    [Senate Hearing 119-320]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 119-320

    UPDATE ON MATTERS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARIES
    FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATION, AND ENVIRONMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE FISCAL YEAR
                    2026 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

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

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                                SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                        READINESS AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

                                     of the

                          COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                                 JUNE 25, 2025

                                   __________

             Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

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

                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

    63-003 PDF                   WASHINGTON : 2026

                          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

                               __________

                             June 25, 2025

                                                                       Page

    Update on Matters Within the Jurisdiction of the Assistant            1
      Secretaries for Energy, Installation, and Environment in
      Support of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization
      Act.

                               Member Statements

    Sullivan, Senator Dan............................................     1

    Hirono, Senator Mazie............................................     3

                               Witness Statements

    Marks, The Honorable Dale R., Assistant Secretary of Defense for      4
      Energy, Installations, and Environment.

    Waksman, Dr. Jeff L., Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for     13
      Installations, Energy and Environment.

    Johnson-Turner, Ms. Brenda M., Performing the Duties of Assistant    18
      Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and
      Environment.

    Saunders, Mr. Michael E., Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air      25
      Force for Energy, Installations and Environment.

    Questions for the Record.........................................    57

                                     (iii)

    UPDATE ON MATTERS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARIES
    FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATION, AND ENVIRONMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE FISCAL YEAR
                                      2026
                       NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

                                  ----------

                            WEDNESDAY JUNE 25, 2025

                              United States Senate,
                  Subcommittee on Readiness and
                                    Management Support,
                                   Committee on Armed Services,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:34 p.m. in room
    SR-232A, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Sullivan
    (Chairman of the Committee) presiding.
        Committee Members present: Senators Sullivan, Fischer,
    Scott, Sheehy, Hirono, and Kaine.

               OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN

        Senator Sullivan. The Readiness and Management Subcommittee
    hearing is now in session. I want to begin by noting that this
    Committee is focused on readiness today, although,
    unfortunately you're not reading about it in the press or
    anything. It marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the
    Korean War, which is a real lesson in American readiness that I
    think we in the Senate and hopefully in the Armed Services
    continue to learn from today. Because that was a--outbreak of
    that war was a real lesson and hard knocks in terms of
    readiness, and it's something I think we all need to remember.
        Of course, to the remaining American veterans of the Korean
    War, we want to thank them for their service. I've never liked
    the term the Forgotten War. I think it should be called the
    Noble War because it was the United States coming to save a
    country from a communist invasion, many of whom we didn't know
    and young Americans sacrificed in enormous ways, 37,000 killed
    in action.
        We in our country unfortunately barely even talk about that
    war. So, I wanted to begin by that. Our Committee meets today
    to receive testimony on the Department's military construction,
    energy installations, environmental and base closure programs
    in the review of the Defense Authorization Request of Fiscal
    Year 2026, I would like to welcome Assistant Secretary Marks to
    his first hearing since his recent confirmation.
        So, Mr. Secretary, welcome, I congratulate you and look
    forward to working closely with you in this very important role
    for our military and the Pentagon. I also thank the other
    esteemed witnesses for being here today and for their continued
    service to our country.
        Each of you play an important role in ensuring our Armed
    Forces are ready at a moment's notice to defend our country.
    But right now, we are facing problems and challenges that are
    detrimental to that objective. While our personnel are the
    backbone of our military, the installations are what bring them
    together. Simply put, our decaying facilities are causing
    significant issues with regard to our warfighters and the
    locations and resilience of our bases could serve as a
    detriment to our national security during wartime.
        With that in mind, I want to discuss our current basing
    posture in the Indo-Pacific in the context of dispersal,
    survivability, and logistics, including for bulk fuel and
    energy requirements. I believe we have over concentrated our
    basing and force posture in the Indo-Pacific at places like
    Guam and we should look for opportunities to both disperse and
    harden these facilities. Make them more resilient, and position
    ourselves to better support operational and strategic maneuver
    in a contested environment in this critical AOR [area of
    responsibility].
        I would like to hear from each of you on the implementation
    of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization
    requirement to achieve 4 percent plant replacement value by
    2030. This requirement came after a lack of priority from the
    services that led to crumbling infrastructure in many areas
    across the United States and the world. This has only driven up
    the cost in damage service readiness. We must take immediate
    action to mitigate this damage for many of these facilities
    throughout the world.
        As Chairman Wicker said during the Air Force Posture
    hearing, ``This is the law of the land.'' I would additionally
    like to discuss any updates each of you have in improving and
    maintaining unaccompanied housing. The poor living conditions
    which unfortunately include sewage overflow, mold, mildew,
    broken windows, decrease the quality of life and readiness for
    servicemembers mostly junior enlisted and their families, which
    of course, negatively impacts readiness across the services.
        We must ensure that our servicemembers are not living in
    barracks that do not meet the standards set by the Department
    of Defense (DOD). Additionally, your thoughts on the
    Department's work in operational energy in how these systems
    can transform the modern warfighter are crucial to this
    Committee's work on contested logistics.
        Finally, I would like to hear from each of the witnesses
    about your future priorities since the Department did not
    release the Future Year's Defense Program budget through 2030,
    we are still waiting for that. The challenges we are facing
    today are the result of years of pushing these problems aside,
    kicking the can down the road. We must work together to
    modernize our infrastructure to give our country and our troops
    the best footing possible for any contingency that is thrown
    their way.
        Again, I want to thank the witnesses for attending today. I
    look forward to each of your testimony, and with that, I want
    to thank my Ranking Member, Senator Hirono, and ask her for her
    opening statement.

               OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR MAZIE HIRONO

        Senator Hirono. Thank you, Chairman Sullivan. I want to
    thank each of our witnesses for your years of service and to
    the many hardworking civilians in your respective
    organizations, I thank them. This Subcommittee remains focused
    on ensuring that the Department of Defense is equipped not only
    to meet today's operational requirements but also to strengthen
    the long-term resilience, readiness, and well-being of our
    military installations.
        I appreciate your engagement on each of these critical
    issues. I have been very focused on infrastructure and I'm glad
    that the chair recognizes the importance of modernizing and
    repairing our infrastructure, which we have not done a very
    good job on. I want to begin by expressing concern regarding
    this Department's ability to deliver timely, efficient, and
    cost-effective infrastructure, construction delays and cost
    overruns undermine readiness and public trust.
        I will ask each of you to identify specific areas where the
    military construction process can improve and what steps are
    being taken to enhance accountability and performance. I
    recognize this is pretty much a perennial problem but when I
    ask each of you to identify very specific ways that we can do
    better, I mean, very specific things that are doable, things
    that we can see the outcomes of the improvements.
        So, please think about that as I'm finishing my remarks.
    Another priority area is the quality of military housing, and
    apparently both of the chair and I certainly have visited
    military housing and see the needs there. So, both for families
    and unaccompanied servicemembers, quality housing directly
    affects morale, retention, and overall readiness. Significant
    work still needs to be done. For example, the Department's
    March report on its use of waivers highlighted 32 substandard
    facilities on Army installations. Yet we know the problem is
    broader.
        That is why I am troubled to learn about the Army's plan to
    divert $1 billion of facilities sustainment, restoration, and
    modernization funding to pay for operations at the Southwest
    border. These funds were originally intended for the repair and
    maintenance of facilities like barracks. This is only occurring
    because the Secretary of Defense has chosen at every turn to
    waive reimbursement as an option in the many requests for
    assistance from the Department of Homeland Security.
        It's a curious choice made by the Defense Secretary
    especially since the DOD's fiscal year 2024 Agency financial
    report cited a deferred facility maintenance backlog of $267
    billion. That is a significant part of the DOD's whole budget.
    We have to do better people. We know that.
        So, we need to understand how the Department plans to
    ensure that soldiers have access to safe, well-maintained
    housing considering this shift, this Committee asked the Army 3
    weeks ago for simple details on planned versus executed
    facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization projects
    in fiscal year 2025. Yet we've not received anything to date.
    So, Dr. Waksman, I expect the Army to deliver answers as soon
    as possible to our requests.
        Pivoting to the Indo-Pacific, as each of you know, several
    of the militaries more essential training areas across Hawaii
    are leased from the State and are set to expire in the coming
    years. The training areas are foundational to joint readiness
    in the region and at the same time they hold cultural and
    historical significance to the native Hawaiian community. It is
    essential that any path forward respects that significance
    while ensuring our forces have access to the ranges and
    facilities that they need.
        The Department must work in good faith with State officials
    and the community to ensure these leases are renegotiated in a
    way that is equitable to all parties. Regarding military
    construction in the Indo-Pacific, we have previously authorized
    the extensions of the H-2B visa programs to ensure sufficient
    labor for projects in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands,
    Secretary Marks, as a construction in the region accelerates,
    we need to understand the potential cost and readiness
    implication of these mission critical visas that they are
    extended.
        I realize that the chair has asked the question as to the
    continuing spending that's going on in Guam. But if we intend
    to continue to do what we need to do in Guam, these visas are
    very necessary. Next, I'd like to touch on demand reduction and
    installation resilience. The Department's investment and
    operational energy programs not only reduces the logistics
    footprint for our warfighters but also enhances their combat
    capabilities as well. It is critical these programs continue to
    garner the bipartisan support they've had for years now.
        Meanwhile, initiatives like the Readiness and Environmental
    Protection Integration Program and Sentinel Landscapes
    strengthen our installation readiness. These programs
    strengthen our installations--sorry. These programs not only
    improve energy security and mission assurance but also protect
    surrounding ecosystems and prevent encroachment on military
    basis.
        Finally, I want to address the growing risks posed by
    extreme weather and natural disasters to our installations.
    Secretary Marks, as you experienced firsthand, these events
    have cost the Department tens of billions of dollars and
    directly impact mission readiness. It is imperative that DOD
    approaches these risks proactively so that joint forces better
    postured to adapt to the risks to military installation
    resilience. So, we can expect a lot more of these unpredictable
    weather events and as I know we should be better prepared to
    deal with the damage costs by these massive weather events. We
    have a lot of ground to cover today, so I thank each of you for
    being here and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Hirono, and now we're
    going to begin with 5-minute opening statements. If you have a
    longer written statement for the record, we'd be glad to submit
    that for the record. We'll begin with you, Secretary Marks.

     STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DALE R. MARKS, ASSISTANT SECRETARY
         OF DEFENSE FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATIONS, AND ENVIRONMENT

        Mr. Marks. Well, Chairman Sullivan and Ranking Member
    Hirono and distinguished members of this Subcommittee thank you
    for the opportunity to appear before you today. As you
    mentioned, the newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of Defense
    for Energy Installations and Environment, I really do
    appreciate this opportunity to discuss the President's proposed
    fiscal year 2026 budget for the Department of Defense's Energy
    Installation Environment portfolio.
        The President and Secretary of Defense have laid out a
    clear objective for the Department, achieve peace through
    strength. As the secretary has said, the threats we face are
    serious. Our investments to counter them must also be and
    that's what this budget is intended to do. I firmly believe
    that the strength and lethality of our military is built both
    on the weapon systems that defend us and on the readiness of
    our servicemembers and their families who accomplish this
    mission.
        Make no mistake, our installations are weapons systems just
    like our ships, tanks, and planes. We must ensure that they're
    postured to carry out the entire spectrum of military
    operations. At the same time, we know that America is a target.
    Our installations are under threat not just from our
    adversaries but from aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and
    increasingly complex operational demands. Our budget request
    includes 17.9 billion in military construction funds, 27.3
    billion in FSRM [Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and
    Modernization] and 3.8 billion in installation, operational
    energy investments and addresses these challenges by focusing
    squarely on military readiness and operational capability.
        This ensures our resources directly support what matters
    most, maintaining ready forces and resilient OP installations
    that can operate effectively under any condition. In
    particular, we're focusing on energy dominance, infrastructure
    modernization, operational energy security and investing in our
    innovation and research programs in support of the warfighter.
        At the same time, we recognize the resilience of our
    installations is enhanced by partnering with our defense
    communities and we're making a concerted effort to work with
    them on mutually beneficial initiatives that enhance
    redundancies and prevent risks to national security. We also
    recognize that our servicemembers' readiness starts at home.
        We want to ensure our warfighters are able to deliver 100
    percent of their effort to their missions without having to
    worry about issues with their housing or about the health and
    safety of their family members back home. So, our 1.9 billion
    in family housing and 1.2 billion unaccompanied housing request
    supports our commitment to ensuring that the DOD's housing
    portfolio provides a positive living experience for military
    personnel and their families.
        We also continue to address risks to human health and
    environment through our environmental cleanup programs funded
    at 1.5 billion. We're moving in the right direction but I
    recognize we must do better on behalf of our servicemembers and
    their families. To accomplish these goals, the Department must
    ensure that we make the most efficient use of our resources and
    manpower to enable us to focus on our core mission of defending
    the Nation. Energy, Installations, and Environment (EIE) is
    coordinating several efforts to review current processes and
    regulations to create efficiencies and reduce costs, including
    a review of our Military Construction (MILCON) and FSRM
    investment portfolios, real property efficiencies and a review
    of our implementation of environmental laws and regulations.
        Finally, as part of this administration's effort to counter
    China's malign actions in the Indo-Pacific, we continue to work
    with key stakeholders to address DOD's use of lands and natural
    resources in Hawaii through the Hawaii Coordination Cell. We're
    also undertaking holistic master planning effort to effectively
    sequence development, prioritize infrastructure needs and align
    support functions with mission growth on Guam.
        We'll look forward to working with Congress to address
    issues such as further extension of the H-2B visa authorities.
    Going forward with some big issues to tackle such as meeting
    Congress' directive to significantly increase our FSRM
    investment to at least 4 percent of plant replacement value. I
    look forward to working with this Committee to address these
    challenges head on and fulfill our commitment to our soldiers,
    sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians. Thank you and I look
    forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement of The Honorable Dale R. Marks
    follows:]

               Prepared Statement by The Honorable Dale R. Marks
                                  Introduction
        Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished members
    of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the
    President's proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget for the Department of
    Defense's (DOD) energy, installations, and environment programs. As the
    newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy,
    Installations and Environment, I look forward to working with this
    Committee in the coming months to ensure our installations are postured
    to support the President's and Secretary of Defense's focus on ensuring
    the U.S. military remains the most lethal and effective fighting force
    in the world.
        The President and Secretary of Defense have laid out a clear
    objective for the Department: achieve peace through strength by
    reviving the warrior ethos and restoring trust in our military,
    rebuilding our military by matching threats to capabilities, and
    reestablishing deterrence by defending our homeland. To achieve these
    objectives, we must ensure our power projection platforms are postured
    to maximize our servicemembers' lethality and defend the homeland while
    remaining secure against a wide range of threats.
        The President has also recognized that national security relies on
    establishing American energy dominance. The Department is laser-focused
    on implementing this critical national security imperative to unleash
    the United States' abundant natural resources and maintain our
    leadership in energy technologies and innovation. We are working across
    the interagency to advance these goals, with a key focus on the
    national security objectives in contained in the Executive Orders on
    Establishing the National Energy Dominance Council, Unleashing American
    Energy, Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential, and
    Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security,
    among others.
        In addition, we know that America is under threat. Our adversaries
    are targeting our critical defense, government, and economic
    infrastructure, both inside and outside our fencelines. Every domain is
    contested--air, land, sea, space, and cyber.
        Our installation investments focus squarely on military readiness
    and operational capability. When we evaluate infrastructure
    improvements or assess environmental impacts, we apply one clear
    standard: how does this strengthen our warfighting capability? This
    mission-focused strategy ensures our resources directly support what
    matters most--maintaining ready forces and resilient installations that
    can operate effectively under any conditions. We will continue to
    assess weather-related impacts on our operations, mitigate weather-
    related risks, conduct environmental assessments as appropriate, and
    improve the resilience of our installations, but always through the
    lens of enhancing military effectiveness and operational resilience.
        As the Secretary has said, the threats we face are serious and our
    investments to counter them must also be. That's what this budget does.
    We also know we have some big issues to tackle, such as meeting
    Congress's directive to significantly increase our facilities
    sustainment, restoration, and modernization (FSRM) investments to at
    least 4 percent of plant replacement value. I look forward to working
    with the Committee to address these challenges head-on.
                              Supporting Lethality
        The strength and lethality of our military is built both on the
    weapon systems that defend us, and on the readiness of our
    servicemembers, and their families, to accomplish this mission. Make no
    mistake: our installations are weapon systems, just like our ships,
    tanks, and planes. We must ensure that they are postured--in terms of
    quality, condition, and laydown--to carry out the entire spectrum of
    military operations.
        The hard truth is that our installations are under threat, not just
    from our adversaries, but from aging infrastructure, extreme weather,
    and increasingly complex operational demands. In the past decade alone,
    weather-related damages have cost the Department over $15 billion.
        Our adversaries understand these vulnerabilities. They actively
    seek to exploit our dependencies on energy and water infrastructure,
    attempting to degrade our ability to deploy forces, undermine our
    deterrent capabilities, and put our installations at risk. These
    disruptions directly impact warfighter health and safety, training and
    testing equipment reliability and performance, critical infrastructure
    functionality, and overall force readiness and lethality.
        To maintain mission readiness and sustain the installations that
    make deterrence credible, the Department is investing over $1.5 billion
    to ensure availability of energy to meet installation missions, provide
    diverse sources of energy for onsite generation, field microgrids and
    energy storage, deploy energy efficiency upgrades, and pursue
    innovative and resilient technologies like small modular nuclear
    reactors. Continued investment in energy efficiency through Energy
    Saving Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Services
    Contracts (UESCs) with DOD's industry partners bolsters installation
    energy resilience by reducing the installation energy demand and need
    for backup resources during commercial grid disruptions.
        One of the Department's most significant energy infrastructure
    investment initiatives is the Energy Resilience and Conservation
    Investment Program (ERCIP). The fiscal year 2026 budget request
    includes $723 million ($684 million in construction projects and $39
    million in planning and design funds) for ERCIP, focused on deploying
    cutting-edge technologies, including advanced energy storage systems,
    next-generation geothermal and nuclear capabilities, and sophisticated
    microgrid networks--all essential to maintaining the military's
    operational readiness.
        The Department also must enhance the operational energy posture of
    Joint forces. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the Department consumed 68
    million barrels of fuel at a cost of $10.7 billion, with nearly half of
    that fuel being purchased overseas. As we operate in increasingly
    austere and contested environments, we need to ensure that air, sea,
    land, and space platforms are assured the supplies of energy needed to
    deter and, if needed, defeat adversaries.
        The fiscal year 2026 budget request includes $2.3 billion to
    enhance the operational energy posture of Joint forces. These
    investments include enhancements to the range, endurance, and on-board
    power of combat vehicles, advanced propulsion to increase the range and
    endurance of surface combatants, increased standardization, safety, and
    capabilities of advanced energy storage technologies, next-generation
    adaptive propulsion, and mission planning and execution tools to
    maximize combat capability per gallon of fuel.
        The Department is revolutionizing how we plan for energy needs and
    mitigate energy-related risks in combat operations. Our new Resilient
    Logistics Operations & Analytics Demonstrator (RELOAD), a collaborative
    project with DARPA and other defense partners, is significantly
    improving our ability to make informed decisions about capability
    development, bulk fuel posture, and operational concepts. RELOAD uses
    advanced analytics to identify critical shortfalls in the Joint
    Logistics Enterprise, ensuring we can effectively distribute, store,
    and deliver fuel to the warfighter. By providing comprehensive
    operational impact assessments of new technologies, alongside program
    evaluations of cost and schedule performance, RELOAD empowers
    Departmental leaders to proactively address energy-driven operational
    risks and optimize resource allocation.
        These efforts are underpinned by critical Defense-wide innovation
    programs that set the technical direction for the DOD by funding the
    development and demonstration of mission-critical energy capabilities
    and helping them through the acquisition process. These include the
    Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF) and the
    Operational Energy Prototype Fund (OEPF), which deliver game-changing
    technologies focusing on Energy Dominance (through advanced command and
    control), Energy and Power Projection (through revolutionary endurance
    and propulsion systems) and Energy Surety (through next-generation
    storage solutions). These programs have delivered remarkable successes,
    including advances in nuclear fuel technology, wireless power
    transmission, and unmanned aircraft endurance. For fiscal year 2026,
    the Department's request for $169 million for OECIF and $55 million for
    OEPF focuses on critical capabilities like airborne energy delivery in
    contested environments, improved power management, and advanced energy
    storage.
        While our military operations depend heavily on energy
    infrastructure, much of that infrastructure lies outside our
    fencelines. The most powerful military in the world relies on civilian
    infrastructure to train our forces, power our bases and project power
    globally. With this vulnerability in mind, we are conducting
    comprehensive assessments of our Nation's power and fuel
    infrastructure, focusing particularly on coastal vulnerabilities, while
    simultaneously evaluating strategic priorities like the development and
    deployment of advanced nuclear technologies and partnerships in
    artificial intelligence and data center development. These initiatives
    not only align with the President's vision of American energy dominance
    but ensure our military maintains the power it needs to defend our
    Nation's interests at home and abroad.
    Supporting Defense Communities and Promoting Compatible Development
        The Department recognizes that the resilience of our installations
    is enhanced by partnering with, not competing against, our defense
    communities. Our defense communities are critical enablers that support
    our defense installations and ensure our servicemembers have the
    resources they need to carry out their missions. At the same time, they
    face many of the same threats our installations face. We know our
    adversaries are targeting supporting infrastructure like electrical
    grids and water systems, and our communities are just as, if not more,
    exposed to natural hazards than our installations. As such, we are
    making a concerted effort to work with our defense communities on
    mutually beneficial initiatives via direct support or planning while
    also ensuring military operations, mission support, and warfighter
    capabilities remain unimpeded and to prevent risk to national security
    by incompatible development.
        Key to these efforts is the Office of Local Defense Community
    Cooperation (OLDCC). OLDCC provides technical and financial assistance
    to states, counties, municipalities, regions, and other communities to
    foster cooperation with military installations to enhance the military
    mission; achieve facility and infrastructure savings and reduced
    operating costs; address encroachment and compatible land use issues;
    increase military, civilian, and industrial readiness; and support
    military families. OLDCC will leverage the requested $159.5 million to
    work with defense communities to further the Secretary's priorities,
    ensuring their efforts both enhance the readiness and lethality of
    military installations, ranges, and test facilities and provide
    benefits back to the communities.
        To date, OLDCC has awarded 11 grants in fiscal year 2025, to
    include:
          A grant to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to work
    with Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Wainwright, the State of Alaska, and
    local utility on permitting for a natural gas pipeline, respond to
    other energy requirements, and address housing affordability issues.
          A grant to County of McMullen, Texas to design a single
    access road to the ROTHR-TX (Relocatable Over the Horizon Radar)
    location and to obtain funding to carry out improvements. These efforts
    will enhance the readiness of the McMullen Range, the only United
    States-based radar system in USSOUTHCOM's surveillance architecture,
    including enhancing detection and surveillance capabilities along the
    southern border, and strengthen mission readiness and lethality at
    Naval Air Station Kingsville.
          A grant to the city of Virginia Beach Department of
    Public Utilities to plan and design ?1.5 miles of a new 30-inch
    diameter water transmission main to support potable water and water
    suppression needs at Naval Air Station Oceana and Joint Expeditionary
    Base Little Creek-Fort Story, ensuring the installations' readiness and
    lethality.
          A grant to Belle Chasse Academy, Inc., a charter school
    in Louisiana, to design, renovate, and expand current facilities. This
    project provides expanded capacity for 30-year student use and supports
    learning for the more than 650 military-connected students (90 percent
    of the enrollment), military families and warfighters, enhancing
    lethality and readiness by improving recruitment and retention.
        Of note, last month, OLDCC published two Notice of Funding
    Opportunities for the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Community Infrastructure
    Program and the Community Noise Mitigation Program; both will be
    awarded by the end of the fiscal year.
        In addition to directly supporting our defense communities, the
    Department recognizes that the condition of the lands and waters on-and
    off-installation affects our ability to conduct weapons system testing,
    realistic live-fire training, and essential operations that are vital
    to preparing a more lethal and resilient combat force. Ensuring that
    the land and waters surrounding our installations are compatible with
    military mission requirements is critical to ensuring unencumbered
    warfighter access to lands and ranges that replicate the operational
    environment in which they fight. The Readiness and Environmental
    Protection Integration (REPI) Program provides this assurance. Our
    fiscal year 2026 budget request for REPI is $158.3 million, which will
    fund cost-sharing agreements between the Military Services, other
    Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private partners to
    avoid or remove land use conflicts near military installations,
    minimize environmental restrictions that limit military activities, and
    improve the resilience of military installations, while addressing
    mission-essential considerations, including flight hazards, operational
    security, and wildland fire resilience.
        DOD manages and maintains nearly 27 million acres of land, water,
    and airspace across the United States and its territories that have the
    principal purpose of supporting mission-related activities and
    furthering the national defense strategy. Realistic environments are
    essential to field testing new technologies and for the military to
    train, which requires access to deserts, grasslands, rainforests,
    tundra permafrost, coastlines, and other ecosystems. Training and
    testing in varied ecosystems prepare our warfighters for any of the
    challenges they may face while conducting global operations. Without
    sustained strategic investment and management, DOD lands can be
    degraded or eliminated, resulting in a net loss in the ability of these
    military installation lands and waters to sustain a combat-ready and
    lethal military force. To address these issues, the Department is
    requesting $599.9 million in conservation and environmental management
    funding. Through programs such as REPI, the Military Aviation and
    Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse, and DOD Legacy Resource
    Management Program, the Department can stimulate mutually beneficial
    and cost-effective partnerships between local communities, Federal and
    State agencies, and non-governmental organizations to support DOD's
    ability to operate seamlessly across domains and maintain its strong
    record as a steward of our Nation's natural, cultural, and historical
    heritage.
                              Improving Efficiency
        The Secretary of Defense has issued a clear directive to focus on
    eliminating waste and duplication to enable the Department to focus on
    its core mission of defending the Nation. In support of this directive,
    EI&E is coordinating several efforts to review current processes and
    regulations to create efficiencies and reduce costs.
    MILCON and FSRM Review
        For fiscal year 2026, the Department is requesting $17.9 billion
    for Military Construction (MILCON) and $27.3 billion in Facilities
    Sustainment, Restoration & Modernization (FSRM) funding. Given the size
    and scope of the Department's infrastructure footprint, these
    investment portfolios represent a significant opportunity to maximize
    the effectiveness of the taxpayer dollars while improving the readiness
    and lethality of our warfighters.
        Under current processes, a military construction or large-scale
    FSRM project can take 5 years to be incorporated in a budget request to
    Congress and once funded, can take potentially another 4 years to
    obtain beneficial use. The Department must develop more timely and
    flexible processes and organizational structures to enable more agile
    delivery of infrastructure needs.
        As such, the Deputy Secretary of Defense has directed a 60-day
    review of the Department's MILCON and FSRM portfolios. My office is
    developing recommendations for proposed regulatory or statutory
    changes, updates to DOD policy, and process improvements that improve
    cost structure, efficiency of execution, and lifecycle sustainment. In
    support of this, we are aggressively streamlining the Department's
    regulations such as the Unified Facilities Criteria, evaluating how to
    build additional accountability into our processes, and pursuing
    additional contracting authorities to allow us to execute like the
    private sector.
        The Department appreciates the authorities Congress has provided in
    recent National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) to make our
    processes more efficient, including increases to the unspecified minor
    military construction (UMMC) threshold in the fiscal year 2023 NDAA,
    the pilot program permitting replacement of failing barracks in the
    fiscal year 2024 NDAA, and the increase in the threshold for
    acquisition of low cost interests in land and a pilot program to
    optimize our footprint using UMMC in the fiscal year 2025 NDAA. We look
    forward to working with Congress to further our common goal of making
    efficient and effective investments in DOD infrastructure.
        The Department also shares Congress' interest in ensuring that the
    current DOD construction agent model maximizes efficiency, is
    responsive to the needs of the Department, and minimizes redundancy and
    unnecessary costs. Consistent with Section 2877 of the fiscal year 2025
    NDAA, my office has entered into a contract with the RAND Corporation
    to review the roles and responsibilities for executing construction
    projects. We will work closely with the Military Departments to ensure
    the Department collectively provides a timely objective report on this
    critical issue.
    Real Property Efficiencies
        As part of EO 14222, Implementing the President's ``Department of
    Government Efficiency'' Cost Efficiency Initiative, and as required in
    Section 2850 of the fiscal year 2025 NDAA, the Department is working to
    reduce its leased space inventory. The Secretary of Defense has
    directed us to reduce our administrative and warehousing leased costs
    by 30 percent within the next 18 months. To achieve this reduction, we
    have implemented regular building occupancy reporting that enables us
    to identify existing spaces with capacity and focus our personnel
    laydown within our installations. The reduction is a critical step in
    enabling the Department to focus on its core mission of defending the
    Nation by eliminating waste and duplication to maximize the value of
    our real eState portfolio.
    Reviewing Processes for Complying with Environmental Regulations
        Another area of opportunity to improve efficiency and improve our
    delivery of capability to our warfighters is to eliminate delays within
    the environmental permitting process. As part of its response to
    Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy, the Department is
    working with other key stakeholders in the Administration to streamline
    how DOD implements the National Environmental Policy Act. The
    Department recognizes that we have an immense responsibility to the
    natural resources entrusted to us and we are working to ensure we are
    maximizing our readiness and resilience while also fulfilling our
    environmental stewardship obligations.
                                Quality of Life
        Our servicemembers' readiness starts at home. They should be able
    to focus on their missions without having to worry about issues with
    their housing or about the health and safety of their family members
    back home. The Department remains committed to ensuring that these
    issues are addressed so that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines,
    and guardians can bring 100 percent of themselves to their missions.
                                    housing
        Housing is both a crucial quality of life issue and a critical
    mission-enabling asset. Our servicemembers and their families rightly
    expect and deserve safe and secure places to live in return for the
    sacrifices they make for our Nation. While the Department has taken
    significant action to improve its management and oversight of its
    housing portfolio, we can and will do better. The Department remains
    committed to ensuring that all servicemember housing--whether it is
    government-owned, government-controlled, or privatized--meets
    appropriate life, health, and safety requirements and provides a
    positive living experience for military personnel and their families.
        The Department's fiscal year 2026 Family Housing budget request
    includes $1.9 billion to fund construction, operation, and maintenance
    of government-owned and leased family housing worldwide; invest in
    select military family housing privatization projects and provide
    oversight of privatized housing and lodging projects; and provide
    housing referral services to assist military members in renting or
    buying private sector housing. Additionally, the budget request
    includes $1.2 billion in Unaccompanied Housing (UH) investments,
    another step in the Department's efforts to continue addressing the
    issues highlighted in the 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO)
    report on Military Barracks.
        Over the past year, the Department has made significant strides in
    reforming its oversight of its UH portfolio and implementing the fiscal
    year 2024 NDAA requirements. The Department published UH guidance on
    civilian oversight, issuances of waivers for privacy and configuration
    standards, updated design standards, a uniform index for evaluation of
    UH conditions. and standardized requirements and procedures for
    maintenance work orders. The Department also engaged quickly with the
    GAO to resolve open recommendations under their review of Military
    Barracks; as of today, the GAO has closed 12 of the 31 recommendations
    for the Department and is considering the Department's requests to
    close 3 additional recommendations.
        Resident feedback is a key indicator of the Department's progress
    in providing safe and secure housing to all servicemembers and as such,
    updated its housing tenant satisfaction survey to be applicable to all
    housing, including unaccompanied. Most of the military Services
    executed their housing satisfaction surveys this year, and we look
    forward to sharing the results with Congress later this year.
        The Department also continues to explore leveraging privatization
    as a tool to improve UH by evaluating the results of the Services'
    pilot projects and incorporating the lessons learned from the broader
    Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI). The Department
    currently has eight existing UH privatization agreements--six within
    the Department of the Army portfolio and two within the Department of
    the Navy.
        These privatized UH projects offer apartment-style accommodations
    rather than the dormitory-style accommodations of traditional
    government-owned UH and provide authorized servicemembers with high-
    quality, cost-effective options for on-installation residences in high-
    cost or challenged housing markets, to include remote and isolated
    installations. While these residences are generally reserved for more
    senior enlisted personnel who have already lived in traditional UH, the
    Navy's pilot authority under 10 USC Sec.  2881a allows them to issue a
    higher rate of
        partial basic allowance for housing to enlisted servicemembers,
    ship or shore based, in the ranks of E4 and below who may otherwise be
    mandatorily assigned to permanent party UH. The Department will
    continue to seek innovative ways to provide high-quality UH to
    servicemembers required to live on-base at cost-savings to the
    government.
    Military Housing Privatization Initiative
        The Department continues to enhance the MHPI program and improve
    our oversight of the private sector MHPI companies that own and operate
    MHPI housing projects. As a result of our collaboration with the MHPI
    companies, all 18 rights set out in the MHPI Tenant Bill of Rights
    (TBoR) are fully available at all but one of the nearly 200
    installations with privatized housing, representing approximately 99
    percent of military families residing in MHPI housing. We will continue
    our efforts to educate and engage Service Members and their families to
    ensure they are aware of and take full advantage of the TBoR.
        The Department continues to work on full implementation of other
    MHPI reforms. In August 2024, the Department deployed the housing
    complaints data base and is utilizing information received from tenants
    through the data base and our valued Military Service Organization
    partners to enhance the system as it approaches its 1-year anniversary.
    In addition, the Department is over 85 percent complete on its
    mandatory, one-time inspections of government-owned and controlled
    family and privatized housing. The Departments of the Navy and Air
    Force are both 100 percent complete and we will soon be submitting an
    interim report on their behalf to annotate their closure and report
    their findings.
        The Department is committed to working closely with you and the
    committee staff to ensure the long-term success of the MHPI program and
    we will remain diligent in our oversight to ensure DOD's privatized
    housing projects deliver quality housing and a positive living
    experience for military personnel and their families.
                       defense environmental restoration
        The Department must take deliberate and sustained action to address
    risks to human health and the environment resulting from past DOD
    activities and enhance mission readiness by completing cleanups and
    restoring DOD lands for effective use. Our environmental cleanup
    program includes the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) and
    Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP). The IRP is focused on
    cleanup of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants, while
    the MMRP is focused on responding to unexploded ordnance and munition
    constituents at former military ranges. These programs encompass active
    installations, Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS--sites that DOD
    transferred to other Federal agencies, states, local governments, or
    private landowners before October 17, 1986), and sites DOD transferred
    to other entities as part of its Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
    activities. We are requesting $1.5 billion for these programs,
    including $1.1 billion for environmental restoration on our active
    installations and FUDS properties and $380.5 million for BRAC
    environmental.
        To date, the Department, in cooperation with State agencies and the
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has completed cleanup
    activities at 86 percent of Active and BRAC IRP and MMRP sites, and
    FUDS IRP sites, and is now monitoring the results. During fiscal year
    2024 alone, the Department completed cleanup at 121 sites. Of the
    roughly 40,900 restorationsites, 34,379 are now in monitoring status or
    have completed cleanup.
        Our focus remains on continuous improvement initiatives in the
    restoration program: minimizing overhead, adopting new technologies to
    reduce cost and accelerate cleanup, updating criteria used to
    prioritize sites for cleanup, and improving our relationships with
    affected communities through increased dialog and public engagement.
    These initiatives help ensure that we maximize our available resources
    to complete cleanups.
        While the Department continues to make progress on completing
    cleanups, the remaining sites are some of the most complex cleanup
    sites. Chemicals of Emerging Concern and others like per-and
    polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continue to pose challenges for DOD's
    cleanup programs as new science requires reconsideration of previous
    decisions and more expensive solutions to protect our servicemembers,
    their families, communities, and the environment. Additionally, some
    complex sites have either no feasible or only inefficient solutions for
    cleanup and, as a result, the Department is making significant
    investments in environmental technology to identify new potential
    remediation methods in partnership with industry and academia.
        In particular, the recent EPA drinking water standards for certain
    PFAS are extremely low and present a significant challenge for the
    Department. DOD is committed to prioritizing and responding to
    locations where known levels of PFAS in private drinking water wells
    are the highest, while also focusing on installing sustainable
    treatment solutions, but this effort will take time and substantial
    future resources.
        In addition to our cleanup activities, the Department continues to
    prioritize efforts to eliminate the use of Aqueous Film Forming Foam
    (AFFF) at military installations. Over the past few years, the
    Department has undertaken an aggressive initiative to develop and
    demonstrate fluorine-free alternatives to AFFF. As of May 2025, six
    products have passed the DOD qualification process. These products are
    now available for purchase, and the Military Departments have used them
    to make significant progress in their efforts to transition away from
    AFFF use in more than 6,000 mobile assets and approximately 1,000
    facilities.
                            INDO-PACIFIC PRIORITIES
                                     hawaii
        The relationship between the U.S. Military and Hawai`i has been a
    critical piece of U.S. military and diplomatic strategy for over 125
    years. Hawai`i's strategic location in the Pacific, unique training and
    port areas, and support for critical defense missions make it a
    cornerstone of our posture in the Indo-Pacific region. In support of
    this indispensable defense mission, the Military Departments have
    jurisdiction over approximately 222,000 acres of land in Hawai.i,
    roughly 4 percent of Hawai.i's land base. This includes approximately
    45,300 in lands leases from the State of Hawaii which are going to
    expire between 2029-2032. These lands provide ideal locations for
    specialized defense capabilities, multi-domain operating areas to
    generate future force readiness, and training ranges that our Joint
    Force leverages with allies and partners.
        Retaining these mission critical training lands is a top priority
    to support the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) warfighter.
        The Department recognizes that past incidents, particularly the
    fuel and concentrated AFFF spills at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage
    Facility and the diesel spill at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex,
    have resulted in a loss of public trust between the DOD and Hawai`i
    residents. The situation has underscored the importance of working
    collaboratively with stakeholders to address DOD's use of lands and
    natural resources in Hawaii.
        Military personnel in Hawai.i are working to engage consistently,
    respectfully, and transparently to strengthen relationships in support
    of the shared goals of national security, economic prosperity, and a
    healthy environment. The Hawaii Coordination Cell (HCC), established
    last year within EI&E, is working closely with the Military
    Departments, USINDOPACOM, and OSD counterparts to support a
    comprehensive and coordinated approach to support these efforts. The
    HCC serves as a primary point of contact for State and local officials,
    businesses, community organizations, and interested stakeholders to
    connect with military personnel, engage in dialog about key issues of
    concern and create opportunities for collaboration. These activities
    are essential to enable the continuation of the critical military
    missions in Hawai.i.
                              construction on guam
        The Department is preparing to execute several critical posture
    initiatives in Guam that will help to ensure a free and open Indo-
    Pacific. These initiatives will require unprecedented levels of
    military construction to ensure our forces have the right
    infrastructure to organize, train, equip and, if necessary, deliver
    lethal combat power. These efforts include the relocation of marines
    from Okinawa, the deployment of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense
    of Guam capability, and Polaris Point expansion. Additionally, this
    surge in military construction activity will address damages caused by
    Typhoon Mawar. The increasing demand for military construction,
    compounded by labor and material shortages posed by Guam's remote
    location, prompted the Department to pursue a comprehensive approach to
    supporting delivering the right capabilities to USINDOPACOM and the
    warfighter.
        To address these challenges, the Department is undertaking a
    comprehensive master planning effort to effectively sequence
    development, prioritize infrastructure needs, and align support
    functions with mission growth. This plan will consolidate all
    construction activities across Guam, offering a cohesive and forward-
    looking vision for the island's development. Furthermore, the
    Department is working to integrate and synchronize military
    construction efforts the Military Departments, Defense Agencies, and
    DOD Field Activities. This approach is designed to ensure the timely
    delivery of critical capabilities and quality-of-life improvements for
    warfighters. The master planning initiative will serve as a dynamic
    tool, accounting for mission timelines, dependencies, programming and
    design needs, environmental factors, extreme weather considerations,
    and other essential requirements to guide future infrastructure
    investments.
                                   Conclusion
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide this energy,
    installations, and environment program update. We appreciate Congress'
    continued support for our enterprise and look forward to working with
    you.

