[Senate Hearing 118-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




 
     MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                  APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

                              ----------                              


                       WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023

                                       U.S. Senate,
           Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met at 10:32 a.m. in room SD-124, Dirksen 
Senate Office Building, Hon. Patty Murray (chairman), 
presiding.
    Present: Senators Murray, Tester, Schatz, Baldwin, Peters, 
Boozman, Murkowski, Hoeven, Hagerty, and Fischer.

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
                         

                Military Construction and Family Housing

STATEMENT OF HON. BRENDAN OWENS, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF 
            DEFENSE FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATIONS, AND 
            ENVIRONMENT

               OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR PATTY MURRAY

    Senator Murray. Good morning. This hearing of the Senate 
Veterans Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, will please come to 
order.
    We are here today to discuss the fiscal year 2024 Budget 
Request for Military Construction and Family Housing, from the 
Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Military Services.
    This hearing will consist of two panels, the first of which 
includes witnesses from the Office of the Security of Defense, 
the Navy and the Marine Corps. The second panel will consist of 
witnesses from the Army, the Air Force, and the Space Force.
    Thank you, to all of our witnesses for being here, and 
joining us this morning. I am glad to have you all here, and I 
am especially glad to be leading this important subcommittee 
with Senator Boozman.
    You know, as the daughter of a World War II veteran, this 
work is personal to me. I take serious, our Nation's obligation 
to our Service members, veterans, and their families. We have 
to make sure we are meeting their needs and keeping our 
promises to them.
    I have worked to do that every day since I have been here 
in the Senate. It was my top priority when I led the Senate 
Veterans Affairs Committee, and it is my number one focus as 
chair of this subcommittee as well.
    I am very glad to have Senator Boozman, as my partner, 
across the aisle. We have worked closely together on the Senate 
Veterans Affairs Committee, and I know he takes this 
responsibility seriously as well.
    I look forward to working with him on this subcommittee, 
and with all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle. 
Starting, by making sure we continue our progress on returning 
to regular order, because we cannot keep up with our 
competitors, like China, if we let critical investments, like 
military construction, fall behind, or fall into uncertainty 
due to partisan fighting.
    Today's hearing is an important opportunity to assess what 
our nation needs to stay ready, to support or Service members, 
and keep our families safe.
    And I am pleased to see President Biden is showing he takes 
this seriously, by proposing significant investments to improve 
the quality of life for Service members and their families, 
modernize maintenance, and training facilities, and make 
military installations more resilient against growing threats, 
like climate disasters.
    This budget request increases military construction by more 
than a third, compared to last year's request continuing a 
trend of increases that is especially critical after, roughly, 
a decade of decline, and amid rising construction costs and 
growing needs.
    After all, our ships, and our submarines, our aircrafts, 
and more, are only as good as the infrastructure they rely on, 
and they are only as well supported as the troops who actually 
operate them. That is why the investments in this budget are so 
important.
    For example, the billions in funding proposed in this 
budget to modernize our public shipyards. Back home in my State 
of Washington, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is a key naval 
asset, and I am pleased to see that this budget includes 
funding for electrical infrastructure to help it prevent 
unexpected power outages.
    I also expect to hear more about the Navy's plans for 
progress on the multi-mission dry dock at Puget Sound Naval 
Shipyard, including construction plans to address the unique 
threats posed to the shipyard by the potential for earthquakes 
in that area.
    And of course, earthquakes aren't the only natural disaster 
we have to be prepared for. Climate change is an urgent 
national security threat, and if we want to keep our Nation 
ready for anything, we have to make sure our bases are 
resilient in the face of climate disasters, which is why the 
funding requested for 30 projects focused on improving energy 
and water resilience at our Military installations is such an 
important investment.
    The Department should also continue developing projects 
that enhance installation resilience in the face of severe 
weather. This budget also includes key funding to strengthen 
our alliances and partnerships around the world by supporting 
NATO Infrastructure Projects; and funding to address PFAS and 
other toxins at former installations that could put our 
communities in harm's way, an issue that must be dealt with on 
active installations.
    And last, but not least, there are the investments here 
focused on improving the quality of life for our Service 
members and their families, like good child care, and schools 
for troops, for our kids--or schools for our troops' kids; or 
good housing, or dining options.
    Those Investments really improve our recruiting, our 
retention, and our overall readiness. And what is more, they 
are what our troops deserve. They are part of what we owe them 
for the sacrifices that they make.
    So I am glad this budget request includes a boost in 
funding for troop housing, for individuals and families alike, 
including 100 million for a Barracks Project at Joint Base 
Lewis-McChord in Washington State. There is a significant 
housing gap at the base, and I look forward to hearing more 
about how this project will help close that.
    I am also interested to hear more about the Air Force's 
plans to strengthen family housing projects as well. It is 
important to me that we are maintaining the housing stock we 
have, and not letting the houses, military families are living 
in right now, fall into disrepair.
    I am also pleased to see this request includes funding for 
five new Child Development Centers. We have a child care crisis 
in this country, and too many parents cannot find high quality, 
affordable child care options that work for them. Staffing 
shortages, worsened by the low pay in that sector, and high 
demand, have made it very hard for families across the country 
to get child care. And troops are no exception.
    This crisis is keeping parents out of the workforce, and 
holding them back from pursuing their careers, including 
careers in the Military. I have been pushing very hard to pass 
my Child Care for Working Families Act, because we do need in 
this country, bold change and bold investments to end that 
crisis nationwide.
    And as that effort continues, I am glad to see President 
Biden understands how important child care is to our troops, 
and to keeping our nation strong and ready for anything. 
Because at the end of the day, we can have the best equipment; 
ships, aircrafts, tanks, you name it, but none of it will do 
any good without the brave and talented men and women who work 
to keep our country safe.
    So I look forward today, to hearing more from our witnesses 
about how the investments in this budget strengthen our 
country, and working with my colleagues, in a timely manner, to 
pass a Funding Bill that lives up to our obligation to support 
our troops and their families, and protect our Nation. Thank 
you very much.
    And with that, I will turn it over to Ranking Member 
Boozman.

                   STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN BOOZMAN

    Senator Boozman. Thank you, Madam Chair. And it is a real 
pleasure to be with you today, as Ranking Member of this 
subcommittee for our first MILCON hearing together. I look 
forward to working with you on the important issues within this 
portfolio.
    As the Chair mentioned, we have been on the Veterans 
Affairs Committee, the Authorizing Committee, for many years, 
we did some great work there, we are doing great work there, 
and going to, going to do some great things on this committee.
    I would also like to extend a welcome to our witnesses here 
today. And specifically recognize Vice Admiral Williamson, as 
this will be his final appearance in front of our subcommittee 
before retiring, after 43 years of service. Congratulations to 
truly outstanding career. We do appreciate you very, very much, 
and all you represent.
    I was pleased to see this year's budget request at $16.7 
billion, which is an increase over last year's request of $4.5 
billion. While it is a 12 percent decrease from the fiscal year 
2023 enacted level of $19 billion, it is the highest MILCON 
request seen in many years. Unfortunately, instead of providing 
more purchasing power the higher budget is consumed by more 
expensive projects due to high inflation, and large increments.
    It is worth noting, however, that at least some of these 
increments are additive to the budget instead of pushing out 
other projects to stay within a flat top line. As we were 
tracking large increments on the horizon, the fear was they 
would start to consume the MILCON Program, so I am glad to see 
that some of the increases have a direct correlation to some of 
the larger increments.
    However, as I mentioned before, this means the increase in 
accommodating existing projects, but it is not necessarily 
allowing us to increase the number of projects.
    We are also losing our buying power due to inflation; as we 
are all aware, the construction market has been heavily hit by 
inflation, and other economic disruptors that are increasing 
project cost. Unlike the past few requests, whose costs were 
already outdated by the time we received the budget, this 
request seems to account for this cost growth, but it came at 
the cost of other projects.
    It is clear when comparing last year's plan to this year's 
request that some projects were sacrificed in order to afford 
higher price tags on others. That is especially disheartening 
for a program that is already underfunded and makes up just 2 
percent of the total DOD budget.
    I am also still worried about the execution of prior-year 
projects. Even after the Congressional increases the past bills 
have provided to help deal with inflation, there are still many 
projects remaining with cost disconnects. I think this year's 
request is a step in the right direction, and I hope that 
future requests continue to grow. But I also look forward to a 
time that budget increases outpace the continued cost growth of 
projects.
    I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today, and 
continuing the dialogue and work needed for a successful MILCON 
Program.
    And with that, Madam Chair, I yield back.
    Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Ranking Member 
Boozman. I will now introduce our first panel:
    We have Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy 
Installations, and Environment, Brendan Owens.
    Representing the Navy, we have Deputy Chief of Naval 
Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics, Vice Admiral 
Ricky Williamson. And as Senator Boozman said, I will note that 
this is the Vice Admiral's last hearing with us, as he is 
retiring from the Navy after 43 years. Thank you, for your 
service. We all appreciate it.
    And finally, we have the Deputy Commander for Installations 
and Logistics for the Marine Corps, Lieutenant General Edward 
Banta.
    We will proceed now with witness testimony, starting with 
Assistant Secretary Owens, then Admiral Williamson, and 
finishing with General Banta. Each will have three minutes.
    And Assistant Secretary Owens, you may begin.

                SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. BRENDAN OWENS

    Mr. Owens. Thanks very much Chairwoman Murray, Ranking 
Member Boozman, distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, on 
behalf of myself and my Service colleagues, thank you for the 
opportunity to discuss the President's fiscal year 2024 Budget 
Request for the Department's Military Construction and Family 
Housing Programs.
    This is my first time testifying before this committee, I 
have got some friends at the table who have got me beat by 
quite a bit. But I look forward to working with you in the 
coming months to continue aligning our policies and resources 
to support the National Defense Strategy.
    The 2022 NDS is clear. We are operating in an increasingly 
complex, global threat environment and environmental change, 
characterized by significant geopolitical, technical, economic, 
and environmental change.
    The People's Republic of China remains the dominant pacing 
challenge with its increasingly aggressive efforts to undermine 
U.S. alliances and security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific 
region. We also face threats from actors like Russia, North 
Korea, and Iran, as well as climate change and other 
transboundary challenges.
    Together, these threats not only pressure the Joint Force's 
power projection and maneuver capabilities, but also put the 
safety and security of the homeland at risk. Countering these 
threats requires a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem 
that can operate in a contested environment at home and abroad.
    As such, we are ensuring that our installations and 
infrastructure are resilient to a wide range of challenges by 
implementing policy updates, innovating in how we plan, design, 
and build, and employing--and deploying technology to counter 
the diversifying threats we face.
    In the Indo-Pacific, specifically, there are two key 
priorities that will be critical to the success of this effort, 
retaining vital mission capabilities in the State of Hawaii, 
and ensuring that critical military construction efforts in 
Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
remain on track by extending the exemption for the H-2B visa 
temporary need requirement through 2029.
    We look forward to partnering with Congress, the State of 
Hawaii, Guam, the CNMI, and other Federal stakeholders in doing 
the work necessary to ensure that these priorities can be 
addressed.
    More broadly, we are requesting $14.7 billion in the budget 
for military construction across the Department, an increase of 
44 percent from last year's request.
    In addition, we are requesting $3.5 billion for 
installation energy which will support our efforts to ensure we 
have credible, resilient installation energy capabilities that 
can deter, defend against, and help defeat adversarial actions.
    The backbone of these efforts is the Energy Resilience and 
Conservation Investment Program, or ERCIP, which supports a 
full range of projects and technologies, with a focus on 
microgrids, backup generation, and energy storage. Our request 
for this vital program is $634 million, $81 million above our 
fiscal year 2023 request.
    Finally, the Department continues to focus on ensuring that 
Service members have access to safe, quality, affordable family 
and unaccompanied housing. We are requesting $1.9 billion for 
family housing to sustain our increased focus and ensuring the 
delivery and maintenance of quality housing for military 
families, and an additional $463 million to modernize 
unaccompanied personnel housing, to improve privacy, and 
provide greater amenities.
    For privatized housing, we will also continue to ensure 
accountability at all levels within DOD, and the MHPI 
companies, as necessary, to enforce performance.
    Nothing is more important to us than our people, our 
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and their 
families, the investments that we make to improve the built and 
natural environments where they live and work, are investments 
that pay off by improving their health and well-being.
    We appreciate Congress', and this Subcommittee's continued 
support for these efforts. And we look forward to your 
questions.
    [The statement follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Hon. Brendan Owens
                              introduction
    Chairwoman Murray, Ranking Member Boozman, and distinguished 
members of the subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to discuss 
the President's Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for the Department of 
Defense's (DoD) energy, installations, and environment programs. As the 
newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, 
Installations & Environment (EI&E), I am grateful to be able to serve 
the people who safeguard this nation and ensure they have safe, 
healthy, efficient, and resilient places to live and work. Our 
installations are the foundations of our National security posture, and 
I look forward with this committee in the coming months to continue 
aligning our policies and resources to support the National Defense 
Strategy.
                supporting the national defense strategy
    The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) is built to respond to the 
increasing complexity of the global threat environment is becoming 
increasingly complex, characterized by significant geopolitical, 
technological, economic, and environmental change. The People's 
Republic of China (PRC) remains the Department's pacing challenge with 
its increasingly aggressive efforts to undermine U.S. alliances and 
security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. However, we also face 
threats from actors like Russia, North Korea, and Iran, as well as 
climate change and other transboundary challenges. Together, these 
threats not only pressure the Joint Force's power projection and 
maneuver capabilities, but also put the safety and security of the 
homeland at risk.
    To address these challenges, the NDS identifies four top-level 
defense priorities: defend the homeland; deter strategic attacks 
against the United States, our Allies, and our partners; deter 
aggression and be prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary; and 
build a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem.
    Each mission within our energy, installations, and environmental 
portfolio is directly engaged in the successful execution of this 
strategy. Our over 500 bases, posts, camps, stations, yards, and 
centers around the world are the vital network of mission support 
capabilities that form the backbone of an integrated deterrence posture 
that is both resilient enough to withstand, fight through, and recover 
quickly from disruption, and adaptable enough to apply deterrence 
approaches that can be tailored to address specific challenges. We 
continue to ensure that the missions being conducted under the 
Department's campaigning initiatives are supported by reliable and 
secure fuel and energy, whether they are out in the field or on base. 
Finally, by effectively managing both the built and natural environment 
and ensuring that our warfighters have access to the land, water, and 
airspace they need to maintain their readiness, while also protecting 
their health and safety, we are building the enduring advantage needed 
to advance our defense and security goals.
    The continued support of Congress, and in particular, this 
subcommittee, has allowed the Department to enhance the agility, 
resilience, readiness, and lethality of our forces around the world. 
There are several key priorities and progress updates that I would like 
to focus on today, including our ongoing efforts to optimize our 
posture in the Indo-Pacific region, the progress we've made to improve 
the resilience of our Joint Force, and the updates on our environmental 
cleanup and housing programs.
     supporting the department's posture in the indo-pacific region
    As noted in the 2022 National Defense Strategy, the PRC is ``the 
most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security'' 
and that meeting this challenge will require a holistic response 
centered on an integrated deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific 
region. The Department continues to strengthen and sustain the 
distributed, resilient capabilities needed to achieve this posture and 
counter the PRC's increasingly coercive and aggressive actions in the 
Indo-Pacific. We recognize that this must be done in close cooperation 
with our allies, partners, and other stakeholders. As such, EI&E is 
focusing on two critical priorities that will be critical to our Indo- 
Pacific posture: retaining access to training lands in Hawaii and 
addressing workforce challenges affecting the military construction 
work in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
(CNMI). We look forward to working with the State of Hawaii, Guam, the 
CNMI, and our DoD and other Federal partners to ensure that these 
priorities can be addressed.
             retention of critical training land in hawaii
    The relationship between the U.S. Military and Hawaii has been a 
critical piece of U.S. military and diplomatic strategy for over 125 
years. Hawaii's strategic location in the Pacific, its unique training 
and port areas, and its support for critical defense missions makes it 
a cornerstone of our posture in the Indo-Pacific region. In support of 
this vital defense mission, the Military Departments lease 
approximately 72,000 acres of land across five islands in the chain. 
These lands, which are adjacent to U.S.-owned installations, provide 
ideal locations for specialized defense capabilities, multi-domain 
operating areas to generate future force readiness, and training ranges 
that our Joint Force leverages along with allies and partners.
    The Department recognizes that recent incidents, particularly the 
fuel and concentrated Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) spills at Red 
Hill and the diesel spill at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, have 
resulted in a severe and worsening loss of public trust between the DoD 
and Hawaii's people. This situation presents extremely challenging 
conditions for DoD negotiations with the State to retain use of these 
leased lands, and it is anticipated that senior DoD leadership will 
need to engage consistently, respectfully, and transparently to repair 
relationships and build back trust. The Department is working 
diligently to improve relationships and communicate effectively with 
stakeholders (State and local government, Native Hawaiian 
organizations, and other interest groups). Joint Task Force Red Hill is 
on plan to deliver on Secretary Austin's commitment to defuel and close 
the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and we hope that the execution 
on this promise ushers in a new era of cooperation between the people 
of Hawaii and DoD.
    The partnerships and relationships that enable the continuation of 
the critical military missions in Hawaii are vital to the U.S. military 
strategy in the Pacific and our National strategy to promote stability 
in the region. The leases for approximately 44,000 acres of state land 
will expire within 10 years. The Military Departments are seeking to 
negotiate new property agreements for 22 separate parcels, including 
training areas, main cantonments and support areas, and easements 
(including ocean area) prior to their expiration in 2028, 2029, and 
2030. The expected timeline for reaching new property agreements, which 
will require lengthy and robust environmental compliance and real 
estate due diligence is 5-7 years. Through consistent, public actions 
that support and benefit both the military and State of Hawaii, the 
Department will endeavor to build relationships and set the right 
conditions today to enable productive future negotiations.
        construction workforce issues in the indo-pacific region
    The Department has several upcoming key posture actions in Guam and 
the CNMI that will require historic levels of military construction, 
including the relocation of Marines from Okinawa, Missile Defense 
Agency Defense of Guam, and Polaris Point expansion. However, while 
Guam ranks 3rd highest nationally in construction workforce per capita, 
the current military construction demands require a workforce more than 
twice as large as the local construction workforce (currently 4,400 
people). The anticipated levels of future military construction will 
further exacerbate consistent labor shortages that have already left 
private construction projects unable to meet their baseline needs. To 
deliver these critical military construction projects on time, the 
local workforce must be augmented. Despite concerted and sustained 
efforts by the Guam Department of Labor and DoD, construction 
opportunities in this region have never been able to attract a 
sufficient number of U.S. workers to Guam and the CNMI to support 
construction requirements. The only reliable mechanism available to DoD 
to sufficiently augment the construction workforce on Guam and CNMI is 
the H-2B visa program.
    To ensure that DoD construction contractors have a stable H-2B visa 
workforce for the military realignment projects described above, DoD 
requires relief through December 31, 2029, from the H-2B visa temporary 
need requirement. While we appreciate the 1-year extension in the 
Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that pushed 
the expiration date to December 31, 2024, the longer-term extension is 
needed to meet DoD's construction requirements.
    Labor market uncertainty will, at a minimum, significantly delay or 
even derail DoD's ability to meet force posture requirements in Guam 
and the CNMI. Current construction cost estimates and schedule 
commitments in Guam and the CNMI are based on and require a stable 
labor market throughout construction. The construction contracts are 
typically over 2 years in duration and in certain cases are much 
longer. These contracts are typically firm-fixed price contracts which 
require the contractor to make assumptions based on availability of 
resources (labor, construction materials, etc.). Contractors may choose 
not to even compete for these critical projects if the risk or 
uncertainty surrounding the labor market is too high for them to have 
the confidence necessary to complete a project. Continued short-term 
exemption extensions of exemption from the temporary need requirement 
for a H-2B visa does not resolve the uncertainty around the 
availability of labor and leaves the risk of annual labor market 
disruption intact. Heightened contractor risk will drive bid and cost 
increases and result in schedule delays. The Department looks forward 
to working with Congress to prevent this contingency and keep currently 
programmed and near-term planned projects on track.
                      improving mission resilience
    A key pillar of the National Defense Strategy is to build a 
resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem that can operate in a 
contested environment at home and abroad. As such, we must work to 
ensure our energy, installations, and infrastructure are resilient to a 
wide range of challenges, to include weather, climate, natural events, 
disruptions to energy or water supplies, and physical or cyber attacks. 
The Department requires a multi-faceted approach consisting of policy 
adjustments; better planning, design, and construction; and innovative 
technology to counter such a diverse set of threats.
                       infrastructure resilience
    The Department is improving mission resilience at the building and 
installation level by developing policy that establishes stringent 
energy performance goals in new and existing buildings and enables them 
to run on electricity. My office is working with DoD components to 
leverage the Department's facility data to inform infrastructure 
recapitalization decisions and ensure Components have the tools 
necessary to prioritize building upgrades for a secure energy future. 
We are updating all Unified Facilities Criteria to dramatically improve 
the energy performance of newly-constructed buildings, support electric 
building systems and components to increase mission resilience and 
integrate effectively within an installation micro-grid. These actions 
add capability, ensuring installations can operate under all conditions 
and expanding options for providing support to civilian authorities and 
local communities. Finally, the Department is pursuing a comprehensive 
plan and associated investments to deploy the charging infrastructure 
essential to transition our non-tactical vehicle fleet to electric 
power enabling installations to utilize the storage capacity of 
electric vehicles and add capability that furthers our investments in 
micro-grids. The Department aims to make 100 percent of its annual 
vehicle acquisitions Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) by 2035.
                         military construction
    Infrastructure resilience is integrated into the military 
construction (MILCON) program, where we continue to focus on critical 
mission requirements as well as life, health, and safety concerns. We 
are requesting $14.7 billion in the budget for Military Construction 
across the Department, an increase of 44 percent from last year's 
request, primarily due to infrastructure requirements for the Pacific 
Deterrence Initiative ($2.0 billion), investments in the Shipyard 
Infrastructure Optimization Program ($2.3 billion), quality of life 
facilities (including child development centers, barracks and dining 
facilities, dormitories, and schools--$0.81 billion), new aircraft 
beddown (B-21, KC-46A, F-35, T-7A--$725 million), European Deterrence 
Initiative and NATO Security Investment Program (NSIP) ($590 million), 
hospital and medical facilities ($444 million), projects in support of 
the modernization efforts in support of Sentinel Ground Based Strategic 
Deterrent program ($140 million), and construction projects in support 
of special warfare operators ($287 million).
    This request also includes $2.556 billion for the Defense-Wide 
Components, including:

  --$281 million for dependent educational facilities;

  --$275 million for incremental funding of fuel infrastructure;

  --$185 million for a Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters Annex 
        (NIP-funded)

  --$148 million for a Missile Defense Agency Ground Test Facility 
        Infrastructure project;

  --$485 million for recapitalization of National Security Agency 
        facilities (NIP-funded);

  --$287 million to address, force structure growth disconnects, and 
        antiquated infrastructure for Special Operations Forces;

  --$31 million for Washington Headquarters Services facilities;

  --$548 million for the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment 
        Program; and

  --$301 million for exercise related construction, unspecific minor 
        construction, and planning and design for defense-wide future 
        year projects.

    In addition, the Defense-Wide request contains $444 million for 
medical facility recapitalization including $102 million for the 
seventh increment (of a $695 million project) for the Walter Reed 
Medical Center Addition/Alteration at Naval Support Activity Bethesda, 
Maryland; $77 million for the eleventh increment (of a $1.59 billion 
project) for the Medical Center Replacement at Rhine Ordnance Barracks, 
Germany; $60 million for the first increment (of a $257 million 
project) for an Ambulatory Care Center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, $103 
million for an Ambulatory Care Center-Dental Clinic Addition/Alteration 
at Miramar, California, and $102 million for an Ambulatory Care Center-
Dental Clinic Replacement at San Diego, California.
    These projects are critical for our continued delivery of the 
quality health care that our service members and their families 
deserve.
    Our focus continues to be on developing projects that are 
appropriately scoped and priced to ensure execution is on-time and 
within cost. The primary emphasis of the Department's Military 
Construction Reform initiative is on early involvement between project 
sponsors and the DoD Construction Agents (DCAs) responsible for 
executing the projects. In addition, we are working with the DCAs and 
industry to introduce their knowledge and expertise earlier into our 
project planning and design activities to ensure executable projects. 
We are close to finalizing a comprehensive policy associated with the 
planning and design of military construction projects. This policy will 
ensure that all DoD Components clearly understand the difference 
between planning activities and design activities to consistently apply 
the appropriate funding to each task. Additionally, DoD is focusing on 
sharing information between key project stakeholders, ensuring that 
critical details such as project requirements, acquisition timelines, 
and construction status inform proactive decisions on projects. This 
enhanced information sharing will allow project stakeholders to manage 
scope and cost changes with minimal impact to project delivery.
    The Department recognizes the challenges associated with estimating 
and awarding military construction projects on budget, particularly 
given recent supply chain tightening and significant material price 
increases. We appreciate the additional support Congress has provided 
over the last few fiscal years to ensure that authorized project costs 
are better positioned based on market realities. However, the 
Department acknowledges that it has work to do to ensure that estimates 
result in executable projects. This year we are also making sure an 
appropriate level of resourcing is provided to the DCAs so they can 
provide improved oversight of our construction contracts.
         facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
    The Department's inventory of buildings and structures is the 
largest within the Federal portfolio. Facilities Sustainment provides 
for the regularly scheduled maintenance, repair, or replacement of 
facility components and directly influences the condition of our 
facilities. These investments must be made throughout the service life 
of a facility to optimize its performance and support the safety, 
productivity, and quality of life of our personnel, while also reducing 
avoidable costs associated with premature deterioration. In addition to 
facilities sustainment funding, the Department relies upon its 
Restoration and Modernization program funding to provide ongoing 
support to reduce our maintenance and repair backlog and to modify our 
facilities to support improvements in our technologically driven 
functions.
    The Department's fiscal year 2024 budget request includes $13.8 
billion of sustainment funding for the Military Services and the major 
Defense-Wide organizations. This represents a $1.2 billion increase 
from the $12.6 billion in the fiscal Year 2023 budget request that will 
achieve an average of 88 percent, excluding the Marine Corps from the 
overall calculation (the goal is 90 percent) of the Department's annual 
requirement for facilities sustainment, and a 3 percent increase from 
85 percent in the fiscal Year 2023 request. Within the budget request, 
each Military Component and Agency, excluding the Marine Corps, Air 
Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, is funded to at least 85 
percent of the modeled requirement. We are working with the Marine 
Corps to pilot a comprehensive model that would optimize FSRM and 
MilCon facility investments across their real property portfolio.
    In addition to facilities sustainment funding, the Department 
relies upon its Restoration and Modernization (R&M) program funding to 
provide ongoing support to assigned missions by countering obsolescence 
and reversing degraded conditions of existing facilities. The fiscal 
Year 2024 budget request includes $6.2 billion in Operations and 
Maintenance appropriations for facilities R&M, a 14 percent increase 
compared to our $5.4 billion fiscal Year 2023 budget request.
    Currently, the Department has managed the budgeting for sustainment 
of assets at the portfolio level with a sustainment model. This model, 
however, relies on an inventory approach to requirements development, 
which does not directly align asset investment requirements to 
expenditures. In implementing its Sustainment Management System (SMS), 
the Department has moved closer toward instituting an asset management 
approach to facility management. Our next step will be to improve data 
driven asset management by developing a facility investment 
optimization model for the Department that will optimize the allocation 
of facility repair funding to maximize the condition of our facilities. 
This initiative is just beginning, but we anticipate the tool will be 
able to promote more efficient facility investments and detail the 
mission benefits achieved based on the investments. Unlike our current 
sustainment model, this tool will consider the asset's condition, the 
asset's individual system components, and the mission contribution of 
the asset. This initiative is guiding our transition into an asset 
management approach for budgeting and managing the Department's 
inventory more holistically. It will also provide much needed data in 
the building component systems and their maintenance and 
recapitalization schedules to properly conduct sustainment, which will 
reduce energy demand. The additional data will also allow the 
Department to better plan electrification of existing projects, 
consistent with our energy resilience goals.
     energy resilience and conservation investment program (ercip)
    In 2021, the ERCIP program became a specified MILCON program 
focused on improving the energy resilience of our installations with an 
emphasis on critical missions. Today, ERCIP is the backbone of our 
energy and water resilience investments. We are requesting $634.3 
million to prioritize energy project investments where they best 
support the defense posture, with a focus on microgrids, backup 
generation, and energy storage. In addition, ERCIP will continue to 
support a range of technologies and efforts, including renewable 
energy, energy storage, geothermal, accelerated deployment of air and 
ground source heat pumps, and infrastructure projects directly 
supporting distribution infrastructure for electrical vehicle charging 
stations.
    The Department appreciates the support Congress has provided to the 
ERCIP as it evolved from a conservation-focused program to one that 
emphasizes resilience.
                           energy resilience
    Reliable, flexible, and resilient energy access remains essential 
to military capability and readiness. The Department depends on energy-
resilient forces, weapon systems, installations, and infrastructure to 
achieve its mission, at home and abroad. While our installations 
utilize commercial, municipal, and host nation power and energy grids 
for day-to-day operations (including command and control systems, 
communications, lighting, heating, and cooling), as a readiness matter, 
we also must have credible and resilient localized installation energy 
capabilities that can deter, defend against, and help defeat 
adversarial actions. Similarly, for operational energy uses--most 
notably combat platforms--the Department relies on organic capabilities 
as well as commercial partners to provide fuel and energy to globally 
deployed forces. Our potential adversaries understand the essential 
nature of energy, and seek to degrade, delay, or deny the Department's 
ability to access energy at-will, reducing our readiness and deterrence 
posture. In response to these threats and in alignment with statute, 
the Department shall ``ensure readiness of the armed forces for their 
military missions by pursuing energy security and energy resilience'' 
(10 U.S.C. Sec. 2911) and ``ensure the types, availability, and use of 
operational energy promote the readiness of the armed forces'' (10 
U.S.C. Sec. 2926).
    The President and the Secretary of Defense have directed the 
Department to ensure installations and forces are resilient to all 
hazards--kinetic, cyber, and natural--and that the use of energy 
promotes the readiness of the armed forces for their military missions. 
In response, the Department is making significant energy investments in 
both operational energy (the energy required for training, moving, and 
sustaining military forces and weapons platforms for military 
operations) and installation energy (the energy used to power permanent 
installations and non- tactical fleet vehicles), reflected in our 
fiscal year 2024 requests of $3.5 billion for operational energy and 
$3.3 billion for installation energy. Enhancing energy resilience and 
reducing energy demand are essential to achieving Joint lethality, 
supporting distributed operations, and reducing risks to sustainment in 
contested environments.
    The Department continues to invest resources in planning, research 
and technology development, and acquisition to promote and improve the 
readiness of our armed forces against pacing threats through energy 
awareness, energy demand reduction, energy security, and energy 
resilience. In doing so, the Department often engages with local 
communities to gain synergies across connected systems, whether energy, 
water, transportation or communications.
    The Department is also adapting its capability development 
processes to better align with the challenges of contested logistics 
and distributed, austere operations. In April 2022, the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense directed that the ``Department's capability 
development activities, from requirements to acquisition to 
sustainment, must increase energy supportability and must reduce energy 
demand across all capability solutions.'' In response, the Military 
Departments and USD(A&S) are adapting decision-making to ensure that 
requirements for new capabilities are informed by contested logistics 
and that these requirements are supported in program decision- making 
and acquisitions.
                               innovation
    Making the right investments in energy and environment innovations 
expands the Department's operational energy capabilities, reduces fuel 
burden in an era of contested logistics, keeps trust with the American 
people and preserves vital training lands. The Department runs two, 
related innovation programs. For installations, the Strategic 
Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) is requesting 
$60.4 million and the Environmental Security Technology Certification 
Program (ESTCP) is requesting $117.2 million for needed investments in 
land and species conservation to preserve access to training areas, 
cleaning up past hazards such as munitions and PFAS, and developing 
energy efficiency and energy resilience solutions for DoD 
installations. The Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund 
(OECIF), and the Operational Energy Prototyping Fund (OEPF) are the 
Department's only joint research efforts dedicated to developing 
operational energy solutions for the joint force. Our $171.7 million 
request for OECIF and $53.7 million request for OEPF will allow these 
programs to invest in a range of technologies, from hybrid electric 
tactical vehicles that provide silent overwatch and low heat-signature 
capabilities, to blended wing body aircraft that have a fuel savings 
improvement of over 30 percent as compared to traditional aircraft and 
highly efficient solar cells to extend the flight time of UAVs.
                        environmental resilience
    The reality of a changing climate poses a range of risks to 
Department readiness and threatens installation resilience through 
drought, dangerous heat, flooding, wildland fire, and extreme weather. 
These conditions adversely impact training, soldier welfare, equipment 
performance and place and added strain on the Department's resources. 
The 2022 National Security Strategy recognizes climate change as a 
strategic challenge that is transforming the context in which the 
Department operates. To that end, DoD is requesting $5.1 billion in 
Department-wide capability- and resilience-enhancing climate-related 
efforts, including $25.7 million of OSD funding for EI&E climate 
resilience efforts, which will continue to support a range of climate 
measures as part of an ``all-hazards'' approach to installation 
planning. Using the DoD Climate Assessment Tool, as required in 
multiple NDAAs, we identify actions needed to ensure the continuity of 
missions at (or deploying from) our installations and incorporate those 
actions into installation master plans, installation resilience plans, 
installation energy and water plans, and construction projects. These 
assessment processes have now expanded to inform Department operational 
planning considerations for forces and equipment and wargaming 
scenarios. Additionally, DoD's approach to climate risk assessment has 
been shared with, and is being utilized by Federal interagency 
partners, as well as allied nations.
    The Department is undertaking a range of measures that both improve 
and expand operational capabilities and resilience while also reducing 
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). These efforts include a range of 
efficiency measures that reduce energy demand for operational platforms 
and installations such as winglets on large aircraft and highly 
efficient heat pumps in buildings. The Department is also deploying a 
range of flexible and alternative fuels technologies and electrifying 
tactical and non-tactical mobile platforms to reduce costs and add 
capability. Specific attention is being given to deploying 
installation-scale micro-grids and tactical micro- grids at the 
operational level to add resilience to key mission requirements and 
enhance mission assurance. The Department, in concert with other 
agencies such as DoE, continues to invest in researching new 
technologies that promise to reduce vulnerabilities, expand 
environmental protections, add operational capabilities, and reduce GHG 
emissions.
         environmental conservation and compatible development
    DoD lands contain significant resources supporting our Nation's 
natural and cultural heritage, including resources important to 
American Indian, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian Organizations. 
DoD lands provide habitats for over 500 plant and animal species that 
are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act and contain 
over 130,000 recorded archaeological sites, and 45 National Historic 
Landmarks. We are requesting $687 million in conservation funding, 
which will allow us to manage these resources in compliance with 
applicable Federal statutes and manage for healthy and resilient 
natural landscapes to reduce climate driven risks such as flooding and 
wildfire.
    DoD has a long track record of balancing conservation of threatened 
and endangered species while continuing to support evolving mission 
needs requiring optimal use of our existing ranges and training areas 
and developing other supporting infrastructure. DoD investments in 
conservation are making significant progress towards alleviating these 
restrictions by promoting species recovery. Through the Recovery and 
Sustainment Partnership (RASP) with the Department of the Interior 
(DOI) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, DoD has worked to 
identify priority species and conservation actions, resulting in 
significant improvements to species recovery and conservation, 
regulatory efficiencies, and mission flexibility. In recognition of the 
Department's commitment to conservation, five species occurring on San 
Clemente Island, CA were removed from the protections of the Endangered 
Species Act on January 24 of this year due to the successes of the US 
Navy recovering these species from the brink of extinction. This is a 
win for both the Navy and species, and other such successes are on the 
horizon. We will continue to work with our Federal, State and non-
governmental partners through the DoD Legacy Resource Management 
Program to build on these successes and contribute, as appropriate, to 
the priorities of the Administration's America the Beautiful 
Initiative.
    In the next two decades, approximately 80 percent of the current 
DoD building inventory will reach 50 years of age and need to be 
evaluated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. To 
manage the aging real property assets on installations, DoD is engaging 
with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to develop new 
nationwide programmatic solutions to streamline compliance 
responsibilities for specific categories of buildings. Such 
programmatic agreements reduce the time and cost of consultation as 
well as costs for repairs, renovations, and demolition of buildings (if 
needed). Absent such agreements, the Department's managerial and 
financial costs of complying with a variety of preservation laws will 
increase exponentially, diverting funds from base operations and 
MILCON.
    Continued investments in conservation will maximize our flexibility 
to use our land, water, and airspace for military purposes and to 
address incompatible land uses beyond our fence lines and will ensure 
that our military and civilian personnel have the access they need to 
conduct mission- essential activities. Strategies to address these 
conservation and climate adaptation priorities can be most effective 
through landscape-scale initiatives to better capitalize on both our 
on- installation conservation programs and our off-installation 
conservation partnerships through the Readiness and Environmental 
Protection Integration (REPI) Program.
   readiness and environmental protection integration (repi) program
    The REPI Program safeguards military missions by improving 
installation resilience to extreme weather events and climactic 
changes, promoting compatible land use, and preserving critical 
habitats and natural resources near DOD installations and ranges. REPI 
is uniquely positioned to support DOD's ability to operate seamlessly 
across domains by stimulating mutually beneficial and cost-effective 
partnerships between local communities, Federal and State agencies, and 
non- governmental organizations.
    Our fiscal Year 2024 budget request for REPI is $178.8 million, 
which is a $10 million increase over fiscal Year 2023. The increase 
will fund an additional two to three projects to support strategic 
priorities in the Pacific, focused on state partnerships with the 
Hawaiian Department of Agriculture and Department of Land and Natural 
Resources and local partnerships with counties, non- governmental 
organizations, and Native Hawaiian Organizations.
    Through fiscal Year 2022, the REPI Program has helped attract over 
$1.1 billion in non-DOD partner contributions--nearly doubling DOD's 
investment--to protect over 1.1 million acres of land that is 
sustaining military mission at 120 installations in 35 States and 
territories. Over the past year, the REPI Program has expanded project 
planning capacity and execution of projects in the Indo- Pacific region 
that promote installation resilience and is expanding innovative 
partnerships that support mission capabilities and enhance resource 
conservation and community benefits. For example, in Hawaii, the REPI 
Program invested over $21 million in fiscal Year 2022 to address 
watershed health, mitigate climate risks, and preserve agriculture and 
culturally significant parcels, and will invest over $26 million on 
similar Hawaiian partnership efforts in fiscal year 2023.
    The REPI Program also continues to support the interagency Sentinel 
Landscapes Partnership between DoD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA), and the DOI. The Partnership promotes shared land use 
priorities and works to advance conservation outcomes in landscapes 
across the country where national defense, sustainable agriculture and 
forestry, and community resilience to climate change intersect. Through 
fiscal Year 2021, DoD has led collaborative efforts with Federal, 
State, local, and private partners across 10 Sentinel Landscapes to 
permanently protect over 610,000 acres of land and implement 
sustainable management practices on an additional 3.1 million acres. 
DoD continues to support the designation of new Sentinel Landscapes. 
For example, the REPI Program has joined with the Trust for Public Land 
in Hawaii to support a potential future Hawaii Sentinel Landscape 
designation.
    The REPI Program has been identified in DoD's Climate Adaptation 
Plan as one of the key tools the Department will use to create 
resilient natural infrastructure solutions near installations and 
enhance climate adaptation. Through the National Fish and Wildlife 
Foundation's 2022 National Coastal Resilience Fund, the REPI Program 
contributed $15 million to advance seven natural infrastructure 
projects that benefit DOD installations and ranges. These projects 
leverage significant additional funding from the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration and other partners to accelerate project 
outcomes that defend national security, maximize taxpayer benefits, and 
support sustainable land management practices.
    In addition to enhancing critical mission capabilities and 
promoting resilience, many REPI projects support community-based 
conservation, recreation, and other quality of life programs. For 
example, Fort Harrison in Montana has partnered with the Prickly Pear 
Land Trust to expand the Nationally recognized Peaks to Creeks 
Initiative, a community-driven effort to expand public access to the 
region's waterways, open spaces, and trail networks. DoD plans to 
expand these types of opportunities in fiscal year 2023 by partnering 
with the National Parks Service Land and Water Conservation Fund on a 
new notice of funding opportunity to conserve lands that increase 
public access and recreation while promoting compatible land uses 
aligned with local military missions and requirements.
                       taking care of our people
    The Department of Defense's people are its greatest strength, and 
we are committed to ensuring that they have safe, healthy, efficient, 
and resilient places to live and work. These places should enhance the 
health, well-being, and readiness of our Service members, their 
families, and the communities that support them. We recognize that this 
requires us to be good stewards of the environment and good neighbors 
and partners with the communities that support our installations. As 
such, the Department must ensure that it has a robust environmental 
cleanup program to address the effects of releases of hazardous 
substances, pollutants, or contaminants into the environment. The 
Department must also maintain safe and efficient facilities and improve 
the quality of life for our military personnel and their families by 
ensuring access to safe, quality, and affordable housing.
               defense environmental restoration program
    The Department must take deliberate and sustained action to address 
risks to human health and the environment resulting from DoD 
activities. Our environmental cleanup program includes the Installation 
Restoration Program (IRP) and Military Munitions Response Program 
(MMRP). The IRP is focused on cleanup of hazardous substances, 
pollutants, and contaminants, while the MMRP is focused on responding 
to unexploded ordnance and munition constituents at former military 
ranges. These programs encompass active installations, Formerly Used 
Defense Sites (FUDS--sites that DoD transferred to other Federal 
agencies, States, local governments, or private landowners before 
October 17, 1986), and sites DoD transferred to other entities as part 
of its Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) activities. We are 
requesting nearly $1.5 billion for these programs, including $1.1 
billion for environmental restoration on our active installations and 
FUDS properties and $365 million for BRAC environmental.
                     progress towards cleanup goals
    To date, the Department, in cooperation with State agencies and the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has completed cleanup 
activities at 87 percent of Active and BRAC IRP and MMRP sites, and 
FUDS IRP sites, and is now monitoring the results. During fiscal Year 
2022 alone, the Department completed cleanup at 192 sites. Of the 
roughly 40,300 restoration sites, more than 34,200 are now in 
monitoring status or have completed cleanup.
    Our focus remains on continuous improvement in the restoration 
program: minimizing overhead, adopting new technologies to reduce cost 
and accelerate cleanup, refining and standardizing our cost estimating, 
and improving our relationships with state regulators and affected 
communities through increased dialogue. These initiatives help ensure 
that we make the best use of our available resources to complete 
cleanup.
    While the Department continues to make progress on completing 
cleanups, the remaining sites are some of the most complex cleanup 
sites. Chemicals of Emerging Concern and others like per- and 
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continue to pose challenges for DoD's 
cleanup programs as new science requires reconsideration of previous 
decisions and more expensive solutions to protect our Service members, 
their families, communities, and the environment.
    Additionally, some complex sites have no feasible solution for 
cleanup and, as a result, the Department is making significant 
investments in environmental technology to identify new potential 
remediation methods.
                  per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
    The presence of PFAS in the environment is a national issue due to 
its wide-spread use in many industrial and consumer products. The 
Department recognizes the importance of this issue and is committed to 
addressing PFAS in a deliberative, holistic, and transparent manner, 
supported by $415 million across multiple appropriations. The 
Department established a PFAS Task Force in July 2019, and Congress 
codified it in statute last year. We are providing quarterly reports to 
you on the Task Force's activities. The Task Force continues to provide 
strategic leadership and direction on DoD-wide efforts, while focusing 
on four main goals:

