    [Senate Hearing 119-75, Part 3]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                      S. Hrg. 119-75, Pt. 3

                      DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
                REQUEST FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026
                     AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM

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

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                          COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                       ON

                                    S. 2296

    TO AUTHORIZE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR MILITARY
    ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION,
    AND FOR DEFENSE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, TO PRESCRIBE
    MILITARY PERSONNEL STRENGTHS FOR SUCH FISCAL YEAR, AND FOR
    OTHER PURPOSES

                                   __________

                                     PART 3

                        READINESS AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

                                   __________

                                 MARCH 5, 2025

                                   __________

             Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services

                     [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                     Available via: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                   ______

                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

    60-343 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2025

                          COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

                    ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi, Chairman

    DEB FISCHER, Nebraska		     JACK REED, Rhode Island
    TOM COTTON, Arkansas		     JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
    MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota	     KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
    JONI K. ERNST, Iowa		     RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
    DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska		     MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
    KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota	     TIM KAINE, Virginia
    RICK SCOTT, Florida		     ANGUS S. KING, Jr., Maine
    TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama	     ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
    MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma	     GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
    TED BUDD, North Carolina	     TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
    ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri		     JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
    JIM BANKS, Indiana		     MARK KELLY, Arizona
    TIM SHEEHY, Montana                  ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan

                    John P. Keast, Staff Director
           Elizabeth L. King, Minority Staff Director

                                   ______

                Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

                     DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska, Chairman

    DEB FISCHER, Nebraska		     MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
    KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota	     JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
    RICK SCOTT, Florida		     TIM KAINE, Virginia
    ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri		     ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
    TIM SHEEHY, Montana                  TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois

                                      (ii)

                                 C O N T E N T S

                                   ----------

                                 march 5, 2025

                                                                       Page

    United States Transportation Command.............................     1

                               Member Statements

    Statement of Senator Dan Sullivan................................     1

    Statement of Senator Mazie K. Hirono.............................     3

                               Witness Statements

    Reed, General Randall, USAF, Commander, United States                 4
      Transportation Command.

    Questions for the Record.........................................    42

                                     (iii)

                      DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
                REQUEST FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026
                     AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM

                                  ----------

                            WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025

                              United States Senate,
                      Subcommittee on Readiness
                                and Management Support,
                                   Committee on Armed Services,
                                                        Washington, DC.

                      UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

        The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:31 p.m. in room
    SD-106, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Senator Roger Wicker
    (Chairman of the Committee) presiding.
        Committee Members present: Senators Sullivan, Wicker,
    Fischer, Scott, Hirono, Reed, Shaheen, Kaine, and Warren.

               OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN

        Senator Sullivan. This hearing will come to order. The
    Readiness Subcommittee today meets to receive testimony on the
    posture of the United States Transportation Command
    (USTRANSCOM). I want to thank our witness this afternoon,
    General Reed, for being here today. Sir, it was good meeting
    with you earlier in the week.
        I want to say upfront, TRANSCOM is a very, very important
    combatant command. It's not the one that you always hear about,
    but it's really critical to our military, our readiness, and
    our ability to win wars, and our ability to project power, and
    sustain our forces.
        As a Senator from Alaska, I'm keenly aware of the unique
    challenges and strategic opportunities our State presents in
    the broader national security landscape, but we are also
    operating in an area where logistics and sustainment are no
    longer a given in any potential conflict.
        What used to be an asterisk, or an incorrect assumption, or
    what they call in the military ``fairy dusting'' away a
    problem, on the Department of Defenses (DODs) part with regard
    to sustained and contested logistics, has allowed our
    adversaries, such as China and Russia, to actively develop
    capabilities aimed at disrupting our mobility and sustainment
    operations across multiple domains.
        Currently, the theaters from the Indo-Pacific region, to
    the Arctic, to the European Theater, and in the Middle East,
    all present significant, unique challenges in military
    contested logistics. Our military must ensure that pre-position
    stockpiles, robust transportation networks, and harden
    infrastructure are available to sustain forces in high-end
    conflicts.
        I'm particularly interested in how TRANSCOM is addressing
    contested logistics through enhanced resiliency in sealift,
    airlift, and overland transportation. I would also like to hear
    your thoughts, General, on how we can better leverage
    infrastructure, our ports, and airfields to strengthen our
    power projection capabilities in both the Arctic and the Indo-
    Pacific regions.
        As the Air Force looks to the KC-46 and other next-
    generation programs for its air refueling needs, we cannot
    forget about the programs that are actually doing today's
    missions. The KC-135 has been a cornerstone of the U.S. Air
    Force's air mobility in refueling capabilities since the 1950s.
    That's not an incorrect statement; since the 1950s. But it
    needs advances in technology to evolve with military needs.
        While this is not a budget hearing today, I hope, General
    Reed, to hear about how TRANSCOM has informed the Air Force's
    tanker strategy moving forward, especially in light of the long
    delays in KC-46 deliveries, and recent reports about cracks in
    certain components of the aircraft.
        Air refueling tankers play a vital role in extending the
    range and endurance of fighter aircraft bombers, surveillance
    planes, enabling them to perform long-range missions without
    relying on forward operating basis. They're crucial to
    America's Fight Tonight mandate, and as we talked about
    earlier, General, this morning, they're actually very crucial
    in my home State of Alaska where Russian and Chinese incursions
    over the last year have spiked.
        The men and women who fly these intercept missions from
    Alaska do nearly 2,000-mile round trips to intercept Russian
    and Chinese strategic bombers, and they, of course, rely
    heavily on TRANSCOM tankers to get them to the intercept and to
    get them home safely.
        We also want to hear about the challenges with regard to
    shipbuilding and military sealift command, which is another
    element of what TRANSCOM does and does so well. Modernization
    of our sealift capacity must be a top priority if we are to
    maintain our ability to surge forces anywhere in the world in a
    crisis.
        The recently initiated tanker security program is a natural
    progression, but broader efforts are needed to ensure that we
    do not face a mobility crisis in the coming decade. I'm
    particularly interested in hearing about the status of sealift
    recapitalization efforts, including any challenges TRANSCOM is
    encountering so that when the fiscal year 2026 budget is
    released, we can followup to see if funding support is needed
    to accelerate modernization efforts.
        The well-being of our troops and their families is,
    obviously, a top priority of this Committee. We must ensure
    that the different changes that we've seen in the Global
    Household Goods Contract (GHC) challenges are made in a way
    that provides seamless transitions during Permanent Change of
    Station moves. General Reed, I look forward to getting an
    update on this program in light of the challenges.
        Finally, I want to thank the men and women of USTRANSCOM
    for the critical work they do every day to sustain our military
    forces and project power globally. Again, this is an incredible
    combatant command that not enough Americans know about,
    understand, and appreciate, and this hearing is, in part, to
    help change that.
        With that, I want to recognize Ranking Member, Senator
    Hirono for her opening remarks.

                  STATEMENT OF SENATOR MAZIE K. HIRONO

        Senator Hirono. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. General
    Reed, it's good to see you. Thank you very much for your
    service.
        Senator Sullivan, it's good to continue our work on this
    Subcommittee, this time, you as chair and me as ranking. So, we
    will continue our efforts together.
        General Reed, thank you for your service to our Nation, and
    I thank the servicemembers under your command around the globe
    conducting missions even as we speak. TRANSCOM plays a critical
    role in the movement of people, supplies, and equipment
    anywhere in the world. Your command remains the backbone of our
    military to ensure the joint force remains agile and
    responsive.
        However, as the landscape for logistics continues to
    evolve, we must adapt to the new reality and full spectrum of
    emerging threats ranging from cyberattacks to kinetic strikes
    on ports and airfields. We need to recognize that contested
    logistics will be a battlefield in itself.
        Fortunately, the Air Force is currently taking steps to
    modernize its aerial refueling fleet, shifting toward a new
    tanker design that can operate in contested environments. The
    Blended Wing Body (BWB), aircraft is a promising solution
    offering 90 percent more range, upwards of 50 percent more fuel
    efficiency, 80 percent more fuel offboard capability for sortie
    generations, takes up to 40 percent less space on airfields,
    flies 2,000 feet higher, and requires less landing and a
    takeoff distance. All I can say is, wow, and very impressive.
    We have to make it happen.
        Beyond these critical benefits, the blended wing body
    design would save at least $900 million per year on fuel. $900
    million. In the short-term, 3D-printed microveins on transport
    aircraft reduced drag, pay for itself in just 7 months, and
    yield a few percentages on fuel as well.
        While that may not sound like much at first glance, the DOD
    spends over $10 billion each year on operational energy costs.
    To be clear, investing in operational energy programs is not
    just about cost savings. It directly enhances our lethality,
    readiness, and ability to sustain operations in the Indo-
    Pacific and beyond.
        Unfortunately, the TRANSCOM assets have been recently used
    in a very inefficient manner and at great cost to the
    Department of Defense, all for, in my view, political show. The
    use of C-17s and C-130's to transport some 5,000 migrants at
    three times the cost of Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-
    chartered flights, and the DOD electing to do so on a non-
    reimbursable basis is not only inefficient, but also detracts
    from our core military mission.
        Just last year, the Department of Homeland Security removed
    over 685,000 individuals without DOD assistance. The largest
    amount of people since 2011, obviously, during the Biden years
    that the DHS managed to do this. Yet, the DOD has opted to fly
    at least three times through India, each trip costing taxpayers
    over $2.5 million, and at least one of which tasked a refueling
    tanker to fly from New Jersey to Honolulu only to return the
    next day.
        Beyond the questionable legal basis under which this is
    occurring, I want to know who is making the decision to fly in
    such an inefficient and costly manner. There was a time when my
    Republican counterparts would object to DOD writing a blank
    check to do the job of another government agency. TRANSCOM must
    remain focused on strategic mobility and not burdened with
    missions that are outside its intended purpose.
        TRANSCOM would be far better off returning to its rightful
    focus on contested logistics because energy security remains a
    critical challenge. Our forces in the Indo-Pacific rely on
    vulnerable fuel shipments. In the event of conflict, these fuel
    supply lines would be prime targets for our adversaries. A more
    resilient energy strategy. incorporating distributed energy
    assets and more efficient technologies is essential for
    maintaining operational effectiveness.
        TRANSCOM is a key pillar of our national security, but we
    must ensure that it remains focused on its core mission,
    whether by modernizing our tanker fleet or strengthening
    contested logistic capabilities. We must make the right
    investments and policy decisions. So, General Reed, again, I
    thank you for your leadership. I look forward to your testimony
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Hirono. I see that we
    have the Ranking Member of the entire Committee, the former
    Chairman of the Armed Services Committee here with us, my good
    friend, Senator Jack Reed. Senator Reed, would you wish to say
    a few opening comments?
        Senator Reed. Mr. Chairman, thank you for your hospitality,
    but I would just wait for my questions.
        Senator Sullivan. Great.
        Senator Reed. Thank you very much.
        Senator Sullivan. Okay. Thank you. General Reed, the floor
    is yours, and a longer written statement we can make sure it
    gets submitted for the record.