        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Secretary Marks. I appreciate
    you touching on the 4-percent issue and a master plan for Guam.
    That's all important.
        Dr. Waksman, we want to hear from you now.

    STATEMENT OF DR. JEFF L. WAKSMAN, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF
           THE ARMY FOR INSTALLATIONS, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

        Dr. Waksman. Thank you. Chair Sullivan, Ranking Member
    Hirono, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank
    you for inviting me to provide an update on the Army's Energy
    Installation and Environmental programs.
        Our installations are no longer sanctuaries away from the
    fight. To ensure mission success or installations must be
    modern, resilient, and hardened to support any and every
    mission, whether they're at home or abroad.
        Achieving these requirements necessitates a sustained and
    focus effort. Our investments and installations must facilitate
    warfighter training, lethality, and readiness. The critical
    services that enable installations to function must be secure
    and reliable. Last, installations must be as efficient and
    effective as possible. To facilitate the modernization
    transformation of installations, this year's budget requests
    $8.7 billion for facility sustainment, restoration, and
    modernization, another 3.1 billion requested for new planning
    and construction. Beyond the funding request in the President's
    budget, our privatized housing partners plan to invest more
    than $2 billion in our homes over the next few years.
        Part of enabling our readiness and lethality is ensuring
    quality housing for both unaccompanied soldiers and their
    families. The Army recognizes that its deferred maintenance
    backlog has grown over many years and has caused unintended
    consequences with both housing and operational facilities.
    While the Army continues to prioritize funding toward our
    permanent party unaccompanied housing, we are bouncing
    investments in our mission-oriented facilities. For privatized
    family housing portfolio, we have made many improvements to the
    Army's oversight of our housing providers. This includes new
    quality control mechanisms and third-party inspections of our
    homes, allowing our installations' leaders to verify the
    quality and status that were completed.
        To project power and provide resiliency or installations,
    associated services need to be able to rapidly recover from a
    disruption, whether natural or manmade. The Army continues to
    explore a variety of technologies that provide more reliable
    energy to our installations and soldiers to include nuclear
    energy. To help improve the resiliency of our energy systems
    beyond the generation source, the Army continues to conduct
    black start exercises which provide us with vital information
    about the interconnection of critical assets on our
    installations and increase our resiliency.
        We thank Congress for your continued support of our energy
    resilience programs. Our installations must also provide
    realistic world class training environments to maximize our
    warfighters lethality. To that end, our environmental programs
    are critical to meeting statutory requirements for preservation
    of training lands and to ensure that the water on our
    installations is safe for consumption.
        One of our most critical training ranges is the Pohakuloa
    Training Area in Hawaii, which allows combat training geared
    toward the Indo-Pacific. The Army continues to work with the
    State government and local Hawaiians to ensure that these
    training lands can continue to support this vital training,
    while also addressing the concerns of the local community.
        The Army is also improving our business practices by
    working with private partners to find ways to deliver higher
    quality and more economical support installations. As an
    example, our use of energy saving performance contracts and
    intergovernmental support agreements save us millions of
    dollars each year and help us to develop and improve
    partnerships with our local defense communities.
        In closing, the Army continues to strive to make many of
    these critical investments designed to deliver the highest
    quality, most efficient and safest army installations possible
    to support lethality, readiness, and warfighting.
        Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the
    Committee, and I look forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Jeff Waksman follows:]

                     Prepared Statement by Dr. Jeff Waksman
                                  introduction
        Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished members
    of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to discuss the
    Army's priorities for installations, energy, and environment. In order
    to deliver on the President's promise to deliver peace through
    strength, we must have strong, resilient, and reliable military
    installations and infrastructure. Our ability to protect and project
    combat power from installations around the world is no longer
    guaranteed or routine. Installations must be agile and adaptable,
    matching capabilities to threats to deter our adversaries and
    demonstrate strength around the world.
        Over the last year, the Army has made meaningful progress to
    increase the adaptability, resiliency, and quality of our
    installations, but more needs to be done to fulfill our commitment to
    our soldiers, their families, and the American people. Working with
    Congress, we will continue to build on our efforts in 2026 and beyond.
        We must ensure predictable resourcing to enable our installations
    to modernize at pace with our Army's transformation efforts. In support
    of the Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance, we must first
    target our investments to be in the right locations and in the right
    types of facilities. These investments will help to ensure our
    warfighters have sufficient operational and support facilities. Second,
    we must transform our installations and services to ensure they are not
    only reliable, but also resilient--able to adapt to new missions while
    quickly recovering from disruptions and overcoming new and emerging
    threats. Our installations must stand ready to support not only the
    Army, but the entire Department of Defense, no matter the mission--
    whether at home or abroad. Finally, our installations must be efficient
    and effective to ensure that taxpayer investments are returning value
    in building warfighter readiness.
                              facility investments
        The Army uses a deliberate process to prioritize military
    construction and other facility investment, which is used to produce a
    Facility Investment Plan (FIP)--a prioritized list of projects, by
    component, under consideration from which the Army develops
    infrastructure requirements. This prioritization considers several
    factors from our commanders and senior leaders, including the relative
    importance of various facility types, the installation's location, and
    the installation's primary mission. The FIP is used to inform the
    Army's annual budget request.
        The Army continues to work with the other military departments and
    the Office of the Secretary of Defense to ensure our infrastructure
    investments are synchronized with the Department's mission. We
    acknowledge the establishment of minimum FSRM requirements for the
    coming years in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and
    the Army looks forward to working with Congress to develop a strategy
    to resource this mandate.
                        unaccompanied housing--barracks
        Our first and highest priority is to take care of our warfighters
    and ensure they have proper facilities to conduct training and live.
    The challenge we face is a substantial backlog of deferred maintenance
    that built up over many years. The Army, with the support of Congress,
    has significantly increased annual investment over the last few years
    to address this backlog, but these investments sometimes take a number
    of years to realize their effect. This year, for the first time, the
    Army will open the annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey to soldiers living
    in our barracks to help assess whether investments in our barracks are
    improving soldiers' quality of life. In addition to making long-term
    investments, the Army is also taking immediate action in situations
    where living conditions are unacceptable with Commanders moving
    soldiers into appropriate living conditions.
        Investments in the Army's permanent party barracks with
    construction and modernization continues to grow. The Army plans to
    program a portion of the sustainment funding to meet 100 percent of the
    requirement for permanent party barracks to prevent accelerated
    degradation of these facilities.
        The Army continues to look for new and innovative ways to maximize
    our facility investments to improve our barracks quality and reduce the
    costs to taxpayers. Last year, the Army initiated a privatized barracks
    project at Fort Irwin, California, where a life-cycle cost analysis
    showed it is more cost-effective to have a private company build and
    manage the barracks than to build government-owned barracks. The Army
    currently has five other locations with privatized barracks, with
    another two locations under development.
                              army family housing
        Taking care of our warfighters is also taking care of their
    families. The Army takes care of our families whether their warfighter
    is at home or not. The Army continues to make significant progress to
    provide high-quality family housing--both government-owned and
    privatized.
        The Army has made significant investments in overseas family
    housing, which is mostly government-owned housing. In fiscal year 2025,
    the Army has planned $752 million for operations, maintenance, leasing,
    oversight, and construction. We thank Congress for supporting the
    Army's request to extend certain authorizations in the fiscal year 2025
    NDAA--these extensions are critical as the overseas coordination
    required for some of the projects takes longer than domestic projects.
        In addition to ensuring high-quality government-controlled housing,
    the Army is working to provide the high-quality privatized housing our
    soldiers deserve. Over the next 3 years, privatized housing providers
    will invest over $2.4 billion for the construction of over 2,000 homes,
    renovations of 7,000 homes, and other developmental work. Over the last
    2 years, the Army has implemented several oversight reforms to better
    hold privatized housing providers accountable for maintaining the high-
    quality privatized housing our soldiers deserve. These efforts have
    included strengthening and clarifying enforcement language in ground
    leases, conducting house-by-house inspections, implementing quality
    assurance of construction and renovations, and developing a
    standardized quality assurance maintenance program that will be
    applicable to all privatized housing companies doing business with the
    Army.
        By the end of fiscal year 2026, the Army will complete third-party
    inspections of all our family housing inventory. When our inspections
    reveal deficiencies in work performed, the Army privatized housing
    provider or installation Director of Public Works reacts quickly to
    rectify the situation via the housing provider. The Army also conducts
    an annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey to assess the quality of our homes
    and keep housing providers accountable for maintaining those homes. I
    am pleased to report that last year's survey results showed a notable
    increase in tenant satisfaction from prior years.
                         safety and occupational health
        The Army needs confident, trained, and fit soldiers to generate
    readiness and project combat power. Those capabilities are diminished
    when our warfighters are taken out of the fight due to injury or unsafe
    facility conditions. The Army continues to work on decreasing
    preventable injuries, especially in training environments.
    Additionally, our investments in modern and safe facilities reduce
    preventable health risks posed to our soldiers.
        The Army is working to resource and implement the tactical vehicle
    data record pilot program enacted in the fiscal year 2023 NDAA. These
    recorders will provide critical data to support mishap investigations
    and will give us the capability to proactively improve driver and
    passenger safety by identifying hazards for mitigation. The recorders
    will also provide the potential for daily monitoring of each vehicle
    and will give individual feedback for improving driver performance.
        Additionally, the Army continues to review the potential risks of
    blast overpressure on our warfighters and civilians. The Army conducts
    health hazard assessments for equipment--to include weapon systems--as
    part of design, testing, and new equipment training. The Army utilizes
    scientific collection and measurement methods to develop and publish
    standardized training procedures, providing leaders and soldiers
    guidance on proper use, required mitigation steps, and potential risks
    related to blast overpressure. When new scientific methods or tools are
    developed or monitoring indicates emerging injury trends, the Army
    reassesses and publishes updated training guidance.
                            installation resilience
        Modernized installations, which include ensuring access to reliable
    power and water, are vital to assuring mission success. Given our
    installations primarily rely on commercial utilities for energy and
    water, we must ensure they are protected from external disruptions and
    can quickly recover. Vulnerabilities, both natural and man-made,
    associated with interdependent electric power grids, natural gas
    pipelines, and water resources and systems can jeopardize installation
    security and mission capabilities.
        To assess these potential risks to our water and energy systems, 98
    percent of our installations have completed Installation Energy and
    Water Plans to identify requirements and risks, and to develop
    mitigation techniques. For example, the Army is deploying microgrids on
    installations, conducting Black Start Exercises (BSEs), and testing the
    cyber domain through the Cyber Readiness Resilience Exercises.
        In addition to decreasing installation operational costs, efforts
    to reduce energy and water consumption increase resilience as less
    water and energy are needed to meet mission requirements if service is
    disrupted. The Army reduced energy use by 17.8 percent since fiscal
    year 2003, and reduced water consumption by 25 percent compared to a
    fiscal year 2007 baseline--a reduction of 13.5 gallons of water per
    square foot.
        Army has explored power generation assets that can be combined with
    specific circuitry to allow the islanding of our installations,
    providing resilient energy for critical functions, including deploying
    microgrids. Army currently has 32 operational microgrids at 25
    installations.
        To test our energy resiliency, BSEs allow installations to
    experience the impact of a power outage from a service disruption. The
    Army has completed 20 BSEs, including, eight exercises in fiscal year
    2024, and is planning six more in fiscal year 2025--two of which have
    been completed and five in fiscal year 2026. In fiscal year 2024, Army
    conducted our first cyber resilience readiness exercise at Fort Carson
    and is planning an additional exercise in fiscal year 2025.These
    exercises focus on understanding the potential effects and consequence
    of cyber vulnerabilities on energy and water systems that support
    critical missions, to include power denial as a primary consequence.
        To be more efficient with taxpayer investments in our
    installations, the Army's Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI) continues
    to explore public-private partnerships that reduce the need for
    appropriated funding and employ a wide array of energy technologies in
    support of installation mission operations. The OEI looks to leverage
    the value of underutilized installation land for the development of
    energy-generation facilities that will enhance energy resiliency.
    Rather than a monetary rent payment for leasing installation lands, the
    Army typically seeks in-kind consideration to satisfy the fair-market
    value requirement. For energy-generation facilities, this includes the
    ability to prioritize power from the project to support critical
    missions during grid disruption. The Army's collaboration with private
    industry (both public utility companies and independent power
    producers) has resulted in approximately $677 million of private-sector
    investment and over $764 million of avoided operational costs for the
    Army.
                 mitigating risk and building oconus resilience
        The Army is doing comprehensive energy and water resilience
    planning at installations worldwide, including in the U.S. Central
    Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
    (USINDOPACOM) regions. These forward installations are critical to
    assuring the Army's readiness and maintaining warfighting skills, with
    special emphasis on the unique threat picture and host nation
    requirements in each area. In USINDOPACOM, fuel logistics and
    vulnerable island locations present unique energy challenges. The Army
    is building energy resilience across USINDOPACOM by developing
    microgrids, implementing energy and water efficiency measures, and
    ensuring adequate fuel reserves to support operations during potential
    disruptions.
                                 nuclear energy
        The Army continues to follow Congress's lead in exploring the
    viability of nuclear energy as a stable and reliable source of energy
    for our mission-critical operations. The fiscal year 2019 NDAA directed
    the Department of Defense to develop a plan to deploy a small modular
    advanced nuclear reactor for installation resilience, which is being
    led by the Air Force. The Army continues to monitor the progress of the
    resulting pilot program. Meanwhile, the Army is quickly working to
    deliver on the President's directive in Executive Order 14299,
    ``Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactors for National Security'', to begin
    operation of an advance nuclear reactor on an installation by 2028. The
    Army expects to have additional details at a later date.
                       installation management efficiency
        The Army still has a large inventory of closed installations that
    are experiencing increasing costs for environmental remediation before
    the land can be redeveloped. The Army continues to work to leverage
    private capital to complete this work so minimal costs are paid by
    taxpayers.
        In fiscal year 2025, the Army completed transfer of all surplus
    acres at Fort Gillem and Stratford Army Ammunition Plant. The Army also
    closed Pueblo Chemical Depot and is preparing to dispose of the 7,000
    acres of excess land. We also thank Congress for enacting a provision
    in the fiscal year 2025 NDAA to address the outcome for the former Army
    Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
        For our current installations, the Army continues to use Energy
    Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs), Utility Energy Savings Contracts
    (UESCs), and Intergovernmental Service Agreements (IGSAs) to improve
    installation efficiency and lower facility operational costs across all
    utilities and services. The Army is working to award nine ESPCs and
    UESCs totaling $338 million in fiscal year 2025. For fiscal year 2026
    and fiscal year 2027, the Army hopes to award another 22 contracts with
    $570 million in private investment. Resilience enhancements remain a
    focus for ESPCs and UESCs, including a planned natural gas pipeline
    providing 16 megawatts of power generation at Fort Irwin and numerous
    industrial equipment upgrades to improve operational efficiency at
    Anniston Army Depot. The Army's 160 IGSAs include agreements for
    environmental services, waste management, and dozens of other community
    partnerships. Going forward, we intend to increase our use of ESPCs,
    UESCs, and IGSAs to reduce the long-term costs of our installations.
                                historic housing
        The Army thanks Congress for its assistance in streamlining the
    management of our historic housing inventory, which encompasses over
    30,000 homes, and ensuring compliance with the National Historic
    Preservation Act (NHPA). Army installations and privatized housing
    partners may now implement management actions on the inventory of
    historic housing without further NHPA requirements. The Military
    Housing Association recommends other services look at the Army's
    successful programmatic approach to address their challenges in
    managing historic homes.
        A few examples of the effectiveness of the Army's programmatic
    approach include $14 million in savings at Fort Leavenworth, $5 million
    saved replacing historic windows at Fort Belvoir, and over $2 million
    saved in roof replacements on historic homes at Fort Bliss. These
    savings and those from other renovations can be applied to current and
    future housing projects.
                    environmental compliance and remediation
        The Army remains committed to addressing environmental remediation
    issues and protecting the environment from unnecessary contamination.
    The Army continues to look for ways to modernize environmental
    compliance and looks forward to working with Congress to address the
    growing costs of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
    (NEPA).
        The Army recognizes that exposure to certain levels of per-and
    polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose a risk to our warfighters and
    surrounding communities. The Army acknowledges that the U.S.
    Environmental Protection Agency has established maximum contaminant
    levels for PFASPFOA in drinking water and the Army will continue to
    prioritize actions to address drinking water wells impacted with
    impacts from its releases in a transparent and systematic manner.
        The Army has been proactive in addressing PFAS releases on-and off-
    installation, including the adoption of a risk-based approach to
    prioritize actions at sites with higher PFAS levels first. This ``worst
    first'' approach is consistent with OSD guidance. The Army follows the
    Federal cleanup process to investigate and assess if remedial actions
    are needed. Of the 345 installations where PFAS may have been stored,
    used or released, 235 installations are moving to the next, more-
    intensive level of investigation. Efforts to transition vehicles and
    facilities from aqueous film-forming foam to fluorine-free alternatives
    continue to be implemented across the Army to decrease PFAS exposure.
                                   conclusion
        Providing safe, reliable, and high-quality installations for
    soldiers, families, civilians, and defense communities is critical to
    ensuring the Army can remain adaptable to mission requirements around
    the world. To maximize installation support of the Army's lethality, we
    must continually evolve facility investment programs to support
    efficient and modern installation management. This requires the Army to
    continue investing in quality of life and the resiliency of our
    installations and services.

        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Dr. Waksman. Next, Ms. Johnson
    Turner.

