mar
2021); Talent Based Branching at USMA and USACC (2019 & 2020);
Incorporated Diversity and Inclusion education and training into PME
(Apr 2021); started conducting the Department of the Army Career
Engagement Survey (May 2020); Army ROTC Senior Officer Mentor Program
(June 2021); Incentivize Select Sources of Commission Positions (June
2021); and Incorporating Mentorship into the Army PME System (fiscal
year 2021). Some of these initiatives will also positively impact the
recruitment and retention of Army Civilians, Warrant Officers, and
Enlisted Soldiers.
Strengthening Cadet mentoring programs is also an Army focus within
recruiting and retention. The goal of the cadet mentorship programs is
to increase officer accessions and to help cadets make informed
decisions about their future Army careers. Staffing a diverse mix of
Army Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers to serve as faculty and
mentors at United States Military Academy (USMA) and Reserve Officer
Training Corps (ROTC) locations not only increases the visibility of
Army professionals at our sources of commission, but can influence and
enhance the cadets' understanding of various branches. Going forward,
the Army Human Resource Command (HRC) continues to work with ASA(M&RA),
DCS G-1, and the sources of commissions to assign best fit officers to
positively support the strategic outcomes of the Army People Strategy.
Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention,
with input from women, LGBTQ servicemembers, BIPOC servicemembers, and
sexual assault survivors;
Answer. The Army SHARP Academy, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the
proponent for SHARP training across the Army, is aware of DoD's
research efforts to identify evidence-based practices to address the
need for culturally-competent care for men, women, LGBTQ service
members, BIPOC service members, and sexual assault survivors. Once
those best practices have been identified/codified, the SHARP Academy
will develop curricula needed to enhance training for the Army's Sexual
Assault Response Coordinators (SARC), Victim Advocates (VA), and the
total force. Currently, the SHARP Academy develops curricula with input
from women and BIPOC service members. The curricula instruct Army
advocates on how to care for sexual assault victims and sexual
harassment complainants with dignity, respect and compassion regardless
of their race, gender, orientation, religion or any other identifying
characteristics. The SHARP Academy continues to train SHARP
professionals to respond to all victims and complainants without
judgment or segregated advocacy actions. As DoD releases future
guidance and information pertaining to culturally-competent care, the
Army will rapidly assimilate the information into SARC/VA training
courses and will add additional content to the Army-wide training
support package and SHARP Annual Refresher Training.
Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health
support services for servicemembers and their families, including
services tailored specifically toward minority servicemembers.
Answer. The U.S. Army supports the Defense Health Agency's
Behavioral Health Diversity Working Group, which was recently chartered
to support advancements in mental health services for women, LGBTQ, and
ethnic minorities. The working group will offer clinical guidance to
enhance the care provided for minorities. Additionally, since the onset
of the COVID epidemic, virtual mental health has expanded to provide
services within the comfort of patients' homes.
This is particularly important for low-income families, many of
whom are minorities. By eliminating the need to travel to an in-person
appointment, beneficiaries have fewer barriers to seeking care.
Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority
servicemembers facing discrimination from within their units.
Answer. Education, awareness, and bystander intervention are at the
heart of the Army's efforts to combat racism. The Army is working to
improve outreach and support to minority servicemembers facing
discrimination. The Army has developed a ``Your Voice Matters''
campaign, which is a listening session concept designed to develop
atmospherics and determine any local and/or Army-wide diversity and
inclusion policy requirements; demonstrate care and commitment to the
well-being of our military and civilian personnel; and provide an
opportunity for personnel to engage with concerns or questions about
issues that impact their personal and professional lives. It has also
assisted local command teams and the Army Headquarters to better
understand diversity, equity, and inclusion issues currently affecting
the Army and society writ large. As of July 13, 2021, the Army has
conducted 134 sessions with multiple servicemembers at 19 different
locations. Further, the Army is updating Army Regulation (AR) 600-20,
``Army Command Policy,'' to improve the identification and resolution
of discrimination issues through education, awareness, and bystander
intervention efforts. The Army has also updated Equal Opportunity
training to address racial issues and other related issues at all
Professional Military Education (PME) levels, from junior Soldiers to
General Officers.
Question. Improve medical care for transgender servicemembers,
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy,
and post-partum care;
Answer. Army Medicine proudly serves all servicemembers and their
beneficiaries, regardless of sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity.
Since Executive Order 14004 (``Enabling All Qualified Americans to
Serve Their Country in Uniform'') was signed in January 2021, the
Army's Office of The Surgeon General (OTSG) has been coordinating with
the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Defense Health Agency to
improve care for our transgender Soldiers and our Soldiers with gender
dysphoria, including modifying those policies that have a negative
impact on these Soldiers. DoD recently updated two DoD policies to
ensure that all Soldiers and applicants can serve freely in their self-
identified gender.
Further, as safety is a priority when caring for all Soldiers
through pregnancy and post-partum care, per established clinical
practice guidelines, ensuring specialty referral needs are met is a
part of prenatal and post-partum care. The standard of care is applied
to every servicemember and is tailored to the individual based on risk
factors, including ethnicity.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
Question. Joint Base Lewis McChord in my home state of Washington
has received recent media attention highlighting the problem of food
insecurity experienced by local military families. Research shows that
as many as one in five military families in Washington state are
experiencing food insecurity. And a recent Army study associates food
insecurity with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. How is the
Army engaging on the issue of food insecurity and helping those Army
families in need?
Answer. The Army currently takes a multi-pronged approach to food
insecurity among Soldiers and their Families. When the Army discovers
that a Soldier or their immediate family is facing food insecurity, the
Army initially connects the Soldier and family members to Army
Emergency Relief and other community-based resources to address short-
term financial emergencies. Next, the Army looks to provide
individualized services to improve the Soldiers and Family's long-term
financial outlook. These services include Financial Readiness Program
(FRP) counseling for Soldiers and Families, which helps families
develop budgets, manage credit/debt, and identify how to best use their
financial resources. The Army also provides education to all Soldiers
through a standardized mandatory financial readiness curriculum that
includes familiarity with assistance programs, such as the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Family Subsistence
Supplemental Allowance (FSSA). The Army also offers the Employment
Readiness Program (ERP) to aid spouses in seeking employment to further
improve the family's total financial outlook. From a forward-looking
organizational perspective, the Army continues to work with DoD on the
on-going broad-based study of food insecurity among members of the
Armed Forces and their dependents. This study includes an assessment of
the feasibility of a new basic needs allowance, an assessment of the
barriers (if any) to qualification for or access to adequate food
assistance programs of any type, and an assessment of the participation
of servicemembers in the SNAP. This study will better inform the path
forward for the Army on this important issue. Congress is required OSD
to submit a report based on this study by March 31, 2022.
Question. Another issue that demands Army attention is the lack of
affordable housing at Yakima Training Center in central Washington.
There is currently no military housing for families or unaccompanied
personnel at Yakima, and off base, the vacancy rate for apartments and
homes for sale is below 1 percent. The Army's 2020 Housing Market
Analysis for Yakima also showed there's a housing shortfall. Assigned
servicemembers at the Yakima Training Center clearly need more
affordable housing. What is the Army doing to fix this?
Answer. The Army is exploring several options to address the lack
of affordable housing at/near Yakima Training Center. The Army hired a
housing manager at this location to assist Servicemembers and their
families with their housing needs. The new housing manager is working
to establish a Rental Partnership Program (RPP) with local rental
property companies to provide Servicemembers with improved access to
affordable housing. Additionally, the Army--in collaboration with local
and state leaders--continues to evaluate other housing solutions within
the Yakima area.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Jeanne Shaheen
grenadier sighting system
Question. The Grenadier Sighting System is a critical piece of
technology that provides soldiers with invaluable day and night-time
fighting capabilities for the M320 Grenade Launcher. I understand that
the Army has procured 73,000 M320s, but the system remains without a
nighttime fighting capability. Can you please provide the acquisition
plan for the Army's procurement of the Grenadier Sighting System for
Close Combat Forces and the rest of the Army?
Answer. The current Army Acquisition Objective for the Grenadier
Sighting System (GSS) is 73,024 systems. The GSS is currently planned
to serve as a 1-to-1 component to the M320 Grenade Launcher. The Army
has a Firm Fixed Price Contract with Wilcox Industries to procure the
GSS, and 19,427 of GSS have been procured to date.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Mitch McConnell
european deterrence initiative
Question. V Corps, including its rotational force in Poland,
provides the United States and our allies with key capabilities to
promote interoperability, counter malign influence, and deter
aggression in Europe. Will proposed budget cuts to the European
Deterrence Initiative diminish Army's capacity to maintain and
strengthen these important capabilities?
Answer. The Army will continue to maintain and strengthen its
deterrence posture in Europe within current resourcing. V Corps serves
as the higher headquarters command for assigned and rotational land
forces in Europe. V Corps' activities are largely funded through the
EDI. This includes exercises, a forward rotational presence, key
infrastructure investments, and prepositioned equipment.
future vertical lift (fvl)
Question. Does Army's budget request for fiscal year 2022 include
the necessary resources to field FVL platforms by 2028?
Answer. The current fielding plan for both the Future Attack
Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and the Future Long-Range Assault
Aircraft (FLRAA) will enable the ``first units equipped'' in fiscal
year 2030. The Army remains committed to long-term affordability of
both FARA and FLRAA. This commitment includes goals and caps on Average
Procurement Unit Cost (APUC) and Operations and Sustainment (O&S)
costs, which serve as the long-term measures of affordability.
At this time, the Army supports continued funding for FVL programs
based on the transformational capability they will bring to the joint
force in multiple theaters.
Question. What role will the 101st Airborne Division and 160th
Special Operations Aviation Regiment have in flying or testing new
vertical lift platforms?
Answer. Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division and the 160th
Special Operations Aviation Regiment are, and will continue to be, part
of Soldier-centered design efforts to fly and test new vertical lift
platforms. The Army employs a Soldier-centered design in the following
ways: (1) the identification and validation of operational gaps, (2)
the development of requirements, (3) the development and testing of new
operational concepts and doctrine, (4) the development, evaluation, and
modification of prototypes, and (5) the operational test and evaluation
of potential future capabilities. The Army incorporates Soldier
feedback as well as lessons learned. Critical and continuous feedback
from Soldiers--many with significant recent combat experience--plays a
critical role in our efforts to ``drive and fly before we buy.''
Soldiers from across the force, both conventional and special
operations, will continue to participate in Soldier touch points from
the requirements definition phase to the fielding of new capabilities
phase in order to ensure combat overmatch against our adversaries.
Question. What military construction and other facility
improvements are needed to accommodate FVL platforms at Fort Campbell?
If further review is needed to determine these improvements, when do
you expect to conclude those reviews?
Answer. The Army is assessing 19 active and reserve component
aviation installations that are under consideration for the stationing
of Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft, including Fort Campbell,
Kentucky. This assessment includes evaluating all requirements
necessary to train, maintain, and deploy these future aviation
formations based on the projected FVL capabilities. Not only is the
Army evaluating facility requirements, but the assessment team is also
reviewing 17 major areas, including hangar, airfield, airspace, and
training area capacity; live fire range capabilities; and support
facilities. The facilities review alone includes more than 40 sub-areas
to ensure that the existing facilities can support the maintenance and
support requirements for the FVL aircraft. We expect to complete the
compilation of the information by the end of fiscal year 2021 and the
assessment will identify construction and other improvement
requirements for not only Fort Campbell, but for all installations, in
order to inform the fiscal year 24-28 Program Objective Memorandum
(POM) cycle submission.
blue grass army depot (bgad)
Question. Please provide an update on Army's review of potentially
reusing certain equipment for BGAD's conventional operations that have
supported its chemical weapon mission.
Answer. The Army continues to review the potential for reusing
certain equipment from the Blue Grass Army Depot's (BGAD) chemical
weapon demilitarization operation for BGAD's conventional weapons
operations. This review will continue until the chemical weapon
operation is completed.
Question. It is my understanding that some equipment currently
supporting BGAD's chemical demilitarization operations may be
environmentally advantageous for the installation's conventional
mission. How will Army decide which equipment to transition from BGAD's
chemical mission to its conventional operations?
Answer. DoD and Army regulations, legal requirements, safety
considerations, and historical practices will be used to evaluate the
potential of equipment for reuse. The Assembled Chemical Weapons
Alternatives (ACWA) Program can only transfer property that is ``safe
to use'' for additional duties. There is an established process for
property disposition. The type of property determines the process. For
example, buildings and equipment where chemical munitions were present
but where there was no contamination (e.g., container handling
building) fall into the SOME REUSE category. Buildings and equipment
not contaminated and without potential to be contaminated (e.g.,
maintenance building) fall into the MOST OFTEN REUSE category. As part
of the Army's Organic Industrial Base modernization strategy, over the
next 15 years, the Army will ensure Blue Grass Army Depot is capable of
sustaining readiness, is capable of supporting modernization efforts,
and is postured to meet future wartime requirements.
Question. What measures is Army taking to offset potential negative
economic impacts to the local community that may result from the
conclusion of BGAD's chemical demilitarization mission?
Answer. In order to assess the impact to the local community, the
Economic Impact Working Group uses a collaborative and transparent
effort among local governments, Kentucky's congressional delegation,
chambers of commerce, industry, the Department of Defense (DoD), the
Department of the Army, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development,
the Bluegrass Area Development District, and the Bechtel Corporation
(Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant's (BGCAPP) primary
contractor). As mission completion approaches, the future economic
impacts resulting from the conclusion of BGAD's chemical
demilitarization mission are being closely scrutinized.
To help protect the community against those impacts Army is
proactively coordinating with DoD's Office of Local Defense Community
Cooperation (OLDCC). The Blue Grass Area Development District requested
planning assistance in December 2020 and the OLDCC is considering a
broad economic adjustment planning effort to stabilize the local
economy through the conclusion of BGAD's chemical demilitarization
mission.
fort campbell
Question. Fort Campbell currently has a significant deficit of
tactical equipment maintenance facilities (motor pools), and 12 of the
existing facilities were built during the Korean War. What is Army's
plan to construct additional motor pools that are large enough and
properly equipped to perform maintenance on modern vehicles at Fort
Campbell?
Answer. The current ten-year Army Facility Investment Plan (FIP),
led by U.S. Army Materiel Command, includes building two tactical
equipment maintenance facilities at Fort Campbell to address existing
facility deficits. Additionally, two emerging tactical equipment
maintenance requirements have also been identified and will compete for
Military Construction funding between fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year
2031.
Question. What is Army's plan to renovate Fort Campbell's outdated
1st BCT VOLAR barracks, which were built in the 1970s?
Answer. The current ten-year Army Facility Investment Plan (FIP)
includes Restoration and Modernization (R&M) projects to renovate all
13 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) Volunteer Army (VOLAR) barracks. There
are four unaccompanied housing R&M projects programmed in fiscal year
2021 and fiscal year 2022. The funding for the two fiscal year 2021
projects was released on Feb. 4, 2021, and the two fiscal year 2022
projects, based on our fiscal year 2022 budget request, are expected to
be released and awarded no earlier than the second quarter of fiscal
year 2022. The remaining nine 1st BCT VOLAR barracks are slated to be
addressed between fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2031.
abilityone program
Question. It was recently announced that Army plans to use
intergovernmental support agreements (IGSAs) instead of the existing
AbilityOne contracts for custodial services at Fort Campbell and Fort
Knox. Does Army policy allow for the use of IGSAs instead of AbilityOne
contracts where cost-savings can be achieved? What is Army's plan for
future participation in the AbilityOne Program, which employs people
who are blind or have significant disabilities to provide custodial,
grounds keeping, food, and other services on Army installations?
Answer. The Army has not made a decision to enter into an IGSAs for
custodial services at either Fort Campbell or Fort Knox. The IGSA
authority (10 U.S.C. 2679(a)(1)) allows the Department of Defense to
enter into an IGSA with a state or local government that can deliver
installation support services more efficiently and at a lower cost.
Neither the law, nor Department of Defense or Army policy, prohibit the
use of an IGSA in lieu of an AbilityOne contract when the Secretary
determines that doing so is in the best interests of the Army by
enhancing mission effectiveness or creating efficiencies or economies
of scale, including by reducing costs. The U.S. Army Installation
Management Command (IMCOM) continues to be one of the largest
supporters of the AbilityOne Program in the United States Army and
Department of Defense. IMCOM's contract portfolio contains 71 contracts
set aside for AbilityOne with a total contract value of $1.7 billion.
According to SourceAmerica data, these IMCOM contracts employ 2,318
Disabled Full Time Equivalent employees. Each proposed IGSA receives a
thorough review for cost savings and overall benefit to the government.
For proposed IGSAs that would displace an incumbent AbilityOne
contractor, IMCOM also reviews the IGSA proposals to determine if there
is a firm commitment from the state or local government hire the
incumbent Ability One contractor's workforce. When otherwise in the
best interests of the Army, the Army will continue to use IGSAs to
obtain installation support services if IMCOM obtains a firm commitment
from the respective state or local government regarding their hiring
plans for incumbent contractor employees, especially those who are
disabled.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Susan M. Collins
robotic combat vehicle program
Question. With regard to the Army's robotic combat vehicle plans,
how often does Army Futures Command evaluate autonomous ground vehicle
experimentation efforts?
Answer. The Army's autonomous ground vehicle experimentation plan
relies on tabletop exercises, virtual environments, and physical
experimentation. Soldier feedback is critical to determining both
future use cases and vehicle requirements. Major virtual experiments
(where Soldiers control robotic combat vehicles in a simulation
environment) occur approximately every 6 months, while physical
experiments average once every three to 4 months. In addition to
Soldier feedback, multiple technology assessments evaluate the software
that enables the vehicles to operate autonomously. Further, independent
evaluators determine if new software is adequately mature to integrate
into a future Soldier operational experiment. If so, Soldiers then
evaluate the new software in a relevant tactical environment and
provide their comments to developers, who improve the existing software
in accordance with the Soldier feedback and the performance data.
Experiments that have occurred over the past 2 years include, the
Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) Soldier Operational Manned-Unmanned
Teaming Experiment that took place at Fort Carson, Colorado, from July-
August 2020. Additionally, RCV surrogates (``Project Origin'')
supported Project Convergence at Yuma Proving Ground from September to
October 2020. These same systems then went to Fort Benning, Georgia for
a three-week Soldier experiment in November 2020. The same Soldiers who
operated the Project Origin platforms at Fort Benning then supported a
live fire at Camp Grayling, Michigan, in April 2021. The next Soldier
operational experiment will occur in September 2021 at the Joint
Readiness Training Center, located at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Question. How do these evaluations differ, if at all, from existing
program evaluations and review processes resident within the Department
of the Army's acquisition community?
Answer. Robotic Combat Vehicle experimental evaluations follow the
same processes uses in the Army's acquisition and test communities. The
Army enterprise breaks down learning objectives to support data
collection and analysis after each experiment. Results from each
experiment then inform both learning objectives and development
priorities for the next experiment, as well as program planning for
future acquisition programs of record.
Question. In the event separate but concurrent program and
experimentation reviews come to different conclusions, what is the
impact to resourcing decisions for the programs and experimentation
efforts in question?
Answer. Any potential impact to Army resourcing decisions because
of different conclusions from concurrent program and experimentation
reviews will depend on the conclusions themselves and their impact on
cost, schedule, and performance. The RCV program strives to minimize
concurrent platform prototype development until Soldiers evaluate the
platforms and their capabilities in a relevant operating environment.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
posture review
Question. General McConville, during testimony you mentioned that
the current Posture Review would have you looking at your resources
available and drive your decisionmaking on re-aligning headquarters and
forces in Alaska as you transition them from an administrative
headquarters to an Arctic focused operational headquarters 1a. When is
the current Posture Review expected to be completed, and where is the
Review in the process now?
Answer. The Global Posture Review (GPR) is an Office of the
Secretary of Defense (OSD) process and it is in the final review stages
of review prior to a decision by the Secretary of Defense.
Question. Following the Posture Review, what will be the process
for making these force realignment decisions, and when would we
actually see results of these decisions take effect?
Answer. Following the Posture Review, the Army will use the Total
Army Analysis (TAA) process to inform realignment decisions. Those
decisions are typically announced in the first quarter of the fiscal
year.
arctic overland mobility vehicle
Question. General McConville you also acknowledged during the
hearing you would provide an update on the Cold Weather All-Terrain
Vehicle (``the CAT-V'').
Can you please provide me an update on the Phase II ``Production''
timeline and is there any indication that the fiscal year 2023 target
of equipping units with the CAT-V has slipped?
Answer. At this point, the Army has seen no indication of any
slippage in the current schedule. A Production Award is scheduled for
June 2022 with first production vehicle delivery in August 2023.
Question. If it has slipped, has this been addressed in the fiscal
year 22 budget?
Answer. The Army has seen no indication of any slippage in the
current schedule.
Question. When will these new CAT-Vs be fielded? Will they go to
Alaska-based troops?
Answer. The CATV will begin fielding in fiscal year 2023, with the
first unit equipped expected in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.
The CATV program is on schedule to conduct cold weather testing in
fiscal year 2022 and begin production in fiscal year 2023. As this
vehicle is crucial for the Arctic Soldier and their mission, Alaska-
based troops are expected to be part of the fielding plan.
arctic organization clothing and individual equipment (ocie) for ft
drum, ft carson, and alaska bases
Question. Unique clothing and equipment for the Arctic (mittens,
boots, sleep systems) to ensure soldier safety and readiness for units
assigned to train and deploy to Arctic locations has been identified as
an unfunded requirement in this budget. Congress not funding proper
winter clothing for our Army has been an issue dating back to Valley
Forge and Morristown, and I'd hope we'd have learned that lesson by
this point. The cold weather sustainment items ensure safety and
readiness for soldiers assigned to the Arctic, and as we pivot to
conducting more training and operations in the region I would imagine
they are crucial to our abilities to do so.
General McConville, can you identify concisely the degradation to
readiness if we are unable to outfit all our soldiers assigned to train
and deploy in the arctic environments in this budget cycle?
Answer. The Army equips and trains to fight under any environmental
condition. Arctic conditions are challenging, but commanders are
responsible for ensuring readiness for the conditions of the
operational environment when deployed. This includes assessing the
risks associated with an Arctic environment and taking actions to
mitigate the risk of injuries or accidents due to cold weather while
still accomplishing the assigned mission. These actions include
training on how to use cold weather clothing and equipment properly, as
well as preventing and treating cold weather injuries. The current Army
procurement strategy is to equip select active duty and National Guard
units that are specially trained to operate in Arctic environments,
with improved cold weather equipment. Approximately 3 percent of our
total Army (all components) is outfitted today to operate in Extreme
Cold Weather (ECW) or Arctic regions of the world. The Army has issued
guidance to improve upon the ability to operate in Arctic conditions,
while assessing the risk across all other requirements within the
equipping enterprise of the Army. I expect that this new guidance will
be addressed in Program Objective Memorandum, fiscal year 2024-2028.
Question. Is there legacy equipment that would or could be used, or
is this a ``show stopper'' for various exercises and operations you
have planned either internally or with partners and allies?
Answer. Currently available clothing and equipment allows Soldiers
to conduct all necessary exercises and operations. All Soldiers have
components of the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS). This
system allows Soldiers to use layers to provide adequate protection
from temperate to arctic weather conditions. All Soldiers have elements
of the ECWCS that allow them to operate from temperate to cold weather
conditions.
Additionally, 40,000 Soldiers have the components of the ECWCS
that allow them to operate in extreme cold weather, including climate
zones 6 (extreme cold weather) and 7 (Arctic weather). These ECWCS
components comprising Layer 6 and Layer 7, include insulated gloves,
trigger finger mittens, insulated mittens, cold weather boots, CW/ECW
socks, boot gaiter, and a balaclava. Deliveries are expected that will
outfit an additional 50,000 Soldiers for next winter.

SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

Senator Tester. The Defense subcommittee will reconvene on
Thursday, June 24, at 10 a.m. to hear from the Navy and Marine
Corps leadership on fiscal year 2022 Department of Navy budget
request. With that, this subcommittee stands in recess. Thanks,
guys.
[Whereupon, at 11:09 a.m., Tuesday, June 22, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Thursday,
June 24.]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

----------

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2021

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., in room SD-192, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Tester, Murray, Schatz, Baldwin, Shelby,
Collins, Blunt, and Moran.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Office of the Secretary

STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS W. HARKER, ACTING SECRETARY

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JON TESTER

Senator Tester. I want to call this subcommittee meeting to
order.
Let me begin by welcoming our witnesses. Acting Secretary
Harker, this is your first appearance before the Senate
Appropriations Committee and I welcome you.
Admiral Gilday and General Berger, you were both here last
year for the last live hearing before the pandemic, so welcome
back. It is good to host you in person.
I think we can all agree that China is a current-pacing
threat and that the pace is a run, if not a full-out sprint.
So, how are we keeping up? The Navy and Marine Corps are
facing the current challenges with different approaches. On one
hand, the Marine Corps has taken major steps to reshape its
force for the future based on General Berger's strategy to
self-fund the reforms.
On the other hand, the Navy is faced with the balancing act
between the substantial cost of maintaining a fleet of nearly
300 ships and the additional cost of modernizing to meet the
threats of the future.
The Navy's 2022 budget protects readiness in order to
deliver a combat-credible force. As for the future, the path is
less clear. Secretary Harker has reportedly found that plans to
design new destroyer submarines and jets all at the same time
are unaffordable.
So, how do we increase our pace to keep up with the threat?
For the Navy, I understand there are ongoing reviews on what
the fleet of tomorrow should look like. I would add that, no
matter what you find in those studies, holding people
accountable, whether it is government or civilian, for delays
in ship deliveries or increase in weapons costs has to be part
of that solution.
The committee is eager to work with you to find the right
balance between modernization, or between modernizing and
maintaining the force and fleet that we have.
Once again, I want to thank the witnesses for their
testimony that they are about to give today and look forward to
hearing from each one of them.
With that, I will turn it over to you, Senator Shelby.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY

Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will try to be
brief.
Welcome. I welcome you, too, Mr. Secretary, Admiral, and
General Berger. Thank you for being here.
We all look forward to hearing about the Navy and the
Marine Corps' budget proposal for 2022. This discussion is
particularly important, I believe, because the Navy's budget
proposal reflects a meager 1.8 percent increase from fiscal
year 2021 while reducing the end strength in procurement
investments. The reductions are proposed despite the need to
maintain readiness and make progress on key modernization
priorities, like the Navy's leg of the nuclear triad and the
introduction of a new weapons system.
In addition to other deficiencies in the Navy's budget
proposal, I believe this budget fails to include funding to
support the multi-year procurement contract for the DDG-51,
which reflects poorly, I believe, on the Department's view of
its commitments to Congress and its long-term ship- building
plans.
It also calls into question the seriousness with which this
Administration approaches defense-related funding decisions
given that the DDG-51 appears as the Navy's top priority on its
unfunded requirements list.
You are all very well aware that our adversaries, including
China and Russia, pose new and increasing threats, and they
will grow. They are making unprecedented investments in their
capability and capacity, investments that this budget does not
even come close to matching.
I believe that this budget, which fails to even keep pace
with inflation, sends the wrong message to our allies and our
adversaries. I am interested in hearing how the 2022 budget
request fully meets, if it does, the needs of the Navy and
Marine Corps while maintaining our advantage over our
adversaries. It will be an interesting discussion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
We will start out with you, Secretary Harker.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS W. HARKER

Secretary Harker. Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby,
distinguished members of the committee, thank you for your
bipartisan support on behalf of our sailors, marines, and
civilians. I am honored to be here with General Berger and
Admiral Gilday. I support their efforts to build a more
integrated, all-domain naval force through the NAVPLAN and the
Force Design 2030.
In order to move these plans forward within existing
resources, we have had to make some very hard choices in this
budget, but that is exactly what the American people expect us
to do. Every dollar is a strategic asset that must be maximized
to stay ahead of the pacing threat of China and the many other
challenges facing our fleet and our Nation.
Every investment must be done in a balanced and sustainable
manner to ensure we maintain the readiness of our current
fleet, while building the capacity and the capability we will
need in the future. The cost of readiness is increasing.
Personnel and maintenance costs have grown at a rate that is
well above inflation. This growth squeezes the rest of our
budget.
In order to maintain our readiness, we have had to delay
some of our planned ship purchases to future years. In order to
invest in a superior future force, we have had to divest of
less-capable assets. These were not easy choices, but we cannot
create a hollow force that does not train our sailors or
Marines, or which leaves holes in units, or does not provide
for sufficient crew rest. We have learned those lessons through
the tragic mishaps that have occurred over the last 5 years.
In order to ensure future availability and readiness of our
fleet, we are prioritizing investments in our physical
infrastructure, including full commitment to the Shipyard
Infrastructure Optimization Program.
I have visited all four of our public Navy shipyards, as
well as most of the private shipyards, and other commercial
facilities. It has been an inspiration to shake the hands of
the men and women who are building and maintaining our fleet.
I have had the opportunity to speak with every level of
labor and management about the issues they face, and the need
for consistency in funding and demand. That is why we are
increasing the capability and resiliency of these century-old
installations, increasing the size and capability of our dry
docks, and equipping our 40,000-person workforce with the tools
they need to maintain our new, more lethal assets.
To ensure our resources reach the warfighters who need
them, we are demanding rigorous self-assessment and responsive
accountability in every part of our enterprise through the
Performance to Plan initiative. This effort has improved our
readiness of our strike fighters and is being rolled out
successfully across the fleet in other areas.
As good stewards, we are on the right path towards
obtaining an audit opinion for the Navy and Marine Corps
General Funds and the Department's Working Capital Fund. We are
the only military department that has eliminated audit material
weaknesses--three in the Navy, one in the Marine Corps--and are
leading the way on this critical effort.
This has enabled us to improve cybersecurity in our
business systems. Since 2017, the Marine Corps has closed 41
out of 110 IT findings, 17 of which were cybersecurity related.
We are also increasing investment in the Department's
oversight functions, while maximizing the return on our
investment in the performance audit process.
Effective use and management of data is key to our digital
transformation and will change how we will fight and win at
every level. This requires the modernization of our information
technology infrastructure, which is a critical war-fighting
priority for our department.
We are also prioritizing the mental health of our force,
speaking out at the senior level about the benefits of
counseling and ensuring the availability of counselors,
chaplains, and other professionals. We appreciate the
committee's attention to this vital issue and your support in
providing additional mental health support to our sailors and
Marines and our forward operational units.
We are fighting the scourge of sexual harassment and sexual
assault through efforts like the Watch List, a tool that uses
Navy and Marine Corps data to alert commanders to conditions in
their units that may lead to these toxic behaviors. We are
increasing investment in this area, focusing on the prevention
of and response to sexual harassment and assault.
In this fiscal year 2022 budget, we have added over 200
personnel across the Navy and Marine Corps focused on
prevention. The majority of these personnel will be placed at
Navy and Marine Corps installations, working with sailors and
Marines.
We are also adding an additional 80 sexual assault response
coordinators for the Marine Corps, as well as 18 Navy criminal
investigative service personnel dedicated to a sexual assault
prevention and response.
Secretary Austin's 90-Day Independent Review Commission has
completed its work, and we look forward to implementing the
Secretary's forthcoming recommendations to make meaningful and
lasting progress in this area.
Around the world and around the clock, the sailors,
Marines, and civilians of our integrated naval force stand the
watch and execute the mission. On behalf of each of them and
their families, I thank you for your time, oversight, and
appropriations. I look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Thomas Harker
Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, distinguished Members of the
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the posture of the
Department of the Navy (DON). I appreciate the hard work of the Members
and Staff of this Committee to ensure funding stability and principled
oversight for every Sailor and Marine now standing watch around the
world.
The reemergence of long-term strategic competition from China and
Russia is spurring a period of rapid transformation in the global
security environment. The disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
underscore the need for agility and distributed readiness. Climate
change is accelerating, and its impact on both our planet and force
will continue to grow as significant weather events threaten our
infrastructure, and the arctic opens to unprecedented activity.
In a world more interconnected and interdependent than ever before,
a fully integrated and forward maneuverable Navy-Marine Corps Team has
never been more important to the security of our Nation and the
preservation of the rules-based international order. We must protect
our nation, our allies and partners, and our global interests, while
also leading on the urgent issues facing our personnel and planet, from
the mental and physical health care needs of our people, to the scourge
of sexual assault and harassment, to the need for diversity and
inclusion at every echelon, to the ongoing threat of climate change.
General Berger, Admiral Gilday, and I stand united in our resolve
to ensure your DON will be ready for the global challenges before us
with the personnel, platforms, and technology to secure vital sea
lanes, stand together with our allies, and protect the United States of
America.
defend the nation
The President's Budget submission for FY 2022 (PB22) reflects hard
choices to divest of less capable platforms and systems to invest in a
powerful and superior future force. Throughout the budget process and
in all aspects of capability acquisition, design, construction, and
deployment, we must balance the urgent readiness needs of our force
today with investments in the future force and effective business
process reforms in order to ensure our Sailors and Marines are always
ready to fight and win in any clime or place.
Force Posture
The presence and availability of naval forces must always reflect
the strategic needs of the Nation, providing effective options for the
President and Secretary of Defense to counter every challenge. To
ensure preparedness, the DON provides maximum operational flexibility
through warfighting concepts including Distributed Maritime Operations,
Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment, and Expeditionary
Advanced Base Operations, ensuring continual overmatch and flexibility
in the battle space.
Secretary Austin has identified China as the pacing threat for our
military forces, and we will continue to position our integrated global
maritime force to lead in the Indo-Pacific. But ours is a global force
with global responsibilities, including increased Russian presence in
the Atlantic, terrorism and instability in the Arabian Gulf, an
increasingly blue arctic, a global need for agile and ready Marine
forces to respond to the unexpected in every domain, and the constant
threat of cyberattacks to our force, support infrastructure, industrial
base, and supply chain.
The DON FY22 budget request delivers ready maritime forces through
sustained investment and performance improvement, developing more
lethal, networked capabilities and concepts, closely integrated between
the services and with our joint force and government partners. Within
limited resources, we will field the right platforms and capability to
maintain freedom of the seas, support international law, and stand by
our allies as we continue to fly, sail and operate wherever
international law allows.
That spirit is reflected in the guidance put forth by our services.
I support Admiral Gilday's Navigation Plan, which refocuses our
integrated all-domain naval power on the core functions of sea control
and power projection we need to compete and win. It places a high
priority on a more lethal and better connected fleet to project power
from blue water, to the littorals, to the shoreline and beyond.
The guidance centers on four lines of effort:
--Deliver a More Ready Fleet. Deliver a Navy that is organized,
trained, and equipped to deploy forward and win in day-to-day
competition, in crisis, and in conflict.
--Deliver a More Lethal, Better-Connected Fleet. Deliver a Navy
capable of projecting synchronized lethal and non-lethal
effects across all domains.
--Deliver a Larger, Hybrid Fleet. Grow a larger, hybrid fleet of
manned and unmanned platforms--under, on, and above the sea--
that meets the strategic and operational demands of our force.
--Develop a Seasoned Team of Naval Warriors. Develop a dominant naval
force that can outthink and outfight any adversary.
To meet the forward maneuverable force requirements of the Joint
Force long into the future, the Marine Corps has put into motion an
aggressive modernization of the Service. I support General Berger's
Force Design 2030, which is not simply an improvement on its existing
form and function. It is a transformational effort rooted in the
anticipated challenges of the future operating environment. Building on
the cooperative efforts of all of our sea services, the Marine Corps is
reinvigorating the Fleet Marine Forces within existing resource
constraints as an indispensable element to global maritime operations.
The goal of Force Design 2030 is to provide a Marine expeditionary
assets that will:
--Successfully compete with peer adversaries in the maritime gray
zone
--Deter, and if required, fight and win in support of naval campaigns
--Facilitate sea denial and sea control
--Win the reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance competition
--Persist inside actively contested spaces
--Be capable of ``rapidly sensing, making sense of, and acting upon
information'' inside an adversary's weapon engagement zone.
Across both services and throughout the DON, we are executing force
designs centered on Naval Expeditionary force deployment, giving us a
sustainable edge and a resilient capability to deliver the integrated
all-domain naval power required by the Joint Force. We are investing in
the readiness of the integration-ready platforms to ensure continued
freedom of action throughout the maritime domain, from amphibious and
ground element equipment, to agile warships and submarines, to dominant
aircraft carriers and air wings. Successful implementation of the
concepts within the Navigation Plan and Force Design 2030 will be
pursued through a unified, integrated effort at every echelon.
Maintain the Edge
We greatly appreciate the Committee's efforts to ensure funding
stability and predictability over the past several years. This has
given our force the agility and flexibility needed to address emerging
threats, to invest in critical future capabilities for our integrated
naval force, while shifting away from less beneficial spending.
The DON is building on this foundation by aggressively pursuing
better readiness, lethality, and capabilities in those areas of
warfighting technology showing the greatest promise of delivering non-
linear warfighting advantages. From artificial intelligence and cyber
weapons to unmanned platforms and directed energy, we are on the cusp
of technological breakthroughs that will define future conflict. Our
future force will be defined by our decisions today.
We will continue to invest in key naval capabilities to control the
seas and project power in every domain. We will field a resilient,
networked, and dispersed fleet, connected through the Naval Operational
Architecture to provide decision advantage in contested environments.
We will continue to invest in advanced technologies such as long range
hypersonic and directed energy capabilities to ensure maximum reach,
survivability and decision space for our forces.
Our number one shipbuilding priority remains resourcing COLUMBIA
SSBN for on-track delivery in order to ensure the future strength of
the most survivable leg of our Nation's nuclear triad. We are also
advancing our asymmetric undersea attack advantage through the Tactical
Submarine Evolution Plan, including follow-on Blocks VI and VII of the
VIRGINIA Class, and the SSN(X) program. We are advancing battle force
shipbuilding programs such as the CONSTELLATION class frigate and the
GERALD R. FORD class carriers, as well as enhancing our fleet
capabilities through additional battle force ships.
We are also extending the reach of our warriors from the sea with
the addition of sea-based platforms such as USS MIGUEL KEITH, our third
Expeditionary Sea Base, which was commissioned on May 8th. To ensure
our Marines maintain their edge, we will continue to invest in key
Marine Corps development programs that support the Marine Corps Force
Design concept, such as the Ground Based Anti-Ship Missile, Ground
Based Air Defense, Medium Altitude-Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial
System, Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel, and the Light Amphibious
Warship. These enhance the ability of Marines to maneuver and deter
competitors within range of enemy weapon systems.
Targeted investments in key emerging technologies and capabilities
will enhance and sustain amphibious battlefield maneuverability ashore
and superiority at sea, with the support of properly resourced
facilities, infrastructure, and systems to sustain our frontline
forces.
Continual Readiness
Hard experience has shown long term readiness cannot be sustainably
achieved through ``can do'' and ``make do'' improvisation. Our front
line personnel may be determined, adaptive, and skillful enough to get
the job done in the face of equipment shortfalls and intense battle
rhythms, butrelying on their adaptability is no substitute for genuine
fleet readiness. We owe it to the Sailors and Marines out in the fleet
to make sure they always have the tools they need to do the dangerous
jobs we ask of them.
The changes generated from the Readiness Reform and Oversight
Council (RROC) and other introspective efforts have enabled us to
improve readiness, training, and maintenance processes at every level.
For example, we've implemented a uniform readiness assessment and
certification process that must be followed before a ship can be
certified to return to the fleet. We have also increased opportunities
for shipboard certification and skills enhancement, while adjusting
manning schedules to maximize safety and improve quality of life and
professional effectiveness for our personnel while underway. These and
many other changes will result in a better prepared and equipped force.
We continue to build on our efforts to increase availability,
improve maintenance, and maximize throughput, by making targeted shore
investments designed to increase fleet readiness. The Navy's four
public shipyards--Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, and
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility--are
critical infrastructure elements of America's national defense. In
order to improve naval maintenance production capacity at these
facilities, the DON is fully committed to the Shipyard Infrastructure
Optimization Program (SIOP), comprising three primary focus areas: dry
dock recapitalization, facility layout and optimization, and capital
equipment and modernization. The DON is dedicating the resources and
oversight necessary to ensure the required maintenance is completed
across all shipyards as quickly as possible, and has established a
Program Office (PMS-555) to ensure integration of all elements of the
plan.
Building on the successful Naval Aviation Enterprise efforts to
meet Strike Fighter aircraft availability goals for both the Navy and
Marine Corps, we are targeting greater aviation readiness across the
force, incorporating commercial best practices to improve performance.
Through the Performance to Plan initiative we're using data driven
decision making to enable to remove the root causes of maintenance
delays as well as operational mishaps. This data-driven approach is
based on a ``Get Real, Get Better'' approach, demanding rigorous self-
assessment, strong characterization of current performance, and
detailed analysis backed by accountability and the opportunity to
implement needed improvements.
We appreciate the Committee's interest in ensuring our Naval forces
have the right facilities to train, fight, and win, even as various
demands on the land, sea, and air reduce the available area for
military training. Specifically, we are grateful for the Committee's
continued attention to the urgent need to expand the Fallon Training
Range Complex, which is necessary to the readiness of every Naval
Aviator and Navy SEAL. We are listening to the interests of Tribal
governments, environmental organizations, and the local community, as
well as our counterparts across the Federal Government, and are
committed to finding a favorable solution for everyone involved.
Combat Climate Change
The United States Navy and Marine Corps recognize the reality of
global climate change, our responsibility to mitigate our contribution
to it, and our need to prepare for its short and long term effects. As
we grapple with the effects of climate change on maritime operations
around the globe, the DON must continue to lead and find ways to go
farther, both in substantially reducing our impact on climate change
and building a force that is resilient to its potential effects.
We must adapt our infrastructure for the coming changes with
initiative and problem solving throughout the DON. In the past few
months I have visited and recognized several Marine Corps and Navy
installations that have demonstrated leadership in climate resiliency,
environmental stewardship, and sustainable development. These
facilities include Parris Island, Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps
Air Base Camp Pendleton, and Naval Base Point Loma. We will continue to
invest in vehicles, infrastructure, and technology that increase our
resiliency and efficiency, as we pursue the use and availability of
alternative fuels. The DON is determined to lead from the front against
the threat of climate change.
take care of our people
The greatest source of readiness and strength for our force will
always be the people who wear the uniform and comprise our civilian
workforce, as well as the families that serve alongside them. We are
committed to ensuring our Sailors, Marines, and Civilians are trained
and equipped to execute the mission and return home safely, and that
their families are provided with the housing, medical attention, and
education they deserve.
Building the Future Force
To maintain a Fleet prepared to fight and win in long term
strategic competition, we continue to evaluate and improve our
capability to attract, retain, and develop a talented and diverse
workforce. In the context of an intense competition for talent in our
country, and in light of the rapidly evolving tactical and technical
landscape, we are modernizing and enhancing our entire talent
management approach to succeed.
We are continuously identifying opportunities for personnel to
develop their leadership skills throughout the ranks, promoting equal
opportunity in every aspect of our force. The DON is investing in the
training, education, and professional development of our officers,
enlisted personnel, and civilian teammates with special emphasis on
partnerships with civilian institutions to enhance educational
opportunities for our junior Sailors and Marines.
Eliminate Toxic Behaviors
It is a personal priority for all three of us to build a climate of
trust, respect and inclusion throughout our force. A major focus of
that effort must be on recognizing and stopping destructive behaviors
early and consistently, so leaders at every level can take appropriate
and effective actions.
We remain determined to eliminate sexual assault, sexual
harassment, and gender discrimination from every part of our force.
These behaviors are a betrayal of those who have stepped forward to
serve in uniform. We will continue to work with this Committee to share
best practices and ideas, relentlessly pursuing a future where no
Sailor, Marine, or civilian teammate ever has to fear for their own
safety while protecting us all.
To assist leaders in this effort, we have developed The Watch List:
Top Five Signals of Risk for Sexual Assault, a research-driven tool
that used Navy and Marine Corps data to identify five of the key
destructive behaviors that increase risk for sexual assault. These
include sexual harassment, gender discrimination, lack of
responsibility and intervention, lack of respect and cohesion, and
workplace hostility behaviors. We have promulgated The Watch List
throughout the Navy and Marine Corps and are actively working to
develop tools that will provide operational commanders data on their
units so they can take action to prevent incidents.
We are actively engaged in rooting out extremism throughout our
force. In coordination with efforts across the joint force, the DON has
conducted ``Extremism Stand Downs'' at every echelon. This process
sparked important conversations and made the position of our leadership
and force clear to every Sailor, Marine, and Civilian in the DON, and
we will continue to build on these efforts.
Trust is at the heart of all our warriors do. Extremist ideologies
are a strategic threat to that trust and have no place within the Navy
and Marine Corps. We will persistently focus on this problem, and
appreciate this Committee's partnership and involvement in this
critical effort.
As leaders we must do all in our power to ensure that our people
feel respected and valued. We cannot and will not tolerate
discrimination or racism of any kind. Our core values and oath demand
that we critically examine all of our policies and practices to remove
inequity and unconscious bias.
Promote Mental Health
Mental health is a critical aspect of our readiness as a force--and
our responsibility to our warriors and their families. We have made it
a priority to ensure the ready availability of mental health
professionals, chaplains, family counselors and other support
professionals when our people are in need--or when they see the need in
others.
I know from personal experience how helpful counseling can be
during both personal and professional struggles. That's why as part of
our recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, I launched a
series of videos encouraging leaders throughout the DON to share their
personal stories of seeking and receiving counseling and help. I also
emphasized this point to our newest officers at the US Naval Academy
Commissioning Ceremony, and will continue promoting mental health care
throughout the force. We have to remove the stigma and start the
conversation, particularly as our warriors and their families contend
with the added stressors related to COVID-19.
The DON is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being
for all members within our military community. The loss of any Sailor,
Marine or civilian to suicide is one too many. The DON offers a variety
of suicide prevention efforts, encouraging positive help-seeking
behaviors, eliminating stigma, and increasing visibility and access to
critical resources. We are constantly revisiting and revising the
portfolio to meet the needs of our people, and have increased our
investment in this area.
Take Care of Our People
We are reforming operating procedures and promotion practices to
reward initiative, applied problem solving, and innovative thinking at
every level. A top priority as we evaluate personnel practices are the
needs and challenges of military families, particularly dual service
families. Senior leaders are also taking a personal and hands-on
approach to ensure enduring excellence in housing, dependent education,
and other quality of life concerns for our military families.
Through a combination of non-monetary, quality of life, and
customer service programs, we are increasing our responsiveness to the
needs of the individual warfighters and their families, making
continued service a viable and attractive option. We are expanding
opportunities for civilians with prior service through the Targeted
Reentry Program. We are also expanding avenues for personnel to learn,
operate, and innovate with partners from the private sector, across the
joint force, and alongside our allies.
Defeat COVID-19
With consistent personal and fleet discipline and continued
refinement of best practices, we have ensured a robust, proactive, and
coordinated COVID-19 response across the DON. We are preventing and
containing outbreaks with minimal impact on fleet readiness, and are
doing everything in our power to get the vaccine out to our Sailors,
Marines and Civilians as quickly and effectively as possible.
The DON is also working with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency to assist local, state, and tribal governments in the overall
vaccination effort of the Nation, building on the proactive
contributions to the urgent medical and security needs of the American
civilian population, including the deployment of COMFORT and MERCY to
our Nation's two most populous cities, and the deployment of medical
personnel to facilities in communities across the country.
Like all Americans, the Navy and Marine Corps have adjusted to this
global pandemic, from addressing outbreaks aboard ships, to changes in
recruitment and training, to supporting our military families through
extended deployments and virtual leaning. We have invested significant
resources to upgrade the Navy and Marine Corps intranet to improve
functionality and to enable telework for our military and civilian
workforce.
The Navy and Marine Corps continue to operate under Force Health
Protection measures to protect Marines, Sailors, civilians,
contractors, and our military families. Across the DON, we've
implemented flexibilities to help minimize risk to military personnel
and their families, respond to evolving situations, and ensure the
readiness of our force. We continue to use active testing protocols to
detect asymptomatic COVID-19 positive personnel, contain outbreaks
aboard vessels, and conduct surveillance to detect and treat the
disease as early as possible.
We will not relent in these critical measures. We are well
positioned to emerge stronger than ever, as the pandemic has forced us
to rethink and refine our recruitment, training, and personnel
movements across the DON, as well as our shipyard operations,
deployments, and maintenance schedules, with efficiencies and
applications of technology that can continue to benefit our operations
and throughput long after COVID-19 is in our wake.
succeed through teamwork
A dominant naval force is central to the effective execution of our
strategic goals. We must be ready at all times to execute as one
integrated naval force--Navy and Marine Corps seamlessly linked at
every level--with common logistics, infrastructure, practices and
support networks--executing a fleet-wide emphasis on resilient and
combat ready forces. These integrated connections must extend beyond
the DON as well, encompassing our vital partners across the joint force
and the whole of government, as well as our industry partners,
shipyards, and allies and partners around the world.
Trust and Collaboration
Leaders throughout the DON are actively engaged with the joint
force and the whole of government to meet the maritime challenges that
face our nation. One key initiative of this collaboration is the Tri-
Service Maritime Strategy, Advantage at Sea. This is was truly
collaborative maritime strategic planning effort led jointly by all
three of our Nation's sea services--Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast
Guard. In order to execute these goals, Admiral Gilday, General Berger,
Admiral Schultz and I are working together in order to promote
integration, communication, and collaboration as a warfighting
priority. There can be no daylight between us as we strengthen the
integrated all-domain Naval power of the United States.
Operationalizing the Audit
In my previous roles as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Financial Management and Comptroller, and while Performing the Duties
of Comptroller for the Department of Defense, I saw first-hand the
importance of effective, transparent examination and oversight, and I
witnessed the direct relationship of accountable financial controls to
our frontline strength. In my current role as Acting Secretary of the
Navy, I am determined to strengthen this process in order to provide
our Congressional oversight partners with complete visibility and
accountability for every dime.
Central to this effort is building on the findings of our financial
statement audit process, and improving that process moving forward. As
I've emphasized to senior leaders across the Navy and Marine Corps, the
audit is Commander's business. Accurate inventory, proper resource
allocation, redundancy elimination are all directly connected to our
end strength.
We are on the right path towards obtaining an audit opinion for the
Navy and Marine Corps general funds, and the DON working capital fund.
We have a detailed roadmap that will guide our effort, placing a strong
emphasis on budgetary reform, including receipt, distribution,
execution, and monitoring.
PB22 increases investment in DON oversight functions. In addition
to our work on the financial statement audit, we are looking at ways to
increase effective oversight going forward, removing redundancy and
duplication of effort in every part of our enterprise through the
performance audit process. I have met with leaders across the
government and the DOD to discuss audit planning and understand areas
of high risk, and am incorporating that feedback into the FY22 audit
priorities direction provided to the Naval Audit Service and our
internal control program under the Federal Managers Financial Integrity
Act and OMB Circular A-123. Our top priority is to ensure that our
oversight capabilities and capacity is as efficient and effective as
possible in order to keep our promise to the American taxpayer and the
warriors on the frontline.
Sustaining Maritime Information Superiority
Leaders in every functional unit and discipline have been directed
to set business systems modernization on an integrated path that is
sufficiently resourced and supported across the DON. We are using data
driven decision-making to achieve tangible savings while consistently
working to become more effective and more efficient.
Modernization of our information technology infrastructure is a
critical warfighting priority for the DON. Effective use and management
of data is key to our digital transformation, and will change how we
will fight and win at every level. We are consolidating legacy systems
and will have moved from ten financial systems to three by the end of
this fiscal year. I have established top-down performance management
efforts, driven by data, to ensure the cyber resilience and strength of
our defense business and warfighting networks.
As an information age naval force, every DON warfighting function
and mission area is dependent on data and information to rapidly inform
decision-making throughout the entire competition to conflict
continuum. The dependency on secure and reliable IT has grown
exponentially over the last decade and is critical to maintaining a
competitive warfighting advantage. Simply put, information is combat
power.
In order to generate and sustain that power, the DON is building on
the findings of our Cybersecurity Readiness Review with an Information
Superiority Vision, detailing how the Navy and Marine Corps will:
--Modernize our infrastructure to bring the DON to parity with
industry, move data and information from anywhere to anywhere
securely.
--Innovate and leverage emerging technology including 5G and
Artificial Intelligence to drive capability outcomes for
competitive advantage at speed.
--Defend forward with robust information protection regardless of
where data resides.
Through Operation FLANK SPEED, the DON is shifting enterprise
collaboration and productivity services to an enduring cloud-based
Microsoft Office 365 solution which will provide world-class security
and collaboration tools to improve productivity across our distributed
workforce.
This initiative will modernize our infrastructure to a more cloud-
enabled, performant, and defendable network allowing data and
information to move from anywhere to anywhere securely. It will also
improve our overall cyber readiness posture by implementing key Zero-
Trust-Architecture principles; securing devices and endpoints,
establishing identity and user privileges, and introducing content and
data rights management.
The Marine Corps has now completed the transition of all users to
Microsoft Office 365, and I have directed the transition of over
470,000 users in the Navy no later than December 31, 2021. Flank Speed
will create the capabilities needed to increase Naval lethality and our
ability to fight and win.
Failure to invest now will result in this effort now would further
delay much needed improvements to our core technology infrastructure
and leave the workforce without a sustained follow-on capability once
the DOD-provided Commercial Virtual Remote capability is sunset in June
2021, extending our reliance on outdated, duplicative and less secure
legacy IT systems that cost more and deliver less, further eroding
DON's competitive warfighting advantage.
Strengthen Relationships with Stakeholders
Working alongside our vital industry partners, we are aligning our
efforts to produce the right platforms and capabilities for the
warfighter, and ensure maximum availability and throughput from design
to production to maintenance.
We're working closely with our partners and suppliers in the
defense industrial base to ensure the continued viability of the
crucial businesses and infrastructure needed to ensure our ships,
aircraft, and ground equipment are available when needed for the
defense of our nation, both during the current COVID-19 challenge and
long into the future. A robust, resilient, and nimble industrial base
and supply chain is critical to the long term strength of our Navy and
Marine Corps. Funding predictability and long term planning are key
elements in ensuring the efficiency of our acquisitions and maintenance
processes in partnership with a supply chain calibrated to deliver
maximum value to the taxpayer and warfighter.
At our public shipyards, the DON took aggressive steps at the start
of the COVID-19 pandemic to implement and require safety measures to
protect the personnel, civilians, contractors, and families. These
steps have included maximum telework opportunities for shipyard
employees, administrative leave for high-risk individuals unable to
telework, altered shifts to maximize social distancing, sanitization
and hand-washing stations throughout the shipyard, cloth face coverings
and face shields for the workforce, and screening checks at all
workplace entry points.
Global Engagement
We cannot meet the global challenges our Nation faces alone.
Readiness requires presence and rapid capabilities in every part of the
world, as well as specialized and localized knowledge to handle
evolving and challenging situations. The strategic maritime defense
partnerships we maintain today with our partners and allies extend the
reach and power of our force. They underscore the importance of
cooperation and coordination in maintaining the rules-based
international order that enables so much of our global prosperity and
security.
Our personnel regularly train and operate alongside their foreign
counterparts, test the interoperability of our systems, and build our
collective readiness on the front lines of great power competition.
Operational exercises, international port calls, joint Marine force
training, and other interactions generate the personal contact that
builds understanding, respect, and trust across national and functional
lines. Our Sailors, Marines and civilian personnel know that through
their service they are front-line diplomats for our nation. Their
professionalism and dedication promotes the connections that strengthen
our collective security and cultivate shared ideals that send the
message that the United States is a friend worth having.
conclusion
Our Sailors, Marines, and civilian teammates will always be our
greatest source of strength in a challenging and changing world. On
behalf of each of these brave patriots and the families that serve at
their side, I once again thank the leadership and membership of this
Committee for your attention, interest, and ongoing commitment to the
defense of the United States of America. It is an honor to work with
each of you, and I look forward to your questions.