  --Mitigating and eliminating the use of the current aqueous film 
        forming foam (AFFF);

  --Fulfilling our cleanup responsibilities;

  --Understanding the impacts of PFAS on human health; and

  --Expanding PFAS-related public outreach.

    In addition to these four focus areas, the Task Force has and 
continues to support substantial research efforts relating to PFAS and 
is establishing practices to ensure timely and complete dissemination 
of research findings and related data to the public.
    Over the last year, the Department has made notable progress. For 
example:

  --DoD has completed over half of its initial cleanup investigations 
        for installations identified by the Department as locations 
        where PFAS may have been used or potentially released.

  --DoD has hosted several virtual PFAS public outreach meetings and is 
        planning additional senior leader engagements, as well as site 
        visits to impacted communities to gather input for more 
        effective future outreach.

  --DoD launched a new website that includes PFAS sampling results for 
        drinking water taken in communities surrounding DoD 
        installations.

  --DoD's research and development efforts contributed to the 
        development of a new Military Specification for a fluorine-free 
        replacement to AFFF and have led to a total of 50 PFAS 
        treatment technologies that have passed proof of concept and 
        are further in development or the demonstration phase.

  --The Military Departments are developing comprehensive plans for the 
        transition to PFAS-free alternatives to AFFF and are evaluating 
        available technologies, in addition to alternative foams, to 
        replace AFFF systems in facilities.
                       afff replacement progress
    Over the past few years, the Department has undertaken an 
aggressive initiative to develop and demonstrate PFAS-free alternatives 
for AFFF. A number of commercially-available and developmental PFAS-
free alternative formulations have been demonstrated to achieve 
acceptable fire extinguishment performance. DoD has completed 
evaluations of the shelf life, materials compatibility, and general 
toxicity of these formulations and the Navy used these results to 
develop a new Military Specification--published January 12, 2023. The 
Military Departments are also evaluating available technologies, in 
addition to alternative foams, to replace current AFFF systems in 
facilities as part of the development of comprehensive plans detailing 
the transition to AFFF alternatives in both facilities and vehicles.
               pfas cleanup and drinking water mitigation
    DoD follows the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the long-standing EPA regulations for 
all chemicals in our cleanup program, including PFAS. The Defense 
Environmental Restoration Program statute provides authorities to DoD 
to perform and fund cleanup actions and requires they be carried out in 
accordance with CERCLA.
    As of December 31, 2022, the Department has completed the initial 
assessment at 405 (of 706) installations and of those, 101 were found 
to require no further action, while 304 are proceeding to the next step 
in the CERCLA process. During these initial assessments, DoD evaluates 
both groundwater and drinking water. If DoD identifies PFOS and/or PFOA 
from DoD activities in off-base drinking water above 70 parts per 
trillion, we quickly take action (i.e., a CERCLA removal action) to 
provide treatment or an alternative water source.
    While the Department is making significant progress toward 
completing these initial assessments by December 2023, some additional 
work may be required as science develops and recommendations from our 
Federal partners evolve. For example, in May 2022, EPA released new 
regional screening levels for certain PFAS. DoD is currently 
reevaluating several completed PA/SIs to assess if additional work is 
necessary based on these new values. These reevaluations could affect 
DoD's timeline for completion.
    In March 2023, EPA proposed a National Primary Drinking Water 
Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The 
Department looks forward to the clarity the NPDWR for six PFAS in 
drinking water, when finalized, will provide. In anticipation of a 
final EPA NPDWR, and to account for emerging science that shows 
potential health effects from PFOS and PFOA at levels lower than 70 
parts per trillion (ppt), the Department is evaluating its efforts to 
address PFAS in drinking water. This includes assessing what actions 
DoD can take to be prepared to incorporate EPA's future regulatory 
standard into our current cleanup process, such as reviewing our 
existing data and conducting additional sampling where necessary. In 
addition, DoD will incorporate nationwide PFAS cleanup guidance, issued 
by EPA and applicable to all owners and operators under CERCLA, as to 
when to provide alternate water when PFAS are present.
    In addition, as part of our normal operations, the Department has 
sampled over 500 on-base DoD drinking water systems worldwide. Of 
those, we identified 37 with PFOS and/or PFOA above 70 ppt and took 
quick action to bring those systems below 70 ppt. Where DoD is the 
known source of PFOS and/or PFOA in drinking water, DoD has taken steps 
to ensure that no one is drinking water above 70 ppt.
                          pfas public outreach
    The Department is committed to expanding our outreach efforts as we 
continue to address PFAS. As the Chair of the PFAS Task Force, I will 
ensure that I am actively engaged in these efforts.
    DoD is developing an overarching PFAS communication strategy to 
include communication products that will explain DoD's cleanup 
activities in a comprehensible and transparent manner. These efforts 
will ensure a cohesive and collaborative approach to communication and 
messaging across DoD and drive consistent messaging across all 
communication platforms. DoD will also conduct community interviews and 
is finalizing locations to be visited this spring and summer.
                 chemicals in the defense supply chain
    The pressure from expanding international and domestic emerging 
chemical regulations places an unknown risk to the Department's 
readiness. These new and evolving regulatory requirements, which can 
prohibit the manufacture and use of chemicals, may result in the loss 
of access to mission critical products. There are numerous chemicals 
under increased oversight including, but not limited to, 
hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), chlorinated solvents, and PFAS. As an 
example, some PFAS compounds are critical to the safe and effective 
operation of a range of military items from radars to missile guidance 
systems, medical devices, and jet engines. The full effects of any ban, 
whether required by law or a voluntary business decision, are not yet 
known,
    but could be both costly to address and likely to leave the 
Department dependent on supplies from countries like India and China. 
Building on past successes the Department is working with regulatory 
agencies and private industry to develop strategies to address these 
concerns, starting with identifying PFAS products essential to national 
security and developing mitigation plans.
                    family and unaccompanied housing
    As the Department's Chief Housing Officer, I recognize that the 
environment in which our Service members live impacts their quality of 
life, their ability to do their job, and our ability to recruit and 
retain the force. I am committed to ensuring that all DoD housing for 
our members- whether it is government-owned, government-leased, or 
privatized-meets life, health, and safety requirements and provides a 
positive living experience for military personnel and their families.
    The Military Departments have privatized 99 percent (approximately 
205,000 units) of their U.S. family housing inventory, as well as 4,700 
unaccompanied housing (UH) apartment units (8,500 bedspaces) on their 
installations in the U.S. The Department also owns, operates, and 
maintains approximately 35,000 family housing units, most of which are 
on enduring bases in overseas locations, and leases about 5,600 family 
housing units where government-owned or privatized housing is 
unavailable. The Department's housing inventory also includes 
approximately 523,000 government-owned permanent party unaccompanied 
housing (UH) bed spaces, and more than 2,000 government-leased UH bed 
spaces.
    The Department appreciates Congress' support of DoD's family and 
unaccompanied housing programs, to include the additional housing 
funding included in our fiscal year 2023 enacted budget. The fiscal 
year 2023 Omnibus bill added $321.7 million and $18.1 million, 
respectively, from Army and Air Force Family Housing Construction 
Unfunded Priority Lists (UPLs), and $30 million for Family Housing 
Operations and Maintenance in support of housing oversight. The fiscal 
year 2023 Omnibus bill also added $662 million from Military Department 
UPLs for unaccompanied housing construction, including funding to 
complete ongoing projects. The Department is using these fiscal year 
2023 enacted funds to execute family and unaccompanied housing projects 
that will enhance the quality of life for military personnel and their 
families who live on our installations.
    The Department's fiscal year 2024 Family Housing budget request 
includes $1.9 billion to fund construction, operation, and maintenance 
of government-owned and leased family housing worldwide; invest in 
select military family housing privatization projects and provide 
oversight of private housing and lodging projects; and provide housing 
referral services to assist military members in renting or buying 
private sector housing. While fiscal year 2024 request is $15.6 million 
lower than the fiscal year 2023 request, and $386.1 million lower than 
the fiscal year 2023 enacted amount, this funding level will sustain 
our increased focus on ensuring the delivery and maintenance of quality 
housing for military families. The fiscal year 2024 request includes 
$382.4 million for construction to ensure quality family housing for 
military personnel and their families, to include Army family housing 
construction projects at Kwajalein Atoll ($98.6 million) and 
Baumholder, Germany ($78.7 million), and two Navy family housing 
construction projects at Joint Region.
    Marianas--Andersen AFB, Guam ($205 million); $320 million for 
prioritized investments in three Department of the Air Force (DAF) and 
two Department of the Army (Army) Military Housing Privatization 
Initiative projects to improve the safety, quality, habitability and/or 
long- term financial viability of those projects; and $190.6 million 
for privatized housing support and oversight, to include the one-time 
inspections of DoD's privatized housing and government- owned family 
housing as required by Section 3051 of the fiscal Year 2020 National 
Defense Authorization Act, as amended. The Department's fiscal Year 
2024 budget request of $1.1 billion for Family Housing Operations and 
Maintenance represents a $95.5 million decrease compared to the fiscal 
Year 2023 request, and a $125.5 million from the fiscal Year 2023 
enacted amount, but will continue to ensure that U.S. military 
personnel and their families have suitable housing choices.
    The Department's fiscal year 2024 budget request includes $469.3 
million for six (6) construction projects that will improve living 
conditions for permanent party personnel. This funding level is $36.7 
million lower than our fiscal year 2023 budget request ($506 million), 
and $698.7 million lower than the fiscal year 2023 enacted total ($1.17 
billion) but maintains our commitment to modernize Unaccompanied 
Personnel Housing to improve privacy and provide greater amenities. The 
fiscal year 2024 budget request includes $135 million for two Army 
barracks projects at Fort Bragg, NC, to include an $85 million 
prototype decarbonization barracks project; $131.8 million for a Marine 
bachelor enlisted quarters and support facility in Washington, DC; and 
$50 million for a DAF Surety Dormitory at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, 
UK.
    Going forward, the Department will invest in DoD's government-owned 
and government-leased housing based on the need to support mission 
requirements, address health and safety concerns, and modernize 
unaccompanied personnel housing to provide improved privacy and greater 
amenities for junior personnel. We will continue to fund the 
Department's oversight to ensure that privatized housing projects 
deliver safe, high-quality housing, to include continued funding for 
more than 600 additional government housing personnel hired since 
Fiscal Year 2019.
    Finally, we will make investments to support the necessary 
restructure of financially challenged Military Housing Privatization 
Initiative (MHPI) projects to ensure that they can meet sustainment 
needs and deliver quality housing over the long-term.
            military housing privatization initiative (mhpi)
    The Department has made significant progress implementing actions 
to enhance the MHPI program and our oversight of the private sector 
MHPI companies that own and operate MHPI housing projects. Key among 
these actions is the establishment and promulgation of the MHPI Tenant 
Bill of Rights (TBoR). As Congress has recognized, applying many of the 
Tenant rights at existing MHPI housing projects requires voluntary 
agreement by the MHPI companies; the Department cannot unilaterally 
change the terms of the public-private partnerships that established 
the MHPI housing projects. Nevertheless, as a result of our 
collaboration with the MHPI companies, all 18 rights set out in the 
TBoR are fully available at all but three of the nearly 200 
installations with privatized housing, representing approximately 97 
percent of military families residing in MHPI housing. The remaining 
three installations provide 16 of the 18 rights as of March 1, 2023, 
but do not yet provide the MHPI Tenant Rights to dispute resolution or 
rent segregation. The MHPI companies on these installations remain 
fully compliant with their MHPI project legal agreements with the 
Department of the Air Force and associated State and local landlord 
requirements. The Department of the Air Force continues to seek 
voluntary agreement of the remaining three MHPI companies by working to 
resolve their remaining concerns and achieve full implementation of the 
18 Tenant Rights. Based on commitments from two of the remaining MHPI 
companies, we expect all 18 Tenant Rights to be available at all but 
one of DoD's installations with MHPI housing by the end of fiscal year 
2023. We will continue our efforts to educate and engage Service 
Members and their families to ensure they are aware of and take full 
advantage of the TBoR.
    The Tenant Bill of Rights is one of DoD's most visible improvements 
to enhance the MHPI program, rebuild trust, and reinvigorate DoD 
oversight, but we have also implemented numerous policies, guidance, 
and procedures to enhance the Department's oversight of the MHPI 
program, to include:

  --Establishing quarterly programmatic reviews with each of the 
        Military Departments;

  --Uniform housing standards and inspection requirements; and

  --Improved metrics to gauge performance by the MHPI companies.

    Further, the Military Departments have also implemented several 
measures to strengthen their oversight and hold privatized housing 
companies accountable, to include:

  --Reinforcing installation commander responsibility for day-to-day 
        oversight of housing quality and service provided by the MHPI 
        projects;

  --Improving training for commanders and housing staff at all levels 
        of the organization;

  --Hiring more than 600 additional government housing-related staff 
        and establishing housing councils and resident advocates;

  --Reviewing project business practices to identify and pursue needed 
        corrective actions;

  --Working with MHPI companies to revise project performance incentive 
        fee metrics;

  --Establishing housing standards and inspection requirements, to 
        include installation inspection and approve of all MHPI housing 
        units before each change of occupancy;

  --Improving communication with residents and the annual tenant 
        satisfaction survey;

  --Requiring MHPI projects to implement electronic work order systems 
        to increase transparency and reporting of maintenance and 
        repair work orders;

  --Establishing policies and procedures for health hazard assessments 
        and mitigation; and

  --Refining internal departmental oversight practices.

    We will continue to prioritize implementation of key MHPI reforms 
that improve the safety, quality, and maintenance of privatized 
housing. We will also continue to ensure accountability at all levels 
within DoD and the MHPI companies as necessary to enforce performance 
standards, deliver a positive living experience for Service members and 
their families, and ensure the long- term success of the MHPI projects 
and program. This includes taking appropriate action to hold MHPI 
companies accountable for project performance, problems with property 
management, or inappropriate business practices.
    The Department of Defense is committed to working closely with you 
and the committee staff to ensure the long-term success of the MHPI 
program and we will remain diligent in our oversight to ensure DoD's 
privatized housing projects deliver quality housing and a positive 
living experience for military personnel and their families.
                         environmental justice
    The Department recognizes the importance of environmental 
stewardship as well as the disproportionate burden that pollution 
places on certain communities, including low-income communities and 
communities of color. Indeed, our initial analysis of DoD installations 
using the Climate and Justice Screening Tool identified that 39 percent 
are located in or adjacent to communities with environmental justice 
concerns, these being communities that face disproportionate burdens of 
pollution and environmental degradation. These communities are where 
our Service members live, relax, and send their children to school. 
Since 1994, the Department has implemented an Environmental Justice 
Strategy that address enhancements to community engagement and Tribal 
consultation, environmental planning, and implementation processes 
including clean-up and restoration activities. The Military Departments 
have revised their respective policies and guidance to improve early 
engagement with overburdened communities and consultation with Tribal 
Nations as a result of Federal actions. In partnership with the Council 
on Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, and 
other Federal agencies, we continue to develop tools to enhance our 
mapping and analysis of potential environmental and climate change 
impacts to communities. The Department is fully prepared to continue to 
address Environmental Justice by ensuring equality in our investments 
in military communities, implementing top-down training for Service 
members and civilian specialists in Environmental Justice literacy, 
strengthening government-to-government relations with Tribal Nations, 
and by leveraging existing public-private partnerships to support 
infrastructure and environmental enhancements in communities adjacent 
to the Department's installations. The Department believes that to 
sustain the defense mission we must work in concert with local 
communities and build trust through partnerships that safeguard 
healthy, secure, and vibrant natural and human environments for our 
neighbors, our Service members, and their families.
                             other programs
           the office of local defense community cooperation
    The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), in 
coordination with the other Federal agencies, delivers a program of 
technical and financial assistance to enable States, territories, and 
communities to plan and carry out civilian responses to workforce, 
business, and community needs arising from Defense actions; cooperate 
with their military installations and leverage public and private 
capabilities to deliver public infrastructure and services to enhance 
the military mission; achieve facility and infrastructure savings, as 
well as reduced operating costs; increase military, civilian, and 
industrial readiness and resilience; and support military families.
    OLDCC's program portfolio is presently comprised of approximately 
300 separate obligations, exceeding $1.8 billion and represents 
partnerships between the Department and most States, territories and 
communities that host Department of Defense installations.
    The OLDCC Installation Resilience Program assists States, 
territories, and communities to respond to man-made or natural threats 
as ``one community,'' taking care to remain compliant with the 
consultation requirement between communities and their local 
installations as set forth in section 2801 of the Fiscal Year 2020 
National Defense Authorization Act. This effort includes tabletop 
exercises to model out threats to gauge civilian and uniformed first 
responders alike to enhance the public and private infrastructure and 
services necessary to sustain our installations and communities. This 
program necessarily also looks at housing and its resilience for 
Service members and their dependents through targeted business-case 
studies and planning activities.
    The Diversification and Modernization Program provides States, 
territories, and communities the ability to review local industrial 
base and installation defense dependencies, seeking to deliver results 
when needed for the Department at the speed of relevancy. This program 
enables an assessment of community, workforce, and business 
capabilities, and then an assessment of options to deliver workforce 
development/training, transportation, and other infrastructure 
investments to address future needs of installations and the industrial 
base, education system improvements, and housing availability in tandem 
with emerging defense priorities.
    The Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program responds to 
deficiencies in community infrastructure around military installations. 
This program aims to enhance military value, cadet training at covered 
educational institutions, installation resilience, and military family 
quality of life. OLDCC expects to seamlessly incorporate program 
changes from the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, 
posting a notice for funding opportunity shortly, and hosting webinars 
to help communities to better understand and navigate these program 
changes.
   military aviation and installation assurance siting clearinghouse
    The Military Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting 
Clearinghouse continues to protect the Department's ability to train, 
test, and operate as the Nation expands its renewable and other 
commercial energy and power transmission capacity. Among these energy 
projects, commercial wind development typically poses the greatest 
compatibility challenge to DoD due to physical obstruction of low-level 
flight routes and electromagnetic interference with DoD radar systems. 
DoD resolves project concerns though collaboration between the 
Clearinghouse, the Military Departments, local communities, States, and 
energy developers, thereby maintaining the Department's ability to 
train, test, and operate while enabling development of alternative 
energy resources. The Clearinghouse negotiates Mitigation Agreements 
with wind energy developers to minimize the impacts from proposed 
projects on DoD missions.
    The Department works with the DOI, the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management (BOEM) and States to create plans that support aggressive 
new offshore energy development goals. The Department works with its 
Federal, State and industry partners at every stage of planning, 
permitting, and development. DoD has worked on a solution that allows 
BOEM to plan towards 3GW of wind generation off the coast of Central 
California. While this development will constrain some DoD operations, 
the White House Climate Office, DOI and California agreed to find a 
balanced solution that allows this Central Coast wind development, 
while also providing long-term protections for military testing, 
training, and operations. DoD and BOEM will work together to ensure 
long-term protection of military testing, training and operations, 
while pursuing new domestic clean energy resources. This compromise 
supports domestic renewable energy goals while providing long-term 
protections for military operations. DoD has also collaborated in 
offshore development planning throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and 
Gulf of Mexico. In each case, the Department collaborates to protect 
national security while allowing compatible development.
    The Department is actively implementing new approaches to protect 
DoD missions. The Clearinghouse intensified efforts to advocate for 
State-level legislation to protect military installations and 
operations from incompatible wind energy development. Oklahoma, 
Indiana, Wyoming, and Alabama have passed protections for military 
missions in wind turbine permitting. Although DoD and developers have 
had success resolving issues related to incompatible energy 
development, state support is invaluable in the rare cases where 
developers choose not to voluntarily coordinate with DoD.
         native american lands environmental mitigation program
    The Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program 
(NALEMP), codified under the fiscal Year 2021 NDAA, addresses 
environmental effects of Department actions on Indian lands and on 
other locations where the Department, an Indian Tribe, and the current 
landowner agree that such mitigation is appropriate. NALEMP is 
requesting $12.5 million to mitigate these environmental effects, which 
are typically associated with hazardous materials, munitions debris, 
underground fuel storage tanks, unsafe buildings, lead-based paint, 
asbestos, and abandoned equipment. Most Indian lands are located in 
rural and remote areas with low population densities; thus, they might 
not qualify as high priority sites under the Department's more limited 
environmental restoration programs. The NALEMP seeks to bridge the gap 
between Tribal needs and these traditional risk- based environmental 
restoration programs and incorporate Tribal priorities to address 
potential impacts to Indian lands.
    To date, over one-hundred sites in the lower 48 States and Alaska 
have been fully mitigated. Ninety-five percent of the 1,158 potential 
Tribal impacts reported to the Department have been assessed and 158 
have been found eligible for NALEMP and 138 impacts are under review. 
In fiscal Year 2022, the Department executed a total of 13 NALEMP 
cooperative agreements (CA), of which 10 CAs were with Alaska Native 
Tribes and three with American Indian Tribes in the lower 48. By the 
end of fiscal Year 2023, the Department will execute an additional 14 
CAs, of which nine CAs will be with Alaska Native Tribes and five 
American Indian Tribes in the lower 48 States.
                               conclusion
    Thank you for the opportunity to discuss DoD's programs supporting 
energy, installations, and environment. We appreciate Congress' 
continued support for our enterprise and look forward to working with 
you.