       STATEMENT OF MS. BRENDA M. JOHNSON-TURNER, PERFORMING THE
         DUTIES OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY FOR ENERGY,
                     INSTALLATIONS AND ENVIRONMENT

        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Good afternoon, Chairman Sullivan,
    Ranking Member Hirono, and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank
    you for the invitation to speak with you today on the
    Department of Navy's Energy Installations and Environment
    Portfolio.
        Our marines, sailors and dedicated civilians serve with
    urgency to defend, project peace through strength and when
    needed defeat our enemies. This portfolio provides direct
    support to the warfighters and their families and it's
    foundational to all that we do. We appreciate your support for
    the resources required to train like we fight and win
    decisively.
        Warfighting excellence starts on our installations, our
    power projection platforms. The resilience of our installations
    is paramount and I remain deeply committed to ensure that we
    provide the infrastructure to support our sailors, marines,
    civilians, and all of our critical missions.
        Unfortunately, much of our aging infrastructure is not in
    good condition. As an institution, we have allowed these assets
    to degrade over time. The average age of our infrastructure is
    over 50 years old and beyond its useful life. However, we have
    expanded the planning horizons to ensure that the important
    investments we make at our installations have the greatest
    impact.
        In a similar fashion, the Navy continues to make
    significant investments in the Shipyard Infrastructure
    Optimization Program to improve submarine aircraft carrier
    nuclear maintenance at the Navy's four public shipyards. With
    40 projects completed to date, we are already seeing the return
    on investment with increased nuclear maintenance throughput so
    that our aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines can get back
    in the fight on time.
        The housing portfolio, we know our marines and sailors are
    better fighters if they know that their families are living in
    safe quality housing. Our housing portfolio must meet
    appropriate life health and safety requirements to provide a
    positive living experience for our servicemembers and our
    families.
        For our barracks, the Marine Corps remains committed to The
    Barracks 2030 plan. Over the past 24 months, the marines have
    initiated repairs and renovations at 23 barracks. In the past 3
    years, the Navy has renovated 14 barracks that improves the
    quality of life for our sailors. With the planned expansion of
    the public private venture projects for both the Hampton Roads
    and San Diego regions, we will provide an additional 11,000
    beds.
        The results are very clear, expanding Public-Private
    Venture (PPV) across the un account housing portfolio increases
    quality of life. We continue to be thankful to Congress for the
    authorities provided to get after our infrastructure
    challenges. We are reviewing our critical infrastructure to
    fully address the gaps in modernization and recapitalization,
    and addressing the challenges and threats to infrastructure.
        Our work inside the fence line is important to serving as
    good defense community partners outside the fence line. We will
    continue to partner with communities and utility providers to
    decrease vulnerabilities. The Department of the Navy is also
    examining military construction improvements and alternative
    construction material to deliver resources to the warfighter
    faster.
        In addition, the Department continues to make progress on
    completing environmental cleanups and remains focused on
    chemicals of emerging concern like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl
    Substances (PFAS). All in all, these tangible improvements are
    necessary to ensure the long-term strength and readiness of our
    force but we have more work to do.
        We appreciate Congress's continued support, and I look
    forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Brenda Johnson-Turner
    follows:]

                Prepared Statement by Ms. Brenda Johnson-Turner
                                  introduction
        Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished members
    of the Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee, thank you for the
    opportunity to testify on the Department of the Navy's (DON) Energy,
    Installations and Environment portfolio. We continue to invest in
    critical readiness enablers, which is foundational to making sure that
    the DON remains the most formidable maritime force the world has ever
    known--for the next 250 years and beyond.
                         department of navy priorities
        Secretary Phelan has set forth three focus areas that will guide
    the vision for the United States Navy and Marine Corps: 1-Strengthen
    Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base; 2-Foster an Adaptive,
    Accountable and Innovative Warfighter Culture; and 3-The Health,
    Welfare and Training of Our People and Their Families. These three
    priorities will steer the DON and shape the future of our fleet and
    force. As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our
    Navy and Marine Corps later this year, our focus will be on maritime
    warfighting dominance far into the future.
        In my capacity in Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of
    the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, I fully support
    both the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy's guidance
    by delivering critical readiness enablers by, with and through our 95
    Navy and Marine Corps installations, our power projection platforms on
    the shore. We long for peace, but we must prepare for war.
    Critical Infrastructure
        Navy and Marine Corps installations are power projection platforms
    from which naval forces train, deploy, and maintain forward presence to
    enable geographic Combatant Commanders to meet operational
    requirements. The DON continues to review our critical infrastructure
    to fully address the gaps in modernization and recapitalization.
    Through the DON's Critical Infrastructure Synchronization Forum, we
    continue to work through the challenges of infrastructure resilience,
    and to address the threats to infrastructure in support of critical
    mission.
        Recapitalization of our infrastructure and demolition of excess,
    failing infrastructure will ensure that our forces, systems, and
    facilities can continue to operate in the future fight. The DON will
    continue to address vulnerabilities, but also to restore and sustain
    core utility infrastructure including water and electricity grid
    protection from cyber threats.
    Military Construction
        The Secretary of Defense has issued a clear directive to focus on
    eliminating waste and duplication to ensure the Department can focus on
    its core mission of defending the Nation. To improve the readiness and
    lethality of our Warfighters, the DON is in full support of a Deputy
    Secretary of Defense directed effort to conduct a 60-day review of the
    Department's Military Construction (MILCON) and Facility, Sustainment,
    Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) programs.
        We will continue to invest in new platforms, technologies and
    infrastructure that will add capability for our forces and address
    maintenance requirements in order to meet readiness requirements.
    Examples of military construction projects that are building a more
    lethal force include:
          Weapons Magazines at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown
          Network Modernization at Pacific Missile Range Facility
    in Hawai'i
          Aircraft Development and Maintenance Facilities at Naval
    Air Station Patuxent River
          Maintenance Facility and Marine Air Group Headquarters at
    Cherry Point
          Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Cherry Point
          Communications Towers at Twenty-Nine Palms
        We recognize that infrastructure in support of critical missions at
    installations goes beyond piers, hangars, runways, training and support
    facilities where our teammates work, train and live. It is also the
    energy, water and utility systems that serve as the backbone of our
    operations. We continue to invest in new electrical infrastructure to
    increase resilience and warfighting readiness. The MILCON program also
    includes projects that enable forward-deployed naval forces. One
    example in Guam is the repair of the ocean facing Glass Breakwater.
    This repair project will provide protection for the base piers,
    anchorages and the main commercial supply port for this strategic
    location in the Indo-Pacific region. In Nevada, the procurement of
    additional land to support the Fallon Range Training Complex
    Modernization remains a Department priority and we have acquired six
    parcels to date.
        We will continue to enhance the resilience of our installations by
    replacing and updating inventory, utilities and facilities using every
    program and tool available, but we will focus on actions that enhance
    lethality and operational resilience of our marines and sailors.
    Facilities Sustainment, Restoration & Modernization Investments
        The Navy budget request targets key shore capability areas such as
    utility systems, Unaccompanied Housing, airfield operations, waterfront
    operations, depot maintenance, and ordnance facilities, as well as
    continued demolition funding to address excess facility footprint. The
    request also increases sustainment funding to 100 percent of the
    modeled requirement for Nuclear Deterrence Facilities, infrastructure
    in support of Navy C5ISR missions related to Naval Operational
    Architecture, Unaccompanied Housing, and fitness centers. The Marine
    Corps budget request continues efforts to eliminate poor and failing
    facilities and improve Quality of Life through Force Design 2030
    initiatives. We acknowledge the Congress's focus for additional
    investment in our facilities by establishing minimum FSRM requirements
    in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The DON intends
    to focus increased investment in all sources of spending on FSRM while
    simultaneously placing emphasis on the demolition of excess facilities
    and ensuring MILCON requirements are clearly aligned to operational
    requirements.
        Navy shore infrastructure is a critical enabler for fleet
    operations in support of national security.
    Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program
        To keep our Nuclear Fleet ready, we continue to modernize our four
    public shipyards through the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization
    Program (SIOP). As we acquire the nuclear submarines and aircraft
    carriers we need today and invest in the development of the next
    generation of platforms and capabilities for the future fight, we will
    require consistent investments in the infrastructure that enables these
    platforms, and we appreciate Congress' shared focus on this national
    security priority.
        As the Navy executes its largest-ever facility projects through
    SIOP, we continue to build collaborative relationships, set more
    realistic schedules, develop better forecasting tools and ensure that
    resources are allocated efficiently. With a concerted team effort
    between the DON and industry, we will streamline construction
    timelines, improve workforce readiness and maintain the operational
    superiority of our fleet.
    Authorities and Acquisition
        Across the DON team, we continue to prioritize increased use of our
    Title 10 authorities in real eState, energy, Intergovernmental Support
    Agreements and Other Transaction Authorities to solve installation
    infrastructure challenges outside traditional MILCON and FSRM funding.
    In the real eState portfolio, we continue to examine 10 U.S.C.
    Sec. 2809 (Long-term Facilities Contracts for Certain Activities and
    Services) and Sec. 2812 (Lease-Purchase of Facilities), to identify
    opportunities to improve our facilities. We are working with OSD to
    examine scoring requirements so that we can find projects that align to
    the maximal solution needed to exercise these authorities. One
    initiative currently underway combines multiple authorities for a new
    75-acre aviation maintenance complex between Fleet Readiness Center
    East and North Carolina Global TransPark. The initiative, an innovative
    partnership, is the first of its kind within the Department of Defense.
    Leaders anticipate it will offer economic growth opportunities in the
    Eastern North Carolina area and save millions of taxpayer dollars that
    fund military aircraft maintenance.
    Good Defense Community Partners
        The DON serves in defense communities in 95 locations around the
    globe. We recognize the need to be good community partners and work
    with both our civic and business leaders to improve the resilience of
    our military installations inside and outside the fence line. These
    partnerships promote the value of military installations and strengthen
    communities through collaborative planning and implementation in
    support of America's military. Our marines and sailors are better
    warfighters when they know that their families are living in safe,
    resilient communities.
        Our strong Environment & Mission Readiness program supports
    operational requirements and mission schedules in areas such as
    critical infrastructure recapitalization, force laydown, platform home-
    basing, range modernization, warfare training and weapons system
    testing. The program will also continue environmental restoration on
    installations, most notably the ongoing response following fuel
    releases at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawai'i. On Per-
    and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) response, as part of
    comprehensive Department of Defense-wide efforts, the DON response to
    address our historical releases of PFAS to the environment protects the
    health and welfare of our servicemembers and civilians, their families
    and the surrounding defense communities.
    Indo-Pacific Region
        We remain steadfast in our commitment to the government and
    citizens of the territory of Guam. We face an unprecedented pace of our
    mission growth on Guam. Infrastructure and facilities are required to
    support the expansion of our on-island infrastructure footprint. We
    greatly appreciate Congress' approval of an extension of the H2B visa
    program through 2029 and look forward to working with the Office of the
    Secretary Defense and the other services to further extend the visa
    program to meet construction requirements. Further extension of the H2B
    visa authority will ensure cost stability in construction contract bids
    for critical infrastructure projects on Guam. Ensuring new
    infrastructure is delivered on time and within costs will be a critical
    enabler to re-reestablishing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
        We remain committed to working with our government partners and
    stakeholders in Guam, as well as our partners across the DOD, to ensure
    the success of the transition of our personnel. We appreciate this
    committee's support as we carry out this process in a manner that will
    enhance the readiness of our forces throughout the region.
        The relationship between the DON and the State of Hawai`i has been
    a critical piece of U.S. military and diplomatic strategy for over 125
    years. Hawai`i's strategic location in the Pacific, unique training and
    port areas and support for critical defense missions make it a
    cornerstone of the DON's posture in the Indo-Pacific region. In support
    of this indispensable defense mission, the DON leases land, primarily
    adjacent to U.S.-owned installations, that provides ideal locations for
    specialized defense capabilities, multi-domain operating areas to
    generate future force readiness and training ranges that our Joint
    Force leverages with allies and partners. Mission ready and modernized
    ranges are essential to the Department's mission to organize, train,
    and equip combat ready naval forces to deter and win wars.
        The DON will continue to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to
    collaboration and transparency with our partners in Hawai'i, and work
    closely with the Department of Defense Hawai`i Coordination Cell, to
    enhance our collaboration with the people of Hawai`i to protect and
    preserve the Hawaiian lands on which we operate.
    Housing for our Sailors, Marines and Families
        Protecting the health and safety of our sailors, marines and their
    families contributes to warfighter readiness. We are focused on the
    early identification and resolution of family housing issues, as well
    as improving processes and oversight of our residents' experiences. The
    Navy is coordinating with the Public Private Venture partner in the
    Southeast region, with a keen focus on Key West, Florida, to improve
    the overall condition of the homes to meet quality living standards for
    our Navy families. For Unaccompanied Housing (UH), we are focusing on
    facilities improvement, professional management and resident
    satisfaction.
        To address the UH conditions and shortages, the DON is reviewing
    our inventory to inform how we optimize MILCON projects and
    privatization initiatives. Both the Navy and Marine Corps utilize
    models to make data informed decisions on facility investments. The
    Marine Corps continues to use the Capital Planning Tool (formerly the
    Readiness Maximization Tool) to leverage a tiered and targeted approach
    to facility lifecycle management. This tool enabled the reduction of
    footprint while prioritizing investments where they will have the most
    impact.
        We continue to work with sister services and the Office of the
    Secretary of Defense on implementation of the NDAA and recent
    Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations. The Navy
    continues to implement the Forging Communities of Excellence initiative
    which includes three distinct lines of effort on facilities
    improvement, workforce development and quality of life. In addition,
    the Secretary of the Navy has directed all Navy Region Commanders to
    conduct a 100 percent barracks inspection to assess living conditions
    for all Navy sailors worldwide. I look forward to sharing the
    inspection results with you. The Marine Corps' Barracks 2030 initiative
    lays out an ambitious plan to improve the Marine Corps management of
    barracks, modernize the inventory and update the refresh rate of
    materiel. The Marine Corps completed a 100 percent wall-to-wall
    environmental, health and safety inspection of every barracks room to
    establish the baseline conditions of habitability. The deficiencies
    found were in line with the September 2023 GAO report and underscores
    the importance of swift resolution of maintenance actions.
    Military Housing Privatization Initiative Family Housing
        For the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, we are
    reinforcing DON oversight and exercising active leadership to ensure
    that the families who live in privatized housing have the tools and
    support they need. Starting with the Fiscal Year 2020 NDAA, the DON
    housing team implemented many oversight and Quality of Life (QoL)
    initiatives including full implementation of the Tenant Bill of Rights,
    universal lease, completion of the third-party inspection of homes,
    increased resident advocates and home inspectors, and other NDAA and
    audit recommendations. We continue to improve on the tools to perform
    better analyses of our processes, policies and the overall program to
    ensure higher levels of service and satisfaction for our sailors,
    marines and their families.
    Government-Owned Family Housing
        The DON's government-controlled inventory of over 8,500 homes is
    primarily located in locations, such as Japan, Guam and Cuba, and a few
    locations in the United States. The DON continues to fund the
    operations, oversight and sustainment, and modernization of these homes
    while focusing on the growing housing requirement in Guam. We have seen
    the efforts and self-improvement techniques, which include increased
    communication with the servicemembers, their families and third-party
    inspectors that are utilized in privatized housing, enhance government-
    owned housing oversight and servicemember engagement.
    Unaccompanied Housing
        UH supports Navy and Marine Corps Readiness by providing eligible
    single sailors and marines with housing and related services in support
    of the DON's mission and readiness. The DON is using targeted
    investments and policy changes to improve the condition of inadequate
    UH and identification of a sustainable, optimized UH program to ensure
    safe and reliable housing for all sailors and marines. The DON's
    current government-owned UH inventory consists of approximately 108,611
    bedrooms in 1,343 UH buildings throughout the DON's installations. In
    2024, the Navy's Restoration and Modernization investments yielded an
    overall improvement of 1,011 beds, eliminating 451 inadequate beds. In
    2024, the Marine Corps repaired or renovated 11 barracks that provide
    housing for approximately 4,200 marines. The objective is clear: to
    provide safe, healthy, and professionally managed living quarters that
    allow marines to rest and recover after demanding training or
    operational deployments. At the end of fiscal year 2024, 79 percent of
    Navy UH and 83 percent of Marine Corps UH have a Building Condition
    Index evaluated as adequate. We have utilized all tools to improve the
    remainder of our inventory, to include the expansion of the QR code
    maintenance reporting program to expedite maintenance actions. The Navy
    and Marine Corps anticipate increased investment in the UH program.
        The two pilot program projects to privatize UH have significantly
    increased QoL for our sailors and marines. The first pilot project in
    San Diego which consists of 2,398 beds, was privatized in 2006 and
    continues to score the highest of all privatized efforts inside the
    DON's privatized housing portfolio. The second privatized UH project
    was established in 2007 in the Hampton Roads fleet concentration area,
    consisting of 3,682 beds, and is also a QoL success. The GAO report on
    Military Unaccompanied Housing noted that servicemembers living in
    privatized barracks consistently stated that they were satisfied with
    the condition of their housing, which led to an improvement in QoL. The
    Navy is working on expansions for our two locations that utilized the
    pilot authority for additional privatized UH in San Diego and Norfolk.
        To further the DON's effort to address shortages of covered
    military unaccompanied housing, we are actively developing a strategy
    to use authorities to lease, operate, maintain, or otherwise contract
    for real property. This strategy will provide installation leadership
    with options to select the appropriate approach that best meets the
    needs of their installation in a cost-effective and timely manner while
    maintaining mission readiness.
    Energy Dominance
        Energy dominance is vital to the security of our Nation and
    underpins the DON's ability to contribute to achieving ``Peace through
    Strength'' by ensuring naval forces have assured, continuous access to
    the necessary types and amounts of energy needed to maintain a global
    presence, deter adversaries, respond to crises, and, if necessary,
    fight and win our Nation's wars. From the installation to the
    battlefield, whether for facilities, weapons systems, or warfighting
    platforms, the DON Energy and Water Program supports rebuilding our
    military and reestablishing deterrence by driving installation and
    operational theater vulnerability assessments and capability
    advancements to enhance requirements development which overmatch
    evolving threats.
        The DON invests in shore energy and water initiatives to ensure
    that our installations remain the power projection platforms from which
    we man, train and equip our sailors and marines and that installations
    are resilient to a broad spectrum of threats. Using acquisition
    authorities like energy savings performance contracts and power
    purchase agreements allows the DON to achieve energy and water
    efficiencies and create power generation and storage. Security and
    resilience solutions pursued by the Navy and Marine Corps directly
    support the objective of the President's Executive Order 14156,
    Declaring a National Energy Emergency, directive to collaborate across
    government and with industry to deliver and expedite the completion of
    critical energy infrastructure and drive improvements to the DON's
    aging utility systems, facilities and building control systems for
    improved cybersecurity, physical hardening and reduced sustainment
    costs. The DON collaborates with local communities, industry, and other
    government entities to identify and implement regional resilience and
    security solutions, which are tested through Black Start Exercises and
    joint resilience planning efforts that look inside and outside the
    fence line to inform what is needed to harden our critical
    infrastructure. In addition, the DON has privatized water utilities at
    Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Naval Station Mayport and began the
    process to solicit privatization of the electrical system at Norfolk
    Naval Shipyard. The DON recognizes and appreciates the infrastructure
    sustainment, supply chain and military resilience benefits of engaging
    with the utility industry to ensure consistent, reliable, high-quality
    energy and water for warfighter requirements.
        It is imperative to harden our defense critical utilities
    infrastructure and to mitigate vulnerabilities in our facility related
    control systems to prevent the weaponization of our utilities. These
    efforts seek to prevent and mitigate attempts by our adversaries from
    exploiting our utility and building systems, ensuring these systems are
    cybersecure and available to drive toward improved mission readiness
    and warfighter capability. The DON has invested in energy resilience
    technologies such as cyber-secure microgrids and other technologies
    that are already available in the United States., thereby reducing our
    reliance on vulnerable or adversarial foreign supply chains.
        The DON's ability to fight and win is dependent upon reliable
    access to energy when, where, and in the quantities required.
    Operational energy investments expand energy generation, storage and
    use options to provide agility to the warfighter while operating in all
    domains supporting the operational requirements of Contested Logistics,
    Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and Distributed Maritime
    Operations. To increase warfighting capability without increasing fuel
    availability demands, the DON is working with the whole of government
    on safe and standard advanced batteries that cut across domains and
    warfighting functions, which will enable directed energy and long-
    dwell/long-duration unmanned systems, and reduce logistics demands and
    weapons systems' sensing signatures.
                                   conclusion
        Thank you for your steadfast commitment to our sailors, marines,
    civilians and their families and for your purposeful focus on our
    upcoming budget request. I look forward to our continued partnership as
    we work together to ensure the Navy and Marine Corps remain the most
    formidable maritime fighting force in the world.

        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Ms. Johnson-Turner. Mr.
    Saunders, you're next.

        STATEMENT OF MR. MICHAEL E. SAUNDERS, ACTING ASSISTANT
       SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATIONS AND
                              ENVIRONMENT

        Mr. Saunders. Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and
    distinguished Members of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee
    on Readiness and Management Support, on behalf of the
    Department of the Air Force (DAF), and the nearly 645,000
    Active and Reserved component airmen and guardians, thank you
    for the opportunity to testify before you today. I welcome the
    occasion to discuss the Department's fiscal year 2026 budget
    request for our energy installations and environment programs.
        Our partnership with this Subcommittee has been
    foundational to ensuring that we maximize the lethality and
    warfighting capability of our 177 DAF installations across the
    globe. One of our top priorities for the DAF is the quality of
    life of our airmen, guardians, and their families. Therefore,
    we focus our investment and innovation on our housing,
    dormitories, and child development centers.
        To this end, we have initiated our first ever commercial on
    base apartment complex at Edwards Air Force Base and are
    seeking to privatize our Continental United States (CONUS)
    lodging in order to modernize and ensure robust sustainment.
    We're also implementing Wi-Fi for servicemembers in our
    unaccompanied housing. In addition to quality of life, the
    health and safety of our servicemembers, their families and the
    surrounding communities remain among our highest priorities.
        As such, the DAF remains committed to fulfilling our PFAS
    related cleanup responsibilities in accordance with the Federal
    law, implementing the new PFAS drinking water standard and
    promoting transparent collaboration and engagement with
    surrounding communities. Today, the DAF is undeniably focused
    on ensuring our installations are ready to support air and
    space operations in an era where China is expanding,
    modernizing, and diversifying its entire military.
        As power projection platforms, the readiness of the
    Department of the Air Force's Installations is critical to our
    national security. The DAFs Installation in Infrastructure
    Action plan or I2AP, is the guiding revitalization of our
    installations to ensure the Air Force and Space Force can
    deliver combat power with the necessary speed, range, and
    intensity to deter adversaries.
        The I2AP sets clear objectives, goals, and key actions to
    align installations with critical mission capabilities,
    optimize vital infrastructure, and maximize mission assurance.
    We appreciate the Subcommittee's support for improving our
    infrastructure with the National Defense Authorization Act
    (NDAA) budget provision on FSRM. This will greatly improve our
    facility conditions. However, we will struggle to meet this
    budget requirement in full without first optimizing our
    inventory. Sustaining the associated excess infrastructure
    forces us to invest critical dollars in areas that do not
    directly contribute to warfighting and contributes to
    significant backlogs and maintenance and repair.
        Therefore, we're increasing demolition and freeing up
    scarce resources by pursuing several innovative approaches such
    as expanding the use of enhanced use leases, strategic real
    eState opportunities, and developing city base opportunities.
    To that end this week, my team is in Massachusetts working with
    the State, local and installation leaders to explore
    opportunities at Hanscom Air Force Base.
        To achieve peace through strength, we must also ensure our
    installations can remain resilient through disruptions,
    reducing our reliance on vulnerable energy sources and rapidly
    fielding emerging technologies is essential to defending the
    homeland and strengthening deterrence. The DAF continues to
    pursue microgrids and utilize third party financing and
    innovative partnerships to modernize and improve resiliency.
        We're also steadfast in our pursuit of commercial micro
    reactor technology to include a recent announcement of a notice
    of intent to award a power purchase agreement at Eielson Air
    Force Base in Alaska. In closing, the DAF is committed to
    ensuring our installations provide the Nation with the
    warfighting capability it needs to deter our adversaries and to
    provide or providing high quality of life for our airmen,
    guardians, and their families to ensure we maintain a lethal
    and combat credible force.
        Thank you for your continued support of our airmen and
    guardians and I look forward to taking your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Michael E. Saunders
    follows:]