Senator Tester. Secretary Harker, thank you for your
statement. Now we will go to Admiral Gilday.
STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL MICHAEL GILDAY, CHIEF OF NAVAL
OPERATIONS, UNITED STATES NAVY
Admiral Gilday. Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby,
distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify today along with Secretary Harker and
General Berger. I am thankful for the enduring support that
this subcommittee provides the United States Navy.
I believe that this hearing comes at a critical time in our
Country. The competition at sea is intensifying. China and
Russia are rapidly mobilizing their militaries. They are
attempting to undermine our alliances and degrade the free and
open order.
The Chinese battle force is the largest in the world, and
it is growing. Backed by a robust industrial base and the
biggest shipbuilding infrastructure in the world, they command
a modern fleet of surface combatants, submarines, aircraft
carriers, amphibious assault ships, and next-generation
fighters.
Furthermore, they are strengthening their space
capabilities and stockpiling an arsenal of long-range missiles
to hold us and our allies and partners at risk.
China is deliberately modernizing for the twenty-first
century, building all domain capabilities that rival our own.
Make no mistake. Our fleet, your fleet, can control the seas in
conflict and project power is sure today, but we will be
increasingly challenged to do so in the future, unless
difficult choices continue to be made.
The results of analysis over the past 5 years inside and
outside the Pentagon have been consistent, and they have been
clear. America needs a larger, more capable fleet. Importantly,
our latest study gave us the headlights not only for the size,
but also for the composition of that force.
We need to transition away from older, less capable
platforms and deliver the platforms, weapons, and systems that
provide overmatch. At the same time, I think that we need to
grow. However, the Navy currently faces a task of
recapitalizing our strategic nuclear deterrent, something we
have not done in four decades, making a once-in-a-century
investment in our public shipyards and preserving the current
readiness so that our fleet can confidently operate forward and
be relevant.
Nearly 70 percent of the ships that we have today we will
have a decade from now. We have to take care of the ships that
we own, but the price tag on that readiness is rising. Over the
last 20 years, manpower operations and maintenance costs, which
make up over 60 percent of our budget, have grown at a rate 2.4
percent above inflation.
Meanwhile, our buying power is less than it was in 2010.
Back then, we had 288 ships. Today, we have 296. Given these
factors, if the Navy's topline remains flat or goes down, the
size of our fleet will shrink.
Nevertheless, we are determined to deliver the most ready,
the most capable, and the most lethal Navy we can with the
budget that we are given. To do this, we are improving
maintenance in our shipyards and aviation depots.
We are ensuring our ships are properly manned, our
magazines are filled with ammunition, spare parts are in our
storerooms, and our sailors are getting their steaming days and
the flying hours they need to hone their skills.
We are working hard on a more robust, resilient network
infrastructure as part of JADC2 (Joint All Domain Command and
Control).
We are investing in long-range precision firers, like
hypersonics and tactical Tomahawk, and we are developing
directed energy systems, lasers, to improve fleet
survivability.
Our eye is on the larger, hybrid fleet. We are determined
to build affordable capacity, including a deliberate approach
to uncrude vessels.
And, we are making sure every sailor can outthink and
outfight any adversary by scaling our twenty-first century
training framework, Ready Relevant Learning, as well as our
investment in live, virtual constructive training.
Senators, the average age of the Chinese fleet is 11 years.
Ours is 21. It is time to move decisively and build a future
Navy. We must modernize now, in this decade, or risk falling
behind while we maintain a forward posture that keeps America
safe and prosperous.
I am extremely proud of our sailors, our Navy civilians,
and our families, who have endured sustained, historic high
optempo in the midst of this pandemic. They are the source of
our strength, as are the patriots in our shipyards and our
aircraft depots, and our partners in industry, companies large
and small, who keep the production lines moving.
Again, I am grateful for this subcommittee's support to our
Navy and Marine Corps team, and I look forward to answering
your questions. Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Admiral Michael M. Gilday
Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, distinguished members of the
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the
posture of the United States Navy. Moreover, on behalf of all our
Sailors, Navy civilians, and their families, thank you for your
continued leadership and support. With the funding provided by Congress
these last several years, we are building back our readiness,
strengthening our advantages at sea, and keeping our fleet deployed
forward where it matters.
This hearing comes at a critical time for our country. Multiple
nations are working to undermine the free and open rules-based
international system that has benefited so many for so long. Our rivals
are rapidly modernizing their militaries to erode our advantages. The
COVID-19 pandemic threatens the health and livelihood of our people.
Climate change puts our coast lines at risk with rising seas levels and
more severe weather. And the maritime environment--a vital source of
our nation's prosperity and protection--has become increasingly
contested. America's Navy is ready to meet these challenges. As we have
done since our founding, we will set sail to defend our Nation, take
care of our people, and succeed through teamwork.
The President has made it clear--America stands at an inflection
point. The choices we make today will have a dramatic impact on the
future of our nation. The very nature of the free and open
international system is threatened. To defend our nation, safeguard
economic opportunity, and secure the blessings of liberty for years to
come, we must renew our enduring advantages and work in concert with
our allies and partners to secure the rules-based order at sea.
america is a maritime nation--our people depend on the freedom of the
seas
The United States Navy--alongside the Marine Corps and Coast
Guard--provides a unique, enduring advantage to the American people.
Since our nation was founded, Americans have relied on the seas for
prosperity and protection. For 245 years, our Navy has deployed forward
to ensure safe passage for our commerce and to keep fights far from our
shores. Since the end of World War II, we have sailed with like-minded
navies to build and sustain the open, rules-based international system
at sea. Together, we have provided stability, deterred great power war,
and ushered in prosperity for billions across the world.
Over time, our reliance on the seas has only grown. Today, 90
percent of global trade by volume travels by sea, facilitating $3.7
trillion in U.S. commerce annually and supporting 31 million American
jobs. 95 percent of global internet traffic travels along undersea
cables, fueling our digital economy and accounting for $10 trillion of
financial transactions every day. The free flow of commerce--both
physical and digital--cannot be taken for granted. It relies on the
rules-based international system at sea and unimpeded access to markets
through open waterways. Even minor disruptions can have extraordinary
impacts. The recent grounding of the container ship Ever Given in the
Suez Canal, which delayed hundreds of ships and cost the global economy
an estimated $9.6 billion per day, highlights the importance of
predictable passage through the world's strategic waterways. If a rival
nation attempted to control passage through the South China Sea--a
strategic location where $208 billion of U.S. commerce flows annually--
the impact to the global economy would be extremely costly.

Meanwhile, the competition for offshore resources such as
aquaculture, energy, and rare-earth minerals is increasing across the
globe. Currently, 93 percent of the world's fishing stocks are
overexploited, threatening a major protein source for 3.3 billion
people. Several nations have deployed distant water fishing fleets and
expanded the use of maritime militias in their quest to maintain their
lucrative fishing industries. Additionally, many nations are
increasingly looking to maritime sources of energy and mineral wealth.
The global oil and gas industry, which generates an estimated $3.3
trillion in annual revenue, is turning toward energy exploration along
the seafloor to extract untapped reserves. With trillions of dollars in
raw resources awaiting discovery on the unmapped ocean floor, states
and multinational companies are racing to develop capabilities for
deep-sea mining.
The world's oceans have always been a wellspring of wealth and
prosperity. Today, and in the years ahead, they pose an increased risk
of competition turning into conflict.
the growing challenge to the united states and the open international
system
Despite benefiting from free and open seas for decades, the
People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia are currently working to
undermine the rules-based international system at sea. Both are
attempting to control access to key waters and the resources that lie
within these waters, inhibiting freedom of the seas and overflight.
Both are intimidating their neighbors and attempting to enforce
unlawful claims with the threat of force. Both are expanding
sophisticated networks of sensors and long-range weapons to hold
important waterways at risk. Both are leveraging offensive cyber
tactics to advance their competitive advantage, illegitimately
obtaining U.S. intellectual property to close research and development
gaps and disrupt our industrial base And both are attempting to replace
the free and open international system with a more unilateral and self-
serving one by turning incremental gains from their malign actions into
long-term advantages--such as militarizing contested features in the
South China Sea or illegally annexing the Crimean peninsula.
The PRC's and Russia's revisionist approaches at sea threaten U.S.
interests, undermine alliances and partnerships, and degrade the free
and open international order. Moreover, the PRC's and Russia's
aggressive naval growth and modernization are eroding U.S. military
advantages. Unchecked, these trends will leave the Navy unprepared to
ensure our advantage at sea and protect national interests within the
next decade.

The PRC--our pacing challenge--is carrying out a strategy aimed at
the heart of America's maritime power. They are deliberately working to
erode maritime governance, inhibit freedom of the seas and overflight,
deter our engagement in regional disputes, and displace the United
States as the partner of choice across the world. To achieve its
strategic goals, the PRC has rapidly grown its Navy from 262 to 350
ships. Today, their fleet includes modern surface combatants,
submarines, aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and polar
icebreakers. Expanding their robust naval force with a hundreds of
Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels, they routinely harass
neighbors to exert pressure at a level below traditional armed
conflict. They have built the world's largest missile force to target
regional waters in an attempt to intimidate others. They have
strengthened all dimensions of military power to contest the United
States from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. Under
the One Belt, One Road Initiative, they are extending their maritime
infrastructure across the globe through aggressive investments,
particularly in ports, to control access to critical waterways.

As our U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander recently stated, the greatest
danger for America and our allies is the erosion of our conventional
deterrence with respect to the PRC. Absent a convincing conventional
deterrent, the PRC will continue to take action to undermine the free
and open conditions at sea upon which our citizens rely. While the PRC
is expanding its influence across the globe, this challenge is most
acutely present in the Indo-Pacific, including the East and South China
Seas and increasingly in the Indian Ocean. History shows that a strong
U.S. Navy provides a stabilizing influence across the world, assists in
peaceful maritime dispute resolution, and expands economic
opportunities for the American people. The future will prove no
different.
u.s. navy--deployed forward to defend america and our allies and
protect the freedom of the seas
The U.S. Navy is responding to the challenges to our free and open
international system by demonstrating our global reach, enforcing
common principles, sustaining the conditions that enable shared
prosperity, strengthening our alliances and partnerships, and
modernizing our fleet to control the seas in conflict and project power
in contested environments. Today, over 42,000 Sailors are deployed on
111 ships and submarines to preserve freedom of the seas, deter
conflict, and keep America and our allies safe. Together with the
Marine Corps and Coast Guard, our Navy is delivering integrated all-
domain naval power across the globe. And we are doing this in the midst
of a global pandemic.

Even with many parts of the world shut down in response to COVID-
19, the worldwide demand for naval forces required us to maintain a
high operational tempo, which included eight major Carrier Strike Group
and Expeditionary Strike Group deployments in FY-20. Since I appeared
before you last year, the Navy has continued to steam and fly from the
Arctic Circle to the Cape of Good Hope and from the Caribbean to the
South China Sea. Our hospital ships provided relief to American
communities; we executed underway training events for deployment
certification; and we conducted exercises as part of the Joint Force
and alongside our allies and partners. Our ability to sustain a forward
posture rests on the individual commitments of over 600,000 Sailors and
Navy civilians and their families. Their adaptive spirit and commitment
to COVID-19 protocols kept the force healthy and our ships at sea.
The pandemic taught us a great deal about operating in a
challenging environment. Our entire force learned how to adapt as we
iterated and honed our COVID-19 Standardized Operational Guidance. Our
logistics teams learned what it means to sustain our fleet with limited
means. Our information technology workforce quickly scaled virtual
private network licenses and supported the roll-out of virtual and
remote environments to keep us connected. Our dedicated, patriotic
shipyard and aviation depot workforce adapted to our COVID-19
protocols, came to work, and got our ships and aircraft back to sea.
And we learned how brittle portions of our defense industrial base
could be if not postured appropriately. We took every opportunity to
learn throughout this dynamic year--and shared those lessons with our
allies and partners--to improve the resiliency of our Navy in the years
ahead.
We certainly did not address the challenges of continued maritime
operations during this pandemic alone. Our broader Navy team--which
includes Congress, industry, research institutions and laboratories,
and our international allies and partners--overcame so much to design,
build, and sustain our fleet through this pandemic. We cannot thank all
of you enough. As our nation--and the world--emerges from this
pandemic, we will continue to face the daunting challenge posed by
long-term competition with the PRC and Russia. And we will need your
support, now more than ever, as we modernize and recapitalize the Navy
to sustain our enduring advantage at sea.
timeless roles of sea control and power projection
American security and prosperity is underpinned by the U.S. Navy's
ability to control the seas and project power ashore in conflict. The
world would be a less prosperous, more dangerous place if the seas were
not open and free for the benefit of all. Every day, combat-credible
naval forces operate forward to reassure our allies and partners,
confront malign behavior, and deter potential adversaries from
escalating into conflict. We preserve a stable and secure global
maritime environment and advance prosperity through transit, trade, and
the lawful pursuit of natural resources. Our ability to carry out these
essential functions comes from our ability to credibly control the seas
and project power ashore in conflict. These missions are timeless.
Controlling the seas protects friendly shipping, provides the Joint
Force and our allies freedom to maneuver, and denies the use of the
seas to our adversaries. In the past, sea control required us to fight
our adversaries on, under, and above the sea. Now, in our digital age,
it requires us to also fight in space, cyberspace, and across the
electromagnetic spectrum. In short, modern sea control demands the all-
domain power of our Navy and Joint Force.
America also needs a Navy that can influence events ashore. This
starts with deterring nuclear attack against our nation with our
ballistic missile submarines--the most survivable leg of the nuclear
triad. Projecting power and influence from the seas is vital to
deterring aggression and resolving crises on acceptable terms to the
United States. Our Navy must field capabilities in all domains--
employing information warfare, cyber capabilities, special operations,
and a host of conventional weapons launched from on, under, and above
the sea--to convince our rivals they have no viable means of achieving
their objectives through force. Our sea control and power projection
capabilities, alongside our strategic deterrent, provide America and
our allies their surest guarantee of peace. If the Navy fails to
deliver a fleet that can control the seas and project power, our nation
will lack the conventional deterrent needed to protect America and our
allies and expand economic opportunities for the American people.
While America's need for sea control and power projection
capabilities has not changed over time, how we operate and what we
operate with is changing. Emerging technologies have expanded modern
fights at sea into all domains. Ubiquitous and persistent sensors,
advanced battle networks, and long range weapons have made contested
spaces more lethal. Advances in artificial intelligence have increased
the importance of achieving decision superiority in combat.
Additionally, autonomous systems have shown promise for an effective
and affordable way for us to fight and win in contested spaces. These
technologies offer clear advantages to the militaries that integrate
them first. America cannot afford to fall behind.
Meanwhile, our fleet is adapting to operate in new ways. To
preserve and promote the rules- based order, we are taking a more
assertive posture in daily operations. We are challenging excessive
maritime claims by sailing and flying wherever international law allows
and expanding our decision advantage by persistently monitoring
activities at sea to expose malign behavior that undermines the rules-
based order. Our cyber teams are actively defending our networks and
projecting power in the cyber domain to maintain a tactical advantage
against our rivals. Furthermore, we are dynamically deploying our
forces forward to deter our rivals from making incremental gains and to
work alongside our allies and partners to keep the seas free and open.
Should deterrence fail, our Navy stands ready to confront
aggression and decisively win a fight. Using concepts such as the Joint
Warfighting Concept and Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), we will
mass sea- and shore-based fires from distributed forces. By maneuvering
distributed forces across all domains, we will complicate adversary
targeting, exploit uncertainty, and achieve surprise. Controlling the
seas by constraining or destroying adversary fleets will enable freedom
of movement at sea and power projection ashore. Working with the Joint
Force and our allies and partners, Navy submarines, aircraft, and
surface ships will launch massed volleys of networked weapons to
overwhelm adversary defenses and compel a termination of conflict on
favorable terms. Delivering an all-domain fleet that is capable of
effectively executing these concepts is vital to maintaining a credible
conventional deterrent with respect to the PRC and Russia.
delivering all-domain naval power
To deliver the all-domain naval power America needs, our Navy must
evolve our capabilities and grow our capacity. The Navy--working in
close collaboration with the Joint Force--has studied, identified, and
prioritized the future capabilities we need to execute our evolving
warfighting concepts and maintain a credible deterrent with respect to
the PRC. The PRC has invested heavily in anti-access capabilities. In
conflict, they will seek to contest all domains and hold our forces at
risk with sophisticated networks of sensors and a large number of long-
range, precision weapons. To effectively deter the PRC as part of the
Joint Force, our fleet must be imbued with distributed weapons of
increasing range and speed, more magazine depth, more mobility, more
stealth and deception, and more sustainability. This requires a
deliberate adjustment to our naval force structure.
Based upon multiple rigorous, threat informed assessments conducted
over the past five years--both inside and outside the Navy--it is my
best military advice that America needs a larger Navy to counter the
People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) that is growing in both capability
and capacity. To fill critical Joint Force demands, the Navy requires
greater numbers of submarines, smaller and more numerous surface
combatants, more lethal offensive capabilities, a host of integrated
unmanned platforms--under, on, and above the seas--and a modern
strategic deterrent. We also need a robust network infrastructure to
link our distributed forces together and resilient logistics to sustain
them. In short, a balanced, hybrid fleet of manned and unmanned
platforms is the most effective and affordable way to meet the security
demands of our nation.
Analysis has also confirmed that numbers are not the only factor--
the composition and combat effectiveness of our fleet matters more.
Naval power is not a function of ship numbers alone, nor is it simply a
result of the lethal systems employed from those ships. It comes from
the concepts that shape how we fight and the means to maintain, train,
and equip our forces to win in combat. And it fundamentally comes from
developing Sailors--the true source of our naval power--who can
outthink and outfight and adversary.
Within the scope of the President's FY-22 Budget request (PB-22),
we are maximizing our Navy's contribution to the Joint Force. We are
prioritizing a fleet that is ready for combat over a larger fleet that
is not ready to fight. We are divesting of legacy assets that do not
bring sufficient lethality to the fight and investing in next-
generation platforms and systems that close critical Joint capability
gaps. Meanwhile, we are prioritizing the training and education needed
to prepare our Sailors to outthink and outfight any adversary. And we
are using every dollar we can to sustainably grow the fleet. As we
prepare our fleet for long-term competition with the PRC, we are
focused on key objectives in the following areas--readiness,
capabilities, capacity, and our Sailors.
Readiness
To sustain America's advantage at sea, we must deliver combat-ready
forces to deter aggression and keep the seas free and open. Deploying
battle-ready ships, submarines, and squadrons around the world--from
the South China Sea to the Arctic--deters aggression, reaffirms our
commitment to allies and partners, and keeps the seas open and free.
Readiness underpins our forward-engaged posture and touches all
elements of the Navy, from our shipyards and aviation depots to the
steaming and flying hours our Sailors use to hone their skills. With
nearly 70 percent of the fleet we will have in 2030 already in service
today, affordably sustaining our ships and aircraft is vital to meeting
future demands. This is why PB-22 places such an emphasis on critical
components of our Navy's readiness.
Our force is in a higher state of readiness today than prior to
2017 with a healthier surge force, improved shipboard manning, better
training for our crews, and improved parts availability. Increased
funding, combined with cultural reforms throughout the fleet, have
arrested the decline in our readiness and put us on a path to recovery.
Still, we have much work to do.
Deploying combat-ready forces starts with taking expert care of our
platforms. To this end, we are using data-driven reforms to improve
maintenance processes, increase operational availability, and save
taxpayer dollars. We have seen tremendous success with these methods in
our aviation community. For years our F/A-18 aircraft were stuck at a
55 percent mission capable rate. At the time, we assumed only an
increase in inputs--aircraft, manpower, or parts--could raise the
number of ready jets available to our pilots. However, in FY-19 we
shifted our focus to cultural reform and used the power of data-
analytics to raise our F/A-18E/F mission capable rate to 80 percent--a
rate we have continued to maintain throughout all of FY-20 and into FY-
21. With higher numbers of aircraft available, our aircrew are more
ready to fly and fight than at any point over the last decade.
We are now applying a similar approach to improving ship
maintenance. On-time private shipyard surface ship availability
completion rates rose from 37 percent in FY-19 to 67 percent in FY-20.
Meanwhile, public shipyards reduced maintenance delay days by over 75
percent from FY-19 to FY-20. To generate these gains, we modified
contracting strategies, increased dry dock capacity, and optimized
facility and pier layouts. We improved planning and adjusted
maintenance durations to better align workload with shipyard capacity.
We also leveraged authorities provided by Congress, such as the three
year ``Other Procurement, Navy'' pilot program, to increase flexibility
and stabilize demand for our shipyard workforces.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 impacted our recent ship depot maintenance
gains--as the need to protect our people caused delays in on-time
completion of ship maintenance. Half of our maintenance availabilities
in both public and private shipyards are trending late due to workforce
capacity reductions. To mitigate further impacts in our private
shipyards, we accelerated awards of contract options and improved the
cash positions of the industrial base. For our public shipyards, we
mobilized over 1,300 skilled Navy Reserve Sailors, increased overtime
usage, and rebalanced future workloads to address these delays. These
efforts have stemmed the disruption COVID-19 caused to our shipyard
maintenance and will mitigate work spilling over into FY-22. We are
methodically and safely returning to normal operating conditions.
Though some delays will continue to persist until the shipyards return
to full strength, the production workforce in both public and private
shipyards is returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Sustaining our advantage at sea requires us to make targeted
investments in critical infrastructure. This includes ensuring our
worldwide constellation of bases are postured to sustain and support
our fleet at sea. Of particular importance are critical elements of our
national defense industrial base such as our public shipyards and
aviation depots. Our Shipyard Infrastructure and Optimization Program
(SIOP) provides a strategic roadmap for necessary investments in dry-
docks, capital equipment, and optimizing the layout of these vital
national assets. We have already broken ground on a perimeter floodwall
at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and are building a new lock system at
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with many more projects on the horizon. We
are also recapitalizing our aviation depot infrastructure. Through our
Naval Aviation Fleet Infrastructure Optimization Plan (FIOP), we are
developing a 10-year Master Plan that provides our aviation depots the
capacity to sustain and modernize our aircraft, engines, components,
and support equipment. Meanwhile, we are also transforming our Navy
enterprise shore network infrastructure into a secure, resilient
digital platform.
Sustaining our advantage also requires us to master all-domain
fleet operations. To credibly deter aggression, we must integrate the
all-domain power of the Navy with the Joint Force and our allies and
partners. This starts with providing our Sailors adequate ranges to
train for the high-end fight. The speed and scale of a potential fight
for control of the seas has changed. The size of our premier Carrier
Air Wing and SEAL training center--the Fallon Range Training Complex
(FRTC)--is no longer sufficient. Within existing capacity, our Sailors
cannot sufficiently train with longer-range weapons or practice the
tactics and techniques they will need to employ against a near-peer
threat. We will continue to work with Congress, tribal leadership,
local communities, and key stakeholders in the year ahead to modernize
the FRTC and ensure our Sailors have the infrastructure they need to
train to win in combat.
Mastering all-domain fleet operations also requires a rigorous
learning campaign. We are conducting a series of fleet battle problems,
wargames, and exercises to refine our concepts and capabilities. For
example, we recently conducted our most complex exercise to date
involving unmanned systems, which brought unmanned surface vessels and
aircraft under the control of a Zumwalt-class destroyer--the USS
Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001). This summer we will conduct Large Scale
Exercise 2021--bringing together our fleets from across the globe to
test out key components of our DMO concept. Overall, our campaign of
experimentation and learning prepares our Sailors for high-end
warfighting and drives updated joint concepts, fleet requirements, and
future naval capabilities.
Sustaining our advantage at sea depends on developing, training,
and fielding battle ready surface force crews. As of the end of 2020,
we have fully implemented all 111 Comprehensive Review/Strategic
Readiness Review recommendations. Over 1,700 junior officers have now
graduated from our new Junior Officer of the Deck course with training
aligned to International Maritime Organization's standards. We are
broadening the use of instructor-led virtual reality training through
the construction of two Mariner Skills Training Centers and the
modernization of our Integrated Navigation Seamanship and Ship handling
Trainers. With the support of Congress, we are investing in and
employing meaningful reforms in how we man our surface fleet, train our
crews, schedule and execute workups and deployments, and how we equip
and maintain the surface force.
We will continue to invest in these key priorities and drive
maximum efficiency from every dollar to deliver the naval power America
needs. We are currently meeting operational demands while adapting to
protect our Sailors and their families. But readiness recovery remains
a long game and will require sustained funding over time to fully
recover.
Capabilities
To sustain America's advantage at sea, we must deliver a more
lethal and better connected fleet. The fight at sea is evolving
rapidly. Emerging technologies have expanded into all domains and made
contested spaces more lethal. Artificial intelligence and machine
learning, autonomy, quantum computing, additive manufacturing, and new
communications technologies are transforming the maritime environment.
These changes emphasize the need for the Navy to develop sea control
and power projection capabilities at speed and scale. That means more
lethality, more survivability, better combat logistics, and a resilient
network that connects command and control nodes, platforms, weapons,
and sensors all together.
PB-22 prioritizes capabilities that amplify the fleet's ability to
disperse and project synchronized lethal and non-lethal effects from
multiple axes and in all domains. To achieve this vision, we are
developing a Naval Operational Architecture (NOA) that integrates with
Joint All-Domain Command and Control. The NOA is a collection of
networks, infrastructure, data, and analytic tools that connects our
distributed forces and provides decision advantage. Beyond
recapitalization of our undersea nuclear deterrent, there is no higher
development priority. We launched Task Force Overmatch this past
October to align resources and expertise from across our force to field
the NOA by the middle of this decade.
Developing longer-range, higher-speed weapons--such as hypersonic
missiles--will give our warfighters the competitive advantage they
need. Hypersonic missiles change the risk calculus for our rivals by
providing a non-nuclear sea-based prompt, global strike capability. We
are working in close partnership with the Army to deliver a truly-
joint, conventional hypersonic weapon across land and sea-based
platforms. We conducted a successful test of our common hypersonic
glide body in March 2020, which keeps our Conventional Prompt Strike
program on- track to field this game changing capability by the mid-to-
late 2020s. PB-22 signals our strong support for developing this vital
joint capability.
Our adversaries are attempting to deter us with massive numbers of
sea- and shore-based missiles. To complicate their ability to
understand the potential battlespace, we are investing in Counter-
Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence,
Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting systems. Our response also
includes fielding an inexhaustible directed-energy system that
accurately and reliably defeats anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM). The
High Energy Laser Counter ASCM Project is expediting the development of
critical technologies to protect our ships from the cruise missile
threat. At the same time, we are pursuing other directed energy
initiatives in parallel--such as the 150 kilowatt class laser weapon
system--to accelerate learning and fielding of this critical
capability. The recent demonstration onboard USS Portland showed how we
can disable an unmanned aerial vehicle using directed energy. We will
continue to invest in laser technology and non-kinetic defensive
systems to increase fleet survivability while maintaining free magazine
space for our offensive weapons.
Our logistics enterprise and strategic sealift capacity are also
vital to sustaining our advantage at sea and keeping the Joint Force
operating forward. Accordingly, we are modernizing networks and
communication and navigation systems of our Combat Logistics Force to
best posture this aging fleet to operate in a contested environment. We
are also investing in increased fuel distribution capacity as well as
improvements in our expeditionary rearm capabilities and resuscitative
care surgery systems. Specific to the Sealift Fleet, which provides
inter-theater lift capability to the Joint Force, we have accelerated
recapitalization, leveraging a ``buy used'' strategy to replace our
least ready vessels, and invested in service life extension for the net
effect of increased readiness. We are grateful for Congress's
authorization to affordably revitalize our Sealift Fleet with used
vessels. We are moving ahead with purchasing two used ships in 2021 and
five used vessels in PB-22, signaling our continued support for this
approach. We will continue to work with Congress to efficiently
recapitalize this critical capability in the years ahead and request
that Congress remove remaining obstacles to used ship procurement. Our
longer-term plan is to construct new vessels to replace prepositioned
vessels in the Maritime Prepositioning Force as those ships begin to
reach expected service life at the end of this decade.
Pivoting toward the future and resourcing needed capabilities--
especially in the Indo-Pacific region--requires tough choices. To
invest in the next-generation capabilities we need to meet the
challenge of near-peer competitors, we need to divest of our legacy
capabilities that no longer bring sufficient lethality to the fight. We
will work transparently with Congress to make these critical divestment
decisions and free up resources to modernize the fleet.
Capacity
To sustain America's advantage at sea, we must field a larger,
hybrid fleet that is designed for sea control and power projection. To
provide a credible conventional deterrent in peace and win in war, we
need to sustainably generate cost-effective platforms and mature
unmanned systems. This transition will increase the capacity of the
fleet, expand our ability to distribute our forces, and rebalance the
fleet away from exquisite, manpower-intensive platforms and toward
smaller, less-expensive ones. By growing a hybrid fleet--on, above, and
below the seas--we will ensure our success across the continuum of day-
to-day competition, crisis, and conflict.
As we design and build a larger, hybrid-fleet, our number one
acquisition priority remains delivering the Columbia-class ballistic
missile submarine on time. No mission is more important to our nation
than providing a secure and reliable strategic nuclear deterrent. Our
ballistic missile submarines are the most survivable portion of our
nuclear triad and provide an assured response to any strategic nuclear
attack on the United States. With our Ohio-class submarines nearing the
end of their service life, we cannot afford to get behind in delivering
on the Columbia program. The first submarine is starting construction
this year with the second boat on-track for procurement in FY-24. We
will continue to drive affordability, technology development, and
integration efforts to ensure the program remains on schedule and our
ballistic missile submarines remain on patrol in the decades ahead.
Meanwhile, our future fleet places a premium on expanding our
undersea advantage. During conflict, sea control and sea denial from
beneath the waves are among our Navy's core advantages--we cannot
afford to yield any ground to our competitors. We are now planning to
construct the tenth Block V Virginia-class submarine with a Virginia
Payload Module (VPM). PB-22 underscores our sustained support for
procuring two Virginia-class submarines per year. Sustainable
production of the Virginia-class submarine, in addition to the
development of a follow-on attack submarine program, is key to
sustaining our undersea advantage in the years ahead.
As we shift our focus toward smaller platforms that can operate in
a more dispersed manner, there is a clear need to rapidly incorporate
unmanned systems into our fleet architecture. They expand our
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance advantage, add depth to
our missile magazines, enhance fleet survivability, and provide more
risk-worthy vessels to operate inside the weapons engagement zone of
any adversary. In other words, they give our operational commanders
flexible and effective options to maneuver within a contested
environment. The Navy is taking a deliberate approach to developing
unmanned systems through our Unmanned Campaign Framework. Our framework
lays out an overarching vision on how we intend to produce tested and
proven systems at scale, as well as develop the core technologies
required to successfully integrate unmanned systems on, below, and
above the sea. By the end of this decade, our Sailors must have a high
degree of confidence and skill operating alongside proven unmanned
platforms. The combined capability of manned and unmanned systems will
provide our operational forces the advantage we need in a future fight.
Nuclear powered aircraft carriers are the most survivable and
versatile airfields in the world. For decades to come, they will remain
a cornerstone of the Navy's forward presence, sea control, and power
projection capabilities. USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) represents a
generational leap in the aircraft carrier's capacity to project power.
Over the past year, Ford has been underway, executing over 7,100 total
launches and recoveries with the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System
and Advanced Arresting Gear. Additionally, over 30,000 pounds of
ordnance has been moved, loaded and expended by embarked F/A-18
aircraft using Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWEs). Seven of Ford's AWEs
have completed certification and the remaining four are on track to
certify by this summer. We expect Ford to be cleared for blue water
operations later this year and ready for employment in 2022.
The striking power of our Carrier Air Wing is vital to controlling
the seas and projecting power in a high-end fight, and the adaptability
of the air wing keeps our carriers relevant for 50-plus years of life.
The air wing of today is currently transforming with the addition of
the F-35C, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, and the CMV-22B Osprey. PB-22
increases our F-35 inventory to get the fleet closer to a fourth
generation and fifth generation fighter mix. Carrier Air Wing TWO--
which includes the first operational F-35C squadron--is currently
undergoing pre-deployment training and will deploy later this year.
Meanwhile, we are rapidly developing the MQ-25 Stingray--the Air Wing's
first unmanned platform--to extend the striking range of our fleet. And
we are laying the groundwork for the highly networked air wing of the
future--a 6th generation family of systems that leverages manned-
unmanned teaming--which will deliver overwhelming firepower in
contested spaces in the years ahead. Delivering a 6th generation family
of systems is vital to keeping pace with PRC fighter development and
sustaining our advantage over the seas. America cannot afford to fall
behind.
We are also going through a surface combatant reset on ship design
and construction to provide the next enduring hull forms for small and
large surface combatants. Our surface combatant inventory is aging with
limited options for future upgrades. At the same time, our future fleet
design places an emphasis on greater numbers of small surface
combatants. The Constellation-class frigate is a versatile, multi-
mission platform capable of supporting day-to-day operations and the
high-end fight. We began cutting steel on Constellation this year, and
we are excited to incorporate this ship into the fleet in 2026.
Meanwhile, the future large surface combatant (DDG(X)) will bring the
space, weight, and power needed to incorporate future capabilities for
the high-end fight such as high power lasers, long-range strike, and
sensor growth. Together, both ship classes will bring more lethality,
more survivability, more endurance, and more self-sufficiency to the
fleet.
We are not just building better ships--we are building ships
better. The Navy is mindful of past shipbuilding efforts that did not
perform to plan, which is why we are moving ahead in ways that
deliberately reduce risk. Early and sustained industry involvement,
robust land based testing, and focused design maturity are foundational
to our shipbuilding approach. We appreciate the strong support from
Congress in FY-21. Delivering ships on time, on budget, and within
performance targets is our priority.
Sailors
To sustain America's advantage at sea, we must recruit, develop,
and retain a seasoned team of naval warriors. The strength of our naval
power depends on the strength of our Sailors--active and reserve,
uniformed and civilian. In the long-term strategic competition we face
today, every Sailor must be able to outthink and outfight any
adversary. Our Navy must remain the best trained, finest educated, and
most ready maritime force in the world. We recognize the strength we
gain from a diverse force and our actively pursuing combat-minded
Sailors with varied backgrounds, experiences, and thought to build up
our readiness and resilience. As we take care of our Sailors, we will
accelerate their development and harness their talents to keep America
safe and prosperous.
As we modernize our fleet, we are modernizing our talent management
systems to better recruit, train, retain, and support our Sailors. We
achieved our accession goal of 39,600 new active duty Sailors in FY-20
to further improve afloat manning and filled operational billets to
their highest point in six years. PB-22 makes a slight reduction in our
end-strength with the divestment of legacy ships. However, the demand
for a highly trained, diverse force has not abated. We are grateful to
Congress for the generous pay raises and personnel reforms. The Navy is
leveraging both--alongside our talent management initiatives--to better
recruit and retain our incredibly talented force. Meanwhile, we
continue to transform our MyNavyHR infrastructure to rapidly deliver
services to our Sailors and families at a reduced cost. This includes
the DOD-leading mobile applications that help with the challenge of
military moves and finding childcare or housing and the MyNavy Career
Centers which proved vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are continuing to cultivate a culture of excellence across the
fleet, which builds resilience and strengthens our Navy's enduring
standards of professional competence and personal character. Over the
past year, our culture of excellence campaign has strengthened the
signature behaviors that define our service to prevent the occurrence
of destructive behaviors--such as sexual harassment or discrimination.
At the same time, we have maintained a resolute focus on preventing the
scourge of sexual assault within our ranks. PB-22 increases our
civilian Sexual Assault Prevention and Response workforce to provide
greater support for our Sailors and drive down investigation timelines.
Overall, we are providing more training, more tools, and more resources
so every Sailor receives the support they need.
We are also actively building a workforce that represents the full
diversity of America and the strength it brings. Task Force One Navy
(TF1N) was launched last year to analyze and evaluate issues in our
military that detract from Navy cohesiveness and readiness. The task
force released their report in January 2021 and highlighted 56
recommendations that will elevate a culture of diversity, equity, and
inclusion throughout the fleet. Respect and the promise of opportunity
are core to our Navy, and we are committed to implementing TF1N reforms
and ridding discrimination, sexism, and other forms of structural
biases from our ranks.
Without a doubt, the vast majority of Sailors in the U.S. Navy
serve every day with honor, character, and integrity. However, we
cannot be under any illusions that extremist behaviors do not exist in
our Navy. As directed by the Secretary of Defense, each command across
the fleet conducted a stand down to address extremism within our ranks.
Racism, injustice, indignity, and disrespect keeps us from reaching our
potential--an inclusive, respectful, professional fighting force that
answers the Nation's call with unparalleled readiness and lethality.
The stand down was only a starting point; this will be an ongoing
fight. We are committed to eliminating extremist behavior and all of
its corrosive effects on our fighting force.
The intellectual investments we make in each Sailor provide a key
advantage over our rivals. To strengthen our advantage in this area, we
are aligning the curriculum and research of the Navy's education
enterprise to deliver warfighting advantage in our operations at sea
and in how we design, deliver, and generate our forces. Additionally,
the Naval Community College is on track to provide our Sailors
opportunities for education in fields that strengthen the service.
Maintaining educational relationships with our international partners
through exchanges and scholarships remains a priority for us to deepen
enduring relationships and broaden understanding between likeminded
navies.
To ensure our Sailors are ready for any challenge on the horizon,
we are scaling Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) and Live, Virtual,
Constructive (LVC) training. RRL provides the right training, at the
right time, in the right way for our Sailors. It replaces ``one-and-
done'' classroom training events with career-long learning continuums
through a mix of in-classroom instruction and modern training methods.
LVC technology blends the intensity of underway operation with high-
fidelity synthetic training, allowing our Sailors to master high-end
tactics in secure and controllable conditions. Our force will always
fall back to their baseline under the stress of combat--RRL and LVC
will raise their baseline.
conclusion
Let there be no doubt--America is a maritime nation. Our security
and prosperity are inextricably linked to the seas. For 245 years--in
both calm and rough waters--your Navy has stood the watch to protect
our homeland, preserve the freedom of the seas, and defend our way of
life. For generations, we have provided a bulwark against aggression
and have underwritten the international order that led to an
unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. Now that order is under
threat.
As the President stated, we are at an inflection point. The PRC's
rapid military growth and aggressive behavior at sea has put it on a
trajectory that will challenge our maritime advantage in the years
ahead. Our naval forces--and the American people--must maintain a
clear-eyed resolve to compete, deter, and--if necessary--defeat our
rivals, while accelerating the development of a larger and more lethal
future fleet. We must do so while integrating more closely with the
Marine Corps and Coast Guard to generate integrated all-domain naval
Power. Only by working as a team and taking care of our people will we
be able to defend the nation in the years ahead. We must move
deliberately, but also with speed. Our actions this decade will shape
the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century.
On behalf of more than 600,000 active and reserve Sailors and Navy
Civilians, thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify today. I
am grateful to this committee, and to all of your colleagues in
Congress, for your steadfast commitment to the Navy. We look forward to
sailing alongside you to sustain our advantage at sea.