    Senator Murray. Thank you very much.
    Admiral Williamson.
STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL RICKY WILLIAMSON, DEPUTY 
            CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS FOR FLEET 
            READINESS AND LOGISTICS, UNITED STATES NAVY
    Admiral Williamson. Chairwoman Murray, Ranking Member 
Boozman, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. It is 
an honor to appear before you on behalf of our Sailors and 
their families.
    Thank you for your continued support to the Navy, its 
Military Construction Program, and our 70 installations 
worldwide, which enable us to strengthen readiness, support 
delivery of new platforms, and ensure quality of service for 
our Sailors.
    The Chief of Naval Operations issued a call to action last 
year for Navy leaders to apply a set of Navy-proven leadership, 
problem-solving best practices that empower our people to 
achieve exceptional performance.
    My organization has fully embraced this call, to 
continuously self-assess, and benchmark to get real to see 
ourselves, followed by self-correction, and staying left of 
problems. To meet the challenges of strategic competition and 
an evolving threat environment, we must enable global logistics 
with the resilient shore infrastructure, and be honest about 
our current performance.
    Maintaining our advantage at sea requires transformational 
change ashore to support and sustain the fleet of the future, 
to achieve this, my organization continues to implement the 
Naval Global Strategy Ashore are strategic direction for the 
Navy Shore Enterprise, in alignment with the National Defense 
Strategy, the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy, and the CNO's 
Navigation Plan.
    As a Surface Warfare Officer, I can confirm that all 
readiness starts from the shore. Navy installations are 
essential shore platforms from which Naval Forces train, 
deploy, and maintain forward presence. To get real, over the 
past two decades, the Navy has taken risk in shore investments 
to focus on afloat readiness, and strengthen future platform, 
and weapon systems capabilities.
    Our investments in fiscal year 2023, and proposed budget 
for fiscal year 2024, begins reversing the impacts of those 
risks. Our single most strategic assets are our Sailors, who 
deserve world-class quality of service, a combination of both 
quality of life and quality of work.
    PB-24 improves quality of life for our Sailors through 
investments, in unaccompanied housing, PPV, and child 
development centers. In fiscal year 2023 we invested $140 
million in unaccompanied housing, and our fiscal year 2024 
budget invests 165 million.
    Investments in child care are directed at decreasing wait 
list, and being competitive with the private sector, the wait 
list is currently at 5,500, down from 8,000 in fiscal year 
2022. Our goal is to further decrease it to 2,000 by the end of 
2024.
    To address quality of work; PB24 funds sustainment at 100 
percent for nuclear deterrence requirements, and 87 percent for 
remaining DOD modeled requirements. PB24 also invests in 
demolition funds to reduce the Navy's footprint, and support 
better based design.
    For our Military Construction Program, we thank you for the 
addition of $671 million to our fiscal year 2023 budget, which 
funded six additional projects: The Navy's 4.7 $billion, PB24 
Military Construction requests, funds, planning, and design, 
unspecified minor construction, and 19 projects, including four 
Pacific Deterrent Initiative efforts in Guam.
    The Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program is 
critical to preparing the Nation's four public shipyards to 
meet the future needs of the Navy's nuclear-powered submarine, 
and aircraft carrier force in support of the National Defense 
Strategy.
    We are making great progress in fiscal year 2023 with the 
awarding of contracts for area development plans for Norfolk 
and Portsmouth Naval Shipyards. Phase 2 of industrial modeling 
for all four of our shipyards, and an additional project 
planning efforts. Our fiscal year 2024 budget provides $2.4 
billion to continue to advance the program.
    With Congress continued support SIOP investments will halt 
the degradation of our Aging Shipyard Infrastructure, deliver 
required dry dock repairs and upgrades, and recapitalize 
industrial equipment with modern technology, substantially 
increasing productivity and safety.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you. It has 
been my distinct honor and pleasure to work with you over the 
past 4 years, to meet shared goals for our Navy and our 
country. We look forward to future collaboration in the pursuit 
to warfighting capability, and support for our Sailors and 
their families. Thank you.
    [The statement follows:]
          Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral Ricky Williamson
    Chairwoman Murray, Ranking Member Boozman, and distinguished 
members of the subcommittee, it is an honor to appear before you 
representing the thousands of Navy Sailors and civilians at our 70 
installations worldwide. Thank you for the opportunity to testify about 
the importance of our infrastructure, its resiliency, and the entirety 
of support required to meet critical Navy and Joint Force missions. The 
FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directs the Navy to 
support the ``peacetime promotion of national security interests and 
prosperity of the United States.'' Meeting this charge requires 
decisive naval power, which the Navy will deliver through high-end, 
lethal combat capability and the ability to deter aggression in this 
era of great power competition. Moreover, we will maximize our 
contributions to the Joint Force by designing and fielding the future 
Fleet, identifying and resolving current readiness gaps, and sustaining 
the forward posture that keeps Americans safe. Our goal is to shape a 
combat credible Navy- lethal, sustainable, resilient, survivable, 
agile, and responsive- and our efforts remain closely linked with 
strategic documents and operational concepts including Joint Pub 4.0 
(Joint Logistics), Tri-Service Maritime Strategy, Advantage at Sea, 
Transforming Naval Logistics for Great Power Competition, and Navy 
Global Strategy Ashore. Concurrently within Navy lifelines, we maintain 
focus on four foundational priorities: readiness, capabilities, 
capacity, and our Sailors.
    The Navy's goals and priorities are fully aligned with the National 
Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Strategy (NDS), executed 
through the CNO's Navigation Plan 2022 update, and supported through 
our FY24 President's Budget (PB-24). In the 2022 NSS, the 
Administration communicates a clear goal--a free, open, prosperous, and 
secure international order. The NSS provides a construct for achieving 
this goal, including the Line of Effort (LOE) calling for modernizing 
and strengthening the military so it is equipped to succeed in the era 
of strategic competition with major powers, as well as countering the 
terrorist threat to the homeland. The NSS further articulates that, as 
competition evolves and intensifies globally, the military must sustain 
and generate warfighting advantages and limit those of our competitors, 
while meeting its primary responsibilities of defending the homeland, 
deterring attacks and aggression against the United States, our allies 
and partners, and being prepared to fight and win should diplomacy and 
deterrence fail.
    In concert with the NSS, the 2022 NDS sets the Department of 
Defense's focus on safeguarding and advancing vital U.S. national 
interests by protecting the security of the American people, expanding 
economic prosperity and opportunity, and realizing and defending 
American values. The NDS outlines how the military will meet growing 
threats to national security interests and a stable and open 
international system. In addition to the military priorities 
established in the NSS, the NDS adds an additional charge to ensure our 
future military advantage through building a resilient Joint Force and 
defense ecosystem.
    Further converging with the NSS and NDS, in July 2022, CNO issued 
an update to his Navigation Plan to drive a Fleet-wide movement for 
strengthening Navy's learning culture. In alignment with the themes 
communicated in the NSS and NDS, CNO conveys, ``History shows that the 
navy which adapts, learns, and improves the fastest gains an enduring 
warfighting advantage.'' Turning this axiom into action, CNO called 
upon the Navy to ``Get Real, Get Better'' (GRGB) and transform our 
culture to meet the challenges of today and the future.
    GRGB, in essence, is the owner's manual that translates strategic 
goals in the NSS and NDS into the actions and mindset our Sailors must 
employ on a daily basis. ``Getting Real'' includes self-assessment, 
honesty, and transparency in individual performance and capability, as 
well as recognition of limitations and areas for improvement. 
Transparent self-assessment produces the conditions from which we can 
begin to ``Get Better.'' We will be positioned to self- correct, engage 
in activity geared to improve outcomes, find and fix root causes, 
identify barriers, and create opportunities to overcome. While our 
Sailors embrace this culture, the same tenets apply to our decision 
making for investments, warfighting requirements, and strategy. The 
integration of GRGB from personnel to lines of operation results in the 
ecosystem that assesses, corrects, and innovates better than the 
opposition and enables our efforts to create warfighting advantages 
across all domains.
    To improve our ability to sustain the force in a contested 
environment, the Navy views sustainment through the lens of five 
Maritime Sustainment Vectors, derived from Joint Publication 4.0: 
Rearm, Refuel, Repair, Resupply, and Revive (the ``5Rs''). We have been 
employing the 5R structure as we transform logistics to better sustain 
the Fleet in concert with the NDS and Advantage at Sea. Our programs 
sustain the momentum for evolving wartime support to the Fleet across 
the sustainment kill chain, from the industrial base, the inter-
theater, the intra-theater, and to the point of need. Transforming 
Naval Logistics for Great Power Competition strategy identifies four 
LOEs: 1) Integrate Command and Control, 2) Enable Assured Power 
Projection, 3) Strengthen Sustainment for Distributed Operations, and 
4) Improve Logistics Resilience. Each LOE is supported through the 5R 
model, and the integration of these elements captures the essential 
requirements to posture capability ashore and afloat in ways that 
enable the Fleet and Force to operate globally and be sustained 
indefinitely. All readiness starts from the Shore, illustrating the 
criticality of Shore investment.
    Meeting national objectives requires operationalizing the Shore to 
be mission-ready, secure, and sustainable alongside our Fleet. 
Moreover, operating in a contested environment necessitates a Shore 
enterprise that is completely integrated into the fight--a battlespace 
that requires persistent, agile, and flexible naval combatants, with a 
logistics enterprise that mirrors these same characteristics. Fleet 
readiness and lethality rely on a combination of afloat and ashore 
platforms and payloads. We continue to employ principles of the Navy 
Global Strategy Ashore to enable and improve Fleet readiness. Shore 
platforms are the locations that develop, generate, and employ forces 
for direct support to the Fleet. Shore payloads are the infrastructure, 
support services, and people performing mission-related functions at an 
installation. The combination of Shore platforms and payloads comprise 
strategic and operational mission sets, such as Air/Port Operations, 
Protection, Logistics, Warfighter Resilience/Quality of Life, and 
Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, 
Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR).
    These mission sets are inextricably linked to Force Development 
(Fd), Force Generation (Fg), and Force Employment (Fe). Our budget 
maintains momentum for achieving a sustainable, modern, resilient, and 
ready network of installations and contingency locations that deliver 
Fleet readiness and combat logistics capability in a contested 
environment.
    American security rests upon our ability to control the seas and 
project power. The Navy's Logistics Enterprise is mission capable for 
day-to-day operations, but must improve to meet the challenges of a 
sustained increase in Fleet operational tempo, particularly in the 
INDOPACOM AOR where the pacing threat is exacerbated by the tyranny of 
distance. The logistics enterprise must be prepared to enable and 
sustain readiness across the competition continuum and quickly evolve 
from a Phase 0 peacetime mindset to Phase II crisis and conflict. In 
particular, the Navy Logistics Enterprise must be postured to fight and 
win in a high-end fight with fully integrated Shore platforms 
seamlessly delivering the 5Rs of Maritime Sustainment in support of 
Distributed Maritime Operations and Expeditionary Advanced Base 
Operations. Our budget reflects the Navy Logistics Enterprise's 
prioritization of investments deemed critical by the Fleet to support 
warfare readiness and commensurate shore capability.
                         military construction
    Military Construction is one of several mechanisms that the Navy 
uses for optimizing Navy installations to enable global logistics and 
warfighter development, generation, and employment from the Shore. PB-
24 continues to invest in projects supporting new platforms and the 
Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), while also 
investing in critical posture projects in support of Guam. Our PB-24 
submission reflects the Navy's top priorities, including investment in 
support of new platforms, SIOP, and other key facilities/infrastructure 
enabling readiness. This prioritization is based on the total view 
informed by the Navy Global Strategy Ashore as well as Fleet and COCOM 
priorities and installation readiness requirements.
    The FY23 MILCON enactment included a total of $3.75 billion for 26 
projects, unspecified minor construction and planning and design. Your 
support in providing $635M will resource an additional six projects on 
Navy's MILCON unfunded priority list. This included investments for 
critical Ordnance Facilities in Hawaii, Airfield Pavement Upgrades at 
Whidbey Island Washington, Electrical Utility Upgrades at Camp 
Lemonnier, Djibouti, and pier upgrades in San Diego, California.
    The Navy's PB-24 MILCON request is $4.7 billion for 19 projects, 
MILCON Planning and Design, and Unspecified Minor Construction (UMC). 
Included in this request are funds to begin construction on the 
Shipyard Electrical Backbone at Puget Sound (P891). Additionally, our 
budget supports numerous Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) related 
projects establishing critical communications nodes in Guam. Along with 
funding, a key element to sustaining progress on these PDI projects is 
the extension of the exemption from the H-2B visa temporary need 
requirement through 2029. We look forward to partnering with Congress, 
Guam, and other Federal stakeholders to set the conditions for the 
success of these efforts.
    This request also contains funds to continue construction of 
previously awarded SIOP projects at Pearl Harbor, Norfolk, and 
Portsmouth Naval Shipyards as well as funds to continue Submarine Pier 
3, Norfolk to support additional berthing for Los Angeles and Virginia 
Class submarines. The Navy is also requesting four projects required to 
establish new footprint infrastructure to support fielding of new 
warfare platforms. The Navy is requesting projects to support Sailor 
quality of life by adding two new Child Development Centers (CDCs) in 
the Norfolk area while including funds for continuing planning and 
design on an additional 12 CDCs for future years. The PB-24 request 
also supports infrastructure improvements of critical weapons storage 
and handling facilities at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Submarine 
Base New London.
              shipyard infrastructure optimization program
    The SIOP is a holistic investment plan that integrates 
infrastructure and industrial plant equipment investments at the Navy's 
four public shipyards to meet nuclear fleet maintenance requirements 
and improve Navy maintenance capabilities by expanding shipyard 
capacity and optimizing shipyard configuration. This plan is essential 
to supporting the future needs of the Navy's nuclear submarine and 
aircraft carrier force. Infrastructure in the four Navy public 
shipyards is rapidly deteriorating and nearing a century in age. When 
fully executed, the SIOP will deliver required dry dock repairs and 
upgrades to support current and planned future classes of nuclear-
powered aircraft carriers and submarines, optimize workflow within the 
shipyards through significant changes to their physical layout, and 
recapitalize industrial plant equipment with modern technology that 
will substantially increase productivity and safety. The Navy is 
utilizing a first-of-its-kind infrastructure acquisition process for 
SIOP, similar to that used for major defense acquisition programs. The 
SIOP-tailored acquisition process guides program execution and 
establishes threshold and objective parameters for overall cost, 
schedule, and performance of the SIOP at each shipyard with total 
program cost.
    Over the past year, the Navy has awarded Area Development Plan 
(ADP) contracts for Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Portsmouth Naval 
Shipyard, in addition to the previously awarded Puget Sound Naval 
Shipyard ADP contract. The ADP for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is 
scheduled for completion in FY24, with Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Puget 
Sound Naval Shipyard in FY25. Additionally, the Navy commenced the 
second phase of industrial modeling for all public shipyards. This work 
will model workflows inside the facilities and inform detailed project 
level planning and design for future SIOP construction. The Navy also 
commenced project planning studies for Waterfront Production Facilities 
at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Puget Naval Shipyard, and Norfolk Naval 
Shipyard. The SIOP is embracing the Administration's objectives for 
environmental stewardship, climate change, and energy and water 
resiliency into modernization efforts, in compliance with Navy criteria 
and industry standards. The Navy remains committed to working with 
Congress, U.S. Department of Defense leadership, the shipyard 
workforce, impacted communities, regulators, and industry leaders to 
determine the best path forward for the SIOP at each shipyard.
               infrastructure sustainment and restoration
    Viewing our installations as platforms delivering capability to 
naval operations, our PB-24 investment in Facility Sustainment, 
Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) continues to fund infrastructure 
readiness in support of naval missions. PB-24 funds Sustainment (ST) at 
100 percent for Nuclear Deterrence mission requirements and 87 percent 
for all remaining DoD-modeled requirements. PB-24 also adds demolition 
funds to reduce the Navy's footprint (Q4 facilities). We recognize 40 
percent of our Restoration and Modernization program funding is key to 
revitalizing degraded critical infrastructure.
    Navy Base Operating Support (BOS) comprises Fleet operations, 
safety and security, facility support, quality of life, and mission 
support and management programs provided to 70 Navy installations. BOS 
funding remains flat in PB-24 and is planned to remain flat into the 
future. Accounting for inflation, this translates to reduced buying 
power, creating challenges as new priorities arise each year, requiring 
resourcing at the expense of other programs and services. As a 
mitigating measure, the Navy has embarked on an effort to baseline BOS 
costs and prioritize BOS investments based on mission output. For 
example, in FY23, the Navy prioritized BOS funding to support increased 
Fleet operational and installation security requirements, at the 
expense of other programs and services within the BOS program. While 
decisions such as these are not ideal, they are risk-informed.
                        installation resiliency
    Naval operations and climate can, and should, live in harmony. The 
Navy works to ensure installations and infrastructure are resilient to 
a wide range of challenges in the near- and long-term, including 
extreme weather events, water scarcity, sea level rise, recurrent 
flooding, wildfires, and other environmental considerations and threats 
that can affect operations and present significant risks to mission. 
Investments to increase installation resilience will result in long-
term readiness and cost avoidance. In the same vein, we are targeting 
non-resilient infrastructure that does not contribute to lethality or 
Fleet readiness for divestment. We have seen the consequences of the 
increasing frequency of extreme weather events on our installations. 
These events impair testing activities, increase the number of black 
flag day prohibitions for training, degrade the readiness mission, and 
impose risk to personnel. Through our Mission Assurance Assessment 
Process, we continue assessing all hazards and ensure operability of 
our installations across the globe through evaluation of the 
probability and the mission impact of climate risks. PB-24 focuses on 
investments to improve the Navy's resilience posture. Our budget 
includes several supporting projects including the planning and design 
of two net-zero building retrofits, upgrading building control systems 
for improved cybersecurity and energy savings, initiating carbon 
footprint assessments that identify energy savings opportunities at 
Navy installations, planning and installation of Electric Vehicle 
Support Equipment and leasing of non-tactical zero emission vehicles, 
the greening bases initiative, xeriscaping projects, and greenhouse gas 
emissions tracking and reduction. By incorporating climate change 
considerations into the decision-making process for shore investment, 
the Navy gains warfighting advantages, remains agile, preserves 
decision space, and reduces climate hazard risks to missions and 
operations.
                           quality of service
    Our Navy faces challenges with accession and retention of Sailors 
and the overall health and welfare of the force. A comprehensive and 
integrated approach is needed to improve the Quality of Service (QOS) 
experienced by our single most important resource, our Sailors. By 
definition, Navy QOS is the product of Quality of Work (QOW) and 
Quality of Life (QOL); however, there are currently no holistic 
policies nor quantifiable metrics for QOS. In order to attract, retain, 
and support personnel who volunteer to serve in our Navy, we must set 
the conditions for their success.
    Current initiatives to address aspects of QOS include GRGB Sprints 
associated with Sailor Pay, scheduled CNO ship availabilities, and 
Unaccompanied Housing (UH) to address near-term solutions while long-
term solutions are developed. Additional improvements in QOS are 
achieved through the Navy's commitment to continuously improve 
government and public- private venture family housing and UH programs, 
and the Shore and Base Operating Support Cross Functional Teams, 
working to improve both facilities and services.
    VCNO recently tasked me to establish the Navy QOS Board of 
Directors to institutionalize responsibility for a comprehensive and 
integrated approach to how the Navy measures, prioritizes, and 
addresses improving the QOS of our Sailors and their families.
    Improving the lives of our Sailors and their families is paramount 
to our Navy's success. This effort requires dedicated involvement from 
all stakeholder organizations to ensure the Navy continues to improve 
and deliver on the expectations of our Sailors.
    One significant challenge for many Sailors and families is access 
to childcare. The Navy leverages a variety of approaches to meet this 
need. The Navy has the capacity to provide high quality care for 34.5K 
children ages 0-12. The current waitlist is 5.5K, down from 6.7K in 
FY22. Child and Youth Programs (CYP) are challenged with capacity 
shortfalls for ages 0-5. While childcare shortages are a national 
issue, the Navy experiences the most shortages in Norfolk, VA; San 
Diego, CA; Bremerton, WA; Pearl Harbor, HI; Jacksonville, FL; and the 
National Capital Region.
    Multiple efforts are underway to reduce wait times for Navy 
childcare. In FY22, Navy raised entry-level direct care staff salaries 
from $16.70 to $17.39-$21.52 per hour, depending upon locality, to keep 
Navy CYP entry-level positions competitive with the private sector. 
Entry- level staff have minimum qualification requirements and receive 
automatic pay increases in the first 18 months of employment. 
Additionally, last year Navy implemented a CYP employee childcare 
discount (50 percent 1st child, 20 percent additional children) in 
coordination with DoD and the other Services. Early results indicate an 
increasing trend in new hires. In FY23, Navy released a Request for 
Proposal (RFP) in Jacksonville, FL for contracted childcare spaces in 
the community. Navy is reviewing proposals to support capacity 
expansion initiatives. Navy released an RFP for a child and youth 
management cloud-based system. The new system will improve management 
functionality and provide a parent portal to reduce paperwork and 
improve communication between parents and CYP staff.
    While we have made great strides over the last few years, 
challenges remain. As we continue to expand Military Childcare in Your 
Neighborhood Navy fee assistance to 6,000+ spaces in FY23, Navy CYP 
will reevaluate the need for additional spaces based on demand for 
care, funding, and community capacity. The Navy will continue to pursue 
community partnerships and explore military construction of new or 
expanded CDCs to achieve capacity goals and provide these critical 
services to our Navy personnel and their families particularly where 
community support is unavailable or insufficient.
    UH provides eligible Sailors with housing and related services to 
support the Navy's mission and readiness. The Navy is targeting 
investments to improve the condition of UH facilities and identify 
adequate buildings, or buildings that can be made adequate, specific to 
the requirements of each installation. As of the end of FY22, 60 
percent of Navy Permanent Party UH bedrooms have a Condition Index (CI) 
= 80; the Department of Defense performance goal is to maintain 90 
percent of Permanent Party UH bedrooms at a facility CI = 80. The Navy 
instituted a QR Code program across the enterprise to simplify and 
improve the maintenance reporting process for UH. Since the rollout, 
there has been a 24 percent increase in service calls with a quarter of 
all calls generated via the new process. The Navy increased focus on 
the UH Inspection program with a Joint Services Standardized Inspection 
Form and mandatory reporting in enterprise Military Housing (eMH), the 
housing management system. With a recent emphasis on inspections, to 
include Command Inspections, the Navy has experienced a nearly 25 
percent increase in inspections in the first quarter of FY23, leading 
to greater awareness of the status of our housing facilities and faster 
resolution of identified problems.
    Since inception in FY22, the Navy's integrated UH Working Groups 
continue to inform budgeting and programming decisions. Navy is 
addressing who we house, where we house them, and how we house them, 
and improving amenities to include Wi-Fi. The Navy is also addressing 
the condition of all UH facilities, UH related policies and 
regulations, and UH facility and BOS investments. In accordance with 
the FY22 NDAA, Section 2814, the Navy is investing over $88M per year 
for UH Restoration and Modernization. The Navy is planning to increase 
Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization to $341M in 
FY24-FY26 to repair poor and failing UH facilities. Specifically, in 
FY24 these funds address failing UH at Oceana, Lemoore, Ventura County, 
San Diego, and Containerized Living Units at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. 
The Navy will identify additional projects in FY25 and FY26, in 
conjunction with a full FYDP and beyond investment plan for POM25.
                               conclusion
    The Navy is driving institutional and cultural change to meet the 
challenges facing the Shore while developing, generating, employing, 
and sustaining naval forces through Shore platforms and payloads. 
Recognizing fiscal constraints, we must nevertheless seek continuous 
improvement in the Shore enterprise, increasing its effectiveness as a 
fully integrated force multiplier, enabling the Navy to succeed in 
strategic competition. In our PB-24 budget, we have made deliberate, 
risk-informed choices to support complementary goals from the NSS, NDS, 
and the CNO's Navigation Plan- a free, open, prosperous, and secure 
international order; safeguarding and advancing vital U.S. national 
interests by protecting the security of the American people, expanding 
economic prosperity and opportunity, and realizing and defending the 
American values; and a combat-credible Navy prepared to fight and win 
should diplomacy and deterrence fail.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. It has 
been my pleasure and honor to work with you over the past few years to 
meet shared goals for our country. We look forward to working with you 
in the continued pursuit of warfighting capability, readiness 
optimization both afloat and ashore, and support for our Sailors and 
their families.

    Senator Murray. Thank you very much.
    General Banta.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL EDWARD BANTA, DEPUTY 
            COMMANDANT, INSTALLATIONS & LOGISTICS, 
            UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
    General Banta. Chairwoman Murray, Ranking Member Boozman, 
and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee; thank you for 
the opportunity to discuss the Marine Corps fiscal year 2024 
Military Construction Budget Request.
    First, I would like to thank you for funding last year's 
budget request, and the unfunded priority list; Congress' 
support will accelerate improvements to quality of life, enable 
Marine Corps Force Design capabilities, and rapidly grow our 
INDOPACOM posture.
    In fiscal year 2024 we are requesting $1.3 billion for 16 
military construction projects, as well as planning and design 
funds. This request aims to modernize our installations, and 
reflects a balanced investment approach to support required 
warfighting capabilities, improve quality of life for our 
Marines and their families, and increase the resiliency of our 
installations.
    Viewed through an operational lens, these investments 
ultimately improve the readiness and the lethality of our 
Force. Eight of our 16 projects will help bolster our presence 
in the Indo-Pacific region. Seven of them are in Guam, 
including four projects that will posture combat and logistics 
capabilities on the island, and one project that will enable 
our Marine Rotational Force in Darwin, Australia.
    The remaining eight projects in our request are in the 
Continental U.S., yet complement our Pacific investments, 
recognizing that our ability to campaign forward begins here at 
home. For example, our budget includes four projects that 
support aviation and ground combat capabilities to include 
aviation command and maintenance facilities in North Carolina, 
and a radar support facility in Dam Neck, Virginia. 
Constructing new communications towers on our ranges in 29 
Palms, California, improves safety, and supports our advanced 
live, virtual constructive, training, while the cybersecurity 
operations facility in Maryland supports critical operations in 
the cyber domain.
    We also appreciate this committee's continued support to 
improving quality of life for our Marines and their families. 
To that end, we plan to invest $318 million, or 23 percent of 
our MILCON budget against four quality of life projects, to 
include a Child Development Center, a Recreation Center, and a 
Religious Ministry Services Center on Guam.
    Most of our family housing construction request is also 
focused on Guam, to build 57 additional units there. 
Recognizing the importance of housing our single Marines, we 
are requesting one new barracks at Marine Barracks, Washington, 
and to renovate--and intend to renovate 13 more across the 
Force. We are also prepared to renovate 12 more barracks if 
additional restoration and modernization funds are available.
    We will continue to work with you to deliver the best we 
can for our most valuable weapon system, the individual Marine. 
We are focused on improving the resiliency of our bases and 
stations so they can prepare for, respond to, and recover from 
all types of hazards and threats.
    Our investments in strong community partnerships, water 
treatment infrastructure, like the project on Marine Corps Base 
Quantico, and electric utility upgrades will improve our 
resiliency, enable Force generation, and support warfighting 
requirements; again, with an eye towards increased readiness 
and lethality.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today, 
and for your continued oversight input and support.
    I look forward to your questions.
    [The statement follows:]
        Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Edward D. Banta
                              introduction
    Chairwoman Murray, Ranking Member Boozman, and distinguished 
members of this subcommittee; I appreciate the opportunity to discuss 
the Marine Corps' FY24 military construction budget request. Thanks to 
the strong support we have received from Congress, the Marine Corps 
continues to improve both the quality and resilience of our 
installations to train Marines, maintain combat readiness of our units, 
and ensure our families have the services they deserve.
    First, I would like to express sincere gratitude for the funding 
provided for the Marine Corps' FY23 military construction program. 
Through your support, our FY23 enactment was $634M above the requested 
$1.2B. These funds will accelerate improvements to Quality of Life 
across our installations, support for Marine Corps Force Design 
initiatives, and the rapid growth of our INDOPACOM posture. Each of our 
seven FY23 projects located west of the International Date Line and 
within the Second Island Chain, were fully funded to address cost 
increases.
    These critical infrastructure projects will enhance the Marine 
Corps' ability to meet the challenges presented by current and future 
threats. Additionally, six barracks projects were funded in FY23 aboard 
Kadena, Parris Island, San Diego, and Marine Corp Base Hawaii. These 
will improve the living conditions for thousands of our single Marines. 
The fiscal Year 2023 enactment also provided planning and design funds 
for Child Development Centers at various locations and construction 
funding for a Child Development Center project at Camp Pendleton. All 
of these projects will have a positive impact on our talent management 
initiatives for retention of our best Marines.
       making our installations ready for a contested environment
    Since we last met in May of 2022, our Commandant published 
Installations and Logistics 2030 (or I&L 2030) within the family of 
Force Design 2030 reports. I&L 2030 outlines the Service strategy for 
configuring and enhancing future logistics capabilities to sustain the 
force in the 21st century in terms of five objectives: enabling global 
logistics awareness, diversifying distribution, improving sustainment, 
making our installations ready for a contested environment, and 
creating logistics and installations professionals for the 21st 
Century. This document emphasizes that our smart, resilient, and 
networked installations will provide stand-in forces with enhanced 
capabilities to recover quickly from attack, persist in contested 
spaces, and sustain distributed formations across multiple axes.
    Each of our bases and stations is a power projection platform 
integral to generating readiness and sustaining combat power. The 
Marine Corps' overseas installations are especially critical as 
advanced naval bases in support of naval and joint operations. This 
infrastructure must be properly maintained to prevent degradation of 
our capability to train and generate readiness for global employment to 
support mission-essential tasks. The readiness of this infrastructure 
is measured in terms of the physical condition of our buildings, as 
well as in terms of optimal global posture of the force and the 
associated resilience against the impacts of enemy action, extreme 
temperature, and severe weather events. We must have resilient 
infrastructure, both in CONUS and abroad, to enable delivery of 
capabilities from across the service enterprise.
    Resilience efforts require hardened critical infrastructure to 
maintain support to the force across the competition continuum and 
before, during, and after deployment. Increasing the capability and 
capacity of our installations underpins our forward presence. In this 
new environment there is no sanctuary, and our bases require 
modernization against future threats ranging from conventional kinetic 
attack to cybersecurity breaches to damage from extreme weather events.
               fy24 military construction budget request
    To meet these challenges of the future operating environment, the 
Marine Corps has requested $1.3B for military construction projects in 
FY24. This budget request supports the National Defense Strategy, 
SECNAV's Strategic Guidance, and long-term implementation of the 
Commandant's modernization strategy. This year's request reflects a 
balanced approach that includes the following investments:

  --Quality of life projects including one barracks for Marine Barracks 
        Washington, and three projects in Guam for a new Child 
        Development Center, recreation center, and a religious 
        ministries facility.

  --A critical water treatment facility infrastructure upgrade aboard 
        MCB Quantico.

  --A multi-level Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group operations and 
        training facility necessary to improve our ability to conduct 
        and coordinate all-domain warfare.

  --The construction of four new range communication towers, plus the 
        recapitalization and repair of seven existing range 
        communication towers aboard our premiere training facility in 
        29 Palms, California. This project supports Project Tripoli--an 
        immersive all- domain live, virtual, and constructive training 
        environment that represents the current and future battlefield 
        and threat.

  --Specially configured space to support the maintenance and 
        operations of the next- generation, multi-role Ground/Air Task-
        Oriented Radars (G/ATOR) system located in Dam Neck, Virginia.

  --Modernized maintenance facilities and Aircraft Hangar space at MCAS 
        Cherry Point to complement the multi-year, multi-billion dollar 
        Marine Aviation Plan supporting the Marine Aircraft Wing and 
        the Navy Fleet Readiness Centers, so essential to aviation 
        readiness.

    Today, more than 32,000 Marines are forward-deployed or stationed 
across 50 countries. More than 25,000 of those Marines are currently 
forward-postured west of the International Date Line and positioned to 
respond to activity by our pacing threat. To bolster our persistent 
presence in the Indo-Pacific, the FY24 MILCON budget includes eight 
projects, valued at over half a billion dollars in the region. Seven of 
these account for the relocation of Marines from Japan to Guam and 
nearly half of those are quality of life investments, designed to 
accommodate the phasing and sequencing of 5,000 Marines and their 
families from Okinawa to Guam beginning in FY24. Within our family 
housing construction budget, funding is requested to construct 57 new 
homes for those families. An additional $9.6M is included in the FY24 
budget request for related planning and design that will facilitate 
subsequent phases of family housing construction specifically on Guam. 
Funding modern and resilient infrastructure in the Pacific is critical, 
so that Marines are postured in a fighting stance for crisis response 
and campaigning.
    The Marine Corps, and the Department writ large, have several 
upcoming key posture construction initiatives in Guam and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (``CNMI'') that require 
historic levels of military construction. While Guam ranks third 
highest nationally in construction workforce per capita, the current 
military construction demands require a workforce more than twice as 
large as the local construction workforce. The anticipated levels of 
future military construction will further exacerbate consistent labor 
shortages that, if left unaddressed, will render us unable to meet 
baseline needs. To ensure that our construction contractors have a 
stable workforce for military realignment projects, we are seeking 
Congressional support for H-2B visa ``temporary need waiver'' extension 
through December 31, 2029 at a minimum. We appreciate Congressional 
support in the FY23 NDAA that pushed the expiration of this waiver out 
to December 31, 2024; however, temporary need waiver extension out to 
2029 is needed to meet DoD's construction requirements and deliver 
critical military construction projects on time. In the absence of this 
waiver, the Marine Corps specifically anticipates program cost 
increases between $1.1B and $1.5B, and bid busts beginning in FY25.
                            quality of life
    The quality of life of our Marines, Sailors, and their families, is 
integral to the readiness and effectiveness of our force. The Marine 
Corps recognizes the critical importance of our child development 
centers, family housing, and unaccompanied housing portfolios. These 
quality of life programs are also vital components to enabling 
retention of our all-volunteer force and supporting Service-wide talent 
management efforts. As talent management efforts drive the Service 
toward a more mature force, the Service will ensure quality of life 
related infrastructure and support evolves to meet the needs of Marines 
and their families.
    Barracks are among the most clear-cut quality of life investments 
we can make for our single Marines. This is about taking care of our 
people, and it impacts retention. The Marine Corps possesses 672 
barracks with approximately 155,000 bed spaces. On average, those 
barracks are 32 years old and many are in need of renovation. At 
present, 16 percent or 108 Marine Corps barracks are in poor (Q3 on the 
facilities conditions index ratings) or failing (Q4) condition. In 
FY22, we renovated 14 barracks for a total cost of $118M to improve the 
quality of life for 3,353 Marines. In FY23, we are renovating 16 
barracks for a total cost of $262M to improve the quality of life for 
4,763 Marines. The Marine Corps' FY24 FSRM request of $1.3B will enable 
us to continue improving the quality of life of our Marines through 
restoration and modernization of assets we already own. These efforts 
in this budget cycle complement our FY24 MILCON request for $131M to 
build a new barracks aboard Marine Barracks Washington. This approach 
of using a combination of the funding levers: Facility Sustainment 
(FS), Restoration/Modernization (RM), MILCON, and Demolition, as 
informed by our Facilities Investment Strategy, will improve the 
condition of our barracks over time.
    For our Marine families, another critical tangible military 
construction investment is in our childcare facilities. The Marine 
Corps has 58 childcare facilities (32 CDCs and 26 School Age Care 
facilities) within our inventory. Using FY23 MILCON funding we are 
completing a CDC project aboard Camp Pendleton that will support 250 
additional children. The FY24 budget request includes a 34K square foot 
Child Development Center in Guam that will provide full and part-day 
developmental childcare services for 276 children from age six weeks 
old through 5 years old. It is worth noting that the service's biggest 
challenge with respect to CDCs remains the ability to obtain and retain 
a stable workforce to staff these facilities, although this falls 
outside of the Military Construction portfolio. We are using several 
initiatives to improve the workforce and provide options for off-base 
child care benefits:

  --Implementation of the $15 minimum wage and further increases to 
        employee salaries to offer competitive pay, diminish waitlists, 
        and reduce turnover.

  --A CDC employee recruitment and retention incentive went into effect 
        in October of last year. CDC employees with enrolled children 
        receive a 50 percent childcare discount for their first child 
        and 20 percent for any subsequent children. This has positively 
        impacted approximately 590 families.

  --The Off Base Child Care Fee Assistance Program is a benefit that 
        assists with the cost of community-based childcare for all 
        qualified Marines living in civilian communities throughout the 
        United States. It is designed to help families fund care off 
        base when military-operated CDC care is unavailable due to 
        distance or waitlist, and makes up the difference between base 
        CDC care rates and higher rates at off-base centers. In FY22, 
        the Marine Corps provided $5 million in fee assistance payments 
        to 1,041 families that enabled childcare for 1,356 children.

    The Marine Corps is requesting $117M in Child and Youth Program 
funding in FY24 to sustain these initiatives and account for increased 
participation. We appreciate the attention and support of this 
committee, and the broader Congress, for our CDC Program, the 
invaluable team that comprises it, and the families that count on it.
    Family housing remains a focus. The Tenant Bill of Rights has been 
fully implemented at all Marine Corps installations securing essential 
protocols between our Marine families and the public private venture 
partners in our housing communities. These rights include a universal 
lease, dispute resolution process, seven-year maintenance summary, and 
a penalty to withhold rent from the partner if the partner does not fix 
the housing problem. The Marine Corps continues to hold our housing 
partners accountable through tenant satisfaction surveys, incentive 
fees, and third-party inspections. We are working through the 
Department of the Navy to enforce the terms of our business agreements, 
and with our PPV partners to ensure that our housing is safe and meets 
the needs of our residents through our local Military Housing Offices. 
The Marine Corps has requested over $201M in family housing 
construction and operations in FY24, of which the largest investment 
will be $121M to construct 57 family housing units in Guam.
    This request also sustains funding for the 167 Base Housing 
Management professionals, who provide the necessary oversight of over 
23,000 PPV homes in CONUS and Hawaii for our Marine families.
                        installation resilience
    The Marine Corps views installation resilience through an 
operational readiness lens: resilient installations are the platforms 
that enable operational readiness. This resilience rests in the ability 
to maintain reliable access to critical functions, such as an effective 
power grid, clean water distribution, and communications capabilities, 
as well as the ability to train and equip Marines, and care for Marines 
and their families. Understanding that training and operations must 
continue even when there are extreme weather events, the Marine Corps 
has implemented several initiatives to ensure that installation 
resilience requirements are understood and appropriately prioritized.
    Using available funding provided by Congress in Section 129 of the 
FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Act, we can now execute three unspecified 
minor construction projects that will provide new potable water 
transmission lines aboard range support facilities near Marine Corps 
Air Station Beaufort, improve much needed road infrastructure in Camp 
Lejeune, and construct sewage lift stations in Japan. Along with higher 
value infrastructure investments, such as the FY24 request for a Water 
Treatment Facility in Quantico, these critical infrastructure projects 
are not only appreciated, they are essential to the life, health, and 
safety of the Marines and families that call our installations home.
    In terms of energy resilience, we continue to plan and develop the 
infrastructure needed to increase the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs) 
aboard our installations. Employment of Electric Vehicle Supply 
Equipment (EVSE) is critical to our ability to operate EVs across the 
Marine Corps non-tactical vehicle fleet. The Marine Corps currently has 
118 EVSE permanent charging ports, of which 109 are located in 
California. We are also experimenting with mobile EV charging stations 
to assess the opportunities available for non-tactical vehicle use. The 
Marine Corps is implementing an EVSE Site Planning Initiative that 
includes evaluating potential charging sites, determining 
infrastructure upgrades and charging station requirements, and then 
developing project plans, designs, and cost estimates. We have 
completed 7 of 10 EVSE site assessments aboard installations and expect 
to complete all 10 by this August. Building upon these assessments, the 
Marine Corps will invest approximately $30M in EVSE infrastructure in 
FY24.
    Recent infrastructure investments include projects that reduce 
reliance on fossil fuels and off-base energy grids. For example, Marine 
Corps Logistics Base Albany became the first Marine Corps Net Zero 
Installation late last spring: the base generated more power through 
green energy sources than it consumed in calendar year 2021, and 
provided 7.9 MWh back to the local grid. The transition to Net Zero has 
improved the resilience of the base while reducing reliance on 
traditional energy sources and cutting back on greenhouse gas 
emissions. MCLB Albany has led the charge, both as a Net Zero 
installation and also in electrifying their non-tactical vehicle fleet. 
They have worked with Georgia Power to leverage the partner's ``Make 
Ready'' program for the installation of electric vehicle chargers in 
support of an all-electric fleet. This cost share equates to $1M 
provided by GA Power and $1.2M provided by Albany which funds the 
chargers and additional electrical system upgrades such as transformers 
and meters and continues a history of collaborative partnership with 
local stakeholders.
    Aboard MCAS Miramar we built a microgrid system that provides 
complete energy resilience for the installation in the event that the 
base is disconnected from the power grid. In August of last year MCAS 
Miramar used its innovative microgrid technology to island the 
installation in support of the San Diego community to avoid a real 
power emergency. Naval Facilities Southwest ran the microgrid power 
plant for five hours, allowing San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to 
reduce the load on the San Diego community electrical grid during a 
high demand timeframe. Additional microgrid investments located in 29 
Palms, MCAS Yuma, and Parris Island will facilitate lessons from which 
we can make smart, resilient investments both in CONUS and overseas 
placing the Marine Corps on a trajectory to meet future requirements 
while withstanding disruptive energy events.
    Building upon the success of these projects Marine Corps Base Camp 
Lejeune awarded a $22 million utility energy service contract last fall 
with Duke Energy for the design and construction of a microgrid at the 
installation. The Duke Energy award leverages Energy Resilience 
Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP) funding to install a microgrid 
at Camp Johnson, a critical education and training area at Camp 
Lejeune. Looking to the future, the Marine Corps seeks to increase its 
ERCIP portfolio utilizing Installation Energy Security Plans (IESP) and 
Mission Assurance Assessments (MAA) to identify critical energy 
requirement gaps and support project development.
    The Marine Corps uses a wide variety of programs, authorities, and 
funding sources to support community partnership initiatives beyond 
energy resilience projects. In particular, the Marine Corps has had 
tremendous success at establishing and encouraging the development of 
Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs), capitalizing upon the 
authorities provided by Congress via 10 U.S. Code Sec. 2679. As of 
January 2023, 13 installations have signed 45 IGSAs providing a variety 
of important installation services, including clearing and grubbing, 
grounds maintenance, building repairs, water treatment and testing, 
snow removal, and roadway and utility maintenance. These agreements are 
estimated to save the Marine Corps well in excess of $2M annually, 
while improving quality of life, enhancing installation resilience 
within the community, and freeing up resources to be reinvested 
elsewhere in support of installation operations. The Marine Corps 
appreciates continued Congressional support in authorizing IGSAs that 
provide an invaluable vehicle for installation and community 
cooperation.
    Another successful program for increasing resilience of Marine 
Corps installations is the Office of the Secretary of Defense- managed 
Readiness Environmental Protection Integration (REPI). Program. The 
Marine Corps consistently has the highest- rated REPI proposals and has 
used REPI effectively to safeguard our missions by improving 
installation resilience to extreme weather events and fluctuating 
climactic landscapes, promoting compatible land use, and preserving 
critical habitats and natural resources near our installations. For 
every dollar committed by the REPI program, outside partners provide a 
nearly equal match. Since fiscal Year 2002, the REPI program has 
contributed $121M, the Marine Corps $30M and partners $130M to protect 
105,000 acres outside of our Marine Corps installations and ranges.
    Lastly, the resilience of our Marine Corps combat readiness is tied 
to the Marine Corps Organic Industrial Base (OIB), and the OIB requires 
infrastructure investment. In 2019, the Marine Corps' OIB Facilities 
Plan and the United States Senate Report on the Readiness of the Marine 
Corps OIB outlined a 25-year plan that provided a strategy to optimize 
existing facilities, construct new facilities, and improve workflow 
processes and productivity at the Marine Corps' two depot production 
plants and long-term equipment storage sites. Since that time, we have 
made adjustments to our Marine Corps structure, capabilities, and 
equipment tied to Force Design 2030. We are making corresponding 
adjustments to our OIB investment plan to appropriately modernize our 
depot facility infrastructure. Today, we are making significant strides 
in the modernization of our depot facilities with the emergence of 5G 
communications that have immediate impacts on optimizing existing 
warehousing spaces, and improving workflow processes to reduce depot 
repair cycle time and increase auditability. The significant efforts 
for energy resilience and energy demand reduction aboard MCLB Albany 
are also directly tied to our depot production plant aboard that base.
                               conclusion
    The Marine Corps continues to undergo a significant transition in 
how it is organized, trained, and equipped, to meet current and 
evolving threats from our adversaries. In addition to developing new 
operating concepts, increasing integration with the Navy, and 
modernizing the equipment we employ, the Marine Corps' installations 
infrastructure must also evolve. Our operational capabilities are 
adapting to meet threat changes, and we need to invest in the next 
generation of installation infrastructure to match the Marine Corps' 
evolving capabilities. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before 
you today, and for your oversight, input, and support as we determine 
the infrastructure requirements that will best position the Marine 
Corps for mission accomplishment. I look forward to working with you to 
sustain our warfighting capability and the readiness of our power 
projection platforms.