      STATEMENT OF GENERAL RANDALL REED, USAF, COMMANDER, UNITED
                     STATES TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

        General Reed. Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono,
    distinguished members of the subcommittee, good afternoon. I am
    honored to join you today with my lovely bride, Len, and Senior
    Enlisted Leader, Chief Master Sergeant Brian Kruzelnick, to
    represent the men and women of the United States Transportation
    Command.
        A warfighting command, we project, maneuver, and sustain
    the joint force anytime, anywhere in support of our national
    objectives. Our warfighting elements consist of three service
    component commands, military surface deployment, and
    distribution command, military sealift command, air mobility
    command, and our direct subordinate, the joint enabling
    capabilities command. Beyond our core military units,
    USTRANSCOM maintain strong partnerships with the commercial
    transportation industry, our fourth component, to fully execute
    our unified command plan tasks.
        Today's security environment presents numerous complex
    challenges to force projection and logistics as adversaries
    actively seek to disrupt, degrade, and deny our transportation
    networks, especially within the homeland. With 85 percent of
    U.S. combat power residing within the continental United
    States, resilient transportation networks fortified against
    malicious cyberattacks, now prioritize the crucial fort-to-port
    transportation segment.
        Even after overcoming initial deployment disruptions, we
    must continuously enhance our materiel capabilities to maintain
    a decisive advantage. Decisive advantage demands a modernized
    and connected sealift, airlift and air refueling fleet. By
    2032, 54 percent of our government-owned sealift ships will
    reach the end of their service life. To support our maritime
    industrial base and protect a healthy pool of qualified crews
    to crew the vessels, we need fully-funded maritime security
    program, tanker security program, the Jones Act, and adherence
    to cargo preference laws.
        The start of a recapitalization plan is due for our airlift
    fleet. Because of the long lead time for platform development,
    we welcome the service-led recapitalization plans of the air
    refueling fleet, which must continue uninterrupted into the
    future. Even after the Air Force accepts the final contracted
    KC-46, the average age of the remaining KC-135 fleet will be 67
    years old.
        Finally, we remain committed to the ongoing transformation
    of the Global Household goods program. Moving is an integral
    part of our life, and while most of us relocate every two to 3
    years, and learn better ways of doing it every time we move, it
    is always challenging. The department began transitioning to
    the Global Household Goods Contract (GHC), in April 2024, with
    the goal of providing an improved moving experience for
    servicemembers and their families. This transformation is a
    monumental task and reaches into every aspect of a
    servicemember's relocation.
        Because GHC is reshaping how we move servicemembers, their
    families, and their memories, we remain in close collaboration
    with the services to identify and then take action to resolve
    issues. Because we are centered on servicemembers and families,
    just this past week, we made an adjustment to the transfer rate
    to the prime contractor, and while it has not been an easy
    path, there have been issues. There should be no doubt we will
    see this through.
        These challenges may sound daunting, however, USTRANSCOM
    has the global transportation awareness and authorities to
    address them, and I will be clear, that I have no doubt that
    our professionals will overcome any disruption. We are
    emboldened by our guiding principles to be ready, united, and
    decisive.
        USTRANSCOM was created as a purpose-built force to provide
    the essential surface, ocean, and airlift capacity to project
    and sustain American military power anywhere in the world at
    any time. Thank you for your continued and unwavering support
    for our mission and our people.
        I welcome your questions, and together, we deliver.
        [The prepared statement of General Randall Reed follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, General, and thank you, again,
    to you, and the men and women at USTRANSCOM for the exceptional
    work that they do. I'm going to yield my first round of
    questioning to my colleague, Senator Fischer, and then we'll go
    in the regular order here. Senator Hirono will be next.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you, Senator Sullivan, and thank you
    for your courtesy in letting me go ahead. Welcome, General
    Reed.
        During your confirmation hearing, you described how you
    intended to sharpen TRANSCOM's contribution to the lethal joint
    force. This includes a ready tanker fleet that is able to
    support both contingencies around the world, and U.S. Strategic
    Command (STRATCOM), and also U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM)
    missions that we have here in the Homeland.
        As the B-21 bomber enter service, which will modernize
    increase and increase our bomber fleet, we must also ensure
    that we have an adequate tanker fleet to support this platform
    and the important missions it will perform. I understand that
    the Air Force will make the ultimate decision on its tanker
    acquisition strategy, but I'd like to better understand how
    TRANSCOM is working with the Air Force to communicate its
    requirements.
        Are you expressing your needs to the Air Force on what you
    need to support a nuclear bomber force so that it remains
    effective and a credible deterrent globally?
        General Reed. Yes, Senator. Just within the last month, my
    staff and I took a trip to USTRANSCOM, and we sat down with the
    commander there and his staff to hold warfighter talks.
        During that time, we described what it is that he's called
    to do so that we can more efficiently and effectively
    understand how we need to be there with him. During that same
    time, we got a really deep understanding in terms of how they
    plan to employ their new aircraft, and that will drive a
    slightly different way in which we are to support them, which
    actually means that it's going to be a little bit higher
    requirement specifically in the field transfer.
        As a result, he and I are both working together to go to
    the service to explain to them what's required and what's
    expected in order for us to work together to get that done.
        Senator Fischer. If there's anything we can do on this
    committee to help you with that endeavor, please let me know.
        General Reed. Yes, Senator. Thank you.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you. General Reed, it is clear that
    in a great power conflict, the U.S. would be unlikely to
    achieve the level of air or sea superiority that it achieved in
    recent wars. This means that ships and aircraft that will be
    part of any sealift or airlift effort must be prepared to
    operate in a contested environment with the assumption that
    they will be targeted in various ways to prevent material from
    reaching its destination.
        I appreciated our discussion on this topic during your
    confirmation hearing, and in our meeting we had in the
    Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) last week.
    Since you've taken command, what steps have you taken to better
    prepare TRANSCOM to perform strategic lift in a contested
    environment?
        General Reed. Senator, one of the things that I've done is
    I've made travels around the world to talk to my peers. I've
    looked at the world as they see it. I've looked at the threats
    as they see it. I've also made sure that our staffs are working
    closer together in the planning aspect, which is actually
    carrying over into how we exercise together.
        So, with that being said, we have a much better
    understanding of what the adversaries are likely to do, how
    they would fight, what they're most likely to do. With that
    being said, we adapt that to the plans, evaluate how that would
    change the force, look to see what kind of options we have
    left, and then what we can decide to do from that point on. So,
    it's a very robust way ahead, ma'am.
        Senator Fischer. As you know, our sealift assets are
    important to ensuring that our forces and material arrive on
    time, in enough time to rapidly execute their mission.
    Unfortunately, over the years, an integral part of our sealift
    fleet, the Ready Reserve Force has suffered from a reduction in
    capacity and readiness as a result of the aging vessels and the
    underinvestment.
        Given this situation, can you provide an update on the
    recapitalization of the Ready Reserve fleet, and how you are
    working with The Maritime Administration (MARAD) to increase
    capability and capacity in that regard?
        General Reed. Together, we're working to get ships in any
    way that we absolutely can. The address last night by the
    Commander in Chief, stated that sealift is absolutely something
    that we need to do. He intends to make sure that we can return
    to the seas, so we need to both build here and we actually need
    to buy used.
        Senator Fischer. Could you repeat your last sentence,
    please?
        General Reed. Yes, ma'am. We need to build new and we need
    to buy used.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you, sir.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Fischer. Senator
    Hirono.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        General Reed, a next-generation tanker, and I mentioned
    this in my opening statement, in the form of a Blended Wing
    Body aircraft would save between 30 to 50 percent in fuel,
    which would be invaluable to operations in the Indo-Pacific in
    terms of extended range sortie generation and reducing
    contested logistics vulnerabilities.
        As a pilot who has flow of more than 3,500 hours in various
    types of transport aircraft, how important is it for the Air
    Force to continue investing in the Blended Wing Body and other
    operational energy programs, and do you think they have
    benefits that increase lethality and readiness?
        General Reed. Senator, we are actively advocating for any
    and all technology that can make sure that we can use the least
    amount of fuel possible, that our aircraft can go as long as
    possible and they can stay aloft as long as they as they can.
        As we have been looking at what's possible in order to
    operate, some of the criteria that we also look at, as you
    mentioned in your statement, is how long or how short of a
    runway can we operate on and balance that with how much fuel we
    can carry. Then how far we can go. When it comes to force
    projection and sustainment of the force, the more fuel
    efficient an aircraft is, then the more effective we'll be and
    also the more options we will have.
        Senator Hirono. So, all of you are open to other
    developments that would save you fuel, et cetera, but would the
    Blended Wing Body development be one of those important
    modernizations that you would you hope will come about?
        General Reed. Ma'am, it's a very promising technology, and
    if it's something we can get and something we can use. I will
    absolutely take it. The other thing that we consider is that at
    some point, the commercial world will most likely catch up with
    this. When they're able to produce it, we will already have
    done the work to make sure that we can use it as well.
        Senator Hirono. I mentioned in my opening that just the
    consternation with the use of your assets to transport,
    frankly, just the very few migrants at a cost in the instance
    that I mentioned of $2.5 million to move only about 100
    migrants to India. Contrast with the prior administration, it
    was 685,000 people were removed through Homeland Security's own
    programs.
        So, I wanted to know, because this is very out of
    proportion in my view, to what should be undertaking by
    TRANSCOM. So, who makes the decision to fly in this inefficient
    manner using your assets?
        General Reed. The Department of Homeland Security is the
    lead agency for this in that the Department of Defense is
    supporting them. The lead combatant command within our
    department is NORTHCOM, and we work with them to receive the
    task to actually fly sorties.
        Senator Hirono. So, you are saying that you did not make
    this decision to use your assets to fly 100 people to India?
        General Reed. No, ma'am, I did not.
        Senator Hirono. Are you going to be tasked to do more of
    this kind of transport?
        General Reed. Ma'am, if I get the task, I'll absolutely fly
    it.
        Senator Hirono. But do you have some sort of an
    understanding already of what the expectations are and these
    are all non-reimbursable to you events?
        General Reed. Ma'am, in a few conversations that I've had,
    I am to expect maybe more flights. I will tell you that within
    the last 48 hours, we have not flown any.
        Senator Hirono. I think that it is really important for me,
    at least as the ranking person on this committee, that we
    express our concern to you that this would not be the kind of
    use of your assets that we should contemplate. Since you are
    not the person to make that decision, that there are no
    guarantees that that this use of your assets will not continue.
        So, if you are given this decision to transport more
    people, I would like this committee to be informed of that. As
    of now, that's what you're telling me, you have no idea whether
    you'll be tasked to conduct this kind of mission in a way that
    I think it's not part of your mission. So, will you let this
    committee know if you begin to use your assets for these kinds
    of transport?
        General Reed. Yes, I will.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you. So, you did mention that you
    have an aging fleet and there is the possibility of you
    purchasing used ships from other countries, and I think we put
    a limit on what you can do there. For the long-term, obviously,
    I think we need to create a capability for shipbuilding because
    you have an aging fleet. But for the short-term, what would be
    helpful to you?
        General Reed. In the short-term, we would need maximum
    flexibility to buy used foreign ships on the commercial market,
    obtain those ships, refurb them here in the States, and then
    put those ships to sea.
        Senator Hirono. Well, Mr. Chairman, if you don't mind, we
    put a limit on the number of these kinds of ships. So, I'm
    asking whether in the short-term, how many more ships would you
    like to be authorized to buy from foreign sources?
        General Reed. Yes, I would--I am asking for the limit to be
    raised beyond 10 to allow us to actually shop the market.
    Currently, there are 10 ships available for us to pursue.
        Senator Hirono. Are you asking for authorization to buy 10
    more?
        General Reed. I'm asking authorization to buy 10 more.
        Senator Hirono. Well, good luck with that. No, that was--
    forget I said that. I mean, we want you to be able to do your
    job. Just one more thing. You mentioned the Jones Act. Are
    people who, sometimes, do not understand the importance of the
    Jones Act. Can you very briefly tell us why the Jones Act is
    important to TRANSCOM and to national security?
        General Reed. The Jones Act allows us to actually have
    shipping resources here and a fleet, and so, because of that
    Act, we actually have a way to make sure that we can build
    ships here in the United States, that we can sail those ships
    to maintain commerce, that we can actually produce the crews
    that actually sail those ships so that we have a core of folks
    that can actually operate. At the same time, if the Nation
    needs folks to go to sea, we can call on that force to actually
    sail, and there are citizens, and then we will be more secure
    in that way.
        Senator Hirono. Yes. One aspect of the Jones Act that's
    very important is that you can work with the commercial
    shippers, private sector ships. Isn't that correct?
        General Reed. That that's correct, ma'am.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman for your
    indulgence.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Hirono.
        General, I'm going to ask my round of questions now. Let me
    just followup on a couple of questions. Senator Hirono asked.
    For the going above the 10-ship cap. Does that require--is
    there a waiver authority that we can grant, that can be granted
    by someone in DOD, or does that require a change in
    legislation?
        General Reed. Chairman, that's a change in the National
    Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and so, if we can get that
    changed, ideally what we would need to recap the fleet are four
    ships a year. If they're available on the market, we would
    pursue that. At a minimum, we would need two a year.
        Senator Sullivan. Let me ask, 2 years ago, your predecessor
    told us that by 2023, 37 of the 50 Government-owned surge
    sealift ships will approach the end of their service life.
    Military Sealift Command (MSC) and the Navy announced in
    November that it would sideline 17 ships from the MSC to ease
    the stress of civilian mariners. These ships, obviously, play a
    very important role like oilers, hospital ships, cable layers.
        Can you walk us through the current TRANSCOM plan, General,
    for increasing and manning maintenance programs for the MSC
    vessels so they are not left sidelined in the long term?
        General Reed. Chairman, on the Navy side, the MSC commander
    with his Navy hat made that decision mainly for the welfare of
    the crews, and so, the problem is that
        Senator Sullivan. He knows there are civilian mariner
    crews?
        General Reed. That's correct, and so, the challenge there
    is that with the number of ships and the shortfall of the
    crews, it was very hard to manage the crews in a way that was
    sustainable. So, he did that separate from that for under the
    Department of Transportation and the Maritime Administration.
        What we're seeking to do there is for the civilian crews
    that we have there, these are merchant mariners in the
    commercial fleet that when called, come to sail with us and
    support our needs, what we would like to do for them is to
    build new ships, if we can, and to buy younger used ships so
    that they have much better equipment. In that same way, when
    they have the better equipment, then they're more likely to
    stay with us, and that is our way to make sure that we can
    sustain that force.
        Senator Sullivan. Okay. Thank you. We've recently seen a
    number of incidents in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea
    whereby undersea cables were damaged or destroyed by ships with
    connections to Russia and China. Can you talk specifically
    about the current condition of our cable layers, and whether or
    not you think we are ready to respond to the types of attacks
    we may see in any kind of conflict? Or heck, the Russians and
    Chinese are doing it in nonconflict situations that relate to
    our undersea cables. By the way, I know you know this, General,