                 Prepared Statement by Mr. Michael E. Saunders
                                  introduction
        Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished Members
    of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide you with
    an update on Department of the Air Force (DAF) energy, installations,
    and environment programs.
        Today, our Nation finds itself in a strategic competition with our
    adversary China. The People's Liberation Army is expanding,
    modernizing, and diversifying its entire military--including cyber,
    space, and nuclear forces--at a rapid pace to support revisionist goals
    and objectives. These developments pose unique and fundamentally new
    challenges for deterrence, and while conflict is certainly not
    inevitable, the risk of military confrontation is increased in this
    environment. This new strategic environment demands that we rebuild the
    lethal and ready force to provide the warfighting capability our Nation
    needs to compete and win.
        To that end, the DAF's Installation Infrastructure Action Plan
    (I2AP) is re-optimizing our installations to ensure the Air Force and
    Space Force can deliver combat power with the necessary speed, range,
    and intensity to deter adversaries and win decisively, if needed.
    Throughout every stage of conflict, our installations serve as
    warfighting platforms and provide the bedrock for our readiness and
    lethality. They also address quality-of-life needs of our airmen and
    guardians while maintaining readiness to respond swiftly to mission
    needs, even in the face of attack. Indeed, the ability of our
    installation to fight through these challenges and quickly recover is
    critical to success. Our airmen and guardians depend on ready and
    resilient infrastructure, reliable on-demand energy, and safe
    environments to defend the homeland and deter our adversaries--and we
    are committed to providing them with nothing less.
                   installation infrastructure and readiness
        The DAF relies on its Military Construction (MILCON) and
    Facilities, Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) programs
    to provide ready and resilient installations. Yet, solely relying on
    direct investment at the currently budgeted levels is insufficient to
    reverse the longstanding trend of deteriorating facilities and failing
    infrastructure. Our installation portfolio of 177 installations, 69,000
    facilities, and 183 million square yards of airfield pavement and is
    not sized to optimize the vital infrastructure of the current force
    structure.
        Therefore, the DAF is re-optimizing its Air and Space Forces,
    including installations, to match the pacing threat while focusing on
    the Department of Defense's priorities to revive the warrior ethos,
    rebuild the military, and reestablish deterrence. However,
    approximately two decades of assuming risk in infrastructure
    investment, coupled with the burden of excess infrastructure, has led
    to a backlog of maintenance and repair requirements and degraded
    infrastructure. The Department's I2AP works to mitigate these
    challenges by setting clear objectives, goals, and key actions to align
    installations with critical mission capabilities; optimize vital
    infrastructure; and maximize mission assurance.
        To achieve these objectives, the Department is instituting data-
    driven, proactive policies and streamlining processes. Examples include
    policies that centralize enterprise funding, focus on the most critical
    infrastructure, and prevent expenditures on unauthorized or excess
    facility spaces. The Department is also working to reduce costs to
    operate and sustain infrastructure through innovative cost-sharing and
    strategic Plant Replacement Value reduction initiatives. These
    initiatives include the potential transfer of portions of installations
    to other government or commercial entities and expanding utility
    privatization where data shows it would reduce outages and improve
    utility system conditions. This strategic framework will guide
    investments toward modernizing mission critical infrastructure,
    enhancing resiliency, and curtailing longterm operating and sustainment
    costs.
    Excess Infrastructure
        The DAF currently carries significant excess infrastructure along
    with a $49.5 billion maintenance and repair backlog that continues to
    grow. Since 1990, the Department has reduced in size considerably,
    including a nearly 40 percent reduction in Active Duty end strength and
    a 60 percent reduction in fighter squadrons, but it has only reduced
    its CONUS footprint by 15 percent. Moreover, roughly half of all
    infrastructure across the DAF is currently in a moderate or high-risk
    condition. While the DAF has prioritized its resources to keep critical
    mission generating infrastructure (e.g., runways) in good working
    order, such prioritization has come at the expense of our supporting
    infrastructure. For example, over 70 percent of utility infrastructure
    on DAF bases in the Indo-Pacific are in a high-risk condition. This
    problem is exacerbated by the highly corrosive tropical or arctic
    environments of many facility locations and by limited skilled local
    labor in others. Meanwhile, our buying power has eroded, with
    construction costs rising roughly 50 percent in the last 10 years and
    far outpacing the annual inflation rate.
        The DAF acknowledges the section 2680 in the National Defense
    Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 requirement to fund
    infrastructure investment at 4 percent of plant replacement value by
    fiscal year 2030. This will help us restore facility condition to
    acceptable levels, but we will struggle to meet this requirement in
    full without optimizing our inventory.
        Despite these challenges, we are aggressively moving forward with
    our I2AP, which employs innovative approaches, leverages third party
    investment, and prioritizes resources to the most critical warfighting
    needs while driving down the cost to deliver and operate our
    installations. This includes solutions such as Enhanced Use Leases,
    Strategic Real EState Opportunities, and Intergovernmental Support
    Agreements (IGSAs) that enable the DAF to partner externally with
    industry, communities, and other agencies for mutual benefits. These
    solutions also help us identify where we can transfer portions of our
    installations as a means of reducing our infrastructure sustainment
    costs.
        For example, 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) converted
    Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts from a Fighter Wing to an
    Intelligence Wing in 2008. In 2025, we are finally optimizing the base
    to meet its current mission. When divestment of excess land is
    complete, it will represent approximately 90 percent decrease in
    acreage.
        We are also increasing our annual demolition investments, targeting
    the removal of excess and severely degraded infrastructure. Moreover,
    the Department recently instituted a policy requiring all new
    construction and actions that result in adding square footage to our
    real property inventory to be offset with equivalent demolition or
    disposal in order to limit footprint growth and the associated
    sustainment responsibility.
    Military Construction
        The Department seeks to execute MILCON investment to support the
    Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance priorities by focusing on
    preparing our installations as warfighting platforms and deterring our
    sole pacing adversary.
        A significant focus of our MILCON program is to support the bed
    down of new weapon systems to rebuild the military and reestablish
    strategic deterrence. Programs like the Sentinel Ground Based Strategic
    Deterrent and the B-21 Raider recapitalize two thirds of the Nation's
    nuclear triad and ensure we maintain a credible and capable nuclear
    deterrent capability. Our program also supports Combatant Commanders,
    with a focus on Indo-Pacific Command, and their most critical
    requirements to build a more lethal and ready force. Finally, our
    program seeks to recapitalize current mission facilities that have
    outlived their useful life or no longer meet mission requirements. We
    are also working to enhance quality-of-life for our servicemembers and
    their families with new Child Development Centers and dormitories.
        Additionally, the Department seeks to leverage innovative
    approaches within our MILCON program to maximize taxpayer dollars and
    the Department's ability to deliver combat power. We are utilizing
    Other Transactional Authority provided by Congress to pilot innovative
    construction techniques and project delivery constructs. The on-going
    $3 billion rebuild of Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida,
    incorporates lessons learned from the storm which destroyed it and
    novel approaches to installation planning and construction. This
    Installation of the Future will be resilient, efficient, and innovative
    and will serve as a model for future construction.
    Facility Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization
        DAF analysis reveals that the current budget can sustain
    approximately 65 percent of the enterprise. The balance of the
    infrastructure is equivalent to approximately 19 installations, further
    evidence that existing infrastructure investments are spread too thin
    to effectively maintain the DAF enterprise. Maintenance and repair
    funding levels have not kept pace with the rising cost of construction,
    leading to compounding sustainment costs, widespread degradation, and
    increases in infrastructure issues that adversely impact mission
    execution. Aging facilities and antiquated control systems further
    compound these threats, making installations vulnerable to adversaries
    and placing mission generation at risk.
        To mitigate this, the I2AP guides DAF FSRM program investment to
    address the facilities and infrastructure that are most critical for
    generating warfighting capability, while also improving quality-of-life
    initiatives for our airmen, guardians, and their families.
        Sustained progress requires a long-term vision. The minimum FSRM
    funding thresholds established in the fiscal year 2025 NDAA, ramping to
    4 percent of the Plant Replacement Value by fiscal year 2030, are not
    merely about maintaining the status quo--they represent critical and
    strategic investments for reversing years of accumulated infrastructure
    degradation and reducing the substantial deferred maintenance and
    repair backlog. This will help us restore facility conditions--but
    these investments must be applied to an optimized portfolio to ensure
    they enable our installations to remain ready, resilient, and credible
    warfighting platforms that our national security demands.
    Spaceport of the Future
        Our Spaceport of the Future (SOTF) program is an all-encompassing
    initiative where the Space Force is taking a comprehensive approach to
    look at all factors contributing to range costs and launch throughput.
    SOTF focuses investments into our aging launch infrastructure to ensure
    the DOD's ability to provide world-class launch capability to public
    and commercial partners. These investments are necessary to preserve
    and advance national security interests and reestablish deterrence with
    capacity to support launch and test operations on demand.
    Sentinel Program
        The Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), first
    deployed in 1970, is the world's oldest land-based strategic missile
    system and must be recapitalized to provide the Nation a safe, secure,
    and reliable nuclear deterrent capability. The Sentinel program
    recapitalizes 450 missile launch facilities across multiple states and
    upgrades command and maintenance infrastructure to ensure operational
    readiness through at least 2075. Following the Office of the Secretary
    of Defense's thorough review and certification of the program, the
    Sentinel program is moving ahead. The DAF is continuing requirements
    definition, assessment of acquisition strategies, exploration of the
    design trade space, and seeking ways to generate competition to drive
    cost and schedule risk down. Notably, the program office recently
    decided to minimize risk by pursuing the construction of new silos
    instead of reusing the existing silos.
    Installation Resilience
        DAF installations, both enduring and expeditionary, are warfighting
    platforms from which the DAF successfully executes its core missions.
    DAF installations are the foundation of combat readiness and must be
    capable of supporting the lethality and readiness of the force.
    Strengthening installation resilience, reducing reliance on vulnerable
    energy sources, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies are
    essential to defending the homeland and sustaining deterrence.
        The DAF is utilizing third-party financing and innovative
    partnerships with industry that modernize our utilities and drastically
    reduce system outages at our bases. We are also continuously reviewing
    our utility privatization portfolio to enhance resilience across our
    installations. The DAF has privatized 25 percent of our utility systems
    and continues to explore the viability, costs, and benefits of
    additional systems at several bases. These vital investments deliver
    improved utility infrastructure, reliable systems with redundancy for
    emergency preparedness, and greater installation energy resiliency.
    Energy and Water Resilient Infrastructure
        In line with recent Executive Orders on Unleashing American Energy
    and Declaring a National Energy Emergency, the DAF is focused on
    maintaining national security and military preparedness by ensuring
    reliable, diversified, and affordable energy at every one of our
    installations.
        Our vision of ``Mission Assurance through Energy and Water
    Assurance'' emphasizes sustainment of warfighting capabilities while
    optimizing resource use through enhanced planning, technology, and
    process improvements. We assess near and long-term energy and water
    requirements based on the installation's resiliency needs, cost
    considerations, and opportunities to leverage more reliable and
    abundant domestic sources.
        The DAF conducts Energy Resilience Readiness Exercises (ERREs),
    also known as ``black start exercises,'' to help installations assess
    mission readiness at degraded energy levels. During an ERRE, an
    installation intentionally disconnects from commercial power for 10
    hours to assess onsite backup power systems and validate (and in some
    cases, identify) infrastructure and mission interdependencies. This
    allows us to actively test key enabling systems under ``blue sky''
    conditions to identify gaps in energy and mission capabilities.
        Similarly, we are conducting the Water Resilience Readiness
    Exercises (WRRE) Pilot Program, an initiative designed to help
    installations assess water vulnerabilities and strengthen response
    strategies. WRREs will provide critical insights to shape enterprise-
    wide policies, ensuring all bases are better equipped to manage water
    risks. There are currently four installations in the pilot phase of the
    program, Dyess AFB in Texas, Hill AFB in Utah, and Cannon AFB and
    Kirtland AFB in New Mexico. Lessons learned from these installations
    will inform broader water resiliency efforts as we seek to reestablish
    deterrence and defend our homeland. The DAF is also pursuing innovative
    solutions to build energy-efficient and resilient systems for improved
    energy security and mission assurance. We are changing the overall DAF
    approach to future energy initiatives by exploring diversified energy
    opportunities such as advanced nuclear, geothermal, battery energy
    storage, installation microgrids, and other forms of onsite generation
    that enhance energy resilience. We continue to partner with the Defense
    Innovation Unit (DIU) to execute prototype agreements with non-
    traditional defense contractors as we explore the potential for onsite
    resilient baseload power via geothermal energy. One promising site is
    Mountain Home AFB in Idaho, and the potential for a second installation
    is being evaluated.
        At Eielson AFB in Alaska, the DAF continues to pioneer the first
    commercial application of a microreactor on DOD property, laying the
    groundwork for future advanced nuclear energy projects. Technologies
    such as small modular reactors and microreactors will help deliver more
    reliable and resilient energy to our installations. This increased
    resilience is particularly critical at strategic and austere locations
    such as Eielson AFB. In addition, we are partnered with DIU on their
    Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) project, which aims to
    put a micro-reactor on an Air Force location that is still being
    determined.
    Community Partnerships
        Community Partnerships are mission force multipliers that
    promulgate resources and information, reduce costs, increase
    interoperability, prepare for contingencies and disasters, and unify
    the civic-base community. The Air Force Community Partnership Program
    offers a framework through which installations and communities can work
    together in innovative ways to tackle shared challenges through shared
    solutions.
        Building on the successes of IGSAs under 10 USC Sec.  2679, the DAF
    implemented innovative applications of this authority to reduce overall
    operating costs. For instance, Air Force Materiel Command and the
    Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (AZDEMA) entered
    an IGSA to meet weapon system storage requirements for both new and
    existing acquisitions. This partnership leverages AZDEMA's manpower,
    equipment, time, and materials, and the DAF avoids the costs to
    construct, or upgrade, facilities.
        Additionally, Tinker AFB in Oklahoma partnered with the Association
    of Central Oklahoma Governments to enhance emergency 9-1-1 support.
    Through this IGSA, Tinker AFB gains access to the existing 9-1-1 system
    used throughout Central Oklahoma, avoiding the high costs associated
    with updating or replacing their current system, while also ensuring
    efficient response times and improved interoperability.
        Finally, Andersen AFB will enter its first IGSA with the Guam
    Department of Agriculture for stray animal management. This is the
    first DAF IGSA in a U.S. territory and the first where services are
    shared between the installation-community partners, rather than
    provided or received from the community partner to the installation.
    Andersen AFB provides manpower, equipment, and materials, and the
    GovGuam Department of Agriculture provides shelter, animal adoption
    services, neutering services, and village education events. This
    partnership is estimated to save approximately 320 hours for the pest
    management program by reducing the number of stray animals on the
    installation. It also serves as a model for future IGSAs across a range
    of DOD installation support services in Guam.
        The Defense Community Infrastructure Program is a competitive grant
    program designed to address deficiencies in community infrastructure
    that supports military installation readiness and lethality. Vibrant
    relationships between the DAF and our installation communities were
    instrumental to the Department of Defense awarding approximately half
    of the $100 million in grants awards in fiscal year 2024 to DAF
    communities. These awards include $13 million for March Air Reserve
    Base, California--Grantee: Western Municipal Water District of
    Riverside; $10.7 million for Peterson SFB, Colorado--Grantee: city of
    Colorado Springs; $5.3 million for United States Air Force Academy,
    Colorado--Grantee: Colorado Springs Utilities; $11.6 million for Grand
    Forks AFB, North Dakota--Grantee: Grand Forks County; and $8.9 million
    for Rickenbacker Air National Guard, Ohio--Grantee: Columbus Regional
    Airport Authority.
    Mission Sustainment
        The Air Force Mission Sustainment (AFMS) program applies a holistic
    approach and strategy to preserve mission capabilities at installations
    and ranges by identifying, assessing, and reporting risk and actions to
    reduce vulnerabilities. This effort is imperative to ensure DAF
    installations can generate maximum combat power and lethality without
    encroachments that negatively impact training, operations and the
    safety of the local population. To mitigate encroachment, the AFMS
    program works with DAF, other DOD installations and Office of the
    Secretary of Defense (OSD) to assess seven mission sustainment hazard
    categories: airspace, land/sea, spectrum, water, energy, weather, and
    natural/cultural resources.
        Our primary objective is to preserve and protect military readiness
    across the entire operating picture including airspace, ranges, missile
    fields, and community assets that directly support missions (e.g.
    community airports, small arms ranges, water/power sources, etc.). The
    DAF reviews proposed projects (199' above ground level or higher) filed
    with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), submitted for DOD
    review pre-filing, or submitted for DOD review from other Federal
    agencies.
        In 2024, the AFMS program managed the review of 90,343 proposed
    obstructions that were formally filed with the FAA. It also managed the
    review of ?500 Informal Review obstruction evaluation projects
    submitted for DOD pre-filing review from developers or other Federal
    agencies. We coordinated with the Military Aviation and Installation
    Assurance Siting Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse), Air Force Flight
    Standards Agency, other Services, and Federal Agencies to ensure that
    the proposed activities are compatible with DAF training, testing, and
    operations.
        Cumulative impacts of development continue to increase, causing
    significant concern for military training routes, special use airspace,
    radar lines of sight, and certain geographical areas. In response, the
    AFMS program has formed temporary Mitigation Response Teams (MRTs) with
    DOD, the Services, and project proponents to identify compatible
    development solutions to projects which pose impacts to Air Force
    testing, training, or operations. In 2024, the AFMS program established
    77 formal MRTs, including at least one MRT for each Major Command
    (MAJCOM), as well as for the North American Aerospace Defense Command,
    the Air National Guard, and the Space Force. The AFMS program managed
    the MRT review process, established MRTs through the Clearinghouse, and
    facilitated MRT meetings with units, MAJCOMs, Headquarters Air Force,
    project developers, and other stakeholders. Ultimately, the formal MRTs
    and Informal Reviews established in 2024 helped to protect DAF and DOD
    missions associated with hundreds of unique DOD assets, including
    airspace and ranges, airfields, missile fields, and radars.
        The AFMS program also leads DAF efforts in reviewing offshore
    projects, including providing responses to the Clearinghouse and the
    Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This on-going effort includes
    continued engagement and collaboration with developers, Department of
    Navy, and consultants.
              housing, dormitories, and child development centers
        Quality-of-life for our airmen and guardians and their families
    remains a top readiness priority for the DAF. We continue to focus
    investment and innovation on our housing, dormitories, and child
    development centers.
    Dormitories / Unaccompanied Housing
        The DAF is on-track to meet the FSRM investment requirements
    established by the fiscal year 2022 NDAA. This is part of the largest
    dorm investment in over a decade. However, we recognize more is needed.
    Further, we continue to exceed OSD performance goals for dorm
    conditions since the inception of the metric in fiscal year 2013. In
    fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2024, we funded 104 projects totaling
    $570 million to repair and renovate dorms, HVACs, roofs, and other
    critical facility systems. Projects are underway or being planned at 18
    installations that will continue our efforts to improve quality-of-life
    for our most junior airmen and guardians.
        The DAF unaccompanied housing (UH) inventory includes nearly 58,000
    permanent party and over 45,600 training beds. Per fiscal year 2024
    NDAA requirements, interim guidance from DOD established Building
    Condition Index (BCI, a 0-100 scale) as the UH Uniform Condition Index.
        The DAF's overall strategy remains focused on restoring and
    modernizing dorms with FSRM funds and addressing capacity shortfalls
    and facility recapitalization with MILCON funds. The DAF Dormitory
    Master Plan guides this effort by providing the comprehensive
    forecasts, estimates, and recommendations required to strategically
    execute dormitory projects when and where they are most needed. Current
    assessments show 53 percent of permanent party beds are at or above the
    target of 80 BCI, and 0.1 percent of beds are less than 60 BCI.
        Training dorms are another key component of our military
    servicemembers' growth and development. Currently, 69 percent of
    training beds assess at or above the target 80 BCI and 0.1 percent are
    less than 60 BCI. Notably, the DAF executed seven FSRM projects for $67
    million at training dorms in fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2024.
    Family Housing
        The DAF is focused on eliminating inadequate housing from the DAF
    inventory and correcting health and safety deficiencies. In addition to
    enabling planning studies, designing for future construction projects,
    and renovating existing DAF-owned homes, the Military Family Housing
    construction program also supports restructuring Military Housing
    Privatization Initiative (MHPI) projects.
        The DAF's Military Family Housing construction program focuses on
    planning studies and design for future construction--to include
    projects at Yokota Air Base, Japan to improve homes for Senior Non-
    Commissioned Officers, Company Grade Officers, and Field Grade
    Officers.
        Our Military Family Housing O&M funds efforts to sustain, improve,
    and modernize our inventory of approximately 15,200 DAF-owned family
    housing units and provides enhanced oversight of over 52,000 privatized
    homes. Combined, the family housing O&M and construction programs will
    ensure continued support for the housing needs of airmen, guardians,
    their families and caregivers, as well as our Army, Navy, and Marine
    Corps teammates living in DAF-owned and privatized family housing.
        The DAF MHPI inventory contains over 52,000 privatized end State
    unit homes spanning 31 projects across 63 installations. In some cases,
    the financial assumptions and economics of the deals fall short of
    expectations through no fault of the project owners. In these cases,
    the DAF requests funding to restructure to ensure projects don't
    default on loans and conditions of the homes remain acceptable.
    Commercial Apartment Complex
        The DAF is currently pursuing an innovative MHPI partnership with
    Mayroad (the existing MHPI project owner) for a 142-unit commercial
    apartment complex at Edwards AFB in California. The project broke
    ground in September 2024 and serves as the DAF's first-ever commercial
    apartment complex on-installation. The project is fully financed by
    private investment (no upfront DAF scoring or cost) and will provide
    246 beds in response to housing shortages at the remote installation.
    Lodging Commercialization
        Lodging operations on DAF installations are paramount to support
    the mission and for the continued resiliency of airmen, guardians, and
    their families. Lodging is critical not only during permanent change of
    stations moves, but also for temporary duty assignments away from home
    stations. Indeed, these lodging assets directly support mission
    readiness and capability. Upgrading and ensuring the long-term
    sustainment of lodging for airmen, guardians, and their families is a
    strategic imperative for the DAF to maintain readiness and achieve
    mission success.
        The DAF is seeking to commercialize all the on-base lodging in the
    United States, its territories, and possessions--which currently covers
    58 DAF installations. The Commercial On-Base Lodging (COBL) effort
    would be accomplished through the conveyance of facilities and
    execution of a 50-year ground lease with no upfront cost to the DAF.
    The government seeks to apply private sector expertise, resources, and
    market-based incentives to improve the quality-oflife for airmen,
    guardians, their families, and other authorized travelers while in a
    transient status. The objective is to provide quality, on-base hotel
    accommodations that meet the varying needs of a mobile military
    community through improvements to the on-base lodging inventory and/or
    new construction, and to appropriately maintain these facilities
    throughout a long-term business relationship.
        Within the DAF, the Assistant Secretariat for Energy, Installations
    and Environment will serve as the office of primary responsibility for
    the COBL program and has delegated execution responsibilities
    associated within the program, including lease administration and
    oversight, to the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center--
    who has established a Program Management Office (PMO).
        The process to solicit and competitively select a private sector
    lease applicant and then successfully negotiate and close the lease of
    installations in groups and phased over several years. DAF anticipates
    releasing a request for proposal in the Summer 2025.
        This COBL initiative would affect approximately 3,100 Non-
    appropriated Fund DAF Lodging (DAFL) personnel, who may be eligible for
    either reemployment priority, severance pay, or voluntary or
    involuntary retirement benefits. Just as when the Army privatized its
    lodging, the DAF expects the selected project owner will offer
    positions to many current DAFL employees.
        The COBL initiative is incorporating key lessons learned from
    previous innovative real eState programs to ensure high performance.
    Under COBL, the selected project owner would earn fees based on
    Installation Commander and lodging customer feedback. Reports, approval
    process, response triggers, and the incentive fee structure would be
    consistent with the successful Army's Privatized Lodging program. DAF's
    COBL PMO would perform frequent site visits and direct oversight of
    both operations and recapitalization of the portfolio over the 50-year
    lease period.
    Child Development Centers (CDCs)
        We continue to strive to provide a high quality-of-life for our
    members and their families. At the heart of that goal is affordable,
    accessible childcare for our airmen and guardians. Like our dormitory
    strategy, the DAF is using a two-prong programmatic approach to improve
    CDCs: targeted FSRM investment to address facility condition concerns
    and MILCON projects to increase capacity and recapitalize. While no
    CDCs in the DAF portfolio are failing or in poor condition, we know we
    still have work to do. Generous congressional support in recent years
    has enabled the DAF to initiate the design of additional CDC projects
    for inclusion in future President's Budget requests.
        The Child and Youth Facility Master Plan facilitates project
    advocacy by identifying CDC MILCON and FSRM projects that address child
    and youth facility conditions and capacity challenges. Out of the 35
    MILCON projects identified, 13 have been authorized and appropriated,
    adding approximately 1,800 spaces. One project was funded with O&M, 13
    are in active design to add another 1,500 spaces, and 18 additional
    projects are in planning to validate requirements.
                           environmental stewardship
        Part of reestablishing the warrior ethos is an unwavering
    commitment to the well-being of our servicemembers and their families.
    It remains among our highest priorities to ensure the health and safety
    of those who live and work on our installations and those who reside in
    surrounding communities. We appreciate the support of Congress in our
    efforts to address Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and make
    further progress in our Environmental Restoration Program.
        Our proactive PFAS strategy is yielding positive results, and we
    remain dedicated to making incremental gains in addressing this complex
    challenge. The DAF looks forward to continued appropriations support to
    maintain our PFAS efforts. These efforts include PFAS investigation and
    cleanup, on-base and off-base drinking water monitoring, Aqueous Film
    Forming Foam (AFFF) replacement facility repairs, and AFFF disposal and
    research and development. As of December 31, 2024, the DAF expended
    $68.7 million to transition from AFFF to fluorine-free foam or water
    only; 36 percent (192 of 541) facilities have completely removed and
    disposed of all AFFF and 86 percent (1,008 of 1,175) of vehicles are
    complete. We are currently on-track to meet the fiscal year 2020 NDAA
    compliance date, with the extension Congress has enacted.
    Environmental Restoration
        We remain focused on being good stewards of the environment by
    preventing spills and releases, while also meeting our cleanup
    obligations under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
    Compensation and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and
    Recovery Act. Investigation objectives and environmental response
    actions performed under these statutes aim to reduce risk to human
    health and the environment in a risk-based, prioritized manner at
    approximately 15,000 restorationsites across our active and closed
    installations. Much of our restoration program focuses on the DAF PFAS
    response, though we continue to address legacy sites.
        The DAF PFAS Strategy is built on the following objectives: (1)
    Protect human health and the environment; (2) Transition from fluorine-
    containing products to fluorine-free alternatives and minimize
    potential PFAS release or exposure risk; (3) Fulfill cleanup
    responsibilities related to PFAS releases at DAF sites; (4) Invest in
    new PFAS Alternatives, and treatment and destruction technologies; (5)
    Integrate PFAS mitigation into compliance programs; and (6) Engage and
    collaborate with stakeholders (local communities, states, Federal
    agencies, and Congress). Through the end of fiscal year 2024, the DAF
    expended $2.3 billion identifying, investigating, and responding to
    PFAS releases.
        On April 10, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency published
    Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS for public drinking water
    systems, requiring sampling by 2027 and compliance with the new limits
    by 2029. The DAF is actively mitigating PFAS impacts to meet the MCLs
    in on-base drinking water systems under our purview, and addressing
    impacts to off-base private drinking water wells linked to our
    activities. In alignment with DOD policy, DAF is also incorporating the
    final PFAS MCLs into our cleanup program. We continue to investigate,
    cleanup, and conduct interim response actions to address our past PFAS
    releases, all of which will significantly increase DAF's requirements.
        As we continue this important work, the DAF is committed to open
    communication with communities concerned about the potential
    environmental impacts of PFAS. We actively engage with residents and
    collaborate with local Restoration Advisory Boards to continually
    improve and ensure our community outreach programs are transparent,
    inclusive and responsive.
    Environmental Quality
        As trustee for more than 8.3 million acres of land, including
    forests, prairies, deserts, wetlands, and coastal habitats, the DAF
    understands the important role natural resources play in maintaining
    our mission capability and readiness. We remain fully committed to a
    comprehensive and integrated approach to conserving environmental,
    natural, and cultural resources. The environmental quality program
    funds mission sustainment and environmental compliance with applicable
    regulations across several media areas. This includes natural and
    cultural resources management, environmental planning, hazardous waste
    storage and disposal, hazardous materials management, healthy air and
    water quality, and completely funded Air National Guard clean-up.
    Additionally, the program supports ongoing habitat and species
    management for 123 threatened and endangered species found across 54
    identified DAF installations. The program also provides for continued
    cooperation, collaboration, and leveraging of manpower and other
    resources with other Services, Federal Government agencies such as the
    United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and applicable State fish and
    game agencies.
    Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Sites
        Our BRAC cleanup and property transfer program continues to
    facilitate environmental restoration and property transfer activities
    at 34 former DAF installations closed through prior BRAC law. We remain
    on-track to transfer the remaining four former installations by 2031.
                               operational energy
        The DAF remains the largest consumer of fuel in the Department of
    Defense. We have implemented a full range of strategies to increase our
    operational agility and mitigate our contested logistics risk in
    theaters like the Pacific. An energy-optimized fleet allows the
    warfighter to fly greater distances, increases loiter time for
    intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, and increases
    payload range. Our recent efforts resulted in a $222 million fuel cost
    avoidance, with $64 million of prior year expired funds recouped and
    reinvested to further enhance combat capability and mission assurance.
        The Mission Execution Excellence Program (MEEP) incentivizes airmen
    to optimize use of aviation fuel in preparation for future conflict in
    a fuel-constrained environment such as the Indo-Pacific theater. Since
    May 2022, MEEP has saved over 14 million gallons of aviation fuel,
    valued at $52 million, and has expanded from four participating
    squadrons to 29 total force C-17, C-5, and KC-135 units.
        Improved tools and software lead to more battlefield effectiveness.
    For example, training software, like Extended Reality Air to Air
    Refueling (EARL) trainers, creates more effective training
    opportunities for aerial refueling by providing pilots and boom
    operators with a highly realistic extended reality capability across
    multiple aircraft. Time spent training on EARL stations can offset time
    spent in live-flight sorties, allowing for more crews to be trained in
    less time, reducing stress on aircraft and schedules.
        Engine optimization technologies, such as those currently deployed
    by commercial airlines, reduce fuel burn and increase engine
    performance, reliability, and time on wing for DAF aircraft. Efforts
    include a compressor blade coating which, if implemented across the C-
    17 fleet, is projected to spur an estimated $20.9 million in fuel and
    maintenance savings annually (based on fiscal year 2025 fuel prices).
    Additionally, engine detergent and foam washes can restore efficiency
    and power while reducing fuel consumption by 0.5 to 1.15 percent. The
    incorporation of a detergent additive into the Air Force's engine wash
    contract has yielded significant additional benefits, including
    enhanced engine performance through improved removal of carbon debris
    and soot, resulting in restored engine efficiency and power output.
        Drag reduction initiatives, like technologies currently used by
    commercial airlines and foreign militaries, reduce fuel consumption and
    improve operational range and capability of the current fleet of Air
    Mobility Command aircraft. In partnership with the Air Force Research
    Lab and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, we are implementing
    drag reduction technologies across our legacy aircraft, which has the
    potential to decrease drag and increase fuel efficiency by 1-8 percent
    for our existing fleet. In addition to increasing operational
    capabilities, most initiatives have a return-on-investment of less than
    3 years. For instance, the C-17 is currently undertaking a 6-month
    logistics service test for 3-D printed microvanes that is projected to
    provide up to 1.5 percent drag reduction and 1.5 percent fuel savings
    across the 222-aircraft fleet.
        Finally, we are investing in the Blended Wing Body (BWB)
    demonstration aircraft to rapidly field new technology that meets the
    demands of modern air operations. In 2023, the DAF partnered with DIU
    to prototype an improved aircraft design that provides more aerodynamic
    efficiency than today's tankers, bombers, and cargo aircraft, enabling
    increased range, loiter time, and fuel offload capabilities for the
    DOD. As a result of this competitive process, DAF selected JetZero to
    demonstrate this new capability by 2027, which is projected to improve
    aerodynamic efficiency by 30 percent. In addition, part of the
    capability development strategy for this effort includes to garner
    private investment and significantly augment Air Force funding. To
    date, $65 million in private funding and in-kind support has been
    captured, including investment from two major U.S. commercial airlines.
    The project remains on schedule and recently completed a Demonstrator
    Critical Design Review in May 2025.
                                   conclusion
        The DAF Energy, Installations and Environment portfolio is aligned
    with the Department of Defense priorities of restoring the warrior
    ethos, rebuilding the military, and reestablishing deterrence by
    increasing the lethality, readiness and warfighting capability of our
    installations. We remain committed to aligning installation
    infrastructure to mission critical capabilities and optimizing our
    footprint while ensuring our installations have the resilience
    necessary to support Air and Space Force operations in a contested
    environment. With the continued support of Congress, I am confident our
    installations will continue to facilitate combat power projection with
    enough speed and intensity to be decisive for the Joint Force while
    also supporting our airmen, guardians and their families.
        Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the DAF's programs
    supporting energy, installations, and environment. We appreciate
    Congress' continued support for our enterprise and look forward to
    continuing to work closely with you.