    Senator Murray. Great. Thank you very much, to all of you.
    And we will now begin the round a five-minute questions for 
our first panel. And I ask my colleagues, if you can, to please 
keep track of your clock, and stay within those five minutes.
    Assistant Secretary Owens, let me start with you. I want to 
ask you about the quality of life for military families across 
our country. As you know, military families really struggle to 
access affordable, high quality child care. And I know it is a 
very complex issue, but one clear reason is the lack of 
available or appropriate physical space on our installations.
    Quality of life also touches on things like family housing, 
on base dining facilities, schools, which are critical to 
supporting our service members and their families, and 
investing in these quality of life services and support I know 
improves recruitment, and retention of our Service members, and 
contributes directly, overall, to Military readiness.
    I am, generally, encouraged that the Department has done a 
better job in programming for these projects, rather than 
waiting for Congress to act. However, backlogs remain across 
the board. I want to ask you: How does the President's budget 
request address the most critical quality of life needs?
    Mr. Owens. Thank you for the question, Senator. And I 
totally agree with you. I am also encouraged that the Military 
Departments have prioritized investment in facilities that will 
improve quality of life for our Service members, and their 
families. Our budget is requesting $1.9 billion for family 
housing, and an additional 463 million to modernize 
unaccompanied personal housing--personnel housing. And I think 
that that is a pretty good start.
    That the ability for us to make sure that we are never 
satisfied with the level of service that we are able to provide 
to our Service members and their families, is something that I 
think is imperative. We need to adopt a footing, where we need 
to be in a continuous improvement mode, and move out from 
there, because I think that you are directly connecting it to 
critical issues, like recruitment and retention, and we need to 
make sure that we are very focused on delivering high quality 
places to live and work.
    Senator Murray. What are the biggest challenges with 
quality of life issues?
    Mr. Owens. I would say the biggest challenges are the 
diversity of the types of facilities that we need to develop 
and maintain. You know, a child care facility is not a family--
it is not a house, right, and a barracks is not a mess. So that 
challenge to be able to standardize across all of our Military 
Departments is something that I think the DOD and OSD can do a 
better job of working with the Military Departments, to make 
sure that we are setting and maintaining a high bar across the 
board. So that we don't have situations where, on joint bases, 
for example, you know, a Navy person doesn't want to live in an 
Air Force house, or vice versa, those types of things.
    Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you very much.
    Admiral Williamson, I am closely following the Shipyard 
Infrastructure Optimization Plan, as you can imagine, and I am 
eager to see the program stay on budget and on schedule, 
particularly as it affects Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
    I understand the SIOP will and should evolve and improve, 
but we have to make sure its core goals remain on track. Can 
you talk about how the Navy is working on projects, and 
resourcing the program to get this done in a way that 
effectively prepares the facility and workforce for both the 
short-term and the long-term needs?
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, very much for 
the question. I think this year we have made tremendous 
progress with SIOP, our budget I think directly reflects our 
commitment to SIOP in that investment.
    A couple things that you mentioned, one, my leadership 
challenged us, as you know, this is a very high priority in 
supporting our nuke deterrence in support of national defense. 
And so the challenge has been: What have we learned? And so to 
your point about staying on track with cost, schedule, and 
scope, all three of those things are very important. And when 
we first did this we chose not to do it like we typically do 
projects. We used a major acquisition process, a lot of 
learning to be had.
    One of the things for price, to understand what the market, 
raw material costs, the cost of the workforce to be able to do 
this, to plan that into the project early enough to allow the 
contractor that is doing the work to stay on schedule. That is 
very critical to the maintenance of our submarines and ships. I 
think that that is reflected in our investments.
    The other thing that you talk about, ma'am, is to look at 
the shipyard as a whole. It does no good to paint the floor and 
then paint the ceiling, so the utilities, for example, that 
support our infrastructure have to be invested in. And so we 
have made, and the budget reflects this, we have made the 
decision to go ahead and start strengthening the backbone of 
our shipyards, to ensure that it is resilient, agile, and also 
efficient.
    Those are measures that we are taking. Identifying the 
critical path, marrying the work--supply chain to the 
workforce, to the workflow, to the production efforts are very 
critical, and we are seeing that reflected in the ADPs.
    We have completed Hawaii's, we are doing the analysis now 
on Hawaii's ADP, and we will apply the learning there at Puget, 
at Portsmouth, and Norfolk, and we think there is tremendous 
opportunity to accelerate the design and development of the 
projects as we move forward.
    But we are very grateful to the committee for the support, 
and allowing us to move at pace with that, ma'am.
    Senator Murray. Very good. I am out of time. I do want to 
act ask you about PFAS. I know that 40 of our investigations 
are ongoing right now. So General, I may come back to you 
after--if nobody else asks my question I will come back to you 
on that, because that is critical for all of us.
    Senator Boozman.
    Senator Boozman. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    I would like to ask you a question that has come up 
repeatedly as I visit with, you know, different entities 
throughout the Service. This year's request includes $2 billion 
in support of PDI projects. As projects in the Indo-Pacific 
region continue to increase across the Department they may end 
up competing against one another for limited resources. In 
fact, I think they are.
    I would like to hear from all of you on what you see is the 
biggest constraints for MILCON execution in the region? Is 
there any coordination between the Services or OSD on program 
execution, to ensure that projects can successfully execute in 
a crowded environment?
    I know this is a huge problem. And I think I can speak for 
the committee in saying we want to help you, but we need to 
understand exactly what the problem is.
    So Mr. Owens.
    Mr. Owens. Thank you, for providing the opportunity to 
continue to talk about H-2B visas in Guam. I think, Senator, in 
my career I thought I had been involved in very large 
construction projects. I got into this job and I looked at the 
scope, and the scale, and the schedule of what is planned for 
Guam, and I realize that I haven't been yet.
    The challenges that I see, in terms of looking at $2 
billion of infrastructure invested across INDOPACOM are acute 
in Guam. There is a limited, existing construction capacity 
that is, as far as we understand it currently, already doing 
everything. They are fully employed, and doing all the work 
that is currently ongoing. And we have a lot more in the 
pipelines. There is a bow wave coming that we need to be ready 
for.
    In n terms of--and I think that the H-2B visa extension to 
2029 is critical in that. In terms of coordination, we are in 
the final stages of standing up a Senior Leader Installation 
Council, which is myself and the Energy Installation and 
Environment Assistant Secretaries from all the Military 
Departments. And the goal of that is to look at acute 
situations, although it is difficult to characterize Guam as an 
acute situation, but specific situations like Guam, and what is 
going on in Hawaii, to be able to coordinate across the 
Military Departments so that we can--that we are not 
overstressing the infrastructure for dealing with things like 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), or environmental 
permitting, and those types of things. But the construction 
capacity issues are things that are outside our control at this 
point.
    Senator Boozman. Very good. Admiral.
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, sir. The visas, to reiterate what 
Secretary Owens talked about; I think is a huge step. Again, 
kind of taking it back to the previous conversation, you know, 
understanding the critical path of the work that is needed to 
be done in Guam, and making sure that we are working with the 
industry partners to get as much information as we can, to 
ensure that we understand the critical path to success.
    One of the things that we--a lesson learned we pulled out 
of SIOP, and I am trying to apply across all the United States 
Navy, understanding the demands of the workforce, understanding 
the raw materials and access to that, making sure that the 
resources are available to the contractor to buy down risk, and 
buy those ahead of schedule, I think help keep us on that 
track.
    But as we look at Guam, in particular, to your question, it 
is not just the Navy and the Marine Corps, it is also the Army, 
the Air Force, Space Force, you know, a lot of folks on Guam. 
The last thing I think we want to do is compete with each 
other.
    So we need to be able to understand what the requirement 
is, what that critical path is, and execute that plan.
    Senator Boozman. Good. Thank you. General.
    General Banta. Sir, thanks very much for the opportunity to 
answer your question. So to follow up on Secretary Owens', the 
scope and scale of our construction effort on Guam is pretty 
substantial. A total of 132 projects, we are only about 15 
percent complete, so the vast majority of that construction 
effort is still in front of us, which reinforces the importance 
of that H-2B visa, to ensure that we are able to keep these on 
schedule, cost, and within scope.
    I would also say in terms of joint land use, to kind of 
follow on from what Ricky was talking about. We recognize that 
it is not just the Marine Corps, it is not just the other 
services, but there are other agencies coming to Guam as well. 
So there is a Joint Land Use Study ongoing right now, we expect 
that to be complete next year, and fully expect that there will 
be some shortfalls in requirements.
    Particularly quality of life and support, family housing 
being one, DODEA schools, likely additional commissary, 
capacity requirements, and those I think will help us further 
identify and deconflict requirements, going forward. So we 
would certainly appreciate help we when we come back with any 
requests in the future.
    Senator Boozman. Thank you.
    General Banta. Yes, sir.
    Senator Boozman. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Senator Murray. Senator Baldwin.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you, to 
our witnesses today.
    Mr. Owens, in previous years there was a discrepancy 
between access to funding and authorities, relating to 
hazardous substance, remediation efforts between the Active 
Component and the National Guard installations. Due to a policy 
change in 2017, the National Guard was removed from the Defense 
Environmental Restoration Program, and no longer had the same 
access to funds, or authorities as the rest of the DOD.
    My colleagues and I secured a reversal of that policy, to 
place the National Guard installations back into the program 
just last year. So Mr. Owens, can you please, first confirm 
that the National Guard installations currently have access to 
cleanup funds through the Defense Environment Mental 
Restoration Program? And I have some follow-ups. So let us 
start there.
    Mr. Owens. Senator Baldwin, I am going to take this for the 
record. I can't confirm it. I have not read in on--not up to 
speed on that particular issue at the moment.
    Senator Baldwin. Okay. So I will ask you then a couple of 
questions to follow up with, because I have several in this 
regard. So there is that gap in time where the National Guard 
facilities were not a part of the Defense Environmental 
Restoration Program, I want to also get information of how we 
look back, and have some parity or Equity for that time that 
the Guard installations were excluded from the program.
    And I would also like to get some information on how you 
prioritize sites for cleanup of hazardous substances, including 
PFAS, moving forward. And certainly, want to have your 
commitment that we ensure parity in access to funds for 
National Guard installations moving forward. So that is the 
series on this question.
    Mr. Owens. And I appreciate that. I would say that the 
landscape is changing significantly with the release of the 
EPA's proposed regulatory rule around PFAS, and that is going 
to have significant impacts on our Defense Environment 
Restoration Program. So as we look at the way ahead for DERP, 
and specifically as it relates to our remediation 
responsibilities, and drinking water responsibilities for PFAS, 
we are going to be having to ask very difficult questions about 
prioritization. But I will commit to get back to you on all the 
things that you are interested in learning more about.
    Senator Baldwin. I appreciate that, and the difficulty in 
making those priority decisions. I just would keep in mind for 
a state like Wisconsin where many of our facilities are Guard 
facilities that we were not able to participate between 2017 in 
that reversal of policy last year, or this year, it goes into 
effect this year, for the 2023 NDAA.
    So another question for you, Mr. Owens; the Office of Local 
Defense Community Cooperation provides critical assistance to 
counties and municipalities to both foster cooperation with 
Military installations, as well as to address any concerns or 
challenges communities encounter as neighbors to Military 
installations.
    This office has provided critical assistance to Wisconsin 
in the form of a Planning and Outreach Grant as the state 
prepares to receive this month, F-35 aircraft at the Truax 
Airfield in Madison, Wisconsin. I have noticed a trend over the 
last few years in which the budget request for OLDCC falls well 
below what many deem necessary to accomplish the increasing 
program demands.
    So can you please describe what you are doing to support 
Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) as it 
expands, in both staffing levels, and in demand for the 
programs?
    Mr. Owens. Thank you for highlighting the incredible 
interconnectedness of installations and Defense communities, I 
think it is a critical--we can't have mission completion 
without Defense communities, that that much is clear.
    I meet regularly with the OLDCC team, and the Director and 
I have been talking about ways to leverage some of the 
authorities that they have and make sure that they are 
resourced to be able to do the work outside the fence line that 
makes the work inside the fence line possible. So this is 
something that I am focused on. And appreciate the opportunity 
to talk more about, going forward. And I hope that we can 
address the concern that you have about funding going forward.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
    Senator Murray. Thank you very much. Senator Fischer.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
    After the Cold War we divested significant capacity in the 
Indo-Pacific and adopted a posture that assumed a more 
concentrated basing model. It was assumed that that would 
suffice. Ultimately, we traded away the flexibility of having 
larger network of bases, and facilities, ports, and dry docks, 
and runways for cost savings and efficiencies. So now we find 
ourselves in the position of needing to rapidly reconstitute in 
order to support distributed operations.
    Mr. Secretary, how would you look at the investments that 
are proposed by this budget request, to support or improve our 
posture in the Indo-Pacific? You mentioned some things in Guam, 
but there is a number of areas. Many of our allies, Australia, 
Japan, were looking at U.S. territories in the region as well, 
where investments need to be made. So how would you 
characterize that?
    Mr. Owens. Thanks for the question, Senator Fischer. And I 
would ask my colleagues to weigh in here. The $2 billion for 
the PDI is the start, right. So we are looking across the Indo-
Pacific to basically understand what that looks like. And a 
good defense of Guam is another piece of this puzzle that we 
are going through. But the diversification and the ability to 
project Force into INDOPACOM is a pivot that we are actively 
making.
    And maybe, if I can turn it over to Admiral Williamson?
    Senator Fischer. Yeah. Admiral, if you could tell me, you 
know, specifically some of the investments that are proposed 
there? And I know in the Navy's budget request for MILCON 
support I am specifically interested in deterrence in the 
region.
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, ma'am. Specifically to Guam, we 
have four projects next year, about $750 million, two 
communication stations, very vital, one is actually being built 
on the Air Force side of the base. A satellite communication 
station and then a missile integration test facility. That gets 
to Guam.
    Your broader question about Distributed Maritime Ops, and 
expeditionary advanced basing, I am not a logistician by trade, 
and so I am a Service Warfare Officer, so everybody said go 
back and read what the Greatest Generation did.
    And, ma'am, you nailed it. It is about being distributed 
across a very large AOR, 6000 by 4000. It is not just the 
infrastructure and the bases and places, as Admiral Aquilino 
calls it, but it is also what is afloat. And so the totality of 
our investment is not just within the infrastructure, it is 
also with ships, and other means to be able to sustain that 
Force.
    And so I think our budget reflects that. I would be happy 
to come back and talk to you, because I think we get to a very 
classified level once we talk about the investments. But I do 
believe that our budget reflects support of Admiral Aquilino, 
INDOPACOM, and PACFLT, and their laid down plan, ma'am.
    Senator Fischer. Well, and the threats that we face in that 
region as well, when you look at lack of flexibility, and when 
you look at concentration, those are immense for the future of 
the threats?
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, ma'am. And again, not being a 
logistician, but understanding what we call the ``kill chain'', 
all the way from the industrial base to the last tactical mile, 
that has got to be resilient, it has to be agile. We have got 
to be able to move things about quickly in support of the 
Fleet, and Airmen, and Soldiers as well; and so I would be more 
than happy, ma'am, to come back over and talk to you in detail 
with that plan.
    Senator Fischer. But your basic answer would be that you 
think this budget is addressing that?
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, ma'am. I think we are beginning to 
get after that. Obviously, there are some constraints with--you 
mentioned allies and partners getting access, we have to work 
through that. And we are, again, working very closely with 
INDOPACOM and PACFLT to gain that. I meet on a regular basis 
with Japanese and Australian counterparts to understand their 
capabilities and what they can bring.
    And so, yes ma'am, I do think that this budget begins to 
reflect that we are getting after that.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. General, with the Marine Corps, 
can you tell me how you feel about the budget that is presented 
there with regards to deterrence in the region?
    General Banta. Yes, ma'am. Thanks very much. So as I 
mentioned, this budget, of our 16 projects, eight of them are 
in the Indo-Pacific, seven on Guam specifically, which directly 
supports our bilateral agreement with the Government of Japan 
to relocate forces off of Okinawa, and the First Island Chain 
under Guam; so significant investment in Guam, that relocation 
starts at the end of 2024.
    I would also reference the investment that we are making on 
an airfield ramp in Darwin, Australia, in support of our 
rotational Force that goes down there. And then in terms of the 
logistics footprint, recognizing that we need to be in a more 
distributed lay down. We are investing in, what we call, our 
Global Positioning Network, which is a series of afloat and 
ashore locations to preposition capability forward.
    And again, if you are interested, I could come back and 
talk to you in a more classified setting. Thank you.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. I was in Darwin a few years ago 
to look at the facilities that were waiting for our troops to 
go there. So I thank you for the information about what has 
continued to be improvements in that area. Thank you.
    General Banta. Yes, ma'am.
    Senator Murray. Senator Peters.
    Senator Peters. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Welcome, gentlemen, thank you for being here today. I 
appreciate the conversation.
    I have just a couple questions that are very local in 
nature, in Michigan. So my first question is for you, General 
Banta. The fiscal year 2024 budget request includes $24-million 
investment for supply facilities for the Marine Reserve Unit, 
in Battle Creek, Michigan, at the Air National Guard Base 
there.
    We would just like you to speak, if you would to: how 
important investments like that Marine Reserve facility in 
Battle Creek is to the Marine Corps, and how they are so 
critical for Marine readiness, and why these investments must 
be made?
    General Banta. Yes, Senator. Thanks very much for the 
question. So the Marine Corps Reserve is an absolutely critical 
element of our Total Force, so the readiness of the rear--of 
the Reserve component directly contributes to the readiness of 
the larger Marine Corps.
    At Battle Creek in particular, it is home to a couple of 
different Marine Corps Reserve units. That includes a logistics 
company from Engineers--Sixth Engineer Support Battalion, and 
then Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 24th Marines, which is an 
infantry company. So in addition to just providing storage, and 
headquarters space, this is also, supports training and 
readiness.
    So these units have activated several times, and deployed 
several times over the years in support of global operations. 
So investments there, investments at home directly influence 
and support the readiness of our Reserve component and the 
Total Force. So we will continue to invest where we can in our 
Reserve facilities, and I think that that spot in Battle Creek 
is representative of others across the nation as well.
    Senator Peters. I appreciate that, General. And so I want 
to talk about another Marine Reserve facility in Michigan. This 
is one that is at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. There was 
a proposal to consolidate, to move that facility, and to 
upgrade to that facility, which is long overdue. But my 
understanding, the project was abruptly canceled, and there has 
been no time line provided as to what may happen in the future.
    I understand there were some, potential, cost overruns 
associated with the supply chain disruptions as a result of the 
pandemic, but those have been working their way through, 
hopefully, we are in a better situation right now. But I would 
certainly appreciate you working with my office to find out how 
we can get this project back on track, and have some sort of 
time line? I don't know how aware you are of that, but if you 
are, I certainly would appreciate your help.
    General Banta. Yes, sir. Thanks very much. So you are 
correct that that project was canceled due to a significant 
increase in cost. As we look to regenerate it, we want to make 
sure that we have the requirements correct up front, as part of 
our larger Force Design Initiative, sort of reforming the 
Marine Corps, certain aspects of it, for great power 
competition.
    We are looking at what our infantry battalions would 
require in the Reserve component in order to ensure that we get 
the facilities design aspects of it correct. So I would be 
happy to come back when we have further refined those 
requirements, and give you a better idea of what the time line 
looks like for that project.
    I hope that helps, sir.
    Senator Peters. Yes. And I appreciate you coming back. 
Thank you so much for that.
    General Banta. Yes, sir.
    Senator Peters. I think it is an important project, and 
helps strengthen that Marine Corps presence on Selfridge Air 
National Guard Base as well. I appreciate that.
    General Banta. Yes, sir.
    Senator Peters. Assistant Secretary Owens, I was pleased to 
see that this budget can make significant investments in our 
Army, Science, and Technology Enterprise, and particularly 
pleased with investments in the Ground Vehicle System Center at 
the Detroit Arsenal.
    However, I would like you to speak, if you would, sir, on 
how robust investments, not just in the facilities themselves, 
but in the Quality of Life and Resiliency Infrastructure, like 
child development centers, which have been discussed already, 
as well as flooding mitigation improvements, other kinds of 
improvements that are necessary in that Detroit facility. How 
those modernization efforts should also be prioritized to 
support R&D generally?
    Mr. Owens. Thanks for the question, Senator. And I agree 
with you. I think that the ability for us to make sure that our 
R&D facilities are funded, and resilient is a critical aspect 
of this. I would point to some of the investments that we are 
making in ERCIP, the Energy Resilience and Conservation 
Investment Program. We have requested $634 million, which is 
about $81 million more than our 2023 request. And I think the 
goal there is to make sure that we are creating the conditions 
around which continuity of operations can be maintained.
    But beyond that I would say that the investments that we 
are making to quality of life are, again, critically important 
to all of the recruitment and retention challenges that all the 
Military Departments are struggling with right now.
    Senator Peters. All right. Thank you.
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Senator Murray. Senator Schatz.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, and 
Panelists. I appreciate you being here.
    First, I want to talk about resilience for future MILCON 
projects. We have to consider factors today that were not part 
of the decisionmaking decades ago, severe weather events are 
more frequent, and more severe, and we can't just update 
building codes or do a required basic risk management 
assessment to check a box. This actually has to be an analysis, 
because we are going to waste a lot of money if we are not 
aware of the new risks.
    So for Assistant Secretary Owens, how does OSD ensure that 
the services incorporate resilience metrics, at all levels, 
from the base commander to the Secretary of the Service?
    Mr. Owens. Thank you, for the question. I couldn't agree 
more with the statement about how resilience is critical. I 
would start with pointing to the Defense Climate Assessment 
Tool, which is a robust tool that allows us to be able to 
contextualize and understand where we face risk associated with 
changing weather patterns, and climate, whether that is rising 
sea levels, whether it is increased frequency of storms, or 
whether it is wildfire, DCAT gives us the ability to create an 
understanding and project, in various scenarios, high, medium, 
and low warming----
    Senator Schatz. Is everybody complying? Is everybody doing 
that? Because one of the things I am hearing, it is just 
chatter. I want to understand, on the record, whether this is 
happening or not. I understand that--the theory goes some of 
the people who manage bases and installations that would score 
very poorly on this, are going very slowly in the process.
    And that is kind of understandable; because why you would 
you hurry up a dataset that is going to undermine your ability 
to recapitalize? Is there any truth to that?
    Mr. Owens. I think it--specific to the example that you 
just gave; I will look into that, and get back to you, Senator. 
But I would say that the conversations that we have had over 
the past week, lead me to believe that the Services, the 
Military Departments are using DCAT information to inform their 
decisionmaking. Whether or not that requires DOD to issue a 
policy that makes it a requirement that they do it, it is 
happening.
    So we are trying to balance the stick versus the carrot 
that each of these Military Departments is challenged with, and 
whether, if a DOD instruction, or if a DOD directive is needed 
in order to make sure that we are keeping the availability, and 
the applicability of DCAT, something that the Military 
Departments are accountable to, we will move in that direction.
    Senator Schatz. Well, I don't want to get into specific 
basing decisions, or the recapitalization of basing, but I do 
think we are going to be in a scenario, like some of these 
small towns, who are being rebuilt two, and three, and four 
times, paid for by the Federal Government. And we just can't 
afford to do that. And so whatever our politics are around 
climate, and whatever you want to attribute the cause of 
increasing severe weather events to, we can't afford to allow 
politics to interfere with our basing decisions.
    And I am quite worried that we are going to keep rebuilding 
these places because there is a political economy around 
ignoring the facts of the matter.
    My final question, as I run out of time; Dry Dock 3 at 
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard can't support newer submarines so I 
was happy to see the Navy budget include MILCON funds to 
replace it with Dry Dock 5. Be but I was surprised that the 
Navy added the project to the unfunded priorities list.
    Vice Admiral Williamson when will the Navy inform Congress 
about what additional resources are necessary? And the other 
question is: Why wasn't this in the original request?
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, sir. Thank you very much for the 
question. The request is to ask for flexibility and to be able 
to move money forward to buy-down risk, and so what we have 
learned out of the other SIOP projects is to work very closely 
with industry partners. The buy-down risk part of it is to 
allow the monies more--earlier within the project, to allow the 
contractor to invest in raw materials, as you know, which are 
running very high because of inflation right now. Also to start 
making the investments in the workforce to be able to stay on 
cost schedule and scope. So the requirement, sir, is just to 
bring money to the left to allow us to get ahead in execution.
    Senator Schatz. So speaking of the workforce, as you know, 
a project of this size requires a PLA. Where are we on the 
beginning of negotiations?
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, sir. I think those are underway. I 
can get back to you with those details on it, but I know it 
is--I am pretty sure it is underway, sir.
    Senator Schatz. Okay. That is not--I mean, I am not trying 
to contradict you, but that is not what I am hearing.
    Admiral Williamson. Okay.
    Senator Schatz. So if it is underway then the Head of the 
Carpenters Union, for instance, doesn't know it.
    Admiral Williamson. Okay.
    Senator Schatz. So let us make sure that everyone is in 
communication.
    Admiral Williamson. Roger, sir.
    Senator Schatz. And the PLA negotiations begin.
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, sir.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you.
    Senator Murray. Senator Hagerty.
    Senator Hagerty. Thank you, Chair Murray, and Ranking 
Member Boozman, for holding the hearing.
    Welcome to everybody. General Banta, can I start with you 
today? It is good to see you here. As we all know, the Marine 
Corps is pursuing the Force Design 2030 Plan, to fundamentally 
reorganize itself to deal with the Military threats of the 21st 
Century. The implementation of Force Design 2030 will involve 
moving Marines from Japan to Guam, and I am interested in the 
many ways that this affects our ally in Japan, and our U.S. 
territory in Guam.
    And so I just wanted to ask you General Banta, if you could 
briefly summarize the types of Military construction in Guam 
that lies ahead so that we can facilitate this movement of 
Forces from Japan?
    General Banta. Senator, thank you very much for the 
question. You are absolutely right, the military construction 
on Guam is significant. It underpins the Bilateral Agreement 
with the Government of Japan, which facilitates the movement of 
Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
    In January, we reactivated Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, the 
first base on Guam that we have built in over 70 years; it is 
literally coming from the ground up, almost brand new.
    So to answer your specific question, we have a variety of 
military construction requirements there, from operational unit 
facilities, logistics and combat units, quality of life, family 
housing, training facilities, ranges. So all of those are being 
phased to ensure that when we start this movement, by the end 
of 2024, that we have appropriate facilities there and ready 
for units to move into.
    Senator Hagerty. Just to make sure, General.
    General Banta. Yes, sir.
    Senator Hagerty. I want to see, and make certain you feel 
that the Defense Department, including the Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command is prioritizing the type of military 
construction in Guam that is required. Are you getting that 
sort of synchronization that you would hope to see in order to 
make this all happen?
    General Banta. Yes, sir. I am absolutely.
    Senator Hagerty. That is good to hear. As the Marines 
undertake the relocation from Japan to Guam, do you see 
potential issues that could hamper the relocation? Are there 
issues that you would like to highlight for us that we should 
be aware of?
    General Banta. Yes, sir. I think it has been brought up 
once or twice already, but the size of the workforce, the 
construction workforce available on Guam is insufficient.
    Senator Hagerty. Yeah.
    General Banta. So extending the H-2B visa issue would be 
very helpful to us, to avoid significant cost and schedule 
increases that could, potentially, delay that movement from 
Okinawa to Guam.
    Senator Hagerty. Have you seen a backlog. Are you seeing it 
actually slow down? Has the pandemic caused an impact on that?
    General Banta. We haven't really seen a backlog, per se, 
but we are starting to see bid busts on certain projects, and 
if we don't get that waiver relief we would anticipate 
significant cost increases, potentially on the order of $1.1 to 
$1.5 billion.
    Senator Hagerty. Got it. Significant. Thank you, General 
Banta.
    Vice Admiral Williamson, I would like to turn to you. I am 
pleased to see that your N4 Logistics Staff, has reached out to 
my Senate Staff, to demonstrate the Navy's Navigation Plan 
Implementation Framework for solving problems like contested 
logistics, or how we resupply.
    I am also pleased to see that the NIF, Framework's 
collaborative approach is beginning to break through stovepipes 
in how we shoot, how we maneuver, how we defend, and how we 
resupply in hostile environments.
    My question, Admiral Williamson is: What are ways that this 
committee can support the military construction necessary to 
better enable your ability to sustain the Fleet for a potential 
conflict in INDOPACOM area of responsibility?
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, sir. Thank you very much for the 
question. And thank you very much for your continued support.
    I would fall in line with Ted's answer, as we look at, you 
know, the distributed operations across that front. It is not 
going to be just Guam, it is going to be in other places as 
well. So having the workforce available, making sure that we 
understand the critical path, and lay that out and we 
communicate that those MILCON projects, and in some cases it is 
just not MILCON, it is also RM projects. We tend to talk large 
projects.
    Senator Hagerty. Yeah.
    Admiral Williamson. There is a lot of small projects as 
well. And so being able to communicate that total requirement 
to you early, and being able to mention things like the 
workforce, one of the other things that we are seeing, you 
know, I think is still left over from the pandemic, is cost of 
raw materials, for example.
    We are in high-cost areas, and so if I take just the 
standard rate of inflation, and apply that to a project I am 
going to miss, and that is a missed opportunity that you 
mentioned.
    Senator Hagerty. I can see. I can see, yeah. Very quickly. 
We have got some, I think, great new opportunities evolving, in 
terms of access with the Philippines, with Japan's desire to do 
more, and I would like to ask you if there are specific 
military construction projects that we need to be prioritizing, 
so that the United States is in the best position it can be to 
leverage this new access that we are obtaining.
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, sir. I would love to come back to 
you with a more detailed answer on that question, if that is 
possible, so I could take that up and come back----
    Senator Hagerty. Yeah. I would love to hear it.
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, sir.
    Senator Hagerty. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Senator Murray. Thank you, and let me come back to you on 
PFAS, since nobody went in depth on that; both to General Banta 
and to Admiral Williamson. And I do know that the Navy is 
conducting PFAS investigations at 40 of our closed and 
realigned installations. And they have completed the initial 
phase for roughly half of those, there is a lot of work to be 
done. A lot of those installations are in my home state of 
Washington, and their surrounding communities, have some of the 
worst recorded contamination levels.
    So let me ask both of you; with regards to closed and 
realigned installations what additional resources do you need 
to help clean up environmental contaminants like--including 
PFAS?
    And General, I will start with you, and then go to.
    General Banta. Chairwoman, thanks very much for the 
question. So yes, we take providing a clean, safe, healthy 
environment for our Marines and families, extremely seriously, 
and PFOS/PFOA are a significant challenge to that, not just 
within the military but DOD-wide.
    We currently have twelve Active and two Reserve sites that 
have suspected past AFFF storage, or use on them, and have been 
assessing them for potential cleanup. We have completed four of 
those site investigations, with the remainder scheduled to be 
complete by the end of this year.
    In terms of additional resources, I am honestly not aware 
of any right now. If I could come back to you with any future 
requests, I would be happy to do so.
    Senator Murray. Okay. I very much appreciate that.
    General Banta. Yes, ma'am.
    Senator Murray. Admiral.
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, ma'am. Also, very committed to 
providing, you know, safe water, for not only our Active bases, 
but any of the bases we have been to in the past. Currently 
149, both active and BRAC bases, 16 of those locations, we are 
actively working. As far as needed funds, in PB-24 we have got 
$160 million laid in to look at the cleanup, provide safe 
drinking water in locations that may not be there.
    But, ma'am, I would love to get back to you with additional 
detail of anything else additionally we need.
    Senator Murray. Okay. The Committee will need that. So I 
will appreciate it from both of you.
    Admiral Williamson. Yes, ma'am.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Murkowski.
    Senator Murkowski. Madam Chairman, I am going to defer to 
the fact that we have a second panel coming. I will be 
submitting a question for the record to you, Secretary Owens. 
This relates to the final EIS at Fort Wainwright for the power 
plant there, and the call for multiple distributed natural gas 
fire boilers, to provide the base for heat. As you probably 
know, we do not have natural gas that comes to the Interior 
Region at this point in time.
    We are also looking at a shortage of supply of natural gas 
in Cook Inlet, and my questions will be surrounding that as an 
issue. So I would welcome your reply, and if we have an 
opportunity for further one-on-one discussion, we will do that. 
But I will defer so that we can move to the next panel.
    Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
    Senator Murray. Very good. Thank you, Senator Murkowski.
    And thank you, to all of our witnesses today. We really 
appreciate it. That does conclude our first panel.
    And I invite the second panel of witnesses now to take 
their places at the table.