Senator Tester. Thank you, Admiral Gilday.
Next up, it is you, General Berger.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL DAVID H. BERGER, COMMANDANT,
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
General Berger. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and
distinguished members of this committee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify on the posture of your Marine Corps this
morning, our priorities, and the resources required to fund it
all.
Over the past 2 years, since becoming Commandant, I have
come to better understand and appreciate the bipartisan support
of this committee, which I think is critical to creating and
sustaining the force we have today, but also the force we are
going to need for the future. I realize there are competing
national priorities you must wrestle with, and that is going to
put pressure on Defense budgets. But, I am also confident that
you appreciate the severity of the security environment today.
The global competition, which the Chairman and Ranking both
mentioned, with China and Russia is accelerating. Your military
is going to need more advanced capabilities to effectively
compete, to reassure our allies and partners, and to deter war.
Force Design 2030 is the Marine Corps' answer to creating
the cutting-edge capabilities that will better enable the fleet
and the joint force to deter, to compete, and to respond with
ready forces to any crisis anywhere on the globe.
We are roughly 2 years into our Force Design effort. And
while I am encouraged by our progress, I am not satisfied by
the pace of change. We must move faster. To accelerate our
modernization, we, as a service, need to do a better job of
explaining the details of Force Design 2030 to yourselves and
to your staff, and that is my responsibility as your
Commandant.
It is important that this committee understands that the
capabilities we seek are not the stuff of science fiction. They
are already programs of record based on proven technology. And,
while we do not have sufficient time this morning to address
the full scope of our Force Design effort, I do want to
highlight three key capabilities.
First is long-range precision fires for sea denial and sea
control. Over the past several years, we have proven that our
existing HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System)
vehicles can hold naval vessels at risk with ground-based,
anti-ship missiles. Through aggressive experimentation, we
can--we have further enhanced that capability.
This year, we successfully launched a naval strike missile
from a modified, unmanned, joint light tactical vehicle,
hitting a target at sea underway. This system, which we call
the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or
NMESIS, is exactly the type of capability that Combatant
Commanders are calling for to enhance their deterrent posture.
Second is unmanned ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance,
Reconnaissance). In 2020, we began a transition to a mixed
capability of long-range ship and ground-based, unmanned aerial
systems, to include the MQ-9 Reaper. The Reaper has a proven
capability that will significantly expand our organic ISR and
enable us to better support fleet and joint operations,
including anti-submarine operations.
We have also initiated a partnership with industry to
develop a future autonomous, long-range, unmanned surface
vessel. That is going to significantly improve the
reconnaissance capability of our Marine Expeditionary Units, or
MEUs.
Third, we are investing in loitering munitions. These
swarming aerial munitions, which employ automatic target
recognition, have proven exceptionally lethal in recent global
conflicts, most recently in Europe. Our own tests have also
demonstrated this technology to be effective with five of five
successful shots during testing.
We plan to equip our infantry and reconnaissance Marines
with this loitering capability. Mounting those munitions on
both ground vehicles and long-range unmanned surface vessels--
the one I mentioned earlier--and we will make a final decision
on vendors this year.
With that brief update in mind, a fair question I think
might be to ask, How do you plan to pay for all these new
capabilities and other force design investments? Recognizing
today's budget environment, the Marine Corps has, for the past
2 years, and we will continue, pursuing a cost-neutral approach
to force design. We will self-fund our modernization. To ensure
the success of this approach, I will ask for your support in
reducing the total procurement of some platforms, commensurate
with the recent reductions in our end strength.
The fact is, today's Marine Corps is significantly smaller
than it was a decade ago--about 24,000 Marines smaller. That
means we will not need as many ground vehicles. We will not
need as many aircraft as we thought we did when initial
procurement decisions were made decades ago. It is just simple
math.
With the reductions outlined in our force design report, I
believe we will have sufficient resources to create the modern
capabilities required for competition, deterrence, and crisis
response without a further reduction in our end strength.
That approach, however, relies 100 percent on this
committee's confidence in allowing the Marine Corps to retain
and reallocate the internal resources we generate through end
strength reductions, cutting legacy platforms, and right-sizing
previously set programs of record for new capabilities, like
the F-35, CH-53K, and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
My promise to you as Commandant is to remain the very best
steward of taxpayer dollars, and I ask for your continued
support to ensure your Marines, which are the Nation's force in
readiness, remain ready to respond to any crisis, anywhere in
the world, today, and into the future.
Like the Acting Secretary mentioned, I welcome the
opportunity to work with this committee, and I look forward to
your questions, both in this hearing and in the weeks to come.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of General David H. Berger
Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, and distinguished members of
this committee, thank you for this opportunity to present the annual
report on the Marine Corps. More importantly, thank you for your
continued support and leadership over this challenging year. I believe
strongly that major change in existing force structure and ways of
doing business are needed in this era of renewed great power
competition. The strategic environment the Marine Corps and joint force
operate in has changed, as has the domestic context as a result of the
ongoing COVID-19 and related relief measures. We must therefore make
appropriate adjustments to our investment plans to ensure a proper
return on the taxpayers' investment. The promotion and sustainment of
the Marine Corps that our nation and fleets will need in 2030 and
beyond requires your continued active support.
Since testifying last year, our nation has engaged in a long
overdue conversation on race and social justice sparked by several
visible incidents of institutional racism, and perhaps more
importantly--how to remedy the inequities of the present. As with all
other Americans, I--and every other Marine--have acknowledged these
challenges, and will continue to do our part to overcome them once and
for all. While confronting issues of inequality, we have simultaneously
endured the adverse consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like
millions of others, Marines and their families across the country and
globe suffered the consequences of isolation, closure of our public
schools, and increased childcare demands; and like those millions of
other Americans, Marines made the necessary sacrifices to stop the
spread. I am proud of every one of those Marines with their collective
leadership and of their ability to rapidly adapt and lead by example.
Our nation witnessed a small but violent minority attempt to
subvert the rule of law through an overt act of violent coercion on
January 6, 2021. Like most every other American, I was shocked by this
attack on our democracy. I was even more dismayed to learn that some of
those engaged in that attack had previously served in the military--to
include the United States Marine Corps. Thankfully, we as a nation and
military have done as we always do--learned, endured, and grown
stronger. We have and will continue to actively work to identify
recruits and Marines who hold extremist views and we look forward to
participating in the Secretary of Defense's new Countering Extremism
Working Group to develop additional methods of keeping extremists from
within our ranks.
Over the past year, I have continued to communicate my
understanding of the future demands of naval expeditionary warfare and
maritime gray zone competition. Related to the future of naval
campaigns, I have articulated a case for change to reinforce and expand
existing naval warfighting advantages and create future strategic
advantages. It is abundantly clear that a future operating environment
characterized by a maturing and proliferating precision strike regime
will place heavy demands on our Nation's Naval Services. We are not yet
organized, trained, equipped, or postured to meet those demands and
support fleet operations. This is no longer a controversial assertion
as it was when my predecessor first uttered it. The vast majority of
defense professionals--including the Members of the bipartisan Future
of Defense Task Force--perceive the same challenges I do in the
emerging operating environment, as well as the urgent need for real
innovation and rapid change in response. Although there is an ongoing,
healthy debate about how and what we should change across the Armed
Services, there are very few lining up to defend the status quo. We
must continue to discuss these changes, but defense professionals have
almost unanimously acknowledged that real change is required--and soon.
Though some things require substantial change, we should be clear
to acknowledge those foundational tenets which remain as relevant and
operationally suitable today as they have been over the previous 70
years. In 1952, Members of Congress noted the Marine Corps ``can
prevent the growth of potentially large conflagrations by prompt and
vigorous action during their incipient stages. The nation's shock
troops must be the most ready when the nation is least ready...to
provide a balanced force-in-readiness for a naval campaign and, at the
same time, a ground and air striking force ready to suppress or contain
international disturbances short of large-scale war...'' This role as
the nation's force-in-readiness, prepared to create strategic advantage
via its ability to be quickest to respond to either crisis or conflict,
and prepared to both prevent and contain conflict below the threshold
of traditional armed conflict remains as valid today as it was when
first articulated.
personnel and talent management
None of our Force Design 2030 aspirations are possible without
addressing the people within our ranks. As Secretary Austin
highlighted, ``our most critical asset...is our people.'' I believe
this is even more relevant within the Marine Corps. Marines are the
heart and soul of the Corps. Almost all of your 225,000 Marines serve
honorably every day, representing the very best of our country and your
constituencies. No institution, however, is without flaws. As I noted
last year, malignant individuals and small malignant subcultures
continue to exist within your Marine Corps. In this era of profound
ideological division within our nation, some individual Marines
regrettably bring with them, or fall victim to while in service,
misogynistic, racist, and homophobic/transphobic ideologies driven by
hate, fear, and ignorance. While I have instituted even more rigorous
policies than previously existed to ensure we identify such individuals
during enlistment and accession screening, I remain committed to
identifying and holding accountable any Marine unable to uphold our
core values and to adhere to our unapologetically high standards. This
is what you should expect from me, and you will get it.
Within the context of the larger national conversation on race,
social justice, and equality, it became clear to me early in my
Commandancy that there were symbols and behaviors within our Corps that
challenged the cohesion and unity essential to military effectiveness.
The Confederate Battle flag stood out as one such symbol. I am not a
historian and do not take a position as to the true meaning of this
ancient banner, but some in today's world have rallied around the
colors of that defeated rebellion to foster division and hate. As a
result, I prohibited its display aboard all Marine Corps installations
beginning last spring. My primary responsibility is to prepare Marines
to fight and win in combat, and we cannot tolerate artificial division
driving wedges among your Marines--especially ones so easy to identify
and remove. I will do everything within my authority to remove any
obstacle preventing equality and cohesion. Signs or symbols that
support or endorse hatred, ignorance, or injustice have no place in our
Corps.
While these acknowledgements of past prejudice are good first
steps, we must do more than simply look over our shoulders at the past.
We must acknowledge the real bias and obstacles in the system today. We
must promote and retain the very best Marines; however, it is clear to
me that a degree of structural racism and sexism exists within our
current system. We must create a system of structural equality that
ensures all Marines--of all backgrounds--are able to use their best
talents to solve the problems we soon will face. The diversity of
thought and actions each Marine brings will help us find more creative
and innovative solutions to these future challenges. We must actively
work to retain and grow this diversity of thought through a more
diverse group of talented individuals, while at the same time
protecting against extremism.
Over the past decade and in close coordination with Congress, we've
prioritized the prevention of sexual harassment and sexual assault as
well as dedicated tremendous effort into providing the appropriate
response to these criminal acts. I am convinced of the linkage between
sexual harassment and sexual assault, thus we will continue to make
every effort to eliminate both from our ranks with your continued
assistance. We have increased the number of Victim Legal Counselors
dedicated to supporting sexual assault victims over the past 12 months.
However, all of these efforts are dedicated to the response after a
tragic event has occurred. We must do better at the prevention in order
to stop sexual assault and sexual harassment before they occur.
Although we conduct regular training aimed at preventing this from
happening, we are still working to overcome unhealthy attitudes and
behaviors recruits arrive with to Recruit Training. We must develop
practices that identify those negative behaviors before they turn into
heinous acts and prevent such behaviors from occurring in the first
place.
Improving the capabilities and proficiencies of the individual
Marine necessitates we must also have the very best senior leaders for
those Marines. I am humbled to serve alongside the General Officers and
Flag Officers within the Department of the Navy. But even one instance
of misconduct or misbehavior within our General Officer ranks is too
many. Over the past decade, the Marine Corps has selected several
officers for promotion to brigadier general who subsequently failed to
be confirmed by the Senate. This is unacceptable. Over the coming
months, I will announce several major policy changes related to talent
management to include how we screen and select our commanders and most
senior leaders. We are currently reviewing the efficacy of implementing
a 360-degree review for all lieutenant colonels and colonels eligible
for command selection and all colonels eligible for selection to
brigadier general, to help ensure we identify the absolute best who
have earned the trust and respect of juniors, peers, and seniors alike.
In addition to these issues related to screening, I remain concerned at
the absence of Black officers within the senior ranks of our aviation
enterprise and specifically within the ranks of our fixed-wing pilots,
as well as the paucity of female general officers. We are currently
studying both issues, and will share the results of those studies once
completed.
As you are aware, we cannot create new senior leaders in a day. If
we are to correct our gap in diversity at the senior ranks, we must
also address diversity at accessions. The largest single source of
commissioning within the Marine Corps is the U. S. Naval Academy,
accounting for nearly 20% of officer commissions each year. A recently
released study identified that almost 75% of the nominations to our
service academies were given to white students. The diversity of this
population has a direct impact on what leaders are available for
selection to our senior ranks.
It is not enough that we recruit and train the very best. Once
Marines have joined our ranks, we must nurture and incentivize them
along their individual journeys through a modern talent management
system flexible enough to account for changing career interests and
common life choices over time. Without such a system, we will
increasingly struggle to retain the very best people in an ever more
competitive marketplace. Our one-size-fits-all, industrial-era approach
that treats individuals as interchangeable cogs within a larger machine
does not appropriately incentivize the most talented individuals to
remain in service. We are currently reviewing policy options that will
offer Marines greater flexibility when it comes to tour lengths based
on an individual's circumstances--most notably when a Marine has a
child entering or completing high school. Our Marines must not be
forced to choose between being good parents or being good Marines.
Those sterling goals must be compatible. I remain committed to
improving the lives of our Marines as they become parents and we are
looking into ways that would prevent them from having to choose between
the newborn and continued service as a Marine. I truly desire a Marine
Corps known for being the best within the joint force for our treatment
of new parents and families--and not just our warfighting prowess.
It is a well-known issue that the Marine Corps is struggling to
recruit and retain Americans possessing the crucial science,
technology, engineering, and mathematical skills and competencies
required for the future. Technology companies present exciting and
challenging opportunities for software developers, cyber professionals,
and engineers. We must offer opportunities that allow someone to choose
both service and professional reward. In addition, we must do a better
job targeting the application of our NROTC scholarships to these
individuals, as well as explore new possibilities with Historically
Black Colleges and Universities to satisfy these shortfalls.
The military services--including your Marine Corps--continue to
lose the competition with the civilian airline industry for pilots and
maintainers, even with the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on the airline
industry. We are not maintaining sufficient numbers of naval aviators
and F-35 maintainers to sustain either our existing inventory of
aircraft or aircraft programmed for the years to come. Within our F-35
community, we have a shortfall of both pilots and maintainers. I am
concerned that if we do not remedy these shortfalls in the very near
future, we may be in a situation in which we are directed by Congress
to procure aircraft for which we have insufficient pilots and
maintainers.
training and education
A key element of our larger force design transformation is our need
to adopt an information age approach to training and education that
produces better leaders and warfighters more effectively and
efficiently. The essence of this approach is to focus on identifying,
developing, and sustaining the unique talents of individual Marines,
not turning out MOS-shaped cogs to fit MOS-shaped slots in a machine.
Better warfighters in an era of exponential change means adaptive,
critical thinkers who are also tactical and operational masters of
their profession.
Among many implications of this shift will be higher expectations
and intellectual standards for Marines, especially commissioned
officers, at every stage of their selection for and attendance at
formal schools. We still need standardized training and education to
set a baseline and inculcate our core Service values and ethos, but
there are significant aspects of entry-level training that must be
adapted. Much of our current understanding of future warfighting
requirements, associated concepts, and force design point to a more
highly trained force from the entry-level onward. We need to change how
we train and educate as well. We have known for a long time that rote
repetition and even ``perfect practice'' against static, unresisting
targets is only the barest beginning of mastery. Consistent
opportunities to make tactical and operational decisions against a
thinking enemy must be a critical part of our curricula at all levels.
This kind of force- on-force wargaming and training must stand on a
solid foundation of military history and theory-games, simulations, and
exercises are necessary, but not sufficient. We will develop that
foundation in school, but sustain it by rigorous, accountable, self-
directed effort. We must address the question of ``standards''
transparently and head-on to create the force we desire, and to create
the force we advertise. In an initial step to creating a philosophy and
culture of a learning organization, last year I signed the first all-
new service doctrine since 1998; MCDP 7 Learning was released in
February and MCDP 1-4 Competing in December. In addition to releasing
new doctrine, we have elevated command of our Training and Education
Command to a three-star general, equal to all other Deputy Commandants,
and are in the process of re-establishing a robust Futures Directorate.
Achieving diversity of thought requires fixing our entry-level
instruction to allow every new recruit and officer candidate the same
opportunity to master these skills without it impeding their future
career opportunities. Not every young man or woman who joins our ranks
grew up participating in activities relevant to individual battlefield
skills such as marksmanship, orienteering, water survival, or technical
skills. As a matter of longstanding practice, however, we continue to
assess potential at the very earliest stages of our recruit and officer
training programs based on performance in precisely those skills. There
is no doubt of the continuing importance of these military basics, but
we cannot expect every new Marine to master those individual skills
with the same amount of in-service instruction, regardless of previous
experience. A new recruit who has never touched a rifle cannot be
expected to master marksmanship in the same amount of time as a recruit
who grew up handling rifles regularly, and a Marine who never learned
to swim should not compete unaided for job placement with a Marine who
grew up as a competitive swimmer. In effect, we penalize Marines who
fail to master these basic skills because they did not start with the
same knowledge or skill base. While holding the line on the standard of
basic competencies that define a Marine, our entry-level training must
provide the instruction necessary for every recruit and officer
candidate to achieve mastery in basic skills, regardless of how much
time it takes.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges and opportunities to
your Marine Corps. During the entire time, your force-in-readiness
continued recruiting, training, operating, and deploying around the
globe. Although we did not stop any of our activities, we did learn
many lessons from the pandemic that we can continue to use going
forward to make a more resilient and capable force. We devised new
methods of virtually connecting with potential recruits and with our
force, internally. For entry-level training, we spread out recruits
while they slept and installed more handwashing stations, which has
virtually eliminated the inevitable illness that the new recruits will
pass around as they come in from all over the country. A key factor in
this success has been the level of discipline instilled by small unit
leaders which prevented any significant outbreaks and kept Marines
healthy. Your Marines continue to serve their communities by
establishing federal COVID-19 vaccine sites in local communities in
support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. As President Biden
highlighted, we don't have enough people to provide vaccination shots--
put the shots in people's arms--so Marines are filling in this
immediate shortfall.
gender integrated training
The FY 2020 NDAA directed the Marine Corps to integrate training at
both Marine Corps Recruit Depots Parris Island and San Diego. Since the
signing of the law, we have trained multiple integrated companies at
MCRD Parris Island. In February, the recruits of Lima Company were the
first gender-integrated company at MCRD San Diego in the installation's
100-year existence. To train the first females at MCRD San Diego, we
graduated the first gender-integrated class at Drill Instructor School
in San Diego in December and relocated female drill instructors from
MCRD Parris Island. We will take the lessons learned from this company
as well as a concurrent study to identify the requirements needed to
fulfill the 2020 NDAA within the prescribed timelines. However, as I
have publicly stated several times, we will prioritize options that
provide the best training and most efficient use of resources to ensure
Marines graduating from boot camp are ready for the rigors of service
in an elite organization during challenging times.
force design
Shortly after I testified before this Committee in the spring of
2020, I published the Force Design 2030 report. Force Design 2030 is
how your Marine Corps is changing its trajectory to create advantage
for the fleets and joint force in both maritime gray zone competition
and more traditional conflict. Although we need new capabilities to
deter adversaries, we must fundamentally change how we think about
armed conflict. We can no longer view warfare through the binary lens
of war and peace, but should recognize the existence of a cyclical
continuum of competition that occurs every day and involves all
elements of national power. Historically, the military viewed
maintaining the peace as deterring war through denial or by punishment.
Force Design 2030 offers a third option in addition to those two that
will counter strategies below the threshold of armed-conflict by
winning the reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance competition and
facilitating deterrence by detection.
At its core, Force Design 2030 is a campaign of learning. Through
wargames, analysis, and limited experimentation, it has become clear
the joint force needs a capability that operates persistently and with
maximum organic mobility and dispersion to compete and deter in the
contact and blunt layers. The vulnerability of large fixed bases and
shore-based infrastructure to long-range precision strike, combined
with the impracticality of defending such infrastructure from the
pacing threat's emerging capabilities at any politically-feasible level
of resourcing and regional posture, necessitates that the stand-in
force be able to perform these functions from a strictly expeditionary
and highly mobile and resilient naval posture. This refined analysis
and understanding is what is driving our Force Design 2030 to support
concepts like Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), as well as
informing the recently released Tentative Manual on Expeditionary
Advanced Based Operations. We will continue to refine and update the
Tentative Manual with the lessons learned from our FMF experimentation.
In the near future, we will release our latest concept--Stand-In
Forces.
Much as our 29th Commandant codified maneuver warfare in our
principal doctrine MCDP-1 Warfighting to instill a maneuver warfare
mindset into every Marine, I felt it necessary to codify how we compete
every day around the globe. We recently released a doctrinal
publication entitled Competing to instill a competitive mindset into
every Marine, whether above or below the threshold of armed conflict.
Marines--and the military as a whole--must be aware that every action
or inaction has an effect on reassuring our partners and allies and
deterring our competitors. All that we do, from our force laydown, to
the activity at each location, to the equipment we buy, signals our
commitment to reassure and deter. In a globally connected operating
environment, we no longer have the luxury of maintaining a binary
combat or garrison mindset; our posture and mindset must be one of
continuous competition.
naval expeditionary stand-in forces
Expeditionary advanced bases are a platform for small, mission-
tailored groups of Marines to distribute and hide in plain sight with
the assistance of advanced camouflage, cover, concealment, detection,
and deception (C3D2) capabilities against a competitor who is seeking
to locate our forces. Expeditionary advanced bases will enable the
convergence of capabilities from multiple domains and create the
virtues of mass without concentration. The Marine Littoral Regiment
(MLR)--the base unit for our future force--will provide fleet and joint
force commanders with persistent, survivable forces that will enable
the generation of effects within areas that our adversaries hope to
deny to us through their integrated systems of anti-access and area-
denial capabilities. In terms of hardware, Marine capabilities will
include anti-ship Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) loaded on the unmanned
Remotely Operated Ground Unit Expeditionary (ROGUE) Fires; self-
sustainment and mobility with the Light Amphibious Warship (LAW); and,
long-loiter aerial reconnaissance in an expeditionary environment with
the Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) Group 5 unmanned aerial
systems (UAS). Future infantry units operating within the MLR construct
will be equipped with organic precision fires to include loitering
munitions. The MLRs will be networked with our F-35 capabilities,
providing a further layer of combat credibility and sensing. In the
future, these forces could employ more advanced munitions such as
Tomahawk Land Attack Munitions (TLAM), Maritime Strike Tomahawks (MST),
SM-6 containerized anti-ship missiles; and a wide array of unmanned or
optionally manned systems to enhance deterrence. Without these long-
range precision fires, the MLRs will not be suitable to support the
fleets and will lack the ability to influence the vast maritime area
your Marine Corps must do.
In the even more critical human domain, these capabilities will
encompass the necessary training and education to produce leaders who
understand how to deter competitors and provide civilian leadership
strategic options across a wider spectrum. The MLRs will offer
deterrence by detection through constant surveillance of the
competitor, complicating their decision-making calculus if they attempt
fait accompli gambits, and doing so while networked into the larger
architecture of naval and joint command, control, computers,
communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and
tracking (C5ISR-T) articulated in the Joint All-Domain Command and
Control (JADC2) concept and previous discussions on Mosaic Warfare.
With global sensors becoming ubiquitous, the value of
reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance or scouting and counter-
scouting will increase. Force Design 2030 offers civilian leaders
strategic options to identify, deter, and hold accountable competitors
challenging U.S. interests or infringing on international norms at any
point on the globe. It creates advantage by providing uniformed and
civilian leadership with a force capable of denying key maritime
terrain to an adversary or to force a change in decision calculus and
facilitate de-escalation. Those naval expeditionary forces will also be
capable of rapidly sensing, making sense, and acting upon information
from inside the enemy's weapon engagement zone (WEZ) in support of the
fleet and larger joint force, further complicating adversary decision
calculus. These stand-in forces will be able to support anti-submarine
warfare (ASW) efforts and help sanitize key maritime straits, thus
expanding our strategic undersea warfare advantage. Your Marine Corps
is transforming into a force capable of competing and winning the
hider/finder competition by proliferating sensors to detect adversary
presence, employing advanced C3D2 for resilience, and maintaining a
lethal array of long-range precision fires to prosecute targets at a
time and place of our choosing--whether ashore or afloat or in the air.
Stand-in forces will simultaneously satisfy traditional requirements
from the fleet and combatant commanders for a modern, resilient crisis
response force capable of responding across the range of military
operations. And, as noted in the most recent testimony by the
Commander, USINDOPACOM, these stand-in expeditionary forces are further
required as the forward leading-edge to any strategic defense in the
Indo-Pacific and any maritime defense-in-depth.
From our continued wargaming and experimentation, we have learned
much about the utility of multi-domain reconnaissance. As a result,
over the coming months a new Marine reconnaissance enterprise will
consolidate disparate elements of existing organizations within a
structure capable of generating a coherent, persistent, forward-
presence focused on key maritime terrain that is vital to U.S. national
security interests. The next step will be the development of our Mobile
Reconnaissance framework which will deliver expanded all-domain
capabilities to our naval expeditionary forces and fleets via a
combination of Marine Commandos, manned and unmanned surface platforms
to include the Long-Range, Unmanned Surface Vessels (LRUSV) and small
boats, manned and unmanned ground Ultra-Light Tactical Vehicles (ULTV),
unmanned aerial systems, and unmanned subsurface vehicles. As with
other force design efforts, these forces will be fully capable of
networking with our 5th generation F-35 capabilities as well as
connecting with the larger joint architecture.
In addition to offering continuous surveillance in the contact
layer, the MLR increases lethality, disbursement, mobility, and
survivability in a way that our current stable of large, expensive,
high-signature platforms cannot match to deter and counter aggression
in critical regions. The MLRs will provide a unique expeditionary
advanced base capability, but they will not be the sole definition of
the FMF as our Marine Expeditionary Units will remain our ``crown
jewel.'' Your Marine Corps can compete, deter, and win as part of a
naval expeditionary force operating in international waters and with
light footprints ashore on the territory of local allies and partners.
It does not require the sustained presence of heavy ground forces or
the regular deployment of large, land-based aviation elements. These
unique capabilities make the Marine Corps the ideal choice for a force-
in-readiness that serves as the backbone of the contact layer because
our forces can cooperate with allied and partnered nations without
burdening their local infrastructure, whether for steady-state
operations or disaster response operations. Additionally, the sensing
elements of the FMF coupled with lethality are key attributes in
preventing conflict.
posture
21st century strategic competition requires a new posture to deter
modern threats. Our current force posture is strikingly similar to the
one designed coming out of the Korean War. That posture was designed to
deter and confront a Soviet threat that consisted of strategic bombers
and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Over the last two decades, our
strategic competitors took note of our strengths and designed forces
specifically to counter them. We must now adjust our posture against
the pacing threat of China due to its ability to hold our fleet at
stand-off ranges and prevent significant force projections. This does
not mean abandoning our forward position of advantage, but rather
adopting a more robust and resilient forward-deployed posture as
described in testimony by Admiral Davidson as part of a larger defense-
in-depth.
Marine forces working with Navy ships must occupy space within the
contested first and second island chains in the Indo-Pacific with the
ability to effectively operate in all domains. Guam remains one of our
most important strategic locations as it is US territory located
closest to contested maritime regions. In order to effectively deter by
detection, our forces must be within sensor and striking range to
impose cost on the adversary through their allocation of limited C5ISR-
T assets or determining that the cost is too high to attempt anything
that would cross the line of established international laws and norms.
However, while Guam remains a strategically important location within
our larger defense-in-depth, we must not ignore the potential impacts
to it due to the adverse effects of climate change. We must take the
necessary steps to protect Guam and the strategic advantage it
provides.
Our posture includes more than the laydown of our forces around the
world, it also must include what our forces are doing in those
locations. As Secretary Austin has told us, ``our success will depend
on how closely we work with our friends around the world to secure our
common interests and promote our shared values.'' Marines regularly
conduct training with allies and partners globally. This training is
beneficial to building trusting relationships and interoperability.
These relationships are not--and should not be--one way, in that US
Forces tell partners and allies how to operate. We can learn from other
nations as much as we can teach.
For example, the Japanese Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade may
have used the U. S. Marine Corps as an example in its development, but
we have much to learn from them based on how quickly they designed,
assembled, tested, and operationalized the brigade. Our commitment to
working with allies and partners creates a mutually beneficial
relationship for our military organizations while simultaneously
signaling our resolve to competitors. Initiatives like the Pacific
Deterrence and the European Deterrence are so important in supporting
our posture.
competition and risk
Some critics of our Force Design 2030 suggest that non-stealthy
platforms such as the LAW, LPD-17 class amphibious ship, and the
current Group 5 UAS are operationally unsuitable for high-end
warfighting. This critique's foundational assumption is that our
decades-old stealth technology or military-standard naval architecture
will be overcome with technological countermeasures and that stealth
technologies will become affordable enough to proliferate the operating
environment in large quantities. Survivability under such conditions is
likely to prove far more a matter of quantity, dispersion, signature
management, and distributed lethality than of being able to avoid
technical detection or defend against all threats. We must view
survivability in terms of the entire system--the entire system must be
able to survive long enough to accomplish the mission vice an
individual platform. The expeditionary system of platforms our Marines
employ--and the networks they operate on--must be capable of competing
and deterring below the level of armed conflict as well as fight at the
high-end to reassure our partners and allies as well as demonstrate a
credible capability to a would-be adversary. For example, while not a
part of the currently envisioned program, LAWs operating in plain sight
with containerized missiles could effectively compete and deter. Such a
reimagining of the program could involve greater costs, so we will have
to study the benefits and make resource informed decisions about
tradeoffs in capabilities and capacity. Traditional amphibious ships,
such as the LPD-17s, possessing tactical advantages derived from well-
decks will confound adversaries and force them to consume resources
attempting to positively identify those capabilities loaded inside--
whether unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vessels, or more
traditional capabilities. Long-endurance Group 5 UAS, like the MQ-9,
also provides the persistent presence necessary to win the hider/finder
competition for the fleet. Additionally, a proven platform like the MQ-
9 supports quickly learning the platform through the experience of the
US Air Force while continuing adaptation and innovation over time as we
procure the future system.
If competition expands from opening volleys or punishment strikes
to large-scale conflict, the Fleet Marine Force offers the Joint Force
Commander a persistent stand-in force capable of conducting
reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, and targeting in the blunt
layer. A stand-in force with the ability to support allies and partners
while striking the adversary with long range precision fires, 5th
generation short take-off and vertical landing aircraft, and a host of
electronic warfare options combined with the mobility of the Amphibious
Combat Vehicle (ACV), LAW, and unmanned surface and undersea vehicles
provides a survivable option to buy time for the remainder of the joint
force to bring war-winning capabilities.
logistics and resilience
Sustaining the force we are developing now becomes even more
critical in the years ahead. The relative ease with which we have been
able to project power into the Middle East over the last few decades
has lulled us into a false sense of security. As a result, we have
optimized service logistics efforts to support requirements without
regard to the threat actions that could disrupt them. My predecessor
said ``we are going to have to fight to get to the fight.'' I will take
that a step further by saying we will have to fight to sustain our
warfighting efforts over time. The Joint Logistics Enterprise must
connect our emerging operational concepts at the tactical edge all the
way back to the defense industrial base. We have been an end user of
the system, but that needs to change. We must develop new methods for
the Naval Force to enable broader joint force sustainment efforts. On a
day-to-day basis, today's distributed force strains our systems to the
limits. This will only get more challenging considering the dynamic,
evolving threats that competitors can apply against our supply chains,
manufacturing bases, and global sustainment network.
Based on anticipated funding levels and the additional budget
uncertainty that has been introduced by the COVID-19 response, we must
clearly consider risk as we move forward. Our force design efforts for
the future will provide the context necessary to make the difficult
choices for our installations and logistics enterprise. We can no
longer accept the inefficiencies inherent in legacy bureaucratic
processes nor accept incremental improvements. In order for our
installations and logistics organizations to change effectively, we
must better understand the implications that Force Design 2030 will
have on the FMF across multiple time horizons so we can resource our
installations and logistics enterprise appropriately. In coordination
with partners both inside and outside the service, we will evolve our
organization to meet the future FMF's operational requirements in the
air, on land, and at sea while continuing to provide world-class
support to the force today. This may require a change in the existing
command relationships between the bases and stations and the forces
they support. I will keep the committee fully informed of any such
changes as our understanding evolves. Finally, in an effort to
modernize our bases and stations in a manner commensurate with our
overall force design, we are experimenting with advanced force
protection systems enabled by artificial intelligence at several of our
installations. This capability is promising and may provide the service
an opportunity to greatly enhance the protection of our installations
while drastically cutting personnel costs.
major defense acquisition programs
I have always operated under the assumption that evidence, wargame
findings, modeling and simulations, and my own best military advice as
Commandant would persuade people across the defense enterprise and
within Congress that we need change now. While I remain convinced that
this assumption remains valid and look forward to a continued dialogue
with the Committee, we have more work to do to persuade key audiences
of the merits of our desired changes. Congressional support for Ground
Based Anti-Ship Missiles (GBASM); LRUSV; Medium Altitude, Long
Endurance UAS; and I believe that Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) will
be essential to our modernization efforts. We will continue to work
with the Congress to demonstrate the importance of a rapid acquisition
of these critical capabilities. I have repeatedly asked for
Congressional support to change legacy programs that are no longer
operationally relevant or have become cost prohibitive, as well as
support for new initiatives that create a relative warfighting
advantage. This is the kind of agility we will need going forward in
order to sustain that warfighting advantage.
Based on my understanding of the strategic challenges before us and
my desire to remain the best steward of taxpayer dollars, I am
convinced that we must be willing to critically assess the scope of
current Programs of Record for our Major Defense Acquisition Programs
(MDAP). As we reduce the end strength of the Marine Corps in order to
internally fund our modernization, each MDAP must be reevaluated for
capacity and sustainability. We will need the continued support of
Congress to re-scope any program that exceeds our requirement or is
unaffordable to procure, man, and sustain.
In addition, we should acknowledge that up to three quarters of a
weapon system's cost occurs in sustainment--the operational and
maintenance upkeep after the initial acquisition. With the new
procurement of large weapon systems like the F-35B/C, CH-53K, MV-22,
JLTV, and ACV--to name but a few--we should be prepared to modify
programs of records to ensure affordability and viability throughout
the entire lifecycle of each program. Prioritizing high-end platforms
without resourcing the supplies and infrastructure needed to sustain
its operational capability is fundamentally irresponsible; the result
would be a hollow force.
With every dollar we expend to upgrade a legacy platform that is no
longer survivable against a peer competitor, we are slowing our rate of
transformation. Our competitors no longer wait to see what America does
and follow suit; they have embarked on their own trajectory, which
currently outpaces ours. Our Force Design 2030 addresses this problem
by forcing the competitor to adapt to us through the tactical,
operational, and strategic challenges a truly modern force presents.
This does create domestic dilemmas as we are forced to transition from
legacy platforms built in certain districts to modern and relevant
equipment that may be built elsewhere. However, if we are to succeed in
this great power competition, we must make those difficult choices. I
remain confident that this can occur in a responsible and balanced way,
without creating winners and losers, and look forward to discussions
with each of you on a way ahead that satisfies shared interests.
The Marine Corps remains constrained by an acquisition process that
tries to eliminate risk--risk poorly defined as uncertainty. We must
recognize that incrementally better versions of the current Marine
Corps is not going to be enough for real great power competition. As
noted in the House Armed Services Committee's Future of Defense Task
Force Report 2020, our acquisition process is too sluggish to work
effectively at scale with many technology companies, as they need to
innovate and compete daily to survive in their dynamic industry. With
the rapid transition we need to make over the next decade, we must be
willing to incur some short-term risk to better prepare and compete in
the future. The ability to prototype new technologies, then
aggressively experiment and exercise with prototype equipment to
understand its full capability on the battlefield is paramount. Lastly,
I agree with the Report's recommendation that we need a process that
better bridges the ``valley of death'' to transition critical prototype
equipment into full-scale fielding without taking years through the
traditional planning, programming, budgeting, and execution process.
readiness and strategic advantage
As we build a more capable and lethal force, we must also take into
consideration the readiness of that force. Since 2017, the Marine Corps
has significantly increased the availability of forces to Combatant
Commanders based on the generous funding of Congress. As Marines deploy
forward in support of operational requirements, they buy down today's
risk by deterring competitors from violating international norms while
assuring allies and partners of the strength of our commitments.
However, the mere availability of those Marines does not equal
readiness to compete in the maritime gray zone, nor does it create
strategic advantage to deter or defeat rapidly evolving threats. It is
time for us to embrace a more sophisticated and balanced understanding
of military readiness and cease using availability as the primary
metric in our readiness evaluations. This antiquated model is hugely
consumptive and forces us to spend limited resources ensuring the
availability of platforms designated for retirement and replacement.
This also applies to equipment that we are attempting to transition to
more modern capabilities. For example, every dollar spent to make a 4th
generation aircraft that has exceeded its intended service life is a
dollar that cannot be spent to accelerate the fielding of 5th
generation very low-observable aircraft and advanced UAS. We must
invest in future capabilities that create, maintain, and expand
warfighting advantage to ensure a ready force tomorrow that maintains
its ability to compete and deter.
During the most recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
Armenian ground forces that we would have labeled ready based on
availability, were easily targeted and destroyed by Azerbaijani forces
employing elements of a precision strike regime to include swarms of
loitering munitions and lethal unmanned systems. While Armenia's tanks
and infantry fighting vehicles were available, they were not
operationally suitable, thus not ready for the conflict. As our
competitors continue to expand their capabilities, we will soon find
ourselves outmatched unless we change our readiness framework. To do
so, we should embrace a new readiness paradigm in which availability
ranks behind generating a relative warfighting advantage. A ready
capability in the future must be one that is both available when we
need it and creates a strategic warfighting advantage against a
specific threat in great power competition and conflict.
A ready force that creates a strategic advantage over the pacing
threat must be organized to generate faster decision cycles against the
enemy. A large part of our Force Design 2030 efforts is aimed at
developing the right capabilities for the future force, but just as
important is devising the correct organizational model to employ those
capabilities. I do not support creating more or larger headquarters
organizations to accommodate the larger quantities of data coming in as
I feel this will only slow the decision-making process. I'm also not
committed to organizations that we have employed in the past if they
don't work to fulfill our future requirements. In addition to right-
sizing our FMF, I've also directed an ongoing assessment to reduce 15%
of our personnel across Headquarters Marine Corps to generate savings
that we can reinvest into our warfighting capabilities without losing
the institutional processes necessary to support an adaptable force.
Your Marine Corps, and the Naval Service as a whole, have a proven
record when it comes to driving change. Both the People's Republic of
China and Russia modernized their militaries over the past decade based
on what they assessed as our strengths and our competitive warfighting
advantages. They adapted their operational and strategic approaches to
counter us and now we must modernize in order to remedy shortfalls and
drive the next cycle of change. Simply making our legacy platforms
better or more of them available will not force our competitors to
change course, nor will it create the strategic advantage required. I
concur with the Air Force Chief of Staff General CQ Brown: we must
accelerate change or lose.
One way we can accelerate change is by seeking a more nuanced
understanding of readiness as it applies to each service or even common
force elements within each service, and to ask--how many forces-in-
readiness can we collectively afford? A critical factor of
understanding readiness is identifying when a joint force will need a
capability in accordance with a detailed mobilization plan. The Marine
Corps--as well as other critical elements of the joint force--will
always be at the front of the timelines because we are the force who is
present before conflict and deters an adversary's early escalation.
Serving as the foundational element of our persistent contact layer
allows time for the joint force to mobilize and surge the war winning
capabilities of the other services. However, without your Marines
forward deployed to tamp back the aggressor and create decision space,
the joint force will not have the time and opportunity to deploy.
fleet design and naval integration
Thus far, my comments have focused on issues germane to my role as
Commandant of the Marine Corps--to organize, train, and equip Marine
Corps forces in support of the Fleets and Combatant Commanders. Please
now allow me to share a few thoughts with you as one of the three
senior naval officials testifying before you and also as a member of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff. My experience and role as a senior Naval
officer requires that I share my best military advice in the ongoing
fleet design conversation. One thing is clear: serious naval
professionals both in and out of service agree that the status quo
fleet will not provide the strategic advantages required in an era of
great power competition, and must change.
I would like to state for the record my thanks to the CNO and his
OPNAV staff for their continued support redesigning the fleet and the
amphibious/naval expeditionary portion of it without reservation or
hesitation in support of our shared understanding of the operational
dilemmas created by peer adversaries. The CNO is leading a major change
in future fleet design and I wish to acknowledge that for the record,
and formally communicate my support. I agree with the CNO that the Navy
does not need to be ``reimagined'' or ``reinvented,'' and neither does
the Marine Corps for that matter. However, as the CNO has noted, how we
perform our core roles and functions of deterrence, maritime security,
power projection, and sea control must change--just as it has many
times in the past.
Being physically present within the area of responsibility is no
longer evidence of success, and we should no longer think presence
somehow produces deterrence in and of itself. For naval presence to
deter competitors, physical positioning must create real strategic
advantage. The specific capabilities present must provide a competitive
warfighting advantage against specific peer threats and do so in a
resource neutral manner. Dispersing large numbers of militarized
fishing vessels with a nuclear aircraft carrier may result in the
temporary absence of those adversary vessels in key maritime terrain,
but it comes at a fiscally prohibitive cost, not to mention the
operational cost of not having that warfighting capability postured to
project power via its carrier air wing. However, having a robust
inventory of submarines, frigates, light amphibious warships, and
networked unmanned or optionally manned surface vessels--or even T-AGOS
and military sealift vessels--operating in the same region would
provide a competitive warfighting advantage without resource
prohibitive operating costs. Such a fleet would further reinforce our
strategic advantages in undersea warfare through their modern ASW
capabilities and our advantages in naval expeditionary warfare. The
process of redesigning the fleet will not be an easy or inexpensive,
nor will it be accomplished quickly, but it can be done with your
continued oversight and support. I wish to thank the Secretary, the
CNO, and the members of this committee for their continued commitment
to the construction and sustainment of our ships necessary to support
amphibious operations.
Not that long ago, the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) that comprised
the Navy ships for the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) consisted of
five ships with a combined gross tonnage of approximately 73,000
tonnes. Today, our standard three ship ARG/MEUs operate in a
distributed manner from platforms with a combined gross tonnage of
approximately 86,000 tonnes. As with many other systems and
capabilities across the joint force, our ARG/MEU has become smaller yet
heavier, while simultaneously being asked to be more agile. Distributed
Maritime Operations is not only the future of naval operations, but in
reality--the present. As we modernize our Marine forces as part of our
force design efforts, we must also modernize the ARG/MEU. We have seen
the great value of disaggregating the ARG/MEU with each individual ship
conducting its own mission within the same Area of Operational
Responsibility for a Combatant Commander. Greater numbers of smaller
ships would allow us to disaggregate for a greater number of mission
sets while maintaining the ability to reassemble into a large force
with expansive mission sets. Defining our future operational concept
will also help drive us to better understand what we need from LXX--or
the next class of amphibious ships. We know they will need to be
smaller, faster, more lethal, and better networked, but we don't yet
know to what degree we need these characteristics. As we continue our
analysis with the Navy, we know that they must be affordable so that we
can purchase and maintain the number of ships we need to operate
globally. Therefore, our requirements will be matched to a program that
is affordable and sustainable over the long-term.
Finally, I wish to state my support for the observations,
positions, and conclusions articulated by Admiral Davidson in his most
recent testimony. The vision he articulated for a strategic defense to
include a defense-in-depth with naval expeditionary forces postured
forward and west of the international dateline is one I share, and have
attempted to communicate as often as possible over the previous 22
months. I share his conclusion that highly lethal and distributable
expeditionary forces than can generate the effects of mass without the
liabilities of concentration are of the highest utility, and am doing
everything possible to create such forces via my force design efforts
with the Marine Littoral Regiment.
conclusion
The American people expect us to be our own toughest critics, and
we are. We have significant strides to make in the near future, but I
know the leadership and support of this Congress will help us to
revolutionize our approach to competition and conflict. I pledge to
keep you informed and involved in the transformation of your Marine
Corps. The American people are counting on their Marines, Navy, and
joint force to maintain our ideals and way of life now and into the
future. The dustbin of history is crammed with once successful
militaries, businesses, and organizations that recognized the world was
changing and attempted to meet that change through merely incremental
improvements in existing ways of doing business. Despite their previous
successes, these institutions failed in the new environment because
they could not make the fundamental changes necessary to remain on top.
We are now in the midst of just such a period of change, and we will
need all the help and support of this Congress to ensure we continue
our long history of successful innovation and adaptation.
While our aspirations and expectations are great, I am certain that
you expect nothing less from your Marine Corps. With your continued
support, we shall succeed. We will achieve our goals of transformation,
both in our culture and warfighting capability, to best support the
naval campaign and the joint force.