        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Saunders.
        I'll begin the questioning here, and I highlighted this and
    I'd like to start with you, Secretary Marks, and maybe talk to
    or mention this to each of the other witnesses. The current
    projected MILCON in Guam, and I'm not saying Guam is not
    strategically important. It is.
        But they go up from $4.7 billion in current projects to
    over 46 billion in planned future projects. Secretary, the Navy
    mentioned to me after his visit, he thought the number was
    north of $50 billion. I have raised this as an issue where I
    just think the strategic imagination of our leadership has been
    lacking whereby with our U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)
    Commanders, the current one, I have a deep respect for. The
    previous one, Admiral Aquilino, I also had deep respect for.
        But there's a sense that everything is defaulting to Guam,
    every service. It creates, in my view, strategic
    vulnerabilities. Particularly if there's a war with China. With
    all of our forces on one relatively small island, this I think
    creates huge vulnerabilities.
        So, Secretary Marks, can you touch on that? You say you
    have a holistic Guam master plan that you guys are looking at.
    I'm assuming it's going to start to look at a more dispersed
    force in INDOPACOM and not come to this issue of a default to
    Guam, literally on everything. $50 billion in MILCON when half
    the Marine Corps and the Navy are already out there, it seems
    to me not very smart.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you for that, and I know you're a
    deep student of history. You and I have spoken of that before
    so I completely understand the perspective as you go there. As
    I refer to that was part of when we began this understanding as
    I came in to look at a holistic picture of where we're putting
    things. This affects not only the Indo-Pacific but here in the
    homeland as well.
        As we look at our real eState as our holdings, as well as
    the cost of everything that we are doing, and part of that is
    working with our combatant commanders that you mentioned.
        Senator Sullivan. Yes.
        Mr. Marks. Not only Admiral Paparo, but also General
    Guillot in terms of what is the correct force laydown, where do
    those things need to be and then balancing that with the cost
    that we need to get there. So we've just, at least from my
    seat, begun to take a harder look at that. I understand your
    concerns of that. Senator, I would love to come back to you and
    discuss that further as I can get a little bit more insight.
        Senator Sullivan. Good. I'm glad you're undertaking that
    initiative. I appreciate that. I commend you for that. Do you
    have a timeline by which you want to get that study done?
    Sometimes as you know, in big bureaucracies, DOD being one,
    when they want something to go away, they say, ``Hey, we're
    going to study at it and we'll get back to you Senators in 3
    years.'' How about giving a little timeline on that?
        Mr. Marks. Yes. Senator, I've not yet sent one to my team.
    They're trying to give me a better understanding. I will tell
    you though that both visits to Alaska, to INDOPACOM and to U.S.
    Northern Command (NORTHCOM) are all being planned right now for
    me because I want to sit down with each one of them. I think
    we're planning a visit with your staff in August to go out to
    Alaska.
        That is really the timeline I'm on. I need to be able to
    sit down with each of them, have this conversation and continue
    to drive that planning ahead. So, I will come back to you at
    that when we work our plannings.
        Senator Sullivan. Let me ask because we have other equities
    in terms--I appreciate that answer. In terms of services, Mr.
    Saunders, obviously the Air Force is very heavily invested in
    Guam. Again, I worry about a couple of well-placed missiles in
    Andersen Airfield is gone, right?
        Ms. Johnson Turner, you know the marines are--I'm not sure
    how public it is but--kind of resisting having 8,000 marines on
    Guam, no place to train. The housing is enormously expensive to
    build, just to get a couple of marine barracks up. Do either of
    you have any concerns about the Air Force or the Marine Corps
    Navy being over concentrated in Guam with so many forces and so
    much MILCON in one place in the Indo-Pacific?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Sullivan, thank you for the
    question. As you noted, Guam is a special and strategic
    location and one that's vital to the National Defense Strategy.
    As Mr. Marks noted, we are staying very connected with the
    combatant commander on all things holistically as it relates to
    force flow, force posture and appropriate operational lay down
    and operational diversity.
        So, sir, we will continue to strike the right balance with
    our Indo-Pacific presence. Again, being very nested closely
    with the combatant commanders.
        Senator Sullivan. Mr. Saunders?
        Mr. Saunders. Yes, sir. Thank you for the question.
    Similarly, our MILCON program and our investments in general
    are heavily influenced by combatant commander requirements. So,
    we recognize the strategic importance of Guam but all of the
    requirements within the INDOPACOM AOR and we, as I mentioned,
    focus those priorities from the combatant commanders and our
    component commander in our case the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)
    Commander into areas like Guam and other areas in the Indo-
    Pacific.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, and I appreciate Secretary
    Mark's reference to history. When you look at our own history,
    particularly in INDOPACOM, when we've over concentrated forces,
    it is not always turned out so well for our country, our
    readiness, our lethality, which I know you're all focused on.
    Senator Hirono.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Marks, I
    know you are fully aware of the importance of the training
    areas in Hawaii, particularly Pohakuloa. Dr. Waksman, you just
    noted how important that training area is to our military in
    the Indo-Pacific. So, I would want both of you to commit to
    continuing the kind of good faith negotiations that we are
    engaged in to ensure that especially Pohakuloa remains as a
    necessary training area for our troops in Hawaii.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, not only my commitment but I had a call
    just last evening with my Hawaii Coordination Cell as we
    continue to move all of the issues to forward. So, yes, ma'am.
        Dr. Waksman. Yes, Senator, I echo his comments. We have a
    cell as well in Hawaii who work these issues. As you know, we
    can't formally negotiate until the records of decision are
    published, which the Army is currently planned to do in August.
    But we absolutely will commit to engaging with the local
    Hawaiian population and local government and other local nurse
    groups to make sure that they're all being----
        Senator Hirono. Yes, as we know there are some challenges
    to these negotiations, not to mention that the fact that one of
    the State agencies did not to okay the Environmental Impact
    Statement (EIS). So, the good thing is I believe that the
    Governor is very interested in moving forward, working in good
    faith with all of you.
        So, recent reporting review that a billion dollars, as I
    mentioned, the facility sustainment, restoration and
    modernization funds will be moved from repairing and
    maintaining facilities. As I noted, there are something like in
    the order of over $200 billion in deferred maintenance needs.
    So, this is money that's supposed to go to for barracks and
    barracks repair but instead they're being diverted to
    activities on the southwest border.
        Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman can you explain how you
    plan to ensure the soldiers are living in safe and adequate
    barracks in light of this decrease in funding to the tune of
    about $1 billion and possibly more? Have you determined how
    this will impact the Army's maintenance backlog?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you for that. We of course all
    remain very committed to that and to the health and well-being
    of all of our servicemembers. But most of that money was
    originally things that had not fully executed and we are
    restoring that into the fiscal year 2026. But I'll defer to Dr.
    Waksman in terms of the exact way nature in which that was
    done.
        Dr. Waksman. Yes. As Secretary Mark said we did not pull
    any funding from any projects that were already being spent on.
    It was money that had not already been assigned. You are
    correct that we have a very bad backlog of maintenance that we
    have to fix, and so, what we're trying to do is to try to buy
    that back as best as we can in fiscal year 2026. The fiscal
    year 2026 FSRM budget for the Army is going to be 25 percent
    higher than it was even in fiscal year 2024, and so, my
    instruction to the team has been to not forget any of these
    actions that we were going to do and to make sure that
    everything is getting funded that needed to get funded.
        Senator Hirono. So, the fact of the matter is that, that
    the DOD has decided that it is going to assist Homeland
    Security in various immigration enforcement programs. Now this
    is being done without reimbursement and the DOD can ill afford
    for any of these moneys that should go to things like barrack's
    restoration and repair, can ill afford any of this kind of
    diversion.
        So, we will be watching to see how you're going to make up
    the difference. In fact, Dr. Waksman, over 3 weeks ago, this
    Committee asked the Army for a comparison of what facility
    sustainment, restoration and modernization projects were
    planned for fiscal year 2025 compared to what has been executed
    to date, and we have not received this information. When can we
    expect this information from you?
        Dr. Waksman. Senator, that's a fair question. We have just
    really finalized all those numbers internally. We're getting
    ready to pull that together and I make a commitment to you that
    we will get that to you as soon as we have it finalized and
    ready for release.
        [The information referred to follows:]

        Dr. Waksman.

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Hirono. Okay. We're going to hold you to that time
    timeline soon. Ms. Johnson-Turner, you noted that some 14 Navy
    barracks have been renovated. That's good news. I visited
    Arizona Hall, a Navy enlisted barracks at Joint Base Pearl
    Harbor, and the facility is dated, lacks essential air
    conditioning. In fact, I note that the Air Force doesn't even
    let its unaccompanied airmen in places that are not air
    conditioned but yet the Navy has this facility that is not air
    conditioned.
        That is not some kind of a luxury because it's pretty tough
    to be in a place that's not air conditioned. So, I found out
    that the restoration costs for these barracks is $10 million.
    That seems eminently doable. So, I'd like to know from you,
    what is the plan and when can I expect the renovation of
    Arizona Hall to begin?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Hirono, I appreciate the
    question. As noted, unaccompanied housing remains a priority
    for the Department of the Navy and I appreciate your attention
    to and support for the Department of the Navy. Specific to
    Arizona Hall, we did have sailors that were moved out of that
    facility about a year ago. We are moving forward with a
    structural assessment although the building is wholly vacant,
    which we expect to receive those results this summer.
        Senator Hirono. So, is there $10 million being requested to
    complete the renovation of Arizona Hall?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, I will have to get back to you
    on the specific amount. I think part of it was--now that the
    facility is vacated and there is no sailors or other
    servicemembers residing, was to get the structural assessment
    and determine the next step.
        [The information referred to follows:]

        Ms. Johnson-Turner. In fiscal year 2025, the Navy funded a
    structural inspection to support a broader engineering
    evaluation but has already programmed $3.8 million of fiscal
    year 2025 Operation and Maintenance, Navy funding for site and
    parking lot upgrades and a heating, ventilation, and air
    conditioning study. Plans toward the renovation of Arizona Hall
    are contingent upon the results of the inspection, which are
    expected at the end of the calendar year.

        Senator Hirono. You may not have the specific amount but
    can you tell me if this is happening in this budget?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. I will look forward to getting back to
    you Senator in short order.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Hirono. Senator
    Fischer.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all
    for being here today.
        As you know, FSRM funds are used by the service in order to
    maintain, repair and improve existing military facilities. This
    Committee has been leading the way on reforms when it comes to
    the sustainment of our infrastructure.
        In responding to a committee request for information, I
    understand that the services as well as the Office of the
    Secretary of Defense would be in favor of changing FSRM from a
    1-year authorization to a 3-year authorization. First, can each
    of you tell me if you support this idea, Mr. Secretary?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you, and as I think you and I
    have spoken before, anything that increases flexibility and
    allows us to program appropriately but also allows us to reduce
    the overall cost as we can get after it, certainly we would
    support and I would want to work with you to see how that would
    become implemented.
        Senator Fischer. Great. Dr. Waksman?
        Dr. Waksman. Yes. I echo Secretary Marks. Any additional
    flexibility is always welcome. You're right about this
    challenge. It's like a credit card debt where you save a little
    bit of money now and you have to pay way more later. We
    understand this is a big hole that we have to dig out of and
    we're looking forward to working with you on trying to solve
    that problem.
        Senator Fischer. Great. Ma'am?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, I absolutely concur with
    Secretary Marks. Anything that enhances flexibility and our
    buying power would be much appreciated. It would get us beyond
    the fiscal year encroachment, as well as give us more time to
    better plan.
        Senator Fischer. Mr. Saunders?
        Mr. Saunders. Senator, I appreciate the question. I echo
    all the comments previously. It would add additional
    flexibility and make us more efficient in executing the
    program.
        Senator Fischer. Okay. That is great. So, if you're in
    support of this, why hasn't Congress seen a legislative
    proposal on this topic or seen any kind of change in your
    annual budget request? Who wants that one?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, we'll take that one.
        Senator Fischer. Okay. Great.
        Mr. Marks. Work that as we move forward, certainly I think
    that that is something we need to sit down and work language
    with you on to ensure it's in the proper place. But I was made
    aware of that just this week. So, I'll absolutely want to work
    with you on that.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Mr. Saunders, as you
    know in March 2019, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska
    experienced a massive flood forcing displacement of 3,200
    people and causing millions of dollars in damage. Six years
    later, that rebuilding is still in progress but I would like to
    highlight that in a testament to the resiliency and fortitude,
    the airmen of Offutt Air Force Base have maintained full
    mission capability throughout this entire time.
        However, these same airmen are having to execute their
    missions out of aging facilities that are not suited to the
    task. Could you please provide an update on the Offutt Air
    Force Base rebuilding effort? I would ask them that you
    followup with that and make sure things stay on track. The
    facilities are out of date, dangerous, not healthy and we want
    to be able to provide for our people.
        Mr. Saunders. Senator Fischer, thank you for that question.
    We share your same interest in ensuring that we restore the
    facilities to operational condition and that we provide high
    quality facilities for our airmen that are working at our
    critical location at Offutt. In this case throughout the fiscal
    year 2019 through 2024 program we've invested about $988
    million in that national disaster recovery effort so far.
        It's 11 separate projects that are awarded, and as you
    noted some of them are still in construction and I remain
    committed as you've asked to keep a pulse on that to ensure
    that we continue to execute that program.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Mr. Secretary, what
    steps are we taking across our installations to ensure that
    that critical infrastructure and the industrial control systems
    are protected at a lot of these installations? You know that we
    have to make sure that they're protected, that they're hardened
    just as much as we worry about the technology.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, I really appreciate that question
    because that is critical to everything that we do, and we have
    such a dependency on our community partners in that, right, our
    unified or our utility providers and how we operate with that.
    In fact, I am meeting with several of them tomorrow to discuss
    how we collectively can get after this problem and certainly
    focus our investments on ways that make us not only resilient
    from just an energy dominance, energy security and redundancy
    position but also, as you mentioned, the cybersecurity that
    goes along with that.
        I certainly think from an efficiency perspective, our
    ability to digitally monitor the work that we do is also
    important to our future efforts, and we'll be prioritizing that
    as we move it.
        Senator Fischer. You know, as we're looking at the
    coordination, not just with industry partners but across the
    services as well, do you have any thoughts on how we can
    improve on that?
        Mr. Marks. Well, I think certainly as Dr. Waksman, all the
    services do our black start exercises are beginning to reveal
    to us some of those abilities of places where those
    redundancies lack. That's allowing us to then focus our efforts
    on first and foremost ensuring that we don't have failures such
    as at Offutt, which obviously has a critical national security
    mission that we want to ensure that is there, right?
        So, as we do those that allows us to then begin to move out
    given the resources that we have to focus on that. But we can
    certainly come back and try to work with you on that.
        Senator Fischer. Okay. Great. I'd be really interested in
    hearing how not just how we coordinate but how we can, and once
    again, make it move faster.
        Mr. Marks. Yes, ma'am.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you Senator Fischer. Senator Kaine.
        Senator Kaine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to our
    witnesses. I want to ask about Unmanned Aircraft Systems
    (UASs). We certainly are seeing in real time the threat they
    pose in combat and the new iterations of them on the
    battlefield. But they also affect security of DOD
    installations. We've had incursions at Langley. There have been
    other bases in the country that have seen these.
        Talk a little bit about what each of the service branches
    are doing. You know the Army is playing kind of a facilitator
    role. NORTHCOM is playing a key role. But what are you doing
    with respect to installations both at home and are
    installations abroad to be more really kind of on the leading
    edge of the best practices for UAS incursions?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, I appreciate that question very much,
    especially given my last role in which that was a singular
    focus that I was working there in Florida. I would say writ
    large, and I will allow my partners here to also add. One of
    the critical pieces of this that I believe we're focused on is
    not only inside the fence line but also outside the fence line.
        So, if I wait until that threat is at the fence line, it's
    much too late. We saw what happened in Spider Web, we can see
    the real threat that can happen. So one of the initiatives that
    we are moving forward in without our installations is to work
    on the community ability to integrate these working on the
    jurisdictions and the authorities that go with that.
        I will defer again to my partners here in terms of
    technologies that we're applying to those solutions but that's
    one of the key efforts that my office is going to focus on.
        Dr. Waksman. Thanks, Senator. It is a great question. As
    you know, counter UAS is a big part of what the Army's doing
    now, and it's a financial question, right? Can we shoot down
    stuff cheaper than what they're shooting at us? But I think
    there's two important parts to it that the Army's focusing on
    in addition to just the technology.
        One is the energy piece. If you're going to have all these
    radar systems, microwave systems, et cetera. How do you ensure
    that you have reliable energy for that? But also, it's a policy
    piece. There are policy and legal challenges with doing counter
    UAS, particularly domestically. The Federal Aviation
    Administration (FAA) tends to frown on us shooting things down
    out of the sky, and so working that problem, I think it's a
    concern that we're going to want to work with you and the rest
    of Congress on going forward.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Kaine, thank you for the
    question as it does have the attention of the Department of the
    Navy. We are looking at the systems that we have in place at
    many of our critical and mission critical installations as well
    as the research and development.
        As we know, technology is constantly increasing. I just led
    a critical infrastructure form within the Department of the
    Navy where we are looking holistically across Marine Corps and
    Navy equities to get a whole love done, if you will, approach
    to get after this. We're also looking at the authorities that
    we have in place and where we may have potential gaps.
        Then you've heard the Marine Corps talk about sort of their
    3D printing that they've been able to do at Quantico to really
    continue to push focus and attention to moving forward with
    drones.
        Senator Kaine. Saunders?
        Mr. Saunders. Senator, thank you for the question. I'd
    start by reiterating for the Department of the Air Force as
    well as the other services that our installations are power
    projection platforms and they operate in increasingly contested
    environment, including a contested environment in the homeland
    as you noted with incursions at Langley and other locations.
        So, the Department is obviously heavily invested in working
    and partnering with the joint counter small UAS office, the
    assistant services and looking at all options both kinetic and
    non-kinetic solutions and ensuring that we develop solutions
    that are nested in a broader airbase defense and airbase air
    and ballistic missile defense framework. That's headed through
    our Air Force side--on the Air Force side through the A3 but it
    includes stakeholders across the Department of the Air Force.
        Senator Kaine. If I could just say to my Senate colleagues
    here, the Langley incursions were maybe 18 or 19 months ago.
    We've been together in sort of the Sensitive Compartmented
    Information Facility (SCIF) where we've tried to get
    information about; do we know the origin, no, even though it
    was 19 nights in a row. It wasn't just like one night. We still
    haven't really been given very good information about it.
        Maybe it's hard to come upon that information now. But the
    same issues when we asked 19 months ago. Well, the FAA doesn't
    like us shooting stuff down outside of base, of course they
    don't. The local government, I got this Mayor of Hampton, he
    doesn't want that. But those answers, 19 months ago, I got
    them. But it's been 19 months and I'm still worried that
    everyone recognizes as a challenge but I'm not really sure
    we've got the protocols that we should have by now.
        I'm going to add to it. I was at one of our major defense
    contractors in Virginia. I don't need to name them but they
    said they have drone incursions around their perimeter a lot.
    People trying to see what's going on. What do you do? We call
    the service branch that we're contracting with and we let them
    know. They say, ``Thanks, we're glad you let us know.''
        But there's not that much done beyond a phone call and an,
    ``Okay, thanks for letting us know.'' So, I am nervous about
    this. That there are a lot of stakeholders. It's FAA, it's
    local government, it's Federal law enforcement trying to do the
    investigation to determine who's responsible. You have to
    separate the innocent hobbyist from the potential bad
    malefactor or foreign actor who's coming after you.
        But I just worry that we're not yet coming up with the
    protocols we need. That's something that I'm sure we'll talk
    about as we're doing the markup in the NDA. One other question
    I wanted to ask about housing. There's a Government
    Accountability Office (GAO) report, 2023, poor living
    conditions undermine quality of life and readiness.
        That is now about 2 years old, highlighted number of poor
    living conditions that we're familiar with but the report made
    31 recommendations. I wonder what's our status in terms of
    implementing or how many have been implemented, how many are in
    implementation? Can you talk a little bit about that Secretary
    Mark?
        Mr. Marks. Yes. Absolutely Senator, thank you for that, and
    over half of those have already been implemented. There's
    another three that we're attempting to close out right now.
    Those are going through their process but I expect those to be
    moved shortly, and then each of our partners has a game plan in
    which we meet regularly to get those to closure. So, I think
    we're on a good pace to get those there through our housing
    offices.
        Senator Kaine. If I did that question for the record, I
    think it might be helpful for not just this Subcommittee, but
    all Committee Members to kind of get the 31, these have been
    done. Here are the three that we think we're closing in on.
    Here are the ones we're still working on.
        So, I'll probably ask that question for the record because
    I think everybody's probably going to be interested in that
    answer.
        Mr. Marks. Understood. Thank you, sir.
        [The information referred to follows:]

        Mr. Marks. The GAO has closed 15 recommendations under
    their Military Barracks report after reviewing the
    documentation provided by the Department. Of the remaining 16
    recommendations, the Department has provided documentation to
    the GAO for consideration of closure of five more
    recommendations and of the final 11 recommendations, all except
    one have current estimated completion dates in calendar year
    2026.

        Senator Kaine. Okay. Thank you.
        Senator Sullivan. Great, and Senator Kaine, yesterday a
    number of us introduced the Golden Dome Act, which is all about
    missile defense, which has a significant UAS component. It's
    got a UAS component that deals with FAA, DOD, and the Services,
    to try to get to exactly what you are talking about. I think
    it's a really important issue and I think our services also
    have concerns that nobody has the authority to actually shoot
    down a drone if it were doing nefarious activity right now. So,
    I agree with you.
        I think it's something we're going to certainly want to
    take up in the NDAA markup.
        Senator Kaine. Great.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you. Well, we're going to go to
    second round of questions here and I'll begin with you
    Secretary Marks. One of the issues, you're probably seeing it,
    I'm sure all our witnesses have seen it. In terms of MILCON,
    one of the challenges we have is the oversaturation of
    burdensome regulations, many of which come from National
    Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), where it takes years and years
    and even beyond a decade to get through NEPA reforms or NEPA
    reviews.
        Then the inevitable litigation that comes with them to do
    anything on basis. So, Mr. Secretary, I'm sure you saw the very
    important Supreme Court case ruling on the Eagle County case,
    where the court found that agencies will get significant
    deference on NEPA reviews and importantly clarifies that
    agencies don't have to do reviews and shouldn't do reviews for
    impacts outside the project's immediate jurisdiction.
        So, have you started to incorporate that into your DOD NEPA
    analysis and importantly, like for example on Guam I know that
    the Department of Interior was doing a huge NEPA review on some
    of the base housing related to Guam, incorporating that with
    the other agencies that might be doing NEPA analysis on
    military basis to more quickly streamline MILCON projects,
    which often can take a decade or more because of NEPA red tape?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, absolutely, and in fact, since I've
    been in the seat, that's been a high priority to try to get
    after that, working with our partners in ways in which we can
    accelerate that by, while still acknowledging our legal policy
    responsibilities, of course. One of those of course is, the
    team has looked at opportunities there.
        Where can we use Categorical Exclusion (CATEX), where can
    we use other abilities to move that forward, shrink those
    timelines again while still meeting those. I'll defer to my
    partners if they have recent examples but we hope to bring that
    forward very soon. I agree with you, I've experienced that
    personally where the standard answer to any environmental
    answer is, ``Well, that'll be 2 years from now before I come
    back to you with an answer.'' That to me, is an unacceptable
    answer, so.
        Senator Sullivan. Yes. Not acceptable. It's a dangerous
    world out there and we can't----
        Mr. Marks. It is. Absolutely, sir.
        Senator Sullivan. We wouldn't be saying that during World
    War II or any other times, we need to up the tempo. Let me turn
    to the very important issue. A number of you have talked about
    the issue of energy. One element, and you don't want to repeat
    rumors, but one of the things that I've heard rumors on, again,
    in the Indo-Pacific region is the lack of energy storage as a
    detriment to prosecuting warfighting plans in the Indo-Pacific,
    particularly even exacerbated more because of the closure at
    the Red Hill Fuel facility in Hawaii.
        So, is that something that you're hearing about from the
    combatant commanders? In one of the areas that you and I talked
    about during your confirmation process, Secretary Marks, was
    the former base at Adak, which in addition to having two 8,000
    foot runways, a sub base, has one of the largest and still
    operational fuel depots in the world, 22 million gallons of
    fuel can be stored there.
        But what are our challenges with regard to fuel a
    warfighting capability that we need in INDOPACOM, particularly
    given the Red Hill Fuel Facility shut down and I believe Adak
    offers a really important element for INDOPACOM fuel logistics.
    A lot of people don't know. If you look at a map, Adak is over
    a thousand miles west of Hawaii, and it's in the AOR, very far
    out in the AOR.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, I appreciate that. I've been tracking
    both Admiral Paparo's and General Guillot's comments to you
    about those issues. We are looking at the global force posture.
    I know my Navy Partners made a visit to Adak to begin to do an
    assessment on that, and certainly we're looking at that global
    force posture. Anything that increases distance slows us down
    and our ability to support the warfighter is certainly a
    concern.
        We'll continue to work with combatant commanders and my
    service partners to see what we need to do as the next steps.
        Senator Sullivan. But are you hearing from the combatant
    commanders that they're worried about fuel supplies in any kind
    of contingency? I'm not just saying it's Red Hill, I'm just
    saying in general, it's a big Pacific Ocean out there and our
    warfighters need fuel. I'm hearing that.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, and I don't doubt it, and that's why,
    as I mentioned earlier in my comments, that I've reached out to
    the combatant commanders to sit down as quickly as possible, as
    well as very quickly sitting down with my partners at the
    Defense Logistics Agency to try to get a better grasp on that
    situation for you. So, I'll come back to you but I will defer
    to my partners here, my colleagues if they have a greater
    influence.
        Senator Sullivan. Well, just with regard to Adak, the
    INDOPACOM Commander and the NORTHCOM Commander testified in the
    full committee that we need to reopen that base. I got a
    commitment recently from the Navy, Ms. Johnson-Turner to come
    brief me again on this. This was in a call with the Secretary
    of the Navy (SECNAV). Nobody's done it. That was about 3 or 4
    weeks ago. So, I'm still waiting. I've been waiting a long
    time. Getting impatient on that.
        But I'd like to get your commitment to get what was already
    a commitment to come brief me on their latest visit, whether
    it's dealing with fuel, runways, sub bases. It's a very
    strategic location. Two combatant commanders have already said
    we need to reopen it, and I just haven't gotten anything from
    the Navy yet. Can I get your commitment to get the Navy at a
    senior level in my office soon as they've already committed to
    me to brief me on this?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Sullivan, the Arctic is
    definitely a strategic and important location. I will followup
    within internal to the Department of the Navy so we can circle
    back with you.
        Senator Sullivan. Good. Thank you. Senator Hirono.
        Senator Hirono. Any questions about reopening Red Hill is
    going to require a lot of thought because these were massive--
    it was a massive facility.
        Senator Sullivan. Just for the record, I didn't say
    anything about reopening Red Hill.
        Senator Hirono. Well, that's what it sounded like to me.
        Senator Sullivan. No, I'm not saying that at all.
        Senator Hirono. Good.
        Senator Sullivan. I'm saying the Navy needs to use Adak as
    a replacement to Red Hill not. I know how sensitive Red Hill
    is. That's the last I would not her. That's your area.
        Senator Hirono. That's the last stop. Encroach. Thank you
    very much.
        Senator Sullivan. Nothing about----
        Senator Hirono. I'm all for being open minded about what we
    need to do to make sure that our readiness posture remains
    strong. However, if Red Hill was a facility that mainly stored
    aviation fuel. So, the Air Force has something to say about
    that. In the meantime, though, the presence really is not so
    much the Air Force in Hawaii but it's the Navy and the fuel
    there was not for Navy.
        Okay. I'm going to ask some really easy questions so that
    we can move on. In previous NDAAs, we have extended the H-2B
    visas for military construction related to Guam and the
    Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Secretary
    Marks, would you support another extension of H-2B visas for
    military construction on Guam and the CNMI?
        Mr. Marks. Senator Hirono, I absolutely would look for an
    extension that would help with costs, with manpower and
    continue to move our projects along so they don't incur any
    additional costs.
        Senator Hirono. So, the answer is yes?
        Mr. Marks. Yes.
        Senator Hirono. Okay. I did mention in my opening that I
    wanted each of you to discuss very briefly but specifically
    some ideas to improve the military construction process. I
    suppose part of it is somehow hastening the NEPA review
    process. But do you have any specific ideas on what we can do
    to hasten military construction?
        Mr. Marks. We do, Senator, and we've looked right now at
    ideas such as accelerated design built. So, bringing in the
    team earlier. Bundling projects so that we can accelerate
    those, right? One large project moving through quickly if we
    can do that. But I would also look at things that--I've asked
    our team to investigate, such as the use of artificial
    intelligence solutions to move the projects along more quickly.
        We certainly want to look at industry standards, and so,
    I've asked our team to begin to look at the unified facilities
    criteria, the UFCs. Basically, in a broad sense, anything that
    would restrict us from moving forward that is contrary to
    either industry standards or contrary to law. We need to
    identify those and try to remove the restrictions that allow us
    to get things done quickly to the proper standards.
        Senator Hirono. So, the things like design build, are you
    implementing that kind of a process to speed up the building
    process?
        Mr. Marks. That is absolutely something we want to move
    forward as quickly as possible.
        Senator Hirono. So, if you have specific examples of that
    is working, please come back with them.
        Mr. Marks. I will come back to you with one. Yes, ma'am.
        [The information referred to follows:]

        Mr. Marks. The authority discussed during the hearing was
    accelerated design-build, which was formerly authorized under
    10 U.S.C. Sec.  3241 but expired in 2008. The Department looks
    forward to working with this committee to review options to
    accelerate military construction timelines and reduce costs, to
    potentially renewing this authority.