    nearly 95 percent of the world's internet traffic goes through
    these cables.
        General Reed. Chairman, those are specialty ships that we
    have. We don't have very many of them. They are old. The ships
    that crew them those ships are very capable. Those are also
    ships that we actually need to make sure that they're younger,
    that they're faster, and that they're more reliable as well.
        Senator Sullivan. Do we have any ships online that you see
    coming into the fleet that are those kinds of ships you just
    described?
        General Reed. Chairman, I do not.
        Senator Sullivan. Let me ask about another challenge that
    you highlighted, and Senator Fischer already mentioned. Can you
    walk me through the kind of broader readiness concerns that you
    have with the KC-135 and KC-46 tankers? I know this is a top
    priority, so how you integrate them, how you use one set, which
    is, as you mentioned, up to 70 years old, and then the incoming
    one that's been plagued with problems. I think Boeing really
    needs to get its act together on this. What's your sense of how
    we're integrating that in your strategic plan?
        General Reed. Chairman, the KC-135 is a fantastic airplane.
    I was qualified in it once, and it's gotten me around the world
    and back. It needs to consistently be looked at to improve, to
    update. Over the years, we've increased the electronics in it.
    Years back, we improved the propulsion systems. But as we go
    forward, what's the most important for that is that it gets
    connected to the joint force. Connectivity is king for that
    aircraft as it goes forward. If it's not connected, it's not as
    survivable as it should be.
        The KC-46 is a great airplane as well. I've had the fortune
    to fly it. There are some things that the manufacturer needs to
    fix, but when that airplane works, it works in fine fashion. It
    is an airplane that, I think, that they are going to fix. We
    need to stick with it and we need to keep going.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, General. Senator Reed.
        Senator Reed. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and
    welcome, General Reed. I must say that's quite an impressive
    name you have, but I'm very impressed.
        Senator Sullivan. No relation, I assume?
        Senator Reed. We are related in an emotional way.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Reed. We're both committed. He's much more
    committed than I.
        General Reed, TRANSCOM relies heavily on commercial
    aircraft in peace time, and also depends on commercial aircraft
    who participate in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet craft for
    wartime needs. Craft participants are always concerned about
    how much cargo capacity TRANSCOM will purchase from them.
    First, are you taking action to rely more heavily on craft
    fleet in peace time?
        General Reed. Senator, we do have access to those aircraft,
    which most important to note is that craft, if we were to
    activate it, would be in case of wartime or a severe crisis. In
    return of those aircraft being in the craft program, we do use
    them and they are able to operate with us.
        But what's most important is, when we have the need for
    something beyond what we have in the gray hole, they make
    themselves available in this way. We can keep them ready and
    trained to operate with us. In this way also, for the organic
    craft that we have, we can use them for higher priority
    sorties.
        Senator Reed. Now, there's been some discussion about the
    transportation of detainees and others. Have you considered
    using craft participants rather than military aircraft to move
    these people?
        General Reed. Senator, right now, we have authorization to
    fly these sorties in support of the Department of Homeland
    Security on a non-reimbursable structure. So, as such, I'm not
    able to use craft.
        Senator Reed. So, DOD is paying for this movement of
    detainees?
        General Reed. That's correct, Senator.
        Senator Reed. As I mentioned in our meeting, I heard that
    the Air Force personnel on these aircraft were not wearing name
    tags or unit symbol. Is that accurate, and what can be done
    about that?
        General Reed. That is accurate, Senator. If you don't mind,
    I'd like to discuss that in a separate session.
        Senator Reed. That's quite all right, sir. I appreciate
    that. Thank you.
        We've talked a lot about contested logistics here. What
    requirements are you trying to levy on the system to get the
    services to pay greater attention on operating the logistics
    system and contested areas, the requirements you're asking for.
    Can you briefly describe those?
        General Reed. One of the clearest ways that we're doing
    that is in our new role for global bulk fuel management and
    delivery. As we do fuel assessments, we are doing fuel
    assessments with our fellow combatant commands. We did an
    initial one with INDOPACOM. We learned some lessons in that
    one. We next took the assessment to U.S. Central Command
    (CENTCOM).
        As part of that, when we look at where the fuel should be,
    how it should be set up, what the infrastructure is, and how to
    meet the needs, we also run a contested logistics scenario on
    it. Then once we do that, that allows us insight into what's
    required from the theater as well.
        Senator Reed. General, we all recognize the importance of
    cyber. In fact, it's more important, it seems, every moment.
    The issue of cyber seems to be particularly challenging when it
    comes to our civilian aircraft, the craft aircraft. Could you
    tell us what you're trying to do to enhance their cybersecurity
    and their ability to communicate with Air Force aircraft?
        General Reed. The cyber domain is very problematic,
    especially for USTRANSCOM. Because as stated before, most of
    our capability actually resides in the commercial realm. So,
    their networks are not within ours and they're not as protected
    as ours. Fortunately, we have a lot of help with law
    enforcement, also cyber command, and also with the U.S. Coast
    Guard, to make sure that we can share information, we can
    collaborate both for aircraft and for sealift.
        Senator Reed. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senaror Sullivan: Thank you, Senator Reed. Senator Scott.
        Senator Scott. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. General
    Reed, thanks for your service. I appreciate the opportunity to
    sit down with you. Thank you for your service, your family's
    service, everything. Everything you do. Go Navy.
        It's my understanding that the Department of Defense is now
    moving servicemembers and their families under new Global
    Household Goods contract. With peak moving season just around
    the corner, can you share some of the feedback you've received
    on implementing the contract? Can you explain the Army's
    decision to pause moves under this program that do not have
    enough lead time?
        General Reed. Senator, first and foremost, the reason for
    the contract is to correct past performance that wasn't as
    strong as it should be to get after years of frustration from
    those of us who move. Also, years of frustration from
    yourselves to help us to try to fix it.
        In this transition, what we are actually doing is we are
    having a transformation within a market that still exists. With
    this transformation, we actually have a structure, both IT and
    with rule structure, that actually allows us to see more what's
    happening in the market, to monitor trends that are positive,
    monitor trends that are not so much so, and actually have the
    tools to actually do something about it.
        We are about 2 years into what is actually a 10-year
    contract, if you will, base contract of 6 years with four 1-
    year options. So, we're fairly new at this. There are some
    performance issues. We are able to see those, and we're
    actually able to do something about that.
        With regards to the comment about what the Army has done,
    the Army has not paused their participation in the contract.
    What we're doing instead is we, in conjunction with the
    services, are monitoring the rate of the transfer to the
    contract because this is not about the vendor, it's not about
    the program, it's about those who move. So, as we support those
    who move, we will match them up for success as we help the
    transformation mature.
        Senator Scott. So, you've got enough capacity to do the
    moves? Because I guess the summer's your biggest moves, is that
    right, just based on school years?
        General Reed. Summer is the peak season, and usually during
    that time, both combined Continental United States (CONUS) and
    Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS), it's about
    300,000 moves, although we are not putting OCONUS moves out
    just yet. But with that, we have moves that are still in the
    contract piece and there are still moves that are in the
    current system as well.
        Senator Scott. What's happening with the international
    move. Is that being impacted at all?
        General Reed. Not at all. That's designed to come at a much
    later date once we solve this piece here.
        Senator Scott. Okay. Our Ready Reserve Force program plays
    a critical role in making--you know, our ability to deliver
    equipment and critical supplies. With about 20 of those, we got
    20 of the ships that are over 50 years old. Do you have any
    concerns about the military's ability to keep up?
        General Reed. I do. These ships are really, really old. The
    reliability of them sometimes are in question because of that.
    I take my hat off to the crews that are actually on them to
    keep them warm. But to give an idea of the State of the ships,
    some of these ships are still run by steam. The last time that
    I was on a steam ship, I was a high schooler in Navy Junior
    Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). So, the sailors that we
    actually put on these ships and the crews that we put on these
    ships, they deserve something younger.
        Senator Scott. So, do you think if we had a conflict in the
    Asia Pacific, do you think you could perform?
        General Reed. We could perform. We would have some
    challenges with that. We would struggle, but we would not
    perform to the level that I would like to.
        Senator Scott. Okay. Thank you, General. Thank you,
    Chairman.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Scott. Senator
    Shaheen.
        Senator Shaheen. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm happy
    to defer to our chairman of----
        Thank you, General Reed, for being here and for taking time
    to meet with me before this hearing. As we discussed in that
    office meeting, New Hampshire's home to the 157th Air Refueling
    Wing. It's the only KC-46 wing in the country to reach an
    initial operating capacity. Had to get that in.
        But you referenced this in your previous statements that
    TRANSCOM has assessed that the aerial refueling fleet of KC-
    135s and KC-46s would be subject to considerable stress during
    wartime. As you're looking at what this new Administration is
    talking about with respect to funding cuts in the defense
    budget, is the KC-46 program exempt from those funding cuts?
        General Reed. Senator, in this case, I would have to defer
    to the Air Force for that. But I have spoken to the service,
    and I've let them know that I am concerned in terms of the
    choices that they have to make. We absolutely have to have
    those aircraft fully supported and funded. Whatever I can do to
    help the service, I'll certainly do that.
        Senator Shaheen. Well, thank you. I agree with that. As we
    discussed, again, in that meeting, the ongoing logistic
    composite model, which I know the chairman of the subcommittee
    understands well because it's been an issue in Alaska. But
    they're doing the study right now, Pease is, and it's the
    result of the Air National Guard's Releveling initiative, which
    under the current projections, would reduce the 157th's ability
    to support TRANSCOM by 22 percent. Would that have an impact on
    your needs should you need to use that 157th for a refueling
    mission?
        General Reed. Senator, in this case, I'd have to defer to
    the service in terms of what they see as the outcomes for that.
    However, that being said, being familiar with that model, I
    know that they're going to take a very good look at not only
    the aircraft itself which will change how folks work on it, but
    they'll also look at how we use that aircraft in the unit that
    it's associated with.
        So, the fact that it's in a Reserve component is another
    aspect of actually looking at how folks will work the tasks.
    That should get looked at when they worked that study, and I'll
    wait to see how that study concludes.
        Senator Shaheen. Well, thank you. I appreciate that, and I
    know that you're looking for opportunities to come up to Pease
    to see firsthand how the 157th is operating and how they're
    working with the KC-46. So, I look forward to welcoming you
    there sometime in the near future.
        General Reed. If I may add. Yes, your unit was the first
    one, KC-46 that we employed. They went to CENTCOM, and they did
    a fantastic job. So, thank you so much for that.
        Senator Shaheen. Thank you. We will definitely make sure
    that the 157th knows that you said that. I appreciate that. We
    also discussed your desire to increase TRANSCOM's sealift
    capacity. It's something that you've already referenced here,
    and to increase the 10-ship limit on the buy used.
        Again, I know that you are not the person who's going to
    decide about the 8 percent cuts that are being projected at the
    Department of Defense, but if you had to cut 8 percent out of
    your sealift capacity, what would that mean for your ability to
    address the mission that you're charged with
        General Reed. In our pursuit to buy used on the market,
    that would limit the flexibility that we would have to actually
    shop the market and find the ships that we need and get them at
    a suitable price.
        Senator Shaheen. So, as you're thinking about--you have the
    capacity to do 10 ships this year, is that correct, under the
    NDAA and hopefully we can get another 10 ships. So, what are
    you hoping to get within the next--this year in terms of that
    additional sealift capacity
        General Reed. This year, the most immediate need would be
    to make sure that we can have on the order of about $210
    million. That would allow us to secure two ships on the market,
    make sure that we could get them into a shipyard, and then
    reflag them within about 9 to 14 months.
        Senator Shaheen. How concerned are you about having the
    civilian workforce that it's going to operate those ships?
        General Reed. Right now, we have the workforce. My main
    concern is making sure that I have a young, reliable ship to
    keep the workforce.
        Senator Shaheen. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Shaheen. It's good to
    know the 157th is up and running with the--I didn't know the
    KC-46 had a full squadron. So, that's great.
        Senator Shaheen. Oh, we'd love to have you come and visit.
        Senator Sullivan. I would love to see it. That's great
    news. We want them all over the country. We are honored to have
    our Chairman of the full Committee, Senator Wicker. Mr.
    Chairman, the floor is yours.
        Chairman Wicker. Yes. We don't need to be cutting the KC-46
    program. Now, let's see. I don't know if contested logistics
    has been asked in this regard, but there's been conversation
    about coalescing around a single manager for contested
    logistics.
        So, let's talk about that. Is it time to look for a single
    manager for contested logistics, and might TRANSCOM be where
    that role might be assigned. If the balloon goes up? Do you
    think the department currently has a joint contested logistics
    strategy in place that would be successful?
        General Reed. When faced with a conflict, we figure it out,
    Senator. So, whether or not we could get the job done or not,
    we'll get the job done. But to your question, in terms of
    having a structure and someone who can lead that way prior to a
    conflict, I am aware of the deep discussions. We've had some of
    those, and it is time to look at some aspect of that.
        Chairman Wicker. Can you give us your best advice here?
        General Reed. Senator, my best advice is to allow me to
    look at that, and structure that, figure out how best TRANSCOM
    can contribute to that with the current authorities that we
    already have. It's aligned in a good way, and I think there's a
    way forward.
        Chairman Wicker. Okay. More later on that. The Red Hill
    facility has been closed. It amplifies the logistical
    challenges in the Indo-Pacific. I think you'll agree. What
    about levering existing U.S.-flagged platform supply vessels to
    enhance military sustainment capabilities in the region?
        My understanding is that there are at least 13 at sea
    resupply ships afloat and ashore near this environment. What do
    you think about that?
        General Reed. If I understand your question, you're asking
    how do we work fuel in the theater, whether it's ashore or
    afloat. That is one of the things that we look at in TRANSCOM.
        When it comes to the ships to actually do that, we are
    looking to the employment strategy of the theater commander in
    terms of how he would want to move the fuel around, to look at
    where that fuel needs to be. When it comes to some of the
    vessels that we would use for that, I understand that that
    there is a class of ship that has been mentioned to me that's
    built here in the states. That shallow draft vessel has some
    potential, perhaps, in the dry cargo arena, but not necessarily
    for fuels because the tanks that it has is only a single layer.
        Chairman Wicker. Okay. So, right now, where would you say
    the plans are? Is it just some--I think you said you're looking
    at it. You don't specifically have plans yet to leverage those
    platforms?
        General Reed. We do not, Chairman, have plans to leverage
    those particular ships.
        Chairman Wicker. Okay, and then, one other thing; on
    unfunded requirements. You said during your confirmation you'd
    be a fierce advocate to get all the equipment that our folks
    needed. Do we still have your commitment that you are going to
    give us a complete list of what you need in terms of these
    unfunded requirements?
        General Reed. Chairman, I am a fierce advocate to give the
    force whatever they need using any lever that I have right now
    for an unfunded requirement. Since I have not seen the budget
    I'm not there yet.
        Chairman Wicker. Oh, okay. Yes. But my exhortation to you
    is that you not hold back on what you need. Tell us. I mean,
    you're new, and you haven't had a chance to assess all this.
    But do I have your commitment that you will give us as complete
    a list as possible of those requirements?
        General Reed. Absolutely, Chairman.
        Chairman Wicker. All right. Thank you, and thank you, Mr.
    Chairman.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Warren.
        Senator Warren. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for
    holding this hearing.