Senator Tester. Thank you, General Berger. And I appreciate
all three of your statements. I think it is critically
important that you continue to communicate with this committee
so that you are prepared to fight the next conflict, not the
last one. So, thank you all very much for your statements.
General Berger, your top priority has been the
implementation of Force Design 2030. You talked about it in
your opening statement. It is a plan to modernize the Marine
Corps and ensure it remains the world's most effective naval
expeditionary force.
When we consider what it will take to serve as a credible
deterrent to China and, if necessary, fight and win future
wars, it is essential that our Marine Corps can successfully
modernize and meet the challenge.
This subcommittee is strongly supportive of the strategic
concepts associated with force design. We must ensure that
force design priority programs stay on schedule and responsibly
use taxpayer dollars.
So, here is my question, General Berger. Your unfunded
priorities list contains several items that would accelerate
the Marine Corps' long-range fires program, increase troop
mobility, improve command and control capabilities. Where does
the unfunded priorities list provide us opportunity to
accelerate force design implementation?
General Berger. Part of the challenge, Chairman, and as you
all are well aware, is that in a pacing threat environment,
like we are at right now, both of us are moving. Add to that
the speed at which technology is developing.
So, the items on our unfunded priority list, as you
mentioned, Chairman that is what we need to ensure we stay in
front. We are very ready today, but those items will allow us
to be ready in the future, in front of our adversary, with some
margin of error, which I believe we must have.
So, things like ground-based, anti-ship missiles, the G/
ATOR Radar, the CH-53K, those--the MQ-9 Reaper, those will
allow your forward force, your stand-in force, to deter
effectively forward, in the future, as well.
Senator Tester. Are you confident the programs you are
requesting funding for in fiscal year 2022 can deliver results
quickly?
General Berger. Absolutely, yes.
Senator Tester. Okay. And how are you balancing the need to
move quickly on strategic concepts while keeping those costs
affordable?
General Berger. We are small enough that we could not set
aside an experimentation force in the Marine Corps. So, for
example, Chairman, what we did is we have three Marine
divisions in the Marine Corps. You pick one battalion in each
division, outfit it differently, organize differently, equip
differently, and train differently. And for the next 18, 24
months, we will experiment with all three. And the rationale
behind that is that is how we are going to learn faster. That
is how we are going to introduce the results of experimentation
in war gaming into our force design process at speed.
Senator Tester. Thank you.
Admiral Gilday, recent media articles suggest that the Navy
is expecting to face a challenge in next year's budget request
and will have to make some difficult funding decisions on how
to proceed with the Navy's modernization act. These funding
decisions will only become more difficult in the future as the
Navy continues to modernize and introduces new weapon systems
and programs, like next-generation submarines, surface
combatants, and aircraft.
So, Admiral Gilday, we never are going to have enough money
to do everything that we would like to do. That is a fact.
Which generation systems and programs should be prioritized in
the upcoming budget request?
Admiral Gilday. Sir, thank you. So, big picture, what my
intention, or our intention to do with our investment strategy,
is to field the most capable, most lethal, most ready force
that we can, given the topline that we have. And, so, we have
not come off of our priority to continue to invest heavily in
readiness and training of the force that we have today because
that force needs to be forward to be relevant.
With respect to modernization, key programs include
hypersonics. We have doubled our investment in hypersonics and
R and D. I think that is a very reasonable investment strategy
based on the fact that we are ahead or on track with every
milestone in that program, including a very successful multi-
thousand-mile test last year and a successful new generation
engine burn just a month ago, working very closely with both
the Army and the Air Force on that particular project.
Likewise, on the defensive side, directed energy is an
important investment for us with respect to fleet
survivability. I mentioned up front in my opening statement
that the major investments by the Chinese are in space and
missiles. We have to have a way to defeat those missiles, and I
think an afford--the most affordable way to do that is the
defense-in-depth type of framework that includes laser energy.
We have those systems now at sea and are fielding.
Senator Tester. So, I just want to flesh this out just a
little bit more. All four defense committees are going to be
making decisions soon on what changes we are going to make to
the 2022 budget requests. What views do you wish to share about
your investment priorities today so that we might avoid
disagreements on what systems deserve more funding?
Admiral Gilday. Yes, sir. So, if I start in the undersea,
that is our most survivable strike platform in the United
States Navy, and arguably in the U.S. military. Our underwater
superiority over the Chinese, we must maintain that overmatch.
With respect to surface, continue investment in new ships.
We know that our cruisers are nearing 35 years old. We need to
replace those. We are going with a smaller, more distributed
force.
The frigate investment is really important, as are the
long-range weapons we are investing to put at sea, and
hypersonics on our first--on our Zumwalt-class ships by 2025.
If it needs to be balanced across the three domains, sir--
under the sea, on the sea, in the air. The fourth- and fifth-
generation mix of aircraft that we are fielding by--we are
fielding now, this summer, with our first deployment. But, by
2025, we will have five to six squadrons. And, by the end of
the decade, we will have all nine squadrons that have that mix
of fourth and fifth. We want to keep that on track, as well.
Senator Tester. Thanks, Admiral.
Senator Shelby.
Senator Shelby. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Secretary Harker, the Administration's budget proposal
includes a request for new language to authorize multi-year
procurement contracts for multiple ship classes, including the
destroyer, while at the same time breaking the current multi-
year contract for the destroyer.
My question is this. How does the Navy, sir, plan to
measure the impact of its proposal to breach the current
destroyer multi-year contract on the cost of future multi-year
procurements? In other words, how can Congress and the
industrial base trust the Navy to fulfill its commitments to
multi-year contracts, which I think are important?
Secretary Harker. Thank you, sir. Yes, multi-year contracts
are very important to us. We do intend to sign another multi-
year for DDGs starting in 2023 through 2027 and continue that
procurement into the foreseeable future.
DDG-51 is a very valuable asset for us. We really struggled
with the decision to take that out of this year's budget. It
was the hardest decision we made, and we would love to have
been able to include it.
Going into this next year, we are committed to multi-years
for both submarines and for DDGs. Over the last multi-year
period, it was a 10-ship, multi-year over a 5-year period. With
the assistance of the committees and the Congress, we were able
to purchase 10 ships, so the one that is in our budget this
year will be an eleventh ship. That gave us the ability to not
buy the DDG this year, but it was a very difficult decision for
us, sir.
Senator Shelby. Sir, do you believe that it is very
important for the industrial base to believe that the Navy is
going to fulfill their contracts?
Secretary Harker. Yes, sir, I do. Very much so. It is
critical for our industrial base.
Senator Shelby. Okay.
Secretary Harker. And we believe that we have a strong
working relationship with them.
Senator Shelby. Sir, in the final year of a 5-year multi-
year procurement contract for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers,
this subject--despite the multi-year contract, in--the 2022
budget request includes only one destroyer rather than the
contracted two. This is perplexing because of the Navy's number
one unfunded requirement is $1.7 billion for the second
destroyer. Seems like a contradiction.
Admiral Gilday, why did the Navy remove one destroyer from
its 2022 budget proposal? Is it no longer needed or is that
just playing with the budget, the numbers?
Admiral Gilday. No, sir, it was not playing with the
numbers. So, I go back to the thesis of our budget proposal,
which is to field the best, most capable, most lethal fleet
that we get--we can, that is 296 ships, and make it the best
that we can, including a modernization plan that gives us
increased capabilities, and then growing the Navy at an
affordable rate.
And, so, it was a balance across those three areas, sir.
And as the secretary said in his opening statement, based on
incidents like the collisions in 2017, we are unwilling--at
least my best advice, sir, is to continue to prioritize
training and readiness as our job priority.
Senator Shelby. I think it is a given by this Committee on
Appropriations, Defense to--not to shortchange the Navy, not to
shortchange readiness, and also future weapons. And, if we do
it, we do it at the peril of this Country; would we not?
Admiral Gilday. Yes, sir, I believe so.
Senator Shelby. General Berger, I will direct this to you,
sir. In 2019, the U.S. Marine Corps' unfunded requirements list
totaled $235.9 million. In 2020, it was $2 billion. In 2021, it
is $769.8 million. This year's unfunded requirements list from
the Marine Corps is as much as all 3 years' lists combined,
totaling nearly $3 billion, according to our committee.
General Berger, has the Marine Corps been resourced
adequately to support your force redesign and maintain pace on
modernization priorities and readiness? In other words, sir,
what is the impact of such a significant unfunded requirements
list to the Marine Corps if left unfunded?
General Berger. If left unfunded, I think for all of our
unfunded requirements list, it equals risk. That is probably
the simplest way to categorize it. We are learning as we go
with force design. We did not know 2 years ago exactly what the
Marine Corps would need to look like a decade out. We have a
much clearer picture now.
So, in order to give the committees a larger menu to select
from with a clear picture of where the Marine Corps is going,
we added to the unfunded priorities list. But, those things
near the top that are not funded equal risk, equal strategic
risk.
Senator Shelby. And I will direct this, my last question,
to you, Admiral Gilday. The submarine industrial base,
construction of the new Columbia-class submarine is now
underway at shipyards that are already working on the Virginia-
class submarine. You know all of this.
The schedule for the Virginia boats has fallen off of the
2-year per year delivery cadence of the Block III boats, and
current ships under construction are as much as 2 years behind
delivery, is our understanding.
Admiral, what is the Navy doing to get the delivery cadence
of the Virginia back on track as work on the Columbia begins to
pick up? And, how is this investment in the so-called
integrated enterprise plan paying off in terms of industrial-
based readiness and cost reduction to our submarine program?
Admiral Gilday. Sir, in terms of capacity, I think it is
fair to say that our submarine industrial base has probably
never been as busy as they are today. We have 12 boats under
construction right now. We are going to deliver two this year.
I think we will christen Rickover by the end of July.
Right now, we are moving at a pretty good pace to put--to
build two per year in terms of subcomponents. That then needs
to go to the larger components and they need to be able to
build at the rate of two submarines a year, as well.
The investments that the private yards are making include
hiring more people, the training that is associated with that.
The advanced funding that the Congress has given us, that has
allowed us to buy spare parts and materials to help neck down
or reduce that delay in those submarine builds.
We are watching the Block IV Virginia class very closely.
Those delivery dates are not where they need to be, but they
are moving in the right direction to the left.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
Senator Schatz.
Senator Schatz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for
your service. Good to see you all.
I am going to start with General Berger and talk a little
bit about Marines in the Pacific as part of the Defense Policy
Review Initiative.
The plan to realign Marines began with a series of
conversations between the U.S. and Japanese governments in
2002. It became official in 2006. There were some changes in
2012. And, stipulating to the fact that, as Senator Mike
Mansfield says--said, excuse me that the bilateral relationship
between the United States and Japan is the most important
bilateral relationship that we have, bar none, and that we
should keep our commitments to our greatest ally in the region.
It still seems to me that whether it is lift, whether it is
the difficulty in finding a replacement facility, whether it is
the challenge of construction on Guam, whether it is beddowns
on Oahu, that--and maybe more importantly, that the whole
region has changed.
I would like to be reassured that we are striking the right
balance between maintaining our ironclad commitment to the
Japanese government and still maintaining the flexibility to
make sure this thing makes any sense at all.
General Berger. I think, Senator, your characterization--I
would see it exactly the same way. That agreement that was made
9 years ago did not account for, to your point, where the world
is right now. I think this is the driving force behind the
Secretary's effort right now to do a global posture review
because it is not set right for the future. I think he senses
that, and he has driven us to undertake a global posture
review.
Within the Pacific, I think the view from Japan, to your
point, and the view from the U.S. is the threat from PRC
(People's Republic of China), from the PLAN, their military, is
significantly different than it was in 2012. We have to have
forces stationed forward and deployed forces if we are going to
have a best chance of preventing the next conflict.
But, the laydown of DPRI (Defense Policy Review Initiative)
is worth revising, it is worth looking at, because it was set
under different conditions. This is going to be led, as you
know better than me, by diplomacy, by an effort with the State
Department to work with Japan on what is the best way forward.
Senator Schatz. Thank you very much.
Secretary Harker, the Navy's reliance on fossil fuels
contributes to a vulnerability. The President issued an
executive order to all Federal agencies, including the DOD
(Department of Defense), to use their procurement authority to
move the Country towards carbon-free electricity by 2035.
So, can you talk about the new things that the Navy is
doing pursuant to that? And, as you probably know, I have been
tracking this issue for a while, so I am not as interested in
pilot projects or separate programs related to clean energy,
but more importantly, how we are integrating the President's EO
in all aspects of bases, installations, fuel, forward
deployments, the smart grid, all of that.
And, I think it is really important that we do not silo
clean energy into some space called pilot projects and
environmental initiatives and bases and installations and
environment, but, rather, to understand this as core to the
mission, and therefore core to the way we do our procurement. I
am wondering if you can comment on that.
Secretary Harker. Yes, Senator, definitely. I have looked
into this since taking this job, and I have been to several of
our bases where we have done a lot to improve our ability to
provide a carbon-free energy footprint and to take more
advantage of things like solar and wind generation.
I was down at Parris Island on a trip there. They have a
huge solar energy capability there that they have built on some
old abandoned runways. We have other bases that have been doing
that, and it is something that we are focused, where each
installation has a climate installation plan focus to try to
improve how we are doing in this area.
Senator Schatz. And are you integrating that into your
requirements when you do the procurements of energy more
generally? Again, establishing like a climate person at each
base and installation, that is great, but what matters is your
RFIs, your RFQs, your RFPs.
Secretary Harker. Yes, sir. I know there is projects that
focus on this on the R and D side, and we are including it in
future requirements.
Senator Schatz. Okay. And final question. I want to talk to
you about operational energy. What are we doing to make ship
hulls more hydrodynamic and our combat aircraft more fuel-
efficient?
Secretary Harker. So, I am going to ask the CNO (Chief of
Naval Operations) to help me on that.
Admiral Gilday. So, our--right now, we are collaborating
with industry in a new design for DDG(X), and that will include
taking a look at the latest industry best practices with
respect to improved hull forms. It is the same thing as we look
at a new class of submarine we call SSN(X). The initial R and D
that we are putting against that project, again, collaborating
very closely with industry, is to look for a submarine that
will travel higher speeds, and part of that is based on the
shape of the hull.
Senator Schatz. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Schatz.
Senator Collins.
Senator Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Secretary Harker, Admiral Gilday, let me start by thanking
you both for coming to the great State of Maine to visit Bath
Ironworks and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. I know that you
saw that they are outstanding assets that are critical to the
Navy and our industrial base.
Nevertheless, let me be blunt in my assessment of this
budget. It is not close to adequate to meet the challenges that
we are facing around the globe. It does nothing to help us
counter the increase in the Chinese fleet. In fact, it goes in
the opposite direction, and the disparity will be even greater.
And, third, it jeopardizes our industrial base where we
have only two yards building large surface combatants. And the
information I have is that, if this budget is enacted, that 500
skilled jobs will be lost next year at one of those yards, and
even more in subsequent years.
So, my question to you is also blunt, and that is, was the
DDG excluded from the budget simply because you were given an
inadequate top line that you had to meet? Secretary Harker, we
will start with you, and then Admiral Gilday.
Secretary Harker. Thanks, Senator. I really appreciated the
opportunity to tour both Bath Ironworks and the Portsmouth
Naval Shipyard with you. The workers there were outstanding,
and the integration between labor and management at Bath
Ironworks and at the shipyard was just a model for all of our
shipbuilding and ship maintenance facilities, and that is
something that we definitely want to keep and invest in.
We were unable to procure the DDG because of funding
challenges. We did not have sufficient funds in the budget for
us to be able to meet the balanced needs of providing a ready
force today, the capability that each of the ships needed, and
then the capacity of adding that additional destroyer. So, as
we went through and we balanced things out to provide the best
budget we could, we did not have room for that destroyer in the
budget.
Senator Collins. Admiral Gilday, do you have anything to
add to that?
Admiral Gilday. Yes, ma'am. It was absolutely an
affordability issue. We fought for that hull right to the
bitter end. And, if you take a look at where the money would
come from to pay for that additional destroyer, we are
decomming--or our proposal is to decommission 15 ships, old
cruisers primarily. We would be taking money out of manpower,
out of spare parts, out of ammunition, and we have learned
those lessons in the past, that that is a bad place to take
that money from.
And, so, it really did come down to priorities. As
difficult as it was to break the multi-year and to send mixed
signals to industry, it really did come down to prioritizing
the investments that we had to make right now in the fleet that
we have today.
Senator Collins. And our job, I would suggest to the
Chairman and Vice Chairman, is going to be to look across the
entire government and every department's budget as a full
committee. Because when you see the double digit increases for
all of the civilian agencies, and then you get to the
Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security
and essentially see a cut, in real terms, is just our
priorities are out of whack here. And, I hope that we can
remedy that.
I just, Admiral Gilday, want to quickly touch on the
Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan. That includes 250
million for the second increment of the Portsmouth Naval
Shipyard's multi-mission dry dock number one project, and that
is really important, as well. Could you explain to the
committee what will happen if we do not provide that funding in
terms of the ability to return submarines and sailors to the
fleet?
Admiral Gilday. Yes, ma'am. It is my judgment that if we do
not fund that, if we do not fund that project in 2022
adequately, it will put at risk the ability to do our first
availabilities on Virginia class submarines beginning in fiscal
year 2026.
The project up there in Kittery, at Portsmouth, is
absolutely critical for us to have that East Coast capability.
We are simply not going to have it. We do not have dry docks
large enough to put those ships, to put those hulls in, to do
the maintenance on them that is required.
Senator Collins. Thank you.
Admiral Gilday. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Collins.
Senator Murray.
Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank
you to all of you for being here today.
Secretary Harker, let me just start with saying--by saying
that I was really pleased that the Navy decided to base the
first new Constellation-class frigates at Naval Station
Everett. As you well know, Everett is a really important base
for the Navy, and we have to continue investing in that base
and the community for the long term.
I wanted to ask you today what additional investments at
Everett are going to be necessary to accommodate those new
ships or additional sailors and their families?
Secretary Harker. I do not have that information with me,
ma'am, but I know we are committed to making sure that we do
not send our ships out there without the additional crew
facilities necessary for both the crew and the families and so
on. The CNO may have additional points.
Admiral Gilday. Yes, absolutely. So, that work is ongoing
right now. The hulls go in the water in--the first hull will be
delivered in 2026, ma'am. So, in addition to things like
housing, childcare, training facilities that we will need for
those crews, as well. So, we will look at it holistically so
that we do not cut those crews and their families short.
Senator Murray. Good. All right. Well, I look forward to
working with you on that as it continues.
General Berger, I did want to ask you. You are proposing
the boldest rethinking of the Marine Corps role and structure
in decades. And, as part of that, you are proposing to cut end
strength and have smaller units operating from inside the area
our adversaries can strike.
How will training need to change to prepare our Marines for
those missions?
General Berger. Training will have to, one, take the
individual Marine to a higher level than they are right now.
From recruitment, in other words, through their entry-level
training, to their first unit, we have to raise the bar because
we are going to expect non-commissioned officers and junior
officers to make decisions than two levels up than they make
today.
When we are more distributed, when we are more spread out,
then junior leaders are going to make the calls, especially if
you are in a high-threat environment where they are kind of
challenging your communications. They are going to make their
decisions independent of probably great communications with
their higher headquarters. So, our training for them has to get
higher.
We are lengthening, for example, infantry training right
now by 50 percent this year. It has to be longer. It has to get
them to another level. The same individual that now maybe three
people have three different skill sets, we have to make sure
one person has three skills sets, if you follow me.
Senator Murray. Yes.
General Berger. So that one person is not a corpsman and
one person is not a machine gunner and the next person is a
sniper. We have to have people with multiple skills. So, I
think we will raise the bar in training to make sure that we
can empower and train them to a level where they can make the
decisions on the spot.
Senator Murray. How do you expect this to increase the
operational tempo? And how are you going to support Marines'
families during more frequent or longer deployments that you
envision?
General Berger. Separate issue on the frequency of
deployments, and that is really driven by what the Nation needs
year to year to year.
But, the difference in force design, ma'am, is from the
beginning. Our premise was, we are going to build a force that
is manned at 100 percent in the Fleet Marine Force. That is not
the case right now. We take risks. In other words, we man them
at less than a hundred. But, we are buying--we are building the
Marine Corps manned at 100 percent. When you do that, then you
can accept an increase of surge for periods of time.
But, your point on the stress on the families, absolutely
so. When we deploy forces like we have right now onboard naval
ships and it is a planned 6- or 7-month deployment, you know,
that is tough. When it is extended, it is to a whole other
level because then you are into unpredictable land for them.
All of which is manageable, but we need to run the machine at a
pace we can sustain, which I think you are highlighting, ma'am.
Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you.
And, finally, a vote has been called, so let me just say
this, Secretary Harker. The Department of the Navy has been
pursuing a number of actions that are--I am concerned are very
harmful to workers in my home State of Washington and which
jeopardize the stability of the industrial base, and those
include proposals to divest UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and
virtually brand new patrol boats, changing shipbuilding
specifications to circumvent Buy American requirements in
appropriations law, and a lack of clarity on the disposition of
a dry dock.
I have not gotten satisfactory answers on that. There is
not time right now. But, I want to know if there--what
reasonable alternatives are considered, and I would like to
follow up with you and my staff on that.
Secretary Harker. Yes, ma'am, definitely. I will follow up
with you on that. I know I have been out to the dry dock there
over in Bremerton. And I have talked with the shipyard
commander there, and I am fully committed to the shipyard
infrastructure optimization effort to renew or replace that dry
dock and part of our effort to modernize that. And then the
other areas, we will definitely get back with you, ma'am.
Senator Murray. Okay. I appreciate that. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thanks, Senator Murray.
Senator Baldwin.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are very
excited to be building the new frigate in the State of
Wisconsin. However, even though this ship is based on proven
hull design, new ship classes often experience challenges
related to technical concurrency, cost overruns, or schedule
slips.
As you know, it is important that our acquisition programs
account for these challenges, which means requiring things like
technology maturation, systems integration, and full-ship tech
data.
I believe these milestones should be achieved prior to
bringing on any additional shipyards should the Navy want to
increase their buy down the road. Similarly, to avoid affecting
the production ramp up, we must avoid any gap- year funding for
the frigate.
So, can you--this is to Secretary Harker and Admiral
Gilday. Can you commit to requiring these technical milestones
are met prior to bringing on a second shipyard? And, can you
also commit to avoiding gap years in the procurement profile?
Secretary Harker. Yes, ma'am. So, first, I have been out to
Marinette and have been working with that shipyard for probably
20 years, since I was back in the Coast Guard as the business
manager for the buoy tender acquisition project. So, I have got
a lot of great experience, a lot of respect for the people that
work at that shipyard.
As we go forward, it is definitely something that we want
to do is make sure that we do not make mistakes by delivering
ships that are not fully mature and proceeding down that road.
So, I think there is definitely a need to make sure we get the
technology mature, and that is something that I believe the CNO
has some thoughts on, as well.
Admiral Gilday. Yes, ma'am. So, we are--with respect to
risk in building that ship, I was just on a FREMM class over in
Europe three weeks ago. Really impressive. Really impressive
hull. So, we have done this before to minimize risk, where we
have taken an existing hull and put a known combat system, a
weapon system, on it. We did this back in the '80s and it
worked out really well between the Ticonderoga-class cruisers
and the Arleigh Burke DDGs.
It is the same type of approach that we have up in
Marinette. I went to Marinette myself. That was a--you know, it
was a great trip, number one, to get to talk to the ship
workers. But, I will say that that risk is something that we
are carefully trying to manage. We are not introducing new
systems, trying to create success or miracles that have to all
line up before the ship delivers in 2026.
So, I am highly confident that both the Navy and the
shipyard are working very closely together to make sure we are
not introducing any additional risk into that build.
With respect to moving to a second yard, I am taking a very
conservative approach myself with respect to anything that we
would do in that regard. I understand the benefits of the
industrial base, but we have to get that right and we have to
leverage what we have learned from other builds, like the LCS,
to make sure that we get that right.
The last thing I would say is that predictability with
respect to budgets, especially shipbuilding, are really
important for industry, and I recognize that. One of the things
that struck me at Marinette was the amount of infrastructure
that they are building to support the Constellation-class
frigate. So, if we change those numbers, that--those
investments are going to be a waste. I recognize that, ma'am.
And again, I take the formulation of the budget very seriously
in terms of how we prioritize and the message that we send to
industry.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. I appreciate that focus on the
industrial base.
And I think we have observed that the shipbuilding
industrial base has become more fragile over the last 25 years.
Congress has invested significant additional funding to support
submarine- and ship-specific workforce and supplier expansion
programs, which has really paid off for programs like Columbia,
Virginia, and DDG-51. The same rationale for those industrial-
based programs holds true for the frigate.
So, do you believe that these types of congressional
investments have benefitted the Navy fleet, our industrial
base, and our national security? And, if so, do you agree that
similar investments into the frigate industrial base and
workforce will have the same positive results? And, again, to
you, Secretary Harker and Admiral Gilday.
Secretary Harker. So, yes, definitely. Investing in our
industrial base is something that is critical for us. We used
funds from the Defense Production Act Authority to invest $50
million. And, also, we have invested money in other places, and
we have worked with the shipyards and other sources of funding
to continue to invest in the industrial base. We believe in a
strong industrial base, and that is critical to our needs.
Admiral Gilday. Ma'am, as I answer this question, I am
going to speak more generally and not to Marinette in
particular. I do think that those investments are important.
However, I also think it is important to set expectations.
So, you mentioned, let's say, the Columbia class, which we
will be building out to 2035, or Virginia class, which we are
going to be building out to the late 2020s. So, when you have--
when industry has that kind of set of headlights, as does
Congress with respect to a commitment to building that many
ships in a class for that long a period, I think it then
becomes easier to justify those investments in private yard
infrastructure.
And, so, I think that they should be tied together so we
should not kid ourselves in terms of putting money down that we
are not going to reap the benefits of.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Baldwin.
Senator Moran.
Senator Moran. Mr. Chairman, thank you.
General Berger, as you look to shift the Marine Corps'
focus from counterinsurgency efforts to its original mission of
naval expeditionary force, logistics will play a major role in
the force structure. Your current CH-53E fleet continues to
struggle with readiness issues, so I want to be certain the
Marine Corps is prepared for a near-pier fight. Can you
describe the new CH-53K heavy lift helicopter's contribution to
your force structure redesign, particularly as it pertains to
distributed maritime logistics in a contested environment?
General Berger. I can, Senator. It is a phenomenal
aircraft. I flew on that aircraft maybe 3 months ago, this past
spring, down in North Carolina. Because growing up in 53Ds and
53Es, you kind of knew what that platform was like. I had not
been on a 53K, other than in a simulator. Simulator does not do
it justice. It is an incredible aircraft. Speed, lift
capability, reliability, its fly-by-wire. He hovered and picked
up a weight, hands off. I mean, it is that kind of technology.
It is a glass cockpit. Now we just have to right-size it for
what we need.
But, distributing the force the way the CNO and I have in
mind, we are going to need the 53K. We are going to need the
Light Amphibious Warship in order to move the troops and
supplies and lethal aspects around. Critical.
Senator Moran. How is this helicopter currently performing
in preparation for the initial operation test and evaluation in
July?
General Berger. Probably like most programs, in the areas
we look closest at, its performance, it is meeting the
requirements. There are some areas where flight crews have
suggestions on how to improve it, as you would expect. But, so
far, on track, sir.
Senator Moran. Great. Thank you for your answer.
General Berger. Yes, sir.
Senator Moran. Thank you for your service, all of you.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Moran.
We appreciate all of your testimony here today and the
answers to the questions.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Questions Submitted by Senator Richard Leahy
Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving
readiness, it is crucial that the Navy take a fresh look at policies
and practices that may not support all servicemembers. To that end,
please outline what changes, if any, the Navy has made, is making, and
plans to make, or is considering in order to:
Improve diversity in leadership positions;
Answer. Improving diversity in leadership positions compels the
Department of the Navy (DON) to focus on diversity at all levels.
Admiral Gilday meets routinely with his 17 Navy Community Leaders to
discuss various community challenges to include the diversity
demographics of each community, initiatives to support the recruiting
and retention of under-represented groups, the prevalence of
destructive behaviors, and efforts to develop and retain future
leaders.
Additionally, the Navy Junior Officer Counsel (NJOC) provides a
formal link between Junior Officers and Senior Navy Leadership to
provide feedback, ensuring we are doing everything we can to make our
Junior Officers feel connected and included. The DON Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion (DE&I) lead will leverage feedback mechanisms and
advisory groups similar to the NJOC to help advance DE&I initiatives.
The Marine Corps is focusing on areas where potential bias and
discrimination could occur before a qualified officer reaches the
selection or assignment board process. The assignment process and the
performance evaluation system are areas where evaluation and selection
are based on subjective analysis and where intentional or unintentional
bias could occur. The Fitness Report Bias Study is an analysis that
examines objectivity of the current performance appraisal process. The
Basic School Military Occupational Specialty Assignment Study examines
historical performance data, based on demographics, to evaluate the
impact of performance on MOS assignment. The Marine Corps is also
funding an independent study to identify and understand any barriers to
advancement and retention of women and minorities in the Marine Corps.
Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
Answer. The Navy and Marine Corps are in line with the Office of
the Secretary of Defense and the other Services in accomplishing the
recommendations set out in the Secretary's Diversity and Inclusion
Board Final Report.
Specifically, the Navy is currently implementing 56 recommendations
from the Task Force One Navy (TFlN) final report. TFlN identified and
made recommendations to dismantle barriers to equality while creating
sustainable opportunities, ultimately achieving our desired end-state
of warfighting excellence. In accordance with Secretary of Defense
guidance, the Navy removed photographs during all Officer Selection and
Command/Milestone Boards. Additionally, the Navy requires diverse
representation on all boards and provides bias training to board
members to be aware of their potential conscious and unconscious bias
and ensure board fairness.
The Marine Corps DEI Strategic Plan will focus on recruiting and
accessions, talent management, education, training, and commandership
over the next 5 years. Independent studies are currently underway to
better understand diversity and inclusion challenges and make
improvements. The Marine Corps Outreach Program budget has increased
from $150,000 in fiscal year 2014 to $1M in fiscal year 2021. The
program provides opportunities for professional development, mentoring,
and networking experiences by fully funding approximately 500 Marines
to attend 19 national/regional conferences hosted by non-Federal entity
affinity groups events throughout the year.
The various TFlN recommendations and initiatives found in the USMC
DEI Strategic plan will be integrated into the DON DEI Implementation
strategy to ensure ongoing efforts are sustained, measurable, possible
to achieve, and specific enough to assess progress.
Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention,
with input from women, LGBTQ servicemembers, BIPOC servicemembers, and
sexual assault survivors;
Answer. The DON is committed to a culture of trust, respect, and
inclusion that strengthens and promotes the resiliency and readiness of
our force, our families, and our DON civilian workforce. Our DON DEI
Team is working closely with the Services and stakeholders to update
training and DEI competencies to incorporate the Navy's Culture of
Excellence, USMC training frameworks and associated Signature Behaviors
with input from DON and Service sexual assault prevention and response
(SAPR) experts. The training uses adult learning theory best practices
concerning small group-facilitated discussions. Once the training is in
the pilot phase, we intend to solicit input from different populations
of Sailors that may include specific groups such as women; LGBTQ+;
black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); and sexual assault
survivors.
The Marine Corps actively uses collaboration to address SAPR. They
have collaborated with sexual assault survivors, members of the LGBTQ+
community, SAPR personnel, women, and BIPOC Service Members to improve
SAPR training. The SAPR program works together with the other Services,
DON and Department of Defense (DoD) SAPR Offices, and outside entities
to enhance the ability to prevent and respond to sexual assault,
identify best practices, and leverage resources. Training is tailored
to specific levels of leadership. The Commander's Course better
prepares senior leadership to prevent sexual assault once they assume
command. Likewise, the First Sergeant's Course includes actionable
recommendations for sexual assault prevention, information on responses
to trauma, and actions to take if a Marine is sexually assaulted.
In fiscal year 2021, the DON Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and
Suicide Prevention & Response Office led a robust revision of civilian
training for DON, Marine Corps, and Navy personnel. Key revisions
include a focus on early negative behaviors that increase risk for
sexual assault (i.e., gender harassment, sexual harassment), skill-
building to recognize negative behaviors and intervene, and the
promotion of relevant response resources and programs (i.e., SAPR,
Equal Opportunity, Employee Assistance Programs, etc.).
Revisions also include additional terminal learning objectives that
focus on prevention, response, and supervisory skills related to the
protection of populations at increased risk for harm. To protect
civilians and Service member survivors or those who identify as LGBTQ+
and/or BIPOC, these objectives reinforce key concepts and skills.
Additional efforts to ensure culturally responsive trainings
include Navy and Marine Corps Recruit Training updates that emphasize
the knowledge and skills needed for healthy professional and personal
relationships (i.e., trust, respect, inclusion, teamwork) and
professional development webinars on the intersections between gender,
race, sexual orientation, and sexual violence.
Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health
support services for servicemembers and their families, including
services tailored specifically toward minority servicemembers;
Answer. The Navy remains committed to promoting, maintaining and
advancing a healthcare environment that adheres to the principles of
community and equity by fostering principles that support: Care with
Request; Excellence with Equity; Mindful Actions with Transparency,
Responsibility, and Accountability; and Diversity with Inclusion.
Specific to mental health support services, the Navy and Marine
Corps ascribes to a ``no wrong door'' policy to assist Marines,
Sailors, and family members in getting help and support. This policy
helps to facilitate access and decrease stigma in seeking mental health
and substance misuse services. Services are available worldwide,
including in specialty clinics, within primary care, at Navy and Marine
Corps installation counseling centers, on the waterfront, and embedded
within the fleet. Sailors and their families can also get mental health
support, to include chaplains, Military and Family Life Counseling,
Fleet and Family Support Centers, Marine Corps Community Services, and
Military OneSource.
Within Navy Medicine, efforts are underway develop more formal
structures for addressing and integrating health equity/disparities
within the context of the Navy's Diversity and Inclusion framework.
This work includes collaboration with the Defense Health Agency and the
other Services to advance access, equity, and opportunity among the
healthcare staff, as well as to develop programs to ensure equitable
care and treatment for all Service Members and families.
The Marine Corps' focus is to treat all Service Members and their
families with equality while recognizing and embracing diversity.
Accessibility of nonmedical support services expanded in May 2020 to
telephonic and virtual platforms.
Two significant support programs are the Unit Marine Awareness and
Prevention Integrated Training for Marines (UMAPIT) and our Operational
Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) programs. UMAPIT is a training and
education calendar year requirement for all Marines and provides
specific information and actions Marines can employ to access mental
health resources. OSCAR is a Marine-trained team of Marines within
Marine Corps units who help recognize and respond to stress. If a
Marine believes their stress-level is negatively affecting their unit,
an OSCAR member is there to talk and to connect the Marine with other
resources.
Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority
servicemembers facing discrimination from within their units;
Answer. DON policy is that each member of the team is entitled to
be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, and must be allowed to
work in an environment free of unlawful discrimination. The DON is
committed to maintaining an inclusive work environment free from
unlawful discriminatory practices and inappropriate behavior.
The Navy ensures all personnel are aware of the command and shore-
based assistance available to those who need help in processing
harassment or unlawful discrimination reports. In addition, the Navy
identifies available counseling support or referral services for all
personnel involved in incidents of harassment or unlawful
discrimination. Follow-up debriefs are conducted with complainants no
later than 45 days following the determination or resolution of
harassment or unlawful discrimination report to determine the
complainant's satisfaction with the effectiveness of the corrective
action, timeliness, present command climate, and to ensure retaliation
did not occur.
The Marine Corps takes a comprehensive approach to support minority
Service Members facing discrimination within units. Combatting such
behavior is a team effort that requires the commander to set the
correct climate denouncing Prohibited Activities and Conduct (PAC)
violations, Equal Opportunity Advisors/Equal Opportunity
Representatives (EOAs/EORS) to educate and support the command and its
unit members, and each unit member to be held accountable for their
actions. The Marine Corps' support for minority Service Members facing
discrimination within their units is rooted in the DoD's Strategic
Elements of prevention, reporting, advocacy, education/training, and
accountability; with MCO 5354.IF, ``Prohibited Activities and Conduct
Prevention and Response Policy.'' Marines complete PAC training every
year, and commands can use their EOAs/EORs to conduct additional PAC
training or focus groups, at any time, in order to combat PAC
behavioral trends. The PAC order stipulates commanders must ensure
Service Members have access to support services such as mental health
counseling, medical, EOA, Victim and Witness Assistance Personnel, and
Victim Legal Counsel.
Question. Improve medical care for transgender servicemembers,
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy,
and post-partum care;
Answer. Navy Medicine is committed to ensuring all Sailors and
Marines are treated with dignity and respect and have access to the
highest quality healthcare in accordance with current evidence-based
practice guidelines. We currently have two Navy Medicine
interdisciplinary expert Regional Transgender Care Teams in place to
support and improve the health and lives of transgender and gender non-
binary Sailors and Marines. Our experts work closely with our Defense
Health Agency, Army, and Air Force colleagues to ensure the
incorporation of best clinical practices to support the medical
readiness of our transgender and gender non-binary Sailors and Marines.
Navy Medicine continues to recognize and emphasize the importance
of innovative pregnancy and postpartum care, resources, and educational
materials for our Sailors and Marines to facilitate their return to
duty. To recover in a healthy manner prior to being required to meet
fitness and body composition standard, our updated Physical Readiness
Program policies provide postpartum Sailors and Marines more time
(i.e., 12 months vice nine months). We are also prioritizing the
importance of ensuring our pregnant and postpartum Sailors and Marines
have access to the support they need from a headquarters and a front
line approach. Navy Medicine has developed a Postpartum Return to Duty
Resource to provide Sailors and Marines with critical education on
physical fitness, mental health, support services, and Navy and Marine
Corps policies related to the postpartum transition to full duty.
Within the military health system, our Navy Medicine women's health
experts participate with the Defense Health Agency and the other
Services. The focus is on women's health, perinatal practices,
newborns, and infants, as well as a review of data and issues related
to maternal and infant health care disparities, health equity, and
social determinants of health, potentially impacted by race/ethnicity.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Dianne Feinstein
Question. Secretary Harker, the 2017 Navy force structure
assessment identified the need for three additional Expeditionary Sea
Base ships. Congress included $73 million in advance procurement
funding for the eighth ship in fiscal year 2021. However, that eighth
ESB ship was not in your latest long-range plan, and no additional
funding is in your budget request. I am concerned that not building the
eighth ESB will break critical supply chains for the main shipbuilder
on the West Coast.
What operational risks are you accepting by not requesting ESB 8?
Answer. The current laydown plan will assign ESBs to the EUCOM/
AFRICOM, CENTCOM, SOUTHCOM, and PACOM Areas of Responsibility. We
assess minimal operational risk as five ESBs can provide presence in
each of these theaters and can be re-allocated across theaters if
necessary.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Susan M. Collins
Question. I authored an amendment included as Section 121 in last
year's NDAA, which required certifications and reports from the Navy if
it intended to deviate below the Large Surface Combatants called for in
the Navy's 2016 Force Structure Assessment. The fiscal year 2022
shipbuilding plan submitted to Congress proposes a significantly lower
range of large surface combatants--between 63 and 65 ships. However, in
the Navy's report required by the NDAA, which the Committee received
just 2 months ago, the Navy identified 78 large surface combatants as
the best performing mix based on a 2019 analysis of alternatives. The
Navy certified that a reduction of large surface combatants down from
104 could be mitigated due to having a reduced number of the Flight
Ill's with the advanced AN/SPY-6 radar. The Navy also stated in its
report that it did not expect any detrimental impacts to the industrial
base based on current workload. But as we can see with the cut to the
DDG-51 in this proposed budget, that workload seems anything but
certain.
It seems that the Navy's report required by the NDAA was based on
some incorrect or outdated assumptions regarding the number of large
surface combatants the Navy planned to procure as well as the impact of
this limited procurement on the industrial base. Will the Navy revisit
this report?
Answer. To compete and win in an era of peer military competition,
the United States needs a balanced naval force capable of striking
targets in all domains. The force design must emphasize distributed
awareness, lethality, and survivability in high-intensity conflict. The
force must be adaptable, demonstrate presence, achieve sea control, and
be capable of projecting power by delivering precision effects at long
ranges. The Navy, working closely with the Office of the Secretary of
Defense Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, continues
to develop comparative assessments of naval force structure options
consistent with Interim National Security Strategic Guidance and
designed to maximize the maritime contribution to the joint force. The
results of these efforts and ongoing experimentation and prototyping
will be reflected in the fiscal year 2023 shipbuilding plan.
The Department is conducting analysis to refine understanding of
the readiness and performance of the fleet against a future near-peer
competitor capable of global operations. Furthermore, the Navy
continues to evaluate the industrial base pivot points required to
support future platform development and the industrial base development
needed for these future planned platforms, such as the next generation
attack submarine and the future large surface combatant, including
land-based testing to enable success in these future programs. A
complete 30-year shipbuilding plan will be submitted with the
President's Budget for fiscal year 2023. The Navy does not plan to
submit a separate Report to Congress on Large Surface Combatants and
AN/SPY-6 in fiscal year 2023.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance osr in the arctic region
Question. Fonner Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Zukunft, a fellow
maritime service chief relayed an alarming anecdote last fall saying,
``We have significant domain awareness challenges, and that really
begins in the high latitudes,'' Things start to get pretty dark once
you get up higher than 72 degrees north.'' He went on to discuss the
Coast Guard stumbling upon a joint Chinese and Russian exercise in the
region without any prior knowledge from our intelligence assets.
And, just last August, a Russian military exercise in our own
Exclusive Economic Zone, just off the coast of Alaska, spooked a fleet
of our own fishennan out of our own waters--waters that they have every
right to be in and cost them millions of dollars in lost catch and
equipment.
Secretary Harker, does this budget include capabilities for our
naval services that will increase our domain awareness in the Arctic?
Does this budget provide you the ability to operate in the High
North whenever called upon and with the proper resources to be
effective?
Answer. While the budget does not include investments on ISR
specifically focused on the Arctic, it does continue the pattern of
equipping our Navy's globally deployable ships, submarines, and
aircraft with the ISR capabilities needed to contribute to domain
awareness whenever and wherever we operate. It also positions our Naval
Forces, through its acquisition programs and Naval Intelligence arm, to
maintain strong relationships with the IC. That long-standing
relationship sets conditions for us to not only influence the
development of IC capabilities but to secure the advantages that come
from being able to access those capabilities to advance our worldwide
military mission in this era of renewed strategic competition at sea.
arctic strategy
Question. As an Alaskan, I am well aware and proud of our nation's
history in the Arctic, but, frankly, I'm focused on the now. With that
in mind, your strategy, ``Blue Arctic'' specifically states ``The
[Navy] will be postured to deter aggressive and malign behavior, keep
the seas free and open, and assure allies and partners of our long-term
commitment to preserving peace and advancing shared interests.'' It
also emphasizes the need for ``credible naval forces [to] ensure the
ability to deter competitors and rapidly respond to crises in the
region.
Secretary Harker are we postured right now, at this very moment, to
deter aggressive and malign behavior in the Arctic? Having the Russians
chase off an American fishing fleet or stumbling upon a joint Chinese/
Russia exercise doesn't sound like we're quite there yet.
Can you discuss how in your proposed budget you are acquiring the
means to do so in the future?
Answer. The Arctic is a top priority for Russia as outlined in
multiple Russian strategy documents. Russia is investing heavily to
enhance its Arctic defense and economic sectors towards its northern
flank. About 20 percent of Russia's and mass is north of the Arctic
Circle. Russia aims to improve command and control, infrastructure, and
joint force employment to project power and defend its northern
approaches through modernized military capabilities and posture. The
escalatory and non-transparent nature of Russia's military activity and
unlawful regulation of maritime traffic along the Northern Sea Route
undermines global interests, promotes instability, and ultimately
degrades security in the region. Our strong relationships with Arctic
allies and partners, further strengthened through exercises and U.S.
presence in the High North and Arctic region, are our greatest
strategic advantage strengthening our collective deterrent against
these strategic challenges.
The Department of the Navy will work closely with interagency,
international, and joint partners-especially the U.S. Coast Guard--
while building new partnerships to protect the homeland, keep Arctic
seas free and open, and deter coercive behavior and conventional
aggression. Regional cooperation, built on a bedrock of internationally
recognized principles like national sovereignty, is in the United
States' interest and contributes to a secure and stable Arctic.
icebreakers
Question. I have a growing concern with the lack of icebreakers and
even ice-hardened surface ships in our fleet to carry out the strategic
deterrence that you have identified as necessary in the Navy's strategy
and the use of icebreakers for other purposes. I have long advocated
for the procurement of icebreakers and I'm glad we're making some
progress in building some for the Coast Guard, but those are still a
long ways away from being sea ready. As it pertains to icebreakers, my
number one priority is building them here. My second priority is
getting this capability in our hands as soon as possible.
The previous administrations was in discussions about leasing
icebreakers through the Navy. To be clear, I am not advocating for
leasing instead of building our own, but being cognizant of the fact
that we need this capability now, are you doing anything to acquire ice
breaking capabilities to bridge the gap between now and when we field
new ones ourselves? As your strategy, ``Blue Arctic'' mentions six
times, how the Navy will address issues in the ``decades ahead,'' but
current events illustrate they are needed now. If not icebreakers, are
other mechanisms being put in place to overcome this shortfall?
Answer. Icebreaking remains a core U.S. Coast Guard mission. The
Navy continues to provide acquisition assistance to the Coast Guard to
ensure the Polar Security Cutter meets the demands of the Nation.
Question. Mr. Secretary, your Arctic strategy also states, ``Naval
forces will work in concert with interagency efforts and ensure our
planning efforts are integrated with local, state, Federal, and
indigenous communities. Native Alaskan tribes have a long and honorable
history of military service that blend seamlessly with such efforts.''
Can you discuss these efforts to date, or are they forthcoming? Do you
have a timeline or plan for when this coordination will begin? Who in
your department has been given the lead for these efforts?
Answer. While the Arctic largely remains a region of cooperation,
continuing changes in the physical environment, increased military
activity, and efforts by non-Arctic nations to restructure Arctic
governance require continual assessment of the region. The Department
of the Navy's (DON) priorities in the Arctic Blueprint include working
closely with our partners and allies as well as with interagency
partners. As we look to strengthen interagency efforts, the DON is
developing its implementation approach to ensure alignment with the
2022 National Defense Strategy and the Secretary of the Navy's
strategic vision. In addition to preserving economic prosperity and
keeping the seas open and free, the DON remains fully committed to
safeguarding the homeland and protecting our national security. While
the DON requires more time to consider specific details of
implementation and coordination, the Arctic region remains of
significant importance to the DON mission. The Implementation Plan will
be tailored to meet the demands of the Arctic region, to include the
integration of planning efforts with local, state, and Federal
entities, and with indigenous communities. Additionally, we will have
an opportunity to better align the DON's objectives with the impending
release of the National Security Council's National Arctic Strategy.
united nations convention law of the sea
Question. At a recent budget-hearing for the State Department,
Secretary Blinken told me that, by his own determination, and I quote:
``the United States would be extremely well served by ratifying the Law
of the Sea Treaty.'' He even went as far as to say that this is not
only his opinion, but ``it's been the judgement across the board by our
military leadership, uniform and civilian for many years.'' Secretary
Blinken is the latest in a long line of department secretaries to agree
on this point. I believe that ratifying the Law of the Sea is in the
best interest of the United States. Along with Senator Hirono, I put
forward legislation urging the Senate to ratify Law of Sea.
Mr. Secretary, do you believe the Senate should ratify the Law of
Sea?
Answer. The Convention reflects customary international law on
which the United States has long relied for its freedoms of navigation
and overflight around the world. Acceding to the Convention would
reinforce these rights and freedoms and could place the United States
in a stronger position when challenging violations of international law
by our adversaries.
Question. What benefit will it provide to the United States? Would
we be in a stronger military position if we were to ratify the Law of
the Sea?
Answer. The Convention sets forth navigational rights and freedoms
across the globe for civilian and military ships and aircraft that are
vital to our national security, including innocent passage through
territorial seas and transit passage through, under, and over
international straits. The United States must currently rely on
customary international law as the legal authority for these and other
provisions, which does not adequately protect U.S. maritime security
interests over the long term. Becoming a party to the Convention would
solidify these and other rights and freedoms in a manner beneficial to
naval operation, facilitate closer cooperation with our allies and
partners, and silence the claims of some nations that say only member
states may enjoy the freedoms the Convention provides. In other words,
joining the Convention is the best means of placing our rights and
freedoms on a secure footing and maximizing the ability of our armed
forces to move through and over the world's ocean waters.
In addition, the Navy's maritime strategy and daily operations are
heavily based on the navigational rights enumerated in the Convention.
Both current and future operations contemplate operating with allies
and partners--all of whom are parties to the Convention. Acceding to
the Convention enables U.S. leadership and influence in the shaping of
global maritime law and policy in ways that facilitate U.S. interests,
lends legitimacy to U.S. maritime activities, and demonstrates U.S.
commitment to the rule of law in the conduct of its operations.
Question. And what would you say to those that want to be tough on
China and Russia, but are still against the ratification of the treaty?
Answer. The law of the sea is continuously being interpreted,
applied, and developed. Accession to the Convention would give the
United States a seat at the table to set the course for future law of
the sea discussions on a co-equal level with China and Russia, who are
member states. China portrays an increasingly aggressive posture in the
South China Sea, attacking the international rules-based order embodied
by the Convention through gray zone activities that seek to erode its
provisions. As a party, U.S. objections to these violations would have
significantly more force and credibility.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Roy Blunt
no fiscal year 2022 funding for f/a-18 super hornet production
Question. Secretary Harker, I acknowledge that in this tough budget
cycle, difficult choices must be made. I appreciate your efforts toward
finding efficiencies, for reducing our reliance on legacy systems and
for placing an emphasis both on our people first and on critical
efforts to modernize for the future fight. However, I think we need to
be mindful of building a sound bridge to future capabilities that also
maintains and safeguards our readiness for today's fight.
The F/A-18 is presently the backbone of the Navy's carrier air
wing. While I appreciate a forward-looking focus with the Next
Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, as I understand it, NGAD will
not provide a successor to the Super Hornet until 2030, at the very
earliest. I'm concerned that if we end Super Hornet production
prematurely, simply relying upon Service Life Modification (SLM)
upgrades to get our fleet to Block III-capable is not a sound bridging
solution, particularly when the SLM process is already falling behind
schedule.
When the Block III program began in 2018-2019, the Navy planned to
have 20 Block III-capable Super Hornet squadrons by 2027. But
currently, 67 Block II aircraft that were meant to be upgraded between
2018 and 2023 are already pushed back to at least 2024.
If we combine this SLM slow down with no funding for additional
Super Hornets this year or next, the Navy is ultimately short 103 Block
III-capable Super Hornets that you initially planned to have by 2027.
We then have three more years, at a minimum, before the Next Generation
Air Dominance Program produces results that we can operationally
employ.
My question for you, Secretary Harker, is can you help me
understand this modified bridging strategy to the next generation of
our carrier's air wing? Would it not make more sense to continue with
the original Super Hornet transition plan--to continue the production
line for several more years while working Block III modifications--to
achieve the necessary inventory levels of the most capable tactical
fighter in the Navy's current inventory until a successor is ready?
Answer. To ensure the Navy has the advanced capabilities required
to compete with peer adversaries in the 2020s and 2030s, continued
investments in the procurement of new F-35C and the Next Generation Air
Dominance Family of Systems (NGAD FoS) are necessary. Given the ongoing
delivery of new procurement Block III F/A-18E/F, new procurement F-35C,
and Service Life Modification (SLM) to extend the life and capability
of existing F/A-18E/F Block II aircraft, strike-fighter shortfall
(SFSF) is projected to be eliminated by 2025. Additional procurement of
new F/A-18E/F Block III aircraft beyond fiscal year 2021 is not
required to mitigate near- or long-term SFSF risk. The Navy assesses
that new F/A-18E/F procurement beyond fiscal year 2021 would arrive
late-to-need to address near-term SFSF challenges--which are actively
being managed- and excess-to-need for fourth generation aircraft
capacity to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy.
NAVPLAN 2021 prioritizes development of capabilities to enable a
more lethal and better connected fleet that can outpace the growing
Chinese threat. New F/A-18E/Fs delivered in fiscal year 2026 will have
the service life (10K Flight Hours) to operate well into the 2050s.
Current analysis shows the F/A-18E/F is insufficient to meet the Long
Range Fires requirement against peer threats in the 2030s, even when
partnered with F-35C. Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) for BLKIII
that were anticipated to increase range never srune to fruition. The
remaining ECPs do increase capability as a stop-gap in the short-term,
however further procurement of F/A-18E/F at the expense of future
capability will directly inhibit the Navy's ability to fight and win in
the Great Power Competition. Procurement of F-35C and SLM remain our
best levers to manage Strike Fighter capacity until NGAD FoS comes
online.
The Navy is on track to meet the Super Hornet Block III supply
requirements demanded by the Master Aviation Plan 20-02 (MAP 20-02).
Block III capacity is being delivered through new procurement and
upgrading Block II aircraft to Block III capabilities through SLM
beginning in Quarter 4 (Q4) fiscal year 2022. Through 2027, Boeing will
deliver 78 new Block III aircraft (fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year
2025), and 119 SLM Block III aircraft to meet our Carrier Air Wing
requirements.
Today we have 436 BLK II aircraft. Due to fiscal constraints, we
are not currently maximizing Boeing's advertised SLM conversion
capacity. We have the inventory and capacity to meter SLM output as
required in the future.
The flyaway cost for a new Block III F/A-18E/F is $69 million in
calendar year 2020. Block III modifications required to convert a Block
II aircraft is currently estimated at $9 million. Adding Block III
modification costs to SLM establishes an estimated cost of $18-$23
million per aircraft. A cost range was required due to multiple
aircraft configurations of the F/A-1BE/F fleet, all of which require
different configurations and modifications. Current estimates show that
three SLM aircraft can be upgraded to Block III configuration for the
srune cost as one brand new aircraft, without impacting Strike Fighter
Inventory Management (SFIM).
Though there have been unanticipated delays in the early phase of
SLM, Boeing is confident it can meet the projected SLM turnaround and
delivery times for Block III aircraft. While there is risk inherent in
the analysis and projections, there are currently several risk
mitigation actions underway-by both Boeing and the Navy to ensure the
Carrier Air Wings will have enough Block III aircraft to meet
operational requirements.
SLM has two phases of execution. Phase 1 is the planned 'crawl and
'walk' phases of SLM which is only a flight hour extension of Block II
aircraft from 6000 to 7500 flight hours and does not include Block III
capabilities. Phase 1 has experienced unanticipated challenges with the
material condition of early aircraft inductions, which has driven a
significant increase to SLM workload, staffing gaps, slower learning,
significant cost overruns, and schedule delay. In response to these
challenges, both Boeing and the Navy have implemented mitigation
strategies. Boeing has surged staff at both SLM locations (St Louis,
MO, and San Antonio, TX) and has initiated early detection teams for
common material condition cost/schedule drivers with a feedback loop to
Navy fleet. The Navy has commenced pre-SLM grooming to address known
material condition prior to SLM induction and established improved
corrosion prevention practices. A total of 49 aircraft will receive SLM
phase 1 and will complete in Q4 fiscal year 2022.
SLM Phase 2 is the full Block Ill upgrade to 10,000 flight hours
and the same capabilities as new production aircraft. Phase 2 is
expected to commence in Q4 fiscal year 2022 with Boeing advertised
turnaround time (TAT) per aircraft inducted of 12 months. The SLM
program has seen steady improvement to cost and schedule since
mitigations were implemented, and Boeing is confident they can achieve
the 12-month TAT for SLM phase 2. As part of the Navy's SFIM planning,
the Navy has determined that the MAP 20-02 demand can be met with up to
an 18-month TAT. Even if some of the SLM phase 1 complications were to
continue into phase 2, there will be minimal to no effect to the Block
III capacity to meet the MAP20-02 demand.
The SLM of existing F/A-18E/F aircraft, combined with an active F-
35C production line, are the two risk mitigations in place for the Navy
to manage total strike-fighter inventory. The total number of SLM
aircraft conversions will depend on the timeline for the NGAD FoS
initial operational capability and full operational capability in the
2030s. The Navy will continue to SLM aircraft at a rate commensurate
with capacity requirements, with an option to SLM all current Block II
FIA-18E/F aircraft if deemed necessary.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
Question. I am a strong supporter of our nuclear deterrent, not
only the two legs of the triad located at Minot Air Force Base with our
B-52s and the Minuteman III ICBMs, but also the submarine based leg of
the triad. You've stated that the Columbia-class submarine, which will
replace the aging Ohio class, is the Navy's top procurement priority,
but of course, you also have to ensure that the D5 Trident, which is
the ballistic missile carried by our boomers, is ready and reliable
when the Columbia-class boats enter the fleet.
Could you describe the basic plan to modernize the Trident missiles
and whether there is any coordination with the Air Force's effort to
modernize our land-based ICBMs?
Answer. The Navy is committed to ensuring that the transition
between Ohio-class and Columbia-class submarines stays on schedule.
This includes a seamless transition of the current TRIDENT II D5 Life
Extension (D5LE) weapon system and missile inventory on to the new
Columbia-class. To be clear, the D5LE weapon system currently deployed
on Ohio-class will be the same weapon system deployed on the first
eight hulls of the Columbia-class. To ensure the Navy has missiles for
Columbia Hull 9 and able to replace the missiles on the first eight
hulls when the missiles' safety-related components expire, it is
imperative that we start the work on a future missile and corresponding
weapons system now. This next generation of the current OSLE missile--a
missile in service since 1989 and boasting a remarkable history of 182
successful flight tests--is called D5 Life Extension 2 (D5LE2). Several
areas of the industrial base will have to be reconstituted as suppliers
of critical obsolete components have gone out of business or shifted
production to other fields. D5LE2 will primarily safely extend the D5
strategic weapons system, but this industrial base reconstitution
coupled with improved manufacturing processes also provides the
opportunity to build in flexibility that will ensure that TRIDENT
remains credible in the face of a dynamic threat environment throughout
the Columbia-class service life. D5LE2 must be developed, tested, and
produced with the lead-time sufficient to deploy 16 missiles on
Columbia Hull 9 in fiscal year 2039.
The Navy works closely with the Air Force and Missile Defense
Agency (MDA) through a Flag Level 2018 Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) that governs the collaboration of strategic ballistic missile
systems. The efforts established by this MOU enable affordability by
avoiding redundant efforts (e.g., Radiation Hardened Electronics
Testing and Flight Testing Instrumentation), advance capability by
sharing and leap frogging technology (e.g., Strategic Grade Inertial
Measuring Units), and reduce risks across programs via industrial base
collaboration (e.g., Solid Rocket Motor Production). With similar
technical challenges and a joint industrial base, the Navy fully
recognizes the importance of collaborating with both the Air Force and
MDA while simultaneously sustaining and modernizing our strategic
ballistic missile systems.
______

