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


                                                       S. Hrg. 117-416

                 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR 
                            FISCAL YEAR 2022

=======================================================================

                                HEARINGS

                                BEFORE A

                          SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

                     COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 
                         
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                                   ON

                               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

                               __________

         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                     
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                  
                               
                      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
                              
                              ------                                
                              
                        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

                              ----------                              

                                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

                              ----------                              

                              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

                              ----------                              


                        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 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 Air Force believe to be the potential benefits 
of these systems?
    Answer. The primary benefit is the minimal assembly time required 
and subsequently, limiting the disruption of operations in the military 
treatment facilities (e.g., fixed facility operations).
    Question. How could these types of systems be used by Air Force in 
the future to help mitigate the spread of future pandemics or 
biological agents in the future?
    Answer. Modular containment systems can be used in the future to 
help mitigate the spread of future pandemics or biological agents by:
  --Providing a temporary, alternative solution when a permanent 
        facility is at risk of operating beyond its surge capacity
  --Mitigating the difficulties in establishing facilities in austere 
        environments
                                 ______
                                 
             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

    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 Hon. Thomas W. Harker
            Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
    Question. Russia has built numerous Arctic bases and seems poised 
to bring very provocative nuclear weapons capable armaments--notably 
the Poseidon 2M39 torpedo-into the region that threaten us and our 
allies. Secretary of State Blinken recently raised the importance of 
keeping the Arctic a peaceful zone with his Russian counterpart and the 
Department of Defense says it reserves the right to conduct freedom of 
navigation exercises in the Arctic. But I remain concerned about 
Russia's aggressive moves in the region, particularly as the ice melts 
from climate change.
    Please comment on the growing Russia presence and challenge in the 
Arctic.
    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 land 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.
                                 ______
                                 
              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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
               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.


                                                                    [$ in thousands]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                            FY21               CNSR FY22
                        Agency--RDT&E                                      Program Element (PE)               FY21  PBR   Enacted   FY22  PBR    Request
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army........................................................                      Defense Research Sciences    $303,257   $367,457   $297,241   $389,504
Army........................................................                University Research Initiatives     $67,148    $97,148    $66,981   $102,977
Army........................................................              University and Industry Research Cente$87,877   $121,877    $94,003   $129,190
Army........................................................                                               Cyber $5,077orati$5,077earch$5,067nce  $5,382
Army........................................................   Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning         N/A        N/A    $10,183        N/A
                                                                                             Basic Research
Navy........................................................                University Research Initiatives    $116,816   $144,816   $117,448   $153,505
Navy........................................................                      Defense Research Sciences    $467,158   $489,984   $484,421   $519,383
Air Force...................................................                      Defense Research Sciences    $315,348   $325,348   $328,303   $344,869
Air Force...................................................                University Research Initiatives    $161,861   $196,861   $162,403   $208,673
Air Force...................................................         High Energy Laser Research Initiatives     $15,085    $15,085         $0    $15,990
Defense-Wide................................................                DTRA Basic Research Initiatives     $14,617    $14,617    $11,828    $15,494
Defense-Wide................................................                     Basic Research Initiatives     $35,565    $75,565    $39,828    $80,099
Defense-Wide................................................             National Defense Education Program    $100,241   $137,241   $112,195   $145,475
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \14\ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21329.
    \15\ https://dsb.cto.mil/reports/2010s/BasicResearch.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 

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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 

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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 

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

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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 

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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 

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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 

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

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

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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 

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

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

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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

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                             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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