        So, TRANSCOM is responsible for making sure that our
    military and our allies get everything they need to win on the
    battlefield, whether it is a new engine for a fighter jet in
    the Middle East or a missile battery in the Philippines. That
    means that TRANSCOM knows better than anyone why it is a very
    big problem if the military doesn't have the right to repair
    its own equipment.
        General Reed, one of TRANSCOM's major workhorses is the C-
    5M Super Galaxy, a strategic transport aircraft that carries
    cargo and DOD personnel all around the world. But in 2022, it
    was able to fly its mission only 52 percent of the time. That
    means that nearly half the times that commanders needed it, it
    wasn't there.
        Congress saw this, said that is not acceptable, and gave
    the Air Force $10 billion to fix that problem. General Reed,
    about how often was the C-5 mission-ready the next year after
    you got the money?
        General Reed. What I can tell you is that in 2023, the
    mission capable rate of the C-5 was about 46 percent.
        Senator Warren. About 46 percent. So, it went from 52
    percent to 46 percent. So, we could reasonably ask what
    happened? Well, the Air Force said the supply chain for
    replacement parts had dried up. When companies can't or won't
    meet DOD's needs, one option is for the military to actually
    make the parts themselves so you can get things up and running.
    It's often cheaper and faster anyway, but you can't do that if
    big defense contractors slip restrictions into their contracts
    that deny the military the technical data that they need to be
    able to make these repairs.
        So General Reed, it's your responsibility to make sure the
    warfighter gets everything that they need. How important is it
    to national security for C-5s to be ready to respond to
    commander's requests to carry cargo and personnel?
        General Reed. The C-5 is a key aircraft for us, and some of
    the things that we may be asked to do in the future, it would
    actually produce about 20 percent of the lift for us, so.
        Senator Warren. So, you need this thing?
        General Reed. Yes, we do.
        Senator Warren. Ready to go. So TRANSCOM's job is getting
    harder here because our enemies are making it more difficult to
    send ships and planes to our troops. As Senator Wicker was
    talking about a minute ago, this is contested logistics.
        TRANSCOM models show that ``The Fight to Get into The
    Fight'' means that getting critical materials to our troops is
    only going to get harder over time. That means the last thing
    our troops should be doing is waiting around for contractors
    who charge more for slower repairs. So, General Reed, do you
    agree that giving the military more flexibility to repair parts
    in the field will increase our military readiness?
        General Reed. I do, Senator.
        Senator Warren. Good. Thank you, General Reed. Senator
    Grassley and I got a provision into last year's NDAA for the
    military to start a pilot program to reverse-engineer parts for
    sole source programs. It's a good start, but it is a backstop
    because reverse engineering can actually take years to get
    done. But if DOD negotiates with contractors for the right to
    repair from the start, that means our men and women in uniform
    get their equipment faster and at a lower cost to the
    taxpayers.
        That is exactly what my Servicemember Right to Repair Act
    does. It has bipartisan support here in the Senate and on the
    committee. What's happening right now is fundamentally wrong,
    and we can put a stop to it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Warren. Senator Kaine.
        Senator Kaine. Thank you, Mr. Chair. General Reed, good to
    see you.
        I want to ask about a couple of topics. My colleagues have
    covered some of the others that I hope to ask about adequately.
    One is about the connection. If we want to have adequate
    sealift for military purposes, the connection between that and
    our food aid programs. So, you know, we're all grappling with
    cuts, pauses. The Supreme Court rendered a ruling today that
    may reopen the door on humanitarian assistance through the
    United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
        Food aid, about 40 percent of our humanitarian aid programs
    are food aid, and it's the delivery of U.S. grown food to other
    nations. Just using Africa, the African continent as an
    example, the U.S. flagships that deliver the aid sort of count
    on that as what they call one leg of a three-legged stool. They
    transfer food aid, they transfer DOD cargo, and they transfer
    Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or other executive agency cargo.
    By transferring all of those and earning revenue for doing it,
    it maintains a business model where they can keep these ships
    available for sealift capacity.
        If food aid were to disappear and one leg of that three-
    legged stool were to go away, what would the effect be on the
    availability of U.S.-flagged vessels to be around when we need
    it for sealift chores?
        General Reed. U.S.-flagged vessels with U.S. crews are
    critical. We need to make sure that they can go to sea and stay
    afloat. By us following cargo preference laws, we can actually
    provide the material for them to actually sail. What that does
    is it makes them ready. I need them ready. I need them to have
    a job and know that they have something that they can do, and
    so, when they actually get called to be there for the Nation,
    they're actually there. If for some reason they were not there,
    then we don't have U.S. citizens supporting us at sea.
        Senator Kaine. This is really important. My colleagues did
    a good job of asking, for example, about the need to purchase
    more, you know, high quality used vessels so we'd have more
    sealift capacity, but with the existing capacity we have, if we
    were to fundamentally change the sort of business model that
    keeps those ships ready and on the water by cutting out one
    part of their revenue, that food aid, for example, then we
    would reduce even further the capacity that we need so that it
    might not be available at the time that we need it. Would you
    agree with that?
        General Reed. I agree.
        Senator Kaine. Thank you for that. My colleagues asked some
    questions and you talked in your opening testimony about the
    DOD contract for the Global Housing Goods Contract, 40,000 DOD
    personnel in Virginia--I'm sorry, 120,000 Active Duty in
    Virginia, and assuming you move about every 3 years, that's
    40,000 moves out and 40,000 moves in.
        You talked a little bit about how the transition is going,
    but there was a specific question I wanted to ask. There's
    something called the continuing to use the tender of Service
    legacy program during the ongoing GHC ramp up program. So, the
    kind of the old way of doing it now, the rates associated with
    the legacy program are often 20 to 30 percent higher than those
    outlined in the GHC contract. So understandably, some suppliers
    might be hesitant to transition to the GHC program if they're
    able to secure more favorable rates by remaining under the
    legacy system. So this creates an odd situation where two
    programs are unintentionally positioned against one another,
    and TRANSCOM can incur significantly higher costs under the
    legacy program.
        So how are you managing this legacy to GHC program so that
    there's not this perverse incentive to remain in the legacy
    program because the rates are higher?
        General Reed. So, the rates are set by what we call a
    government-constructed cost, and we are only able to adjust
    those rates once a year, which actually happens in May. So once
    again, we're in a situation where to allow the process to go,
    we have to wait until May when we have the next opportunity to
    adjust the rates, which we will do. Those rates will be more in
    line with the constructed costs. So therefore, it will be a
    less of an incentive to stay outside than to join the GHC.
        Senator Kaine. Great. I'll follow back up after May to see
    how much we've narrowed that gap and whether that's doing what
    it needs to do. I will express my support for a position, I
    think my colleagues have already gotten that, that if you need
    authorization within the NDAA to expand the fleet by purchasing
    more high-quality used vessels, I really would like to make
    sure you have that authority and I'll join with my colleagues
    to see if we can be helpful in that regard. I'll yield back,
    Mr. Chair. Thank you.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Kaine.
        General, we're going to do a quick second round of
    questions, and then, we'll move this to a classified setting
    for a couple additional questions. I want to go over this map
    and handout that you and I discussed in our meeting today.
        [The information referred to follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        You know, there's a lot of discussion on what's happening
    on the southern border, not so much about what's happening on
    the northern border. As you and I talked about, we've had a
    really high level of Russian and Chinese incursions both into
    our Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and into our
    Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the water, and very
    disturbingly and unprecedented, a number of these are joint
    Chinese/Russian operations, including strategic ``Bear'' bomber
    and Chinese strategic bomber incursions into our ADIZ this past
    summer with armed MiG fighters.
        As you know, the operations to go intercept these
    incursions take a lot of work. Our young men and women in the
    military do a fantastic job up in Alaska, but they also need a
    lot of tanker support for these kinds of missions. Similarly,
    with they need fuel support for our Navy when we're doing
    operations in the Northern Pacific and the Arctic, which we've
    been doing a lot over the last three summers. Additionally,
    there's a lot of attention paid to the Central and South
    Pacific logistics lanes for any kind of conflict in Taiwan.
        But I think it's important to also look at the Northern
    Pacific logistic lanes as it relates to any kind of conflict
    like that. During World War II, General Simon Bolivar Buckner
    called the Aleutian Island chain, which obviously goes out
    there, ``a spear pointing right at the heart of Imperial
    Japan.'' By that he meant it was a very strategic location, not
    only attacking Japan, but forgetting logistics into the fight
    as our forces throughout the Pacific move closer to Japan.
        Right now, if you look at one of the ports there, the Port
    of Adak, which is on this map, the closest the U.S. Navy base
    that is a gateway to the Arctic, but is also on the flank of
    China. It has three piers, two nearly 8,000-foot runways, and
    one of the largest bulk fuel storage facilities in the world. A
    lot of people don't know that. So the distance, too, in terms
    of where Adak sits, it's about 2,900 nautical miles from
    Okinawa. While our good friends in Hawaii are about 4,000
    nautical miles from Okinawa, making Adak the closest U.S. port
    outside of Guam to Okinawa to Taiwan.
        So, President Trump has talked about ensuring Alaska gets
    more defense investment as we fully rebuild our military,
    especially as Russia and China are making menacing moves in the
    Pacific. Admiral Paparo and General Guillot have testified that
    Adak would provide them with very significant logistical and
    basing needs, and that we should reopen it.
        In terms of logistics, including with the shutting down a
    Red Hill, what's your thought on this base in terms of for
    logistics capability, fighter, and aviation, and navy shipping
    support? There's also was a submarine base there. I'd like your
    view on that, General?
        General Reed. North American Aerospace Defense Command
    (NORAD) and NORTHCOM when it comes to the great State of Alaska
    and the forces that they have there do a fantastic job of
    letting us know when they need our help. So, whenever they ask,
    we're always there. We've never failed them.
        As they continue to look at how far, forward they can go
    for the extension, if they're going to be present, so will we.
    Coming from the other direction, Admiral Paparo, I have given
    him my word that I will always be there with him wherever he
    needs us to be. If there's an opportunity to establish more of
    a footprint in the region, we will be there as well.
        Senator Sullivan. Let me ask just real quickly. You were up
    in Alaska recently. I appreciated the visit in January. Can you
    give me a sense of kind of lessons learned? I know you're at
    the Port of Anchorage, which is a really important DOD
    strategic port, again, relating to these kinds of logistical
    issues. We think it's important to have additional
    infrastructure capability in my State. But any main takeaways
    from the visit you had in January, General, and I really
    appreciate you coming up to our great State.
        General Reed. Chairman, it was a great visit. Went there,
    intentionally, in the winter time. Good to see the conditions
    there. Unfortunately, it was colder in Illinois than it was in
    Alaska, and I got in trouble with----
        Senator Sullivan. Yes, we've had a little bit of a warm
    winter, particularly with the Iditarod last week.
        General Reed. But being in Alaska again and having a really
    good feeling standing there, almost standing on top of the
    world, looking at what's around us and how close it is, it is
    incredibly strategic. The reach that you can have from that
    location is incredible, and it's a big advantage to the United
    States.
        Looking at the Port of Alaska and that port cluster, I was
    very impressed with what I saw there. The port is well situated
    where it is, despite the fact that there was ice on the sea
    they were still able to operate, the ability of the port
    authority to adapt to the conditions. The snow and the ice
    didn't stop them. There was a tremendous amount that we learned
    there in terms of how to just adapt. Period.
        The other thing was I was very impressed with the
    conditions in terms of the tides and the tide swings, which I
    understand can be as high as 12 to 17 feet swing.
        General Reed. But the port authorities there and the folks
    who work the port, they know how to time it and they know how
    to marshal things. They know how to line it up, and when it
    comes time to load and unload, some of the best I've ever seen.
    So, I was incredibly impressed by that.
        With the U.S. forces that are there, they have a very good
    handle on their strategic role not only in terms of what they
    can project, but the forces that they may host to operate there
    or the forces that will actually flow through. So, when we
    combine all of that together I'm really impressed with the
    platform we have in that State.
        Senator Sullivan. Great. Thank you very much. I just
    actually had a meeting with our mayor of Anchorage, and we had
    a lot of discussion on the port, and we'll keep you appraised
    on the, you know refurbishing of that port. It's really
    important for our military. It's also really important for the
    people of Alaska, as that's where the vast majority of our
    supplies, and food, and everything, and fuel come through the
    Port of Anchorage. We want to keep that viable, strong, and
    we're continuing to work on that with you, and NORAD, and
    others. So, thank you very much on that, General. Senator
    Hirono.
        Senator Hirono. This was an interesting conversation
    because the fuel that was sort of Red Hill was massive, mainly
    to be used by the Air Force. I think that there are concerns
    relating to the how fuel ought to be distributed more than
    located in Red Hill.
        I have a question. July 2021, the Government Accountability
    Office (GAO) found that U.S. Immigration and Customs
    Enforcement (ICE) does not know the extent to which its
    officers are taking enforcement actions against individuals who
    could be U.S. citizens. Between fiscal year 2015 to 2020, 674
    U.S. citizens were arrested, 121 were detained, and 70 were
    moved outside the U.S. by mistake.
        The GAO recommended that ICE should systematically collect
    and maintain electronic data on its encounters with individuals
    for whom there is probative evidence of U.S. citizenship, but
    ICE has yet to do so. This lack of accountability is troubling.
        General Reed, ICE gives TRANSCOM a copy of every flight
    manifest prior to transporting migrants. But I understand that
    you take no steps to verify the identity of the people you are
    transporting on your aircraft. Is that so?
        General Reed. We do get a list of everyone that we fly.
    However, ICE maintains control of everyone that's on the
    aircraft. So, from that standpoint, they have the
    responsibility for the verification.
        Senator Hirono. So, since there have been mistakes made by
    ICE in terms of them erroneously transporting people who are
    citizens that shouldn't be transported. So that's an issue. Do
    you know what the legal basis is for transferring non-citizens
    arrested inside the U.S. via military aircraft to a location
    outside the U.S. for deportation for detention?
        General Reed. I do not know that completely.
        Senator Hirono. To date have any U.S. citizens or
    individuals not charged with any crimes been mistakenly flown
    to Guantanamo Bay on TRANSCOM assets?
        General Reed. I'm not aware of any.
        Senator Hirono. What steps have you taken to ensure the
    answer you just gave me is accurate?
        General Reed. For the air crew, we make sure that they
    follow established procedures to get a list of the folks and
    also to make sure that ICE is complying with the things that
    they tell us that they need to do to maintain control.
        Senator Hirono. We know that Guantanamo Bay is subject to
    various weather events. What is the evacuation plan for all of
    the migrants being sent to Guantanamo Bay in the event of a
    hurricane or other disaster in Cuba. This is especially
    important in light of the fact that the President has said he's
    planning to send some 30,000 migrants to Guantanamo Bay. So, do
    you know what kind of evacuation plans?
        General Reed. I would have to defer that one to U.S.
    Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
        Senator Hirono. Okay. Another concern. Thank you very much,
    Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Sullivan. Well, General, thank you very much for
    your testimony. What we plan on doing, we have a vote around 4.
    We will close the hearing here, and I want to thank you. If
    there's additional question for the record from members, we
    will send those to you in the next couple days, and we ask that
    you try to respond to those within 2 weeks.
        We will reconvene in SVC-217 for a classified scene setter.
    We'll try and do that in the next 10 to 15 minutes. We'll break
    now. I'm going to go vote, and then we will come down and be
    ready to have a classified update as well in the classified
    SCIF in the Senate.
        So, with that, thank you, again, very informative hearing.
    This hearing is now adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 3:49 p.m., the Subcommittee adjourned.]