 
                                PANEL II

    Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you very much, to all three of 
you for joining us today. I will now introduce our second 
panel.
    Representing the Army is Lieutenant General Kevin Vereen, 
Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9 Installations.
    From the Air Force, we have Lieutenant General Tom Miller, 
Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force 
Protection.
    And finally, Mr. Bruce Hollywood, Associate Chief 
Operations Officer for the United States Space Force.
    We will ask our witnesses now to begin their opening 
statements. We will begin with General Vereen, followed by 
General Miller, and then Mr. Hollywood. So General.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL KEVIN VEREEN, DEPUTY 
            CHIEF OF STAFF, G-9, UNITED STATES ARMY
    General Miller. Chairwoman Murray, Ranking Member Boozman, 
distinguished Members of this Subcommittee; thank you for 
allowing us to speak today, and thank you for allowing me to 
speak about the Army's Military Construction Budget Request for 
fiscal year 2024.
    I do want to thank you for your support to our Army, and to 
our families. We are grateful as an Army, for the support that 
we have received from Congress.
    The Army's 2024 MILCON Budget Request reflects a balanced 
investment across the Army's priorities of people and 
Readiness, with an eye towards modernization. Our total MILCON 
request for fiscal year 2024 is $2.75 billion, which are 
applied in the following areas: 386 million to Army family 
housing, 305 million to Army family housing construction, 1.47 
billion to military construction for the Army, 107 million to 
military construction for the Army Reserve, 340 million to 
military construction for the Army National Guard, and 151 
million to support BRAC.
    In the INDOPACOM region the Army has MCA investments of 1.3 
billion through fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2023. And 
the Army has a FY DP plan for over $2 billion of investments in 
the INDOPACOM region.
    I want to briefly highlight the areas of readiness, quality 
of life, and resilience, as integral parts to our Army, and its 
ability to fight and win both now and in the future. With 
regards to readiness, Army investments to improve capabilities 
and infrastructure, training, our ranges, facilities in the 
industrial base, maintenance facilities, and power projection 
allows us to meet the training demand and posture for any 
contingency across the world.
    In quality of life, four major areas that we have directed 
an impact to our readiness: One is barracks. With Congress' 
support, we have increased the sustainment to 92 percent. We 
have spent $2.7 billion in fiscal year 2022 to 2023, and the 
Army plans to invest $11 billion in MILCON and FSRM for 
Barracks over fiscal years 2024 through 2032, which equates to 
$1 billion over the next 10 years.
    In family housing: we have invested 928 million in 
government-owned family housing in fiscal years 2021 through 
2023; we plan to invest 1.6 billion in future investments over 
the FYDP; commitments from privatized housing companies to 
invest $3 billion in fiscal years 2020 through 2026. We have 
implemented the Tenant Bill of Rights at all 44 installations. 
We have implemented 100 percent change of occupancy 
inspections, and 100 percent assurance checks on life, health, 
and safety, and work orders.
    Using a uniform standard, the Army began inspections of 
government-owned, leased, privatized family housing and 
privatized unaccompanied housing, worldwide, to assess their 
structural integrity and habitability. We have completed 
inspections at Fort Belvoir, and Fort Meade, and we started 
inspections at Fort Gordon last week.
    Undergoing a contract acquisition process to inspect 
102,000 homes over the next 4 years, with an anticipation to be 
complete by the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.
    In child care: we want to thank you for funding seven new 
CDCs in fiscal years 2021 through 2023. We are renovating 11 
CDCs in fiscal year 2023, and another 11 planned for fiscal 
year 2024. We have eight new CDCs, and two youth centers that 
are planned in the FY DP, and starting in fiscal year 2025. We 
are hiring and we are retaining child care staff, and it is a 
national problem, and the Army is also affected.
    We have staffing shortfalls, we are currently filled at 73 
percent, and it is impacting majority of our CDCs. We have 
increased the entry-level pay, and we are implementing 
incentives to improve recruitment and retention of our child 
care staff, and we are expanding the FCC homes and other child 
care opportunities for our families.
    With regards to spouse employment: we want to thank you for 
your efforts to improve spouse employment across the scope of 
the Army. We are working to seek and improve spouse career 
opportunities and partner with Federal and nongovernmental 
agencies.
    In my travels, since assuming this assignment, I have seen 
and heard the positive impacts of funding, as it applies to 
these three integral areas. However, there is more work to be 
done.
    Quality of life is truly what the center of our Army is 
about, it is about readiness and retention. When our soldiers, 
our spouses, and our families, and family members are satisfied 
with their quality of life, they are more than likely to 
continue to serve.
    Finally, in the area of resilience and readiness through 
modernization, the Army continues to develop and incorporate 
design standards and construction practices that produce 
facility and installation resiliency, and that reduces the 
Army's carbon footprint.
    The fiscal year 2024 Barracks Project, at JBLM, is an 
opportunity to expand our knowledge using sustainable building 
materials in the Army construction, and assessing the cost-
effectiveness, the resiliency, and timeliness, and would 
potentially provide with opportunities to build future 
construction in the same manner.
    And in fiscal year 2024, we have a barracks project at Fort 
Bragg, which will be carbon net zero, and it is optimized for 
efficiency with an on-site renewable energy source.
    Again, I want to thank you for your support to our Army. 
And I look forward to your questions today. Thank you.
    [The statement follows:]
         Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Kevin Vereen
                              introduction
    Chairwoman Murray, Ranking Member Boozman, and distinguished 
members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to present 
the Army's Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for installation 
infrastructure, and for your continued support and commitment to the 
Army's soldiers, families, civilians, and soldiers for life. The 
committee's leadership has been invaluable in our shared pledge to 
successfully defend our Nation and its interests as we work to improve 
our installations and support the Army now and in the future.
    As old threats evolve and new ones emerge, especially in the Indo-
Pacific region, the Army is making decisions and prioritizing 
investments that not only contribute to current readiness, but will 
also pay dividends on the battlefields of 2030 and beyond.
    The Army's bedrock priorities of people, readiness and 
modernization guide our strategies and investments and are reflected in 
our fiscal Year 2024 budget request outlined below. For the Army, 
people are at the core of everything we do and installations are the 
foundational support for our people. Installations are where we train, 
work, learn and live. Therefore, as we build the Army of the future, we 
must make strategic investments in our installations, making the best 
use of innovative technologies, and applying streamlined processes to 
accelerate improvements. The future of installations is now.
                          putting people first
    Providing high quality housing, barracks, and Child Development 
Centers (CDCs) for soldiers and families is essential to readiness. 
Modern amenities in housing and barracks, and access to high quality 
childcare helps us attract recruits and retain soldiers and their 
families. We are demonstrating our commitment to achieve these quality 
of life goals in a number of ways, as reflected in our fiscal Year 2024 
budget request.
    For example, we currently plan to invest $11 billion between fiscal 
years 2024 and 2032 to improve barracks across the Army. We are 
committed to ensuring the availability of quality childcare by planning 
for construction of new childcare centers in multiple locations. And we 
are holding private housing providers accountable for delivering high 
quality housing to soldiers and families. While we can't deliver the 
full returns on these investments overnight, we can provide consistent 
and enduring resources to continuously improve the quality of life for 
soldiers and families, caregivers, and survivors.
                    army infrastructure investments
    The Army remains committed to improving our infrastructure and 
addressing deferred maintenance needs. We are grateful to Congress for 
funding Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) 
and Military Construction (MILCON) in the fiscal year 2023 National 
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Omnibus Appropriations 
legislation. The FSRM funding will enable the Army to increase 
sustainment to 92 percent of its requirement for fiscal year 2023, 
thereby slowing the pace of facility degradation. Our fiscal year 2024 
budget request seeks to continue this momentum.
    The fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations legislation also added 
critical MILCON construction funding for barracks and other 
construction priorities. This funding will advance new projects and 
address project cost overruns resulting from increases in the costs of 
building materials. Though inflation rates are leveling off, 
construction industry costs continue to out-pace core inflation. If 
Army MILCON construction projects end up costing more than the amount 
authorized and appropriated for fiscal year 2024, the Army will make 
adjustments accordingly, including by reprogramming savings from other 
projects if available.
    The Army incorporates the latest advances in sustainable and 
electrified building practices to enhance facility resilience and to 
reduce our carbon emissions footprint.
    We are developing pilot projects to explore the feasibility of 
incorporating low embodied carbon materials, including mass timber, 
green steel and concrete, to curb CO2 emissions from buildings, and 
minimize lifecycle maintenance costs. Also, in accordance with 
Administration and Department of Defense (DoD) directives, we are 
beginning to upgrade existing buildings for electrification and 
planning for construction of new fully electrified buildings. These 
buildings are expected to result in lower total energy demand and 
reduced energy costs by incorporating new and more efficient 
technologies and design strategies. Because of the authorities given to 
us by Congress, the realized savings from these improvements can then 
be directed to people and readiness programs.
                              army housing
    The Army continues to focus on the oversight of our private housing 
providers to ensure quality services are delivered, consistent with 
Congressional guidance and authorities. We are addressing the remaining 
elements of the fiscal year 2020 NDAA's Military Housing Privatization 
Reform and, with respect to Army-owned housing, we are implementing the 
fiscal year 2021 NDAA's extension of these reforms to government-owned 
housing. We are also developing policies to address the fiscal Year 
2023 NDAA's housing- related directives. Specifically, we will review 
the Housing Requirements Market Analyses processes, brief Congress on 
any ground lease extensions and consult as the law requires on 
demolition of homes at Fort McNair.
    With the help of Congress, we are making great strides in improving 
the Army- owned housing inventory (located primarily overseas), and we 
are on target for 89 percent of these homes to be characterized as 
``good'' or ``adequate'' by 2029. MILCON housing projects are awarded 
and in progress in Baumholder and Vilseck, Germany; Vicenza, Italy; 
Camps Humphreys and Walker, Korea; Kwajalein Atoll; and Fort Buchanan, 
Puerto Rico. All of these projects will significantly improve the 
quality of life for our soldiers and families in these locations.
                       privatized housing update
    Ground leases are the foundational legal documents governing the 
obligations of private housing providers who own and manage family 
housing on leased lands. The Army recently developed revised ground 
lease language that specifically outlines the consequences of non-
compliance by project companies. The new language reinforces the 
premise that project companies are charged at all times with having 
full knowledge, along with the obligation, to comply with all of the 
requirements of the ground lease and the associated Property Management 
Agreement for keeping homes properly maintained, and to correct any 
non-compliance expeditiously. Additional changes to the ground lease 
language include the application of Davis-Bacon Act wages, as required 
by Department of Labor regulations, the Code of Federal Regulations, 
applicable Executive Orders, and Federal Acquisition Regulations.
    Additional financing through third-party investment helps establish 
a more secure operational footprint for privatized housing projects to 
remain financially viable. The Army is exploring the use of ground 
lease extensions (GLEs) and project refinancing as tools to facilitate 
the private housing providers' recapitalization of housing inventory 
and infrastructure where the Army deems it necessary and appropriate to 
do so. The Army will use new reporting requirements detailed in the 
fiscal Year 2023 NDAA to brief Congress before proceeding with GLEs. 
For two installations where the private housing provider does not have 
adequate reserves or opportunities to obtain third-party financing, the 
Army is seeking MILCON appropriations to meet immediate housing 
improvement needs.
    When it comes to privatized housing oversight, the Army conducts 
quality assurance inspections for all changes of occupancy, and to 
confirm that all life, health, and safety maintenance work orders have 
been completed satisfactorily. Also, with the help of third-party 
inspectors, the Army is fulfilling the fiscal Year 2020 NDAA mandate to 
conduct comprehensive inspections of 100 percent of the privatized 
housing inventory. Third- party comprehensive housing inspections were 
completed at Fort Meade, Maryland in August 2022 as the Army's second 
installation in the 100 percent inspection pilot program. As with 
Army's first pilot inspection at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Fort Meade's 
overall housing inventory was rated in good to excellent condition. The 
100 percent inspection program will continue in fiscal Year 2023 with 
Fort Gordon, Georgia as the next installation to go through the 
comprehensive inspection process. Additionally, in fiscal Year 2023, 
the Army is continuing to conduct financial audits of privatized 
housing programs with independent third-party experts. To date, the 
Army has completed 21 reviews of 34 projects, with six additional 
reviews ongoing.
    Implementation of the Tenant Bill of Rights, set forth in the 
fiscal Year 2020 NDAA, is improving service delivery and restoring 
trust between private housing companies and residents by clarifying 
rights and responsibilities and giving residents a more powerful voice. 
We have worked hard to ensure that residents know where to turn for 
assistance and how best to engage Installation leadership and Army 
housing offices to advocate on their behalf. Of the 37 disputes that 
were initiated since the Army created the Tenant Bill of Rights dispute 
resolution process, 33 were resolved informally and only four required 
formal adjudication under the process.
    As part of the Army's commitment to oversight and accountability, 
the Commanding General of the Army Installation Management Command 
holds weekly meetings with private housing companies and stakeholders 
throughout the installations community to review the physical and 
financial conditions of privatized housing and to receive updates on 
the status of any displaced families. The Army has established an 
enforceable incentive fee metric to deny payment of fees if standards 
are not met, and to reward improved work order response times and 
achieve better quality, thereby increasing resident satisfaction. The 
metric is reviewed and updated annually to ensure it is achieving 
desired outcomes. The Army's fiscal Year 2024 budget request includes 
funding to continue rigorous oversight of private housing providers.
                     barracks/unaccompanied housing
    The Army is currently planning to invest over $1 billion per year 
in FSRM and MILCON for Unaccompanied Housing across all components--the 
active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve--as reflected in the 
fiscal Year 2024 budget and the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). 
The Army continues to implement solutions to ensure every soldier is 
afforded the opportunity to live in a safe and high quality 
environment. These solutions include increasing investments across the 
FYDP; addressing deficits through new MILCON; prioritizing restoration 
and modernization projects at installations with the greatest need; 
maximizing sustainment funding to address accelerated facility 
deterioration; managing room assignments to inventory; and evaluating 
privatization opportunities at select installations. To obtain 
soldiers' perspectives of barracks conditions, the Army conducted a 
survey of 40,000 soldiers residing in Permanent Party Barracks across 
five installations. The results of this survey will inform future 
decisions on improving soldiers' living conditions.
    Innovation and modernization are at the forefront of the Army 
barracks construction program. The Army is using new construction 
standards for barracks to enhance quality of life for soldiers. For 
grades E1 to E4, the barracks standard includes a four-bedroom, two-
bathroom module with a living room, full kitchen, and easy access to 
laundry facilities. For E5-E6, the barracks standard includes a two-
bedroom, one bathroom module with a living room, full kitchen, and easy 
access to laundry facilities. Several barracks pilot projects are 
currently scheduled for construction and renovation to reflect these 
new building efficiencies.
                              army lodging
    The Army's privatized lodging inventory consists of 12,275 rooms 
across 40 installations. Over the past 13 years, nearly $1.2 billion in 
private sector capital has been invested to recapitalize these 
facilities, with one out of three rooms having been newly built. In 
November 2022, a new 69-room hotel opened its doors at Aberdeen Proving 
Ground, Maryland. New hotels for Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Joint 
Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas are currently in design. The 
Army is assessing ways to accelerate the construction of additional 
hotels.
    Guest satisfaction scores at privatized hotels increased for the 
ninth straight year. The program continues to meet the Army's mission 
by providing safe, affordable, and high-quality on-post lodging for 
Army soldiers and their families.
    The Army's overseas direct-run lodging inventory consists of 1,857 
rooms across 11 installations. Six Army Lodging projects for overseas 
bases, totaling over $311 million are in design or construction. 
Specifically, new facilities are planned for Camp Walker, Korea; 
Baumholder, Germany; Camp Humphreys, Korea; Hohenfels, Germany; and 
Camp Zama, Japan; with an additional 71 rooms slated for renovation at 
Camp Humphreys.
                        delivering on child care
    Another important part of taking care of people is providing access 
to affordable quality childcare, particularly in communities where 
availability of off-post care is limited. The Army's child care 
strategy includes: increasing and sustaining child care infrastructure, 
recruiting and retaining additional quality child care providers, 
sustaining off-post care options, and exploring new initiatives and 
partnerships. However, ongoing staffing challenges related to 
recruitment and retention continue to limit child care availability at 
some locations, despite recent Army pay increases starting at $17.39 
per hour, bonuses, and other incentives.
    The Army appreciates the committee's support of CDCs by funding 
seven new CDCs in fiscal Year 2021-2023 and providing additional 
funding for planning and design for future construction.
                         army historic housing
    The Army continues to work with the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation (ACHP) to manage our inventory of historic homes in 
accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). 
The Army successfully worked with the
    ACHP to complete the 2020 ``Army Program Comment for Inter-War Era 
Historic Housing, Associated Buildings and Structures, and Landscape 
Features (1919-1940).'' This landmark agreement allows Army to 
undertake improvements to more than 3,200 inter-war era historic homes 
in cost effective ways, such as through the use of imitative substitute 
building materials.
    The Army also worked successfully with the ACHP to develop a 
similar Program Comment for Vietnam War era housing (1963-1975), 
approved by the ACHP just last week. Thanks to excellent collaboration 
between the Army and the historic preservation community, the Army now 
has a programmatic solution in place for 95 percent of our historic 
homes. Programmatic solutions save the Army millions of dollars by 
streamlining the NHPA compliance process, delivering consistent 
preservation outcomes, and providing the flexibility to improve the 
quality of life, health, and safety of Army families. The Army Program 
Comments provide flexible management options that ensure the long-term 
preservation of historic Army housing while maintaining these 
structures as functional real property assets.
                     safety and occupational health
    Ensuring our soldiers and civilians are ready to support the Army 
mission requires continual investment in proactive injury and illness 
prevention. The Army's Safety and Occupational Health Management System 
moves us from a reactive to a proactive approach to safety.
    This innovative safety management system will include comprehensive 
oversight of each command's and installation's safety and occupational 
health programs. We are also evaluating the entire Army safety 
enterprise to best support the Army of 2030.
    To ensure facilities are safe and healthy for use by our workforce 
and military families, Army commanders are evaluating facilities with a 
specific focus on health and safety of housing and CDCs. The Army is 
inspecting all Army CDCs to identify any safety issues, including the 
presence of lead, asbestos, and mold, that adversely impact health. The 
Army is improving training of our safety and health professional 
workforce to ensure they retain and enhance technical competencies to 
better inform commanders of health and safety risks and to provide 
recommendations for mitigating those risks.
            building a resilient force through partnerships
    To support our ``People First'' strategy, the Army is focused on 
promoting resilience across the Army enterprise, beginning with our 
installations. This will ensure that Army facilities and the people 
working on them can adapt to new threats in a contested, multi-domain 
environment. Building resilience across the force requires 
collaboration with defense communities to identify common challenges 
that exist both inside and outside the fence line, and to work with 
third parties to develop solutions.
    The Army continually advances new technologies by engaging with 
Federal and private-sector research and development communities. For 
example, over thirty active technology demonstrations are underway at 
Army installations through the DoD's Environmental Security Technology 
Certification Program, and Army installations are also participating in 
pilot energy resilience projects with the Department of Energy.
    Congressional funding for Army research labs has also benefited 
installations' ability to test and leverage resilient technologies. For 
example, in fiscal Year 2021, Congress funded the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers' Engineering Research and Development Center to facilitate 
the demonstration of a ``flow battery'' at Fort Carson, Colorado, in 
partnership with industry and the local Colorado Springs Utility. 
Potential benefits of flow batteries include low projected lifecycle 
costs, long duration discharge with daily discharge capability, 
multiple times longer life-span compared to lithium-ion storage, easier 
material sourcing, and improved safety. The battery will be 
commissioned later this year and tested through 2026.
    We are also working with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to 
utilize Other Transaction Authority to test energy technology 
prototypes on Army installations and more rapidly adopt those which are 
ultimately successful. In fiscal year 2023, DIU issued an ``area of 
interest'' call to seek industry participation in developing large-
scale geothermal electricity generation plants at installations which 
may have favorable geological conditions, such as Fort Wainwright and 
Fort Irwin. Geothermal energy could provide thermal and electric 
carbon-free, continuous, reliable, and resilient power, regardless of 
weather conditions.
                  army climate strategy implementation
    The Army's mission to fight and win our Nation's wars remains 
unchanged. Climate change makes this mission more challenging. The Army 
must proactively address climate risks to maintain our strategic edge 
in a climate-altered world. The Army Climate Strategy will put us on a 
path toward building a more modern, resilient and capable force of the 
future. By reducing our reliance on fuel, the Climate Strategy also 
minimizes the vulnerability of our soldiers, our physical assets, and 
operational supply lines. Nothing we are doing to address climate risks 
comes at the expense of readiness. To the contrary, climate resilience 
is a key part of readiness.
    Microgrids are a central feature of Army's resilience planning. 
Microgrids, which can include on-site power generation, controllable 
distribution systems and energy storage, promote resilience by 
islanding on-base power in the event of an off-base power interruption. 
We plan to install microgrids on every installation by 2035, with a 
goal of combining these systems with enough carbon-free energy 
generation and battery storage to self-sustain critical missions at all 
Army installations by 2040.
    Currently, the Army has 28 operational microgrids, with nine under 
construction and 18 in design.
    To help inform how our installations and facilities will 
specifically mitigate or adapt to the effects of climate change, the 
Army is moving forward on Installation Climate Resilience Plans (ICRP) 
as required by Title 10 U.S. Code Sec. 2864. ICRPs incorporate data 
from the Defense Climate Assessment Tool (originally developed by Army) 
among other relevant data sources to identify a specific installation's 
vulnerability to climate change impacts based on the geographic region 
where that installation is located. The ICRPs are valuable tools to 
inform installation leaders and planners about location-specific short- 
and long-term climate impacts. This information helps us better 
understand risk and identify mitigation actions that will protect the 
Army's ability to train and deploy under climate-altered conditions. 
The Army has completed ICRPs for Fort Carson, Colorado, and Anniston 
Army Depot, Alabama, and has ICRPs underway for Forts Greely and 
Wainwright, Alaska, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Bliss, Texas. 
ICRPs will be initiated in fiscal year 2023 for Fort Hood, Texas, and 
Fort Stewart, Georgia.
    When it comes to the operational force, we are examining how a 
reduction in energy usage can enhance warfighting capability. Working 
closely with industry partners, the Army is engineering and testing 
anti-idle retrofit kits for all tactical wheeled vehicles, with 
procurement beginning in fiscal year 2025. Intelligent anti-idle 
controls reduce engine run-times by up to 50 percent, reduce fuel 
consumption by up to 30 percent, improve silent watch capability, and 
reduce maintenance costs. The Army is also developing and testing 
technologies for hybrid-electric tactical vehicles, with a goal to 
field hybrid drive tactical vehicles by 2035 and fully electric 
tactical vehicles by 2050. These efforts will enhance operational 
capability and mitigate risks to soldiers through reduced acoustic and 
thermal signature, silent mobility, increased sprint speed, extended 
range, and lower fuel consumption, resulting in significantly reduced 
supply line vulnerabilities.
    Early technology demonstrators of hybrid-electric vehicles are in 
the testing stages.
    Battlefield charging remains a challenge and we will not advance 
any technologies that put the mission or our soldiers' safety at risk 
by having insufficient power to operate equipment or vehicles. To 
address this challenge, a coordinated, Army-wide effort led by Army 
Futures Command in collaboration with industry is developing 
technologies for efficient and effective battlefield charging 
capabilities. In the meantime, the Army is exploring opportunities to 
use the single charge of electric tactical vehicles for discrete 
missions so that we can better understand the observed operational 
benefits.
    In the realm of more energy efficient aircraft, the Army's UH-60 
Blackhawk, AH- 64 Apache, and the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft 
will be retrofitted with the T901 Improved Turbine Engine (ITE). The 
ITE is expected to reduce fuel consumption by 13 percent to 25 percent, 
decrease maintenance by 30 percent, and provide 50 percent increased 
shaft horsepower. This will enable full-payload aircraft to fly higher, 
in hotter temperatures, and for extended ranges. In March 2022, the 
first engine began testing.
    The Army is partnering with the Joint Force to develop and 
standardize advanced high-performance, high-capacity batteries to power 
vehicle, aircraft, weapons, and soldier systems. Army-led efforts to 
create a family of advanced standard batteries is intended to simplify 
supply chain issues and address obsolescence in legacy systems. To 
reduce reliance on foreign battery material supplies, the Army is 
participating in a government-wide effort to strengthen domestic supply 
chains and mitigate critical materials vulnerability. This includes 
maximizing the authorities and funding under Title III of the Defense 
Production Act where possible. We are also exploring opportunities to 
develop substitutions for these critical elements, including by 
partnering with industry as battery technologies advance at a rapid 
pace.
                installation energy and water resilience
    Army installations and the critical missions they support-power 
projection, force mobilization, and command and control-rely 
predominantly on commercial utilities for energy and water. Energy and 
water supporting our installations must be readily available, and the 
sources and methods of delivery must be able to withstand attack- 
whether from grid or equipment failures, cyberattacks, or extreme 
weather events and natural disasters-and recover from interruption to 
ensure seamless mission execution. Resilience requires coordinated 
action and planning to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing 
conditions.
    The Army's Installation Energy and Water Resilience Policy empowers 
installation senior commanders to set energy and water requirements to 
support the critical missions on their bases. Through development of 
Installation Energy and Water Plans (IEWPs), the Army assesses risks 
and opportunities, generates risk mitigation options, and implements 
prioritized resilience and efficiency solutions at all installations. 
The Army has completed 148 of the 189 IEWPs that are expected to be 
completed, and is on track to complete the remaining plans in fiscal 
Year 2023.
    Resilience capabilities must be validated at Army installations 
through semi- annual routine and annual full-scale testing of all 
backup systems that support critical missions. The Army conducts Black 
Start Exercises to test installations' ability to respond to and 
restore power upon an electric grid outage. These exercises have been 
completed at six bases and planning is underway to execute these 
exercises at five additional locations in fiscal Year 2023: Fort 
Carson, Colorado; Fort Drum, New York; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort 
Riley, Kansas; and U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, Europe.
    These exercises are the best way to test the inter-relationships of 
systems across an installation and determine how well they function in 
the event of an outage. These exercises are invaluable for identifying 
and resolving previously undetected problems such as generator circuit 
connection gaps, or malfunctioning equipment.
    The Army is also promoting energy efficiency through the Resilient 
Energy Funding for Readiness and Modernization, or REFoRM, program, 
authorized by Congress in Title 10 U.S. Code Sec. 2912, Availability 
and Use of Energy Cost Savings. REFoRM allows the Army to direct energy 
cost savings back to the installations to reinvest in energy programs 
and for a variety of quality of life programs. Army has realized over 
$100 million in energy cost savings since REFoRM's inception.
    Water plays an essential role in Army missions such as industrial 
base manufacturing, equipment maintenance and operations, facility 
heating and cooling, firefighting, and training land management. In 
fiscal year 2022, Army installations used over 37 billion gallons of 
water. This number is down from previous years, reflecting a deliberate 
water conservation effort. The Army continues to protect water from 
ever-increasing man-made and natural threats, such as drought. Many 
Army installations lead the way in water sustainability and resilience. 
For example, in fiscal year 2022, the Army preserved drinking water by 
capturing, treating, and re-utilizing nearly 690 million gallons from 
alternative sources such as rainwater harvesting systems at Fort 
Buchanan, Puerto Rico, and re-treated wash water at Fort Leonard Wood, 
Missouri. However, as environmental stresses worsen, the Army must 
continuously consider and improve how installations access, use, and 
re-use water, in partnership with utilities, communities, regional 
partners, industry, academia, and research institutions.
                         alternative financing
    As the Army looks at ways to mitigate vulnerabilities, we must 
consider the full suite of resourcing and acquisition authorities. This 
includes utilizing all available appropriated fund programs, such as 
Operations and Maintenance, MILCON, and the specific subset of MILCON, 
the Energy Resilience Conservation and Investment Program. The threats 
which necessitate resilience planning do not start or stop at the fence 
line and we must partner with communities, utilities, energy service 
companies and State and local governments to address these threats. 
Therefore, in addition to appropriated funds, third-party financing 
resources are also a critical component for addressing vulnerabilities. 
This approach, which includes real estate out grants, energy savings 
performance contracts (ESPCs), utility energy savings contracts 
(UESCs), utilities infrastructure privatization and power purchase 
agreements, is invaluable to help the Army address utility 
vulnerabilities and resilience.
    In fiscal year 2022, the Army updated its ESPC and UESC policy to 
maximize use of these contracts as a part of an overall strategic 
approach to sustain, restore, and modernize facilities, to address the 
facilities maintenance backlog, and to achieve efficiency and 
resilience objectives. In fiscal Year 2022, the Army awarded four ESPCs 
and five UESC projects totaling $230 million, delivering the Army 2.234 
megawatts of onsite carbon-free energy generation. The Army is working 
to award over a dozen ESPCs and UESCs in fiscal year 2023, with more to 
follow in fiscal year 2024 and beyond.
    The Army's Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI) is currently working 
with nearly thirty installations to rapidly develop large-scale, 
privately financed energy generation and storage projects, many of 
which include microgrid configurations. OEI collaborates with industry 
and other private investors to identify mutual needs and leverages 
those opportunities to meet the Army's requirements. To date, 11 
installations host OEI- developed projects, providing a combined 325 
megawatts of energy production capacity, secured through $627 million 
of private sector investment, with anticipated life- cycle operations 
and maintenance values of $603 million. In addition, the Army has 
entered into real estate agreements for two projects that will begin 
construction in fiscal year 2023, and we are in the final stages of 
negotiation for three additional projects.
    The Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP) has been 
an invaluable tool to facilitate meaningful infrastructure planning 
between installations and defense communities. DCIP funds community 
resilience projects such as the fiscal year 2022 $14.9 million grant 
awarded to the City of Boiling Springs Lake, North Carolina to restore 
four dams damaged by 2018 Hurricane Florence. This project will 
mitigate flood risks to the community and to the Military Ocean 
Terminal Sunny Point, providing win- win benefits. Similarly, a $12.8 
million grant to the Alaska Energy Authority to extend electric 
transmission lines will help offset the cost of expanding electricity 
access to Alaskans, while also making Fort Wainwright's Black Rapids 
Training Site less reliant on standalone diesel generators, thereby 
reducing fuel consumption and associated emissions.
    The Army will continue to explore beneficial partnerships to 
strengthen installation resilience. On March 15, 2023, we signed a 
Memorandum of Understanding with the Edison Electric Institute as a 
framework to exchange information with utilities, and implement best 
practices to ensure a secure and reliable energy supply for military 
installations, as well as surrounding communities.
       intergovernmental support agreements to enhance readiness
    The Army is aggressively using Intergovernmental Support Agreements 
(IGSAs) to obtain municipal services, resulting in cost and manpower 
savings to the Army. The Army currently has 122 IGSAs in place, 
including agreements for environmental services, firefighting services, 
waste management, and dozens of other contracts to procure local 
government support. Most recently, the Army joined with its sister 
services to sign the first-of-its-kind State-wide IGSA with the Texas 
Department of Transportation to provide operation and maintenance 
support for on-base roads, stormwater drainage, traffic lights, and 
bulk materials purchases. The ten-year IGSA contract includes Forts 
Hood and Bliss, and is expected to save the Army over $3.78 million per 
year.
                       environmental stewardship
    The Army's Environmental Program helps maintain access to testing 
and training lands in a variety of ways. Army biologists have been 
managing installation land and natural habitats for 50 years in with no 
impact on mission, while at the same time protecting species where 
possible. Part of this success is attributable to the Army's Compatible 
Use Buffer Program (ACUB), which is marking its 20th anniversary, and 
the related Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Readiness and 
Environmental Protection Integration Program. These programs authorize 
Army to use innovative tools to provide flexibility for training and 
testing while carefully managing endangered species and other natural 
resources, in partnership with State and Federal agencies and private 
landowners. One major success story is the progress toward recovery of 
the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker in the Southeastern U.S. Based 
on the Army's careful management practices, the red-cockaded woodpecker 
is being proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for down 
listing from endangered to threatened.
    ACUB is also a critical tool to protect Army lands from nearby 
encroachment. To date, the Army, through ACUB, has preserved over 
760,000 acres in 28 States.
    Leveraging generous partner funding, Army has invested over $1.2 
billion to support the protection of natural resources. These 
investments help the Army remain well- positioned to protect the 
mission by deconflicting potential regulatory or encroachment 
impediments.
    The Army recognizes that external pressures threaten long-term 
viability of our training ranges and lands. To help mitigate this 
threat, the Army participates in the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership. 
This coalition of Federal agencies, State and local governments, and 
non-governmental organizations works with private landowners to advance 
sustainable land management practices around military installations and 
ranges. This program encourages Federal agencies to combine resources 
and authorities to address regional natural resource challenges, and 
helps the Army strengthen military readiness. Participating in the 
Partnership over the last 10 years has improved resilience at Army 
installations and the surrounding communities.
                         remediate contaminants
    The Army is committed to full compliance with environmental laws 
such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, as well as our 
ongoing environmental restoration activities. The Army currently 
manages close to 5,000 environmental permits, and conducts our cleanup 
program in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) using Defense Environmental 
Restoration Program authorities and funding. The Army has completed 
response actions at over 90 percent of the 12,000 plus sites in our 
restoration inventory. Our remediation work includes reducing risks 
posed by munitions that may remain at some of our installations, 
resulting from historic training activities. The Army continues to 
rigorously address cleanup actions to ensure protection of the health 
of our soldiers, their families and the communities surrounding our 
installations, as well as the environment.
    The Army has been taking action to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances (PFAS) since 2016, using a three-pronged approach focused on 
identifying and cleaning up past releases, testing for, and mitigating 
risks from PFAS in drinking water, and mitigating the use of aqueous 
film-forming foam (AFFF). The Army is currently conducting PFAS 
investigations at 341 installations in the United States and its 
territories. The Army is discontinuing the use of AFFF in accordance 
with legal requirements, and our current use of AFFF is limited to fire 
emergencies. Moreover, in accordance with the fiscal year 2020 NDAA 
requirements, we have developed an AFFF transition plan, which will 
commence when qualified fluorine-free products become available in late 
2023.
    Of the 341 facilities identified as requiring PFAS investigation, 
the Army has completed the first phase of investigations at 180 
facilities, with investigations underway at the remaining 161 
facilities. Ninety facilities have already moved to the next phase of 
investigation. Using the CERCLA process, the Army identifies impacts to 
drinking water outside installations and has completed removal actions 
to cut off exposure through measures such as provision of bottled 
water, municipal water connections, or installation of treatment 
technologies. The Army is fully transparent about our PFAS activities, 
and PFAS-related drinking water and cleanup information is available to 
the public via the Army's and DoD's websites that are updated 
regularly.
    In sum, the Army is committed to fulfilling our cleanup 
responsibilities and will remain transparent about our progress with 
both Congress and the public. We will continue to engage in robust 
community outreach efforts to inform stakeholders and solicit feedback.
         fy 2024 budget request for installation infrastructure
    The requested investments for installation infrastructure underpin 
the critical importance of our installations both at home and abroad, 
including the INDOPACIFIC region. These investments are intended to 
achieve three purposes: (1) support our Army's continued focus on 
improving quality of life for our people; (2) ensure our ability to 
achieve installation resilience and supporting capabilities at pace 
with our modernization strategy; and (3) enable our soldiers' ability 
to train, mobilize and project force from our installations to achieve 
national defense priorities.
                         military construction
    The Army's fiscal year 2024 MILCON and Family Housing request for 
$2.8 billion will improve installation readiness, industrial base 
readiness, and soldier and family quality of life, as more fully 
described below.
    The breakdown of $2.8 billion request by component is as follows: 
$2.16 billion for the active Component; $340 million for the Army 
National Guard (ARNG); $107 million for the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR); 
and $150.6 million in the Base Closure Account for environmental 
remediation, caretaker services, and program management costs at Base 
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites.
    Military Construction, Army (MCA). Included in the active Army's 
$1.47 billion request is $1.027 billion supporting installation and 
soldier readiness, broken down as follows: $288 million for permanent 
party barracks, $286 million for range and training facilities, $105 
million for maintenance facilities, $274 million for the industrial 
base and $74 million for a power projection project.
    Military Construction, Army Reserve (MCAR). The fiscal year 2024 
MCAR budget request supports two major construction projects: The USAR 
Center at Birmingham, Alabama, ($57 million) and an Area Maintenance 
Support Activity at Phoenix, Arizona, ($12 million).
    Military Construction, Army National Guard (MCNG). The ARNG request 
supports readiness by funding $140 million for seven readiness centers, 
$7.9 million for a training range, and $75 million for five maintenance 
facilities.
    Minor Construction/Planning & Design. All three components have 
requested a combined $154 million for Unspecified Minor Construction 
and $354 million for planning and design for future MILCON projects.
    Army Family Housing (AFH). The Army's request for $305 million in 
construction funding supports two new/replacement projects providing 70 
new homes in Baumholder, Germany; 20 new homes at Kwajalein Atoll; and 
equity investments for improved homes at Fort Gordon, Georgia and Fort 
Leonard Wood, Missouri.
    The Army's request for $385 million in Family Housing Operations 
funding provides for Army Family Housing operations, maintenance and 
repair, utilities, and management of the privatized housing Residential 
Communities Initiative.
    BRAC. The Army's request for $151 million includes $8 million for 
continuing caretaker and program management requirements at remaining 
BRAC installations closed or realigned under the five previous BRAC 
rounds (1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 2005) and $143 million for 
environmental cleanup requirements at BRAC sites. The Army continues to 
work with Federal and State regulators to resolve complex environmental 
issues that exist on the Army's BRAC sites so that each property can be 
conveyed and used for a beneficial non-military purpose.
                operation and maintenance of facilities
    Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM). The 
Army is requesting $7.1 billion in FSRM as set forth below to address 
our backlog of facilities maintenance, provide sustainment to slow 
degradation of facilities and for demolition of facilities as 
appropriate ($166 million). The Army is working with OSD to develop a 
comprehensive facility asset management approach to optimize 
sustainment, restoration, and modernization, demolition and MILCON 
funding to meet requirements. The emphasis of the approach is to 
enhance the accuracy of Army's building condition indices generated 
from BUILDER to maximize our return on investment.
    Army Sustainment. The Army's fiscal year 2024 FSRM request includes 
$4.5 billion in Facilities Sustainment, which will provide 89 percent 
of the Facility Sustainment Model requirements for all components.
    Restoration and Modernization (R&M), Active Army. The fiscal year 
2024 FSRM request includes $1.98 billion in R&M funding for the active 
Army, which will fund restoration projects for quality of life 
facilities, including barracks and CDCs, as well as readiness and power 
projection facilities, including airfields and utilities at key 
installations.
    Restoration and Modernization (R&M), Army Reserve. The fiscal year 
2024 FSRM request includes $157 million in R&M for the USAR. This 
funding will fund restoration projects for barracks, maintenance 
activities, and reserve centers.
    Restoration and Modernization (R&M), Army National Guard. The 
fiscal Year 2024 FSRM request includes $246 million in R&M for the 
ARNG, which will fund restoration projects for collective training 
barracks, reserve component readiness facilities, and recapitalization 
of training facilities.
                 investments in the indo-pacific region
    The importance of investing in requirements in the Indo-Pacific 
Region cannot be over-stated. The Army's fiscal Year 2024-2028 Future 
Years Defense Plan contains over $2 billion in Military Construction 
investments in this Region (Guam, Japan, Hawaii,
    Kwajalein and Alaska). We expect this figure to increase in future 
years as stationing decisions are concluded.
                               conclusion
    Building the Army of 2030 begins on our installations. We need 
ready and resilient installations to ensure our soldiers are properly 
trained and can deploy anywhere in the world to fight and win our 
Nation's wars. For installations, the future is now. Your continued 
support helps us realize these important goals.
    Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony and for 
your continued support of our soldiers, civilians, soldiers for life, 
and their families, caregivers, and survivors.