Questions Submitted to Admiral Michael Gilday
Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick Leahy
Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving
readiness, it's crucial that the Navy take a fresh look at policies and
practices that may not support all servicemembers. To that end, please
outline what changes, if any, the Navy has made, is making, plans to
make, or is considering in order to:
Improve diversity in leadership positions;
Answer. Navy has implemented numerous initiatives to improve
diverse representation in leadership positions and is currently
implementing recommendations from the Task Force One Navy (TF1N) final
report. TF1N was established to identify and make recommendations to
dismantle barriers to equality while creating sustainable
opportunities, ultimately achieving our desired end-state of
warfighting excellence. Following the TF1N final report, Navy removed
photographs during all Officer Selection and Command/Milestone Boards.
Additionally, Navy requires diverse representation on all boards and
provides bias training to board members to be aware of their potential
conscious and unconscious bias and ensure board fairness.
Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
Answer. To improve diversity retention, I meet routinely with our
17 Navy Community Leaders, all flag officers, to discuss various
community challenges to include the diversity demographics of each
community, initiatives to support the recruiting and retention of
under-represented groups, the prevalence of destructive behaviors, and
efforts to develop and retain future leaders. We conduct listening
sessions around the Fleet to ensure all voices are heard and that
Sailors and civilian employees understand their opinions matter and are
taken into account by command leadership. Additionally, the Navy Junior
Officer Counsel formed a formal link between Junior Officers and Senior
Navy Leadership to provide feedback, ensuring we are doing everything
we can to make our Junior Officers feel connected and included. Though
Navy has more work to do to reduce and eliminate barriers to upward
career trajectory based on race, gender, ethnicity, or socio-cultural
background, we are encouraged by our team's progress.
Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention,
with input from women, LGBTQ servicemembers, BIPOC servicemembers, and
sexual assault survivors;
Answer. Our training is being updated to incorporate the Navy's
Culture of Excellence and associated Signature Behaviors with input
from our sexual assault prevention and response team. Adult learning
theory best practices concerning small-group, facilitated discussions
will be also be used throughout the training. Once the training is in
the pilot phase, we intend to solicit input from different populations
of Sailors that may include specific groups such as women, LGBTQ,
BIPOC, and sexual assault survivors.
Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health
support services for servicemembers and their families, including
services tailored specifically toward minority servicemembers;
Answer. Senator Leahy, I want to assure you that the Navy remains
committed to promoting, maintaining and advancing a healthcare
environment which adheres to the principles of community and equity by
fostering principles that support: Care with Request; Excellence with
Equity; Mindful Actions with Transparency, Responsibility and
Accountability; and Diversity with Inclusion.
Specific to mental health support services, Navy ascribes to a ``no
wrong door'' policy to assist Sailors and family members in getting
help and support. This policy helps to facilitate access and decrease
stigma in seeking mental health and substance misuse services. Services
are available worldwide, including in specialty clinics, within primary
care, at Navy installation counseling centers, on the waterfront, and
embedded within the Fleet. Sailors and their families can also get
mental health support, to include chaplains, Military and Family Life
Counseling, Fleet and Family Support Centers, and Military OneSource.
Within Navy Medicine efforts are underway develop more formal
structures for addressing and integrating health equity/disparities
within the context of the Navy's Diversity and Inclusion Framework.
This work includes collaboration with the Defense Health Agency and the
other Services to advance access, equity and opportunity amongst the
healthcare staff as well as develop programs to ensure equitable care
and treatment for all service members and families.
Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority
servicemembers facing discrimination from within their units;
Answer. Navy ensures all personnel are aware of the command and
shore-based assistance available to those who need help in processing
harassment or unlawful discrimination reports. In addition, Navy
identifies available counseling support or referral services for all
personnel involved in incidents of harassment or unlawful
discrimination.
Follow-up debriefs are conducted with complainants no later than 45
days following the determination or resolution of harassment or
unlawful discrimination report to determine the complainant's
satisfaction with the effectiveness of the corrective action,
timeliness, present command climate, and to ensure retaliation did not
occur.
Question. Improve medical care for transgender servicemembers,
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy,
and post-partum care;
Answer. Navy is committed to ensuring all Sailors are treated with
dignity and respect and have access to the highest quality healthcare
in accordance with current evidence-based practice guidelines. We
currently have two Navy Medicine interdisciplinary expert Regional
Transgender Care Teams in place to support and improve the health and
lives of transgender and gender non-binary Sailors. Our experts work
closely with Defense Health Agency and our Army and Air Force
colleagues to ensure we incorporate best clinical practices in support
of the medical readiness of our transgender and gender non-binary
Sailors.
We continue to recognize and emphasize the importance of innovative
pregnancy and postpartum care, resources, and educational materials for
our Sailors to facilitate their return to duty. Our updated Physical
Readiness Program policy provides postpartum Sailors more time, 12
months vice 9 months, to fully recover in a healthy manner prior to
being required to meet fitness and body composition standards. We are
also prioritizing the importance of ensuring our pregnant and
postpartum Sailors have access to the support they need. Navy Medicine
has developed a Postpartum Return to Duty Resource to provide Sailors
with critical education on physical fitness, mental health, support
services, and Navy and Marine Corps policies related to the postpartum
transition to full duty. Within the Military Health System, our Navy
Medicine women's health experts participate with the Defense Health
Agency and the other Services on lines of efforts focused on women's
health, perinatal practices, newborn and infants as well as review of
data and issues related to maternal and infant healthcare disparities,
health equity, and social determinants of health which may be impacted
by race/ethnicity.
______

Questions Submitted to General David H. Berger
Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick Leahy
Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving
readiness, it's crucial that the Marine Corps take a fresh look at
policies and practices that may not support all service members. To
that end, please outline what changes, if any, the Marine Corps has
made, is making, plans to make, or is considering in order to:
Improve diversity in leadership positions;
Answer. Diversity and inclusion are force multipliers and take
advantage of the wide array of experiences and perspectives necessary
to maintain our current and future warfighting excellence. We are
committed to capitalizing on the knowledge, skills, abilities,
performance, and potential of every Marine.
Diversity in the Marine Corps is increasing. Since 2009, diverse
enlisted accessions have increased from 34 percent to 43 percent, and
diverse officer accessions have increased from 16 percent to 35
percent. Women officer accessions have increased from 8 percent to 13.8
percent during this same time period. Women represented in previously
restricted military occupational specialties (MOS's) are also on the
rise. Last year, 737 women were in previously restricted units; that
number is now 1,101. Similarly, 283 women were serving in previously
restricted MOS's; today that number is 415, including the first woman
Reconnaissance Marine.
This year, the Marine Corps reached the level of 21 percent in
diversity for Brigadier Generals and Brigadier General-selects, the
highest level of diverse representation at that rank in Marine Corps
history. And by the end of July of this year, two minority officers
from that cohort will promote to Major General. We look forward to
seeing this trend continue.
The Marine Corps is a full partner with the Office of the Secretary
of Defense and the other Services in accomplishing the recommendations
set out in the Secretary's Diversity and Inclusion Board Final Report.
However, the Marine Corps is also taking its own initiative to both
study and make changes to continue to improve diversity and inclusion.
First, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan will
guide our actions over the next 5 years in the areas of recruiting and
accessions, talent management, education, training, and commandership.
It provides a framework to align a number of efforts, identify new
initiatives, and provide oversight across the Corps for implementation
by commanders at every level. One of our first actions to implement our
plan was the appointment of a general officer as the Service's Chief
Diversity and Inclusion Officer. This position will communicate program
goals, develop policy, and action per the aforementioned strategic
plan. Concurrently, the Marine Corps bolstered the Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion Review Board (DRB). The DRB serves as the action arm of
the Marine Corps Diversity and Inclusion Management Program to address
diversity, inclusion, and command climate issues that may affect the
Marine Corps.
Second, a host of independent studies are currently underway to
better understand diversity and inclusion challenges and make
improvements. Our Fitness Report Bias Study is an analysis which is
examining the objectivity of the current performance appraisal process.
The Basic School Military Occupational Specialty Assignment Study which
will examine historical performance data, based on demographics, to
evaluate the impact of performance on MOS assignment. We are also
funding an independent study to identify and understand any barriers to
advancement and retention of women and minorities in the Marine Corps.
Finally, our Exit & Milestone Longitudinal Survey provides feedback to
better understand personnel satisfaction regarding career
opportunities, leadership, performance management, diversity, and work-
life programs.
Outreach and external engagement are an important facet of our
holistic approach to diversity and inclusion. We have steadily
increased our Outreach Program budget from $150,000 in fiscal year 2014
to $1 million in fiscal year 2021. This Program provides opportunities
for professional development, mentoring, and networking experiences by
fully funding approximately 500 Marines to attend 19 national/regional
conferences hosted by non-Federal entity affinity groups events
throughout the year.
The Marine Corps is working collaboratively with our training
command to incorporate unconscious bias training at every rank
throughout the training continuum. Diversity of thought and experience
that each Marine brings will help us find more creative and innovative
solutions to these future challenges.
Diversity and inclusion are, more than anything, a leadership
issue. Marine leaders must not just talk about changing culture--they
must be the example of how to treat fellow Marines and all individuals
with dignity, respect, empathy and compassion.
Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
Answer. See response to 1a above.
Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention,
with input from women, LGBTQ servicemembers, BIPOC servicemembers, and
sexual assault survivors;
Answer. Collaboration is key in addressing sexual assault
prevention and response. We have collaborated with sexual assault
survivors, members of the LGBTQ+ community, SAPR personnel, women, and
BIPOC servicemembers to improve our SAPR training; we will continue to
do so. Our SAPR program works together with the other Services,
Department of the Navy and Department of Defense Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response Offices, and outside entities to enhance our
ability to prevent and respond to sexual assault, identify best
practices, and leverage resources.
Our continued focus on prevention seeks to tailor training to
specific levels of leadership. This enables a multi-layered approach to
prevention to fit Marines of every age, rank, and billet. For example,
our updated SAPR annual training for Staff Non-Commissioned Officers
(SNCO) provides more focus at the small unit level. This training's
goal is to help increase SNCO knowledge about sexual assault,
reporting, resources, rank-specific roles and responsibilities, and to
build skills consistent with primary prevention.
We also updated the SAPR training for the Commander's Course to
better prepare senior leadership to prevent sexual assault once they
assume command. This includes information focused on actionable
recommendations for pre-command leaders and small group discussions
facilitated by Marine Corps mentors and SAPR experts. Commanders set
the tone of their unit--we know how important it is to ensure they are
equipped before they assume command to establish the right command
climate--a climate that encourages Marines to look out for one another
and report destructive behaviors and crimes, and that mandates
accountability for perpetrators and enablers. Likewise, we updated
First Sergeant's Course to include actionable recommendations for
sexual assault prevention, information on responses to trauma, and
actions to take if one of their Marines is sexually assaulted,
appropriate to their new positions.
While we highlight our prevention efforts, we acknowledge that we
are not where we need to be; we still have incidents of sexual
harassment and assault and so we must ensure we provide the best
support possible to victims. A revised SAPR Victim Advocate (VA)
training was released in October 2019 and has been fully implemented.
The revised 40-hour curriculum focuses on building and refining
advocacy skills and includes cultural competency and prevention
training. We are currently revising Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
(SARC) Initial Training to build on advocacy and cultural competency
skills taught in the 40-hour training and prepare SARCs to oversee
their SAPR program.
The Marine Corps continually evaluates SAPR initiatives for
effectiveness by conducting needs assessments, surveys, and staffing
analysis. SARC and VA training curriculum development has been
standardized which better ensures that Marines understand reporting
options, SARCs and VAs are prepared to support victims, and all
understand their role in sexual assault prevention.
We want to leverage technological developments too. We are
implementing online evaluation tools for select SAPR annual training,
Victim Advocate training, and Sexual Assault Response Coordinators
initial training. The evaluation tools measure changes in knowledge,
attitudes, and intentions, as well as training satisfaction,
consistency of instruction, and quality of instruction. These
evaluation results will inform local SAPR personnel, as well as HQMC
personnel, on the effectiveness of the trainings.
Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health
support services for servicemembers and their families, including
services tailored specifically toward minority servicemembers;
Answer. Marine Corps' focus is to treat all Service member and
their families with equality while recognizing and embracing diversity.
Accessibility of nonmedical support services was expanded in May 2020
to telephonic and virtual platforms. Traditional knee-cap to knee-cap
counseling remained intact whenever possible as well. Although each
installation across the Marine Corps provides published service hours,
standard practice from the field staff in the behavioral health
programs is to accommodate alternate hours upon request.
Two significant support programs are the Unit Marine Awareness and
Prevention Integrated Training for Marines (UMAPIT) and our Operational
Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) programs. UMAPIT is a training and
education calendar year requirement for all Marines, and provides
specific information and actions Marines can employ to access mental
health resources. OSCAR is a Marine-trained team of Marines within
Marine Corps units who help recognize and respond to stress. If a
Marine believes their stress-level is negatively impacting their unit,
an OSCAR member is there to talk and to connect the Marine with other
resources. These and other programs are specifically geared to
nonmedical mental health support.
The Marine Corps remains committed to promoting, maintaining, and
advancing a healthcare environment that adheres to the principles of
community and equity by fostering principles that support: Care with
Request; Excellence with Equity; Mindful Actions with Transparency,
Responsibility and Accountability; and Diversity with Inclusion.
Specific to mental health support services, the Marine Corps
ascribes to a ``no wrong door'' policy to assist Marines and family
members in getting help and support. This policy helps to facilitate
access and decrease stigma in seeking mental health and substance
misuse services. These services are available worldwide, including in
specialty clinics, within primary care, at Marine Corps installation
counseling centers, and embedded within the Fleet Marine Force.
Marines and their families can also get mental health support, to
include chaplains, Military and Family Life Counseling, Marine & Family
Programs, and Military OneSource.
Within Navy Medicine, efforts are underway to develop more formal
structures for addressing and integrating health equity/disparities
within the context of the Department of the Navy's Diversity and
Inclusion Strategic Framework. This work includes collaboration with
the Defense Health Agency and the other Services to advance access,
equity, and opportunity amongst the healthcare staff; as well as
develop programs to ensure equitable care and treatment for all service
members and families.
Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority
servicemembers facing discrimination from within their units;
Answer. The Marine Corps' support for minority service members
facing discrimination within their units is rooted in the DoD's
Strategic Elements of prevention, reporting, advocacy, education/
training, and accountability; with Marine Corps Order (MCO) 5354.1F,
``Prohibited Activities and Conduct (PAC) Prevention and Response
Policy,'' encompassing all of the aforementioned elements of support.
Our PAC order defines that any conduct discriminating an individual
or a group based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex
(including pregnancy), gender identity, or sexual orientation is
prohibited by all personnel. The order describes how qualitative and
quantitative data collection from Command Climate Assessments (CCAs)
allows commands to best leverage command-level Equal Opportunity
Advisors/Equal Opportunity Representatives (EOAs/EORs) to facilitate
focus groups and tailor annual PAC training to include additional
topics, as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy.
Not only do all Marines complete PAC training every year, commands
can use their EOAs/EORs to conduct additional PAC training or focus
groups, at any time, in order to combat PAC behavioral trends.
As an additional part of CCAs, any areas falling below the average
require a corrective action plan by the commander. The plan is
implemented and evaluated during all Comprehensive Command Inspections,
Independent Command Inspections, and the Commanding General's
Inspection Program Inspections as an additional level of validation by
external command entities. The commander is appropriately held further
accountable on his/her annual fitness report by a statement identifying
a commander's failure, if any, to conduct required CCAs.
Annual PAC training also informs unit members that any complaints
of violating behaviors they witness can be reported for command
resolution. The complaint will then be resolved through informal or
formal resolution. All unit members have access to full-time EOAs and
collateral-duty EORs, who provide advice and guidance to complainants
on matters related to PAC. Typically, EOAs/EORs provide the annual
training and conduct focus groups, so unit members know who these
appointed personnel are, but each command also posts fliers identifying
these personnel in an effort to ensure service members have this
information at all times.
Additionally, the PAC order stipulates commanders must ensure
Service members have access to support services, such as mental health
counseling, medical, EOA, Victim and Witness Assistance Personnel, and
Victim Legal Counsel.
The Marine Corps takes a comprehensive approach to support minority
service members facing discrimination within units. Combatting such
behavior is a team effort that requires the commander to set the
correct climate denouncing PAC violations, EOAs/EORs educate and
support the command and its unit members, and each unit member being
held appropriately accountable for their actions.
Question. Improve medical care for transgender servicemembers,
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy,
and post-partum care;
Answer. The Marine Corps is committed to ensuring all Marines are
treated with dignity and respect, along with access to the highest
quality healthcare in accordance with current evidence-based practice
guidelines. There are currently two Navy Medicine interdisciplinary
expert Regional Transgender Care Teams in place to support and improve
the health and lives of transgender and gender non-binary Marines.
These experts work closely with the Defense Health Agency, as well as
Army and Air Force colleagues, to ensure the best clinical practices
are incorporated in support of the medical readiness of our transgender
and gender non-binary Marines.
We continue to recognize and emphasize the importance of innovative
pregnancy and postpartum care, resources, and educational materials for
our Marines to facilitate their return to duty. Our physical readiness
program is focused on providing postpartum Marines time to fully
recover in a healthy manner prior to being required to meet fitness and
body composition standards. We also recognize the importance of
ensuring our pregnant and postpartum Marines have access to the support
they need. Navy Medicine has developed a Postpartum Return to Duty
Resource to provide Marines with critical education on physical
fitness, mental health, support services, as well as Navy and Marine
Corps guidance related to the postpartum transition to full duty.
Within the Military Health System, Navy Medicine women's health experts
participate with the Defense Health Agency and the other Services on
lines of effort focused on women's health, perinatal practices, newborn
and infants; as well as review of data and issues related to maternal
and infant healthcare disparities, health equity, and social
determinants of health that may be impacted by race/ethnicity.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Dianne Feinstein
Question. General Berger, last year we lost 8 Marines and 1 Sailor
during a terrible training accident involving an Amphibious Assault
Vehicle off the coast of California. The investigation report
highlighted several training and equipment deficiencies.
How is the Marine Corps working to prevent a recurrence of future
amphibious vehicle accidents, and has the Marine Corps requested enough
funding in the budget to adequately maintain these vehicles and procure
the replacement vehicles?
Answer. The Marine Corps is committed to identifying the issues
that led to this tragedy and to preventing future occurrences. We have
concluded a safety investigation and a command investigation into the
facts and circumstances surrounding the sinking of 15th Marine
Expeditionary Unit's (MEU) amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) and the
resulting loss of life. An investigation into the formation of the 15th
MEU is pending endorsement. Finally, a Blue Ribbon Panel of senior
Marine Corps and Navy personnel has formed and is currently conducting
a strategic review of amphibious operations.
We are confident the safety and command investigations identified
contributing and causal factors. As a result of these investigations,
the Marine Corps has directed 23 institutional actions to ensure the
safe execution of AAV waterborne operations. These actions fall into
one of three categories: equipment, procedures, and training. Equipment
actions include a combination of equipment advances and additional
inspections such as: procurement and sustainment of a Waterborne Egress
Capability program; electronic tablets for crewmembers to manage
associated technical and procedural manuals; and new criteria for hull
watertight integrity, bilge pump function, communications systems, and
emergency egress lighting systems. To address procedural actions, the
Marine Corps has administered many publication and policy reviews to
operating procedures, technical manuals, and safety structure
requirements during training. These include updates to: training and
qualification prerequisites; authority and decisionmaking procedures;
and safety boat requirements. Finally, training actions include
implementing additional standards for water survival, underwater egress
training for both crew members and embarked personnel, and standardized
knowledge tests for crew members. These last two tasks, plus oversight
of mechanical and procedural inspections, have to be completed by
operational level units and certified by the first general officer in
the chain of command in order for them to gain authority to perform
waterborne operations.
We have fully funded the AAV program to implement the institutional
actions related to the safety and command investigations as well as
routine maintenance requirements.
We are confident the directed service level actions will rectify
any issues that contributed to this terrible tragedy with the goal of
ensuring no similar incident occurs again.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Question. The Navy and Marine Corps Arctic strategy document,
``Blue Arctic'' specifically states the ``The [Naval Services] will be
postured to deter aggressive and malign behavior, keep the seas free
and open, and assure allies and partners of our long-term commitment to
preserving peace and advancing shared interests.'' It also emphasizes
the need for ``credible naval forces [to] ensure the ability to deter
competitors and rapidly respond to crises in the region.''
Do you see any lessons learned in the Marine Corps' Expeditionary
Advanced Based Operations (EABO) concept that can be applied to a
homeland archipelago, such as the Aleutians, for a deterrence model?
Answer. Yes, the capabilities used to conduct Expeditionary
Advanced Base Operations (EABO) would be especially useful in a complex
homeland archipelago such as the Aleutians. EABO is a form of
expeditionary warfare that involves the employment of mobile, low-
signature, persistent, and relatively easy to maintain and sustain
naval expeditionary forces from a series of austere, temporary
locations ashore or inshore within a contested or potentially contested
maritime area in order to conduct sea denial, support sea control, or
enable fleet sustainment. The capabilities we are developing to conduct
EABO--to include various combinations of manned and unmanned sensors
and long-range precision fires--are absolutely applicable to detecting
and countering malign behavior, contributing to integrated deterrence
and, if necessary, conducting sea denial to maintain the sovereign
integrity of our own waters.
Through an iterative campaign of experimentation and exercises, the
Marine Corps will continue to refine and update the capabilities and
force structure required to conduct EABO over the coming years.
Question. At a recent budget hearing for the State Department,
Secretary Blinken told me that, by his own determination, and I quote:
``the United States would be extremely well served by ratifying the Law
of the Sea Treaty.'' He even went as far as to say that this is not
only his opinion, but ``it's been the judgement across the board by our
military leadership, uniform and civilian for many years.'' Secretary
Blinken is the latest in a long line of department secretaries to agree
on this point. I believe that ratifying the Law of the Sea is in the
best interest of the United States. Along with Senator Hirono, I put
forward legislation urging the Senate to ratify Law of Sea.
General Berger, would you expect Marines to be required for
missions to uphold UNCLOS norms?
Answer. Yes. Our Marines are expected and trained to uphold our
international legal obligations in all military operations.
Question. As a naval service chief, do you believe the Senate
should ratify the Law of Sea?
Answer. Consistent with past Commandants, I believe acceding to the
Convention could strengthen our position when challenging violations of
international law by our adversaries.
While the Convention reflects customary international law on which
the United States has long relied for its freedoms of navigation and
overflight around the world, acceding to the Convention would reinforce
these rights and freedoms.
Question. What benefit will it provide to the United States? Would
we be in a stronger military position if we were to ratify the Law of
the Sea?
Answer. The Convention reflects the traditional uses of the oceans
such as navigation and overflight rights and freedoms across the globe
for our civilian and military ships and aircraft. These traditional
uses, including innocent passage through other nations' territorial
seas and transit passage through, under, and over international
straits, are vital to our national security interests. To date, the
United States has relied on customary international law as the legal
basis for these rights and freedoms, but customary international law
will not adequately protect U.S. maritime security interests over the
long term. For instance, a number of our adversaries claim that only
States that are party to the Convention enjoy the rights and freedoms
that the Convention provides. Acceding to the Convention would solidify
these and other rights and freedoms in a manner beneficial to naval
operations, facilitate closer cooperation with our allies and partners,
and disarm our adversaries of these claims. Joining the Convention is
the best means of securing U.S. rights and freedoms, and maximizing the
ability of our armed forces to move through and over the world's ocean
waters.
The Marine Corps is a naval expeditionary force-in-readiness
prepared to operate inside actively contested maritime spaces in
support of fleet operations that are largely dependent upon the
navigational rights enumerated in the Convention. Moreover, the United
States conducts its operations in coalitions with allies and partners--
most of whom are parties to the Convention. Acceding to the Convention
will reinforce U.S. leadership and influence in the shaping of global
maritime law and policy in ways that serve U.S. interests, validate
U.S. maritime activities under international law, and demonstrate U.S.
commitment to the rule of law in the conduct of its operations.
Question. And what would you say to those that want to be tough on
China and Russia, but are still against the ratification of the treaty?
Answer. Accession to the Convention would allow the United States
to participate in future law of the sea discussions on a coequal level
with China and Russia, who are member States. In 1983, President Reagan
set forth the U.S. Oceans Policy, which stated that the United States
will not ``acquiesce in unilateral acts of other States designed to
restrict the rights and freedoms of the international community in
navigation and overflight and other related high seas uses.'' China's
increasingly aggressive posture in the South China Sea is a direct
attack on the international rules-based order embodied by the
Convention. Its conduct of gray zone activities seeks to erode its
provisions. As a party to the Convention, U.S. objections to these
violations would have significantly more force and credibility. The
United States would also be better positioned to contest excessive
maritime claims and other unlawful activities by China and others, such
as Russia and Iran, who continuously attempt to restrict the
Convention's navigational rights and freedoms.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
Question. You mentioned in your written statement that you expect
to make use of medium altitude, long endurance unmanned aircraft like
the MQ-9 even when Marines are deployed in close proximity to our
adversaries. Additionally, your fiscal year 2022 budget request
includes a substantial investment in the MQ-9A extended range aircraft.
Could you describe the role you expect unmanned aircraft to play
for Marines deployed near China or Russia?
Answer. The MQ-9A Extended Range will fulfill a primary mission of
communication and data relay with an additional airborne early warning
capability. This will provide deployed Marine Corps and Joint Force
units with persistent tactical maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and
Reconnaissance (ISR) and command and control gateways. The MQ-9A
Extended Range is also a critical enabler to the Naval force in
building an alternate Precision, Navigation, and Timing network.
The Marine Corps seeks to procure six MQ-9A Extended Range systems
in fiscal year 2022, and a total of 18 systems over the next several
years, to form three Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) squadrons. The
Marine Corps will leverage an existing Air Force system and two current
Marine Corps assets in USCENTCOM to reduce risk, while providing
advanced capabilities to the Marine Corps and overall joint warfighting
enterprise.
Additionally, the Marine Corps continues to develop and experiment
a family of UAS with a variety of plug-and-play payloads. These systems
will give ground combat units organic Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and
Target Acquisition (RSTA) assets capable of supporting long-range
precision kinetic and non-kinetic fires, both afloat and ashore. This
includes conducting extended user evaluations with industry leading
systems to include the UAV V-BAT and the Stalker UAS to inform
requirements for the Ground Combat Element.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator John Boozman
Question. General Berger, the budget request includes a significant
increase for the Ground Based Anti-Ship Missile program. I understand
this program is vital to your future force design. Given the tough
budget decisions facing this committee:
Why is this program so important to the Marine Corps and what
progress was made on the development of this program since last year?
Answer. Ground Based Anti-Ship Missile (GBASM) is the Marine Corps'
top modernization priority and is the key lethality component for the
Marine Corps to facilitate sea denial in support of naval and joint
operations. The capability creates cost impositions for an adversary by
introducing a new and highly credible threat into their decisionmaking,
while providing us with a relatively low cost and highly effective
capability.
The initial materiel solution for GBASM is the Navy-Marine
Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) which consists of two
Naval Strike Missiles mounted on a remotely operated Joint Light
Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)-based chassis. By combining existing
technologies in the missile and the platform, the Marine Corps has
reduced programmatic risks through the use of proven capabilities,
which enables us to move faster. The Marine Corps successfully tested
this system against a ship target in November 2020, and in our fiscal
year 2022 budget request, we are seeking funding for 10 production
representative models (PRMs) for further developmental and operational
testing. With the ability to strike enemy ships at ranges of 100
nautical miles and beyond, we believe it will be a ``game changer'' for
the Marine Corps, the Naval Fleet Commander, and Combatant Commanders.
Additionally, the Marine Corps is developing a longer-range
capability, which we call ``Long Range Fires.'' The Marine Corps
successfully tested this program in March 2021.
Question. How will the Unfunded Request for additional missiles
support your fielding of this capability?
Answer. Naval Strike Missiles are the munition component of the
Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) which is
the Marine Corps' first iteration of the GBASM capability. These
additional missiles in the Unfunded Priority List (UPL) would provide
greater magazine depth for the units that will employ them in the Indo-
Pacific.
As the pacing threat moves with us and technology develops at a
speed faster than the budget, funding the entirety of our UPL request
provides us the opportunity to capitalize on successful technological
developments. This will accelerate additional capability to the
Combatant
Commanders, specifically in the Indo-Pacific, buying down strategic
risk for them and our forward deployed forces, and deterring conflict
sooner.
Question. General Berger, I want to expand on 2030 Force Design.
Secretary Austin recently testified in this committee that China is the
#1 pacing threat. How will the different elements of your Force Design
support the Joint Force within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility and
how does the Pacific Deterrent Initiative support your efforts within
the Joint Force?
Answer. A new type of unit, the Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR), is
a vital element of the Marine Corps' Force Design transformation. These
new units will be task-organized and dispersed across key maritime
terrain in the Indo-Pacific region to support the Naval and Joint
Force. The MLR capabilities will augment and reinforce a host nation's
ability to monitor, expose, and challenge malign behavior, but the MLRs
will also be fully capable of operating without host-nation support if
required. Additionally, the MLRs will be highly mobile, constantly
changing their positioning and posture to increase ambiguity and
increase the adversary's challenge of monitoring and targeting MLR
units. In order to provide lethality when needed, the MLRs will possess
complementary capabilities of sensing, communication, maneuverability,
and precision fires. These characteristics and capabilities will reduce
an adversary's confidence and encourage off-ramps from conflict.
Marine Corps investments in new capabilities and current operations
are in direct alignment with and supported by the Pacific Deterrence
Initiative (PDI). Namely, PDI supports the Commandant's Force Design
2030 initiative to build a force able to operate in actively contested
spaces in support of the Joint Force, providing the Combatant Commander
with ready, relevant crisis response forces and a capability to work
effectively with allies and partners.
As part of the Naval Expeditionary Force resiliency, investments
allow Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) elements to maneuver,
communicate, and conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
within contested maritime environments. Air defense is provided through
investments which will identify, track, and defeat enemy Unmanned
Aerial Systems. Funding is also provided for effective Aviation Command
and Control, to foster resiliency in logistics lines of communication,
deter and defeat threats in the electromagnetic spectrum, and provide
precision strike fire support in support of distributed operations.
Investments in these capabilities allow our forward deployed Stand-in
Force to support Joint operations inside the enemy's weapon engagement
zone (WEZ) and to compete and deter in the contact and blunt layers.
Additionally, PDI investments in security cooperation programs will
strengthen relationships with our allies and partners in the Indo-
Pacific region, and these investments directly support the Marine
Forces Pacific Afloat Prepositioning Training and Exercise Employment
Plan through the funding of exercises FREEDOM BANNER, BALIKATAN, and
COBRA GOLD.

SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

Senator Tester. This committee stands in recess.
[Whereupon, at 11:02 a.m., Thursday, June 24, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of
the Chair.]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

----------

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2021

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10 a.m. in room SD-138, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Tester, Shelby, Murkowski, Moran, Hoeven,
and Boozman.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Navy and Air Force Weapons Systems Divestments

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JON TESTER

Senator Tester. I will call the hearing to order. I want to
begin by welcoming our witnesses.
Vice Admiral Crites, Vice Admiral Kilby, Lieutenant General
Nahom, I want to thank you all for being here today.
This subcommittee typically holds hearings with the senior
leadership of the military services to learn about the budget
requests for the upcoming fiscal year and the general posture
of each department. Our topical hearings are reserved for those
cross-cutting issues that have significant financial impacts,
there are a lot of policy issues wrapped up in divesting force
structure, but when the supporting arguments hold up budgetary
decisions as a reason to make these moves, we need to fully
understand what you were trying to accomplish.
The military, as a whole, is divesting from $2.8 billion in
legacy systems in fiscal year 2022 budget request, and that
dollar amount is split right down the middle between the Navy
and the Air Force. On the surface it makes sense to divest
systems and platforms that do not adequately meet current
military needs and that demand more resources than they are
worth.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to fit all the puzzle pieces
together in terms of what constitutes a legacy weapon, what new
technologies are ready to field, and how best to divest our
defense budgets. I called this hearing to start putting that
puzzle together.
Next week, this subcommittee will hold a classified
briefing on the technologies needed to counter China and
Russia, to gain a full picture of what is at stake. I am eager
to work with you to find the right balance between divesting
force structure and investing in the future.
Once again, I want to thank the witnesses for their
testimony today, and look forward to hearing from them.
With that, I will turn it over to you, Senator Shelby.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY

Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also want to
welcome our witnesses today.
I look forward to hearing about the Navy and Air Force
plans for this divestment of weapon systems in 2022, and how
those plans better position our forces to deter, and if
necessary, win in the near-peer fight.
The proposal for divestment this year totals $1.37 billion
for the Air Force, and $1.26 billion for the Navy. The
Department's stated purpose for the divestments is to retire
vulnerable systems and programs that no longer meet security
needs, freeing resources to invest in higher priority items.
And while there seems a straightforward framework for
divestment decisionmaking, I would like to better understand
here how the budget top line impacted these decisions.
Of the Navy's $1.26 billion 2022 divestment
recommendations, $930 million is from divestment of ships.
These include cruisers, littoral combat ships, riverine craft,
and dock landing ships.
Given the Navy's stated priority of increasing fleet size
to compete in the Indo-Pacific, I would expect that those
savings are used to increase shipbuilding and ship operations.
The fiscal year 2022 budget request only includes a $300
million increase in ship operations that is accompanied by a
$700 million decrease in shipbuilding.
The Air Force, on the other hand, is divesting fighters,
tankers, logistic aircraft, command and control, and
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms. I
think we can all agree here that some of these aircraft have
been in service longer than originally envisioned, and many
would be at a significant risk operating in an anti-access, and
area-denial environment.
That said, I want to understand, here at the committee
level, how the loss of these aircraft will be fully mitigated
by the introduction of new aircraft, or new systems, by
increasing the pace of procurement of aircraft currently in
production. I appreciate the complexity of the decisions the
Department has to make to balance near-term capabilities and
future technologies, and maintaining readiness across the force
structure.
I believe it is important that we have a better
understanding of how that has been accomplished in this
proposal. Additionally, I would like to know what the plan is
for the items that are divested. A very conservative estimate
of the initial investment and the procurement of in terms of
the Air Force would like to divest is $14 billion I understand.
That is a significant investment that we must be thoughtful
about here on the committee.
I raise this issue because this proposal includes
divestments of naval vessels that entered the Service less than
5 years ago, with a price tag around $520 million each. It also
includes unmanned ISR platforms that we just finished
procuring.
It is important we understand what you are doing, why you
are doing it, and how you are doing it.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
Next, we are going to hear from two folks. We are going to
hear from Vice Admiral Kilby, and then we are going to hear
from Lieutenant General Nahom.
We will start with you Admiral Kilby.
STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL JAMES KILBY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF
NAVAL OPERATIONS FOR WARFIGHTING
REQUIREMENTS AND CAPABILITIES
Admiral Kilby. Thanks, sir. Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman
Shelby, and distinguished members of the subcommittee, on
behalf of Vice Admiral Crites and myself, thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the Navy's
proposed divestments in the 2022 budget request, we thank the
subcommittee for your support of the Navy.
The United States Navy remains the preeminent maritime
force in the world. With 297 ships, your Navy is underway
around the world today, and every day, protecting America's
security, prosperity, values and interests across the globe.
Our goal is to prevent conflict, but should deterrence
fail, we are ready to answer the call to fight and to win. Our
maritime advantage is being challenged by adversaries that are
becoming more capable and more aggressive. The Navy and the
Nation must maintain a clear-eyed resolve to compete, deter,
and if necessary, defeat our rivals.
Our actions now shape the maritime balance of power and we
continue to develop and evolve a more lethal force to deliver
all-domain Navy power and maintain our advantage at sea. Naval
power is not simply a function of the number of ships, it also
requires the right balance of readiness, modernization, and
training.
The Navy's 2022 budget balances investments across
readiness, capabilities, capacity, and taking care of our
people to maximize our contributions to the Joint Force within
the limits of available resources.
Our budget decisions are underpinned by campaign analysis,
and warfighting analytics, and informed by aggressive reform
efforts to align every dollar to provide maximum warfighting
impact. In short, our budget funds what we need most in an era
of strategic competition.
However, the Navy is also dealing with a flat budget top
line that has not kept pace with inflation, and the force is
growing in size. As the subcommittee knows, these factors
pressurized the budget and force difficult funding decisions
based on warfighting priorities to deliver the right mix of
capabilities the Nation needs most.
That means divesting of platforms that are less capable,
less effective, and less relevant in the current and future
strategic environments, so that we can modernize and sustain
the readiness and wholeness of our current fleet, it also means
stopping or slowing procurement of existing platforms in order
to develop the next-generation capabilities necessary to keep
pace with our adversaries.
I want to be very clear here. I am not saying the platforms
proposed for divestment are unimportant, or provide no value,
but we have to ensure that we focus on our efforts on
delivering the best, most ready, and most capable Navy we can.
That is what the 2022 budget represents. It makes hard
choices, choices we believe are necessary to maximize naval
power, and deliver the highest war-fighting return on
investment with acceptable risk.
I urge the subcommittee and Congress to consider the Navy's
2022 budget in this light. Within the resources available, how
relevant each asset is, and in the future fight of how much
additional investment is required to keep the assets we are
divesting of relevant.
Again, we must be clear-eyed about are the investments
needed to compete, deter, and win in the future fight and the
urgency to accelerate those capabilities.
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Navy's 2022
budget with you today. And we look forward to working closely
with you and your staffs to ensure we will continue to field
the most capable and relevant Naval Force to meet our Nation's
strategic objectives.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral James W. Kilby and
Vice Admiral Randy B. Crites
Chairman Tester, Vice Chairman Shelby, distinguished members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the
Navy's proposed divestments in the fiscal year (FY) 2022 President's
Budget (PB-22). We thank Congress and the Subcommittee for your support
in maintaining a Navy that is both lethal and ready to deploy globally
in defense of U.S. national interests.
In an interconnected and interdependent world, a dominant naval
force and a strong maritime strategy are critical to the security of
our Nation. The global security environment is increasingly influenced
by our competitors, requiring the Navy to provide credible combat power
forward to ensure a ready response to global crises and disasters. Even
as the world focused on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic last year,
your Navy continued to deploy to hot spots around the globe where U.S.
interests are challenged, executing eight major Carrier and
Expeditionary Strike Group deployments, amassing close to 700,000
flight hours and over 23,000 total steaming days. This builds on two
decades of Navy forces deploying at our highest operational tempo since
World War II, in a conflict that has lasted five times longer.
As our national security posture evolves to confront new
challenges, the Navy continues to invest in key naval capabilities to
maximize our naval power contribution to the Joint Force. PB-22
advances critical Navy priorities to defend the nation, innovate and
modernize the force, increase resilience and readiness, and take care
of our Sailors, civilians, and families. For example, PB-22 supports
the sustainment of our readiness recovery to deliver credible ready
forces now by accelerating the Navy's Shipyard Infrastructure
Optimization Program (SIOP), and fully funds two submarine overhauls in
private shipyards. PB-22 aggressively pursues increased lethality and
modernization of capabilities with the greatest potential to deliver
non-linear warfighting advantages through significant research and
development investments in distributed and networked effects to
establish and sustain sea control, and future platforms and
experimentation with unmanned systems on the sea, under the sea, and in
the air. PB-22 continues key investments in advanced technologies and
modernization by prioritizing the recapitalization of the strategic
ballistic missile submarine, the Columbia class, which remains the
Navy's highest acquisition priority. And importantly, PB-22 supports
our people and the quality of their life by providing a 2.7 percent pay
raise in FY 2022, increasing investments in mental health and sexual
assault prevention and response programs, and developing talent through
training programs including Ready Relevant Learning, Live Virtual
Constructive, and the Naval Community College.
Aligned with the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, the
Tri-Service Maritime Strategy, and within the limits of available
resources, the Navy's PB-22 budget represents the best balance and
right mix of strategic investments in our Sailors, readiness,
capability, and capacity. Our budget decisions are underpinned by
campaign analysis and warfighting analytics, and informed by aggressive
reform efforts to align every dollar to provide maximum warfighting
impact. As we balanced the urgent readiness and modernization needs of
our force today with investments in the future force, we also had to
make difficult funding decisions to divest of less capable platforms
and systems, freeing resources to invest in a future force that can
deliver greater efficiency and effectiveness. These divestment
decisions were rigorously reviewed, analyzed, and debated to ensure we
retain the capabilities needed to be ready to fight tonight, while
investing smartly for the future. At a high level, this analysis can be
summarized by examining the fiscal context and warfighting value
associated with divestments.
Fiscal Context. In constant, non-inflated dollars, the Navy's (as a
Service) total funding level (or budget topline) has remained
relatively flat since 2010. When inflation is factored in, the result
is an overall loss of buying power. Our budget topline today is roughly
the same as it was in 2010, despite a growth in the fleet size from 288
ships in 2010 to 297 ships today. In actual dollars, PB-22 reflects a
0.6 percent increase in Navy funding over the FY 2021 enacted
appropriations level.
The Navy and Department of the Navy (DON) has been able to offset
some of this lost buying power through a series of reform efforts going
back to 2012. From PB-12 to PB-22, the Department has executed or
programmed savings of over $150 billion from reform and efficiency
initiatives. These reforms involved business process improvements and
efficiencies, but also divesting of less capable platforms, mission
sets, or capabilities; reduced procurement; and changes in active and
reserve component mix. While more efficient, the Department is now also
very lean with little margin to address fact-of-life changes, such as
increasing material and labor costs that exceed inflation or pandemic
response. Going forward, with very few programs that have not already
been heavily scrutinized, reform and efficiencies are unlikely to
produce substantial savings. As identified in several recent
Congressional Budget Office publications, the pressure on all Navy
accounts will continue, with costs increasing at rates higher than
projected inflation rates.
The ability to self-finance growth in the size of the force is also
limited by strategic priorities and accounts that Navy considers non-
discretionary. We must pay our people and sustain our current force--we
will never field a hollow force. We must keep the Columbia class
program--a once-in-a-generation recapitalization program--on track for
lead ship delivery in 2027 in order to meet U.S. Strategic Command's
requirement for Columbia ballistic missile submarines to be on patrol
by 2030. And now we are faced with a once-in-a-century investment to
recapitalize and modernize our public shipyards. These must-fund
priorities limit our ability to recover readiness, modernize the force,
address shortfalls, and invest in new technologies to pace strategic
threats.
Finally, unstable and unpredictable budgets encumber the Navy's
ability to maximize use of every dollar. Continuing resolutions drive
inefficiency, uncertainty, and delays in execution that become
increasingly difficult to recover from in the years to follow. This
impacts everything from acquisition new starts to ship maintenance
planning to permanent change of station funding for Sailors and their
families.
Warfighting Value. Continuing to purchase and/or sustain older,
less capable or obsolete equipment takes defense dollars away from the
acquisition of systems that are needed for modernization or sustainment
of higher value systems. Our competitors--especially China--continue to
advance their capabilities. We must outpace those advances to remain a
credible deterrent to conflict around the world. This requires us to
maintain and improve this advantage on land, at sea, in the air, and in
emerging domains, including space and cyberspace. We must divest select
less capable platforms to ensure that every defense dollar is spent on
programs and equipment that will be relevant in the next fight. PB-22
proposes cuts to systems and capabilities that no longer meet the
challenges and requirements of the defense strategy, making room for
more advanced programs that maximize naval capability and lethality
aligned with the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance.
navy's pb-22 proposed divestments
The FY 2022 President's Budget includes a total of $1.3 billion in
cost savings across the Department of the Navy from proposed
divestments in FY 2022. This includes retiring less capable platforms,
reducing costs, and realigning funds to source higher priority efforts
to field the strongest balance of capabilities. The major Navy
divestments include:
Decommission Two Guided Missile Cruisers (CG 66 and CG 68). Today,
the average cruiser age is 32 years, with four ships already beyond
their 35 year service live expectancy. The Navy plans to divest two
non-modernized cruisers in FY 2022, in addition to the five previously
programmed for FY 2022 decommissioning in the FY 2020 and FY 2021
President's Budgets. Decommissioning these two non-modernized ships
enables reallocation of funds to achieve program wholeness for the
modernization of the remaining five CGs in the cruiser modernization
program (CG 63, 64, 65, 69, and 71). Due to ongoing execution
challenges, discovered growth work, and underestimation of risk in
system reactivation, cruiser modernization costs have grown by 90 to
200 percent above their initial programmed estimates. These five ships
provide sufficient capacity to sustain air and missile defense
commander (AMDC) coverage as DDG Flight III ships begin to deliver in
FY23 with more capable advanced radars.
Retaining CG 66 and CG 68 would require approximately $1.5 billion
to execute the required maintenance and modernize the ships, and CG 66
would likely return to operational status ``late to need'' after the
low-point inventory of AMDC-capable ships. A decision to retain these
two ships would provide, at most, 12 years of remaining service life
each, assuming a 45-year expected service life, and realistically four
remaining deployments total. This equates to $400M per deployment when
adding the cost of modernization to the operations and sustainment
costs for their remaining service lives--a low return on investment.
The five cruisers previously planned for decommissioning in FY 2022
are either at the end of their service life (CG 56 and 57) or are less-
capable ships with only basic ballistic missile defense capability (CG
61, 72, and 73). The cost of maintaining aging cruisers with
substantial degradations in material condition, including tank top
cracking, aluminum superstructure stress cracks, and increasingly
obsolete systems is prohibitive. Less-capable cruisers are being
divested to fund more capable Air Defense Commander (ADC) ships. DDG
Flight III ships and selective service life extensions of ADC cruisers
will provide the ADC capability needed in the future. The inventory of
vertical launching system (VLS) cells was considered in the divestment
decision. VLS cells in aging cruisers that cannot get to the fight due
to persistent material challenges add no warfighting value or
capability. It is more important to have fully ready, materially sound,
sustainable platforms equipped with and able to employ our most capable
offensive and defensive weapons.
Decommission One Dock Landing Ship (LSD 41). PB-22 continues the
divestment of dock landing ships consistent with the Commandant's
Planning Guidance and Force Design 2030 to divest of aging, least
capable force structure in order to reallocate funding towards
improving the Navy's lethality. The aging LSD ships continue to have
challenges with overall maintenance health and there is diminishing
return on investment for sustaining their increasingly obsolete
systems. PB-22 includes the decommissioning of LSD 41 in FY 2022. LSD
41 is currently 36 years old. This divestment avoids the cost of an
extensive 21-month CNO maintenance availability in FY 2022, three years
before the end of expected service life at 40 years.
LPD Flight II is the functional replacement for LSD ships and
begins to deliver in FY 2025. LPD Flight II integrates a more capable
combat system, radar, and communications system and will be CMV-22
capable. Navy is committed to delivering the most capable multi-mission
amphibious warships, partnering closely with the Marine Corps and our
critical industrial base. Amphibious warships, including the LPD Flight
II and the future Light Amphibious Warship, remain a key component of
the Nation's global forward presence, playing a pivotal role in
responding to world crises and supporting a broad range of missions
across the spectrum of conflict.
Decommission Four Littoral Combat Ships (LCS 3, 4, 7, and 9). The
FY 2021 President's Budget proposed decommissioning of the first four
LCS ships (LCS 1-4) because they are dedicated test ships with unique
systems and are not configured like the other LCS ships. The initial
two test ships will decommission in FY 2021 and PB-22 re-proposes to
decommission the third and fourth test ships once all testing is
complete in FY 2022. Decommissioning LCS 3 and LCS 4 avoids the
significant cost to upgrade these test ships to the common LCS
configurations, including structural, cooling, and hull, mechanical,
and electrical (HM&E) upgrades. It also avoids the additional cost of
procuring a mission package for these ships, which are not included in
the current mission package procurement plan. Continued fleet
operations would require purchasing a mission package for each ship.
Decommissioning LCS 7 and LCS 9 is a difficult funding decision
that allows the Navy to free resources needed to invest in higher
priorities. They were selected because their decommissioning presents
less impact to the Fleet employment and force management because these
ships are not scheduled to deploy in the near-term. In addition, both
ships do not have lethality and survivability upgrades or Naval Strike
Missile installations planned within the next two years and both
require combining gear repairs.
Divesting these four LCS ships results in cost savings and
significant cost avoidance to enable investments in higher priority
capability and capacity to prevail in future conflicts. Strategic
competition and the on-going focus on the Indo-Pacific region requires
a more capable small surface combatant for operations in contested
environments. The remaining LCS ships, with lethality and survivability
upgrades and the Naval Strike Missile, along with the FFG 62
Constellation class will provide the improved capability to support the
full range of military operations as part of a more lethal Joint Force.
Divest 12 Mark VI Patrol Boats from Coastal Riverine Squadrons.
Consistent with the divestment decisions above, investing in more
capable assets is necessary to prevail in strategic competition and
meet the demands of the defense strategy. In developing the PB-22
budget, the Navy analyzed the MK VI Patrol Boat's ability to compete
against a near-peer adversary and determined that the savings from
divesting MK VI would be better invested in higher priority platforms
better suited for strategic competition. The MK VI requirement
originated from a November 2007 Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet Urgent
Operational Needs Statement for a visit, board, search, and seizure
overwatch platform in the littorals. This mission is decreasingly
relevant in the current and future threat environments, and the other
MK VI missions can be conducted by existing Navy surface combatants and
U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats.
The final deployment for the affected coastal riverine companies is
scheduled to be complete by approximately the end of 2021. MK VI
divestment provides cost savings from operations and maintenance
funding and manpower reductions. Navy continues to assess options for
final disposition, including potential transition to another service or
another U.S. government agency, nomination for Foreign Military Sales
(FMS), or placement into long-term storage. The Navy International
Programs Office has had at least one inquiry from a nation showing
interest in the Navy's MK VI patrol boats and in January 2021, the
Department of Defense announced that Ukraine is procuring two new MK VI
patrol boats, with a potential total sale up to 16 craft, through an
FMS case.
Accelerate Divestment of Navy F/A-18A-D Hornets. The FY 2019
President's Budget included a phased divestment of Navy F/A-18A-D
legacy Hornets, planned for completion by FY 2024. PB-22 accelerates
this divestment plan to complete in FY 2022, in conjunction with the
completion of the Navy Reserve's transition from F/A-18A-D to F/A-18E/F
from the Navy Active Component, and F-16C/D from the U.S. Air Force and
Air National Guard by the end of FY 2022.
Navy will divest 45 Hornets in FY 2022. This divestment reduces
long-term support costs for these older Type/Model/Series, while
retaining adversary capacity with F-16s and Block I Super Hornets, and
Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center testing capability using
Block I Super Hornets.
Accelerate Divestment of Broad Area Maritime Surveillance
Demonstrator (BAMS-D). The FY 2021 President's Budget originally
scheduled BAMS-D divestment in FY 2023.
BAMS-D has limited capability to perform maritime and littoral
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). PB-22 accelerates
divestment of BAMS-D to FY 2022 in order to harvest cost savings sooner
and reinvest in higher priority capabilities and capacity. BAMS-D is
not a program of record and was intended to be a demonstration
prototype for MQ-4C Triton, which will provide greater capabilities.
Maritime ISR missions will be conducted by P-8A Poseidon, MQ-4C Triton,
and EP-3E operations, which were extended by one year to FY 2024 in
compliance with the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act.
conclusion
Thank you for the strong support this Subcommittee continues to
provide our Navy. The Navy takes seriously our duty to be good stewards
of taxpayer dollars by assessing and recommending the hard decisions
necessary to deliver the highest warfighting return on investment and
maximize naval power within limited resources. This requires a multi-
pronged effort to improve affordability, increase efficiency through
reform, and divest of systems that are decreasingly relevant to the
strategic environment or no longer operationally effective in executing
their missions. We ask for Congress' support of the critical balance
between readiness, capability, capacity and taking care of our people
as reflected in the FY 2022 President's Budget.

Senator Tester. Thank you, Admiral. Next, we have General
Nahom.
General.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL DAVID S. NAHOM, DEPUTY
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR PLANS AND PROGRAMS, U.S.
AIR FORCE
General Nahom. Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and
distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify on the Air Force divestitures and the
readiness implications. Additionally, thank you for your
continued leadership and dedication to the 689,000 Total Force
Airmen serving around the world today.
The American homeland is no longer sanctuary. Our citizens
face threats from a variety of actors, and our competitors
continue aggressive efforts to negate our longstanding war-
fighting advantages.
China's actions show a sense of urgency. They see a future
that is very different from the one that we would want to see,
and they are taking actions to realize that future. Their
efforts include a massive buildup of military power, and a
clear intent to use that military to gain leverage on us, and
our allies, and partners, is becoming ever more critical that
we recognize the need to change and modernize.
Through the 2022 President's budget, the Department and the
Air Force seeks to continue investment in technology that is
both lethal in survival against a peer threat. This ultimately
means divestment of some portions of the legacy platforms in
order to free up personnel and resources in order to fill more
capable systems to address emerging threats. As we look to
transition away from older, less capable aircraft and
appropriately managed fleet sizes, some legacy capabilities we
will see shifts in investments.
The Air Force fleet is currently 29 years old in fleet
average, the oldest air fleet of any service, we must recognize
and continue to invest in new platforms and weapon systems to
ensure the Nation has the right mix of cutting-edge technology
needed to remain competitive and stay ahead of our adversaries.
Keeping aircraft identified for retirement means funds intended
for investment in newer aircraft and capabilities will now be
used to fund older, less capable aircraft.
We must transition away from capabilities of today to
capabilities required for tomorrow, new capabilities that can
operate and survive in both high-end and low-end conflict.
Failure to recognize the need to modernize has long-standing
implications, and injects risks in the lethality of our force.
Keeping aircraft we weren't planning to retain also
requires manpower, a highly valuable resource we cannot afford
to waste. If we are unable to retire legacy aircraft, we
exasperate an already stressed manpower situation, and risk not
having the manpower necessary to transition to, operate and
maintain new aircraft such as the F-35 and KC-46.
Weapon System Sustainment, or WSS, costs are another clear
indicator the Air Forces need to modernize. Even with a 15
percent decrease in total aircraft inventory our sustainment
costs have increased 130 percent in the last 20 years.
Additional legacy aircraft break one-third more often, and take
10 percent longer to fix than they did just 2 decades ago.
This drives an increased maintenance workload, adding aging
aircraft back into the maintenance cycle means something else
will likely not get done on aircraft that we actually need for
peer competition.
In fiscal year 2022, we are asking the Congress to allow us
to better manage our fleet. We cannot be prepared for high-end
fight without trade-offs now. While painful, it is better to
accept risk today when we have the ability compared to the
future, when we may not have that luxury. Through that lens,
and from our perspective, these divestures are less about what
we lose more about what we gain.
Again, thank you for your support, and with your help, we
remain committed to making thoughtful divestiture decisions. I
look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General David S. Nahom
Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and distinguished members
of this committee, on behalf of Acting Secretary of the Air Force, the
Honorable John P. Roth, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force,
General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., thank you for the opportunity to testify
for the Air Force.
Your Air Force remains committed to making the hard choices
required to balance the need to preserve near-term readiness for
today's missions with the imperative to also build the long-term
readiness essential to prevail in strategic competition with China or
any other nation.
National security is evolving. The clear and ever-present danger of
previous generations has become far more opaque and complex. Our
success in the strategic battlespace is dependent on the relevancy of
our capabilities and the Airmen who wield those resources.
Strategic competition utilizes both long-term strategy and short-
term improvisation. Our nation's military potency relies on developing
our airpower inventory toward platforms, equipment, and capabilities
that will be relevant in peer competition in 2030 and beyond. To
achieve this, we must shed capabilities that are too old, irrelevant in
the future dynamic environment, or are unsustainable.
We look forward to collaborating closely with this committee to
explore and evaluate all divestiture options regarding the A-10, F-15C/
D, F-16C/D, E-8, MQ-9 Combat Lines, RQ-4, C-130H and our tanker
transition plan that best help us to deliver on our promise to ``Fly,
fight, and win...airpower anytime, anywhere.''
current capacity and capability
Current Air Force aircraft are becoming significantly more
expensive to sustain as they age, and our fleet is the oldest in the
Department of Defense. The average age of the Air Force fleet is 29
years, while the U.S. Navy is 14 years and the U.S. Army is 15 years.
In comparison to our allies, the average age of the Royal Australian
Air Force (RAAF) is 9 years and the Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) is
16 years. Weapons System Sustainment (WSS) costs have increased 130
percent over the last 20 years, even with a 15 percent decrease in
total aircraft inventory (TAI). We need new platforms and weapons to
replace a legacy force, but also must invest in cutting-edge technology
needed to confront and pace peer competitors.
the fighter fleet
Our planned fighter portfolio, relevant in 2030 and beyond,
requires deliberate development, acquisition, training, modernization,
and sustainment of aircraft that meet the demands of future conflicts.
As part of our proposed fighter force structure change, the Air Force
must transition its fighter fleet from seven platforms (F-35, F-22, F-
16, F-15EX, F-15E, F-15C, and A-10) to four platforms (NGAD, F-35, F-
15EX, and F-16) plus the A-10 in the near/mid-term. To attain the
desired fighter fleet, the Air Force must right-size current aircraft
inventories to expedite the transition away from less capable, aging
aircraft and emphasize investment in future capabilities such as Next
Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and F-35 modernization. The desired Air
Force fighter fleet should match the capability and capacity of both
platforms and weapons to maximize lethality.
a-10 thunderbolt
The A-10 Thunderbolt has proven to be one of the most durable and
capable close air support aircraft in the Air Force inventory since its
introduction in 1977. The Air Force believes its analysis supports
reducing 42 A-10 aircraft from the current 281 to 239 in Fiscal Year
2022 (FY22) and plans to reach an end-state of 218 by FY23. This
reduction will appropriately size the fleet for cost-effectiveness
while simultaneously providing the capability to counter violent
extremist organizations and addressing lower-end fights into the 2030s.
A reduction of A-10 aircraft in FY22 will reset the fleet from nine
to seven combat squadrons. A 218 aircraft fleet allows Attack Squadrons
to maintain a minimum of 18 Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory,
guaranteeing one squadron is always available to support combatant
commander requirements for close air support and combat search and
rescue.
As we reduce the fleet to 218, by 42 in FY22 and an additional 21
in FY23, we will continue to re-wing and modernize the remaining A-10s.
Re-winging is the A-10's most significant modernization program and we
have purchased wings to outfit a fleet of 218 aircraft. In FY22, we
will continue executing FY21 funding to begin installs and support
engineering change orders, and other government costs that are
typically required to execute major modification efforts of this
nature.
Failure to right-size the A-10 fleet has considerable consequences.
Maintaining current fleet numbers will result in a significant buyback
cost to the Air Force to upgrade and sustain A-10s that are not needed
to meet future requirements, ultimately impacting the Air Force's
ability to purchase aircraft that will win a high-end fight.
The human capital toll is also significant. Between FY21-22 a total
of 91 F-35s will deliver. Failure to right-size the A-10 fleet means
hundreds of maintenance personnel will not be available to resource
platforms such as the F-35. While adding funds could solve the
personnel deficit, new recruits require training with a lead time of at
least a year (post recruitment), and the most critical billets of
experienced maintainers requires years to create and cannot be
purchased. Ultimately, relief is required from legislation that
currently prevents retirement of any A-10s. A right-sized A-10 fleet
provides the capability, capacity, and affordability to achieve
National Defense Strategy objectives and meet air superiority and
global strike needs for the Joint Force.
f-15c/d eagle
The F-15C/D supports both Homeland Defense and the air superiority
mission. Our F-15C fleet is aging, with two-thirds of the fleet past
its designed service life. The 234 F-15C/Ds in the Air Force inventory
will reach the end of their design service life in the next six to
eight years, and our analysis shows additional service life extension
programs are not cost effective.
The FY22 President's budget request divests 48 F-15C/Ds from the
active fleet (234 aircraft to 186 aircraft), which includes the
reduction of the F-15C/D squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.
We have already started to replace this fleet with a modernized
successor by purchasing the F-15EX. The F-15EX ``Eagle II'' will
provide superior sensor, range, and payload for Critical Infrastructure
Defense. The transition from a seven-fighter force structure to a four-
fighter construct enables the Air Force to focus efforts on
capabilities relevant in the future spectrum of conflict. As the F-15C/
D fleet is reduced, increases in F-15EXs and F-35s will ensure no
degradation in capabilities.
f-16 c/d fighting falcon
The F-16 is the Air Force's primary multi-role fighter and
Suppression of Enemy Air Defense aircraft. Our more than 600 late block
F-16s will provide affordable capacity for the next 15 or more years,
in both competition and more permissive combat environments.
The Air Force's current fleet consists of 936 F-16s with 325 Pre-
Block and 611 Post-Block aircraft. Starting in FY22, due to rising
costs in sustainment, the Air Force begins a phased approach to a F-16
fleet Pre-Block reduction, decreasing the fleet by 47 F-16s (936
aircraft to 889 aircraft). In FY22, we will continue to modernize the
Post-Block F-16s we keep as our ``affordable capacity'' fighter into
the 2040s. The F-16 investment strategy funds modifications for the
most capable, late block aircraft to ensure they can operate and
survive in today's threat environment.
The F-16 Pre-Block fleet is not lethal nor survivable enough to
survive against near-peer air defense systems and threats. In order to
facilitate these capability improvements, we must divest legacy F-16
Pre-Block force structure and continue investment in needed National
Defense Strategy capabilities that will win a high-end fight.
e-8 jstars
The highly contested environment of the future will require
sophisticated command and control to facilitate battlespace management
and highly agile sensing grid capabilities. To stay ahead of emerging
threats, we must accelerate intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance (ISR) modernization. The Air Force will improve ISR
capabilities by developing, producing, and fielding a family of
interconnected and multi-role crewed and uncrewed systems. This
investment pivot requires the Air Force to divest the E-8 Joint
Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS), which cannot
survive in a highly contested environment. We must fund emerging ISR
capabilities that can collect in the most complex and dynamic areas.
In FY22, the Air Force seeks to retire 4 JSTARS aircraft to (16
aircraft to 12 aircraft). JSTARS does not support any ISR 2030 future
force requirement, nor does it support any near-peer engagement. It is
operationally imperative that, as JSTARS aircraft are retired,
personnel shift to assist in other, critically understaffed, areas in
support of newly emerging missions.
Currently, the Air Force is seeking relief from congressional
language that prevents immediate retirement of any E-8 JSTARS aircraft,
or language that hinders retirement. As required, the Air Force is
currently in the process of coordinating the required certification
through the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) for approval.
mq-9 reaper
The MQ-9 Reaper has proven extremely valuable as an uncrewed
aircraft operating in permissive environments where link access is
unencumbered, and air defense threats are relatively nonexistent. The
Air Force must focus on real-time domain awareness, enabled by data
fusion at the edge of the battlespace, secure data transport,
artificial intelligence, and penetrating collection capabilities.
Global Integrated Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
(GIISR) capabilities must enable and connect to the Advanced Battle
Management System (ABMS) as part of the Joint All-Domain Command and
Control (JADC2) construct to remain competitive in the high-end fight.
Unlike traditional aircraft employment concepts, the MQ-9 presents
capability through combat- air-patrols (CAPs) rather than aircraft
number. In the FY22 PB, the Air Force seeks to reduce MQ-9 Government-
Owned Government Operated (GOGO) combat lines by 4 (60 combat lines to
56 combat lines). This reduction of combat lines does not equate to
reduction in aircraft inventory; no tails will be divested.
The FY22 PB funds existing technology maturation and modernization
activities that keep the platform operational and relevant until full-
scale divestments begin (planned around FY30). This funding
demonstrates the Air Force's commitment to the MQ-9 and the platforms
support to the Counter-Violent Extremist Organization mission. However,
we must also focus on right- sizing the fleet to enable investments to
modernize ISR for the highly contested conflicts of the future.
Reduction of combat lines also allows the Air Force to redirect funding
towards the completion of studies, analysis, and concept exploration to
determine an armed ISR follow-on effort to support the 2030 Force
Design.
Significant risks exist without proper divestment of MQ-9 assets.
Funding and personnel must support capabilities to win the future high-
end conflicts that require accelerated investment. If the Air Force
does not modify the MQ-9 force presentation and is required to keep 60
combat lines, it will become more vulnerable and increasingly
irrelevant even in low-end conflicts.
The Air Force requests no restrictive language preventing further
reduction of MQ-9 combat lines and no additional funding for MQ-9
procurement in FY22.
rq-4 global hawk
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, uncrewed, ISR collection
platform. While the system has exceptional loiter time and operational
reach, the Air Force is moving toward more survivable capabilities that
fulfill National Defense Strategy requirements. The Air Force's ability
to win future high-end conflicts requires accelerating investment and
accepting short-term risks by divesting legacy ISR assets that offer
limited capability against peer and near-peer threats. Retiring RQ-4
Block 30s allows the Air Force to field advanced technology while
bringing the ISR enterprise into the digital age using modernized
sensing grid technologies. The Air Force intends to retire the RQ-4
Block 30 fleet to invest in advanced penetrating ISR platforms, which
will enable the Joint Force to compete and win against a peer
competitor in the high-end fight.
The Air Force currently possesses 20 RQ-4 Block 30 aircraft and 10
Block 40 in the inventory. The FY22 PB proposes retirement of the
entire Block 30 fleet due to its inability to operate in highly
contested environments.
In FY21, the Air Force proposed divestment of the RQ-4 Block 30s;
however, Congress non- concurred. Current law requires the Air Force to
maintain an RQ-4 fleet until the service can prove the replacement
costs are less than RQ-4 sustainment and Joint Reconnaissance
Operations Center certifies the capability is greater than RQ-4 for
combatant commanders. However, the SECDEF waiver option states that
SECDEF can request a waiver if replacement capability is believed to be
worth the higher cost.
In the FY22 PB, the Air Force is once again proposing divestment of
the RQ-4 Block 30 fleet (20 aircraft) along with the SECDEF approved
waiver allowing the divestment. We must look to the future and continue
the transition towards a family of interconnected and multi-role
systems and sensors for the highly-contested environment that are
digitally engineered to increase data processing speed, mission
effectiveness, interoperability, survivability, and penetration at a
reduced cost.
tankers (kc-10, kc-135, and kc-46)
To maintain our edge in Rapid Global Mobility for the future fight,
Air Force must right-size the KC-10 and KC-135 fleets, while continuing
to invest in the KC-46. This transition plan requires shedding legacy
aircraft and repurposing airmen as KC-46s are delivered. As we move to
field the KC-46, Congressional language is restricting retirement of
legacy tankers.
The current National Defense Strategy mandates that the Air Force
maintain 479 tanker aircraft in its fleet. To achieve the future fleet,
the Air Force needs to retire the KC-10 and KC-135 on a one-for-one
basis with the KC-46A. Current models and simulations indicate that the
Air Force plan to recapitalize aging KC-135 and KC-10s with KC-46As and
non-developmental follow-on will meet the 2030+ anticipated aerial
refueling demand.
In FY22, the Air Force plans to divest 14 KC-10s (50 aircraft to 36
aircraft), and divest 18 KC-135 (394 aircraft to 376 aircraft).
Additionally, adding to capacity and capability, the KC-46 fleet will
increase from the 55 aircraft to 71 (+16 aircraft) in FY22. The
advanced communication capabilities of the KC-46 will also contribute
to advanced command and control (ABMS/JADC2) to enable advanced
targeting and battle management.
The Air Force requests approval to continue execution of the tanker
transition plan through right-sizing efforts. This will allow us to
manage the finite number of aircrews/maintainers and align them with
KC-46 Formal Training Unit allocations. In order to do this the Air
Force needs to retire KC-135s and KC-10s. With hundreds of personnel
tied up in legacy tanker missions, the Air Force will not be able to
support and maintain an entire squadron of modern KC-46 aircraft. With
these restrictions in place, units will be forced to maintain two sets
of aircraft with one set of crews and maintainers. This places a heavy
burden on our Airmen, and results in two insufficiently crewed fleets.
c-130h/j
C-130Hs and C-130Js are medium-size transport aircraft capable of
completing a variety of tactical airlift operations across a broad
range of missions. The fleet delivers air logistics support for all
theater forces, including those involved in combat operations. As with
other weapon systems, the Air Force is taking acceptable risk in the C-
130 portfolio as it focuses resources toward the future force.
In an effort to ``Accelerate Change or Lose'' the Air Force is
focused on modernizing the force at the cost of legacy capabilities to
ensure our nation is ready to fight and win in the future. We have
taken a measured amount of acceptable operational risk in force
structure to appropriately align available resources, inherently
increasing aircraft readiness rates and allowing for utilization of
fiscal resources on the remaining aircraft to maintain or further
improve readiness. Planned right-sizing of the C-130 fleet aims to meet
current operational needs while simultaneously investing in
technologies that support and advance our concept of victory.
In the FY22 PB, the Air Force seeks to continue right-sizing the C-
130H/J fleet to 255 with a net reduction of 8 C-130 aircraft. The Air
Force is committed to maintaining all current Air National Guard C-130
units. If any units do transition out of the C-130, we will ensure
transition to a mission that supports the future force and has long
term viability. Any transition will be mutually agreed upon by the Air
Force, the Air National Guard, and the State.
conclusion
The Air Force's FY22 budget submission demonstrates our commitment
to balancing near-term risk with readiness. While all platforms once
served a purpose, not all will meet the requirements and demands of the
2030 battlespace. We cannot continue the status quo business model; we
must make difficult decisions to shed increasingly irrelevant
capabilities.
Choosing which technologies we will further develop and take into
production is the most difficult decision; as this undoubtedly will
create an offset in some current capability and often incurs some
unplanned program cost growth. The Air Force must make these tough
choices and take calculated risk, seeking to reduce potential
inefficiencies where possible, when determining which capabilities have
the greatest chance of success against future adversary technologies.
China and Russia continue to develop and rapidly field increasingly
advanced designs, eating into and eliminating our technological
advantages. The Air Force cannot wait to develop advanced systems to
fight and win in the ever-changing highly contested environment.
We are committed to making the bold tradeoffs required to answer
President Biden's call to ``shift our emphasis from unneeded legacy
platforms and weapons systems [and] free up resources for investments
in the cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that will determine
our military and national security advantage in the future,'' and look
forward to working with this committee to mitigate risks as we do so.
On behalf of all Airmen, active, guard, reserve, and civilian,
thank you for your leadership and partnership as we build the ready Air
Force our Nation needs both today and into the future.