        [Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]

                    Questions Submitted by Senator Ted Budd
                        global household goods contract
        1. Senator Budd. General Reed, regarding reported issues with the
    GHC, is it your sense that these issues are simply due to the
    transition from one contract to another or are there systemic
    challenges with household goods shipping that must be addressed?
        General Reed. GHC transformation does not simply shift from one
    contract to another; it transforms individual tender-based contracts
    with over 800 vendors into a single contract with improved
    accountability requirements. This single contract is a network
    integrator who oversees the entire DOD moving enterprise. The tender-
    based program lacks accountability and operates in a fractured manner.
    Contractors bid on each of the approximately 300,000 annual moves in
    isolation, replicating the process 300,000 times. This system prevents
    network optimization for servicing moves and makes it nearly impossible
    to identify trends (positive or negative) or proactively mitigate
    issues.
        The GHC contract addresses the systemic issues and incorporates key
    performance metrics and a more rigorous contract performance oversight
    process, adding accountability previously absent from the program.
        The Defense Personal Property Program historically faced capacity
    deficiencies. The GHC allows the prime contractor to build capacity in
    addition to working with the vendors that previously operated under the
    legacy program.
        As this transition continues, providers in the legacy program may
    hold out for higher rates under the legacy Tender of Service program.
    We are implementing strategies to align 2025 Tender of Service rates
    with the market and maximize DOD's buying potential. The GHC prime
    contractor is working to attract the necessary capacity and provide
    vendors with competitive compensation to deliver the standardized,
    quality customer experiences our servicemembers, and their families,
    deserve.