    Senator Murray. Thank you. General Miller.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL TOM MILLER, DEPUTY 
            CHIEF OF STAFF FOR LOGISTICS, ENGINEERING, 
            AND FORCE PROTECTION, UNITED STATES AIR 
            FORCE
    General Miller. Good morning, Chair Murray, Ranking Member 
Boozman, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. I am 
honored to appear before you hear today, to discuss the fiscal 
year 2024 Air Force, Military Construction, and Family Housing 
Programs.
    I would like to begin with thanks to this subcommittee for 
your steadfast support for our Nation's Air Force, and generous 
Military Construction Funding that you provided with the fiscal 
year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
    Dozens of projects including the Joint Intelligence Analyst 
Complex, child development centers, dormitories, and a host of 
new and current mission, military construction projects, all 
benefitted from over $1.9 billion in additional appropriations.
    Congress also approved a temporary increase in minor 
Military construction threshold from $6 million to $9 million 
and that really helps restore the buying power as cost continue 
to rise.
    I look forward to working with the subcommittee on our 
fiscal year 2024 Air Force, Military Construction Budget 
Request, and tackling new challenges as we continue to advance 
this vital program.
    Our Nation is facing the rise of great power competition, 
with the pacing threat of China, and the acute threat of 
Russia. Multi-complex domain threats, and a competition for 
access to resources, all in an environment of rapid 
technological change.
    In the face of these challenges the Air Force continues to 
prioritize modernization of our nuclear enterprise at home, and 
support for combatant commanders, especially the Indo-Pacific 
and European Theaters. Direct support to combatant command 
accounts for 36 percent of the fiscal year '24 Military 
Construction request, ten projects supporting Pacific 
Deterrence Initiative, to improve the infrastructure facilities 
throughout INDOPACOM.
    This critical infrastructure provides our allies, partners, 
and potential competitors a clear indication of the United 
States' long-term commitment to this area of responsibility. 
The request also continues to support the efforts to 
preposition equipment in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Norway.
    These projects enhance deterrence in the European Theater; 
enable joint and coalition forces to respond to aggressive 
regional actors.
    In preparation of the Sentinel Missile System, the Air 
Force is undertaking the largest land acquisition effort since 
the original Minuteman. And we appreciate the support of 
Congress to ensure the program remains on schedule, Minuteman 
III-to-Sentinel conversion must occur on a precise time line to 
maintain the operational readiness of the nuclear deterrent, 
and fully deliver what the warfighter needs by 2036.
    The request also includes three projects to prepare 
Ellsworth Air Force Base to welcome the first B-21 Raiders; 
once online these weapon systems will ensure the Air Force can 
continue to effectively supply two-thirds of the Nation's 
nuclear triad well into the future.
    Equally important, is the support and wellbeing of our 
Airmen in the form of affordable, accessible child care, and 
safe, high-quality housing. The Air Force uses a two-prong 
approach of targeted investments with facilities sustainment 
restoration and modernization to address facility condition, 
and Military construction to increase capacity.
    Generous Congressional support in fiscal year '22 and '23 
accelerated the progress of several child care development 
centers, and dormitory projects, and we are actively working to 
design additional projects for inclusion in future budget 
submissions.
    I would be remiss if I didn't address the importance of on-
time appropriations and the impact continuing resolutions have. 
A year-long CR would prohibit or impact the execution of 42 
Military construction projects, for Active, Guard, and Reserve 
totaling $1.4 billion, including projects supporting combatant 
commands and new weapon system beddowns.
    Because the Air Force fights from its installations, it is 
crucial that we obtain consistent funding to operate key 
facilities and infrastructure, as well as build facilities for 
new weapon systems through construction funds.
    In closing, the Air Force's continued partnership with this 
subcommittee, and its members, and your dedicated staff, is 
essential to the modernization of our assets, the safety of our 
installations, and the welfare of our Airmen and families.
    I thank you for your continued support. And look forward to 
your questions.
    [The statement follows:]
 Prepared Statement of Lieutenant General Tom D. Miller and Mr. Bruce 
                               Hollywood
                              introduction
    Chair Murray, Ranking Member Boozman, and distinguished members of 
the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the 
Department of the Air Force (DAF) Fiscal Year 2024 Military 
Construction Program.
    Our installations remain the platforms from which we enable and 
project combat power in and through the air and space domain. DAF 
installations serve as key nodes in a global network of operating 
locations that enable Joint Force mission success around the world; 
making the readiness, resiliency, and sustainability of installations 
matters of strategic importance. Our installations are where we train 
and equip for joint operations, control, and sustain air and space 
weapon systems, test new weapon systems, generate readiness, and 
provide safe, healthy communities that many of our Airmen, Guardians, 
and their families call home. However, after decades of operating our 
installations with nearly unprecedented freedom of action, the homeland 
is no longer a sanctuary--as the National Defense Strategy (NDS) 
clearly describes.
    Our Nation faces the nexus of complex challenges: the rise of great 
power competition with China and Russia; the increasing complexity of 
multi-domain threats; the competition for access to resources; and the 
increasing rate of technology change. We must ensure our installations 
are resilient, optimized, and operationally efficient to successfully 
defend the homeland; prevail against the full range of man-made and 
natural threats; deter strategic attacks against the United States, our 
Allies, and our partners; deter aggression and be prepared to prevail 
in conflict when necessary; and build a resilient Joint Force and 
defense ecosystem. We recognize the foundational capability our 
installations provide in advancing these priorities through integrated 
deterrence, campaigning and building enduring advantages.
    In the face of these challenges, we made hard choices to prioritize 
efforts focused on integrated deterrence in an environment of shrinking 
advantage against aggressive competitors, operating in an evolving 
security environment. Last year, in a continued effort to meet the 
challenge of pacing adversaries, we focused on seven operational 
imperatives. This year's budget reflects continued modernization 
efforts in a resilient, effective space order of battle; operationally 
optimized Advanced Battle Management System; achieving Moving Target 
Indication at scale; development and fielding of a Next Generation Air 
Dominance family-of-systems; cost-effective, resilient forward basing; 
global strike capabilities built around the B-21 Raider; and 
expeditious transition to a wartime posture.
    In support of these imperatives, the DAF Military Construction 
(MILCON) program continues to prioritize nuclear enterprise 
modernization and Combatant Command (CCMD) infrastructure support with 
an emphasis on the Pacific and Europe. The Facilities Sustainment, 
Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) portfolio remains focused on 
sustaining our existing infrastructure. Furthermore, we preserve the 
well-being and quality of life of our service members and their 
families through investments in housing, dormitories, and child 
development centers (CDCs). We remain committed to sustaining the DAF's 
power projection, enabling platforms, and searching for operational 
energy improvements to increase range and operational capability. We 
appreciate the continued partnership with Congress to ensure Air and 
Space Forces are well- postured to compete, deter, and win.
                        united states air force
                             installations
    We advance our commitment to optimizing installation investment 
through implementing the Infrastructure Investment Strategy (I2S), 
increasing senior leader oversight of the portfolio, and pursuing 
reforms within our MILCON program. First introduced in 2019, the I2S is 
the Department's long-term strategy to cost-effectively modernize and 
restore infrastructure readiness, improve the resiliency of mission-
critical nodes, and drive innovative installation management practices. 
We are refining and refreshing our strategy and expect to complete an 
update by late 2023.
    We oversee I2S implementation efforts through recurring 
Infrastructure Councils and Infrastructure Program Management Reviews 
to assess resourcing and asset management practices on infrastructure 
readiness. The Council developed a series of metrics that quantify the 
impact of I2S policies and investment decisions on infrastructure 
condition, facility space use, and MILCON cost growth. Regular 
assessments of the I2S allow senior leaders to make timely decisions, 
which affect program execution and future budget decisions.
                        installation resilience
    Our Installation Energy Program focuses on ensuring Air and Space 
Force installations are truly resilient to the broad range of threats 
from adversaries, cyber-attacks, and changing climate. We define 
resilience within the ``5 Rs'' of robustness, redundancy, 
resourcefulness, response, and recovery. Installation Energy Plans 
apply the ``5Rs'' to assess gaps and prioritize energy, water, and 
climate projects to ensure mission readiness. The ``5Rs'' help describe 
how a system is prepared for crises using the preventative attributes 
of robustness, redundancy, and resourcefulness, as well as how the 
system functions during crises using the performance attributes of 
response and recovery.
    Adversarial threats and natural hazards pose a growing risk of 
prolonged power outages for installations. Using a mission thread 
perspective, we are working to identify key nodes on and off 
installations that, in a denial-of-service scenario, may result in a 
significant impact on our ability to deliver key capabilities. A 
comprehensive understanding of mission requirements, current system 
operations, accurate reporting, and historical outage data assist in 
identifying possible service vulnerabilities. We strive to mitigate 
operational impacts from disruptions to energy and water through 
increasing investment in and improving maintenance of energy systems.
                         special interest items
                   natural disaster recovery efforts
    The Natural Disaster Recovery (NDR) program has greatly benefitted 
from Congressional support over the last several fiscal years and we 
are seeing the results of this sustained and significant investment. 
The program is substantially complete with Planning and Design (P&D), 
nearly complete with acquisition, and by the end of September 2023 it 
will have awarded and started construction on a majority of projects 
included in the program. The first two Tyndall AFB reconstruction 
projects, the Air Battle Management Simulator Facility and Fire Station 
No. 2, were awarded only 11 months after Hurricane Michael. The Air 
Battle Manager Facility reached Beneficial Occupancy in August 2022, 
and Fire Station No. 2 will be ready by the end of second quarter FY23 
for Team Tyndall Firefighters. The DAF will make use of the $360 
million Congress provided in FY23 to address inflationary and supply 
chain increases which continue to affect the program. To date, we have 
awarded 84 percent of the NDR program, totaling over $3 billion of 
investments to improve mission readiness, resilience, and efficiency at 
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA, Tyndall AFB, FL and Offutt AFB, NE.
                         taking care of people
    We strive to provide a high quality of life for our members and 
their families. At the heart of that goal is affordable, accessible 
childcare for our Airmen and Guardians and safe, high-quality dorms for 
our unaccompanied members.
    The inability to access affordable and quality childcare can impact 
a service member's ability to report for duty and his or her decision 
to stay in the service. To this end, the DAF is using a two-prong 
programmatic approach to improve Child Development Centers (CDCs): 
targeted investments in FSRM to address facility condition concerns, 
and posturing MILCON projects to increase capacity. In FY23, we are 
spending $7.6 million in FSRM funding on four CDC projects, and in FY24 
we intend to commit $42 million in FRSM funds for CDC projects. 
Generous Congressional support in FY22 and FY23 funded most of the CDC 
MILCON projects currently at an executable design stage, and the DAF is 
actively working the design of CDC projects for inclusion in future 
President's Budget and Unfunded Priority List submissions. The Child 
and Youth Facility Master Plan facilitates project advocacy by 
identifying CDC MILCON and FSRM projects that address child and youth 
facility condition and capacity challenges. The FY24 President's Budget 
includes a $20M Cost to Complete request for the CDC at Joint Base San 
Antonio-Lackland, and a $37M request for the CDC at Hanscom AFB.
    Equally important to us is providing unaccompanied service members 
high quality housing in our dormitory campuses. Commanders' 
responsibilities include protecting the health and safety of 
unaccompanied Airmen and Guardians. It is their responsibility to 
enforce inspection criteria to identify and report conditions requiring 
immediate and future maintenance. While 99.6 percent of permanent party 
beds assessed as ``adequate'' in FY23, the DAF has planned $251M for 38 
projects in FY24 to repair and improve dormitory facilities. This level 
of investment is a significant increase of over dormitory investments 
in recent years. The DAF investment strategy for unaccompanied housing 
focuses on restoration and modernization of dorms in their existing 
configurations with FSRM funds, which allows MILCON funds to address 
capacity shortfalls and facility recapitalization. The FY24 President's 
Budget includes a request for one new dorm project at RAF Lakenheath.
                     fy24 air force milcon program
    In FY24, the active-Duty Air Force and Space Force MILCON request 
is $2.6 billion. This funding supports the DAF's commitment to 
fulfilling NDS requirements, postures us for the future high-end fight, 
and ensures we continue taking care of our Airmen, Guardians, and their 
families. The program supports Combatant Commanders with a focus on the 
Pacific and European theaters and modernizing the nuclear enterprise. 
Additionally, the MILCON program continues efforts to bed down new 
weapons systems and seeks to recapitalize facilities that have outlived 
their useable life or no longer meet mission requirements. Our request 
also focused on Planning and Design to reinforce the Air Force's MILCON 
program stability and consistency. Program stability continues to be a 
major focus, ensuring mature projects are included in the budget and 
improve confidence they will award within programmed amount in the year 
of appropriation.
                   combatant commander infrastructure
    The FY24 MILCON program prioritizes Combatant Commander 
requirements with a particular emphasis on the Indo-Pacific and 
European theaters. Direct support to the Combatant Commanders accounts 
for 36 percent of the FY24 MILCON request and aligns with the National 
Defense Strategy to Build a More Lethal Force, while directly 
Prioritizing Preparedness for War. Our FY24 program addresses some of 
the urgent U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), U.S. Strategic 
Command (STRATCOM), and U.S. European Command (EUCOM) facility 
priorities.
    Support to INDOPACOM will enhance the United States defensive 
posture in the region, reassure allies and partners, and increase 
readiness capabilities. Ten projects supporting the Pacific Deterrence 
Initiative are included as part of the $574 million request for 
INDOPACOM. The investment of resources to improve infrastructure and 
facilities throughout the Indo-Pacific Theater provides our allies, 
partners, and potential competitors a clear indication of the United 
States' long-term commitment to the Pacific.
    The Air Force remains committed to European Defense Initiative 
(EDI) efforts to reassure North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 
allies and other European partners of United States commitment to 
collective security and territorial integrity. In FY24, the Air Force 
requests $220 million for EDI to support the prepositioning of 
equipment in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Norway. These projects will 
further improve deterrence efforts in the theater and enable joint and 
coalition forces to quickly respond to aggressive regional actors. The 
Air Force request also included support to Combatant Commands within 
the United States to include a continued focus on Weapons Generation 
Facilities directly supporting STRATCOM at Ellsworth AFB and Barksdale 
AFB.
                         new mission bed downs
    The NDS directs the Department of Defense to build a force that is 
lethal, resilient, sustainable, survivable, agile, and responsive 
through modernization of key capabilities; the first of which are 
nuclear forces. The FY24 budget request focuses on modernizing the 
nuclear enterprise by supporting the bed down of new weapons systems 
and missions. The request included three projects at Ellsworth AFB, SD, 
for a total of $395M to bed down the first B-21 Raiders. It also 
included three projects at F.E. Warren AFB, WY to support transition 
from the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system 
to the Sentinel Weapon System. The Sentinel program is the largest Air 
Force land acquisition effort since the original Minuteman, primarily 
to acquire temporary construction easements for utility corridors in 
the missile fields. We appreciate the support of Congress for the 
additional appropriation of inflation funds in FY23 to ensure the 
program remains on schedule. Minuteman III-to-Sentinel conversion must 
occur on a precise timeline to maintain the operational readiness of 
the nuclear deterrent and deliver Full Operational Capability to the 
warfighter by 2036. We will continue to inform Congress on the Air 
Force's progress during design, construction, and commissioning of 
Sentinel facilities. Once on-line, these weapons systems will ensure 
the Air Force can effectively supply two-thirds of the Nation's nuclear 
triad well into the future.
    The FY24 President's Budget also includes funding requests to 
support the KC-46A program, with 8 projects totaling $435.5M at March 
ARB, CA, MacDill AFB, FL, and Tinker AFB, OK. KC-46 beddown is 
proceeding without major issues and supports National Defense Strategy 
priorities by ensuring continued support of mobility through airpower. 
Lastly, the budget request continues to support modernization of the 
fighter force with $82M for F-35A beddown, and $39.5M to support the 
beddown of the T-7A and allow appropriate pilot training.
                   existing mission recapitalization
    The FY24 request also sought $320 million to recapitalize current 
mission requirements. These include an Aircraft Corrosion Control 
facility at Buckley AFB, CO, a fire station at Fort Wayne ANGB, IN, and 
a supplement to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Lincoln 
laboratory (MIT-LL) West Lab Compound Semiconductor Lab--Microsystems 
Integration Facility (CSL/MIF) at Hanscom AFB, MA. These projects 
enable installations to continue to support their current missions as 
the DAF pursues modernization efforts.
                          planning and design
    P&D remains a central focus of the Air Force MILCON program to 
reinforce program stability and consistency, and the FY24 Budget 
Request included a large increase over prior years to support this 
effort. Sufficient P&D enables projects to progress rapidly through 
design and meet maturity criteria for admissibility into the program, 
provides more accurate cost estimates, and maximizes opportunity to 
award projects in the year of appropriation. The Air Force goal is to 
be 100 percent designed at end of fiscal year before the budget year. 
Without sufficient P&D, the Air Force must award designs by design 
phase, adding risk associated with costs and timely delivery of design. 
Within the FY24 DAF P&D request of $434.9 million, the Air Force 
intends to support Sentinel, Over the Horizon Radar, and other large 
projects in the program. The outcome of our 2-year budget lock policy 
is a stable MILCON program that allows efficient use P&D to set the 
stage for future program success.
      facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization (fsrm)
    We view the FSRM and MILCON programs as interdependent. Together, 
these two funding streams serve as the foundation of sustainable Air 
Force installations. FSRM provides a non-MILCON pathway to repair 
facilities and infrastructure, maximizing their lifespan. The FSRM 
program prioritizes projects based on mission risk with the goal of 
timing investments at the optimal point in the asset lifecycle. The 
centralized FSRM scoring model targets investments at an asset's 
``sweet spot'' in its life cycle rather than at end-of-life failure, 
which is significantly more expensive. In FY23, Congress provided the 
DAF $5.3 billion in FSRM funding, and in FY24 we have requested $5.4 
billion. Our priority for FSRM continues to be sustaining our existing 
infrastructure with increased emphasis on quality-of-life projects 
(i.e., dormitories, CDCs) and our operational and training 
infrastructure. In order to maximize the near-term impact of current 
funding levels, the Air Force will also continue to assess mission 
threat vulnerabilities and prioritize infrastructure repair 
requirements which directly affect an installation's primary mission. 
Our I2S drove changes in how we execute FSRM funding distributed 
directly to installations (considered decentralized FSRM), empowering 
Commanders to make the right local investment decisions, including day-
to-day maintenance and smaller scale repair and sustainment projects, 
based on mission requirements and I2S guidance.
            housing construction, operation and maintenance
    The Air Force prioritizes providing safe and healthy homes to our 
families. The military construction funding enables planning studies 
and design for future construction projects and supports the 
restructures of privatized housing projects. The Air Force Housing 
program provides for housing construction, P&D, and operations and 
maintenance using the Family Housing Master Plan (FHMP) to posture a 
comprehensive investment strategy to execute projects at the right 
time, scope, and cost. The FY24 President's Budget request for Family 
Housing construction includes $220M to support three Military Housing 
Privatization Initiative (MHPI) restructures across 11 bases.
    The military family operations and maintenance program supports the 
day-to-day operations and administration of our military and privatized 
family housing, correcting health and safety deficiencies, and provides 
for the alterations and major repair projects to sustain and modernize 
the housing inventory. The high cost of construction continues to 
present challenges to improvements of Air Force-owned family housing, 
which will require solutions within the Air Force family housing 
construction program to achieve full scope on projects. The Air Force 
continues to focus investment in the Air Force housing inventory to 
provide adequate housing for all service members and their families.
                           privatized housing
    Quality, affordable housing has a direct correlation to 
recruitment, retention, and readiness. Hence, we remain focused on 
improved oversight, long-term financial health, and sustainment of the 
housing inventory. We are committed to ensuring Military Housing 
Privatization Initiative (MHPI) projects provide safe, quality, and 
well-maintained housing where military members and their families and 
caregivers will want and choose to live.
    We continue our efforts to improve our privatized housing portfolio 
and address the remaining elements of the MHPI reforms set out in the 
fiscal Year 2020-23 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA). We made 
significant progress to implement reforms to enhance our oversight of 
privatized housing and hold MHPI companies accountable for providing 
quality housing. Specifically, several congressionally mandated 
provisions were implemented throughout various DAF housing programs 
including:

  --FY 2020 NDAA Section 3011: We collaborated with the private-sector 
        MHPI companies to adopt 18 rights set out in the MHPI Tenant 
        Bill of Rights. All but two companies have either implemented 
        or agreed to implement all 18 of these rights.

  --FY 2020 NDAA Section 3036: We implemented the amended section 606 
        payments to MHPI Projects to focus on the most urgent needs of 
        underfunded MHPI projects and ensure the projects invest these 
        funds investing appropriately to safeguard long-term project 
        viability.

  --FY 2020 NDAA Section 3051: We began the process to complete 
        standardized privatized housing and government-owned housing 
        inspections and assessments at all locations, using DoD's 
        uniform housing standards, completing inspections at 15 
        installations in CY22.

  --FY 2022 NDAA Section 2813: We verified the appropriate application 
        of Disability Laws and Collection of Modification Costs 
        requirements are documented in existing MHPI projects' 
        transaction documents. These requirements ensure the projects 
        make reasonable accommodations for any resident with a 
        disability.

    In 2020, we added 218 government positions across the privatized 
housing program, increased inspections, provided additional training to 
housing personnel, and revamped housing governance. We continue to 
maintain Resident Councils for two-way communication between the 
residents and installation and project owner leadership. We then 
utilize feedback from tenant satisfaction surveys to develop action 
plans for improving the residents' experiences and encourage our Airmen 
and Guardians, and their families to engage with Resident Advocates to 
help resolve any disputes and improve communications among all relevant 
DAF stakeholders.
    We also expanded our metrics for assessing the health of the 
privatized housing portfolio, particularly with regards to resident 
satisfaction, maintenance quality and responsiveness, and property 
management operations. Most of our private partners meet or exceed DAF 
standards as prescribed in our metrics. However, when we identify 
concerns with operational performance, we have placed a small number of 
private partners on Community Action Plans, or if more systemic, on 
Performance Improvement Plans with milestones and schedules. The goal 
is to remedy deficiencies and ensure our military families receive 
quality service and housing.
    Some privatized housing projects require financial restructuring to 
continue to remain financially stable and market comparable. The 
restructure goals are to ensure the projects can fully fund operational 
expenses, debt servicing, and sustainment of the homes for the life of 
the lease and also fund reinvestment needs during the mid-term 
reinvestment period. The FY24 President's Budget request includes $220 
million to support three such restructures for AETC Group 2 MHPI 
project, Hickam MHPI project, and Southern Group MHPI project.
                  base realignment and closure (brac)
    The FY24 request includes $124 million for the BRAC cleanup program 
for environmental restoration and property transfer activities at 34 
former Air Force installations closed through prior BRAC initiatives. 
Our BRAC cleanup program focuses on protecting human health and the 
environment, projects that transfer acreage and achieve beneficial 
reuse of property, and investigations and response actions associated 
with PFAS. Property transfer is complete for 35 out of 40 former 
installations, and we expect to complete transfer of the remaining 
1,654 acres at five former installations by FY27. The Air Force greatly 
appreciates Congressional support for our efforts to address PFAS 
contamination and continue the cleanup and transfer of BRAC properties.
                       united states space force
    We established the United States Space Force as a lean, agile, and 
mission-focused military Service, relying on the United States Air 
Force for infrastructure, logistics, security, medical services, and a 
host of other support functions at our Space Force installations. 
Formal agreements, directives and instructions codify stakeholder roles 
and responsibilities for support to the mission, and to the Guardians, 
Airmen, Civilians, and their families that work and live on Space Force 
installations.
    Most of the combat-ready space forces that we field are ``Deployed-
in-Place'', meaning they execute Combatant Command missions from their 
home station. Mission-ready, resilient installations and facilities are 
absolutely integral to our readiness and effectiveness.
    In FY22 the Space Force received, prioritized, and obligated our 
first independent appropriation for Facility, Sustainment, Restoration 
and Modernization (FSRM) funding. The Department of the Air Force 
provides an allotment of military Construction (MILCON) funding to the 
Space Force based on the Space Force's portion of the total plant 
replacement value. This approach provides flexibility to resolve 
resource challenges due to the Space Force's prioritization of 
requirements as a new, independent Service. We implemented a governance 
process for infrastructure investments, which leverages existing 
Department of the Air Force processes. We prioritize projects to reduce 
risk to mission by addressing energy redundancy and resilience, 
physical security, and risk to force through quality-of-life 
requirements such as dormitories and child development centers.
                         military construction
    MILCON increases capacity and readiness for the Space Force. In 
FY23 the Space Force requested $98.2M and was appropriated $291.9M. 
Projects include a $72M dormitory at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, 
supporting the Long Range Discriminating Radar mission; a $90M Secure 
Integration Support Lab at Maui, Hawaii; a $97M Consolidated 
Communication Center, a $8.4M Underground Electrical Distribution 
System, and $7.3M Water Distribution Loop at Patrick Space Force Base, 
Florida; a $6.1M Retaining Wall at Vandenburg Space Force Base, 
California; and $11.1M for General Planning & Design (P&D).
    The Space Force's FY24 President's Budget Request includes $15M for 
a Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility, $12M for Final Denial 
Barriers at the South Gate and $15M for Increment 2 of the Consolidated 
Communications Center project at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. 
Notably, the Space Force requested $90.3M for P&D, including $24M for 
assured access to Space (Space Port of the Future). This significant 
P&D request is necessary for projects to rapidly mature in development, 
providing accurate estimates and maximizing opportunity to award in the 
year of appropriation.
      facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization (fsrm)
    We view the FSRM and MILCON programs as interdependent. Together, 
these funding streams provide the sustainable foundation for 14 Space 
Force installations and more than 70 smaller geographically separate 
units, sites, and ranges. FSRM provides flexibility to repair 
facilities and infrastructure, maximizing lifespan. The FY23 budget 
request of $235M with $293M appropriated reflects a 32 percent increase 
from FY22 appropriated levels. The Space Force requested $679M in the 
FY24 President's Budget request. The large increase in FY24 will 
include funds for the repair of a Pituffik Space Base Power Plant that 
powers the Missile Warning/Missile Defense weapons systems, and 
electrical distribution projects supporting both the Eastern and 
Western Space launch ranges.
                               conclusion
    The FY24 Budget Request supports the National Defense Strategy and 
postures the DAF to support combatant commanders today, while investing 
in the force infrastructure we need for the future. The MILCON program 
prioritizes nuclear enterprise modernization and supports Combatant 
Commanders, with particular focus on the Pacific and European. The 
housing program provides the resources needed to sustain and improve 
the DAF's inventory of government-owned homes, and oversight of 
privatized housing project owners.
    We are committed to ensuring that resilient, optimized 
installations deliver the foundational capabilities necessary in a 
changing operating environment. While we remain extremely capable, we 
cannot deliver these capabilities alone. We must operate as One Team- 
within the Department, across the Joint Force and interagency, and in 
lockstep with our allies and partners. Only through true partnership 
can we successfully compete, deter, and if necessary, win our One Fight 
against a very capable pacing threat in China and the acute threat that 
is Russia. With congressional support, we remain confident we can 
preserve the platforms necessary to enable and project combat power in 
Air and Space.
    Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Department's FY24 
MILCON program. We appreciate Congress' continued support for our 
enterprise and look forward to working with you on our FY24 priorities.