Senator Tester. Thank you of your testimony, and I
appreciate it.
You know, between this hearing and the hearing next week,
this is going to give you folks the opportunity to talk about
these retirements. And I can tell you that there is not a
member on this committee that doesn't get pressure from other
members that serve in the Senate, to keep some of these
systems. So this is really your opportunity to make your case.
And so we appreciate you being here to do exactly that.
Last year there was a lot of controversy about proposals to
reduce the C-130 fleet, as well as the Air Force basing plans
for new airplanes headed to the National Guards. The
President's proposal--the President's budget request plans to
divest eight C-130Hs. These planes are only flown by the Air
Guard units. And that cut is enough to eliminate an entire
Guard unit.
This has created some anxiety, as you can imagine, in
Congress. So here are a few direct questions to help clear up
what the Air Force is proposing.
Number one, has the Air Force identified a unit that you
want to convert to a new mission?
General Nahom. Sir, thank you for the question. You know,
the Air Force is seeking to reduce the C-130 overall inventory
from about 300 aircraft down to 255, and we are taking a very
measured approach. And for eight aircraft you identify in this
year's President's budget, we have not yet identified a unit.
We have some replacement missions we are looking at, and we
are, we are seeking units that we can come to a mutually
agreeable replacement mission.
We are not going to force a unit to change their mission.
We think some of these future missions we have to offer are
going to be very attractive, and we want to continue to have
that discussion and that dialogue with these units.
Senator Tester. So let me ask you this. Have you narrowed
it down at all?
General Nahom. Well, sir, with the--if you look at, going
from 300 to 255, that 45 airplanes, that is about five units.
Senator Tester. Yes.
General Nahom. We have already identified one, and we are
keeping Martin State and the A-10, and that was actually
mutually agreeable. And that works out well.
The second one we are looking at right now is an Air
Reserve unit down in Alabama that is going to convert to the
MH-139, our newest helicopter and form a training unit down
there, again, mutually agreeable.
The next one we are looking at is a cyber warfare wing. And
we are looking at a couple of units that could--that this would
be very--that this would be very well suited.
Senator Tester. Okay.
General Nahom. And we are having the conversations now, but
we have not committed to either unit or that actual mission
yet, sir.
Senator Tester. So my next question was going to be, what
happens if the home state of a unit disagrees with your
decision. And I assume your answer to that, not to put words in
your mouth, is that you are hoping that the replacement mission
will be attractive enough that they would be willing to give up
those C-130s?
General Nahom. Yes, sir. We were hoping we can actually
make some mutually agreeable changes, if not, then we will look
elsewhere.
Senator Tester. Okay. If Congress chooses to continue
investing in the newer, C-130Js, how will the Air Force choose
to determine where these planes are going to go? And how will
that affect the long-term strategy for the C-130 fleet?
General Nahom. Sir, right now we have--if you stipulate
that we go to 255 at some point, right now we have either
purchased or ordered 163 C-130Js that are in some form of
development. That leaves 92 C-130Hs. We also have money to
upgrade those 92 C-130Hs to the level we need to.
So with that being said, right now where we sit, we are
actually sitting pretty good with our C-130 investment, if you
say we are going to get down to 255. If not, then there would
be further investment either in modifying some C-130Hs or
purchasing C-130Js. If we do have C-130Js that are appropriated
and come to the Air Force, then we will go through our
strategic basing process to find the most suitable location to
put those aircrafts.
Senator Tester. Okay. So this question is for either
Admiral Crites or General Nahom. Look, savings from legacy
divestments should enable the departments to improve efficiency
and redirect money to higher priorities. This all depends on
the divestment proposals actually delivering on the savings
that you guys are planning on.
And so I would tell you that we have been accustomed to
cost estimates, for new weapons systems being too low. How
would you respond to critics who might say, the estimates of
savings of divestments is too high?
Admiral Crites. Thank you, Senator Tester, for the
question. So I think for the Navy, in particular, when we look
at our overall funding that is available for us to apply to the
different capabilities, the readiness, the items that we need
to bring in, we do it very carefully, and what we have seen
over the last, really, 10 or 11 years is essentially a flat
budget.
We have not kept pace with inflation. And what you will see
is, is back in 2010 we had about 288 battle force ships. We
declined, as we went through sequestration, down to about 271,
and we built our way out of that up to about 297 today. That
occurred as a result of a number of reform efforts and
divestitures that we did inside the Service.
The challenge that we are facing now is that the good
ideas, the things that we don't think we need to bring to the
future fight, we are starting to run out of that. And so we are
challenged as we see labor costs far exceeding inflation, the
cost and the complexity of the work that we are trying to do,
the materials that we are trying to buy, are all outpacing
inflation, yet we need to balance within the program that we
have. And so our priorities have not changed.
Senator Tester. Okay.
Admiral Crites. The number one priority is to bring in
Columbia. Number two is to ensure that we have a ready force.
Number three is to make sure that we are bringing in the
capabilities that we need. And number four has been capacity
that we can afford.
Senator Tester. Just a quick follow-up before I turn it
over to Senator Shelby. And that is, is that so when you do the
divestments that is going to save you X-amount of dollars. When
you replace those divestments with other systems, it is going
to cost you X-amount of dollars. Is anybody double-checking
your math?
Admiral Crites. Certainly. I mean, we have a number of
different groups and organizations that work cost estimating,
we work with industry and so forth.
Senator Tester. Good.
Admiral Crites. Yes, sir.
Senator Tester. All right. Thank you.
Senator Shelby.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
What metrics did your individual services use to make
decisions about how and where to reinvest the savings that you
expect to realize from the divestments that you would like to
make?
Who wants to start?
General Nahom. I will start.
Senator Shelby. General, go ahead.
General Nahom. Well, Senator Shelby, thank you for the
question. Yes, I will tell you where we looked to invest,
obviously we start with what we need to look like in the future
to meet the threat. And we have done a lot. We have done
extensive wargaming on what that fight would look like, and
when you do that you can start looking at the Air Force, and
looking at what we have, and the aspects of it, that is not
going to be part of that fight.
So we use the strategy and the design we need to get to as
our first template of where we need to get to. And then you
look at some of the legacy platforms. Now, some of the
platforms, and that are--that may be not be part of that future
fight, we still need in current day operations. So there is
certainly a tug between what the combatant commanders need
today, and what are our wargaming and our analysis says we are
going to need in the future for that future peer threat.
And we are making those balances every day. And going back
to a little bit of what Senator Tester said too, is that when a
new weapon system comes on, very often they are coming on
slower than we would like. The F-35 is a perfect example. If
you go back to 2010 when we were making decisions on our
fighter force, we thought in 2021 we would have almost 1,000 F-
35s in service, we have about 300. And so therefore we adjust,
therefore we take some older systems, we upgrade them, we
service life extend as necessary so we can maintain that
balance for that current-day operations in that future fight.
Senator Shelby. Thank you.
Admiral Kilby. Except for this--can I just add for the
Navy, sir?
Senator Shelby. Go ahead, sure. Go ahead, yes.
Admiral Kilby. We are consistent with the Air Force. I
would say our POM (Program Objective Memorandum) process
introduces analysis and valuation where we really look at key
operational problems against the adversary, but particularly
China. And we look at their advances from an intel perspective,
understand what they are doing from a weapons perspective, and
what we see them doing. And we look at our program and balance
it against it. And then we have a model-based systems
engineering approach to look at those investments that we
think, will either accelerate or match the adversary.
So there is a de-emphasis on strongly held opinion, and an
emphasis on the analysis and the wargaming that proves these
technologies out. So we agree with the Air Force. I think it is
critical to do that.
I also agree that these new technologies are hard to
develop. So really, in my opening statement, I said, it is not
that the things we are talking about divesting are not
valuable. They are valuable. They are just less valuable than
the things we need to invest in to have a capable force.
Senator Shelby. Well, what you have got to do, I suppose,
is to analyze your current situation, readiness, with the
weapon systems of tomorrow, and what our adversaries might do
or could do, right?
Admiral Kilby. Yes, sir.
Senator Shelby. And that is what you are doing, isn't it?
Admiral Kilby. Yes, sir.
Senator Shelby. Okay. The Navy has procured 35, from my
understanding, Littoral Combat Ships, or LCS to date. And now
that the ships are almost finished, and many have been
delivered to the fleet, the Navy appears to be less interested
in them. That said, the Navy has been talking about the need to
grow the fleet here before, 355 or more ships for years. But
they shift away from the LCS, it seems to me is a
contradiction. I don't know.
What is the Navy's assessment of risk if we enter a
conflict in the Indo-Pacific region with our current fleet,
what is the plan to increase the size of the fleet, if you have
one?
Admiral Kilby. Sir, thanks, I will start. The fleet size is
an important metric. We have done significant analysis over the
last--since 2016 on the fleet size. All those analysis, 2016
when----
Senator Shelby. But the size is not the only thing.
Admiral Kilby. No, no, sir, absolutely.
Senator Shelby. But it is the quality of what you have got.
Admiral Kilby. That is right. And I was just talking about,
size is not the only thing that matters here.
Senator Shelby. Okay.
Admiral Kilby. The capabilities that those specific
platforms bring, matters. For example, the Flight III DDG
brings in the air and missile defense radar that is key against
some threats, against China. So in specific comment to the LCS
discussion, there are four LCSs that are proposed for
divestment in this budget.
LCS-3 and 4, which were the initial versions of the class,
and then 7 and 9 are affordability decisions to drive the
program where we need to have the most capable Navy we can
produce for you. 7 and 9 are cost avoidance for combining gear
repair, lethality upgrade, and a survivability upgrade that
have not been made on those ships. So really it is looking at
what we have and how we best position those, our fleet size
against what we need to do, sir.
Senator Shelby. Thank you. What will the Services do with
the equipment that it divests, and what efforts or studies have
been done to determine if the newer equipment, such as LCS and
RQ-21 might meet other U.S. defense government or allied
requirements? Has that been taken into account?
Admiral Kilby. Yes, sir. Different answers for different
platforms. The Mark VI is a fairly new platform, just not what
we view as capable a platform against China. LCS, as you
indicated, is a new platform, so there might be a future for
those ships, either foreign military sales or keeping them in
some kind of reserve capability. The cruisers on the other
hand, are at the end of their service life. So it would be very
difficult to come up with a construct where we would be able to
bring them out and make them relevant in the time we need to in
the adversary, so I think it is a different answer depending on
the specific platform, sir.
Senator Shelby. If you had been given additional resources,
we are trying to increase the budget, as you well know, we
think--a lot of us believe that the Defense proposal by the
administration is too short--too small. But if you had been
given additional resources, or if you are given additional
resources, which items currently proposed for divestments would
you retain because they are relevant to a potential near-peer
conflict? Assuming you got all money in the budget, because
this is budget-driven, you know that, to a point.
General.
General Nahom. Yes, sir. I will tell you. We have to be
careful, though, with the resources. Money, additional money
may be able to allow us to keep an asset. But one of the
resources we have to be very careful on, is our people, and as
we divest, and I will go back to the fighter example, you know,
the same, incredible men and women that are swinging wrenches
and flying FA-10s and F-16s today are the same incredible men
and women I need flying F-35s tomorrow.
And as we continue to take F-35s through the assembly line,
we have got to divest some, otherwise we run into huge manpower
problem. So the money is interesting and very important, but
the people piece is actually where I think is the most
difficulty when you talk about additional resources, sir.
Senator Shelby. The one thing you don't want to do is buy
yesterday's technology and somebody else is moving ahead of
you, do you?
General Nahom. That is true, sir. And that is why when you
look at where we are focused on our platforms, it is absolutely
an eye on peer competition. And that is why even some of the
stuff that we are divesting out of, there is a market for,
building on Admiral Kilby's conversation, like C-130Hs, and
even MQ-9s, and other things.
Senator Shelby. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Senator Boozman.
Senator Boozman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you all
for being here. And we greatly appreciate your service to our
country.
Both the department of the Navy and the department of the
Air Force budget requests look to make significant divestments
in order to make necessary changes to their force structure.
This committee must ensure that our military has the weapons
and the platforms to prevail against the pacing threat of China
and Russia.
General Nahom, your testimony clearly paints the picture of
why the Air Force needs to modernize. While the average age of
the Navy fleet is 14 years, and the Army fleet is 15 years, the
Air Force, I believe, is 29 years. One of the Air Force's
modernization efforts is with the F-15 fighter aircraft. The
President's budget request divests 48 F-15C and Ds in order to
procure the modernized successor, F-15EX.
Why is the divestment of F-15C and Ds to procure F-15EX is
such an Air Force priority? And how is it in upgrading
capabilities? Also, how soon would we see F-15EXs operationally
capable of full-spectrum conflict?
General Nahom. Senator, thank you so much for the question.
You know, and the numbers there, the numbers do tell a story.
Another number that is very important is 44 percent of Air
Force aircraft are flying right now beyond their initial design
service life. So we are an aged Air Force and we do need to
recapitalize.
The F-15C, I am very familiar with that is the platform
where I spent most of my time in the Air Force, and it is
falling apart. There is a number of them sitting at Depot down
at Warner Robins right now, with additional cracks, looking for
dispensation, looking for ways to fix those aircrafts. We have
got to refresh the airplanes.
The F-15EX is not the F-15C that I grew up on. We are
benefiting from billions of dollars of Saudi Arabia and Qatari
investment into that platform to modernize it to a very viable
platform for future warfare, especially when you look at what
it can do in critical infrastructure defense, defense of the
homeland, as well as its ability to shoot and carry outsized
weapons for modern combat. So we are very excited about it.
But, for me, I look at it right now as, we have got to get
these units and these men and women that are doing incredible
work with these F-15Cs/Ds, and places all over the world,
whether it is in, RAF Lakenheath, or in Okinawa, Japan, or
incredible guardsmen sitting alert today in the F-15Cs, when
these airplanes are flying so far beyond their initial design
service life. To get them, new aircraft where they can safely
operate and defend our Nation is a huge priority. And the F-
15EX is allowing us to modernize a little quicker. We are
pretty excited about it coming to service.
Senator Boozman. Very good. General Nahom, our pacing
adversaries will never stop advancing, and the Air Force has
made it clear that modernization is critical to achieving a
future force that is agile, as you just described. Also
persistent, resilient enough to win in a great power
competition. Maintaining the status quo, no longer suffice, I
understand that this--with this comes a need to accept some
near-term risks.
General Nahom, what is the Air Force's strategy for
balancing near-term risk, and cost when considering divestment
options? And then also, we have talked about, you know, concern
about divestment and things like that. How does restriction on
divestment of specific fleets impact the Air Force's ability to
invest in cutting edge technology in the future?
General Nahom. Sir, thank you for the question. I tell you.
When you talk about balancing risk and that is the hardest
thing we do, and I am sure my Navy counterparts struggle with
this too. The real conversation is really between the Service,
in this case the Air Force, and the combatant commands, because
it is our combatant commanders that are out there fighting the
current-day conflicts right now.
And we have to be sure we are getting them what they need
in current-day operations. But we also have to work with them
to balance that risk. We have been very successful over the
last year, working very closely with TRANSCOM balancing that
tanker risk to find out exactly what we need day to day for our
air refuelers, but allowing us the resources so we can
modernize into the KC-46, and the modifications we need to make
the KC-135. So that balance is very important as we look to the
future.
Senator Boozman. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Senator Moran.
Senator Moran. Chairman, thank you.
General Nahom, let me pick up where you and Senator Boozman
were visiting, McConnell Air Force Base, the home of the KC-46,
and previously the KC, and currently the KC-135s, we take great
pride in McConnell and its refueling missions around the globe.
The Kansas Air National Guard is sometimes not thought of in
that process, but they are refueling, have a refueling mission
as well. They fly the 135s, and support refueling missions
around the U.S. and across the world.
Let me follow up with what Senator Boozman and you were
talking about. As the Air Force seeks to rebalance the
divestment of the KC-135s, replacing with the--and fielding the
46s, what safeguards are in place, in this process of
transition, to make sure that our mission is being--our
missions are being fulfilled?
General Nahom. Thank you for your question, sir. And that
goes back to that conversation with TRANSCOM, and the other
combatant commanders, to make sure that we, as an Air Force,
can give the day-to-day refueling capacity that is needed,
because it is lifeblood of operations around the world. I would
say one of the benefits we have in the air refueling, we right
now have over 490 tankers, if you can combine in the KC-46, a
lot of those tankers are in the Air Reserve proponent, the
Kansas Guardsman.
What we are able to do is not only work for the day-to-day
capacity. We are also able to work with our guardsmen and our
reservists with additional NPA, allowing them to meet some of
our day-to-day needs, and then allow us to divest.
The 135 is important, the bigger conversation is the KC-10,
as incredible as that airplane is, and any fighter pilot will
tell you, they love refueling off the KC-10, because it is an
amazing airplane, carries a lot. It is very expensive. And as
we phase in the KC-46, it is very important we phase out the
KC-10s, and we are on a very roadmap with that right now.
And we have worked out this roadmap with TRANSCOM, and the
other combatant commanders, to make sure we can give them
enough capacity to mitigate that risk, while we get to the
modern fleet, which will be 300 KC-135s, modernized, and 179 KC
46s. And then at that point, once we get to that 179, you will
see it--start about a bridge contract, because eventually even
those 300 KC-135s will be replaced. We just don't know what
that is right now. We know right now, the first 179 will be KC-
46.
Senator Moran. When you say you don't know when, is the
expectation that the 35s will generally be replaced with the
46s in the same kind of magnitude and scale?
General Nahom. They will be replaced because they are aging
like any other aircraft. We are going to the first 179, we are
going to go to a bridge contract after that, and you are seeing
us having those discussions right now with what that is going
to look like. And then we are keeping our eyes open to advanced
technology.
There may be something else beyond the KC-46, beyond a 767-
based platform, to take us into the future. We want to make
sure we keep our eyes open. We still have several more years of
procurement on the KC-46. So the good thing is we have time to
have these conversations, and look at the technologies out
there, and make sure that when we get to 179, and we go to Jet
180, and we start replacing the next round of KC-135s, we have
the right aircraft.
Senator Moran. I assume there is no indication or evidence
that we are going to need less refueling missions in the
future?
General Nahom. No, sir. I will tell you, if you look at--if
your eye is on China, like we all are right here, and you look
at the distances in the South China Sea, you have to have the
gas. I mean, there are some technologies we can talk about that
maybe use less gas in fighters, engine technology, things like
that. But overall, we are going to need the gas in the air.
Senator Moran. Should I have any concern about the Guard
units, as this transition is pursued, that they will lose their
refueling mission?
General Nahom. No, sir. There is no intention in that right
now, sir.
Senator Moran. So you wouldn't expect any specific,
National Guard units to be involved in a divestiture process
that would take them out of their mission?
General Nahom. No, sir. Especially not in the refueling, we
need the air refuelers. You know, one of the questions you will
see coming out as we look at ops, the next two beddown
locations for the Air National Guard, we are actually going to
have that conversation in the next year. And of the Air
National Guard units flying the KC-135 now, we are going to
transition two of those as part of that 179, and that
conversation will happen in the coming year.
Senator Moran. General, thank you.
General Nahom. Sure.
Senator Tester. Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thanks to all
three of you gentlemen, for being here, and for your service,
it is much appreciated.
General Nahom, last year we agreed to retire the Block 20
Global Hawk. I am wondering, is there a current plan for those
airplanes? I have heard possibly support testing hypersonic
missiles. But is there a plan for those Block 20 airplanes?
General Nahom. Sir, I am not aware of any plan. You are
probably aware that we actually extended them a few months to
assist in the withdrawal from our Afghan Forces. But anything
beyond that, I will have to take that for the record, and
ensure I have that correct, sir.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you. Okay. This year you are
requesting permission to retire Block 30 fleet, that is still
under consideration, let us say. And so my question is, are you
able to replace the capabilities of Block 30 fleet immediately,
if in fact we did go with your request on that?
General Nahom. Sir, if you look at what the Block 30s are
doing today. They do it very well. That is one of these places
where you look at some near-term risk to make sure we get to
the fleet we want. There is some capacity that they provide to
the joint users, the combatant commands out there, that we will
have to mitigate with other technologies.
But when you look at the future where we are going, the
Global Hawk, because future ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance) platforms, we have to--you know, the three
things that are most important is an ISR platform that can
survive in the threat, persist in a threat, and then be
connected. And the Global Hawk, because it was designed--it was
not designed with the threat we are looking at right now from a
resurgent China, we have to look to the future in that. And
that is where that risk with the combatant commanders comes in,
sir.
Senator Hoeven. Have you looked at strengthening the
survivability of the aircraft? Have you looked into that?
General Nahom. Sir, just the nature of that aircraft, the
altitude it flies, and then it--I will have to get back to you
in a classified session on that question. I will take that for
the record. But right now, when you look at that platform, the
speeds it flies, the altitude that it flies, and the makeup of
the aircraft, it is just not survivable in these contested
environments that we are going to be looking to gather
intelligence from in the future.
Senator Hoeven. Are you making any plans to retire the
Block 40?
General Nahom. Sir, the Block 40 right now is a little bit
different mission, because we actually rely on it for the GMTI,
the ground moving target indicator capability. We also rely on
the E-8 J STARS. We are going to retire a couple of J STARS
because that airplane is really showing its age. We are going
to need the Block 40s in the interim until we get to the ``what
next'', and we will have to come back in a classified session
to talk about that more.
But the Block 40s are going to be very critical in the next
6, 7, 8 years while we go to the ``what next'', and that
capacity will be important for the combatant commanders, sir.
Senator Hoeven. What is your rationale for curtailing
purchase of the MQ-9?
General Nahom. The MQ-9 right now, sir. We have over 300
platforms. We have enough platforms of the MQ-9 to take us into
the mid-2030s. We are not reducing the size of the fleet--of
the squadrons. We are not reducing any manpower out of those
squadrons. What we are asking for is to reduce some of the
combat lines in the manner in which we have been flying them in
the Middle East.
The way we have been flying the MQ-9, as amazing as that
platform is, we operate in a very manpower-intensive way. So we
are looking to reduce some of the combat lines and start
operating that aircraft a little differently. If you look at
how many platforms we have, over 300, we just don't need
additional platforms right now for the size of the enterprise
we have in the Air Force.
Again, it is one of those that is a balance too, because
the MQ-9, as incredible as it is for some of the current-day
operations, certainly things we do in the Middle East, it is
not survival. It was never designed for what we foresee
operations in the South China Sea, where the peer adversary
would be.
Senator Hoeven. So what are you going to replace it with?
General Nahom. Sir, that we have a family of systems, I
will have to come back to you in a classified setting to talk
more details about some of the platforms and some of the
capabilities we are bringing on, but we were certainly, if you
look at what the MQ-9 brings to the warfighter today, we are
certainly looking to make sure that we as an Air Force provide
that level of ISR to the combatant commands in the future.
Senator Hoeven. And I understand the concern with
survivability, particularly relative to the near-peer
adversaries. So I certainly understand that. But I also
understand that there is always a demand for ISR out there.
General Nahom. Yes, sir.
Senator Hoeven. You always have a demand for more ISR.
General Nahom. Yes, sir. Absolutely----
Senator Hoeven. That is accurate, isn't it?
General Nahom. Absolutely accurate, and that is why we are
not taking any crews out of it. We are going to transition as
smartly as we can move in forward. I do believe though, the
reduction in the combat lines, because of our reduction of our
presence in the Middle East is appropriate. Now we will have
the opportunity to look at those platforms differently and use
them differently in competition, and in some of these places
around the world with less contested environments.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, General. And I look forward to
visiting with you further on this.
And to both of the gentlemen from the Navy, thank you for
your use of unmanned or drone aircraft. I think it has been
very effective, and I think you are doing a great job with it,
and it is much appreciated.
Again, General, thank you for the conversations we have had
on this subject, and look forward to talking to you more on it.
Senator Tester. And Senator Hoeven, next Wednesday, we are
going to be having a hearing in classified that you can take
all those questions back, and rock and fire with these guys.
Senator Hoeven. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tester. Yes.
Senator Hoeven. I appreciate both you and the ranking
member, thanks very much.
Senator Tester. Senator Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Gentlemen, good morning. Thank you all for your leadership.
General Nahom, I understand that prior to my arrival here
at the committee, you had discussion with Senator Moran
regarding the KC-135s. And I wanted to just follow on to that
conversation.
We have been notified, four additional KC-135s that will
join the fleet at Eielson, we are looking forward to that. We
are very thankful for the continued partnership that we have in
Alaska. I am also very aware of the Air Force's plan to divest
the KC-135s as the KC-46s are available, recognizing that we
have got an aging fleet up there.
So the question for you this morning is with regards to
timeline of when the divestiture of the KC-135 would affect
Alaska, and when the delivery of the KC-46 might happen?
General Nahom. Senator, well thank you for the question.
You know, right now we are very focused on Alaska and these
additional tankers. This is a really good new story for the Air
Force. We need additional refueling capacity because the amount
of--I mean, it is the center of fifth-generation warfare in
higher Air Force, with what is going on up at Eielson with the
F-35, and certainly with the plus-up of F-22s down in
Anchorage.
Getting more for refueling capacity has been our most
immediate need. And that is why those additional four, and we
are committed to getting those four tankers there as quickly as
possible. We are just trying to build--we are assessing and
building the infrastructure around them to make sure that we
can take care of the mission, the added mission, as well as the
airmen we send up there.
Right now as we--the KC-135s are going to stay there until
we can replace them with something. We need refueling capacity
in Alaska, not just for the training on the JPARC, but also to
project the power of those platforms around the world. And in
that, in having that refueling capacity there immediately is
game-changing for us.
Now when we go to the KC-46, we are going to look at the
next two KC-46 locations for the Air National Guard in the next
year. We will assess all the locations to make sure we find the
most suitable location, and that will go through our normal
strategic basing process.
Once we get to 179 of those airplanes, we will start--we
are going to look at a bridge contract, and then we are going
to look at a follow-on tanker, to see what is the most
suitable. Eventually, those KC-135s will be replaced.
Eventually they have to, they are aging like any other platform
in the Air Force.
When that is and what that platform is, whether it is the
KC-46 or some other refueler that I cannot tell you right now.
I do know that we will have robust refueling capacity in Alaska
until that point, and then we are going to continue on with a
new platform. I just don't know exactly when that time will be,
ma'am.
Senator Murkowski. But it looks like you are very, very
focused on making sure that we don't have this gap that, in
fact, we will be able to--whether it is utilizing, perhaps KC-
46s, in kind of a rotation in and out in the interim, you are
looking at all of these as potential consideration?
General Nahom. Yes ma'am. And, you know, if you look at
Alaska too, and what you need from that, if you look at the
Pacific and how quick things can happen in the Pacific, we need
to get air power to places around the world instantaneously,
and sitting up there at Anchorage, or sitting up there at
Eielson, waiting for a tanker to come from Kaunas, is not going
to help us when we need to get air power out immediately.
And having the fifth-generation aircraft there to train at
that incredible range is wonderful, but then we have to be able
to get it out quickly. And so the additional four tankers and
increasing air refueling capacity, Alaska is one of the better
moves we made in the last year?
Senator Murkowski. Well, you know, how much I--I know you
have heard this from Senator Sullivan, but we all recognize
that this is key. We can put the assets out there, but if you
can't fly them around because you don't have the fueling,
refueling capacity, we have not helped anyone.
Let me switch subjects real quickly. And this relates to
icebreakers, Polar Security Cutters, you all know that we have
made some good investments, and momentum with the Polar
Security program. We want to make sure that we are maintaining
that course. But as we are looking to divest, to invest, if you
will, in new technologies and platforms, how are you
incorporating the Arctic domain into the planning here? And,
you know, we recognize that the Navy is certainly going to
benefit from increased Coast Guard, Polar Security Cutters, do
you need more assets up north to bolster your maritime domain
awareness in this region?
Admiral Kilby. So, ma'am, I will start. And I will ask
Admiral Crites to come in if he wants to add anything. But as
we think about new platforms, like DDG(X), understanding that
operating environment, and the reach, and where the adversary
is potentially going to be is critical for us. So we have to
make that as part of the design criteria when we develop that
ship based on our wargaming and analysis, and where we think we
are going to operate.
It looks to me like there is a couple of drivers for that
new hull form, one of them is potentially firing a conventional
prompt strike missile, or something like that, which will
require it to operate in different areas than we have in the
past, and perhaps present opportunities for us.
So we would certainly include all those operating
environments in that structure as we kind of work through that.
But DDG(X) is an important ship for us in the future, because
we need to create a ship that can be modernized. And the Flight
III is an awesome ship. It is going to be the best ship in the
world when we produce DDG-125. The availability of service life
allowance from an HM&E perspective, hull mechanical and
electrical perspective, to upgrade it to additional sensors is
challenging.
So we need a platform that can have the reserve to be
updating and supportive of new things. So I think that will be
a first opportunity for something forward-fit in the future in
the combatant realm for us to do that. Of course, our
submarines operate all over the world and provide us great
access.
Anything to add, Admiral Crites?
Admiral Crites. Yes, ma'am, thanks for the question. I
would just say that we strongly support the Coast Guards'
icebreaker fleet, as well as Polar Security Cutter. We have got
some good investments in 2022 associated with the Arctic, some
good investments in R&D that is tied to autonomous systems, and
sensing, as Admiral Kilby mentioned, submarine presence and our
ability to operate up there is important.
The National Defense Strategy that is being worked now,
there will be additional direction, I think, provided in that
document. The Secretary of Defense had highlighted that I think
in his testimony recently, and we are looking forward to seeing
that. But it is absolutely important, and we are certainly
focused there, and looking at our strategy with the Coast
Guard.
Senator Murkowski. Appreciate that.
Admiral Crites. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Murkowski. I recognize that the Secretary is going
to be up in Alaska, up in the Eielson area, over the weekend on
the way to other points, so I think it is his first trip as
Secretary, and we are looking forward to his positive review
afterwards.
Thank you as chairman.
Senator Tester. Thank you. I just have one quick follow-up
question, and it follows up on something that Senator Shelby
had asked you guys that I think is very important. And that is,
how many of these proposals are divestments due to saving money
versus weapons that are simply past their prime?
Admiral Kilby. So it is a mix, sir. Cruisers are ships that
we value greatly and were originally designed for 30 years. So
of the ships that we are considering divesting of in this
budget, many of those were produced in the last budget, two are
presented in this budget, Hue City and Anzio.
So those are not, I would say, totally affordability-
driven, they are maintainability-driven, and relevance-driven.
There are some other investments, though, that we talked about
that are younger, that we could get more service life
allowance, that we made a decision, based on their
capabilities, that they would be less relevant, but there is
certainly hull life left on those.
Senator Tester. Okay.
General Nahom. And sir, from the Air Force. I would, I
would say that we are not divesting anything that we would need
for a peer fight. We are certainly, because of the budget, we
are buying things at a slower rate than we would like, fighters
are a perfect example, we are not buying fighters fast enough
to replace the fighters that are falling off due to age.
I would say, based on the budget, though, we are divesting
some systems that we could use in the interim to fill in some
of that capacity that the combatant commanders need. And that
is what we are--that is that risk piece, but we are still
trying to create that Air Force that we believe that the Nation
needs to defend our interests in the coming decades.
Senator Tester. Senator Shelby.
Senator Shelby. General, at what point--I know you have to
think about this--will we get to where, looking at the risk in
the world to us and our allies, that we had better be careful
what we, not only divest, but how much we get for the future?
Is that a thought sometimes, every day?
General Nahom. Absolutely, sir. I am not--and I am always
concerned what we divest, because I know the combatant--what
the combatant commanders and our airmen need around the world.
I am very concerned with readiness, that we are not investing
in readiness right now, the one of my bigger concerns. But I
will tell you, I am very concerned with what we are not with--
you know, when we are talking about, you know, B-21s, or the
next-generation air dominance, you know, some of these things
are not going to be in service for 10, 12 years.
And, you know, we have got to make sure that we continue
the investment, so they do arrive. We cannot afford to bring on
the B-21 and have that--that bomber is going to be critical to
our Nation's defense. And we cannot do what we did with the B-2
and only buy 20 of them. We have got to make sure that we stay
invested in these systems moving forward. And that is a
concern, sir.
Senator Shelby. But we have to stay looking long-term at
the future, knowing China is a long-term thinker and
implementer, long-term. They sit in readiness, but the answer
is in tomorrow, and tomorrow, aren't they? Are they not?
General Nahom. Yes, sir. We obviously need to look at the
threat. And I will say the thing that gives me the most pause
when you look at the threat, you know, I have been asked, you
know, did the NDS (National Defense Strategy) back in 2018, get
it right? And I would say, yes but, I would say the threat is
accelerating much more than we would have thought back in 2018.
Senator Shelby. But we also have to think, where are we
going to be in 10 years.
General Nahom. Yes, sir.
Senator Shelby. Because we think the Navy has always
thought, the Air Force did and the Army did, but the Navy,
especially, because of the cost and time to build ships and
submarines. So you have got to think of, say, 10 years from
now, or even 20 years. The Chinese though have the economic
base that the Soviet Union never had as far as the future
wealth to--as a nation. You can see it coming. I mean, it is
there, whether you like it or not. Is that true?
General Nahom. Yes, sir. I would say they have some
advantages, as do we. You know, we, we have a lot of partners
and allies out there that other nations don't--or that China
does not have. You know, recently we had exercise----
Senator Shelby. We do today, but we have got to think of
where are we going to be, say, 10 years from now, or 20 years.
General Nahom. Yes, sir. Absolutely.
Senator Shelby. Because they are, by nature, pretty
patient, aren't they?
General Nahom. Yes, sir. You know, there are signs that,
you know, are very positive. You know, when you look at an
exercise where you have, Italian, British----
Senator Shelby. Yes.
General Nahom [continuing]. Israeli, and U.S. Marine--U.S.
Air Force, U.S. Marine, the F-35s, all operating together in a
single exercise, that is something our adversaries cannot
match. And I think there is some power in that. And I think, as
we look to the future, not just the investments, we look at our
partners and allies, and then we talk a lot about in the Air
Force about the Advanced Battle Management system, and how that
relates what the Navy is doing with overmatch, and the joint,
all-demand, command and control system, and how we share data,
and how we modernize together. I think there are--that we are
doing--we are making good investments as we look to the future,
but it is certainly something to keep an eye on. Thank you.
Senator Tester. Thank you.
Senator Shelby.
We, appreciate your testimony here today. Senators may
submit additional written questions and we asked if that
happens, that you respond to them in a reasonable amount of
time.
This conversation is going to continue next week. This
Defense Subcommittee will reconvene on July 28, which is a
Wednesday at 10 a.m. It will be in closed session to examine
the next-generation weapons systems in the fiscal year 2022
budget request.

CONCLUSION OF HEARINGS

Senator Tester. Thank you, guys. I assume you are going to
be at the hearing next week. So we will see you then.
With that, this committee stands in recess.
[Whereupon, at 10:57 a.m., Wednesday, July 21, the hearings
were concluded, and the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene
subject to the call of the Chair.]

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

----------

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
[Clerk's note.--The subcommittee was unable to hold
hearings on nondepartmental witnesses. The statements and
letters of those submitting written testimony are as follows:]

NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

Prepared Statement of the Coalition for National Security Research
Dear Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Shelby, and distinguished
Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit
outside witness testimony as you begin to craft the fiscal year (FY)
2022 Defense Appropriations bill. The Coalition for National Security
Research (CNSR) (https://cnsr4research.org/) is a broad-based alliance
of more than 100 members from industry, academia, scientific and
professional associations, and non-profits conducting vital scientific
research to create new and improve existing technologies and
capabilities to support the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD)
operations.
With nearly 70 percent of Research, Development, Test and
Evaluation (RDT&E) conducted extramurally,\1\ DoD relies on its
partners such as CNSR members to perform the RDT&E that will provide
the Department the technologies and capabilities it needs to secure our
national security. If the United States military is to maintain its
technological advantage during great power competition, it is
imperative that we make robust investments in the Defense Science and
Technology (S&T) enterprise, including strengthening the future defense
workforce. As noted by the Defense Science Board (DSB), lower funding
levels for Defense S&T could threaten the dominance of the U.S.
military.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21329.
\2\ https://dsb.cto.mil/reports/1990s/
DefenseScienceandTechnologyBaseforthe21stCentury.pdf.
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fiscal year 2022 budget request for the defense s&t program
The Biden-Harris Interim National Security Strategic Guidance
states that the United States will double down on science and
technology investments and support cutting-edge technologies and
capabilities that will advance our military and national security in
the future.\3\ In addition, the National Defense Strategy (NDS) calls
for establishing an unmatched twenty-first century national security
innovation base and sustaining Joint Force military advantages.\4\
Unfortunately, the FY 2022 budget fails to meet the commitment in the
Interim National Security Strategic Guidance and request the
appropriate resources to implement the NDS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/
2021/03/03/interim-national-security-strategic-guidance/.
\4\ https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-
Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf.
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While the budget requests the RDT&E top line ever, it
simultaneously calls for cutting Defense S&T funding within the larger
portfolio by 13% or more than $2.1 billion. The budget also requests
cutting defense basic research, the type of research that makes
discoveries to enable future technologies and military capabilities, by
14.5% or more than $388 million. With China investing three times more
annually in R&D than the U.S. and likely to be the world's top R&D
performer in the near future,\5\ now is not the time to cut funding for
the DoD's primary programs that create new technologies and
capabilities--as well as to help train the next generation defense
workforce--to ensure the U.S. military maintains its global dominance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20203.
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The FY 2022 budget proposes more than just cutting the Defense S&T
program below FY 2021 Congressionally enacted levels, it proposes to
cut certain research programs below levels requested in the FY 2021
budget request. More specifically, DoD requested fewer resources
compared to its last budget request for overall 6.1 defense basic
research; Army University Research Initiatives; Army applied research;
Navy basic research; Air Force basic research; Air Force applied
research; DTRA Basic Research Initiatives; and Defense-Wide basic
research. This de-emphasis on supporting the kind of research that
maintains our technological and strategic advantage over adversaries
developing advanced capabilities puts the military at a competitive
disadvantage. Condoning this proposed budget will have many negative,
sustained implications for our national security in the short-term and
long-term.
CNSR urges Congress to reject cuts requested in the FY 2022 budget
for the Defense S&T program and increase funding by least 6% over FY
2021 consistent with the recommendations from the National Defense
Strategy Commission; \6\ DSB; \7\ National Security Commission on
Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI); \8\ National Academies; \9\ Center for
a New American Security (CNAS); \10\ House Armed Services Committee's
Future of Defense Task Force; \11\ Council on Competitiveness; \12\ and
American Academy of Arts and Sciences.\13\
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\6\ https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/2018-11/providing-for-
the-common-defense.pdf.
\7\ http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a403874.pdf.
\8\ https://www.nscai.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Full-Report-
Digital-1.pdf.
\9\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/11463/rising-above-the-gathering-
storm-energizing-and-employing-america-for.
\10\ https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/sharpening-the-u-
s-militarys-edge-critical-steps-for-the-next-administration.
\11\ https://armedservices.house.gov/--cache/files/2/6/26129500-
d208-47ba-a9f7-25a8f82828b0/6D5C75605DE8DDF0013712923B4388D7.future-of-
defense-task-force-report.pdf.
\12\ https://www.compete.org/reports/all/202.
\13\ https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/publication/
resources/Perils-of-Complacency_Full-Report_1.pdf.
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defense basic research pe recommendations
For decades, the defense basic research programs have provided the
scientific breakthroughs to give the warfighter the weapons and
infrastructure needed to succeed. Capabilities that help ensure our
national security--such as advances in hypersonics testing, various
quantum technologies, semiconductors critical to defense radar systems,
solar cell efficiency, laser technologies, stealth capabilities, night
vision, GPS, sonar, radar, precision munitions, biosensors, and near-
real-time delivery of battlefield information--all derive from defense
basic research.
We off the following recommendations for the key defense basic
research PEs that serve as the foundation of the defense innovation
pipeline necessary to maintaining the U.S military's global
technological superiority.

university research initiatives
The FY 2022 budget request would cut University Research
Initiatives (URIs) by more than 20% which means funding at levels below
2005, adjusted for inflation. Given that universities and colleges
perform the majority (55%) of DoD-funded basic research,\14\ the type
of research that creates paradigm shifts in DoD's technological
capabilities, cutting URIs this significantly will not only harm
defense innovation efforts, but also workforce development since basic
research funding often attracts the most creative minds in fields of
critical interest to DoD.\15\
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\14\ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21329.
\15\ https://dsb.cto.mil/reports/2010s/BasicResearch.pdf.
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A program within URIs, the Multidisciplinary University Research
Initiative (MURI) regularly produces revolutionary new military
technologies and has become an essential skunkworks for create
innovation.\16\ Unfortunately, the FY 2022 budget request proposes to
fund MURIs at levels below FY 2005, adjusted for inflation. This will
only exacerbate the fact that the program is already dramatically
underfunded. According to DoD, the MURI program received 365 proposals
in FY 2020 but was only able to make 26 awards--leaving 339 proposals
unfunded including 32 potentially game-changing research projects that
were determined to be worthy of funding but were not due to a lack of
appropriations. Not funding potentially revolutionary defense
scientific research will hurt our ability to maintain global military
technological superiority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ https://www.ida.org/idamedia/Corporate/Files/Publications/
IDA.../STD/D-5361.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, the situation is similar for the Defense University
Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), which provides infrastructure
and equipment support to build universities' capacity to conduct
defense-relevant research. The FY 2022 budget request proposes to fund
DURIP at levels below FY 2010, adjusted for inflation, further
underfunding this program. According to DoD, the DURIP program received
724 proposals in FY 2020 but was only able to make 172 awards--leaving
a staggering 552 proposals unfunded including 229 critical
infrastructure and equipment projects that were determined to be worthy
of funding but were not funded due to a lack of appropriations. If
universities and colleges do not have the infrastructure and equipment
necessary to do unique defense research, the DoD will potentially lose
its biggest source of support for developing new capabilities.
minerva research initiative
The Minerva Research Initiative is DoD's signature social science
basic research program that funds university-led teams to address
problems of strategic importance to U.S. national security. As noted by
DoD officials, because many national security challenges are driven by
complex social dynamics, Minerva is an important source of new ideas to
better understand social, behavioral, cultural, and political
considerations that are inherent to our security and stability. Despite
its importance, the FY 2022 budget request cuts funding for Minerva
from $17 million to only $4 million within the Defense-Wide Basic
Research Initiatives PE.
This cut is shortsighted for two main reasons. First, Minerva's
research is aligned with and critical to carrying out the NDS in
support of Department-wide priorities. Recently funded Minerva
projects, such as ``Russian Disinformation and Propaganda Campaigns''
and ``Empirical Analysis for Meeting Great Power Challenges'' have
given DoD unique insights that help shape future national security
policies and better position the warfighter to navigate a complex
global environment. Second, Minerva is another underfunded defense
basic research program. According to DoD, in FY 2019, Minerva received
180 applications but only funded 15--at least 6 projects were
determined to be worthy of funding but were not funded due to a lack of
appropriations.
defense applied research pe recommendations
Basic scientific research is just the first step in creating new or
improving existing military technologies. Researchers, scientists, and
engineers must apply the fundamental knowledge learned from basic
research to solve complex military problems and develop the systems and
components for potential solutions. To that end, we propose to
highlight the success of the Defense-Wide Manufacturing Science &
Technology PE, which the FY 2022 budget requests cuts of 45%. This PE
provides DoD's contributions to the Manufacturing USA Institutes that
help move discoveries from the nation's universities and research
laboratories to the defense industrial base while strengthening the
U.S. workforce. For example, DoD-funded institutes have demonstrated
enhanced heat exchange capabilities for additive manufacturing,
addressed cybersecurity supply chain issues, reduced weight of armor
for military ground vehicles, and developed a first-of-its-kind
advanced functional fiber to enable underwater communications.\17\ In
FY 2019, the Manufacturing USA Institutes conducted 561 major applied
research and development projects of high priority to broad industry
sectors. In addition, the network had more than 32,000 workers and
students participate in education and workforce development activities.
The Manufacturing USA Network is an example of a program supporting
implementation of the NDS to enhance the domestic manufacturing and the
defense industrial base. In order to ensure that discoveries made
through basic research are translated into practical military
technologies and capabilities, we offer the following recommendations
for our priority applied research PEs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ https://www.nist.gov/publications/manufacturing-usa-20192020-
highlights-report.

[$ in thousands]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY21 CNSR FY22
Agency--RDT&E Program Element (PE) FY21 PBR Enacted FY22 PBR Request
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army................................................... Lethality Technology $42,425 $108,925 $64,126 General Support
Army................................................... Soldier Lethality Technology $125,435 $204,435 $105,168 General Support
Army................................................... Ground Technology $28,047 $154,047 $56,400 General Support
Army................................................... Next Generation Comb$217,565le $265,565gy $172,166 General Support
Army................................................... High Performance Comp$188,024der$228,024 $189,123 General Support
Navy................................................... Marine Corps$50,623orce$55,623logy$51,112 General Support
Navy................................................... Commo$48,001re A$43,703Rese$51,477 General Support
Navy................................................... Warfighter Sustainment Applied Research $67,765 $116,255 $70,547 General Support
Navy................................................... Electromagnetic Systems Applied Research $84,994 $92,994 $85,157 General Support
Navy................................................... Ocean Warfighting Environmental Applied $63,392 $80,284 $70,086 General Support
Research
Navy................................................... Future Naval Capa$167,590 Ap$170,724sea$173,356 General Support
Navy................................................... Manufacturing Technology Program $60,122 $60,122 $57,263 General Support
Navy................................................... Advanced Undersea Prototyping $115,858 $89,812 $58,473 General Support
Air Force.............................................. Materials $140,781 $238,281 $113,460 General Support
Air Force.............................................. Human Effectiveness Applied Research $115,222 $134,122 $136,273 General Support
Air Force.............................................. Aerospace Sensors $211,301 $233,301 $174,683 General Support
Air Force.............................................. Directed Energy Technology $128,113 $130,613 $121,869 General Support
Air Force.............................................. Dominant Information Sciences and Methods $178,668 $215,668 $169,110 General Support
Air Force.............................................. High Energy Laser Research $45,088 $29,208 $0 General Support
Defense-Wide........................................... Cyber$15,255ty R$25,255 $15,380 General Support
Defense-Wide........................................... Defense-Wide Manufacturing S&T Program $93,817 $245,817 $134,022 $260,566
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

defense advanced research projects agency (darpa) recommendations
DARPA's ability to create truly revolutionary new capabilities is
well documented. AI, microelectronics, speech recognition, touchscreen
displays, unmanned aerial vehicles, and advanced wireless capabilities
all stem from DARPA-funded research. DARPA has worked with the academic
community to create the Internet, computer chips critical to AI
systems, self-driving cars, stealth technologies, metamaterials, and
neuro-prosthetics. More recently, DARPA's research was partially
responsible for developing RNA-based vaccines, which have been critical
in the global response to COVID-19.\18\ It is safe to say that the
world would be a different place without DARPA-enabled research. CNSR
strongly supports robust funding for DARPA. We recommend a funding
level of $3.7 billion for DARPA to continue supporting game-changing
scientific research.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/
Tompkins%20Statement%20For%20
The%20Record.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again, thank you for the opportunity to submit outside witness
testimony as you develop the FY 2022 Defense Appropriations bill.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any assistance
during the FY 2022 appropriations process.
______

Prepared Statement of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership
On behalf of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL), which
represents our nation's leading ocean science, research, and technology
organizations from academia, industry, and the larger nonprofit sector
(to include philanthropy, associations, and aquariums), I appreciate
the opportunity to submit for the record our fiscal year (FY) 2021
funding priorities for the Department of Defense (DOD).
The United States is a maritime nation whose military and national
defense are essential, not only to the security of our own country, but
to the stability of global democracy. A key component of this continued
success is our military's technological superiority, which has provided
superior weapons and systems that offset size and geographic advantages
of potential adversaries for more than 70 years. This extends to our
dominance in the ocean environment. The late Admiral James D. Watkins,
chief of naval operations from 1982-1986, used to stress that our
superior knowledge of the undersea domain gave the United States the
competitive advantage necessary for our victory in the Cold War.
Do we have that same competitive advantage in oceanography-which
lets us understand the undersea environment-to outcompete an adversary
today? As other nations, such as Russia and China, increase their
investments in ocean-related research and development (R&D) spending,
they threaten our leadership in this sector, which was once second to
none. Advances in technology are necessary for us to observe, monitor,
map, explore, and characterize our undersea environment; without those
capabilities, we cannot maintain our competitive advantage. As a way to
address the eroding competitive advantage in ocean science, the Navy
established Task Force Ocean (TFO).
However, it is not just in the undersea domain where our science-
and technology-induced dominance is eroding. This same runs true for
our overall technological advantage, with DOD leaders testifying to
other nations meeting and beating the United States in innovative and
strategic capabilities. There are many who believe our gap in
leadership is closing due to multiple factors, including both changes
in composition of research and development funding as well as the
growing technological skills of potential adversaries. While there are
many efforts that must be taken to maintain our technological advantage
(TFO being just one of them), one consideration that has been raised is
the adequacy of DOD's investments in Research, Development, Test, and
Evaluation (RDT&E).
While the president's budget request for FY 2022 includes a request
for the largest increase ever for the RDT&E top line (4.5% over FY 2021
funding levels), this does not extend to the science and technology
(S&T) budget within RDT&E. The S&T budget request includes a steep 13%
decrease for the S&T budget compared to FY 2021 enacted levels, with
basic research (6.1) and applied research (6.2) seeing a 14.5% decrease
and advanced technology development (6.3) dropping 11.1%. Similar
decreases are proposed within Navy's budget but with an 11.9% overall
decrease to S&T: 8% for basic research, 17.5% for applied research, and
7.2% for advanced technology development.
These dramatic decreases in S&T funding would impact our nation's
military superiority and our technological edge, and COL echoes the
concerns and requests from testimony submitted by the Coalition for
National Security Research (CNSR), which includes more than 100 members
from industry, academia, scientific and professional associations, and
nonprofits that advocate for a strong Defense S&T enterprise. As stated
in CNSR's testimony, ``With China investing three times more annually
in R&D than the U.S. and likely to be the world's top R&D performer in
the near future, now is not the time to cut funding for the DoD's
primary programs that create new technologies and capabilities--as well
as to help train the next generation defense workforce--to ensure the
U.S. military maintains its global dominance.''
I respectfully request the subcommittee reject the proposed Defense
S&T cuts and instead increase funding by at least six percent over FY
2021 levels, in accordance with the CNSR request, which is consistent
with recommendations from the National Defense Strategy Commission, the
National Academies, the House Armed Services Committee's Future of
Defense Task Force, and many others. I'd also like to highlight funding
priorities for several program elements (PE) important to our defense
ocean science and technology enterprise.
Defense Basic Research: University Research Initiatives
DOD supports basic research to advance fundamental knowledge in
fields relevant to national defense. To accomplish this work, DOD has a
strong relationship with academia, with universities and colleges
performing 55% of DOD-funded basic research. The University Research
Initiatives (URI) exist across the services to improve the quality of
research and to support scientists and engineers necessary for our
national defense needs. The proposed 20% cut to URI funding across the
Army, Navy, and Air Force would put funding, when adjusted for
inflation, at lower than 2005 levels. For Navy URI specifically, the
budget request proposes an 18.9% decrease.
One of the Navy URI programs, the Defense University Research
Instrumentation Program (DURIP), is a competitive annual grants process
that supports university research infrastructure, including
instrumentation essential for cutting-edge research, that is necessary
for high-quality research in the Navy's interests. Given the role
colleges and universities play in performing the majority of DOD-funded
basic research, it is critical they maintain the requisite
infrastructure and equipment. DURIP's calls for proposals have only
been able to fund a fraction of what is needed--in FY 2020, DURIP
(including Army and Air Force DURIPs) funded 172 projects but left 552
proposals unfunded, including 229 critical infrastructure and equipment
projects that were not funded simply due to a lack of appropriated
funds, even though they were considered worthy of support. I
respectfully request strong support for URI and at least an additional
$20 million for Navy DURIP (PE 0601103N) in FY 2022.
Defense Applied Research: Task Force Ocean (PE 0602435N/Ocean
Warfighting Environment Applied Research)
The Chief of Naval Operations launched Navy's Task Force Ocean
(TFO) in 2017 to bolster the Navy's commitment to ocean science and
technology by strengthening partnerships with academia and the private
sector to advance ocean science relevant to Navy interests. Its goals
and scope are based on the recognition that the entire U.S. ocean
scientific and technological enterprise must be utilized to sustain our
naval competitive advantage. I appreciate the subcommittee's support
for TFO and respectfully request an increase of $10 million to the
Ocean Warfighting Environment Applied Research, Navy RDT&E, Line 10, PE
0602435N for Research at Sea in Support of Task Force Ocean. This
additional funding would enable more at-sea research that would help
the Navy improve operations and meet its goals. It would allow for
increased testing and demonstration of science and technology concepts
(e.g., seagoing oceanography, acoustics, signal processing, uncrewed
systems, and data analytics) and would more quickly move research to
operations due to the increased number of scientists and projects able
to go to sea.
Defense Applied Research: National Oceanographic Partnership Program
(PE 0602435N/Ocean Warfighting Environment Applied Research)
For more than 20 years, the National Oceanographic Partnership
Program (NOPP), established in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 1997, has been facilitating interagency and public-
private partnerships and advancing large-scale collaborations in ocean
research that address economic development, national security, quality
of life, and science education. NOPP-supported projects have enabled
unique partnerships between DOD, federal agencies, universities, and
the private sector to help us understand our ocean, improving our
understanding of strategic bathometric and natural processes that are
essential to advanced ocean combat and security activities,
particularly with respect to China's growing interest in ocean
domination. NOPP has also helped grow the ocean-STEM pipeline through
support of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (described below) and
significantly contributes to the buildout and modernization of the
National Security Innovation Base. I greatly appreciate the Navy's
continued support for NOPP and respectfully request an addition $8.7
million above the FY 2021 enacted level for a total of $17.5 million.
Finally, it is imperative that Navy STEM funding be prioritized and
increased, as attracting, recruiting, and retaining a talented and
diverse workforce is critical to operations. Building a diverse
workforce capable of maintaining our military superiority does not
start with support for those already in the STEM fields (which is an
important component of it) but instead begins with bringing talented
individuals to the pipeline. A series of workshops supporting the
development of TFO's strategy and roadmap recommended investing in K-12
ocean-STEM initiatives--because the recruitment pipeline must begin
prior to university training or military enlistment--as a mechanism to
ensure the Navy has an adequate ocean science workforce in the coming
decade.
However, most high schools don't include Earth or ocean sciences as
part of their formal coursework; while 98% and 94% of high schools
offer disciplinary biology and chemistry courses, respectively, only
48% offer environmental or Earth science courses. Therefore, it is up
to informal education programs to build interest and knowledge in ocean
science and careers in ocean science and engineering. It is crucially
important for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to increase investment
in informal ocean education programs. For example, ONR is a founding
sponsor of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), but support for
such educational programs--as with ocean science as a whole--has not
been able to keep pace with the need for talent in this field. In its
24-year history, the NOSB, a program of COL and a quiz-bowl style ocean
science competition for high schoolers, has introduced tens of
thousands of students to the possibility of a career in ocean science
years before they might have otherwise considered it as a career path
(if at all). By supporting the NOSB, the Navy can engage a future
skilled workforce capable of enhancing maritime domain awareness and
exploring viable solutions to the growing challenges facing our ocean
and planet. I respectfully request an additional $50 million to support
ONR's K-12 STEM education efforts.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony and for your time
and consideration, as maintaining our nation's competitive advantage in
the maritime domain is of utmost importance.

_______________________________________________________________________
consortium for ocean leadership members

Alaska Ocean Observing System
Alaska SeaLife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
ARCUS
ASV Global, LLC
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Chevron USA
College of William & Mary (VIMS)
Columbia University (LDEO)
Consumer Energy Alliance
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Duke University
Earth2Ocean
East Carolina University
Esri
Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University
Exocetus Autonomous Systems
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Florida Institute of Oceanography
Harte Research Institute
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
IOOS Association
JASCO Applied Sciences
L-3 MariPro, Inc.
Liquid Robotics, Inc.
Louisiana State University
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
MARACOOS
Marine Technology Society
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Moore Foundation
Mystic Aquarium
National Ocean Industries Association
NERACOOS
New England Aquarium
North Carolina State University
North Pacific Research Board
Nova Southeastern University
Ocean Aero, Inc.
Old Dominion University
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
Rutgers University
Saildrone
Savannah State University
Schmidt Ocean Institute
Sea-Bird Scientific
Severn Marine Technologies, LLC
Shell
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography of UGA
Sonardyne, Inc.
South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
SURA
Stanford University
Stony Brook University
Texas A&M University
ThayerMahan
U.S. Arctic Research Commission
U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of California, Davis
University of California, San Diego (Scripps)
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Hawaii
University of Maine
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
University of Miami
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
University of Rhode Island
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Texas at Austin
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences
Vulcan, Inc.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

[This statement was submitted by Dr. Alan P Leonardi, President and
CEO,
Consortium for Ocean Leadership.]
______

Prepared Statement of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Dear Chair Tester, Ranking Member Shelby, and Members of the Senate
Defense Appropriations Subcommittee:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony concerning the
public availability of significant Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Court (FISC) decisions, orders, and opinions. The FISC rules on
government requests to conduct domestic electronic surveillance
pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Unlike
traditional courts, whose opinions and orders are publicly available by
default, the FISC's decisions, orders, and opinions (hereinafter
``opinions'') are routinely kept secret.
A cornerstone of any democracy is the rule of law, which requires
that laws be available to the public. This is the method through which
the public consents to the law and creates a feedback mechanism through
which law is made to reflect popular will. To the extent the FISC
issues rulings that interpret and expand upon laws enacted by Congress,
those substantive opinions must be publicly available for the
democratic process to work.
The role of the FISC has expanded over the decades to include
issuing substantive opinions, but laws governing transparency of those
opinions have been slow to keep up. For example, there was controversy
over mass surveillance in 2013 arising in part from decisions of the
FISC, which prompted Congress to debate new transparency and
accountability measures intended to ensure the FISC's opinions are
sound and reflect Congressional intent.\1\ Ultimately, Congress chose
to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 2015 to provide
for more transparency.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts: A Brief
Overview, Congressional Research Service Rpt. R43451 (March 31, 2014).
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R43451.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specifically, Congress directed the release of significant FISC
decisions, orders, and opinions. Section 402 of the USA Freedom Act of
2015 requires the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation
with the Attorney General, to ``conduct a declassification review of
each decision, order, or opinion issued'' by the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Court ``that includes a significant construction or
interpretation of any provision of law.'' \2\ Accordingly, the FISC has
published some materials online.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, P.L. 114-23. https://www.congress.gov/
bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2048.
\3\ See Public Filings--U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Court, United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (accessed
May 12, 2021). https://www.fisc.uscourts.gov/public-filings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The original scope of section 402 is unclear. Was it to apply to
all opinions or only opinions from 2015 forward? Regardless, the
Executive branch took the position that the law should not be
understood to apply to all rulings, but only those from 2015 forward.
Thus, Congress, the public, and litigants before the FISC have some
access to recent substantive opinions, but virtually no access to an
unknown number of prior, substantive rulings by the Court. These
earlier decisions have precedential effect.
We believe, within the framework established in law, that all of
the FISC's substantive rulings should be publicly available, regardless
of when they were issued.
This view is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate,
which both passed legislation requiring disclosure of substantive FISC
opinions last Congress as part of the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act
of 2020.\4\ A disagreement over an unrelated matter prevented that bill
from becoming law.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020, H.R. 6172. https://
www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6172/text/eh.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 301 of the draft USA FREEDOM Act, as engrossed by the House
of Representatives, provided for a declassification process for all
substantive opinions.
``Section 602 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978
(50 U.S.C. 1872) shall apply with respect to each decision, order, or
opinion issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review before, on, or after
the date of the enactment of such section. With respect to such
decisions, orders, or opinions issued before or on such date, the
Director of National Intelligence shall complete the declassification
review and public release of each such decision, order, or opinion
pursuant to such section by not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act.'' (emphasis added).
The Senate passed identical language. As mentioned above, the House
requested a conference committee to address other matters, but the
Senate did not concur and the legislation died.
We note there is ongoing litigation to provide for transparency
concerning FISC opinions. A petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, filed
by ACLU lawyers, former Solicitor General Ted Olson, the Knight First
Amendment Institute at Columbia University, and the Media Freedom and
Information Access Clinic at Yale University, ``argue[d] that the First
Amendment gives the public a presumptive right of access to significant
judicial opinions, including those of the FISC.'' \5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The Public Should Have Access to the Surveillance Court's
Opinions, by Charlie Hogle and Alex Abdo, Just Security (April 19,
2021). https://www.justsecurity.org/75809/the-public-should-have-
access-to-the-surveillance-courts-opinions/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a matter best resolved by Congress. The FISC is a creation
of the Legislative branch and the determination of what should be made
publicly available should be made by the people's representatives. In
our view, such direction is best grounded in Congress's policy-making
function, not the Court's remedial function concerning Constitutional
violations.
The Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2022 is the best route to
address transparency concerning all significant FISC opinions. In
addition, this request is within the scope of work traditionally
performed by appropriators. We are requesting the Director of National
Intelligence be directed to provide all significant decisions, orders,
and opinions to appropriators pursuant to the already existing legal
framework, and to make them publicly available as part of that process.
Appropriators routinely request reports from agencies on matters of
public interest and direct that they be publicly available. Because
Defense Appropriations has jurisdiction over the Office of the Director
of National Intelligence, we make this request of you.
Please direct the Director of National Intelligence to report to
Congress and to make publicly available all current and historical
decisions, orders, and opinions as described in Section 402 of the USA
Freedom Act of 2015 (50 U.S.C. 1871(a)(5)) within one year of enactment
of the Appropriations Act.
Thank you again for the opportunity to submit this testimony.
______

Prepared Statement of The HALO Trust
Please Support $19 Million for the Humanitarian Demining Research
and Development Program.
As the world's largest humanitarian demining organization, The HALO
Trust leads the effort to protect lives and restore livelihoods for
those affected by conflict. We remove and destroy landmines and other
explosive remnants of war and help secure weapons that could fall into
the hands of terrorist groups. Since 2002, HALO has partnered with the
U.S. Department of Defense's (DOD) Humanitarian Demining Research and
Development (HD R&D) Program in more than ten countries and
territories. This program, implemented by the U.S. Army, specializes in
developing and testing innovative technologies to detect and clear
landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and improvised explosive devices
(IEDs). These technologies increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and
safety of demining operations for military and humanitarian use--saving
lives and taxpayer money.
The HD R&D team designs technologies to respond to technical
challenges in the field, drawing from new commercial technology,
equipment currently in use by the DOD, and advanced sensor technology
available only through other DOD R&D programs. They then trial
prototypes in real field conditions through partnerships with the
Department of State's (DOS) humanitarian demining programs. During
field evaluations, operators provide feedback on the functionality and
effectiveness of the equipment. This allows HD R&D to modify and
improve the equipment and increase the U.S. technical capacity to
respond to explosive threats.
HD R&D produces four specific outcomes. First, the field evaluation
process collects data that helps to improve detection technologies used
by the U.S. Armed Forces. Second, successfully trialed equipment is
used to train and equip explosive disposal units of the U.S. military
and allied militaries. By equipping partner militaries to address their
own explosive threats, U.S. soldiers are more likely to remain out of
harm's way. Third, HD R&D equipment saves civilian lives from
landmines, most frequently children, and amplifies the impact of
American assistance by increasing the amount of clearance performed on
DOS projects without increasing costs. Fourth, the HD R&D program
supports American jobs by utilizing American manufactured machines and
products when possible in their equipment development process.
The HD R&D Program has a track record of success, having performed
nearly 240 operational field evaluations in 43 countries since 1995.
The program is responsible for developing advanced technology for the
Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System, which combines metal detection
with ground penetrating radar, the rotary mine comb, designed to
efficiently excavate low metal content anti-vehicle mines, and TRAXX,
built to cut through hard-to-see tripwires and lift mines from soil.
Overall, HD R&D equipment has been used to clear more than 19,000 acres
of land, and to destroy more than 226,000 mines and UXO.
As you know, HD R&D now receives funding from the following
account: Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Army/Advanced
Component Development & Prototypes/PE: 0603920A/Program Title:
Humanitarian Demining. Due to strong bipartisan support, the program
received $17 million in Fiscal Year 2021. However, the FY22 President's
Budget proposes only $8.649 million for HD R&D, which would represent a
49% decrease from the previous year, and the lowest funding level in
over ten years. This proposed funding reduction would substantially
curtail the ability of the HD R&D program to develop necessary demining
equipment that would otherwise create cost savings on State Department
demining contracts and protect our soldiers.
This program has a long list of unfunded projects it is waiting to
trial, including anti-tank mine detection equipment in Afghanistan and
magnetic technology in Iraq. Further, this program recently moved under
Army Futures Command and will now be subject to an Army tax that will
cut into its program budget, unless this new expense is offset through
a higher appropriation this year. Thus, even flat funding the program
at a level of $17 million would result in reduced resources for
technological advances required by military and humanitarian deminers.
We appreciate the support this subcommittee has provided for this
valuable program, and urge the subcommittee to raise funding to a level
of $19 million in FY22 for HD R&D. This additional funding will improve
the ability of U.S. soldiers and our allies' ability to safely detect
and clear landmines, UXO, and IEDs. This funding is especially
important as new conflicts uncover new threats in areas like the Middle
East, Libya, and Ukraine.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.