        2. Senator Budd. General Reed, how long do you expect the
    transition to full implementation of the GHC under the HomeSafe
    Alliance will take?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM uses a conditions-based approach focused
    primarily on the performance of the GHC prime contractor. USTRANSCOM
    and the Military Services will continuously assess the GHC prime
    contractor's performance and make collective decisions to move forward
    at the conclusion of peak season in September 2025.
        USTRANSCOM currently projects completion of the domestic transition
    in Fall 2025 and plans to transition international shipments no earlier
    than September 2025. HomeSafe's performance during the peak summer
    moving season will significantly influence transition timelines.
    Pending demonstrable improvements in contractor performance, DOD site
    readiness, and systems integration, USTRANSCOM will continue shifting
    volume until it completes the GHC transition.

        3. Senator Budd. General Reed, if there are already so many issues
    affecting the moving cycle now, how will TRANSCOM ensure household
    goods moves will be effectively executed during the peak moving season
    in the late spring, early summer?
        General Reed. For the 2025 peak moving season, USTRANSCOM will
    operate both GHC and the legacy Tender of Service program to meet
    Military Service demands. Both programs face capacity constraints and
    exhibit less than satisfactory customer satisfaction scores. However,
    USTRANSCOM now has visibility into the portion transitioned to GHC and
    possesses contractual levers to address performance with the prime
    contractor. While it has not been an easy path and there have been
    issues, there should be no doubt--we will see this through for our
    fellow servicemembers and military families who deserve an improved
    moving experience, and we are going to deliver an improved moving
    experience.
                    military port infrastructure challenges
        4. Senator Budd. General Reed, Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point
    in North Carolina plays a critical role in shipping ammunition to the
    warfighter. I've been concerned about the aging infrastructure on the
    terminal. Can you provide an update on infrastructure challenges there
    and what resources, if any are needed to ensure Sunny Point is able to
    successfully complete its mission for decades to come?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM agrees on the criticality of Military
    Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (MOTSU), as well as the Department of
    Defense's other ammunition terminal, Military Ocean Terminal Concord
    (MOTCO) in California. We keep a very close eye on the condition of
    infrastructure at these unique seaports. Congress' ongoing interest and
    support, most recently at MOTCO, has been invaluable to preserving the
    ability of these terminals to conduct ammunition resupply operations.
        MOTSU's waterfront infrastructure dates from the 1950s and is
    beyond its original design life. DOD has programmed a project to
    construct a new wharf at MOTSU for fiscal year 2031. I have
    communicated the importance of this project to the Office of the
    Secretary of Defense as well as to the Army, which has MILCON
    responsibilities for these terminals.
        There is ongoing work to improve or replace aging infrastructure at
    MOTSU. My primary concern, however, is not the infrastructure, but
    rather a shortfall in rail operating crews to operate MOTSU's assigned
    locomotives. We are working with the Army to identify and implement a
    solution.

        5. Senator Budd. General Reed, how resilient are our ports of
    embarkation like Sunny Point in the event of conflict and should our
    adversaries decide to conduct cyberattacks or sabotage nearby
    infrastructure?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM takes all of our ports of embarkation very
    seriously and regularly assesses the ability of our ammunition
    terminals, including MOTSU, to meet ammunition resupply requirements.
    These assessments test the resilience of the ammunition sustainment
    network by simulating various delays and measuring its ability to
    overcome challenges and meet requirements.
        With respect to unit cargo operations, USTRANSCOM periodically
    completes holistic assessments of the Strategic Seaport Program to
    ensure there is enough excess capacity on each coast to mitigate the
    impacts of kinetic or non-kinetic disruptions. We are currently
    confident there is sufficient seaport capacity available to meet unit
    cargo deployment requirements.