        Senator Hirono. Is the Secretary speaking for the rest of
    you? Do the rest of you have other ideas on what we can do to
    speed up the process?
        Dr. Waksman. Yes, I think what you're referring to is the
    design build process, which has been demonstrated by other
    agencies to work faster. But there's also the progressive
    design build process, which we'd like to explore. That is not
    something that we currently have authority to do but that's
    really the best practices in the private sector. We've had to
    work with Congress to see if that authority can be extended.
        Senator Hirono. Anything to add?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Hirono, I concur with Secretary
    Marks and Dr. Waksman. The other thing that I would say is we
    have really benefited from the authority that Congress provided
    to us for the OTA pilot. We've learned a lot of lessons, tried
    to move out with industrialized construction if you will, to
    get us as close as we can to a progressive design build. But
    being able to further leverage OTA authority and military
    construction would be of great benefit.
        Mr. Saunders. Yes. Senator Hirono, you asked if the
    Assistant Secretary spoke for all the Services. I think in this
    case there is a joint working group with the Services led by
    the Office of the Secretary of Defense. So, yes, that does
    provide all of the same responses, and the only thing I was
    going to add was to echo the comment of the OTAs which is a
    relatively recent authority and that does help.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you. I did mention in my opening that
    I have concerns about our ability, that the Department's
    ability to withstand weather events and to protect our
    infrastructure. I'm assuming that you're going to proceed with
    some of those kinds of considerations. I did want to get to one
    thing that's come up recently. That is just this afternoon, it
    was reported that the Navy and the Air Force will create two
    additional national defense areas.
        NDAs attached to Joint Base San Antonio and Texas and
    Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona. For Mr. Saunders, a
    Joint Based San Antonio is 150 miles from the border inside a
    city of 1.5 million people. How do you justify creating a
    national defense area so far from the border and inside a major
    city?
        Mr. Saunders. Yes, Senator Hirono, thank you for that
    question, and it also provides me the opportunity maybe to
    provide a little bit more clarity to what we're actually doing.
    The Air Force is pursuing an NDA, but it's along the Rio Grande
    from Roma, Texas to the Gulf of America. It's roughly 260 or
    270 miles long. It'll encompass the river bank to the high
    watermark. The Joint Base San Antonio reference that you
    mentioned, is the administrative organization that will oversee
    and adopt that real property on the Department of the Air Force
    on real property records.
        Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, you know that there are
    concerns about the continuing creation because this is like No.
    4 of these creation of these national defense areas and it
    enables the military to get around Posse Comitatus. So,
    Secretary Marks, are there any plans or discussions to
    establish similar national defense areas in other U.S. cities?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, there's always planning going on in
    terms of what we need to do to assist with what the President
    has asked us to do. However, at this time, those two are the
    one that I'm tracking.
        Senator Hirono. So, there is already a diversion of 4,000
    National Guards people and it's 700 or so Active Duty military
    in L.A., and there is a concern about what they're doing in
    these cities. This is all under the control of the President,
    thanks to a court decision. But there is a question as to what
    these troops can do in these areas, even if they're called up
    in L.A., because there is this issue of Posse Comitatus. So,
    there are these concerns about the diversion of our troops.
        So, as we create these areas, how many troops are going to
    be there monitoring or whatever they're going to be doing in
    these additional NDAs that has to do with border issues?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, our troops are there in a title 10
    status. That means they're in a Federal status. They are there
    to assist not violate Posse Comitatus. As we look at those,
    they are there simply in a--temporarily protect our U.S.
    Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other
    Federal personnel there within the Federal confines of the real
    property that they are on. So, it's not an intent to skirt
    Posse Comitatus simply to exercise the title 10 work that
    they're doing there.
        Senator Hirono. So, my question is, Mr. Chairman, if you
    don't mind, how many troops will be for the Air Force and for
    the Navy will be assigned to monitor or patrol these additional
    NDAs? That's what I want to know.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, I don't have that exactly unless my
    colleagues have the exact numbers. We'll take that for the
    record, if we may, ma'am, and I'll get back to you.
        [The information referred to follows:]

        Mr. Marks. I defer to the Department of the Navy and the
    Department of the Air Force for this data.

        Senator Hirono. Do you have a response?
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, I do not know the exact number
    either. So, as Secretary Marks denoted, we would have to get
    back to you.
        Mr. Saunders. Yes, similarly, ma'am, we would work with the
    Combatant Command NORTHCOM in this case. They would identify
    the requirements which would answer the question of the number,
    and so, we'd be able to get back with you after coordinating
    with them.
        Senator Hirono. I would like that information provided to
    this Committee.
        Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Sullivan. Senator Kaine.
        Senator Kaine. Just one last question, and this is to
    Secretary Marks. There's an office within the Pentagon, the
    Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). That has
    been very helpful in Virginia and I suspect in other states
    too. You know as our Hampton Roads, I'll use that as an
    example, 12, 13 cities and counties on different sides of the
    water but all really unified in their support for the many
    military missions in the area.
        That office has been really great in terms of working in
    coordination when the community is trying to figure out what to
    do on infrastructure, road building or bridge construction
    obviously. We like to work in tandem, not just with a single
    base but with all the military installations where people are
    going to be driving to and from every day. that office has
    proven really valuable. The office has had a budget over the
    years where they've been able to help fund local, you know, it
    might be a part of a transportation study.
        Senator Durbin and I wrote a letter to Secretary Hegseth
    about this in March, just saying, ``Hey, this is a good office
    as you're getting started, pay attention to this. It can really
    be used to leverage good relationships with local
    communities.'' I would just like, you know, your commitment
    that you see the value of this office and anything you can do
    to enhance its effectiveness will be good for the military
    mission.
        It'll be good outside the gate in terms of the community
    base relationships.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you for that question. First,
    thank you that you've seen the incredible value of OLDCC. As a
    former installation person, I use them extensively, and so, I
    was very excited that they are part of the portfolio that I get
    to lead. You absolutely have my commitment, Senator, that we'll
    continue to push that forward.
        I think I often say I get better than a three to one return
    on investment when I use the OLDCC money, especially as it
    works within our community. So, thank you for your support and
    you have my commitment.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Kaine. I want to talk
    a little bit more on the, you know, Mr. Secretary, I mentioned
    the dispersal of forces in the Indo-Pacific that just made
    strategic sense but there's also a operational need. I have a
    chart I'm trying to get here but I've shown it to many of you.
    I've brought it to many hearings and it's all the activity
    we're getting in the North Pacific, in the Arctic with regard
    to Russian and Chinese incursions into our airspace.
        Our airspace in Alaska and our exclusive economic zone
    (EEZ) into our waters. In the last 3 years, we've had a whole
    host of Russian Bear Bomber missions and Chinese naval task
    forces. In an unprecedented manner, joint Russian and Chinese
    strategic bomber task forces and naval task forces. So, the
    need for infrastructure from which to project American power in
    this part of the world, refuel, intercept these incursions is
    really, really important.
        So, can I talk to you about that just briefly? Secretary
    Marks, as you're looking at the lay down, you need dispersion
    because you don't want to get attacked but you also need
    dispersion and force projection capability. Because this is the
    homeland, right? This is the northern border and they are very
    active up there.
        Then Mr. Saunders, the INDOPACOM Commander, and
    particularly the NORTHCOM Commander, have talked about the need
    for additional airspace logistics but also runway space on the
    Aleutian Islands and Adak, in Western Alaska, Galena,
    Deadhorse, you know, northern part of Alaska. Because when
    these brave airmen and women do their intercept missions, if
    it's February over the Arctic Ocean and you're flying an F-16
    and you lose an engine, you better want to have infrastructure
    capability for an search and rescue (SAR) mission.
        So, I'd like to get your views on that. Hopefully you've
    listened to what the NORTHCOM Commander has said with regard to
    forward infrastructure basing for aircraft and Navy ships to
    project American power in a part of the world that's getting
    very, very busy. We are on the front lines in Alaska with great
    power competition and it's a regular occurrence. That's our
    border. Nothing more important than that.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, I appreciate that and the level of
    detail as you have laid out. In fact, as I mentioned to you in
    my hearing as goes Alaska defense, so it goes homeland defense,
    right?
        Senator Sullivan. Yes.
        Mr. Sullivan. So, I agree with you there, Senator. The
    development of the National Defense Strategy that we're working
    on, we owe that to the Secretary here by August, focuses on
    Arctic maritime strategy, Arctic strategy. I would also echo
    General Guillot's comments which he as well stated that when
    you're at those long distances, having the ability to launch
    SAR, as you mentioned is of critical importance.
        What I would want to continue to do Senator, is one,
    acknowledge you have the threat, I think assessment exactly
    correct. I think from there is working through the process as
    we do both the National Defense Strategy, the protection of
    that and how that works to protect U.S. interests up there is
    of vital importance. We'll continue to focus on that as we move
    forward. But I'll defer to my colleague on that.
        Senator Sullivan. Great. Mr. Saunders, you probably heard
    General Guillot talking about air station capability at Adak,
    right? There's two 8,000-foot runways there right now with fuel
    as I mentioned. In Galena, which as you know, that's western
    Alaska. It used to be a--or interior kind of western Alaska, it
    used to be an air base.
        King Salmon, that's another area that used to be an Air
    Force Air Base, Deadhorse, which is the most northern part of
    Alaska where there's a civilian airport there. But the ability
    to launch SAR rescue missions there is really, really
    important. I have the chart here. I'll show it real quick. As
    you're answering I'll just put it up there.
        It gives you a sense, right? We're very busy up there. It
    oftentimes doesn't make the lower 48 news but I'll tell you, it
    makes the news in Alaska, and it should, right?
        When you have Russian and Chinese joint strategic Bear
    Bomber task forces with armed MiGs coming into our Air Defense
    Identification Zone (ADIZ), we need to protect ourselves and
    protect our airmen. If you looked at any of those installation
    upgrades, we already have them in all those areas I mentioned.
    Runways, former bases that we could use for more infrastructure
    and power projection to address this.
        Here's just the number, and the green is joint OPs, Russian
    Chinese operations. Either joint strategic bomber task forces
    or joint naval task forces. We even got a balloon task force
    when the Chinese sent their spy balloons over Alaska, which our
    Air Force did a great job of shooting down. So, do you have an
    update on that?
        Mr. Saunders. Yes. Senator Sullivan, thank you for that.
    You know, what's not lost on me is our interim National Defense
    Strategy has us focused on INDOPACOM but first defending the
    Homeland, which basically addresses both of these issues as
    you're talking about the Alaska region and the Arctic.
        Senator Sullivan. Well, this is Homeland?
        Mr. Saunders. Exactly.
        Senator Sullivan. INDOPACOM because it's North Pacific and
    Arctic, right? I mean, it's all three. You know, I was meeting
    with the incoming Supreme Allied Commander, he had his
    confirmation hearing yesterday. You look at Alaska, the other
    thing that's really important but also challenging. Mr.
    Secretary, that's why you're so important. You have the seams
    of all these different combatant commands, right? You have
    NORTHCOM, you have U.S. European Command (EUCOM), Russia, you
    have INDOPACOM and you have U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM)
    because of all our missile defenses in Alaska.
        There's three, four critical combatant commands right there
    in that part of the world, and that's why our adversaries are
    all over it coming to our territory. So, I'm sorry, I
    interrupted. But do you have a--do you want to unpack that a
    little bit more?
        Mr. Saunders. No, it is really just reiterating your point
    that our focus is on the INDOPACOM and defending the homeland
    and these other areas. As I mentioned in the earlier
    discussion, we also prioritize our combatant commander
    requirements. So, as those combatant commanders identify
    requirements and increase their priority within those
    requirements, that influences our priorities for both MILCON
    and FSRM investments.
        That would be no different in these areas that you
    described. The only other piece I would add with respect to the
    Air Force and in this region especially, our agile combat
    employment concept allows us to be able to work not only from
    fixed installations but from other installations. That would
    help address a lot of the areas that you're working at, even if
    it's having access to Deadhorse. It doesn't necessarily mean
    it's a permanent installation. But it means that we can station
    aircraft perhaps on the civilian airfield as it is today to be
    able to provide the support that we need in certain times.
        Senator Sullivan. Well, I appreciate you saying the
    emphasis on the combatant commanders because again, just to
    reiterate, the INDOPACOM Commander and the NORTHCOM Commander
    in full committee hearings have said, ``We need to reopen Adak
    right there.'' That's a thousand miles west of Hawaii. That is
    real strategic terrain. That's the gateway to the Arctic.
        That is on China and Russia's flank. When I've talked about
    reopening Adak, the Chinese Communist Party goes nuts. They
    hate it, which to me is a good thing, right? Then you have all
    the different NORTHCOM Commander requests. That's Deadhorse in
    the Arctic area, Galena, King Salmon, all out here. But these
    are critical areas that the NORTHCOM and INDOPACOM Commander
    have both said that they need. So, we'll want to work with you,
    Mr. Secretary, and your counterparts here on making those a
    reality.
        Let me turn to the topic of energy. Mr. Secretary, you've
    already talked about the importance of energy dominance, energy
    resilience. I think some of the other witnesses have talked
    about that. As you are aware because you and I talked about it
    during your confirmation process, the President himself, the
    Commander in Chief has really highlighted the Alaska LNG
    [Liquid Natural Gas] project.
        The reason that's so important--you might want to put that
    Alaska map up again. The reason that is so important for our
    country, it has huge potential both for energy security for
    America, reducing the trade deficit. The estimates of this
    large-scale LNG project are about $10 billion annual trade
    deficit reduction if we are sending LNG to our allies in Japan
    and Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, India. But very
    importantly for your position and all of your positions is
    energy resilience for our bases.
        So, right now, that pipeline, the natural gas is up here,
    we're looking at--they're building a big pipeline that would
    parallel the Trans Alaska pipeline and an LNG export facility
    here on the Kenai Peninsula. So, Mr. Secretary as you and I
    have talked about, do you believe a pipeline like that, which
    will go right past critical bases at Fort Wainwright, at
    Eielson, at Joint-Base Elemendorf-Richardson) JBER, that's a
    hundred years supply of clean burning Alaska Natural Gas, which
    are bases Alaska need.
        Could our bases benefit from that kind of abundant, very
    reliable and resilient supply of energy for our military bases
    for both regular use and use during time of war?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, absolutely, and we've been watching
    with great interest where this goes, certainly diversity of
    energy sources is critically important as we've discussed. We
    would continue to be very interested to see as this moves
    forward, how that could be integrated into our facilities.
        Senator Sullivan. Great, and then the second component of
    this, as I've already mentioned, the President, you may have
    seen highlighted this project in his State of the Union
    address. He highlighted this project in a meeting with the
    Japanese Prime Minister. He highlighted this project in a
    recent phone call with the previous President of Korea, the
    interim President there.
        This also has the potential to really help our allies in
    Asia secure American LNG and get off Russian LNG, Russian gas,
    Qataris gas, which we're seeing over the last couple of weeks
    is very strategically vulnerable. Do you see it playing an
    important role in that regard as well?
        Mr. Marks. Well, certainly Senator. I think economic
    security is national security. So, our ability to have that,
    again, that diversity and the sourcing and knowing where that
    is, is certainly very important to it. Again, we would love to
    see this continue to move forward.
        Senator Sullivan. Good. Let me just ask one final question.
    You know, I had a 2-hour meeting with the Deputy Secretary of
    Defense just a couple of weeks ago, primarily on the Golden
    Dome, where we're working together with the Administration of
    the Department of Defense. But I've talked to Secretary
    Hegseth, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and others about this
    energy project. There's a potential for the Department of
    Defense to be a purchaser of the gas and can help with regard
    to the pipeline.
        Can I just get your commitment, as you and I have talked
    about during your confirmation process to work with us on that,
    both the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary have said that this
    is something they want to work with us on and more importantly,
    the President has made this a top priority of his
    Administration?
        Mr. Marks. Senator, yes. We absolutely want to work on this
    with you.
        Senator Sullivan. Great. Let me turn to another form of
    energy. Mr. Saunders, can you give me an update on where we are
    on the Eielson? You mentioned it in your opening testimony on
    your Eielson a modular nuclear power project and what the
    potential is for that, not just at Eielson but maybe throughout
    interior Alaska as a further potential?
        Mr. Saunders. Yes, Senator. Thank you for that question.
    So, we're very proud to have recently announced our notice of
    intent to award a micro nuclear reactor power purchase
    agreement for Eielson. It'll be a five-megawatt solution.
    Working with Okta, is the agency that will ultimately be the
    awardee that, as I mentioned, had a public announcement, I
    think it was last week, if not, the week before.
        We're on target to finalize that agreement in the 2027
    timeframe. I'd be remiss though if I didn't acknowledge that
    that would be the first of an effort that the DAF is looking
    at. The DAF is committed to micro reactor technology throughout
    its portfolio as well as all kinds of energy sources. As the
    Assistant Secretary mentioned, we want to diversify and reduce
    our dependence on particularly contested energy sources. This
    is one step in that direction and we're proud to have announced
    that notice of intent to award.
        Senator Sullivan. Good. Thank you. Let me continue on with
    you, Mr. Saunders. I have been working for years now to get
    four KC-135s to Eielson to support our aerial refueling
    mission. As you know, we have over 100 fifth-generation
    fighters in Alaska, in addition to an F-16 intercept squadron
    up there that does a lot of these Russian intercepts.
        The tankers are absolutely fundamental to doing this real-
    world mission on a very regular basis. Not to mention all the
    great training that we conduct at Red Flag at least three or
    four times a year. Former Secretary of the Air Force, Kendall,
    ordered the active association on the four KC-135s to happen.
        We've had one of these KC-135s move to Eielson. Our new
    Secretary of the Air Force has committed to me in public
    hearing that we're going to continue with doing that. We have
    this issue of the housing market in Alaska. We want these to be
    accompanied tours with the 400 plus new airmen that'll be
    coming with these KC-135s.
        Do you have an update on what we can be doing collectively
    with regard to housing in the Eielson, Fairbanks, North Pole,
    interior Alaska area? There's some questions that the data on
    the housing is a little stale, some questions that we need more
    housing, some questions that we might need base housing. But we
    want to make this happen.
        We want to make these deployments really great experiences
    for our airmen, but we also want to get these KC-135s here
    soon. It's mission critical for the Air Force, for that
    intercept mission. As you know, as all of you know, any
    contingency in the Indo-Pacific, everybody's going to be flying
    over Alaska because of how strategic we are on the Great Circle
    route. Do you have an update on that Mr. Saunders?
        Mr. Saunders. Yes. Thank you, Senator. Let me start by
    reiterating Secretary Meink's commitment to relocate the four
    KC-135s to Eielson. As you've noted, AMC [Air Mobility Command]
    has already transferred one, and then the additional three
    aircraft will be reassigned from the Pacific Air Force's
    Command, PACAF, by the end of fiscal year 2026.
        Senator Sullivan. Is that within a year from now?
        Mr. Saunders. Roughly a year and a quarter.
        Senator Sullivan. Okay. We want to shorten that timeline.
    I've only been waiting on this for 10 years.
        Mr. Saunders. Yes, sir. Right now the current estimate is
    the end of fiscal year 2026. You alluded to the housing and as
    you know, my office worked with your staff during a recent site
    activation visit to enable these four aircrafts plus up.
        Senator Sullivan. We appreciated that very much.
        Mr. Saunders. During that time, we acknowledged that the
    local community is addressing the housing issue and
    requirement. We made sure that the data is refreshed now that
    it, you know, there still is a concurrent travel restriction.
    However, we do allow families to relocate to Eielson.
        What the current restriction does is it in essence requires
    the member to either secure housing before they depart and
    their family would depart with them at the same time when they
    arrive in Alaska. Or it would wait till they arrive in Alaska
    and secure the housing before the family relocates to minimize
    disruptions to the families.
        Senator Sullivan. What's the best way to get that
    concurrent restriction lifted? Because what we want is the
    airmen to come, accompany tours, bring their spouse, bring
    their kids. It helps the community. It makes for a better
    deployment. Three years as opposed to 1 year. Do you have any
    recommendations for us? We want to work with you on this.
        Mr. Saunders. I agree with you wholeheartedly as a former
    military member and a military dependent. I grew up in a
    military family, traveling with your family is obviously what
    we want to do. In this case the PACAF Commander has the travel
    restriction and they keep pulse on the requirement, and so, I
    need to defer to the PACAF Commander as to when that
    requirement would change. But they are certainly keeping pulse
    to ensure that that the housing is there to support the family.
        Senator Sullivan. That restriction is based on what the
    PACAF Commander sees as the limited housing stock?
        Mr. Saunders. It sees in the need to find housing and
    secure housing before the family relocates. Now I should
    reiterate, that doesn't mean that we don't allow families to
    Eielson. They certainly do. It is in a company tour. So,
    members do get to bring their family. They just need to show
    that they have secured housing before the family actually
    relocates.
        Senator Sullivan. Okay. Good. Let me ask one final
    question. You've been great witnesses today. It's a very, very
    informative hearing. I mentioned and each of you mentioned but
    I just want to triple check it. I was pleased to see that each
    of you actually mentioned significant funding for kind of the
    barrack upgrade issues, right? You might remember a couple of
    years ago, this became a giant issue that went to the Secretary
    of Defense (SECDEF) level and the Secretary and Chief of the
    Staffs of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy because the
    enlisted housing, it was revealed was very substandard and
    really not worthy of the men and women who sacrificed for their
    country to serve in our military.
        So, I just want a quick gut check with each of you on where
    you think our housing is, particularly for enlisted members of
    the military. You have put in each of you, in your budget
    requests, significant upgrades to that. Is there more you need
    to get to a level that we want to make sure, ``Hey, if you
    raise your right hand to join the Marine Corps or the Navy or
    the Air Force or the Army, you're not going to be living in a
    dumpy place on base that's got mice and rats and mold.
        We're going to give you a good place to live so you can be
    ready to serve your country when you're called.'' Are we
    feeling good about that Mr. Secretary? I'd like to go to each
    of the service representatives.
        Mr. Marks. Senator, certainly, and I think you're seeing
    across the board investments of over 30 percent as we continue
    to commit. Also, what I appreciate and thank you for your
    support in terms of the latitude of things like leasing and
    other options that we can get after. So, we're getting after
    the problem. Certainly, we need to keep the pressure on.
        Senator Sullivan. By the way, we want to give you that
    authority to be creative. It's not always a cookie cutter
    approach in different communities. It can be a creative mix of
    different things living out in town. Not everybody lives on
    base but we need to make sure they're getting those good
    housing. Dr. Waksman.
        Dr. Waksman. No problem.
        Senator Sullivan. I noticed you're a PhD nuclear physicist,
    so you know, that's impressive. That's why I wanted to call you
    doctor.
        Dr. Waksman. It's not as complex as barracks, sir. So, we
    have an index that we've been using to look at barracks
    quality, BCI, and so, the scary number is a score of 70. If
    barracks is below 70, it's considered poor or failing. The most
    recent time the Army looked at this, 14 percent of our barracks
    are below that metric. So, it's totally unacceptable. We have a
    plan in our budget. I know we haven't released the flight deck
    but we have a plan to get everything above 70 before 2030.
    Then, we're working with the Office of the Secretary of Defense
    (OSD) on a plan to actually--beyond that to even get the scores
    of 80 for all----
        Senator Sullivan. Did you put in a significant budget
    request, do you believe in this year's budget on this topic? I
    forgot what yours was but it sounded like it was in a couple of
    billions of dollars.
        Dr. Waksman. Yes, sir. We believe that the budget for
    fiscal year 2026 gets us on that glide path to 2030.
        Senator Sullivan. Okay. Great. Our next witness.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, thank you for the question.
    Yes, unaccompanied housing remains a priority within the
    Department of the Navy. Our secretary, just as it relates to
    the Navy acts for 100 percent inspection. The Marine Corps did
    this in 2024. We are continuing to stay focused on that on the
    Navy side.
        We are looking at improving overall quality of life with
    our Forging Communities of Excellence Plan. On the Marine Corps
    side, we have Barracks 2030 that gets after. Putting more focus
    on renovating and rightsizing the portfolio as far as updating
    our furnishings on a more frequent basis as well as civilian
    managers.
        So, all in all, lots of investment. We are definitely in
    the dawn looking at all of the solutions, whether it's PPV
    leasing or other avenues to get us to get the quality of
    housing that our sailors and our marines deserve.
        Senator Sullivan. Good answer. Mr. Saunders, you can wrap
    it up.
        Mr. Saunders. Yes, the Department of the Air Force also
    certainly has a high standard for our unaccompanied housing as
    well as our members with families in either in off base housing
    to provide them support or in our privatized housing or our
    military family housing or government owned housing, I should
    say. With respect to the unaccompanied housing, we're investing
    heavily there. In this current Future Years Defense Program
    (FYDP) period, it's about a threefold investment compared to
    the previous FYDP. So roughly $1.1 billion invested or from the
    period of 2022 to 2026 which like I said, is about three times
    higher than the previous 5-year plan.
        We have a dorm master plan that guides our investments.
    Similarly, we track on building condition index and we work on
    the worst case first. We've got investments funded both this
    year, the next fiscal year, and then, obviously, planned
    throughout the FYDP.
        If there were additional directed funding available to us,
    we certainly would apply that to our master plan to reduce the
    timeline in addressing all those requirements.
        Senator Sullivan. Great. Well, I'm glad to see all the
    Services are focused on this important priority. It's a
    priority of mine. It's a priority of the Senate Armed Services
    Committee. Well, with that, I appreciate the witnesses'
    excellent job during this hearing.
        If there's additional questions for the record, we will
    submit those within the next 4 days, and we respectfully ask
    you to try to get those returned to this Subcommittee within
    the next 2 weeks.
        With that, thanks again. This hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 4:11 p.m., the Committee adjourned.]

        [Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]

                  Questions Submitted by Senator Dan Sullivan
                                     alaska
        1. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, Moose Creek, a thermal
    hazardous waste remediation facility near Fairbanks, has historically
    played a critical role in treating per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances
    (PFAS)-contaminated soil in Alaska--particularly from military bases
    like Eielson. Given Alaska's size and remoteness, thermal treatment is
    one of the only viable options for PFAS disposal. However, due to the
    current moratorium on PFAS incineration, Moose Creek is unable to
    process the Department of Defense (DOD)-contaminated soil, despite
    continuing to treat PFAS waste from other agencies. Recent studies
    indicate that modern thermal remediation can safely and effectively
    destroy PFAS compounds at levels exceeding 99.99999 percent. Is the
    Department actively working with the Environmental Protection Agency
    (EPA) to reevaluate the moratorium and develop a science-based path
    forward that would allow facilities like Moose Creek to resume this
    essential work--and prevent the continued buildup of PFAS-contaminated
    soil?
        Secretary Marks. The Republic Services Moose Creek Facility is a
    thermal desorption facility, permitted under an Alaska Title V Air
    permit, to treat non-hazardous contaminants, such as petroleum and PFAS
    impacted soils. The Department of Air Force in consultation with my
    office, determined that installations may use existing State-permitted
    thermal desorption units, such as the one in Moose Creek because the
    DOW's [Department of War] July 14, 2023 ``Guidance on Incineration of
    Materials Containing Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances'' does not
    apply to thermal desorption facilities. PFAS-impacted soils from Air
    Force installations have been sent to Moose Creek for treatment,
    typically by an Air Force contractor that has selected Moose Creek as
    its vendor.
        My office is currently updating our PFAS destruction and disposal
    guidance to include new scientific information, including from the
    EPA's April 2024 guidance update: ``Interim Guidance on the Destruction
    and Disposal of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and
    Materials Containing Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances-
    Version 2.'' Updates to our guidance will continue to focus on use of
    technologies at facilities with EPA or State regulator-approved
    environmental permits, where applicable, or destruction technologies
    with environmental regulatory approval where a permit is not required.

        2. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Mr. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, the Department of Defense consistently
    requests less for facility sustainment funding, which provides for
    regular installation maintenance activities, than recommended by its
    own Facility Sustainment Model, with a 2022 Government Accountability
    Office (GAO) report and recent budget requests showing that the
    Department of Defense typically requests about 80 percent of the
    model's recommendations for sustainment budget in recent years. Simply
    put, this model is flawed, which is why Congress acted in passing the
    Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring
    each of the services to attain 4 percent of plant replacement value by
    2030. What percentage of plant replacement value are you programmed for
    in fiscal year 2026, and do I have your commitment to follow the law as
    it stands today to meet the first goal of 1.75 percent in 2027 leading
    up to the 4 percent in 2030?
        Secretary Marks. Thank you for your continued support of our
    facility sustainment efforts. We are fully committed to meeting our
    requirements, but we cannot speak to future funding requests beyond
    those in the fiscal year 2026 President's Budget. To ensure we are
    executing requirements appropriately, I have directed my staff to
    thoroughly evaluate the impact of our existing investments and develop
    a comprehensive, data-driven strategic plan. This plan will guide our
    efforts to maximize the effectiveness of our facility investments and
    sustain our mission readiness. We will continue to work closely with
    Congress, the GAO, and all other stakeholders to ensure transparency
    and accountability. We understand the crucial link between well-
    maintained facilities and the ability of our personnel to execute their
    mission.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is committed to working with Congress to
    increase its investments in facilities and make progress toward meeting
    the requirements from the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA. We continue to explore
    alternatives, such as demolition where appropriate, to reduce the
    overall plant-replacement value of Army inventory and to reduce ongoing
    sustainment costs.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON plans to reach approximately 1 percent
    of PRV in fiscal year 206 (President's Budget 2026) FSRM. The Navy
    remains committed to this effort and is actively working with the
    Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) to develop a comprehensive,
    holistic approach across all Military Departments (MILDEPs) to achieve
    the congressional goal of 4 percent PRV by 2030.
        Mr. Saunders. The DAF fiscal year 2026 FSRM program targets a 1.37
    percent PRV investment. The DAF is currently working on the fiscal year
    2027 President's Budget Request and is aware of the fiscal year 2027
    1.75 percent PRV investment floor as directed in the fiscal year 2025
    NDAA. The final FSRM investment level as a percentage of PRV will
    depend on OSD guidance as the budget request is finalized.
                                    housing
        3. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, I know that there are
    versions of the tenant bill of rights for military members in place,
    but I'm concerned that we may need to review whether privatized housing
    companies are abiding by them. In Alaska, my staff have heard stories
    in which privatized housing contractors that the Department of Defense
    is working with were allegedly requiring military spouses to sign non-
    disclosure agreements before making repairs to mold-ridden homes. Will
    you work with my team and this committee to ensure that we are
    pinpointing these problem locales and firms and then find solutions to
    this issue so we can ensure to hold companies accountable?
        Secretary Marks. Accountability by both Military Housing
    Privatization Initiative (MHPI) project owners and government staff at
    all levels is key to ensuring servicemembers and military families
    reside in clean, comfortable, and safe housing at each installation.
    Part of the accountability checks within my organization include
    monthly and quarterly meetings with the Military Departments on their
    MHPI projects, particularly those with pinpointed problems. I am
    committed to working closely with you and the committee staff to remain
    diligent in our oversight of the Department's privatized housing
    projects.