    Senator Murray. Thank you. Mr. Hollywood.
STATEMENT OF MR. BRUCE HOLLYWOOD, ASSOCIATE CHIEF 
            OPERATIONS OFFICER, UNITED STATES SPACE 
            FORCE
    Mr. Hollywood. Good morning, Chair Murray, Ranking Member 
Boozman, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. Thank 
you for the opportunity to discuss the Space Force Military 
Construction Program, and other installation topics of 
interest.
    Space power is an important source of our Nation's 
strength, both at home and abroad, and provides critical data, 
products, and services, that enable our daily life and drive 
innovation in the United States and around the world.
    Today, Military space capabilities and protection from 
enemy space-enabled attack, are a prerequisite for success in 
every domain. Our peer challengers continue to aggressively 
develop systems to disrupt, degrade, and destroy our space 
capabilities.
    The Space Force was formed to provide resilient, ready, and 
combat-credible Space Forces to ensure freedom of action, and 
protect the United States interests in the increasingly 
contested space domain.
    Our Space Force infrastructure priorities are guided by the 
Secretary of the Air Force's operational imperatives and the 
Chief of Space Operations' lines of effort. Our installation, 
investments, through Military construction, and operations, and 
maintenance funding, are especially critical because the bulk 
of our Forces accomplish their wartime mission from their home 
station.
    Our installations are our power projection platforms that 
require resiliency against natural and man-made threats. Our 
Space Force installations also serve as home to many of our 
Guardians, Airmen, and families. We work tirelessly to provide 
them a comfortable and safe place to work and live.
    Someone much wiser than me once remarked, ``That you 
recruit the warrior, but retain the family.'' Thank you, for 
your continuing focus on quality of life initiatives that help 
us retain these passionate, and talented professionals, they 
are our most important operational advantage.
    To remain a lean service as Congress directed, the Space 
Force leverages current Air Force installation support 
processes. We are active partners in all the Department's 
Facility and Infrastructure Readiness Initiatives.
    The fiscal year 2024 United States Space Force Military 
Construction priorities are at Patrick Space Force Base, 
Florida, at Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility and 
completion of the Consolidated Communications Center, each for 
$15 million, and security gate improvements for $12 million. We 
have also prioritized just over $90 million for planning and 
design to mature our projects through the Military Construction 
process, and provide accurate estimates.
    Thank you for the substantial fiscal year 2023 MILCON plus-
up. The Space Force requested just over $98 million, and 
received over $291 million in appropriations. Our fiscal year 
2030 projects include, over $250 million in combatant command 
support, including a dormitory at Clear Space Force Station, 
Alaska, $16 million in ERCIP projects, and $11 million for 
planning and design.
    Our installation investments and our collaborative 
relationships across the Department of the Air Force, 
especially with Lieutenant General Miller's office, are 
critical to performing our mission, and for the wellbeing of 
the Guardians, Airmen, and families on Space Force 
installations.
    As Secretary Kendall says, ``One Team, One Fight''.
    Thank you, for your time today, and I look forward to the 
opportunity to testify. ``Semper Supra''.
    Senator Murray. Thank you very much to all of our 
witnesses.
    We will now begin a round a five-minute questions for our 
second panel. I again ask my colleagues to keep track of the 
clock, stay within those five minutes, we do have votes on.
    General Vereen, let me begin with you. Joint Base Lewis-
McChord, has seen an increased need for housing over the last 
few years as more Service members and their families have been 
stationed in Tacoma. We need to make sure that our young, 
unaccompanied soldiers have on-base housing when they arrive so 
they are able to access base support services.
    I am encouraged by the President's budget includes new 
barracks, and the future years' Defense Program includes 
additional barracks for fiscal years 2025 and 2027. But I am 
concerned that this is not enough. How does the Army determine 
what is needed so quality housing will be available at JBLM, 
and are there any additional requirements beyond the two-
barrack projects?
    General Vereen. Chairwoman, a great question, and I 
appreciate the question. So I recently visited, for JBLM, I was 
just recently out there. So I am well aware of the housing 
situation we have at JBLM. In a perfect world, for JBLM we know 
that the availability of housing is critical because there is 
just not enough that is outside the gates of JBLM. And so we 
are committed to expanding the housing that exists currently on 
JBLM.
    I think there are two critical things that are happening 
all at the same time. We are, you know, working to fund and 
build new construction that we know that is needed based on the 
expansion of units that are coming to JBLM as well. But we are 
really leveraging the R&M, as well, the minor military 
construction efforts that are going on there as well. We have 
existing structure in housing they were really taking a keen 
look to ensure that the remodeling of those homes are within 
the standards of quality that is expected for all families.
    Having toured both the new and the old, I am comfortable, I 
think, with the way forward that the housing--you know, the 
housing partners, the housing providers are using to get after 
the extreme shortage of housing there. It is not acceptable 
when we know we are in a high cost area and we have young 
soldiers and families who have to, you know, venture miles away 
to try to find housing to accommodate them.
    So we are fully committed to JBLM. And we understand that 
it is unlike some of the other installations where you have the 
low-cost housing, or housing that is reasonable outside the 
gates. And so we are going to do everything we can to expand 
that.
    Senator Murray. Okay.
    General Vereen. With regards to the barracks.
    Senator Murray. Yes.
    General Vereen. We are excited about the new barracks that 
are going to be built there, and we are looking at using that 
as a test model for all the future barracks, I think, as we 
build out on the west coast, and both, across other Army 
installations.
    Senator Murray. Okay. I will be tracking that closely.
    General Vereen. Yes.
    Senator Murray. So thank you.
    General Miller, the Air Force owns and operates about 
15,000 family housing units, half of which are overseas, and 
over a third of those units are projected to be in poor or 
failing condition over the next 5 years. The budget request 
clearly prioritizes privatized housing projects over 
traditional family housing, and at a time when we are seeking 
to stabilize many privatized housing projects I am concerned 
that without increases to the overall request for traditional 
family housing, our military families overseas are going to be 
asked to shoulder the burden.
    So how does the Air Force plan to address the resources we 
need for family housing overseas?
    General Miller. Thank you, Chair Murray, for the question. 
Housing, whether it is in the Continental United States or 
overseas, for our families, is absolutely critical, it is 
critical for the All-Volunteer Force, I think it was described 
before, you know, you may recruit, but you need to retain the 
family. And that discussion happens around a kitchen table.
    The Air Force is planning 342 projects in Japan for fiscal 
year 2024, at $7.8 million as part of a rotational renovation 
of the existing housing that is there on Japan. So there is a 
mix with the constraint of construction capability, and not 
displacing too many families, to go into an economy that is 
already challenging to find housing as they--out on the 
economy.
    So we work with the Pacific Air Forces on what is the right 
mix sequenced by year, recognizing that we have to do the 
renovation within the constraint of the construction capability 
that is resident in Japan.
    So your point, well made, that it there is a balance of, 
especially the vast majority of the Air Force Military housing 
is in Japan. And the panel before us talked about all the 
complexity of the construction constraints that are going on in 
the Indo-Pacific. So very much has our attention, ma'am.
    Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you very much.
    Senator Boozman.
    Senator Boozman. Madam Chair, Senator Hoeven has some place 
he has got to be. So what I would like to do is let him go, and 
then I will pick up after Senator Fischer, if that is okay.
    Senator Murray. Very good. Senator Hoeven.
    Senator Hoeven. Thanks Chair, and thanks to Vice Chairman 
Boozman. I appreciate it very much.
    General Vereen, the Jamestown Readiness Center, which 
houses the 817th Engineer Company, which is a SAPR Group, has 
been looking to get their new facility, the Jamestown Readiness 
Center on the FY DP since 2021. Are you going to put it on the 
FY DP?
    General Vereen. Senator, I am not well versed on the 
Jamestown Readiness Center.
    Senator Hoeven. A simple yes, would work great, if you want 
to go with that.
    General Vereen. Can I take it for the record? I mean, I 
would like to report back to you with regards to the Jamestown 
Readiness.
    Senator Hoeven. It is important. These outstanding soldiers 
need it, and I would ask you to put it on the FYDP?
    General Vereen. Yes. Absolutely.
    Senator Hoeven. Thank you.
    General Vereen. Thank you.
    Senator Hoeven. And along that line, you all you all are 
also working on a Line of Communications Bridge. fiscal year 
2022 Military Construction Appropriations Bill, included a 
report language directing the Army National Guard to establish 
a dedicated training pipeline for the Line of Communications 
Bridge. Camp Grafton Training Center in North Dakota will soon 
be the only location outside of U.S. Army Engineering School at 
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, with the ability to train Soldiers 
and Guardsmen on every type of bridging unit in the Army's 
inventory.
    So you need a Line of Communications Bridge Training 
Facility. My question is: Will Army prioritize projects to 
include lodging and facilities that support a world-class 
training that takes place at Camp Grafton, to do all kind of 
bridge building? So that is kind of a long way of saying: Are 
you looking at, or will you look at Camp Grafton, because you 
need this facility so you can do all kind of bridges at a 
location other than Fort Leonard Wood.
    General Vereen. Senator, we will. I will tell you that our 
Army is really about the Total Army, all of our components are 
critical to how we operate. And if we have a facility that 
facilitates the combined training efforts of all of our 
components, it is very important and critical for the Army. So 
we will take a look at it.
    Senator Hoeven. Yes.
    General Vereen. Yes.
    Senator Hoeven. But you have been directed to look at it in 
legislation, so the directives you get from the Congress are 
also of importance to you, correct?
    General Vereen. Absolutely, very important, and we will----
    Senator Hoeven. Yeah. And this is an existing facility, so 
you remember that you have got both Active Duty and Guard and 
you have got to train them both?
    General Vereen. Yes.
    Senator Hoeven. So you are talking about having only one 
facility, without adding a facility, this would give you two, 
and would be in line with a directive you were given by 
Congress?
    General Vereen. Absolutely.
    Senator Hoeven. So your response to that would be what?
    General Vereen. We will adhere to the requirement from 
Congress.
    Senator Hoeven. You will take a look at it?
    General Vereen. Yes. Yes.
    Senator Hoeven. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.
    And then, Lieutenant Miller, Weapons Generation Facility; 
so the only--pop quiz: What is the only dual nuclear base you 
have in the United States Air Force's Arsenal?
    General Miller. Minot Air Force Base.
    Senator Hoeven. And you are building weapons generation 
facilities at a lot of units around the country, I think maybe 
even one in Arkansas, Vice Chairman, I am not sure. But at the 
only dual nuclear base you have in the country you are using an 
old facility. And when I asked you all about this you say well 
it is complicated because some just have ALCMs, which are soon 
to be LRSOs. And some just have ICBMs, which are soon to be 
GBSDs. But you have both and so, you know, we are working on 
it.
    But given that we have both, wouldn't it be a priority to 
get going on it, particularly when the one we have is an older 
one? So are you going to make enhancements while we bring 
online LRSO and GBSD? And are you going to get going on a 
Weapons Generation Facility at Minot Air Force Base?
    General Miller. Senator, thank you for the question. I just 
walked through the F.E. Warren Weapons Generation Facility; as 
you described, single mission, missile only about a month ago.
    Senator Hoeven. Right.
    General Miller. Walking through and seeing the complexity 
of that, and you described a little bit, and I know the Air 
Force has testified prior, that to learn the lessons from the 
missile-only, or the bomber-only, to be able to do the most 
complex, which I really do believe will be at Minot, to be able 
to cover both missions.
    There is a Congressional reporting requirement that the 
staff work that is--it is classified briefing that is on its 
way to your office. It is in final staffing which I think 
addresses the interim question that you have, of what are we 
going to do to sustain the weapons storage area now for Minot, 
until the Weapon Generation Facility for both in the future is 
made.
    Unfortunately, it is a classified document, sir, so it is 
in final stages right now, I have seen a portion of it. I think 
it will answer your question, and I will follow up on the time 
line, and when it is delivered, and get with your staff, and 
you, if you wish, sir.
    Senator Hoeven. Well, I am member of the Defense 
Appropriations Subcommittee, too, so I will certainly look at 
that. You all have been studying, you all have been implement 
or updating other Weapons Generations Facilities, and keep 
giving us this: Well, we need to study because you are both 
so--we need to go from that to getting it done. And so, again, 
I emphasize that, the need to get that done. But I will take a 
look at that report.
    And again, thank you, both to the Chairman and the Vice 
Chairman. And gentlemen, thank you, for what you do for our 
country. We really appreciate you.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Fischer.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I have been to 
Minot, and I am sure Senator Hoeven meant to invite you, 
General, to also come to Minot. And he is a good host there 
with, obviously, a lot of pride in what happens at Minot to 
keep our country safe. So thank you.
    General Miller, I would like to ask you what I asked the 
previous panel. When we are looking at improving our posture in 
the Indo-Pacific, what specifically, in your budget, for MILCON 
support, is going to provide that deterrence there? You 
mentioned Sentinel, which I appreciate.
    You mentioned the B-21 Bomber, which I appreciate; 
modernization of all three legs of the triad, are tremendously 
important, and need to be kept on schedule, there is a little 
concern there. So we need to make sure that we can keep those 
on schedule, but what specifically in this budget is going to 
help?
    General Miller. Thank you, Senator. And the only time I 
have ever been to Minot was in January. So it was a great trip.
    Senator Fischer. Oh. Not good.
    General Miller. It was a great trip. It was. So for the 
Indo-Pacific, and broadly, from your previous question, Basa, 
Darwin, Joint Region Marianas, Andersen, Kadena, three projects 
at Tindal, Australia three projects at Tinian--and actually two 
projects at Kadena, so $574 million in the fiscal year 2024 
across those 12 projects.
    And I think in the--the committee has already addressed the 
concern over: What is the sequencing of that? And it has got to 
be in accordance with the supported commander, so the INDOPACOM 
Commander, in our case the PACF Commander. Actually, Mr. 
Hollywood and I just had the opportunity, about a month ago, to 
go to Guam, and to see, and to talk to the Army, Air Force, 
Navy, and Marine Corps missions that are there, and the 
competing requirements the H-2B visa discussion, incredibly 
important for not causing delays for both, because you can 
get--if you have the workforce. And then you incur a delay in 
supply chain to get the materials there, you will lose the 
workforce to a higher need. So I hope that gives somewhat of a 
flavor across INDOPACOM.
    Senator Fischer. Okay. Thank you.
    General Vereen, do you have any comments on what the Army 
is doing in order to make sure we have that deterrence in the 
Indo-Pacific region, in this budget?
    General Vereen. Yes. Senator, really a good question. And 
thank you. I think in, you know, for the Army we definitely 
are, we are challenged with some of the same constraints and 
concerns as the other services, first and foremost. This is 
going to be a coordinated effort, I think, in the INDOPACOM to 
ensure that, you know, we don't overburden the Island Chains 
that are there.
    And for us, it is going to be significant, as we focus, 
primarily on Guam. That is the significant growth with regards 
to the Army. And if we are looking at the current budget the 
way we have it, there is about $800 million that we have 
projected, which will cover 11 of our sites that we currently 
are considering in Guam, and a headquarters, the C2 element 
there as well.
    But again, we are going to be challenged by, you know, by 
capacity workforce, and trying to synchronize with the other 
services to be able to get our facilities built, and using the 
workforce, that is very concerning as well, to complete 
projects.
    So we are comfortable where we are now, but we also know 
that delays will cause us to have to shift, and of course, we 
may not necessarily be able to stay on time line. Thank you.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. General Miller, I appreciate 
the Air Force's commitment to rebuilding Offutt, after the 
devastation caused by the floods in 2019. And while the Air 
Force is making strong progress executing the funding that 
Congress has provided through the Natural Disaster Recovery 
Fund to rebuild what was lost to the floods, I remain concerned 
that the Air Force has not adequately prioritized the FRSM 
funding to renovate the former STRATCOM Headquarters.
    Right now we have 32 organizations, and over 1,500 
personnel to move out of buildings on Offutt that are slated to 
be demolished, like a World War II Bomber Factory, and move 
into that renovated office space. So do you commit to working 
with me to find a path forward for that project?
    General Miller. Yes, Senator. The focus of Offutt, 
especially since the spring of 2019 when that flood occurred, I 
was actually at Air Combat Command as the A-4 then, which 
Offutt, of course, the 55th Wing is in Air Combat Command, and 
although I don't have the FSRM dollars, specifically, to 
address your question right now, absolutely we will continue to 
commit. And the generosity of this subcommittee for National 
Disaster Recovery for both Tindal, for Offutt, and be able to 
able to provide----
    Senator Fischer. Also in Virginia.
    General Miller [continuing]. At Langley, has been 
absolutely game changing, and is going to give combat 
capability to three F-35 Squadrons coming--first aircraft 
arrival within the next year.
    Senator Fischer. Great.
    General Miller. Yes, ma'am.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Boozman, do you have?
    Senator Boozman. Yes. In the interest of time, I am going 
to be very brief, because we have got a vote going on. I have 
had the opportunity to visit with you all, and we do appreciate 
your hard work, and the fact that you are moving things 
forward.
    I want to thank Senator Murray for emphasizing the quality 
of life issues, those are very important to her. I appreciate 
her leadership, it is really important to all of us.
    Very quickly, General Miller; the Air Force budget 
primarily supports new weapon systems and combatant commanders, 
leaving only 320 million out of the total $2.6 billion budget 
to support the current Mission portfolio. With so much of the 
budget going to competing priorities, how is the Air Force 
getting after critical recapitalization projects with only 12 
percent of your budget, available for those kinds of purposes? 
How can we help you?
    General Miller. The important piece to us having the 
design, the planning and design that makes a project mature 
enough so that the subcommittee can help us, actually as a 
part--is a lot of the work the Air Force needs to do. So there 
is high confidence in the projects we bring forward, and we put 
in the budget so they can be executed, and you don't have to 
have additional cost to complete requests.
    So we are looking at the balance of dormitories, CDC's, 
Indo-Pacific, Nuclear Enterprise in Europe. And I think a key 
homework for us is to make sure we are pouring the MILCON 
Planning and Design money, and to make those projects mature 
enough so that they can be appropriated for.
    Senator Boozman. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Murkowski.
    Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Gentlemen, 
thank you for being here today.
    General Miller, one of the capability gaps that we have, of 
course, been talking about in Alaska is the need for area 
refuelers in Alaska. So of course, we are very pleased about 
the four additional KC-135s there, to be staged at Eielson, a 
great expansion to our capabilities. So that is good news.
    Unfortunately, we have learned that these aircraft are 
perhaps a little sensitive to the tough temperatures there in 
the interior. Four came up for a winter training exercise. 
Apparently two were a little bit dead on arrival due to the 
maintenance issues caused by the environment there. So it 
certainly leads me to believe that in order to make the basing 
of the KC-135s successful additional hangar space is going to 
be needed.
    So for the record, can you speak to the need for hangar 
space there at Eielson, and why having to wait 24 hours to thaw 
these aircraft after they have been stored outside, perhaps 
doesn't help us with our readiness issue?
    General Miller. Thank you, Senator, for that question. For 
KC-135s, you know, as you describe, mid-'60s production for 
those aircraft, and the environment that they operate in, it is 
a struggle for vast temperature changes.
    Unfortunately, I don't have the information with me about 
plans for hangars for those four additional 135s, but if I 
could take that for the record and get back with your staff, or 
you, I can do that homework.
    Senator Murkowski. Go ahead and do that. But I guess just 
generally, do you think that we need some hangars up there in 
order to keep these important aircraft, really, at the ready in 
the winter?
    General Miller. Yes, ma'am. We have focused largely on the 
Fighter Force, especially for Eielson, and I am not familiar 
with--I know we operate KC-135s in cold environments, not 
Eielson level of cold.
    Senator Murkowski. Right.
    General Miller. So yes, ma'am. I am committed to go back 
and do the homework, and look at if: Are there any lessons we 
have learned from a weapon system, health perspective, pre-
warming. I know there are some technologies where we pre-warmed 
B-52s at Minot where there is an entire apparatus that pre-
warms some of the avionics and the engines to get rid of some 
of the challenges that you are describing, where an airplane is 
not functional when it first arrives. But I will go do that 
homework, ma'am.
    Senator Murkowski. Well, we would appreciate that for the 
record, and just recognize that it is not just pre-warming the 
aircraft, but it is those individuals that have to then get 
into that aircraft.
    Another one that I would like to raise; when we were 
looking at Air Force's unfunded priorities list for fiscal year 
2024, on that list was an expansion of the Alaska Air National 
Guards' Alert Crew Facility there, at JBER. Can you explain how 
this facility could improve the capabilities of the Air Guard? 
You know, they have got a pretty significant mission there when 
it comes to rescue operations both in combat and for civil 
support operations?
    General Miller. Thank you, Senator, for that question. As 
you, I am sure well aware, alert commitments are one of the 
most important functions that any Airman can provide, because 
that is the last, the last-minute very close to the proximity 
of the aircraft, from a sleeping, command and control aircraft 
availability. I will get with our Air National Guard, my 
counterpart, to look at the funding profile and the plan for 
that specific facility. But the importance of having the 
National Guard ready--at the ready for immediate launch could 
not be more important to our national defense.
    Senator Murkowski. Thank you. We certainly, certainly 
concur with that.
    General Vereen, as I had looked through the requests for 
MILCON projects in the budget, or the unfunded priorities list, 
I really didn't see much that indicated moving out or leaning 
in on implementation of either the Army's Arctic Strategy or 
the National Strategy for the Arctic region,. Can you share 
with me whether the Army does have plans to use MILCON funding 
to enhance the--or the ability to carry out the Arctic 
Strategies?
    General Vereen. Senator, thank you for the question. My 
first answer would be, yes, we do have, you know, a way forward 
to ensure that we meet the requirements of the Arctic--the 
strategy itself. I think when we look at, you know, Alaska and 
with your help, we have had significant--when it comes to some 
of the infrastructure we have been able to see come on board 
since fiscal year 2018, has been pretty, pretty good. We 
really, really appreciate your support there.
    What we have in 2023, with two barracks facilities coming 
online, and some R&M projects as well, I think we will be able 
to expand. We know we have got to expand capacity because of 
the shifting of some of our Forces, and growth in Alaska. And 
then, I think if you look at in fiscal years 2024 through 2032, 
there is 13 projects there as well that signifies the growth 
and the shifting to support the Arctic Strategy.
    So we are in, I think, good place. Of course, we just want 
to make sure that we keep on the time line, to ensure that the 
expansion, and the growth, and the transfer of units from other 
parts of the--you know, of our installations to Alaska, we will 
be able to accommodate them in a right manner.
    Senator Murkowski. And again, we have been placing a lot of 
priority on that. And just want to make sure, again, that we 
are all leaning in.
    Madam Chairman, I know that you spoke to those matters that 
improve quality of life, and while I didn't see a lot 
identified in Army's budget for Alaska this year, now of 
course, we are very focused on the suicide issues that we have 
seen up north, everything that we can do to help address that. 
And we believe we understand that improvements to certain 
facilities can certainly increase the quality of life for those 
that are stationed there in Alaska.
    So we had a great visit by the Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for Health Affairs, the Surgeon General of the Army, 
went out to Fort Wainwright, have an opportunity to see and 
understand better. If you need a personal invitation to come on 
up, we would certainly invite you to do so. We will take you 
for the three-mile walk from the outdated barracks there, to 
the two small dining rooms, in the dark.
    Come in January, will give you some 30-below temps, but I 
think we know that we have got a little bit more to be doing 
there when it comes to quality of life in Alaska for our 
soldiers.
    Thank you, Madam Chairman.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. I will submit for the record 
several questions, since I do have to get over for a vote.
    And Mr. Hollywood, I do want to hear from you, and I will 
submit it for the record, how you are going to--what your 
installation investment strategy is, and how you are going to 
allocate your resources directly?
    And then, both to General Vereen and General Miller, I 
asked PFAS questions to the first panel. I will ask you, for 
the record, the same question: What resources do you need so we 
can expedite this process and get us--you know, what you are 
going to need for the record, I would appreciate it?
    With that, that will end our hearing today. And I want to 
thank all of our witnesses, and all of our colleagues for 
participating. I look forward to working together on this 
year's Appropriations Bills to make sure we are providing the 
Department, Service members, and their families with the 
military construction and family housing resources they need.

                     ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

    Finally, I will keep this hearing record open for one week. 
Committee members who would like to submit written questions 
for the record should do so by 5:00 o'clock, p.m., Wednesday, 
April 26th.
    We appreciate the Department responding to them in a 
reasonable period of time.
             Questions Submitted to the Hon. Brendan Owens
              Questions Submitted by Senator Tammy Baldwin
    Question. In previous years there was a discrepancy between access 
to funding between active component and National Guard installations. 
Due to a policy change, in 2017 the National Guard was removed from the 
Defense Environmental Restoration Program and no longer had the same 
access to funds as the rest of DoD. The FY23 NDAA reversed this policy 
to place National Guard installations back in to the program.
    Can you please confirm that National Guard installations currently 
have access to clean-up funds through the Defense Environmental 
Restoration Program?
    Answer. l Guard installations that meet the requirements for the 
Defense Environmental Restoration Program (10 U.S. Code 2700-2710), as 
updated by the fiscal Year 2023 NDAA, have access to clean-up funds 
under that program.
    Question. What is being done to address this lag in clean-up 
funding that Guard installations may have experienced when they were 
excluded from the program?
    Answer. There was little, to no lag in funding, during this time. 
Both the Army and Air Force received Federal funding through the 
Operations and Maintenance, National Guard accounts to address these 
sites. In addition, under section 316 of the FY20 NDAA, National Guard 
sites impacted with certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 
had full access to Defense Environmental Restoration Program funds.
    Question. How does the program currently prioritize sites for 
clean-up of hazardous substances?
    Answer. The Department prioritizes sites based on risk and 
addresses the highest risk sites first.
    Question. Is the Department of Defense committed to ensure parity 
in access to funds for National Guard installations?
    Answer. The Department prioritizes sites based on risk and 
addresses the highest risk sites first, regardless of ownership.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Gary Peters
    Question. What policy changes need to be made to ensure mass timber 
is equally evaluated in the beginning stages of a MILCON project, and 
do you need any of those through legislation?
    Answer. The Department is currently reviewing its policies with 
respect to building materials, including mass timber. However, 
utilization of mass timber technologies in DoD projects is not 
restricted by Department policies. The Military Departments are 
currently undertaking pilot project designs that include mass timber. 
For example, the Navy is pursuing a design for a child development 
center project in FY24, that is currently evaluating the suitability of 
mass timber and the Army has a design for an fiscal Year 2025 
Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing project that is assessing the 
use of mass timber. The Department seeks to use more environmentally 
sustainable building materials including mass timber when they meet 
required performance parameters and are lifecycle cost effective.

                                 ______
                                 

              Questions Submitted by Senator John Boozman
    Question. What is the Department doing to ensure equal competition 
in the early MILCON process, particularly to ensure mass timber is 
considered?
    Answer. The Department is pursuing use of more environmentally 
sustainable building materials, including mass timber, on projects when 
these materials meet project performance and durability requirements 
and are life cycle cost effective. The design team on each project 
evaluates a range of solutions for each facility and does not 
arbitrarily exclude any material meeting the required performance 
characteristics. Additionally, the DoD Unified Facilities Guide 
Specifications were updated to accommodate use of mass timber. DoD is 
working to understand the best way to leverage its market position to 
help accelerate the adoption of emerging building construction 
technologies on both resource and labor fronts. The Department is 
committed to utilizing sustainable building materials including mass 
timber to increase installation resilience.
    Question. What are the Department's plans to ensure it also has 
equivalent standardized shelf designs based on mass timber?
    Answer. Standard designs produced by the Department typically do 
not specify use of individual building materials. The intent of these 
standardized designs is to provide basic building program and 
performance requirements that can be adapted to any site or requirement 
based on functional use. Consequently, standard designs do not exclude, 
prevent, or complicate the use of mass timber in project execution. 
Furthermore, when used in conjunction with the appropriate Unified 
Facility Guide Specification, these standard designs facilitate the use 
of mass timber for a facility where it meets the design performance 
requirements.

                                 ______
                                 

             Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
    Question. The Final Environmental Impact Statement addressing Heat 
and Electrical upgrades at Ft. Wainwright proposes Option 3, which 
calls for multiple distributed natural gas-fired boilers to provide the 
base with heat. In order to fuel these boilers, natural gas produced in 
Cook Inlet, processed and liquefied at the Titan LNG Processing 
facility, and trucked the roughly 330 miles to Fairbanks; while the 
electricity will be purchased from nearby utility Golden Valley 
Electrical Association. The army based the assumption of availability 
of LNG to Ft. Wainwright based off information it received after a 2016 
request for information. That information stated that ``it is difficult 
to predict the cost of providing natural gas to Interior Alaska and 
Fort Wainwright for a long period of time especially the price of the 
natural gas commodity purchased from cook inlet producers to be 
processed in the Titan LNG plant.'' Since the Army received that 
information in 2016, the situation of long-term availability of natural 
gas in Cook Inlet has been exasperated by the announcement that the 
major producer in Cook Inlet may not provide natural gas to utilities 
past their current existing contracts.
     Did the DOD take the possibility of shortages of supply of natural 
gas in Cook Inlet into consideration before selecting option 3?
    Answer. In work with Army G-9 and ASA(IEE). To be transmitted 
separately.
    Question. Did the DOD do any modeling on what the cost of Option 3 
would be if LNG is required to be imported to meet the State's demands?
    Answer. In work with Army G-9 and ASA(IEE). To be transmitted 
separately.
    Question. Understanding the long-term needs energy and heat needs 
of Interior Alaska as well as the DOD assets located in the area, was 
there any consideration of additional infrastructure to bring LNG down 
from the North Slope?
    Answer. In work with Army G-9 and ASA(IEE). To be transmitted 
separately.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Marco Rubio
    Question. At Naval Station Key West, there are approximately 60 
units that are uninhabitable because of poor maintenance. This is 
exacerbated by the fact that landlords make more money by renting their 
homes to tourists, leaving limited units available for our service 
personnel and civilian workforce. Additionally, 166 old townhomes were 
demolished in 2020, which opened up roughly 18 acres that can be 
utilized to construct new homes, but the Navy has only recently taken 
the first step of conducting a feasibility study for redeveloping the 
land.
    What is DoD's plan for ensuring we have sufficient, acceptable, and 
affordable housing for all of our servicemembers stationed at NAS Key 
West and the civilians who support them?
    Answer. The Department is committed to working with State and local 
stakeholders to ensure that DoD personnel assigned to NAS Key West have 
access to quality, affordable housing within a reasonable commute of 
their duty station. The Department of the Navy (DoN) is reviewing the 
housing requirement at NAS Key West, but will continue, consistent with 
long-standing DoD policy, to rely on the private sector (i.e., local 
community) as the primary source for housing at DoD installations in 
the United States--including NAS Key West. If the DoN determines that 
there is a long-term requirement for additional on- base housing at NAS 
Key West, the DoN will pursue such housing through military 
construction or privatization.
    Question. In addition, the Office of Local Defense Community 
Cooperation (OLDCC) awarded a $990K grant to the South Florida Regional 
Planning Council, in partnership with three counties and eight 
municipalities, to conduct a resilience study that analyzes risks to 
local infrastructure as part of regional resilience planning. The 
study's Implementation Action Plan is expected to be published by the 
end of September 2023 and is expected to include the local housing 
supporting Naval Air Station Key West as one of the areas requiring 
further mitigation. OLDCC anticipates a follow-on request from the 
region to further analyze the supply and demand for off-base housing 
and identify potential strategies to fill these gaps. Going forward, 
the DoN, OLDCC and installation leadership will continue to work with 
regional and local officials to help meet the housing requirement for 
DoD personnel at NAS Key West.
    What is the timeline for getting the 60 housing units at Naval Air 
Station Key West back on line for servicemembers?
    Answer. The DoN provides oversight of the private sector Military 
Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) company that owns, operates, 
and maintains the privatized family housing project at NAS Key West to 
ensure that the project provides safe, quality housing for Service 
members and their families. This includes ensuring that the MHPI 
project takes appropriate steps to ensure that the installation's 
family housing units are on-line and available for occupancy by Service 
members and their families.
    There were 61 privatized housing units at NAS Key West that were 
taken offline pending heating/ventilation/air conditions/ducting 
repairs. The MHPI project initiated the necessary repairs in late March 
2023. At present, 14 units are complete and back online for occupancy. 
All remaining 47 units are scheduled to be repaired and back online for 
occupancy by Service members and their families by the end of September 
2023.
    Question. hat mechanisms does DoD have in place to hold housing 
contractors responsible for poor maintenance, and does DoD assess that 
it has enough authorities in order to address underperforming housing 
contractors?
    Answer. The Department is fully committed to making certain that 
the private sector MHPI companies/projects provide safe, quality, well-
maintained housing where Service members and their families will want 
and choose to live. Such an approach is critical to recruit and retain 
the force as well as ensure readiness.
    The MHPI project ground lease and associated agreements establish 
the private sector MHPI project's responsibilities to ensure safe, 
quality housing that meets Federal, State, and local regulations. The 
installation military housing office (MHO) monitors and oversees the 
MHPI project's compliance with all requirements imposed by regulations, 
legal documents, and business agreements, to include health and safety 
of the housing and responsiveness and response time in dealing with 
reported potential hazards and other maintenance issues. The MHO 
notifies the MHPI project of any compliance issues and requirements for 
corrective action.
    The Department requires no additional legal authorities to improve 
oversight of the private sector MHPI companies or address performance 
issues by the MHPI companies/projects. If an MHPI housing project fails 
to timely and properly remediate an issue, the existing deal structures 
provide the mechanisms for the Military Department to hold the private-
sector MHPI companies accountable for substandard housing, to include 
withholding of service provider (e.g., property manager) incentive 
fees, placing the MHPI project on a performance improvement plan, or 
requiring the replacement of the housing management and maintenance 
service provider for cause, as defined in the project legal documents.
    Additional legal remedies are available should they be required. 
For example, the ground lease and associated legal agreements that 
comprise the project deal structures include termination for cause 
clauses that can be exercised in extreme cases. However, termination is 
an extreme step that would impose significant and immediate operational 
costs upon the Department.
    Question. Hurricane Michael devastated Tyndall Air Force Base, 
destroying hundreds of buildings and setting the stage for a long 
recovery. The Tyndall rebuild is the largest military construction 
project ever awarded by the DoD, and repair efforts are critical to 
turning Tyndall into the base of the future. DoD's recent proposal to 
require contractors to disclose carbon impacts raises concerns that 
additional requirements on contractors will only serve to slow down 
construction and jeopardize readiness as contractors may opt to not 
provide the disclosures, driving them out of business with DoD.
    What is the current estimated timeline for the completion of the 
rebuild of Tyndall AFB?
    Answer. The Department anticipates that the rebuild of Tyndall Air 
Force Base will be substantially completed by 2026. However, 
construction requirements remain for the Individual Deployment 
Readiness Center and Air Force Civil Engineer Center Research, 
Development, Testing, and Evaluation Facility and are on the 2024 
unfunded priority list provided to Congress. If funded, these final 
projects will be awarded in FY24 and completed by the end of 2027.
    Question. What barriers does DoD assess it currently faces in 
getting Tyndall fully operational as soon as possible?
    Answer. The Department is appreciative of Congress's continued 
financial support for rebuilding Tyndall. The additional Facilities, 
Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization appropriations since FY19 
along with a robust military construction program have proven to be 
exceptionally helpful. However, to meet full operational capability, 
the Air Force will need funding for the Individual Deployment Readiness 
Center and Air Force Civil Engineer Center Research, Development, 
Testing, and Evaluation Facility. The Air Force included these 
construction requirements in its 2024 unfunded priority list provided 
to Congress.
    Question. What impact does DoD assess a carbon disclosure 
requirement would have on the timeline for completion of the rebuild at 
Tyndall?
    Answer. This requirement is not projected to impact the Tyndall 
rebuild. The vast majority of Tyndall rebuild projects are already 
under contract. Therefore, any new carbon disclosure requirements would 
not have a substantial impact on achieving full operational capability.
    Question. Please reaffirm for me the Department of the Navy's 
commitment to ensuring Tyndall is fully rebuilt, as soon as possible, 
as the ``base-of-the-future''.
    Answer. The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to 
ensuring Tyndall is quickly and fully rebuilt as its first Twenty-First 
Century Installation. The Air Force and Navy collaborate regularly to 
share updates and best practices from both the Tyndall Air Force Base 
and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake rebuilds.

                                 ______
                                 

          Questions Submitted to Vice Admiral Ricky Williamson
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
    Question. With regards to closed and realigned installations, what 
additional resources that can be executed in fiscal year 2024 do you 
need to help cleanup environmental contaminants, including PFAS?
    Answer. The Navy budget request funds our DERA obligations required 
by the regulatory agencies resulting in no unfunded requirements in 
FY24. While it may be possible to accelerate some remedial 
investigation (RI) requirements with additional funding, there remains 
some uncertainty on the specific requirements until the site 
investigations are completed. We anticipate needing an additional $50M 
in FY24 to address pending policy requirements impacting 15.

                                 ______
                                 

         Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General Edward Banta
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
    Question. With regards to closed and realigned installations, what 
additional resources that can be executed in fiscal year 2024 do you 
need to help cleanup environmental contaminants, including PFAS?
    Answer. We expect costs to increase as Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) releases the Federal Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) 
later this year and States promulgate their own requirements. We 
anticipate additional drinking water sampling will be required by DoD 
policy. This includes the resampling of municipal and private drinking 
water wells to prepare to implement the EPA's final drinking water 
standard (MCL). This may potentially affect 15 BRAC installations, 
where previous sampling was conducted. Environmental restoration 
funding will be used to: (1) resample drinking water wells; (2) provide 
bottled water; (3) provide treatment on municipal wells; (4) connect 
private wells to municipal water; and (5) implement interim actions to 
prevent further PFAS migration off-base. In addition, as we complete 
the Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspections (PA/SIs) at our 40 BRAC 
installations in 2023, we expect to continue with the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) 
remedial investigations/actions at a majority of them in 2024. PFAS 
requirements will be time sensitive and are of high interest to the 
public.

                                 ______
                                 

           Questions Submitted by Senator Senator Marco Rubio
    Question. Blount Island in Jacksonville plays a critical role in 
the logistics for forward deployed Marines worldwide. Knowledge of the 
material transited through Blount Island would be invaluable to an 
adversary looking to understand U.S. plans and intentions. While UAVs 
are relatively easy to see in the air, there is concern about the use 
of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) in our waterways and use of UUVs 
by adversaries for espionage efforts.
    What capabilities does Blount Island have to detect, deter, and 
deny UUV incursions?
    Answer. The ability of Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island 
(MCSF-BI) to detect, deter, and deny UUV incursions is limited to 
security and law enforcement ground and water patrols. The command 
regularly conducts installation risk and vulnerability assessments to 
inform these patrols, relying heavily on U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy 
sub-surface threat information updates, which include underwater port 
security systems capabilities.
    Question. Is any additional infrastructure or authorities needed to 
ensure the security of Blount Island?
    Answer. The command has a well-trained Marine Corps Police 
Department with an integrated intrusion detection system. MCSF-BI 
maintains support agreements with the local law enforcement agencies. 
Additionally, MCSF-BI coordinates daily with the U.S. Coast Guard, 
Sector Jacksonville, the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife, port 
authorities, and local police force maritime divisions for a layered 
security. MCSF-BI conducts quarterly/annual exercises with the local 
supporting agencies to strengthen the security team and improve its 
coordinated response.

                                 ______
                                 

         Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General Kevin Vereen
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
    Question. With regards to closed and realigned installations, what 
additional resources that can be executed in fiscal year 2024 do you 
need to help cleanup environmental contaminants, including PFAS?
    Answer. The Army could execute an additional $249M for 
environmental projects at Stratford Army Engine Plant, CT ($83M), 
Pueblo Chemical Depot, CO ($63M), Fort McClellan, AL ($49M), Seneca 
Army Depot, NY ($19M), Oakland Army Base, CA ($15M), and Fort Wingate, 
NM ($20M).

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Gary Peters
    Question. Lieutenant General Vereen, the FY22 NDAA Senate Report 
included the following language: ``Joint All-Domain Testing and 
Training: The committee recognizes the critical need for the National 
Guard, as an essential component of the Joint Force, to conduct all-
domain training and exercises in support of the National Defense 
Strategy (NDS). The committee notes the Joint Staff's development of 
the joint warfighting concept to support the NDS. The committee notes 
that in order to support the NDS, training capabilities can best be 
achieved within an all-domain training environment. Such a venue should 
be able to support training and exercises for aircraft; training in 
maritime and littoral environments; amphibious training; joint fire 
support; maneuver coordinated with fires and effects; multi-echelon 
sustainment; combined arms live-fire; decisive major combat operations 
scenarios; air mobility; cyber operations; space operations; electronic 
warfare spectrum availability; mission command; remotely piloted 
aircraft launch and recovery; and four seasons capabilities. The 
committee notes that the National All Domain Warfighting Center 
(NADWC), which includes the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, 
delivers a joint all-domain, four-season training environment that is 
able to support its users in their efforts to achieve or sustain 
proficiency in conducting joint command and control, air, maritime, and 
ground maneuver integration, and the synchronization of kinetic and 
non- kinetic fires in a joint, multinational major combat operations 
environment that is scalable across unit resources levels. These 
capabilities are critical to the preparedness of the U.S. Armed Forces 
for future warfighting demands. Accessibility is critical to the 
ability of units and partners to be able to train with their equipment 
in a wide range of environments that mimic potential conflict zones. 
NADWC has multi-modal capabilities to train and exercise joint 
logistics and sustainment at operationally relevant distances. This 
also provides a training environment that addresses training gaps and 
builds readiness at multiple echelons with the scope and scale required 
to address emerging challenges of near-peer competitors. The committee 
encourages the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force 
to appropriately resource joint all-domain training, exercises, test, 
and experimentation for the Army and Air National Guards to maximize 
readiness in an all- domain training environment to the maximum extent 
practicable.''
    Can you discuss how your FY24 Budget Request, and future budgets 
you are developing now, invest in our all-domain training centers, 
particularly the National All- Domain Warfighting Center in Michigan?
    Answer. The Army's FY24 training support budget request does not 
include specific investments in all-domain training centers. LTG Jensen 
(Director, Army National Guard) selected Camp Shelby, Camp Atterbury, 
and Fort Indiantown Gap as the first 3 ARNG non-kinetic Multi-Domain 
Ranges. Camp Grayling was not included.
    The National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC) is a Michigan 
National Guard initiative and is funded exclusively by the Michigan 
National Guard (MIARNG). The Army provides sustainable range program 
funds to the entire Army National Guard, which are managed and 
distributed by the National Guard Bureau. ARNG Sustainable Range 
Program sent $1.268M to MIARNG in FY23 for range operations and 
maintenance funding. SRP projects MIARNG will receive $1.394M, subject 
to CR Withhold, in FY24, an increase of 9.9 percent. Sustainable Range 
Program sends these funds to the state to be split between the state 
ARNG training sites.

                                 ______
                                 

              Questions Submitted by Senator John Boozman
    Question. How does USACE ensure education across the MILCON 
workforce, particularly those responsible for designing the buildings 
and soliciting for construction bids? Specifically, what did the Army 
do to ensure the USACE workforce was aware of mass timber construction 
speed, strength, and efficiency?
    Answer. USACE ensures education and knowledge are disseminated 
across the Military Construction (MILCON) workforce in two important 
ways: through the Proponent Sponsored Engineer Corps Training 
(PROSPECT) program, which is a centrally managed educational resource 
for the entire Corps; and through Engineering and Construction 
Bulletins (ECBs) which provide immediate clarification and direction to 
the workforce on changes to policies and procedures while the governing 
criteria and standards are being updated or revised.
    The Army is actively evaluating the advantages, challenges, and 
characteristics of mass timber for use in the MILCON program. In FY25, 
we have identified a project to be built using Mass Timber as a primary 
construction material. The Barracks project is located at Joint based 
Lewis-McChord and the design is underway. The outcome of the mass 
timber project will provide information on carbon footprint, life cycle 
costs, resilience to extreme weather events, impact on construction 
timeliness, and project cost. It will inform the applicability of mass 
timber in future planning and design efforts for use in construction 
projects.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Marco Rubio
    Question. The men and women of the Joint Interagency Task Force--
South have done an exceptional job in executing their counterdrug 
mission. They have been the model for interagency and international 
cooperation and every year they prevent almost 300 metric tons of 
cocaine from reaching our streets. They are in dire need of a new 
facility to replace their current 1950's era building. I understand 
that the design phase has been fully funded and is on schedule to be 
completed by 2024, but the actual construction for this facility 
remains unfunded.
    When do you anticipate requesting the requisite funding to build 
this facility?
    Answer. The Army recognizes the need to recapitalize the Command 
and Control Facility for the Joint Interagency Task Force--South in 
support of the Task Force and its counterdrug mission.
    The Army will continue the current design effort until completion 
and, in future budget cycles, will continue to assess the requirement 
against all other Army construction priorities in consideration of 
available military construction budget top line.

                                 ______
                                 

        Questions Submitted to Lieutenant General Tom D. Miller
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
    Question. With regards to closed and realigned installations, what 
additional resources that can be executed in fiscal year 2024 do you 
need to help cleanup environmental contaminants, including PFAS?
    Answer. For the Defense Environmental Restoration Account, a $110 
million plus up is executable in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). Our 
preference is for funding the Defense Environmental Restoration Account 
overall, not specifically tagged for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances (PFAS) since some of our existing sites are higher risk than 
PFAS.
    For PFAS Risk Mitigation in the operations and maintenance account, 
a $230 million dollar plus up is executable in Fiscal Year 2024. These 
funds for PFAS Risk Mitigation cover rinsing, disposal, purchase of 
replacement and facility mods to reduce PFAS risks associated with 
accidental releases.