        6. Senator Budd. General Reed, how can Congress help improve
    resiliency of these critical nodes?
        General Reed. Congress can help preserve global ammunition delivery
    capabilities by authorizing and appropriating as requested the MILCON
    funding for major infrastructure projects, like the new wharf at MOTSU.
        Both the Military Ocean Terminals and the Strategic Seaports depend
    on a resilient commercial rail network to deliver containerized
    ammunition and heavy DOD equipment. Congress can help by continuing
    funding and support of our partners in the Department of Homeland
    Security's Transportation Security Administration and their work to
    regulate and inspect cybersecurity hygiene for the commercial rail
    carriers serving ports important to us.
                                   __________

                 Questions Submitted by Senator Mazie K. Hirono
                           southwest border security
        7. Senator Hirono. General Reed, the Trump administration, through
    the Department of Homeland Security (DHA), has directed your C-17s and
    C-130's to conduct deportation flights. Would you agree that providing
    non-reimbursed support to move migrants for DHS at a significant cost
    to the Department of Defense (DOD) is wasteful when Immigration and
    Customs Enforcement (ICE) already has the funding, the charter
    contracts, and the capacity to move more migrants for far less money
    and at no cost to DOD?
        General Reed. At this time, DHS requests only non-reimbursable
    support, which by statute only military airlift can provide. However,
    it is USTRANSCOM's understanding that DHS' intent is to use its own
    contracting office for any commercial airlift requirements.
    Additionally, DOD obtains an operation and training benefit for its
    pilots and support staff flying Mil-Air for this DHS support.

        8. Senator Hirono. General Reed, to what extent, if any, do you
    evaluate cost-effectiveness before allowing ICE to use your aircraft?
        General Reed. We conduct a mission cost estimate so the Command is
    fiscally informed, but perform all missions tasked to us by the SecDef.

        9. Senator Hirono. General Reed, if this non-reimbursable request
    from DHS continues to deport another requested 4,000 migrants, how will
    this impact your core mission this spring when you must also transport
    the surge of force rotations around the globe?
        General Reed. There is no impact to our core mission.
                                kwajalein atoll
        10. Senator Hirono. General Reed, Kwajalein Atoll and other
    strategically important locations throughout the Indo-Pacific rely on
    shipments of diesel fuel and other non-renewable sources of energy to
    power their missions. In your professional military opinion, in the
    event of a conflict, how likely is it that China or another adversary
    would target a vulnerable fuel supply like diesel shipments to
    Kwajalein?
        General Reed. Historical precedent and strategic considerations
    suggest adversaries will target logistical vulnerabilities, including
    movement and storage of bulk fuel. The People's Republic of China, with
    its advanced ballistic and hypersonic missile capabilities, can target
    locations like Kwajalein Atoll. USINDOPACOM mitigates this threat by
    dispersing assets and investing in redundant supply points. As the
    Single Manager for bulk fuel, I analyze and mitigate identified
    vulnerabilities, particularly within the bulk fuel network, in close
    coordination with USINDOPACOM and other combatant commands. USTRANSCOM
    supports this resiliency with a mix of organic and commercial maritime
    tankers, providing fuel delivery flexibility and dispersing targets
    throughout the USINDOPACOM Area of Responsibility.

        11. Senator Hirono. General Reed, if so, would it be in DOD's
    interest to pursue a more resilient energy strategy so the joint force
    is better postured throughout the Indo-Pacific?
        General Reed. The DOD benefits from pursuing more resilient energy
    strategies. DOD policy supports mission readiness through assured and
    resilient operational energy availability. Achieving resilience by
    diversifying energy sources, expanding and positioning capacity,
    minimizing military-specific applications, and strengthening supply
    chains incurs costs and potential sustainability challenges requiring
    consideration. Operationally, the DOD will remain reliant on petroleum
    for the foreseeable future, a responsibility I bear as DOD's Single
    Manager for bulk fuel. Regarding energy diversification strategies for
    installations and operating locations, I defer to the Service Chiefs
    and their title 10 authorities.
                               civilian mariners
        12. Senator Hirono. General Reed, the Military Sealift Command has
    implemented a plan to remove crews from 17 Navy support ships due to a
    lack of qualified civilian mariners in a ``force generation reset.'' Do
    you agree this ``force generation reset'' was necessary, and how can we
    reverse these concerning manning issues?
        General Reed. The Military Sealift Command's (MSC) placement of
    these ships in extended maintenance and redistributing its finite pool
    of Civil Service Mariners to mission-critical ships is less a choice
    and more an operational imperative to ensure its continued ability to
    sustain worldwide Navy operations amid a nationwide shortage of
    skilled, licensed mariners, and an atrophied maritime industry. I am
    supportive of MSC's initiatives to build trust and address the quality
    of service and compensation concerns of its workforce to make it the
    industry employer of choice. It is encouraging to see Congress consider
    legislation like the SHIPS for America Act aimed at the revitalization
    of our Nation's shipbuilding and Merchant Marine workforce. The Bill's
    passage into law would benefit both USTRANSCOM and MSC.

        13. Senator Hirono. General Reed, what operational impact does
    sidelining these 17 ships have on your ability to resupply the joint
    force around the world, including the Indo-Pacific?
        General Reed. Actions supporting the MSC workforce initiative
    predominately impact the combat logistics support of Navy and Marine
    Corps operations. These actions do not directly affect USTRANSCOM since
    global deployment capabilities rely on the use of ships with contract
    mariner crews vice government civil service mariners. However, it is
    important again to note that there is a national shortfall of merchant
    mariners that is affecting the readiness of all ships supporting
    national defense requirements.

                        global household goods contract
        14. Senator Hirono. General Reed, I remain concerned about how the
    roll-out for the Global Household Good Contract (GHC) is proceeding.
    Recently, the Army, and possibly also the Air Force, have issued
    directives pulling back all moves that have been awarded through the
    GHC vehicle that do not have 21 days lead time. I would like to get a
    commitment from you to personally keep the relevant Armed Services
    Committee staff apprised, (Creighton Greene and John Quirk, minority
    staffers), as well as my National Security Advisor, (Adam Yost), of any
    additional issues associated with GHC and provide regular updates
    throughout 2025 as the roll-out continues. This is an extremely
    important issue as peak Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move season
    is approaching.
        General Reed. The change from the Tender of Service to the GHC
    necessitates a deliberate process. USTRANSCOM will continue to inform
    the congressional defense committee staff, to include your committee
    staff, on the issues with the transition to GHC. Our servicemembers and
    their families have faced challenges with GHC. However, a single
    company does not define GHC. Our servicemembers' and their families'
    experiences will ultimately define GHC. We owe them our best, and I am
    determined to ensure they receive the quality experience they deserve.

                                   __________

                Questions Submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren
                                 guantanamo bay
        15. Senator Warren. General Reed, what has been the number of
    shipments and the content of cargo transported to U.S. Naval Station
    Guantanamo Bay since January 20, 2025?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM conducted 31 military and contract airlift
    missions to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay between January 20, 2025,
    and March 25, 2025. These missions transported 715 passengers and
    1016.9 short tons of cargo. The cargo consisted of sustainment supplies
    and equipment in support of Operation Southern Guard. This included
    both supplies for the base's general operations and equipment
    specifically designated for Operation Southern Guard.

        16. Senator Warren. General Reed, what is the total number of
    flight hours U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) has flown
    transporting migrants on deportation flights since January 20, 2025,
    and what has been the average cost per flight hour?
        General Reed. As of 08 April, USTRANSCOM has flown a total of 46
    flights on military aircraft in support of migrant deportation flights.
    The flights total 802.5 hours at an average cost of $26,277 per flight
    hour.

        17. Senator Warren. General Reed, has TRANSCOM used contractors to
    transport personnel or cargo related to migrants held at U.S. Naval
    Station Guantanamo Bay since January 20, 2025?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM used contract airlift for a portion of the
    31 missions mentioned previously to transport personnel and equipment
    in support of Operation Southern Guard. None of these contract flights
    transported migrants to or from Guantanamo Bay. Military aircraft
    handled all migrant transport.

        18. Senator Warren. General Reed, please provide a list of all
    contracts paid, agreed to, or modified since January 20, 2025,
    including the cost, for transporting personnel or cargo related to
    migrants held at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM has a single-award contract that provides
    liner services of containerized and breakbulk cargo (food, household
    goods, privately owned vehicles, etc.) between Jacksonville, FL and US
    Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB), Cuba in support of DOD personnel
    stationed at NSGB. The contract supports the Navy, awarded in July 2024
    for a base year plus four option years at ?$83M. There have been no
    modifications to the contract or costs identified or associated to
    transporting cargo related to the migrants held at NSGB.
        Since January 20, 2025, USTRANSCOM has contracted 10 flights,
    operated by the carriers identified below, to support migrant
    operations. None of the contracted flights moved any migrants to U.S.
    Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Contract Number            Carrier            Type          Cost
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HTC711-25-D-CC04      ATLAS AIR INC            Cargo       $  194,104.00
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HTC711-25-D-CC05      DELTA AIRLINES INC       Passenge    $  200,000.00
                                                    r
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HTC711-25-D-CC15      OMNI AIR INTERNATIONAL   Passenge    $  490,463.04
                                                    r
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HTC711-25-D-CC17      UNITED AIRLINES INC      Passenge    $  660,814.30
                                                    r
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HTC711-25-D-CC29      SUN COUNTRY, INC         Passenge    $  126,077.50
                                                    r
    ========================================================================
                                                               $1,671,458.84
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

        19. Senator Warren. General Reed, please describe any steps
    TRANSCOM is currently taking to prepare to increase its capacity to
    transport people or goods to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.
        General Reed. In anticipation of U.S. presence and increased
    capacity at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and support to Operation
    Southern Guard, USTRANSCOM has temporarily increased the number of
    weekly rotator flights to three, consisting of two passenger and one
    cargo (previously one of each). In addition, USTRANSCOM deployed a
    Contingency Response Element to enhance throughput and provided
    USSOUTHCOM with Joint Enabling Combatant Command planning,
    communications and public affairs support.
                                   __________

                   Questions Submitted by Senator Mark Kelly
                          commercial maritime capacity
        20. Senator Kelly. General Reed, the job of TRANSCOM is to be able
    to move personnel, equipment, and cargo for the U.S. military around
    the world--correct? Can you do that job without shipping goods by sea?
        General Reed. No. Sealift is critical to execution of the current
    Operation Plan (OPLAN) and sealift moves roughly 90 percent of unit
    equipment and sustainment cargo in times of war. The ability to deploy
    and sustain a sizable land force is fundamental to current and future
    defense strategies and drives the need for a responsive sealift fleet.
    As an example, moving two Armored Brigade Combat Teams would require
    612 C-17A airlift sorties, which would make any OPLAN difficult if not
    impossible. Airlift alone cannot move a force big enough to matter or
    fast enough to be useful.