[This statement was submitted by Chris Whatley, Executive Director,
The HALO Trust (USA).]
______

Prepared Statement of the Melanoma Action Coalition
Dear Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Shelby:
The Melanoma Action Coalition thanks you for supporting the
Defense-funded melanoma research in the Fiscal Year 2021 Defense
Appropriations bill and requests that the Senate Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee provide $40 million for melanoma research in the Fiscal
2022 Department of Defense Appropriations bill. This program is funded
within the Defense Health account.
The Melanoma Action Coalition represents more than 40 community-
based foundations and advocates nationwide focused on increasing
awareness about melanoma, providing education about sun safety, and
raising funds for melanoma research. Each of us has been touched
personally by melanoma. Some of us are survivors; others have lost
spouses or children to this disease. We are united by our dedication to
working towards a time when no other individuals or families suffer the
pain and loss that we have experienced.
Melanoma is a unique and major threat to our military community,
who carry out their missions in environments of extreme solar
radiation. Decades of studies from WWII to the current generation of
war fighters confirm the linkage of this exposure to the development of
deadly melanoma. Continued innovation in melanoma prevention,
detection, and treatment is only possible with continued investment in
high quality research.
A 2000 ``Annals of Epidemiology'' study comparing mortality among
WWII veterans of the Pacific and European Theaters found that Pacific
Theater Prisoner of War veterans had an estimated 3 times greater risk
of dying from melanoma than veterans of the European Theater.\1\ The
article concluded that these data are ``consistent with the hypothesis
that exposure to high levels of solar radiation in young adulthood is
associated with a higher risk of melanoma mortality.'' \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Page, William F., David Whiteman, and Michael Murphy. ``A
comparison of melanoma mortality among WWII veterans of the Pacific and
European theaters.'' Annals of epidemiology 10, no. 3 (2000): 192-195.
\2\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to The Pulse, the online source for the Uniformed
Services University, ``melanoma is the most significant cancer to
affect the active duty military population.'' \3\ A Vanderbilt School
of Medicine study cites that only 22 percent of military personnel were
made aware of the risks of sun exposure, 77 percent reported being
exposed to bright sunlight for more than 4 hours a day, and only 27
percent had regular access to sunscreen.\4\ The study concluded that
``the past decade of United States' combat missions, including
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, have occurred at a more equatorial
latitude than the mean center of the United States population,
increasing the potential for ultraviolent irradiance and the
development of skin cancer.'' \5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Mason, V. (2018). Improving the Detection of Melanoma in Active
Duty Military. [online] The Pulse. Available at: https://
usupulse.blogspot.com/2018/02/improving-detection-of-melanoma-in.html
[Accessed 26 Feb. 2020].
\4\ Powers JG, Patel NA, Powers EM, Mayer JE, Stricklin GP, Geller
AC. Skin cancer risk factors and preventative behaviors among United
States military veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan [published
online ahead of print June 25, 2015]. J Invest Dermatol. doi: 10.1038/
jid.2015.238.
\5\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recent studies have borne out these conclusions. A study published
in the Military Service Monthly Report found that in a 10-year
surveillance period from 2005 to 2014, malignant melanoma was one of
the most frequent cancer diagnoses among male service members, and the
second most frequent cancer diagnosis among female service members.\6\
Another 2014 Military Medicine Study found that the overall incidence
rate of melanoma in active duty military personnel between 2000 and
2007 was 62 percent greater than among the general population during
the same period.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Lee, T., V. F. Williams, and L. L. Clark. ``Incident diagnoses
of cancers in the active component and cancer-related deaths in the
active and reserve components, US Armed Forces, 2005-2014.'' MSMR 23,
no. 7 (2016): 23-31.
\7\ Lea, C. Suzanne, Jimmy T. Efird, Amanda E. Toland, Denise R.
Lewis, and Christopher J. Phillips. ``Melanoma incidence rates in
active duty military personnel compared with a population-based
registry in the United States, 2000-2007.'' (2014): 247-253.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given the clear threat melanoma poses to our service members, and
the volume of high-quality research proposals, the Melanoma Action
Coalition respectfully requests that the committee provide $40 million
for melanoma research in the Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Appropriations
bill.
Thank you for considering this important request. Should you have
any questions, please contact me at:
[email protected].
Sincerely.

[This statement was submitted by Neil Spiegler, President, Melanoma
Action
Coalition.]
______

Prepared Statement of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for this
opportunity to provide testimony on behalf of the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society (Society) regarding Department of Defense (DoD)
Appropriations for fiscal year 202 (FY22). We are pleased to be able to
discuss the importance of the research funded by the Multiple Sclerosis
Research Program (MSRP) to those affected by MS.
Thank you for the investment that you have provided for the MSRP.
Past Committee investments have allowed the program to fund a new
clinical trial award mechanism and expand its focus to identify
triggers and risk factors for MS. As you consider funding priorities
for FY22, we urge the Subcommittee to provide $20 million for the MS
Research Program (MSRP) within the Congressionally Directed Medical
Research Programs (CDMRP). This is the same funding level that Congress
awarded the program last year and we believe that this funding level
will ensure the greatest return on investment in the program and
maintain funding consistency for MS researchers.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling
disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of
information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms
range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The
progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person
cannot yet be predicted. Nearly one million Americans live with MS and
most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with
women being diagnosed at two to three times higher more often than men.
The Society mission is to cure MS while empowering people affected
by MS to live their best lives. To accomplish this, the Society funds
cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates
professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the
world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with
MS and their families live their best lives. We see ourselves as a
fundamental partner to the U.S. government in many critical areas--
particularly in the arena of MS research. To date, the Society has
invested over $1 billion dollars in research, and we work in
coordination and collaboration with our federal partners at the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the MSRP to ensure that the
best research is funded and that there is no overlap or duplication.
The CDMRP is a peer-reviewed program funded through the Department
of Defense via the Defense Appropriations Act. Individual programs like
the MSRP are funded at the direction of Congress and fill research gaps
by funding high impact, high-risk and high gain projects that other
research agencies--like the NIH, may not venture to fund. The CDMRPs
are distinctive in that they involve active participation of people
living with the program disease area. These patients and patient
representatives are highly coveted roles, as they are involved in all
areas of the program--from establishing the mission/vision of the
program, to reviewing applications and making recommendations for
funding, and evaluating the impact of the program. People living with
MS value the opportunities within the MSRP as a way they can engage in
the research process. The Society applauds the way MSRP structure is
designed and believes that it aligns with the direction of patient
centered drug development and care in the research and drug development
ecosystem.
MS Prevalence and Military Service
The Society confirmed that nearly one million people are living
with MS in the United States, more than twice the original estimate
from previous studies.\1\ Extrapolating figures this estimate, we
believe there are approximately 70,000 veterans in the U.S. that live
with MS. Each year, the Veterans Health Administration provides care to
more than 20,000 veterans living with MS. Additionally, between the
years 2009-2018, over 2,400 active-duty service members, reserve, and
National Guard members received a new diagnosis of MS within the
military health system (MHS).\2\ Including other DOD beneficiaries such
as former Service members and family members, the MHS had more than
21,000 new cases of MS. During this period, more than 36,000 DOD
beneficiaries had over 1.1 million outpatient encounters and 537,000
hospital bed days for MS within the MHS.\3\ In addition, the Department
of Veterans Affairs Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence, East and
West branches, serve approximately 49,000 Veterans with MS.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Mitchell T. Wallin, William J. Culpepper, Jonathan D. Campbell,
Lorene M. Nelson, Annette Langer-Gould, Ruth Ann Marrie, Gary R.
Cutter, Wendy E. Kaye, Laurie Wagner, Helen Tremlett, Stephen L. Buka,
Piyameth Dilokthornsakul, Barbara Topol, Lie H. Chen, Nicholas G.
LaRocca. Neurology Mar 2019, 92 (10) e1029-e1040; DOI: 10.1212/
WNL.0000000000007035.
\2\ Williams VF, Stahlman S, Ying S. 2017. Multiple sclerosis among
service members of the active and reserve components of the U.S. Armed
Forces and among other beneficiaries of the Military Health System,
2007-2016. MSMR Aug; 24(8): 2-11.
\3\ Data includes both direct care (care received at Military
Treatment Facilities) and purchased care (care received at Civilian
facilities that is covered by TRICARE). Data does not include care
received while deployed, or any care received outside of the Military
Health System that was not processed through TRICARE.
\4\ Gromisch ES, et al. Who is not coming to clinic? A predictive
model of excessive missed appointments in persons with multiple
sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 Feb;38:101513.
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MS is considered a presumptive condition and veterans who have
symptoms of MS in the military or within seven years after honorable
discharge are eligible for the service-connected status. To date,
approximately 12,000 U.S. veterans have a service-connected disability
for MS, meaning that their MS was incurred or aggravated during their
military service. An advisory committee by the Veterans Administration
recommended further study into the potential link between combat
service and increased risk of developing MS. The Society supports this
recommendation and believes that more research is needed that examines
the longer time impact for those who have served, from veterans from
the Vietnam War through to those who served in Operation Enduring
Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. To appropriately monitor this
cohort of servicemen and women, the Society recommends that Congress
ensure that information and data can be easily shared between the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. Because
the demographics of the military have changed over the past several
decades, it is more critical these two Agencies can share data in real
time to examine health impacts and needs by age, race, ethnicity and
sex/gender.
Research into the underlying causes of MS and improving methods of
diagnosing, treating and potentially curing MS is critical to improving
the lives of those serving in the military and all of those living with
MS. As the underlying cause of MS is still unknown, MSRP funded
research will help improve knowledge about those currently serving in
the military who can be deployed to areas and environments that may
increase the risk of developing neurologic diseases like MS. Further,
MRSP supported projects will also improve understanding on how to
counter these environmental triggers to improve the readiness and
deployability for future service personnel.
Multiple Sclerosis Research Program
The MRSP was established by Congress in 2009. Its vision is to
prevent, cure, reverse, or slow the progression, and lessen the
personal and societal impact of MS. Like many of the other programs
within the CDMRP, the MSRP specifically encourages applications that
address critical needs of the MS community and concentrate on: the
biological basis of disease progression, risk factors leading to the
prevention of MS, drug discovery and biomarkers for preclinical
detection of MS. MSRP research has led to four patent applications and
patents. To date, Congress has appropriated approximately $73.1 million
dollars to the MSRP, including $16 million for FY20. The total MSRP
investment since 2009 has funded 111 awards, 98 projects, 4 clinical
trials and 3 patents. MSRP funded investigators have been awarded 47
follow-up research grants from federal and non-federal research
partners, including the NIH and the Society, totaling over $34 million
to build on and advance knowledge gained from the initial MSRP funded
grant.
MSRP funds studies that examine gap in MS from basic science to
rehabilitation research. A particular area of interest in MS research
is imaging technology, as diagnosis of MS and tracking disease
progression remains challenging, both for active-duty military
personnel, veterans and civilians. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is
often used by health care providers to track disease activity.
Currently, MRI findings are not accepted by the Food and Drug
Administration as indicators of clinical meaningfulness in the MS drug
development and approval process and more research is needed in the
form of more long-term studies correlating brain MRI with disability
progression.
Additionally, a growing body of evidence have implicated
environmental, genetic factors, age, and microbial infections in the
development of MS. Recent MRSP funded studies have examined
alternations in the gut microbiota and suggest that these alterations
influence the onset and progression of autoimmune diseases like MS.
This information will be incredibly useful to people with MS, who often
ask about the impact of dietary and lifestyle changes to help manage MS
symptoms and reduce the occurrence of relapses.
This body of research that will improve MS diagnosis and the drug
development process, by answering questions that are important to
people living with MS. Further, MSRP funded research allows the
healthcare system to better track disease progression and activity,
allowing healthcare providers in both the military and civilian
populations to better anticipate the needs of people living with MS.
The clinical application of the research done at MSRP is particularly
important--as MRSP also funds novel research to expedite much needed
symptom management treatments for those living with MS. Further, the
clinical application of this research will facilitate better
conversations surrounding troop readiness and the ability of an
individual to deploy.
Due to the impact the MSRP has had on driving both novel research
into MS and its focus on funding innovative research focused on the
development of potential therapies to improve diagnosis and treatment
of MS, the Society requests that Congress continue to fund the MSRP at
$20 million in FY22.
On behalf of the Society, thank you to this Committee for its
investment in the CDMRP, particularly the MSRP. We appreciate the
opportunity to provide written testimony and our recommendations for
FY22 appropriations for the program. The MSRP is of vital importance to
people living with MS and we look forward to continuing to work with
the Committee to help move us closer to a world free of MS.

[This statement was submitted by Leslie Ritter, Associate Vice
President, Federal Government Relations, National Multiple Sclerosis
Society.]
______

Prepared Statement of the Neurofibromatosis Network
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony to the
Subcommittee on the importance of continued funding for the Department
of Defense's Peer-reviewed Neurofibromatosis (NF) Research Program
(NFRP). NF is a terrible genetic disorder closely linked to many common
diseases widespread among the American population. The highly
successful Neurofibromatosis Research Program has shown tangible
results and direct military application with broad implications for the
general population.
On behalf of the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Network, a national
organization of NF advocacy groups, I speak on behalf of the 120,000
Americans who suffer from NF as well as the millions of Americans who
suffer from diseases and conditions linked to NF such as cancer, brain
tumors, heart disease, memory loss, bone abnormalities, deafness,
blindness, and psychosocial disabilities, such as autism and learning
disabilities. Thanks in large part to this Subcommittee's strong
support, scientists have made enormous progress since the discovery of
the NF1 gene in 1990 resulting in clinical trials now being undertaken
by the NFRP.
In Fiscal Year 2022, we are requesting at least $25 million to
continue the Army's highly successful Neurofibromatosis Research
Program (NFRP). The NFRP is now conducting clinical trials at nation-
wide clinical trials centers created by NFRP funding. These clinical
trials involve drugs that have already succeeded in eliminating tumors
in humans and rescuing learning deficits in mice. In addition, in March
2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first ever drug,
co-developed by NIH and AstraZeneca, with seed money from the NFRP, for
the treatment of plexiform tumors in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
Administrators of the Army program have stated that the number of high-
quality scientific applications justify a much larger program. For
these reasons, it is imperative that we continue to invest in research
if we are to advance toward treatments and a cure for the numerous
diseases associated with NF.
what is neurofibromatosis?
NF is an unpredictable genetic disorder of the nervous system that
affects almost every organ system in the body. There are three types of
NF: NF1, which is more common, NF2, which initially involves tumors
causing deafness and balance problems, and Schwannomatosis, the
hallmark of which is severe pain. NF causes tumors to grow along nerves
including in the skin, just below the skin, and in the brain and spinal
cord. NF is the most common neurological disorder caused by a single
gene and affects more people than Cystic Fibrosis, hereditary Muscular
Dystrophy, Huntington's disease and Tay Sachs combined. It strikes
worldwide, without regard to gender, race or ethnicity. Approximately
50 percent of new NF cases result from a spontaneous mutation in an
individual's genes and 50 percent are inherited.
NF can cause a myriad of devastating clinical problems including
nerve and brain tumors; disfiguring skin growths; inability to heal
after bone fracture, which may ultimately require amputation;
psychosocial disabilities, including autism and learning disabilities;
unmanageable chronic pain; deafness; blindness; cardiovascular defects;
vascular disease; and paralysis. NF gene mutations are also important
'drivers' of cancers in the lungs, liver, brain and breast.
nf's connection to the military
Neurofibromatosis (NF) has become a clinical 'model' for advancing
medical research. The genetic information learned from NF holds the key
to understanding a number of health issues that benefit the war
fighter, as well as the general population, including cancer, bone
fracture and repair, vascular disease, nerve regeneration, behavior and
psychosocial issues, and pain.
The Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) is providing critical
research that directly benefits the War Fighter including:
Bone Repair.--At least a quarter of children with NF1 have abnormal
bone growth in any part of the skeleton. In the legs, the long bones
are weak, prone to fracture and unable to heal properly; this can
require amputation at a young age. Adults with NF1 can have low bone
mineral density, placing them at risk of skeletal weakness and injury.
The NFRP is a strong supporter of NF1 bone defects research and as a
result this field has made significant progress in the past few years.
Bone fractures sustained by the war fighter and how to repair them is
of interest to the military. Research studies will identify new
information about understanding bone biology and repair and will pave
the way to new strategies to enhancing bone health and facilitating
repair.
Pain.--Severe and unmanageable pain is seen in all forms of NF,
particularly in schwannomatosis, and significantly impacts quality of
life. NF research has shown similarities between NF pain and phantom
limb pain. NFRP funding has been critical in supporting this. Chronic
pain, and how to treat it effectively, is one of the most poorly
understood areas of medicine but has very high relevance to those in
the military recovering from service-related injuries. NF Research in
this area could help identify new ways to target pain effectively with
the right drugs or therapies.
Vascular Disease.--NF1 elevates the risk of vascular disease
including aneurysm, stroke and vessel occlusive disease. NF1
predisposes patients to early cardiovascular disease, which is also the
leading cause of death among United States Veterans. NF research has
demonstrated that when treating affected NF mouse models with an
antioxidant medication it reduced vessel disease. Discoveries related
to cardiovascular disease in NF1 are likely to be more broadly
informative, including for veterans and active duty military personnel.
Psychosocial and Cognitive Disabilities.--In the last couple of
years, NFRP research has revealed common threads between NF1 learning
disabilities, autism and other related disabilities. Research being
done within the NF Clinical Trials Consortium, NFRP created clinical
centers, has led to important findings and expanded research in this
area. This research contributes to our broadening understanding of how
brain signaling can impact on behavior and psychosocial difficulties.
Members of the military returning from service can suffer from
psychological trauma and it is not easy to understand how this can be
effectively treated. As we learn more from the NF population about
psychosocial function, we will be able to shed light on this area for
the benefit of the military.
Nerve Tumors and Repair.--Nerves are the most common location for
tumor development amongpatients with NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis.
Tumor growth alone, or treatments for the same, commonly cause nerve
injury and associated deficits. Identifying mechanisms to improve nerve
repair would benefit patients with NF, as well as advance the science
needed to better treat nerve injury common in warfighters.
the army's contribution to nf research
While other federal agencies support medical research, the
Department of Defense (DOD) fills a special role by providing peer-
reviewed funding for innovative and rewarding medical research through
the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). CDMRP
research grants are awarded to researchers in every state in the
country through a competitive two-tier review process. These well-
executed and efficient programs, including the NFRP, demonstrate the
government's responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
Recognizing NF's importance to both the military and to the general
population, Congress has given the Army's NF Research Program strong
bipartisan support. From FY1996 through FY2021 funding for the NFRP has
amounted to $382.85 million, in addition to the original $8 million
appropriated in FY1992. In addition, between FY1996 and FY2019, 430
awards have been granted to researchers across the country.
The Army program funds innovative, groundbreaking research which
would not otherwise have been pursued, and has produced major advances
in NF research, including conducting clinical trials in a nation-wide
clinical trials infrastructure created by NFRP funding, development of
advanced animal models, and preclinical therapeutic experimentation.
Because of the enormous advances that have been made as a result of the
Army's NF Research Program, research in NF has truly become one of the
great success stories in the current revolution in molecular genetics.
In addition, the program has brought new researchers into the field of
NF. However, despite this progress, Army officials administering the
program have indicated that they could easily fund more applications if
funding were available because of the high quality of the research
applications received.
In order to ensure maximum efficiency, the Army collaborates
closely with other federal agencies that are involved in NF research,
such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Senior program staff
from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS), for example, sit on the Army's NF Research Program Integration
Panel which sets the long-term vision and funding strategies for the
program. This assures the highest scientific standard for research
funding, efficiency and coordination while avoiding duplication or
overlapping of research efforts.
Thanks in large part to this Subcommittee's support, scientists
have made enormous progress since the discovery of the NF1 gene. Major
advances in just the past few years have ushered in an exciting era of
clinical and translational research in NF with broad implications for
the general population. These recent advances have included:
--In March 2020 the Food and Drug Administration approved the first
ever drug, co-developed by NIH and AstraZeneca, with seed money
from the NFRP, for the treatment of plexiform tumors in
neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
--Phase II and Phase III clinical trials involving new drug therapies
for both cancer, hearing tumors, vision tumors, bone graft and
cognitive disorders.
--Establishment of the Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trial Consortium
which includes an operation center and 25 clinical sites.
Allows for partnerships with well-established NF Centers,
pooling expertise and resources, quicker turn arounds of
scientific reviews and regulatory approvals, leveraged work
with pharmaceutical companies all towards the common goal of
new treatments and a cure for Neurofibromatosis.
--Successful elimination of tumors in NF1 and NF2 mice with the same
drug.
--Development of advanced mouse models showing human symptoms.
--Rescue of learning deficits in mice with an already existing well
known drug.
--Determination of the biochemical, molecular function of the NF
genes and gene products.
--Connection of NF to numerous diseases because of NF's impact on
many body functions.
fiscal year 2022 request
The Army's highly successful NF Research Program has shown tangible
results and direct military application with broad implications for the
general population. The program has now advanced to the translational
and clinical research stages, which are the most promising, yet the
most expensive direction that NF research has taken. Therefore,
continued funding is needed to continue to build on the successes of
this program, and to fund this promising research thereby continuing
the enormous return on the taxpayers' investment.
We respectfully request that you include at least $25 million in
the Fiscal Year 2022 Department of Defense Appropriations bill for the
Peer-reviewed Neurofibromatosis Research Program. With this
subcommittee's continued support, we will prevail. Thank you for your
support.

[This statement was submitted by Kim Bischoff, Executive Director,
Neurofibromatosis Network.]
______

Prepared Statement of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and the
Society of Gynecologic Oncology
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) and the Society of
Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) thank the Subcommittee for the opportunity
to submit comments for the record regarding our funding recommendations
for the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program, which is
under the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical
Research Program. We respectfully request a funding level of $45
million for the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program
in Fiscal Year 2022.
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) works every day to fund
cures, foster community, further conversations and, ultimately, the
cause. OCRA is the oldest and largest global organization dedicated to
fighting ovarian cancer. We advance research to prevent, treat and
defeat ovarian cancer. We support women and their families before,
during and beyond diagnosis. And we work with all levels of government
to ensure that eradicating ovarian cancer is a priority.
The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) is a national medical
specialty organization of physicians who are trained in the
comprehensive management of women with malignancies of the reproductive
tract. The SGO's mission is to prevent and treat gynecologic cancers
with equity, thereby improving lives through advocacy, engagement,
education, research, and collaboration. The SGO's strategic goals
include advancing the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of
gynecologic cancers by establishing and promoting standards of
excellence.
ovarian cancer's deadly statistics
Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death
in women and the deadliest gynecologic cancer. The American Cancer
Society estimates that in 2021, approximately 21,410 women in the U.S.
will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer and approximately 13,770
women will die from the disease. Nearly 25 percent of women diagnosed
with ovarian cancer will die within a year, and less than 50 percent
will survive five years. There is currently no early detection test for
ovarian cancer so more than 85 percent of women are diagnosed at late
stage when survival is significantly decreased. When women experience a
disease recurrence there are limited treatment options with life
altering side effects and suboptimal efficacy.
ovarian cancer's impact on the military
Of the 850,000 female service members, wives of active duty
military and adult daughters of active duty military, approximately
11,800 will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer over the course of their
lifetimes. Over the last five years alone, nearly 2,600 members of our
military or their families have been hospitalized for ovarian cancer or
suspected ovarian cancer. It is clear that the cost of ovarian cancer
to our military is great, not only in terms of troop readiness, but
also in terms of cancer care costs: treating all of these cases of
ovarian cancer over these patients' lifetimes could cost TRICARE an
estimated $971.2 million. Therefore, it is imperative that the
Department of Defense pursues the scientific discoveries that help
readiness and address both the personal and economic costs of ovarian
cancer.
dod ocrp: a program that complements non-defense ovarian cancer
research
The Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program (DoD
OCRP) was initiated in Fiscal Year 1997 to support high-impact,
cutting-edge research that fills unmet needs. The DoD OCRP establishes
priorities to target the most critical needs along the research
development pipeline from basic to translational to clinical research,
including clinical trials, and to push the field of ovarian cancer
forward through its vision to ``eliminate ovarian cancer''.
The DoD OCRP complements but does not duplicate the important
ovarian cancer research carried out by the National Cancer Institute
(NCI). First, the DoD OCRP funds innovative, high risk, high reward
research which many large, non-DoD Federal research agencies do not
have the flexibility to engage in. For ovarian cancer research, we
believe that the DoD OCRP is the sole funding source for innovative,
groundbreaking research with an emphasis on promoting readiness for
military members and their families as well as the overall health of
citizens of the United States and the world.
Second, the DoD OCRP is designed to prevent funding research that
overlaps with other ovarian cancer research that has been funded by the
NCI, other agencies, or private foundations. Before funding an award,
DoD OCRP grant managers at the DoD are required to thoroughly check all
sources of information to determine if a proposal is redundant of a
previous DoD OCRP grant or a grant awarded by another federal agency
such as the NCI or by a private foundation.
Third, the DoD OCRP pushes investigators to make rapid progress in
their research by requiring them to reapply every funding cycle.
Because proposal reviews conducted by the DoD OCRP are double blinded
by investigator and research institution, an investigator's progress is
evaluated on its own merit and must have sufficient new findings, data,
or ideas to warrant new funding.
Cancer research performed by the DoD has been responsible for
fundamentally changing the way cancer research is conducted. Many
innovative practices and methods created by the Congressionally
Directed Medical Research Programs have been adopted by the other
research agencies, such as the use of cancer patients as consumer
reviewers in the proposal review process.
Also, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program has
created funding mechanisms to incentivize research, such as the Idea
Award, that fills voids in our understanding of cancer. Additionally,
large ovarian cancer research teams do not exist in many academic
medical or research centers. In order to provide much needed mentoring,
networking and a peer group for young ovarian cancer researchers, the
DoD OCRP created an Ovarian Cancer Academy award in Fiscal Year 2009.
The DoD OCRP Ovarian Cancer Academy is growing and meeting its
potential of developing a unique, interactive virtual academy that
provides intensive mentoring, national networking, and a peer group for
junior faculty. The overarching goal of this award is to develop young
scientists into the next generation of successful and highly productive
ovarian cancer
researchers within a collaborative and interactive research
training environment including collaboration with research conducted at
military healthcare institutions.
discoveries and advancements in ovarian cancer
From Fiscal Year 1997-Fiscal Year 2020, the DoD OCRP has received
$371.5 million in Congressional appropriations. Through Fiscal Year
2019, the DoD OCRP has funded 479 research awards, resulting in over
1,583 peer-reviewed publications and 103 patent applications. The DoD
OCRP has funded key studies that have led to several new discoveries
and advancements in the treatment and understanding of ovarian cancer.
These advancements have spanned treatment with FDA approval of
rucaparib, an oral therapy for treatment of advanced ovarian cancer, to
OVA1, a blood test combined with imaging that can better identify
patients at high risk for malignant ovarian cancer. The studies have
also served as the basis for the universal ovarian cancer patient
genetic testing recommendations.
future direction and strategic goals in ovarian cancer research
The DoD OCRP's Strategic Plan is centered around the scope of the
ovarian cancer problem affecting military and veteran populations and
all women affected by the disease, as well as the pressing research
gaps faced by the ovarian cancer community. The DoD OCRP's ultimate
goal is to prevent, detect, treat, and cure ovarian cancer. The
following research goals identified in the DoD OCRP Strategic Plan are
critically important to improving patient care and winning the war
against this deadly disease:
--Promote readiness for military members and their families as well
as the overall health of citizens of the United States and the
world.
--Enhance and sustain the pool of ovarian cancer scientists.
--Promote research that will address health disparities and improve
access to quality care and the physical and psychosocial well-
being of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
--Utilize precision medicine and computational approaches that
identify individual tumor characteristics and predictive
biomarkers across diverse groups to optimize patient care and
outcomes.
--Develop or improve the performance of screening and diagnostic
approaches.
--Understand the precursor lesion/stem cell, microenvironment, and
pathogenesis/progression of all types of ovarian cancer,
including rare subtypes.
--Develop and validate models to understand initiation, progression,
metastasis, treatment response, and recurrence of ovarian
cancer.
--Increase long-term survivorship and improve quality of life
throughout the continuum of ovarian cancer care.
--Promote research that focuses on cancer risk and primary
prevention.
--Investigate tumor and host response to therapy, including tumor
survival, dormancy, cell death, clonal evolution, resistance,
and immune factors.
--Promote synergistic team science, including: the OCRP Ovarian
Cancer Academy supporting early career ovarian cancer
investigators, consortia, and collaboration with intramural and
extramural DoD programs.
the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on cancer research
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on cancer
research in addition to the tremendous public health and economic toll
it has extracted. A new study published in January of this year in the
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open
indicates that during the first wave of the pandemic last spring, the
number of newly launched cancer treatment studies dropped by 60%, and
that does not include the number of cancer trials that were suspended,
delayed, or in which enrollment rates were drastically reduced.
According to the JAMA article, the number of ongoing trials fell by
approximately 50% last spring.
For these reasons, The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and the
Society of Gynecologic Oncology are requesting a $10 million increase
for the DoD Peer-Reviewed Ovarian Cancer Research Program, resulting in
a total funding request of $45 million in FY 2022, to preserve current
investments in ovarian cancer research and continue the program's
successful work to improve prevention, early diagnosis, and survival
rates from ovarian cancer.
conclusion
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and the Society of Gynecologic
Oncology maintain a long-standing commitment to work with Congress, the
Administration, and other policymakers and stakeholders to improve the
survival rate from ovarian cancer through education, public policy,
research, and communication. Please know that we appreciate and
understand that our nation faces many challenges and that Congress has
limited resources to allocate; however, we owe it to those who bravely
served our country to pursue promising research that will improve
treatments for ovarian cancer and improve the survival rate from this
deadly disease.
On behalf of the entire ovarian cancer community--patients, family
members, clinicians, and researchers--we thank you for your leadership
and support for federal programs that seek to reduce and prevent
suffering from ovarian cancer. Thank you in advance for your support
for $45 million for the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research
Program in FY 2022.

LIST OF WITNESSES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND PREPARED STATEMENTS

----------
Page

Adirim, Dr. Terry, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Health Affairs, Department of Defense.......................... 47
Prepared Statement of........................................ 50
Questions Submitted to....................................... 84
Summary Statement of......................................... 49

Bellon, Lieutenant General David G., Commander, U.S. Marine Corps
Reserve, Department of Defense................................. 100
Prepared Statement of........................................ 102
Berger, General David H., Commandant, United States Marine Corps,
Department of Defense.......................................... 296
Prepared Statement of........................................ 298
Questions Submitted to....................................... 331
Blunt, Senator Roy, U.S. Senator From Missouri, Questions Submitted
by

Boozman, Senator John, U.S. Senator From Arkansas, Questions
Submitted by................................................... 337
Brown, General Charles Q., Jr., Chief of Staff, United States Air
Force, Department of Defense................................... 180
Prepared Statement of........................................ 183
Questions Submitted to....................................... 224

Coalition for National Security Research, Prepared Statement of
the............................................................ 367
Collins, Senator Susan M., U.S. Senator From Maine, Questions
Submitted by

Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Prepared Statement of the....... 370
Crites, Vice Admiral Randy B., Prepared Statement of............. 342

Daniels, Lieutenant General Jody J., Chief, U.S. Army Reserve,
Department of Defense.......................................... 112
Prepared Statement of........................................ 114
Dingle, Lieutenant General R. Scott, Surgeon General, Department
of the Army, Department of Defense............................. 57
Prepared Statement of........................................ 58
Questions Submitted to....................................... 91
Durbin, Senator Richard J., U.S. Senator From Illinois, Questions
Submitted by

Feinstein, Senator Dianne, U.S. Senator From California,
Questions Submitted by

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, Prepared Statement of
the............................................................ 374

Gilday, Admiral Michael, Chief of Naval Operations, United States
Navy, Department of Defense.................................... 283
Prepared Statement of........................................ 285
Questions Submitted to....................................... 330
Gillingham, Rear Admiral Bruce L., Surgeon General, Department of
the Navy, Department of Defense................................ 67
Prepared Statement of........................................ 69
Questions Submitted to....................................... 93
Graham, Senator Lindsey, U.S. Senator From South Carolina,
Questions Submitted by......................................... 263

HALO Trust, Prepared Statement of The............................ 375
Harker, Hon. Thomas W., Acting Secretary, Office of the
Secretary, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense....... 273
Prepared Statement of........................................ 276
Questions Submitted to....................................... 321
Summary Statement of......................................... 274
Hoeven, Senator John, U.S. Senator From North Dakota, Questions
Submitted by

Hogg, Lieutenant General Dorothy A., Surgeon General, Department
of the Air Force, Department of Defense........................ 63
Prepared Statement of........................................ 64
Questions Submitted to....................................... 95
Hokanson, General Daniel R., Chief, U.S. National Guard Bureau,
Department of Defense.......................................... 118
Prepared Statement of........................................ 120
Questions Submitted to....................................... 171

Kilby, Vice Admiral James, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for
Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities, Department of
Defense........................................................ 341
Prepared Statement of........................................ 342

Leahy, Senator Patrick, U.S. Senator From Vermont, Questions
Submitted by

McConnell, Senator Mitch, U.S. Senator From Kentucky, Questions
Submitted by................................................... 267
McConville, General James C., Army Chief of Staff, Department of
Defense........................................................ 234
Prepared Statement of........................................ 235
Questions Submitted to....................................... 263
McQuiston, Ms. Barbara, Performing the Duties of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Department
of Defense..................................................... 1
Prepared Statement of........................................ 4
Questions Submitted to....................................... 42
Summary Statement of......................................... 3
Melanoma Action Coalition, Prepared Statement of the............. 376
Moran, Senator Jerry, U.S. Senator From Kansas, Questions
Submitted by

Murkowski, Senator Lisa, U.S. Senator From Alaska, Questions
Submitted by

Murray, Senator Patty, U.S. Senator From Washington, Questions
Submitted by

Mustin, Vice Admiral John B., Chief, U.S. Navy Reserve,
Department of Defense.......................................... 127
Prepared Statement of........................................ 129

Nahom, Lieutenant General David S., Deputy Chief of Staff for
Plans and Programs, U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense...... 346
Prepared Statement of........................................ 347
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Prepared Statement of the... 377
Neurofibromatosis Network, Prepared Statement of the............. 379

Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and the Society of Gynecologic
Oncology, Prepared Statement of the............................ 382

Raymond, General John W., Chief of Space Operations, United
States Space Force, Department of Defense...................... 182
Prepared Statement of........................................ 183
Questions Submitted to....................................... 227
Roth, Hon. John P., Acting Secretary, Office of the Secretary,
Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense............. 177
Prepared Statement of........................................ 183
Questions Submitted to....................................... 221
Summary Statement of......................................... 178

Schatz, Senator Brian, U.S. Senator From Hawaii, Questions
Submitted by................................................... 222
Scobee, Lieutenant General Richard W., Chief, U.S. Air Force
Reserve, Department of Defense................................. 136
Prepared Statement of........................................ 138
Questions Submitted to....................................... 175
Shaheen, Senator Jeanne, U.S. Senator From New Hampshire,
Questions Submitted by

Shelby, Senator Richard C., U.S. Senator From Alabama:
Prepared Statement of........................................ 180
Statement of

Tester, Senator Jon, U.S. Senator From Montana, Opening Statement
of

Tompkins, Dr. Stefanie, Director, Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency, Department of Defense......................... 21
Prepared Statement of........................................ 22
Questions Submitted to....................................... 44

Wormuth, Hon. Christine E., Secretary, Office of the Secretary,
Department of the Army, Department of Defense.................. 231
Prepared Statement of........................................ 235
Questions Submitted to....................................... 259
Summary Statement of......................................... 232

SUBJECT INDEX

----------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Health Program

Page

Additional Committee Questions................................... 84
Air Force Medical Service COVID-19 Response...................... 65
Aligning Strategy, Priorities and Resources...................... 69
Army Medicine:
2028......................................................... 58
Strategy..................................................... 59
Commitment to Military Health System Transition and
Transformation................................................. 66
COVID-19 Response................................................ 50
Delivering Care to Our Warfighters............................... 65
Effect of:
Higher Copays on Demand and Accessibility of Mental Health
Services................................................... 77
New Enrollment Fees on TRICARE Participation................. 77
Health Issues Associated with Burn Pits.......................... 83
Keeping Medical Airmen Ready to Deliver Care..................... 66
Medical Research and Development................................. 55
MHS:
GENESIS Implementation....................................... 54
Reforms and Transition....................................... 53
Moving Forward................................................... 76
New Frontiers and New Domains.................................... 67
Other Significant Health Initiatives............................. 55
Overall FY22 Budget.............................................. 56
Projecting Medical Power......................................... 71
Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic.............................. 70
Statistics on:
Anthrax Infections/Hospitalizations/Deaths within the TRICARE
Population................................................. 82
COVID-19 Infections/Hospitalizations/Deaths within the
TRICARE Population......................................... 82
TRICARE 5th Generation Contracts (T-5)........................... 54
__________

Defense Innovation and Research

Additional Committee Questions................................... 42
Artificial Intelligence.......................................... 13
Biotechnology.................................................... 15
Creating and Promoting New Technologies.......................... 13
Cyber............................................................ 14
Defense:
Innovation Unit Transitions Commercial Technologies to the
Warfighter................................................. 6
Manufacturing Base, The...................................... 10
Directed Energy.................................................. 16
Facilitating Transitions......................................... 5
Fully Networked Command, Control & Communications (FNC3)......... 16
Growing the Pipeline of Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) Talent...................................... 8
How Small Business Innovation in DoD Helps America Broadly....... 10
Hypersonics...................................................... 17
International Partnerships....................................... 12
Leveraging International Talent.................................. 9
Missile Defense:
Agency....................................................... 18
and Space Development Agencies............................... 18
Mission Engineering.............................................. 7
Our Commitment to Diversity...................................... 9
Prototyping Pathways to Deliver Innovation to Users.............. 5
Quantum Science.................................................. 18
Role of Small Business, The...................................... 9
Space............................................................ 18
Development Agency........................................... 20
Strengthening Our Defense Research Base.......................... 11
Supporting DoD'S MIIS Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.......... 11
Technology:
Protection................................................... 12
Transitioned By OUSD(R&E) That is Making a Difference for the
Warfighter................................................. 6
TRMC Delivers Capability for test and Evaluation................. 8
Utilizing Hiring Flexibilities................................... 9
Where Innovation Research and Technology Begins.................. 8
__________

Department of the Air Force

Office of the Secretary

The Department of the Air Force.................................. 183
A Department of the Air Force for 2030........................... 185
Empowered Airmen & Guardians..................................... 184

United States Air Force.......................................... 186
Air Superiority.................................................. 187
America's Air Force for 2030..................................... 193
Global Strike.................................................... 187
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)............. 190
New Approaches................................................... 191
Rapid Global Mobility............................................ 189
Vision for Change--America's Air Force for 2030.................. 186

United States Space Force........................................ 194
Accelerating Capability Design, Decision, & Delivery............. 196
Additional Committee Questions................................... 221
Air:
Force Readiness Improvements................................. 225
National Guard Flying Squadrons.............................. 224
Assured Access to Space.......................................... 200
Command and Control (C2)......................................... 198
Creating A Digital Service....................................... 196
Developing and Caring for Guardians.............................. 195
Fairchild AFB Future Missions.................................... 222
Federal Clean Energy Electricity Standard........................ 222
F-15 Upgrades Requestors......................................... 225
Future C-130 Force Structure and the 139th Airlift Wing at
Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, The......................... 223
MH-139 Procurement Requestors.................................... 223
Minot AFB Weapons Generation Facility............................ 227
Missile Warning and Missile Tracking............................. 197
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing.............................. 198
Role of C-130s, The.............................................. 223
RQ-4 Global Hawk Requestors...................................... 227
Securing an Enduring Advantage................................... 194
Space:
Force Readiness Improvements................................. 227
Training and Readiness Command............................... 222
Tactical Airlift Aircraft Requestors

Value of Partnerships............................................ 195
Way Forward...................................................... 200
__________

Department of the Army

Office of the Secretary

AbilityOne Program............................................... 269
Additional Committee Questions................................... 259
Arctic:
Organization Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) for Ft
Drum, Ft Carson, and Alaska Bases.......................... 270
Overland Mobility Vehicle.................................... 270
Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD)..................................... 268
European Deterrence Initiative................................... 267
Evolved Priorities............................................... 235
Fort Campbell.................................................... 268
Future:
of Weapons................................................... 262
Vertical Lift (FVL).......................................... 267
Grenadier Sighting System........................................ 267
Paladin Integrated Management (PIM).............................. 263
People First..................................................... 236
Posture Review................................................... 270
Robotic Combat Vehicle Program................................... 269
Strategic Environment............................................ 236
__________

Department of the Navy

Office of the Secretary

Additional Committee Questions................................... 321
America is a Maritime Nation--Our People Depend on the Freedom of
the Seas....................................................... 285
Arctic Strategy.................................................. 325
Competition and Risk............................................. 305
Defend the Nation................................................ 277
Delivering All-Domain Naval Power................................ 290
Fleet Design and Naval Integration............................... 308
Force Design..................................................... 302
Gender Integrated Training....................................... 302
Growing Challenge to the United States and the Open International
System, The.................................................... 286
Icebreakers...................................................... 326
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance OSR in the Arctic
Region......................................................... 325
Logistics and Resilience......................................... 305
Major Defense Acquisition Programs............................... 306
Naval Expeditionary Stand-In Forces.............................. 303
No Fiscal Year 2022 Funding for F/A-18 Super Hornet Production... 327
Personnel and Talent Management.................................. 299
Posture.......................................................... 304
Readiness and Strategic Advantage................................ 307
Succeed Through Teamwork......................................... 281
Take Care of Our People.......................................... 279
Timeless Roles of Sea Control and Power Projection............... 289
Training and Education........................................... 301
U.S. Navy--Deployed Forward to Defend America and our Allies and
Protect the Freedom of the Seas................................ 288
United Nations Convention Law of the Sea......................... 327
__________

National Guard Reserve

2-152 Infantry Battalion transfer from the Indiana National Guard
to the Missouri National Guard, The............................ 174
A Total Force.................................................... 102
Adaptive Mobilization............................................ 135
Additional Committee Questions................................... 171
Air Force Reserve in the Total Force, The........................ 139
Always Ready, Always There....................................... 122
Aviation Adversary Training...................................... 134
Behavioral Health................................................ 107
Building Partnerships............................................ 125
Chief, National Guard Bureau..................................... 121
Cloud Computing, Mobility Innovations and Digital Capabilities... 135
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.................................. 130
Duty Status Reform............................................... 131
Eliminating Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment................. 131
Enduring Mission of the A-10 and the 442nd Fighter Wing at
Whiteman Air Force Base, The................................... 175
Equipment........................................................ 105
Facilities....................................................... 106
Fighting America's Wars.......................................... 123
Force Design..................................................... 111
Future C-130 Force Structure and the 139th Airlift Wing at
Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, The......................... 175
Generating Combat Power Today and Tomorrow....................... 141
Health Services.................................................. 107
Homeland......................................................... 121
Implementing the National Defense Strategy....................... 140
Infrastructure and Facilities.................................... 141
Manning a Ready Force............................................ 143
Mobilization to Billet........................................... 132
Modernizing and Improving the Air Force Reserve.................. 144
Navy:
Operational Support Center Realignment....................... 135
Personnel and Pay............................................ 132
Reserve Special and Incentive Pay and Bonuses................ 131
Unique Fleet Essential Airlift............................... 133
Non-Deployability Analytics...................................... 135
Partnerships..................................................... 121
Personnel........................................................ 104
Providing Excellent Care to Airmen and Families.................. 146
Quality of Life.................................................. 109
Ready Now! Shaping Tomorrow . . ................................. 114
Role of C-130s, The.............................................. 174
Sailor Wellness.................................................. 131
Securing the Homeland............................................ 123
Sexual Assault Prevention & Response............................. 108
Soldiers, Airmen and Families.................................... 125
Supporting our Wounded, Ill, or Injured Marines and their
Families....................................................... 111
Talent Management................................................ 112
Training......................................................... 105
United States Army Reserve, The.................................. 114
Warfight......................................................... 120
__________

Navy and Air Force Weapons Systems Divestments

A-10 Thunderbolt................................................. 348
Current Capacity and Capability.................................. 347
C-130H/J......................................................... 350
E-8 JSTARS....................................................... 349
F-15C/D Eagle.................................................... 348
F-16 C/D Fighting Falcon......................................... 348
Fighter Fleet, The............................................... 347
MQ-9 Reaper...................................................... 349
Navy's PB-22 Proposed Divestments................................ 343
RQ-4 Global Hawk................................................. 349
Tankers (KC-10, KC-135, and KC-46)............................... 350

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