                                 ______
                                 

              Questions Submitted by Senator Tammy Baldwin
    Question. In April 2020, the Air Force officially selected Truax 
Field in Wisconsin to receive the F-35 mission, and the F-35 aircraft 
is starting to arrive in Madison this month. I continue to hear 
concerns about potential noise impacts to residential areas. I worked 
with Senator Leahy to fund noise mitigation through annual 
appropriations, and DoD has provided the Wisconsin Department of 
Military Affairs a grant to conduct community outreach and noise 
mitigation planning.
    Can you provide an update on the implementation of the F-35 
transition and what mechanisms are already in place to support these 
communities during the transition process?
    Answer. The first F-35 arrived at Truax Field, WI on 25 April 2023 
and two additional aircraft have been delivered since. Deliveries are 
expected to continue in May and June bringing total aircraft on station 
to six aircraft by the end of June 2023. To minimize the effects of 
noise concerns, the 115 FW will comply, to the extent practicable, with 
noise abatement procedures that the FAA and the Dane County Regional 
Airport identify for implementation based on recommendations developed 
as a result of the revised noise exposure maps associated with the Part 
150 Studies. Noise abatement measures selected may include modification 
of flight ground tracks and increased usage of precision instrument 
approaches. The Air Traffic Control Tower and individual pilots have 
ultimate responsibility for the safe operation of aircraft and noise 
abatement flying procedures will be a secondary consideration to safety 
of flight.
    Question. In particular, what is the Air Force doing to proactively 
ready the National Guard installations--and also their surrounding 
communities--for this new platform?
    Answer. Construction projects are continuing as scheduled with only 
minor delays to three projects.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Gary Peters
    Question. Lieutenant General Miller, the FY22 NDAA Senate Report 
included the following language: ``Joint All-Domain Testing and 
Training: The committee recognizes the critical need for the National 
Guard, as an essential component of the Joint Force, to conduct all-
domain training and exercises in support of the National Defense 
Strategy (NDS). The committee notes the Joint Staff's development of 
the joint warfighting concept to support the NDS. The committee notes 
that in order to support the NDS, training capabilities can best be 
achieved within an all-domain training environment. Such a venue should 
be able to support training and exercises for aircraft; training in 
maritime and littoral environments; amphibious training; joint fire 
support; maneuver coordinated with fires and effects; multi-echelon 
sustainment; combined arms live-fire; decisive major combat operations 
scenarios; air mobility; cyber operations; space operations; electronic 
warfare spectrum availability; mission command; remotely piloted 
aircraft launch and recovery; and four seasons capabilities. The 
committee notes that the National All Domain Warfighting Center 
(NADWC), which includes the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, 
delivers a joint all-domain, four-season training environment that is 
able to support its users in their efforts to achieve or sustain 
proficiency in conducting joint command and control, air, maritime, and 
ground maneuver integration, and the synchronization of kinetic and 
non-kinetic fires in a joint, multinational major combat operations 
environment that is scalable across unit resources levels. These 
capabilities are critical to the preparedness of the U.S. Armed Forces 
for future warfighting demands. Accessibility is critical to the 
ability of units and partners to be able to train with their equipment 
in a wide range of environments that mimic potential conflict zones. 
NADWC has multi-modal capabilities to train and exercise joint 
logistics and sustainment at operationally relevant distances. This 
also provides a training environment that addresses training gaps and 
builds readiness at multiple echelons with the scope and scale required 
to address emerging challenges of near-peer competitors. The committee 
encourages the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force 
to appropriately resource joint all-domain training, exercises, test, 
and experimentation for the Army and Air National Guards to maximize 
readiness in an all-domain training environment to the maximum extent 
practicable.''
    Can you discuss how your FY24 Budget Request, and future budgets 
you are developing now, invest in our all-domain training centers, 
particularly the National All- Domain Warfighting Center in Michigan?
    Answer. The Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) is fully 
funded in the FY24 PB and the Air National Guard plans to fully fund 
the Alpena CRTC across the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). 
Further, the National Guard is supportive of any future National All 
Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC) development and utilization.

                                 ______
                                 

             Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
    Question. One of the capability gaps that we've been hearing about 
for years is the need for aerial refuelers in Alaska. I am very pleased 
with the Air Force's 2021 decision to base four additional KC-135s at 
Eielson Air Force Base with the Alaska National Guard and I think it's 
a great expansion to our Arctic capabilities. Unfortunately, we saw 
that when four came up for a winter training exercise, two were dead on 
arrival due to maintenance issues caused by the environment. This leads 
me to believe that in order to make the basing of the KC-135s 
successful, additional hangar space is needed to allow the aircraft to 
be ready 24/7.
    Can you speak to the need for hangar space at Eielson? and why 
having to wait 24 hours to thaw these aircraft after they've been 
stored outside hinders readiness?
    Answer. Eielson Air Force Base, AK currently has two KC-135 
hangars, one of which is able to support work on the aircraft fuel 
system, supporting nine assigned KC-135 aircraft. Unscheduled 
maintenance due to component failures, on top of required scheduled 
aircraft inspections and maintenance drives 100 percent utilization, 
resulting in repair delays due to lack of available hangar space. The 
addition of four KC-135's increases the requirement for aircraft hangar 
space in order to meet Aircraft Availability, Mission Capable Rates, 
and sortie generation required by Pacific Air Forces and the Air Force.
    Question. When aircraft are de-iced and then not flown due to 
mission cancellations or maintenance issues, or when aircraft are 
subjected to freeze/thaw cycles, water accumulates and freezes in 
critical areas such as flight controls. The only way to return the 
aircraft to service is to place it into a hangar for 24 to 36 hours to 
thaw. During that time, the aircraft is unavailable for any mission 
tasking. Additionally, the thawing aircraft occupies limited space 
available for aircraft maintenance, further exacerbating the situation 
and reducing overall operational capability and readiness.
    How would having additional hangar space to conduct necessary and 
timely maintenance improve operational capability and readiness?
    Answer. Additional hangar space constructed to the Air Mobility 
Command large aircraft standard configuration is required for Eielson 
based KC-135 aircraft to meet the operational and readiness 
requirements of Pacific Air Forces and the North American Aerospace 
Defense Command. Failure to provide additional hangar space will impact 
mission readiness by increasing hangar demand on the two existing 
facilities which are already operating at 100 percent capacity.
    Question. Construction of two large aircraft standard hangar bays 
will create sufficient hangar space to meet scheduled inspection and 
unscheduled component repair maintenance requirements while also 
enabling the creation of a steady state KC-135 alert facility for the 
Alaska Region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. To 
maximize readiness, the alert KC-135 must be in a hangar to avoid cold 
injuries and ensure the aircraft is available to respond when tasked. 
On a related note, Eielson does not have any hangar bays capable of 
supporting KC-46 fuel system repairs. The KC-46 is increasing in 
quantity and importance for the aerial refueling fleet; the ability to 
repair it at Eielson will become a significant operational issue down 
the road. Additional hangar space meeting the large aircraft standard 
configuration will get ahead of this concern.
    How does being ready to provide refueling capabilities out of 
Alaska assist the Air Force in power projection to both the Arctic and 
the Pacific regions?
    Answer. The State of Alaska is in a prime location to project 
airpower across the globe. Other than Guam, Alaska is the closest 
sovereign US territory to our key allies and partners in the Western 
Pacific. The shortest flight paths from bases in the Continental United 
States to the majority of US bases in the Pacific region cross directly 
over Alaska. Additionally, Alaska is closer to Europe than the majority 
of the Continental United States. Lastly, Alaska is the state which 
makes the United States an Arctic Nation. Bottom-line, Alaska is the 
key to power projection for the Pacific and Arctic regions allowing 
forces in Alaska and the Continental United States to respond rapidly 
throughout the Pacific and Arctic Regions.
    Question. I appreciated that you addressed the need for additional 
child development center capacity across the country in your testimony 
to the committee. Childcare is one of the most significant issues I 
hear about when I talk to our servicemembers about what they are 
facing. I know that you're well versed in the issue and tracking it 
closely, and that it's a problem both in the military and on the 
civilian side.
    The DoD recognizes that high-quality childcare is both a readiness 
and a retention issue. If parents are forced to make do with inadequate 
child-care arrangements or cannot find childcare, they may be 
distracted from duty or in some instances may even fail to report for 
duty in order to care for their children. Inadequate childcare may also 
affect a family's decision to remain in the military. Would you agree 
that a lack of access to quality childcare is a readiness and retention 
issue?
    Answer. The Department of the Air Force agrees quality of life 
programs, including child development programs, increase recruiting, 
retention, and readiness and reduce overall stress and uncertainty. We 
recognize our Air and Space Force families have unique child-care needs 
and understand the importance of providing a comprehensive network of 
care solutions to include center-based care on the installation, family 
child-care on and off the installation, and community-based child-care 
fee assistance options. The Department is employing efforts and 
strategic actions to improve child-care access to include staffing 
initiatives for our Child Development Centers and School Age Care 
facilities, adding Family Child Care providers, increasing community-
based child-care fee assistance, and targeted construction investments.
    Question. In your testimony, you mentioned the Air Force is 
posturing MILCON projects to increase capacity as a part of a two-
pronged approach and that you are actively working child development 
center designs for inclusion in future President's Budget and Unfunded 
Priority List submissions. What childcare MILCON projects is the Air 
Force considering in Alaska for future years?
    Answer. Currently, there are no CDC MILCON projects in the FYDP for 
Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson or Eielson AFB. We continue to monitor 
requirements at both installations for potential inclusion in future 
budget submissions.
    The more pressing issue at both Elmendorf and Eielson is staffing. 
JBER and Eielson AFB have 81 and 35 staff vacancies, respectively. 
Despite extensive recruiting efforts, high vacancy rates remain. Thus, 
CDCs are forced to reduce the number of rooms they can use for daily 
childcare. If all staffing vacancies were filled, the CDC facilities at 
each base would have the required capacity to meet all childcare needs.
    Question. I understand from the testimony at the Air Force budget 
hearing that workforce capacity is a leading challenge in providing 
childcare services. Is there anything Congress can do to assist you in 
recruiting and retaining childcare providers?
    Answer. The Department of the Air Force appreciates the continued 
support of Congress in our efforts to provide quality, available, and 
affordable child development programs for military families. The 
Department launched an initiative to provide our child and youth 
program direct care staff free child-care for one child, and a 25 
percent discount on any other children enrolled in our child-care 
programs in an effort to recruit and retain direct care providers. 
While the program has been successful in helping increase the number of 
direct care providers, some individuals have refused to accept the 
child-care discount due to the tax implications associated with 
Dependent Care Assistance. Increasing the thresholds for Dependent Care 
Assistance would help increase the number of individuals willing to 
accept the benefit and continue the improvements in recruiting and 
retaining direct care providers.
    Question. The Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) is the 
crown jewel of Air Force training ranges. It has more space than any 
other range and hosts critical training exercises every year for our 
most advanced aircraft. However, the JPARC is unable to operate as a 
Threat Matrix Framework level 4 range as directed in the Air Combat 
Command Enterprise Range Plan. The construction of a new operations 
facility to enhance training at the JPARC would allow pilots to make 
the best use the space provided at this unique location.
    How would providing planning and design funding for such an 
operations facility lead to significant improvements to the training of 
the pilots who operate our most advanced fighters?
    Answer. A TMF Level 4 range requires the JPARC network and 
infrastructure to operate at the TS-SCI/SAP level. The project provides 
capability to integrate advanced threat radars for realistic, threat-
representative training for advanced DoD airborne fifth and future 
sixth gen aircraft, cyber, and space assets. Currently, the project is 
planned for the FY28 FYDP. Providing planning and design funding now 
facilitates the completion of 35 percent design by January 1, 2024, 
which in turn postures the project for potential congressional insert 
as early as FY26 FYDP.
    Question. If such an operations facility was to be constructed, how 
would it build partnerships with critical allies?
    Answer. To operate effectively in combat, partners and allies must 
train in a realistic training environment to build trust and understand 
each other's strengths and limitations. A new operations facility 
enables training and operations at the classified level, providing 
real-time, realistic threat-representative integration, command and 
control, datalink, and debrief capabilities for the US and its allies 
to use during daily operations and high-end exercises such as RED FLAG 
ALASKA and NORTHERN EDGE. In short, this operations facility permits 
seamless integration with partners and allies to maximize their 
realistic training while protecting US only classified information.
    Question. Eielson Air Force Base is home to the largest 
concentration of American fifth generation fighters in the world. As 
Secretary Austin said, it's strategically located to project power into 
both the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic and where we must be able to 
defend ourselves should a threat be presented to the homeland.
    How would the construction of a consolidated munitions complex, 
such as the one that proposed in the December 2022 planning charrette, 
support the F-35 mission execution?
    Answer. Consolidation of the munitions complex greatly improves 
mission efficiency and effectiveness for sensitive handling, build-up, 
and movement of munitions in support of fighter alert missions and F-35 
training, as well as any additional combat or readiness mission 
stationed at, deployed to, or transient through Eielson. Furthermore, 
it will reduce the distance required to transport munitions across the 
base, mitigating mishap risk by eliminating the need to transport 
munitions through highly populated and trafficked areas of the 
installation.
    Question. How would such a facility protect personnel from extreme 
cold during winter munitions production? What potential would such a 
facility have to improve readiness?
    Answer. Eielson does not currently have an interior space large 
enough to build munitions during the winter months (September-May). As 
a result, Airmen execute munitions builds while exposed to the 
elements, increasing building time and creating unsafe conditions. A 
properly sized and configured munitions production facility provides an 
enclosed heated space that is compartmentalized to provide a safe and 
temperature-controlled environment to construct munitions all year 
round.
    Question. How would an explosive mishap at the current facility, or 
en route to aircraft, impact the ability to carry out a mission?
    Answer. An explosive mishap in the current facility would limit 
further use of the facility for munitions production. An explosive 
mishap enroute to the aircraft would hinder mission execution and 
potentially cause damage to aircraft or infrastructure.
    Question. With the dramatic mission expansion associated with the 
bed-down of F-35s at Eielson Air Force Base, the capacity to deploy our 
most advanced aircraft to critical regions has decreased as there is 
now an increased demand for storage space to accommodate the delivery 
of war reserve material when these aircraft need to be deployed.
    How would the construction of a new joint mobility center aid in 
the ability to deploy the majority of its F-35 fleet to critical 
locations in the event they're needed?
    Answer. The existing joint mobility center at Eielson lacks 
sufficient warm storage to deploy its F-35s on tasked timelines during 
winter months. This concern was validated during two separate 
Generation Exercises (in the winter of 2022 and 2023). A new joint 
mobility center, with adequate warm storage and cargo throughput 
capability, ensures timely and effective deployments while protecting 
resources and people.
    Question. Eielson Air Force Base was recently assigned the alert 
mission for NORAD & USNORTHCOM. Currently, they use the existing F-16 
alert operations facilities. This space is not meant to accommodate 
alert crews for both the F-16 and F-35 aircraft. Because of this, crews 
lack certain amenities like adjoining living areas that allow them to 
maximize readiness.
    How would the construction of a new Combat Alert (CAC) Facility 
improve alert mission response times?
    Answer. A Combat Alert Facility designed and constructed for 
fighter alert provides F-16 and F- 35 crews the appropriate facility to 
meet pilot rest requirements and command and control connectivity, both 
vital to meeting alert response times. Currently, pilots sit alert in a 
facility that is more than 100 yards away from the aircraft, has 
makeshift living conditions for pilots, zero living facilities for 
maintainers, and impacts the current Aggressor mission. An alert 
facility with living quarters attached to the alert hangars will meet 
NORAD/NORTHCOM alert facilities requirements, reduce alert mission 
response time, and consolidate alert operations limiting impact to 
existing missions.
    Question. Can you speak to how such a facility would assist the Air 
Force in being ready to deploy F-35s to the Indo-Pacific or carry out 
homeland defense mission?
    Answer. The alert facility does not directly impact readiness of 
the F-35s for the INDOPACIFIC, as the alert mission is tasked to 
support USNORTHCOM's homeland defense mission.
    Question. The current South Loop Fire Station at Eielson Air Force 
Base doesn't have the necessary vehicle exhaust ventilation system IAW 
NFPA 1500 Section 9.1.5 exposing firefighters to exhaust and its 
hazardous components. Additionally, the current facility is not located 
correctly to be able to meet all response requirements.
    How would the construction of an adequately positioned 24/7 manned 
fire station with the necessary protective measures aid in the ability 
to respond to emergencies in the south loop area?
    Answer. Construction of a Fire Station that meets facility code 
standards with proper ventilation systems and living space will 
increase the life, health & safety of our fire fighters, as well as buy 
down risk to $3.8 billion in Fifth Generation assets, $600 million in 
new construction and over 1,500 personnel through the reduction of 
response distances and time for emergency services when responding to 
an incident on the south loop (home to 54 F-35A aircraft). The current 
location of fire and medical response forces drives a 12-minute 
response time to the South Loop; the requirement is seven minutes. The 
proposed site for the new fire station reduces response times to five 
minutes.
    Question. Eielson is the home to over 100 F-35s and has been 
selected to base an additional four KC-135s to augment the Air Force's 
presence in the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific. The bed- down of the KC-
135s has been delayed due to questions about hangar space and the 
ability of the base to house the associated Airmen that would come to 
Alaska.
    Why are basing tankers in Alaska critical to the Indo-Pacific 
mission?
    Answer. The tyranny of distance in the Indo-Pacific Area of 
Responsibility makes tankers critical to fighter and bomber operations. 
Eielson's unique strategic location in Alaska permits fighter and 
bomber operations anywhere in the northern hemisphere through tanker 
support.
    Question. Why are basing tankers in Alaska critical to homeland 
defense and Arctic missions?
    Answer. Tankers are critical to F-16 and F-35 alert operations in 
Alaska to intercept Russian activity over the Bering Sea and Arctic 
Ocean, as well as to protect critical energy infrastructure in 
Anchorage. Without tanker support, fighters would be unable to 
accomplish USNORTHCOM assigned missions in Alaska due to the distances 
they need to travel from their garrison locations.
    Question. How would allowing the Air Force to plan and design a new 
dormitory minimize the delay in the KC-135 bed-down in Alaska?
    Answer. Eielson Air Force Base already struggles with insufficient 
housing, dorms, and lodging for existing Airmen, dependents, and TDY 
members. There is insufficient dormitory space for the additional 
Airmen to support the additive KC-135 mission. Airmen will bear the 
burden of traveling long distances in arctic conditions or spend more 
than their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) allotment on housing as a 
result.
    Question. ver the past 5 years significant footprint has been added 
for mission increase including weather shelters, maintenance hangars, 
training facilities, squadron operations, weather/intel facilities, and 
utility infrastructure. Correspondingly the demands for steam heat and 
electricity produced at the Base's coal-fired Central Heat and Power 
Plant (CHPP) have grown.
    What is the current plan to address mission growth with an 
anticipated increase from 8 to 16 cars of coal/per day to maintain heat 
and power to the base once the F-35s are wholly established especially 
during winter conditions where the current coal thaw shed can only hold 
11 cars at a time?
    Answer. The Coal Thaw Shed project will provide the space required 
to thaw 16 cars per day. A 15 percent conceptual design is complete; 
the current government cost estimate for this project is $14M. The 
project is #6 on the installation priority list and is Pacific Air 
Forces' priority #59 in the latest MILCON Submission.
    Question. Facility and WRM storage for management of LOX and NOX 
needs to be replaced due to it being beyond its service life and cannot 
be cost effectively modified. Butler Buildings from the 1960s were 
designed and constructed for a single, limited purpose and were not 
built with flexibility for future adaptive uses.
    With the increased number of Primary Assigned Aircraft (PAA) 
accelerating the operations tempo of filling LOX/LIN carts and 
delivering them to aircraft locations on the field, how quickly does 
the department plan to address this critical space utilization to 
guarantee alert mission requirements?
    Answer. Due to deteriorating conditions of the current facility and 
surroundings, Eielson renovation efforts will not be able to correct 
the facilities long list of deficiencies. The LOX/LIN/Cryogenics 
facility at Eielson was PACAF's #15 FY24-27 UMMC priority and has not 
made the cutline for Planning and Design (P&D) from AFCEC, putting the 
timeline indefinitely into the future. If P&D was received in FY24, the 
earliest the project would be awardable would likely be FY26. Eielson 
does not currently have an interior or covered space to store 10 500- 
gallon WRM LOX tanks that were received in 2022. The new facility and 
WRM storage will provide the required space for these LOX tanks, which 
are currently stored in refueler warm storage bays and displacing 
critical refueler parking further degrading capabilities in the winter 
months.
    Question. The JBER Combat Alert Cell is 70 years old, and currently 
degrades immediate response due to facility issues with the roof, 
electrical and significant structural concerns. The Commander of NORAD 
& USNORTHCOM has highlighted this issue through the Service POM 
advocacy memoranda in 2021 and 2022. 3rd Wing maintains immediate 
launch fighters 24/7, current condition of hangar is beginning to put 
immediate response times at risk.
    When does the USAF plan to prioritize its Combat Alert Cells, where 
immediate response is necessary to meet homeland defense?
    Answer. Pacific Air Forces has programmed and prioritized a 
replacement for the JBER combat alert cell (CAC). It is currently 
PACAF's #26 priority and HAF's #249 priority for the FY25-29 MILCON 
cycle. Projects prioritized above the CAC include critical USINDOPACOM 
posture requirements and para-rescue squadron operations facilities.
    Question. The JBER Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) Complex is 
located within an explosive operating location, which increases the 
risk to personnel operating or transiting through JBER areas. 
Additionally, the layout restricts the number of munitions that can be 
moved to support operations of the 3rd Wing. There is an existing 5-
year exception to allow arming of only 2 F- 22s per generation period 
if no exception existed which would be the case with a new PGM complex.
    Would funding a new PGM complex mitigate existing exceptions 
increasing readiness rates and subsequently decreasing the risk to 
personnel in the area?
    Answer. A new PGM complex allows generation of more than two F-22s 
per generation period, thereby increasing the rate of combat-ready F-
22s that the base can produce. In addition, the new PGM complex would 
remove the current requirement for AIM-120 missiles to be removed from 
their containers every time they are placed inside the PGM facility, 
decreasing risk to personnel involved in these operations.
    Question. Can you explain how eliminating these restrictions could 
increase readiness providing for better defense of the homeland?
    Answer. Eliminating these restrictions will allow generation of 
more F-22s per generation period to support homeland defense or 
overseas taskings for alert taskings in the State of Alaska for the 
defense of the Homeland, as well as for overseas taskings in support of 
Combatant Commander and Global Force Management requirements.
    Question. Maintaining airfield operations in winter conditions 
requires specialized sand for airfield surfaces. In locations like 
Alaska that have extended winter seasons, maintenance of airfields in 
these difficult conditions is critical to maintaining mission readiness 
for more than half of the year. The existing facility that Joint Base 
Elmendorf-Richardson uses to store sand is outdated and unsafe.
    What shortfalls does the current sand storage facility at Joint 
Base Elmendorf-Richardson present that makes airfield maintenance 
operations less efficient?
    Answer. A new sand storage facility is approved for funding as a 
Fiscal Year 2025 unspecified minor military construction (UMMC) 
project. Originally designed to store coal, the current facility is 
poorly adapted to store sand. Maneuvering heavy equipment for 
transferring sand in and out of the facility is inefficient, difficult, 
and unsafe. Furthermore, the repurposed building is not located in an 
area with direct access to the airfield, causing delayed response 
times. Extending runway 16/34 will only increase response times. 
Construction of a right-sized facility on the airfield reduces critical 
travel time.
    Question. What safety risks are present at the current sand storage 
facility?
    Answer. Built in 1942, this 81-year-old repurposed facility has 
significant amounts of asbestos and other hazardous materials 
throughout and has numerous safety concerns due to structural issues. 
The potential for Foreign Object Debris (FOD) contamination in airfield 
sand is ever present due to water intrusion and debris falling from 
interior walls. FOD presents dangers to aircraft operations.
    Question. The JBER Deployment Processing Facility adequately 
supports current Air Force requirements but can't support the full-
capability deployment of the Army's 11th Airborne Division.
    How soon will the Air Force expand this deployment processing 
center to provide adequate space to rapidly deploy up to an Airborne-
Brigade sized formation, with up to 1300 personnel including vehicle 
and cargo within 96 hours?
    Answer. In September 2022, the Air Force completed the Joint 
Deployment Campus Development Plan at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, 
which summarizes existing capacities and provides a long-range plan for 
development of a consolidated area for deployment functions. The plan 
establishes a planning-level framework for a multi-facility campus; 
MILCON projects will be developed through further planning efforts as 
funding allows. Based on current programming limitations, the first 
available year of execution is Fiscal Year 2028, unless projects are 
accelerated.
    Question. How would such a facility fulfil your Arctic strategy, or 
support a PRC invasion of Taiwan?
    Answer. The Joint Deployment Campus plan is an adaptable, strategic 
complex providing secure and efficient access to consolidated 
operations with sustainable, resilient infrastructure to meet arctic 
requirements. The area will contain a parking apron to accommodate four 
C-17 aircraft with pull-through parking spaces for full aircraft 
operations to include rapid loading of deploying equipment and 
personnel. With a larger, adequately sized facility, all personnel 
assigned to an aircraft departure time could process simultaneously 
and, most notably, multiple aircraft personnel could process and depart 
in rapid succession, as may be required during a deployment in support 
of an INDO-PACOM or NORTHCOM assigned missions.
    Question. The Alaska Air National Guard at Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson operates 8 PAA C-17s, 4 PAA HC-130Js, and 5 PAA HH-60s. To 
keep their aircraft ready, they conduct year-round maintenance 
operations. However, to do this work, they store spare parts in at 
least three different locations around the installation.
    How many man-hours are lost each year because they have to travel 
around the base to do routine maintenance?
    Answer. Nearly immediately following the 176th Wing move from Kulis 
ANGB, adjacent to Ted Steven Anchorage international Airport, to Joint 
Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the Logistics Readiness Squadron identified 
a minimum of 5,500 man hours were being lost transporting aircraft 
parts from multiple locations.
    Question. How does the harsh subarctic climate further contribute 
to lost man-hours during winter months?
    Answer. This distance, although short by most standards (10 miles 
each way), is further complicated by the harsh, rapidly changing arctic 
weather conditions and extended hours of darkness. Intense snow fall, 
ice storms, and subzero temperatures force slower transit times and 
higher vehicle maintenance rates.
    Question. How would the construction of a centralized supply 
warehouse at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson facilitate maintenance 
operations and promote readiness of the Guard?
    Answer. Once funded and constructed, this new consolidated supply 
warehouse will reduce the overall time required to deliver essential 
parts to aircraft. The Alaska National Guard has identified and 
requested programing support for a consolidated base supply warehouse 
($3M required to complete design; $44M to build). The project has been 
the Adjutant General's number one priority for the last three fiscal 
years. The Alaska National Guard will continue to acquire design funds 
and advocate for construction of the facility.
    Question. Currently JBER Air National Guard HC-130J crew are 
required to travel to New Mexico on a semi-annual basis to fulfill 
week-long training requirements and maintain proficiency in procedures 
they cannot perform using real aircraft.
    Has the Air Force discussed the possibility of relocating one of 
the two simulators located in Georgia to Alaska providing 
geographically dispersed locations for units flying the same aircraft 
to train?
    Answer. Georgia has only one HC-130J simulator located at Moody 
AFB. A separate HH-60G simulator is co-located in the same Moody AFB 
building as the HC-130J and could have been mistaken as a second HC-
130J simulator on the same installation. The Air Force has two 
additional HC-130J simulators: one at Kirtland AFB, NM and one at 
Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. There are four Air Force Reserve Component 
geographically dispersed HC-130J units that send aircrew TDY to the 
three HC-130J simulator locations: 176WG (ANG) AK, 106RQW (ANG) NY, 
129RQW (ANG) CA, and 920RQW (AFRC) FL. The three existing HC-130J 
simulator locations have capacity to conduct more aircrew simulator 
training. Transferring any of the HC- 130J simulators from an existing 
location significantly reduces HC-130J simulator capacity during the 
transfer. This action does not increase the overall level of training 
capacity once the third simulator regains operational capability. There 
is also an unrecouped cost associated with relocating the simulator. 
Each ANG crewmember is required to complete Sim Refresher Training 
(SQ05XC) per the HC-130J Ready Aircrew Program (RAP) Tasking Memorandum 
(RTM), Aviation Schedule 2023 (AS- 23) (effective 1 Oct 2022). This 
training is required to be completed every 18 months for inexperienced 
aircrew and 24 months for experienced aircrew. Sim Refresher training 
is conducted at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ and not in Kirtland AFB, NM. 
Kirtland AFB is used for all Undergraduate/Graduate HC-130J flying 
training and not refresher training.
    Question. If secured, would this provide adequate support to fund 
the building of a facility to house the new simulator?
    Answer. The three existing HC-130J simulator locations have 
capacity to conduct more aircrew simulator training. The Air Force has 
discussed the possibility of locating the HC- 130J sim in AK during the 
initial acquisition process; however, it was decided to put the two 
simulators that came with the HC-130J MDS at Moody AFB, Kirtland AFB, 
and Davis- Monthan AFB for access for the CONUS and OCONUS units. 
Dobbins AFB, GA currently has on C-130 H2 and one C-130 H3 simulator. 
One of these is scheduled to be shipped to the 109the AW in 
Schenectady, NY. Neither sim can be converted to an HC-130J without 
extreme modifications; modifications of this level for simulators can 
range in cost from $1M-$20M.
    Question. What's the annual cost to send crew on a semi-annual 
basis from AK to New Mexico, and has the potential cost-savings been 
considered in re-locating a simulator to AK and building a new 
facility?
    Answer. Sim Refresher training is conducted at Davis-Monthan AFB, 
AZ. Any potential TDY cost-saving for the 176 WG will not likely 
justify the significant investment required to build a new facility nor 
install, operate, and maintain an additional HC-130J simulator when 
other operational HC-130J facilities have remaining capacity for 
additional training. Over the last 6 years Alaska has averaged 6.5 sim 
refresher courses per FY, with eight sim refresher courses in FY22-23. 
Each of these courses has two Pilots, one Combat Systems Officer, and 
two Loadmasters, for a total crew of five. This crew complement costs 
approximately $70,560 per course or $565,480 per FY.
    Question. All Air National Guard facilities on the North side of 
the Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson runway receive electricity through 
a single feed that has become a single point of failure. Alaska 
experienced a 7.6 magnitude earthquake of 2018 left these facilities 
offline until repairs to the electrical loop could be made.
    How would the readiness of the Alaska Air National Guard be 
improved by adding redundancy to the electrical systems that power 
alert facilities?
    Answer. The extreme event that occurred 30 November 2018 (Magnitude 
7.6 earthquake) damaged and rendered several facilities north of Runway 
06-24 on JBER inoperable, including Hangars 11 and 18, where the alert 
HH-60s and HC-130J currently operate. Both types of aircraft remain 
inside hangars 7 months per year to meet alert response times. If 
parked in the extreme winter conditions, they will require extensive 
preparation and warm up time to meet required mission response 
timelines.
    After the 2018 earthquake event, electrical distribution lines were 
not functional, severely crippling basic facility services to include 
heating, general power, and lighting. The hangar doors were not 
operational, and alert aircraft were trapped without the capacity to 
respond to an alert launch.
    The Air National Guard Readiness Center, 176th Wing, and Joint Base 
Elmendorf-Richardson agree providing a redundant source of power to 
back feed the ANG complex will provide mission resilience mitigating 
potential failure of hangar doors and reducing sortie generation time. 
The current mitigation effort includes standby generators for the 
primary hangars (11 & 18).
    Unfortunately, the generators require direct physical interaction, 
as they are not currently capable of automated switching, after an 
extreme weather event or act of God. The redundant power source project 
is currently in the conceptual phase being coordinated among the 
stakeholders and approximated to cost $9M to complete.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
    Question. What is the AF plan to sustain the current Weapons 
Storage Areas (WSA) (through FSRM) and to prioritize Weapons Generation 
Facilities (WGF) at Minot?
    Note. During the Hearing, Lt Gen Miller promised to follow up with 
his office once the classified WGF CRR is released to the Hill.
    Answer. The Air Force will continue to optimize its use of limited 
facilities sustainment, restoration and modernization funding and apply 
sound asset management strategies at Minot's WSAs in order to maintain 
mission capabilities. Repair projects, once identified, will be 
prioritized by the installation commander and then prioritized by the 
major command commander and incorporated into the Air Force's 
prioritized comprehensive asset management plan for funding.
    The Minot WGF will support both the bomber and missile requirements 
and lessons learned from the current WGFs will be incorporated into the 
design of this facility. The WGF at Minot is not in the Military 
Construction (MILCON) FYDP program but will be included as required to 
meet mission timelines in a future program cycle. It is expected to be 
one of the later WGFs constructed.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Marco Rubio
    Question. Child Development Centers (CDCs) are a critical part of 
our military installations as they enable our service personnel to 
focus on the mission knowing that their children are in good hands. I 
have constituents who, if they are able to secure a slot, have to drive 
an hour and a half each way to drop their child off at a CDC before 
work.
    Please provide an assessment of the current state of Air Force CDCs 
in Florida, including an analysis of whether they are in good repair.
    Answer. The Air Force has 269 child and youth facilities. The Air 
Force does not have any facilities below a building condition index 
(BCI) of 55, indicating poor condition. Good condition Child 
Development Centers (CDCs) are in the BCI range of 100-86, and 
acceptable condition CDCs are in the BCI range of 85-56. For Florida's 
CDCs--Eglin Air Force Base (2 CDCs with BCI of 88), MacDill Air Force 
Base (3 CDCs with BCI of 86), and Patrick SFB (1 CDC with BCI of 88) 
are all assessed to be in good condition. Tyndall Air Force Base (2 
CDCs with BCI of 85) and Hurlburt Field (4 CDCs with BCI of 84) are 
assessed to be on the high side of an acceptable condition. The Air 
Force provides funding for the installations to perform preventive and 
corrective maintenance.
    Question. What does the Air Force consider an acceptable amount of 
time to drive to utilize a CDC?
    Answer. The Department of the Air Force considers a 15 mile/20 
minutes radius from the address where parents need care to be an 
acceptable amount of time and distance to drive to utilize Department 
of Defense sponsored child-care. The Military Child Care in Your 
Neighborhood program supports families who live or work beyond a 15 
miles/20 minutes radius of the nearest DoD installation child- care 
program. Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood provides fee 
assistance to eligible child-care providers in the community to 
equalize the cost of commercial child-care and installation child-care 
fees.
    Question. Please provide an update on Eglin AFB's proposed Family 
Care Complex, to include a timeline, and potential avenues to 
accelerate the completion of the project.
    Answer. Army and Air Force Secretariat offices meet monthly to 
discuss the childcare issues at Eglin, including those related to the 
siting of the Army FY25 proposed CDC, as well as other short- and mid-
range childcare options for those families living north of Eglin AFB.
    The Air Force is partnering with the City of Crestview to site a 
CDC to support Team Eglin families, specifically those north of Eglin 
AFB. We anticipate design will be at 35 percent in January 2024 and all 
NEPA analysis and documentation completed by July 2024.
    The Air Force continues to balance overall Air Force military 
construction (MILCON) program requirements and is looking to include 
this project in a future budget submission at the earliest possible 
opportunity to support Team Eglin families in the Crestview area. We 
continue to explore opportunities, with community leaders, to create a 
Family Care Complex.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Deb Fischer
    Question. Are you committed to working with our office to find a 
path forward to renovate the former STRATCOM headquarters?
    Note. During the Hearing, Lt Gen Miller committed to working with 
STRATCOM and her office. A4 will provide update on STRACOM FSRM project 
status.
    Answer. The Air Force is committed to working with the installation 
and all pertinent parties to validate repair requirements for the 
future disposition of building 500 (former STRATCOM headquarters) and 
right size the installation footprint in accordance with area 
development plans. The renovation of Building 500 is significant and 
currently estimated at $300 million dollars.
    Recent flood damage significantly reduced space across the 
installation. The validated requirements will compete for 
prioritization in the centralized process for facilities sustainment, 
restoration and modernization funding as the military construction 
projects finish and personnel move out of Building 500.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted to Mr. Bruce Hollywood
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
    Question. As the Space Force continues to build out its major 
construction program while leveraging existing Air Force processes, 
what is your installation investment strategy and how do you plan to 
align resources accordingly?
    Answer. USSF's FY24 $90M in P&D addresses planning and design for 
weapon systems, Spaceport of the Future, Quality of Life and force 
support projects across the FYDP, as well as priority projects in our 
approved MILCON Integrated Priority List including STARCOM HQ, which is 
awaiting a basing decision.
    Investing in our weapons system infrastructure is vital to Space 
Force readiness and capacity for every capability across the Joint 
Force; we drive installation readiness with facility sustainment, 
restoration and modernization investments, and increase mission 
capacity with MILCON investments. Our investment strategy focuses on 
reducing risk to mission for USSF and our mission partners and reducing 
risk to force while improving Quality of Life for our Guardians, 
supporting Airmen and their families.
    USSF established its own governance process to prioritize its 
MILCON requirements based on Commander's assessments within the TOA 
allotment that the Department provides the service; USSF can add to 
that TOA baseline through the Service's corporate structure.

                                 ______
                                 

               Questions Submitted by Senator Marco Rubio
    Question. Last year, I led my Florida delegation colleagues in 
sending a letter to Secretary Kendall urging the Air Force to select 
Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as the 
permanent location of STARCOM.
    The response I received from the Air Force, on May 12, 2022, says 
that a decision of the preferred location is ``anticipated in the first 
quarter of Fiscal Year 2023'' with a final decision ``anticipated in 
the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2023.''
    Can you provide updated timeline information for the decision?
    Answer. We now anticipate the preferred location decision in 3Q 
FY23. The DAF will notify affected congressional delegations and 
defense committees once the Secretary makes this decision.

                          SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

    Senator Murray. With that, we stand adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 12:17 p.m., Wednesday, April 19, the 
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of 
the chair.]