        21. Senator Kelly. General, Reed, does the Government--through
    Military Sealift Command (MSC)--have sufficient capacity to move all of
    the equipment and cargo you are responsible for moving?
        General Reed. While the Nation possesses a significant fleet of
    government-owned and leased vessels, they fall well short of the
    required capacity of approximately 19 million square feet. The Nation's
    Strategic Sealift requirement is satisfied through a combination of the
    Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Ready Reserve Force (RRF) and U.S.
    commercial shipping companies' participation in the Maritime Security
    Program (MSP)/Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) programs.
    The age of the ships in the RRF is creating readiness problems. We must
    continue to recapitalize the organic capacity within the RRF to
    maintain strategic deterrence through Force Projection.

        22. Senator Kelly. General Reed, you rely on the commercial
    maritime industry--that is U.S.-flag vessels crewed by American
    mariners--to move goods by sea, correct?
        General Reed. Yes.

        23. Senator Kelly. General Reed, those vessels are basically a part
    of the Maritime Security Program (MSP) and Tanker Security Program
    (TSP), right?
        General Reed. The MSP and Tanker Security Program (TSP)
    participants provide USTRANSCOM significant capacity operating in
    international trade. USTRANSCOM also relies on participants enrolled in
    the VISA and the Voluntary Tanker Agreement (VTA) programs, with some
    vessels operating internationally and others operating in the U.S.
    domestic Jones Act coastwise trade.

        24. Senator Kelly. General, Reed, how many vessels do we have in
    both of those programs combined and is that enough vessels to meet
    TRANSCOM's immediate requirements, as well as any requirements you may
    have to move equipment and cargo overseas in a time of conflict?
        General Reed. The U.S. currently has 95 ocean-going dry cargo ships
    in the VISA program, of which 60 of those vessels are also enrolled in
    MSP. Thirteen tankers in the VTA program of which 10 of those tankers
    are in TSP. While these four major programs (VISA, MSP, VTA and TSP)
    provide a vital capability, USTRANSCOM relies on a mix of assets--
    including our organic fleet, commercial U.S.-flag, and commercial
    foreign-flag vessels--to meet the full spectrum of our requirements in
    a major conflict. USTRANSCOM is constantly evaluating the adequacy of
    our sealift capacity and work closely with the Navy, the Maritime
    Administration, and the maritime industry to address shortfalls.

        25. Senator Kelly. General Reed, even if we did have enough
    vessels, are there enough credentialed merchant mariners--both licensed
    and unlicensed mariners--to crew the number of ships we need during a
    time of conflict?
        General Reed. In accordance with Presidential Directives and
    National Policy, USTRANSCOM relies on the Department of
    Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) to determine whether
    adequate manpower is available to activate and operate the ships of the
    Ready Reserve Force as well as the commercial fleet during a crisis.
    Past assessments indicated sufficient mariners to initially activate
    and operate both organic and commercial sealift assets, but
    insufficient mariners for sustained operations on both the organic and
    commercial fleets requiring crew rotations. USTRANSCOM participated in
    MARAD's 2024 Maritime Workforce Working Group, mandated by Congress and
    formed to reassess mariner sufficiency and operational risk, and DOD
    looks forward to the recommendations and way forward.

        26. Senator Kelly. General Reed, the reason for that is a self-
    fulfilling prophecy, right? Because we don't have enough ships, we
    don't have enough jobs for mariners, which means people find other jobs
    doing something else and then their license expires, right?
        General Reed. There are many factors that affect the number of
    mariners. For example, maritime operators adjust the size of their
    fleets based on cargo and must have sufficient cargo opportunities to
    keep the ships and mariners employed. Without cargo, the maritime
    operators struggle to sustain their fleets and remain economically
    viable. The success of the DOD sealift mission is inextricably linked
    to the health of the U.S. commercial maritime industry.

        27. Senator Kelly. General Reed, what's the average age of one of
    those ships--either the Government-owned cargo ships through MSC or the
    commercial MSP and TSP ships?
        General Reed. In the commercial fleet, MSP and TSP ships are
    limited in age by statute. Ships must be replaced in MSP at a maximum
    age of 25 years and replaced in TSP at a maximum age of 20 years. Due
    to this self-recapitalization, the average ages are 14.5 years for MSP
    ships and 9.5 years for TSP tankers. For the government-owned ships
    through the MARAD Ready Reserve Force (RRF), the average age is 43
    years, with 14 ships more than 50 years old.

        28. Senator Kelly. General Reed, are all of those ships built in
    shipyards in the United States? Are most of them?
        General Reed. Currently no U.S.-built ships are in MSP or TSP.
    Within MARAD's RRF, of 52 total ships, there are 16 U.S.-built ships.

        29. Senator Kelly. General Reed, in planning for a wartime
    contingency--is it TRANSCOM's responsibility to plan to ensure we have
    enough cargo vessels to support our economy during war time? But you
    would agree during a wartime contingency, the United States will need
    to keep our economy functioning? So, in reality, we probably need more
    ships than even TRANSCOM projects, correct? For economic sustainment,
    replenishment of lost vessels, and more?
        General Reed. The responsibility for ensuring sufficient military
    and civil maritime resources to meet defense deployment and essential
    economic requirements, as defined in National Security Directive on
    Sealift (NSD 28), extends beyond USTRANSCOM to a national level. The
    NSD 28 emphasizes the need for the United States to be prepared for
    unilateral responses to security threats outside of alliance
    commitments, requiring sufficient U.S.-owned sealift resources. While
    USTRANSCOM's primary focus is projecting and sustaining military power,
    we consider the broader impact on the Nation's economic well-being by
    working with the Maritime Administration and the commercial shipping
    industry to understand their needs and vulnerabilities in wartime
    scenarios, recognizing potential temporary disruptions to commercial
    trade when prioritizing national strategic objectives.

        30. Senator Kelly. General Reed, if Congress set a goal of bringing
    250 ships under the U.S.-flag and operating in international commerce,
    do you believe that is an appropriate target that fully meets
    TRANSCOM's requirements and could sustain our economy?
        General Reed. While a significant increase in the size of the U.S.-
    flag fleet is an encouraging goal, the exact number needed, such as a
    proposed 250, depends on vessel specifics like size, deck strengths,
    draft, carrying capacity, and port accessibility. Although 250 ships
    would undoubtedly improve our current posture, it's crucial to consider
    the mix of ship types and capabilities required, the need for a larger
    pool of skilled mariners, and the long-term commitment from both
    government and private sectors to build, sustain, and utilize such a
    fleet, including having sufficient cargo. USTRANSCOM will be an active
    partner in this endeavor to restore the United States as a maritime
    powerhouse.

        31. Senator Kelly. General Reed, if we sought to remove regulatory
    barriers and create incentives to bring more vessels into the fleet, we
    would want them to be operating, correct? Because then they'd have a
    full crew who was training on the vessel and keeping their credentials
    current?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM depends on both the commercial fleet and
    the government-owned organic fleet for our operations. Regarding the
    commercial fleet, removing barriers and creating incentives are
    beneficial to grow the fleet, and operating ships serve as optimal
    training platforms. For the organic fleet, we need MARAD's RRF to be in
    the Continental United States (not operating in trade) and readily
    available for rapid force deployment surge outbound.

        32. Senator Kelly. General Reed, thank you for reviewing the SHIPS
    for America Act that I introduced last year. As we prepare to
    reintroduce the bill, will you make sure that your team gives us any
    and all technical assistance we need to make sure our bill serves
    TRANSCOM's needs?
        General Reed. Thank you for the multiple opportunities to review
    the draft SHIPS for America Act and provide USTRANSCOM's inputs to your
    staff. USTRANSCOM supports legislation intended to strengthen our
    Nation's maritime posture and will provide technical assistance
    whenever your staff requests the assistance.

                     air mobility command/migrant detainees
        33. Senator Kelly. General Reed, last month, the committee had the
    opportunity to speak to your colleagues at U.S. Northern Command and
    U.S. Southern Command about the DHS support mission the military has
    been tasked with. What are the impacts of utilizing TRANSCOM assets
    like C-17s to transport migrants?
        General Reed. Using strategic airlift assets to transport migrants
    is not an efficient use of these military aircraft. By committing
    strategic airlift assets to transport migrants, they are unavailable
    for the joint force to conduct other real-world operations and
    training.

        34. Senator Kelly. General Reed, how are these missions impacting
    your budget and operational readiness?
        General Reed. USTRANSCOM does not expect these actions to result in
    any net financial impact. The Transportation Working Capital Fund
    (TWCF), a revolving fund, provides upfront funding for mission-critical
    expenses and the subsequently reimbursement of the expenses to the TWCF
    maintain a zero-sum budgetary effect. As of 04 April, USTRANSCOM
    incurred $38.1 million in expenses and reimbursed $28.2 million from
    the Air Force.

        35. Senator Kelly. General Reed, are these costs affecting
    TRANSCOM's ability to meet other mission requirements, and how are they
    being accounted for within your budget?
        General Reed. The border mission costs are not impacting USTRANSCOM
    ability to meet other mission requirements. The Transportation Working
    Capital Fund's current balance can maintain working capital fund
    operations at present levels. As of 04 April, USTRANSCOM incurred $38.1
    million in expenses and reimbursed $28.2 million from the Air Force.

        36. Senator Kelly. General Reed, while TRANSCOM is transporting DHS
    detainees, what does the chain of custody look like? Who is responsible
    for the detainees from start to finish and has that been officially
    recorded anywhere?
        General Reed. DOD is in support of DHS for these operations. DHS
    agents maintain custody of detainees on USTRANSCOM removal flights,
    with one exception on a recent Guantanamo Bay to El Salvador flight
    where JTF-SG (USSOUTHCOM) security forces were responsible. Consistent
    with the Immigration and Nationality Act, DHS, as the lead Federal
    agency, retains legal, physical, and administrative control of illegal
    aliens and fulfills those responsibilities through the direction of DHS
    personnel, as reflected in the relevant classified DOD execute orders.

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