        4. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, does the military have real-
    time data systems for tracking these emergent issues in real time? If
    so, do you think we need to better update them to track these housing
    issues?
        Secretary Marks. The Department does have data systems for tracking
    housing issues such as work orders in real time. What is needed, and
    where I intend for improvements to be made, is the aggregation of data
    and sharing that data with echelons above the installation level to
    identify trends and make informed portfolio-level decisions as needed.
                                   indopacom
        5. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, I am concerned that DOD is
    lacking strategic creativity with our posture in Indo-Pacific Command
    (INDOPACOM) and becoming over concentrated in its current and future
    military construction (MILCON) planned for the Island of Guam. DOD
    needs to spread out in the Pacific, and I think it has an opportunity
    to do so in locations that the U.S. formerly operated throughout the
    20th century. This includes former bases in the Aleutians and Galena
    Air Force Station. These bases could be used to counter Russian and
    Chinese adversary incursions in our Air Defense Identification Zone
    (ADIZ) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Do you agree that DOD
    installations in the Pacific that we abandoned might be useful for
    strategic dispersal of forces in the Pacific and do you think we are
    moving fast enough toward that goal to counter China in 2027?
        Secretary Marks. The Department is focused on reinforcing
    deterrence by denial in the Indo-Pacific and defending the Homeland.
    The United States requires a combat-credible forward presence in the
    Indo-Pacific region to deter aggression and build warfighting advantage
    with our allies and partners. I agree that strategic dispersal across
    the Pacific is essential, and we must avoid overconcentration in any
    one area. Locations such as Galena and the Aleutians offer geographic
    advantages and historical precedent and may warrant further assessment
    as part of a broader posture strategy. While some infrastructure may
    still be viable, any future use would require careful evaluation of
    operational value, cost, and sustainability. We are actively exploring
    agile basing and accelerating MILCON planning to meet the 2027
    challenge posed by China. Your continued advocacy for Alaska's
    strategic relevance is appreciated, and we look forward to working
    together on these important issues.

        6. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, do you think that we are
    potentially risking the resilience of our base facility and energy
    infrastructure on Guam by continuing to build so heavily on the island?
        Secretary Marks. While we acknowledge the potential risks of
    concentrating military assets in Guam, the strategic buildup is crucial
    for national security in the Indo-Pacific. We are actively mitigating
    these risks by hardening infrastructure, diversifying assets, and
    investing in energy resilience through microgrids and renewable
    sources. Our efforts also include collaborating with local authorities
    to modernize the island's civilian infrastructure, which benefits both
    military readiness and the local community. Ultimately, our goal is to
    ensure that Guam remains a resilient and effective forward operating
    base, capable of supporting U.S. operations for decades to come, while
    also being a good partner to the people of Guam.

        7. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, do you think that after the
    loss of the Red Hill fuel facility, DOD needs to expand its bulk fuel
    capacity in the Pacific to include hardened sites with large capacity?
    Do you think former facilities such as Adak Naval Air Station, a
    location that can hold over 20 million gallons of fuel capacity, could
    help cover gaps in bulk fuel needs for the Navy and expand the Navy's
    reach into the Bering Sea and Arctic?
        Secretary Marks. In alignment with the Secretary's priorities for
    deterring aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the Department will continue
    to pursue the most operationally effective means of ensuring bulk fuel
    to Joint forces that may be deployed in contested environments.
                                   __________
                Questions Submitted by Senator Tommy Tuberville
        Recently, my team has met with multiple military families,
    including a family in my home State of Alabama, that have experienced
    severe housing issue due to environmental concerns, particularly mold.
    All these incidents have occurred in military family housing, and we
    have talked to a family from every service dealing with this issue. It
    is reprehensible to ask our servicemembers to be willing to risk their
    lives in defense of this Nation while allowing their families to live
    in such poor conditions.

        8. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, how is your organization currently addressing
    environmental issues, such as mold, in military family housing?
        Secretary Marks. My organization continues to work on a Department-
    wide policy that addresses environmental health and safety (EHS) in
    housing. This policy will include specific information on efforts to
    control mold and moisture in all types of Department housing, such as
    steps to protect the servicemembers and their families and the tracking
    of EHS hazards to monitor for repeated instances. It's a critical,
    missing component to ensuring clean, comfortable, and safe housing for
    our servicemembers.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is committed to providing soldiers, families,
    and civilians safe, clean, and healthy facilities, including homes for
    those who choose to live on Army installations. The Army provides
    resources and policy to facilitate reporting which quickly helps to
    assess housing concerns. The Army takes its obligation seriously to
    care for the health and welfare of all tenants and residents.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy's (DON's) Military
    Housing Offices (MHOs) have implemented a variety of processes and
    procedures to ensure awareness of all potential health and safety risks
    to residents to include mold. Awareness of environmental, health, and
    safety (EHS) issues can come through various avenues, which may include
    review of privatized partners (PPV) company work order systems, direct
    tenant contact, site assessments, PPV company or Property Manager (PM),
    social media, and others. EHS issues are addressed applying the
    property managers' environmental health and safety standards for
    managing mold consistent with the agreements in place, in coordination
    with the tenant and the MHOs. Additionally, the Department of War
    military housing privatization initiative Tenant Bill of Rights was
    established to ensure oversight of privatized housing programs
    including providing safe and suitable housing for Service Members and
    their families which outlines many rights the tenants have in these
    scenarios including formal dispute resolution.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF takes all reports of mold seriously. To support
    servicemembers, DAF has implemented the following initiatives to ensure
    environmental issues within military family housing are properly
    identified and addressed: Defense Housing Feedback System (DHFS), 1-800
    Call Center, Dispute Resolution Process, Annual Work Order Audit
    Review, and Monthly MHO Health and Life Safety Reporting. DAF MHOs are
    empowered to work with the installation's Bio-Environmental office to
    investigate any reported cases of mold and ensure such cases are
    remediated in accordance with EPA standards and procedures.
    Additionally, all DAF inspectors attend a certified home inspection
    course that covers the identification of mold and conditions that can
    result in mold growth. Homes with mold growth or conditions conducive
    to mold growth are not permitted to be rented until the condition is
    remediated.

        9. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, in the past 3 years, how many instances of
    mold exposure requiring medical treatment have you encountered across
    all your installations?
        Secretary Marks. My organization has been made aware of instances
    of mold in Department housing but is not aware of any exposures
    requiring medical treatment. The critical policy being prepared for my
    signature on environmental health and safety in housing will require
    tracking of mold in a centralized housing management system for all
    levels of the military to access, from the installation to the Chief
    Housing Officer.
        Dr. Waksman. According to military electronic health records, from
    January 1, 2023 to August 19, 2025, there were 642 recorded medical
    encounters (not individual patients) with ICD-10 code Z77.120
    (``Contact with and (suspected) exposure to mold (toxic)''), indicating
    a self-reported history of mold exposure without symptoms and/or
    indicating environmental evaluation confirmed mold presence. In 2023,
    there were 211 encounters, 276 in 2024, and 155 in 2025 (through August
    19, 2025). It is crucial to note the presence of this code only
    reflects a reported history of exposure and does not necessarily
    indicate medical care sought or received due to the exposure. The
    Defense Health Agency provides these encounter data on self-reported
    potential exposure as the best available estimate of mold exposure
    among all Active Duty servicemembers and their dependents. However,
    military health data systems are unable to pinpoint information
    regarding the timing, location, or on-post vs. off-post residence of
    the patient at the time of the reported exposure.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. In situations on DON installations where
    individuals may require medical treatment, these individuals are
    referred to the Defense Health Agency who tracks this number of
    instances.
        Mr. Saunders. Due to HIPAA, DAF does not have the total instances
    of mold exposure requiring medical treatment, as medical information is
    protected and not shared with DAF housing personnel. However, DAF
    investigates every reported case of mold and ensures issues are
    remediated in accordance with EPA standards and procedures.

        10. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has Congress provided you the adequate
    resources to respond to this issue and to mitigate future events? If
    not, what would you recommend Congress do through legislation such as
    the National Defense Authorization Act to give you the tools required
    to fight this pervasive problem?
        Secretary Marks. We sincerely appreciate the steps taken by
    Congress in the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act as
    it relates to mold and moisture control issues in housing. I commit my
    organization to developing and implementing uniform guidelines for the
    remediation of mold in military housing and execution of the pilot
    program for emerging technologies for moisture control and mitigation.
    The report my organization submits to the congressional defense
    committees on the results of the pilot program will include our
    assessment of additional needs to fight this pervasive problem.
        Dr. Waksman. With Congress's support, the Army has taken meaningful
    steps in recent years to improve oversight and funding for military
    housing--to include addressing concerns about mold in military housing.
    Initiatives under various National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs),
    such as increased inspections and tenant rights provisions, have helped
    us make progress. However, challenges remain. The fiscal year 2026
    President's Budget Request made historic increases in funding for
    housing focused on mitigation of these issues. The Army continues to
    focus on the quality of life, to allow our soldiers to focus on the
    warrior ethos and building peace through strength.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON believes that Congress has provided
    adequate resources for addressing environmental issues, such as mold,
    in our military family housing. With the funds provided, the DON
    finished completed third party inspections for its PPV and government
    owned housing inventory and additional training for our staff. Through
    congressional efforts, the DON is well postured to mitigate future
    events.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF has the tools it needs for this matter and does
    not recommend additional legislation to address mold processes.

        11. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, before you come back before this panel next
    year, will you make every effort to travel to installations and meet
    with families affected by this issue?
        Secretary Marks. As the Department's Chief Housing Officer, site
    visits to installations to meet with servicemembers and families and
    see all types of the Department's housing are a priority. I fully
    commit to continuing those visits throughout the next year.
        Dr. Waksman. I will make every effort to visit our soldiers and
    their families to gain the benefit of their input as we work to improve
    housing and other quality-of-life issues.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, I will continue to travel to installations
    where I know housing challenges exist. I make a point to visit housing
    whenever I am traveling and engage at the local level as I fully
    support the importance housing has to the mission.
        Mr. Saunders. Yes. During each of my installation visits I
    prioritize meeting with members and families residing in our on base
    housing portfolio as well as those that reside off the installation to
    ensure I hear first-hand the perspectives affecting our airmen,
    guardians and their families. In addition, our DAF housing
    professionals in San Antonio visit each MHPI installation in-person
    annually, where they meet with residents, resident councils, and
    resident advocates to discuss issues and address concerns.

        12. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, will you commit to meeting on a regular basis
    with other members of this panel to discuss these issues and look at
    this issue through the lens of the joint force and not just as an issue
    that affects a singular service?
        Secretary Marks. Yes, I commit to meeting with members of this
    panel on a recurring basis to discuss housing issues and joint
    solutions to identified problems and challenges.
        Dr. Waksman. I will absolutely commit to meeting regularly with
    other members of this panel to discuss these issues and look at
    military housing quality through the lens of the joint force and not
    just as an issue that affects a single service.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, I commit to continuing to meet with other
    members of this panel to discuss these issues and appreciate the
    opportunity to hear additional perspectives with the goal of improving
    quality of life for servicemembers and their families.
        Mr. Saunders. Yes, currently the Services meet monthly to share
    lessons learned as a joint force.
                                   __________
                 Questions Submitted by Senator Mazie K. Hirono
                            installation resilience
        13. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the DOD has made important
    strides to improve installation resilience with investments in on-base
    generation, storage, and microgrids that provide backup power to
    critical missions. However, these on-base resilience efforts are
    necessary but not sufficient to protect installations from grid
    outages. Most troops and DOD civilians live in the community, including
    those that perform critical missions. On-base backup power doesn't help
    these people get to the base when there is a blackout in the community.
    More importantly, we need these people to be the best versions of
    themselves when they perform mission critical work, and that can be
    difficult when they're worried about their families who may not have
    access to essential services like banks, grocery stores, and schools.
    What is the Department doing to work with utilities and grid operators
    to help invest in a more resilient and reliable civilian electric grid
    that will support our defense communities?
        Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes the critical importance
    of a resilient and reliable civilian electric grid to support its
    installations and surrounding communities. A robust grid ensures
    mission readiness, protects critical infrastructure, and safeguards
    personnel. To that end, the DOW is actively engaging with utilities and
    grid operators through various initiatives and programs, as well as
    working with the Department of Energy to ensure DOW's national security
    and energy needs are met. Specifically, DOW:

          Conducts joint vulnerability assessments to identify
    weaknesses in the grid and develop mitigation strategies. For example,
    the DOW participates in the biennial GridEx exercises with utilities
    and grid operators run by the North American Electric Reliability
    Corporation (NERC) to identify potential impacts and mitigation
    opportunities from simulated disruptions impacting both military
    installations and the commercial grid.

          Promotes the development of microgrids and distributed
    generation resources on and around military installations to provide
    backup power during grid outages and increase energy independence in
    compliance with 10 U.S.C. Sec.  2920.

          Supports the deployment of energy storage technologies to
    improve grid stability and resilience by helping to balance supply and
    demand, reduce peak loads, and provide backup power during outages. DOW
    installations collaborate with local utilities to integrate these
    resources into the grid in a way that enhances overall grid resilience.

          Participates in demand response programs at certain
    installations that allow utilities to reduce electricity consumption
    during peak periods to reduce strain on the grid and improve overall
    reliability.

          Invests in research and development of new technologies
    and strategies to improve grid resilience and reliability. This
    includes areas such as advanced sensors, smart grid technologies, and
    grid modeling. The DOW partners with universities, national
    laboratories, and industry to develop and deploy these technologies.

          Supports communities in working closely with utilities to
    address resiliency issues through studies to identify vulnerabilities
    and through competitive investments in infrastructure construction via
    grants through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.

          Establishes partnerships and agreements with utilities
    and grid operators to formalize collaboration and ensure effective
    communication. These agreements outline the roles and responsibilities
    of each party and establish mechanisms for information sharing and
    joint planning.

          Requires each installation to create an Installation
    Master Plan in compliance with 10 U.S.C. Sec.  2864. This plan
    documents community infrastructure and resources located outside the
    installation (such as energy infrastructure) that are necessary to
    maintain mission capability or that impact the resilience of the
    military installation. The plan also requires installations to identify
    agreements in effect with utilities and other public or private
    entities for maintaining installation resilience or resilience of the
    community infrastructure and resources.

        14. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, what can Congress do to
    support the Department's efforts to be more proactive in working with
    utilities and grid operators to invest in a more reliable electric
    grid?
        Secretary Marks. Congress plays a vital role in helping the
    Department strengthen collaboration with utilities and grid operators.
    A reliable civilian grid is critical for mission assurance,
    installation resilience, and the well-being of military families. The
    Department appreciates Congress's continued support for the Energy
    Resilience and Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP), which enables
    installations to deploy microgrids, distributed generation, and
    advanced energy storage that improve both on-base resilience and the
    stability of surrounding grids. Additionally, the Department
    appreciates congressional support for interagency collaboration with
    DOE, national laboratories, and State and local utilities to ensure we
    can jointly assess vulnerabilities, develop advanced grid solutions,
    and integrate resilience improvements into broader infrastructure
    planning. Continued support through these programs allows DOW to
    strengthen grid reliability in ways that safeguard critical missions
    and protect national security. Finally, the Department appreciates
    continued support for the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation
    grants, which enables our ability to provide technical and financial
    support and resources to State and local governments to assist efforts
    to work with utilities to harden electricity infrastructure.
                            dod workforce challenges
        15. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the DOD has experienced
    workforce challenges over the last several months and your office
    hasn't been spared, whether it's the hiring freeze or threats of a
    reduction in force that have had civilians retiring earlier than
    planned. The work goes on and there is no shortage of demands on
    Energy, Installations, and Environment (EI&E), particularly when it
    comes to the department's mission to ensure access to reliable energy
    for the warfighter. The Department of Energy (DOE) and its national
    labs have incredible expertise and capabilities, including programs
    aimed at delivering technical assistance that can help military
    installations and defense communities address their needs for energy
    efficiency, reliability, and resilience. How are you working with DOE
    and its national labs to leverage these technical assistance programs
    to expand the capacity of your office to drive energy resilience
    outcomes for military installations and defense communities?
        Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes that partnerships with
    other Federal agencies expand energy resilience for our military
    installations and defense communities. My office is working closely
    with DOE's Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response
    (CESER) office on the implementation of Executive Orders aimed at
    improving grid security and resilience. We are also actively partnering
    with DOE's Office of Electricity, which incorporated the former Grid
    Deployment Office (GDO), to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to
    strengthen collaboration on energy resilience efforts and provide
    technical assistance to installations and defense communities.
    Additionally, we integrate efforts with DOE offices such as the Office
    of International Affairs (IA) and the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to
    address pressing energy challenges. Furthermore, my office engages
    directly with various national labs to address numerous issues,
    leveraging the capabilities found throughout the lab system. These
    partnerships ensure access to cutting-edge expertise and innovative
    solutions essential to maintaining military operational readiness.

        16. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, how are you communicating with
    the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the White House to
    protect these DOE and national lab technical assistance programs from
    budget cuts?
        Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes the significant value
    that DOE and its national laboratories bring to advancing energy
    resilience and security for our military installations. My office
    remains committed to collaborating with interagency partners to ensure
    we leverage resources effectively to meet national security and energy
    resilience goals. We are in regular communication with the White House
    and OMB regarding the importance of these Federal partnerships.
          advanced nuclear reactor technologies for national security
        17. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the President signed an
    Executive Order recently on ``Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor
    Technologies for National Security,'' which builds on an initiative the
    last administration started to explore using this technology for
    installation resilience. However, there's some confusion though about
    what DOD is focused on. On the one hand, the Army and the Air Force are
    working with the Defense Innovation Unit on acquiring reactors for
    installation energy resilience. On the other hand, the administration
    and DOD seem to still be focused on the idea of a mobile microreactor
    that would be deployed overseas. Congress funded this work early on
    with Project Pele, and it had some success with building strong ties
    between DOD, DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But the
    technology appears to have gone as far as it can for now because of
    challenges with shielding the reactor which limits its mobility and
    power output. And we haven't even addressed the challenges with
    securing permission to fly a reactor over another country's airspace.
    Can you tell us what DOD's plans are for advanced reactors?
        Secretary Marks. Advanced nuclear technologies are critical to
    installation resilience and high-demand missions. We are pursuing
    technology investigations into small modular and microreactors to
    deliver reliable baseload power, strengthen microgrids, and reduce grid
    vulnerability. The Department is aligning oversight and working with
    DOE, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Services to address
    regulatory and contracting challenges through the OSD Nuclear Energy
    Working Group and the Army as the Department's Executive Agent (EA) to
    implement first-of-its-kind advanced nuclear initiatives. These
    initiatives include microreactor pilots, prototype projects, and
    innovative contracting approaches designed to deliver secure, scalable,
    and resilient power for critical installations. By integrating these
    technologies, the Department is enhancing mission assurance, reducing
    vulnerabilities, and positioning the United States as a leader in
    advanced nuclear energy.

        18. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, what is the Office of the
    Secretary of Defense (OSD)'s role since the president's executive order
    (EO) made the Army the executive agent for these efforts?
        Secretary Marks. In accordance with DOW Directive 5101.01, OSD
    serves as the Principal Staff Assistant (PSA) to oversee the
    designation of the EA, assign roles and responsibilities, and provide
    recommendations to the Department on any modifications to EA
    assignments that may be warranted over time. Therefore, OSD is actively
    coordinating the designation of the Army as the Executive Agent (EA)
    for Advanced Nuclear Power, as directed by the President's EO. This
    includes defining the roles and responsibilities of the EA to ensure
    the effective advancement of current and future efforts in deploying
    advanced nuclear energy technologies Additionally, OSD is formalizing
    the OSD Nuclear Energy Working Group as the primary coordination body
    for the deployment of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology. This working
    group will play a critical role in facilitating partnerships across the
    Services and their Components with the Department of Energy (DOE), the
    Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and private sector industry
    partners. These partnerships are essential to ensuring the successful
    deployment of advanced nuclear technologies that enhance energy
    resilience, operational readiness, and national security while ensuring
    a collective message is being shared back to external stakeholders in a
    thoughtful and streamlined manner.

        19. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, is DOD still planning to
    develop a mobile microreactor?
        Secretary Marks. Yes, the Department continues to pursue mobile and
    transportable microreactors through several ongoing initiatives. These
    efforts include the Strategic Capabilities Office-led Project Pele, a
    transportable 1-5 MWe microreactor prototype for rapid deployment; the
    Versatile Autonomous Kilowatt-class Reactor Experiment (VALKRE), an
    Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF)-funded 40-60kWe
    nuclear reactor that is deployable and readily relocatable; and the
    USNORTHCOM and Air Force-sponsored Antara R1 kilowatt-class special
    purpose reactor, which would enable 100-300kWe energy for remote,
    austere, and resilient missions.

        20. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, if so, doesn't it make more
    sense to focus funding solely on installation reactors rather than
    spreading limited resources across several programs at the risk of not
    finishing either?
        Secretary Marks. The Department's need for power is likely to
    increase as new capabilities such as directed energy, high power
    sensors, artificial intelligence, and battery-powered and hybrid
    systems come online. In addition, the Joint Force continues to operate
    in remote and/or contested environments that place assured energy
    supplies at risk. As the President's Executive Order 14299 makes clear,
    there is a need for fielding advanced reactors of multiple, disparate
    typologies, and we are confident the Department can support such
    initiatives for both operational energy and installation energy
    applications.
                        installation disaster resilience
        21. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the DOD estimates that extreme
    weather has cost the department tens of billions of dollars in damage
    and recovery costs and compromises mission execution. In particular,
    natural disasters--such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and
    wildfires--pose a risk to military installations which include
    capabilities and assets that provide critical support for DOD's mission
    readiness. What is DOD's approach to proactively mitigating weather and
    climate related risks to installations such as storms and other extreme
    weather events?
        Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes that extreme weather
    adversely affects military readiness and lethality, standing in the way
    of the Department's mission to achieve peace through strength. The
    ideal extreme weather risk reduction strategy varies depending on
    installation-specific factors including extreme weather exposure,
    location, mission-specific functions, operational needs, other
    compounding environmental conditions, and existing mitigation measures.
    DOW recognizes that accurate, comprehensive, and validated data on
    extreme weather exposure, impacts, and risks to mission are essential
    for reducing vulnerabilities at the installation level. To support
    this, the Department provides technical guidance, directives, and
    tools, and has implemented the following initiatives:

          Expansion of reporting on extreme weather to
    comprehensively characterize environmental risks,

          Review and enhance standards and guidance where
    appropriate, by integrating resilience best practices and robust risk
    reduction requirements, and

          Providing extreme weather exposure assessment
    capabilities through the DOW Extreme Conditions Assessment Tool (DECAT)
    and other resilience tools to help installations target where deeper
    analysis is needed to understand primary risks to mission and prepare
    appropriate risk reduction strategies.

        22. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, in the wake of a natural
    disaster impacting an installation, what factors do you consider when
    directing the base to either rebuild back to prior capabilities versus
    pursuing more significant resilience improvements as part of the
    recovery?
        Secretary Marks. When a natural disaster strikes an installation,
    our decision to rebuild is guided by a mission-first, risk-based
    analysis. Instead of simply restoring prior capabilities, we prioritize
    building back stronger by incorporating resilience improvements. We
    conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis, weighing the initial
    investment in upgrades against the long-term costs of future damage and
    mission disruption. By prioritizing critical infrastructure and
    prudently planning for disruptions, we ensure that our recovery efforts
    not only restore capabilities but also significantly enhance the
    installation's ability to withstand future extreme weather events.
                       army energy and water regulations
        23. Senator Hirono. Dr. Waksman, currently, Army energy and water
    policy is buried within a 500-page document known as Army Regulation
    420-1, ``Army Facilities Management.'' It covers every complex topic
    that you might encounter at an installation--from housing and emergency
    services to mineral exploration and extraction. It has not been updated
    since 2012. In lieu of a comprehensive update to this regulation, the
    Army has relied on issuing policy memoranda that have resulted in a
    patchwork of redundant, ambiguous, and often conflicting energy and
    water requirements that cause confusion with headquarters and
    installation staff. There is considerable uncertainty about what the
    Army's goals are and how to leverage existing Federal and industry
    capabilities to deliver outcomes that will benefit the warfighter. Last
    year, the Army started to rewrite that 500-page document and break it
    into a dozen standalone regulations to simplify the content for
    headquarters and installation staff and help senior leaders with
    resourcing decisions. The plan was to include a separate regulation for
    energy and water, but the Army canceled that plan in February. When
    does the Army expect to restart its plan to write a separate energy and
    water regulation to ensure there are clear and enduring program
    objectives that drive the Army's use of energy and water management to
    strengthen the warfighting mission?
        Dr. Waksman. The Army initiated a project to divide Army Regulation
    420-1 into a series of standalone regulations, including a dedicated
    regulation for energy and water management. The Army is finalizing a
    draft of the energy and water management regulation. The regulation
    will incorporate new Federal and Department of Defense guidance,
    including requirements set by the Army Transformation Initiative. We
    recognize the urgency of providing clear and enduring program
    objectives. We are committed to delivering an Army regulation that is
    both practical and effective at achieving energy and water resilience
    that benefits the warfighter.

        24. Senator Hirono. Dr. Waksman, what are the risks if the Army
    fails to move forward with a comprehensive policy update and continues
    the same patchwork approach with using memoranda to shape energy and
    water management?
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is finalizing its comprehensive policy
    update. The Army's regulation for energy and water management will
    clarify policy and guidance, reduce ambiguity, and focus on a resilient
    energy and water future that directly supports the warfighter. Beyond
    this regulation, the Army has already instituted several key mechanisms
    to ensure consistent energy and water management practices across the
    Department. These mechanisms include weekly energy portfolio meetings;
    a central repository for policy, training, and engagement; and a
    rigorous review process that ensures Army requirements are including
    all contracts.
                       military construction improvements
        25. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, a long-standing concern of this committee is
    the need for DOD and the Services to execute military construction
    projects with much greater speed, cost savings, and efficiency. What
    specific ideas do you have to improve the military construction
    process?
        Secretary Marks. I strongly agree that the Department needs to
    deliver infrastructure faster and more cost-effectively to support the
    warfighter. I appreciate the committee's support of creative execution
    strategies, such as accelerated design-build, the use of other
    transactions for infrastructure projects, and the bundling of multiple
    projects into single acquisitions to achieve economies of scale.
    Further, the Department is actively reviewing and revising policies to
    ensure clarity for our industry partners regarding decisionmaking
    responsibilities, enabling faster and more efficient project decisions.
    We are also leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline our
    facility criteria program, significantly reducing the volume of content
    that both government personnel and industry must review while ensuring
    compliance with industry standards. In addition, we are modernizing our
    business systems by adopting industry-standard platforms to the maximum
    extent, which will enhance efficiency and interoperability. Finally, in
    collaboration with my colleagues in the military departments, we will
    closely examine the findings of the upcoming study required by Section
    2877 of the fiscal year 2025 NDAA to assess construction programming
    and execution within the Department. Based on the report
    recommendations, we will take bold actions to ensure that the DOW is
    organized as efficiently as possible to execute military construction.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army thanks the Committee for its interest in
    continuing to develop opportunities to refine and improve military
    construction management and methods. The Army is developing pilot
    projects for innovative technologies and construction techniques as
    well as expedited acquisition. With the success of the Fort Bliss 3D-
    printed-barracks project, the Army is working toward using 3D printing
    for projects that require repetitive construction of the same or
    similar facility. The Army is also coordinating with Defense Innovation
    Unit (DIU) and other MILDEPs to standardize facility designs and
    streamline acquisition. We are exploring design/construction approaches
    such as Design Build to Budget, Progressive Design Build, and
    Integrative Design and Construction, as well as modular and tilt-up
    construction methods.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy (DON) is actively
    tackling the critical need for improved speed, cost savings, and
    efficiency in military construction through a comprehensive campaign
    plan. Key initiatives include using a Minimum Viable Project (MVP)
    approach to right-size projects, adopting faster, alternative
    construction methods like tension fabric structures and offsite
    construction, and leveraging innovative contracting tools to navigate
    market volatility, expand our contractor base, and promote competitive
    bidding.
        Mr. Saunders. OSD and the DAF have been working options for MILCON
    reform both internally and externally. For internal options, USD(A&S)
    is relooking at standardized designs, Unified Facility Criteria (UFC)
    requirements, engaging industry, and working to streamline DOD policy,
    processes, and requirements for MILCON cost, execution, and lifecycle
    sustainment. Externally, OSD and the DAF continue to explore potential
    future Legislative Proposals on topics such as alternative delivery
    methods, Progressive Design-Build, lump sum appropriation, advanced
    authorization with multi-year contracting authority, expanded Other
    Transactional Authority (OTA), multi-year O&M appropriations, repair by
    replacement authority, and an increased Unspecified Minor Construction
    limit to $50 million.
                            energy demand reduction
        26. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, the DOD's investments in operational energy
    programs reduce the logistics demands on the military and increase
    combat capability. Meanwhile, installation initiatives like the
    Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program and Sentinel
    Landscapes prevent encroachment on training areas which enhances
    readiness and conserves the land. Please identify which energy demand
    reduction and other installation focused programs are most important to
    your Service?
        Secretary Marks. The Department prioritizes energy solutions that
    enhance warfighter capabilities, improve energy resilience, and reduce
    the logistical burden of moving, storing, and distributing energy on
    the battlefield. These energy innovations are critical to extending
    operational reach and advancing next-generation warfighting
    capabilities to defend the homeland and deter aggression in the Indo-
    Pacific.
        To complement investments by the Military Departments, Department-
    wide programs of record like the OASW(EI&E)-led Operational Energy
    Capability Improvement Fund and the Operational Energy Prototyping Fund
    accelerate the delivery of Joint power and energy solutions across all
    domains. We have seen success in microgrids, energy storage, power and
    energy for autonomous systems, space operations and refueling, and
    foundational capabilities crucial for initiatives like Golden Dome. Our
    approach focuses on both near-term solutions to enable upgrades to
    current platforms as well as longer-term improvements in the design of
    our future systems and the integration of new technologies.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is committed to ensuring continuous mission
    performance by actively leveraging all available programs and
    authorities. We recognize Army installations are critical for
    warfighting, including production facilities, training centers,
    mobilization hubs, and power-projection platforms. Consequently, we are
    singularly focused on enhancing our ability to operate in contested
    spaces and enable our installations to function as islands should major
    attacks (physical or cyber) or natural disasters compromise commercial
    energy and water providers.
        In line with this commitment, we are prioritizing programs that
    help us reduce overall energy demand, modernize our distribution
    infrastructure, increase onsite power production capacity, and limit
    encroachment. These efforts will ensure our ability to sustain, deploy,
    fight, and win our Nation's wars.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy's energy and
    installation initiatives are force multipliers which directly
    strengthen deterrence, combat power, and readiness. Reducing energy
    demand at our installations and across the force create enhanced
    operational endurance to improve the warfighter's ability to operate
    with greater agility, resilience, and lethality in contested
    environments. Savings generated by optimized energy use are used to
    make investments in modernizing defense infrastructure and aligning
    with long-term national security priorities.
        Our key initiatives essential for DON to execute energy dominance:
        These programs demonstrate how the DON is aligning energy security
    and installation resilience to strengthen deterrence, enhance
    lethality, and ensure our sailors and marines can train, fight, and win
    in any environment.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF has implemented a full range of strategies to
    reduce energy demand, increase our operational agility, and mitigate
    our contested logistics risk in theaters like the Pacific. These
    include modernizing our legacy mobility aircraft fleet with drag
    reduction technology like those currently used by commercial airlines,
    advanced engine sustainment practices that reduce aircraft downtime and
    increase engine performance, and software tools that decrease mission
    planning time and improve mission execution that lead to more effective
    use of our forces.
        DAF is also focused on providing secure, resilient installation
    energy and water systems to advance mission assurance and enable
    installations to deliver combat power in contested environments. DAF's
    approach to addressing energy requirements and energy management
    includes identifying enabling system vulnerabilities, improving
    resilience planning, and ensuring resilience results, using tools
    including Energy Resilience Readiness Exercises (ERREs), Water
    Resilience Readiness Exercises (WRREs), Installation Energy Plans
    (IEPs), and Resilient Solution Reports (RSRs). DAF is piloting
    innovative technologies, such as nuclear microreactors and geothermal
    energy generation, for continuous, reliable, and secure power, while
    proactively planning and testing for potential disruptions to ensure
    stable access to essential power necessary to deliver national security
    missions.

        27. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, why are these programs so important to the
    joint force?
        Secretary Marks. Defending the homeland and deterring aggression
    require Joint forces that are interoperable and capable of operating in
    contested environments. The adaptations, technologies, and new designs
    being developed by the Department and our industry partners are
    essential to greater reach, increased combat effectiveness, and
    enhanced survivability. These innovations will enhance interoperability
    and optimize training, while also reducing the risk of storing and
    distributing energy over long-distances against capable adversaries.
        Dr. Waksman. These programs are essential to the Joint Force, as
    each Service brings unique capabilities and areas of responsibility.
    While the Army's traditional mission of mobilizing, fighting, and
    occupying and holding land remains largely unchanged, its operational
    scope now includes capabilities such as Joint Command and Control, Area
    Air Defense, Mid-Range Hypersonic strike weapons, and Cyber Attack
    capabilities, some of which are used from within our fence line.
    Additionally, other Defense Agencies often operate on Army
    installations, providing critical intelligence and geospatial imagery
    services to the Joint Force. Therefore, Army installations must be able
    to provide uninterrupted energy and water to ensure mission continuity
    in support of our Nation's military operations, as required by our
    President.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON sees each program as essential to the
    Joint Force. These efforts directly reduce logistics burdens, ensure
    installation operations in contested environments, and protect the
    training space needed for joint readiness. Through reducing energy
    demand to enhance warfighter operational endurance, the DON shrinks the
    resupply kill-chain and decreases the risks to distribution platforms
    within contested environments. Energy Resilience and Conservation
    Investment Program (ERCIP) investments in microgrids, onsite power
    generation, and water security projects are critical to ensure our
    installations can generate combat power, even if civilian
    infrastructure fails. By leveraging all tools and authorities, such as
    ERCIP, ESPCs and UESCs, we maximize resources toward improving
    warfighter lethality in alignment with the Secretary of the Navy's
    priorities. These programs act as force multipliers by strengthening
    deterrence, ensuring resilience, and enabling the Joint Force to fight
    and win in contested environments.
        Mr. Saunders. The new strategic environment of modern air combat
    demands that we rebuild the lethal and ready force we need to compete
    and win. The DAF remains the largest consumer of fuel in the Department
    of Defense. These new technologies provide an opportunity for the DAF
    to reduce risk and increase mission effectiveness. An energy optimized
    fleet allows the warfighter to fly greater distances, increases loiter
    time for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, and
    increases payload and/or range. It is critical that we continue to
    invest in this capability to maintain an operational advantage.
        Amidst greater reliance on increasingly interconnected
    capabilities, more prevalent asymmetric threats, and unprecedented
    changes to the natural operating environment, DAF is pursuing greater
    mission assurance through more resilient energy systems to achieve the
    vision of ``Mission Assurance through Energy and Water Assurance.'' The
    DAF utilizes industry partnerships and innovative technologies to
    streamline the deployment of domestic energy sources to provide secure,
    reliable, and affordable power on our installations. For utility
    infrastructure specifically, DAF seeks to improve robustness,
    adaptability, and response to disruptions.
                                   __________
                    Questions Submitted by Senator Tim Kaine
                                    housing
        28. Senator Kaine. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, a GAO report entitled ``Poor Living
    Conditions Undermine Quality of Life and Readiness'' was released in
    September 2023 and highlighted the poor living conditions some
    servicemembers have endured. These living conditions pose severe health
    and safety risks for U.S. personnel, and obvious implications for the
    readiness of the force. Of the 31 recommendations GAO made, which have
    you already acted upon and how?
        Secretary Marks. The GAO has closed 15 recommendations under their
    Military Barracks report after reviewing the documentation provided by
    the Department. Policies and published updated surveys were provided as
    documentation to support closure by GAO for the majority of these 15
    recommendations. We continue to work diligently to close the remaining
    recommendations.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army continues to implement the GAO
    recommendations directed at the Army. Recently the Army closed
    recommendation #16 to develop and implement a method to ensure Army
    visibility of all barracks' MILCON requirements, regardless of those
    requirements' inclusion in the Facilities Investment Plan (FIP). The
    Army Reserve and National Guard are required to include all barracks
    requirements in their component FIPs, and the active Army component
    codified prioritization of barracks requirements in 2024.
        The Army also closed recommendation #26 regarding managers of
    unaccompanied housing. The Army has determined inherent duties for
    military personnel versus civilian managers, created position
    descriptions, issued new policy, developed training plans, and
    incorporated roles and responsibilities into the new regulation.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON is actively working through the ten
    recommendations directed at the Navy and Marine Corps. All ten have
    been acted upon with three being fully implemented and closed out by
    GAO. The three closed out include service visibility into military
    construction requirements at installation level for both the Navy and
    Marine Corps and barracks policy for civilian managers for the Navy.
    Other recommendations are very close to completion. Additionally, the
    DON has collaborated with OSD on many of the items and recommendations
    directed at OSD. The DON has updated or is in process of updating our
    policies and standards which has driven funding decisions and
    prioritization in response to the GAO report.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF is committed to correcting the situations
    identified by the GAO in permanent party dorms and providing safe and
    adequate living conditions. We are aggressively working on the five (5)
    recommendations directed at DAF, two (2) requiring OSD actions. In
    April 2025, GAO approved closure of the recommendation requiring DAF
    analysis on the lowest reasonable rank threshold for unaccompanied
    servicemembers required to live in military barracks. We issued DAF
    policy guidance to the field that incorporated OSD revised privacy and
    configuration assignment standards as well as incorporating the updates
    in the DAFI 32-6000 (rewrite in staffing).

        29. Senator Kaine. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, for the recommendations you have yet to
    enact, can you please provide a plan as to when and how you will
    implement each GAO recommendation?
        Secretary Marks. Of the remaining 16 recommendations, the
    Department has provided documentation to the GAO for consideration of
    closure of five more recommendations. Of the final 11 recommendations,
    all except one have current estimated completion dates in calendar year
    2026. The final recommendation on development of a method to track and
    report complete Operations and Maintenance, Military Construction and
    Military Personnel funding costs for barracks has an estimated
    completion date in June 2027. The Department is currently planning to
    use new or updated policies and guidance to close the remaining
    recommendations.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army continues to followup with GAO on
    implementation of the remaining open recommendations. Notably, the Army
    recently reviewed its Unaccompanied housing (UH) assignment policy,
    addressing recommendation #21. The Army determined soldiers in the pay
    grade of E1-E5 (CONUS) and soldiers in the pay grade of E1-E6 (OCONUS)
    will continue to be required to reside in Permanent Party (PP) UH,
    except for soldiers in the pay grade of E-6 assigned to Europe-based
    units. The Army will reevaluate this policy as needed, based on changes
    to force structure and resourcing. The Army will revise its Housing
    Management Regulation, AR 210-28, to state soldiers in the pay grade of
    E-6 permanently assigned to Europe-based units cannot be required to
    reside in PP UH.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON expects to fully implement the
    remaining seven GAO recommendations by December 31, 2025. Five are
    anticipated to be finished by September 30th with the issuance of
    updated policy or results of ongoing analysis, inclusive of: (2)
    Barracks Assignment Standards for health and safety standards for both
    Navy and USMC, (1) for Navy review on lowest rank threshold for
    assignment to Barracks , (1) Navy assignment standards for privacy and
    configuration and (1) USMC Barracks Manager Policy.
        The remaining recommendations address Marine Corps assignment
    standards and the lowest rank threshold for assignments.
        Mr. Saunders. We are aggressively addressing the remaining three
    (3) recommendations directed at DAF by the end of 2025.
                                   __________
                Questions Submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren
                              health and readiness
        30. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, was DOD, or any of the individual services,
    consulted by, or does it have plans to provide consultation to, the
    Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the plan to modify or
    reverse the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s
    recommendations to fluoridate drinking water? Please provide any
    written materials provided as part of that consultation.
        Secretary Marks. The Department was not consulted and does not plan
    to provide consultation to HHS at this time on any plan by HHS to
    modify or reverse the CDC's recommendations to fluoridate drinking
    water.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army has not participated in any formal or
    informal discussion or conversation with HHS (including CDC) regarding
    changes to recommendations for fluoride in drinking water.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. No, the Department of the Navy (DON) was not
    consulted and does not plan to provide consultation to HHS at this time
    on a plan to modify or reverse the CDC's recommendations to fluoridate
    drinking water. Any future input would be coordinated through the
    Department of War.
        Mr. Saunders. No, the Department of Defense (DoD) has not been
    consulted. DOD will await the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    (EPA) review of scientific information on the potential health risks of
    fluoride in drinking water announced on April 7, 2025 as well as any
    new recommendations on fluoride that may be provided by the U.S.
    Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Community Preventive
    Services Task Force prior to providing any consultation to HHS.

        31. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, was DOD, or any of the individual services,
    consulted, or does the DOD, or any individual services, have plans to
    provide comments or information to HHS on the Food and Drug
    Administration (FDA) plan to pull fluoride supplements from the market?
    Please provide any written materials provided as part of that
    consultation.
        Secretary Marks. The Department was not consulted and does not plan
    to provide comments or information at this time to HHS on this issue.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army has not participated in any formal or
    informal discussion or conversation with HHS (including FDA) regarding
    changes to recommendations for fluoride in drinking water.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. No, the DON was not consulted and does not plan
    to provide comments or information at this time to HHS on a plan to
    pull fluoride supplements from the market. Any future input would be
    coordinated through the Department of War.
        Mr. Saunders. No, the Department was not consulted and does not
    plan to provide comments.

        32. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, please provide a list of military
    installations within your jurisdiction in and out of compliance with
    the 2013 order to fluoridate water on military installations.
        Secretary Marks. The Office of the Secretary of War does not have
    direct jurisdiction of any military installations and defers to the
    Military Departments to provide this data.
        Dr. Waksman. Army-owned/-operated community water systems, serving
    more than 3,300 persons, either add or have naturally occurring
    fluoride in their drinking water.? None of the systems exceed EPA's
    maximum contaminant level of 4 ppm for fluoride.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. There are 13 Navy installations in compliance
    and 4 that are not in compliance with the 2013 Department of War (DOW)
    order to fluoridate drinking water at installations that own or operate
    a potable water treatment facility serving 3,300 or more people:

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        There are 2 Marine Corps installations in compliance and 8 that are
    not in compliance with the 2013 DOW order to fluoridate drinking water
    at installations that own or operate a potable water treatment facility
    serving 3,300 or more people.

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        The Navy and the Marine Corps are working on a plan to bring the 12
    installations not in compliance with fluoridated drinking water levels
    in compliance with DOW's 2013 Order.
        Mr. Saunders. Please find below a list of DAF installation
    compliance statuses with the 2013 DOD Policy related to fluoridation.
    The list was provided in response to a 22 May 25 congressional inquiry
    issued to the Secretary of Defense relating to emergent State
    regulation prohibiting the addition of fluoride to drinking water and
    potential impacts to military readiness. One area of inquiry focused on
    installation compliance with existing DOD policies for optimization of
    fluoride concentrations in DOD-owned drinking water systems.
        Installations w/ at least one DOD-owned water system servicing
    >3,300 persons Is the Installation in Compliance with DOD Policy
    Requirement for Fluoridation?

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                             red hill contamination
        33. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, please
    provide a list of the components of the JP-5 jet fuel that contaminated
    the drinking water at Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam in 2021.
        Secretary Marks. Chemical and physical information on JP-5 and JP-8
    jet fuels can be found at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
    Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
    https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/Tox Profiles/tp121-c4.pdf.
        Under the 2015 Administrative Order on Consent (AOC), the Navy also
    prepared a document summarizing the fuel additives used in each of the
    fuel types at Red Hill which is available at: https://www.epa.gov/
    sites/default/files/2016-07/docu ments/
    red_hill_navy_fuel_additives_list.pdf.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Chemical and physical information on JP-5 and
    JP-8 jet fuels can be found at the Agency for Toxic Substances and
    Disease Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    website: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp121-c4.pdf. Enclosure
    1 contains an extract from that document on the chemical and physical
    information regarding JP-5. Under the 2015 Administrative Order on
    Consent (AOC), the Navy also prepared a document summarizing the fuel
    additives used in each of the fuel types at Red Hill and it too is
    available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-07/documents/
    red_hill_navy_fuel_ad ditives_list.pdf and provided at Enclosure 2.

        34. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, for how
    long were residents at Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam exposed to this
    contaminated water? Please provide any related documentation detailing
    the means and extent of exposure, the exposure period and how this
    exposure period was determined.
        Secretary Marks. The Navy was designated as the lead for assessing
    and addressing releases from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility
    and, in that role, conducted extensive drinking water sampling
    throughout the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) drinking water
    system under Long Term Monitoring (2022-2024) and Extended Drinking
    Water Monitoring (2024-2025) plans.
        Information of the public exposure is available in the Navy Marine
    Corps Public Health document: https://cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/Portals/79/
    CNRH/Documents/red_ hill/Medical%20Reports/
    Red%20Hill%20Pre%20IDWST%20Exposure%20Tech%20M
    emo_June_23.pdf'ver=thH6TShA0Jw2ciZ4f_PXgw%3d%3d.
        Additional information on JBPHH drinking water is available at the
    Safe Waters website: https://jbphh-safewaters.org/public/framework/
    bannerhtml.aspx'idhtml=1
    0737&banner=jbphh_home.png&title=JBPHH%20Drinking%20Water%20Monitoring
    &idMenu=88797&ddlDSN=SYSTM&DSN=SYSTM.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Information of the public exposure is available
    in the Navy Marine Corps Public Health document: https://
    cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/Portals/79/CNRH/Documents/red_hill/
    Medical%20Reports/Red%20Hill%20Pre%20IDWST%2
    0Exposure%20Tech%20Memo_June_23.pdf'ver=thH6TShA0Jw2ciZ4f_ PXgw%3d%3d.
        A pdf version of the report is located in Enclosure 3, and assesses
    usability of pre-flushing drinking water data for evaluating human
    exposure to JP-5 fuel per the November 2021 release. This data is of
    insufficient quality and highly uncertain for such an assessment.
        The Navy conducted extensive drinking water sampling throughout the
    Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) drinking water system under Long
    Term Monitoring (2022-2024) and Extended Drinking Water Monitoring
    plans (2024-2025). The results affirmed the recovery of the drinking
    water system. A final report on these efforts has been submitted to EPA
    and DOH for review and approval.
        Additional information on JBPHH drinking water is available at the
    Safe waters website: https://jbphh-safewaters.org/public/framework/
    bannerhtml.aspx'idhtml=
    10737&banner=jbphh_home.png&title=JBPHH%20Drinking%20Water%20Monitorin
    g&idMenu=88797&ddlDSN=SYSTM&DSN=SYSTM
                              barracks conditions
        35. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.
    Saunders, according to news reports, sailors and marines were ordered
    to be moved out of Anderson Air Force Base's Palau Hall barracks after
    Secretary Phelan was ``appalled'' by the conditions. Have all the
    servicemembers in these barracks been moved out?
        Secretary Marks. It is my understanding that all servicemembers
    have been successfully relocated.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, all servicemembers have been successfully
    relocated from the Palau Hall barracks at Andersen Air Force Base. The
    finished evacuation and relocation of all affected personnel was
    executed swiftly to ensure their immediate safety and well-being.
        Mr. Saunders. As of 27 May 25, all 48 sailors and 25 marines have
    been relocated out of the Air Force barracks. The rooms SECNAV visited
    are no longer occupied by Dep of Navy personnel; however, there are 66
    airmen and 1 soldier still residing there. The building will be
    completely vacated by 1 October 25 to accommodate a previously approved
    renovation project of the Palau Hall barracks

        36. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.
    Saunders, what were the specific concerns about conditions at the Palau
    Hall barracks?
        Secretary Marks. The specific concerns related to environmental
    health and safety hazards in the barracks as observed by Secretary
    Phelan. These hazards included mold, exposed electrical wiring and
    plumbing issues.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The noted conditions were linked to life,
    health and safety concerns in multiple barracks at Andersen including
    Palau Hall. The concerns were tied to mold, exposed electrical, and
    plumbing issues. For more information on the barracks and facilities at
    Andersen recommend coordinating with United States Air Force (USAF) who
    have control and operational responsibility for Andersen.
        Mr. Saunders. The Palau Hall barracks was built in 1954; due to
    underfunded maintenance over time and the impacts of storm events like
    Typhoon Mawar, the building's components have degraded below condition
    standards. Specific concerns include exterior mold/mildew, painted-over
    interior mold/mildew, unserviceable medicine cabinets, scaled concrete
    exteriors, exposed wiring and severe hard water scaling on toilets and
    faucets. To address the concerns, Andersen recently awarded two repair
    projects totaling $70 million in the final quarter of fiscal year 2025
    to renovate Palau Hall and the Rota Hall dormitory via MAWAR
    supplemental funding.

        37. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.
    Saunders, who or what entities were responsible for these appalling
    conditions at the Palau Hall barracks?
        Secretary Marks. To the extent that the entire Department bears
    some responsibility for the conditions Secretary Phelan found, that is
    one of the primary reasons that Secretary Hegseth established a
    Barracks Task Force to address unaccompanied housing concerns
    throughout the Department.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. These facilities are under United States Air
    Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility. We defer to the
    USAF for detailed responses regarding their facility management and
    operations.
        Mr. Saunders. The DAF has the responsibility to ensure a healthy
    and safe living environment is provided to servicemembers residing in
    unaccompanied housing. For the Palau Hall barracks, the primary driver
    for the degradation was years of underfunded sustainment combined with
    accelerated degradation resulting from Typhoon Mawar in 2023. Between
    2009 and 2022, support and maintenance of these barracks was the
    responsibility of the Navy under Joint Region Marianas (JRM). In 2022,
    the Navy transferred funding/responsibility to the Air Force (AF) via a
    JRM Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Since that time, the Palau Hall
    Barracks roof was replaced and projects have been developed to repair
    and renovate the barracks, along with several other barracks in Guam.

        38. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.
    Saunders, how were these individuals or entities held responsible for
    these appalling conditions at the Palau Hall barracks?
        Secretary Marks. I am not aware of any individual or single entity
    bearing direct responsibility for what Secretary Phelan found during
    the visit.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. These facilities are under United States Air
    Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility. We defer to the
    USAF for detailed responses regarding their facility management,
    operations and accountability.
        Mr. Saunders. The poor conditions of the Palau Hall Barracks were a
    function of the age of the building, the years of underfunding (both by
    the Navy and the Air Force), and the highly corrosive environment in
    Guam. However, on 29 Jul 25, the Air Force awarded the Palau Dorm
    Repair Project with construction expected to commence 1 October 25.
    This project fully repairs the Palau Hall barracks, including
    renovation of interiors (floors, walls, ceiling, finishes, full
    restroom renovations), updating code for Energy and Life Safety, and
    exterior renovations resulting from 2023 Typhoon Mawar storm damage.
    Walkway slabs and spandrel beams will be repaired, and the project will
    also completely update the HVAC and plumbing systems.

        39. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.
    Saunders, have servicemembers in other barracks on Anderson Air Force
    Base been moved out? If so, which barracks?
        Secretary Marks. As a result of Secretary Phelan's findings and the
    Barracks Task Force directive, inspections were completed across the
    portfolio by Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air
    Force, and the Department of the Army's will be completed shortly.
    Inspections ensure all servicemembers in the barracks are residing in
    clean, comfortable, and safe spaces. If they are not, any issues
    identified during the inspection are addressed or the servicemember is
    moved to a space that meets the inspection standard.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, all sailors and marines that were in any
    barracks including Palau Hall, located on Andersen that had these life
    health or safety concerns were relocated. These facilities are under
    United States Air Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility.
    We defer to the USAF for detailed responses regarding their facility
    management and operations.
        Mr. Saunders. No other servicemembers at Andersen have been
    relocated due to poor dorm conditions.

        40. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.
    Saunders, if servicemembers in other barracks on Anderson Air Force
    Base were moved out, what conditions prompted these moves and which
    barracks were they moved out of?
        Secretary Marks. As a result of Secretary Phelan's findings and the
    Barracks Task Force directive, inspections were completed across the
    portfolio by Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air
    Force, and the Department of the Army's will be completed shortly.
    Inspections ensure all servicemembers in the barracks are residing in
    clean, comfortable, and safe spaces. If they are not, any issues
    identified during the inspection are addressed or the servicemember is
    moved to a space that meets the inspection standard.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Conditions linked to life, health and safety
    concerns specific to mold and exposed electrical and plumbing issues in
    multiple barracks at Andersen prompted the DON to move sailors and
    marines out of these facilities. For more information on the Barracks
    and facilities at Andersen recommend coordinating with United States
    Air Force (USAF) who have control and operational responsibility for
    Andersen. We defer to the USAF for detailed responses regarding their
    facility management and operations.
        Mr. Saunders. No other servicemembers at Andersen were relocated
    due to poor dorm conditions.

        41. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, has the
    Navy completed the Navy-wide inspection of all unaccompanied housing
    following the subpar conditions found at Anderson Air Force Base?
        Secretary Marks. Yes, the Department of the Navy has inspected 100
    percent of their barracks.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, we have completed the Navy-wide inspection
    of all unaccompanied housing. This comprehensive enterprise-wide
    assessment involved deploying specialized inspection teams trained in
    building condition assessments, safety protocols, and habitability
    standards. Regional commands conducted systematic evaluations using
    standardized criteria to ensure consistency across all facilities. The
    inspection process included detailed structural assessments,
    environmental health evaluations, and quality of life assessments. We
    coordinated with facility engineers, public works departments, and
    medical personnel to provide thorough evaluations and immediate action
    plans were developed for any deficiencies identified. All facilities
    housing sailors and/or marines, regardless of service area of
    responsibility, were included in the inspections assessment.

        42. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, when
    does the Navy expect to complete a Navy-wide inspection of all
    unaccompanied housing, if it has not already done so?
        Secretary Marks. The Department of the Navy has completely
    inspected their barracks.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Navy-wide inspection is complete. This
    extensive undertaking spanned several months and involved coordinating
    with multiple stakeholders across the global Navy enterprise. Teams
    conducted detailed assessments of facilities, evaluating everything
    from structural integrity to basic habitability standards.
        Marine Corps completed its wall-to-wall inspections for Marine
    Corps barracks in March 2024. This effort was integral to the
    development of the Commandant's ``Barracks 2030'' initiative.

        43. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, have any servicemembers been removed from
    other unaccompanied housing due to poor housing conditions since the
    order that sailors and marines be removed from the Palau Hall barracks?
        Secretary Marks. As a result of Secretary Phelan's findings and the
    Barracks Task Force directive, inspections of all barracks were
    completed by Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air
    Force, and the Department of the Army's will be completed shortly.
    Inspections ensure all servicemembers in the barracks are residing in
    clean, comfortable, and safe spaces. If they are not, the issues
    identified during the inspection are addressed or the servicemember is
    moved to a space that meets the inspection standard. Some
    servicemembers have been moved because of these inspection results.
        Dr. Waksman. Yes, the Army moves soldiers out of barracks when
    conditions require displacement. Displacements occur for a variety of
    reasons, including to facilitate work order completion, barracks
    modernization that requires temporary closure, or demolition of
    uninhabitable barracks to facilitate construction of new barracks.
    Garrison and unit leaders work together to ensure displacements sustain
    unit cohesion and access to installation services, such as dining and
    gym facilities. The Army is committed to providing safe, high-quality
    housing for our unaccompanied soldiers, and has invested at least $1
    billion per year in barracks improvements in recent years toward
    improving the barracks inventory.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, following the comprehensive Navy-wide
    inspection initiated after the Palau Hall findings, additional
    facilities have been identified requiring immediate action and
    servicemember relocation. The results of the Naval Station Rota Spain
    inspection directed the closure of Camp Mitchell buildings 1778 and
    1779, necessitating the consolidation of 20 sailors into the other Camp
    Mitchell buildings (1774-1777).
        NAS Oceana Dam Neck Annex building 550 was identified among the
    facilities requiring offline status. 178 servicemembers have been
    relocated.
        In sum, these relocations from both facilities required the
    coordinated movement of servicemembers to ensure their safety and well-
    being while maintaining operational readiness.
        Marine Corps has removed marines from barracks that are in failing
    facility condition. The Marine Corps is planning movement of marines
    from barracks that are rated less than fair condition into other
    facilities as a part of the facility modernization line of effort for
    ``Barracks 2030''.
        Mr. Saunders. No other servicemembers at Andersen have been
    relocated due to poor dorm conditions. Portfolio-wide, VADM Gray
    (Commander CNIC) inspected Furnari Hall on JB Anacostia-Bolling
    (Anacostia side of the installation) and due to the status of the dorm,
    he directed sailors who are part of the Navy's Ceremonial Guard to
    vacate by the end of June 2025. There have been significant issues with
    the HVAC system and interior flooding. A project to repair the HVAC
    system is nearing completion; a dorm renovation is planned for fiscal
    year 2028.

        44. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has any other unaccompanied housing been
    found to have poor conditions so far? If so, please specify which
    barracks were found to have poor conditions and why these conditions
    were subpar.
        Secretary Marks. The Department is aware of barracks spaces that
    are not clean, comfortable, and safe. Through the Barracks Task Force
    established by Secretary Hegseth and the funding already received
    through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Department is aggressively
    pursuing rapid improvements to its barracks and is developing a longer-
    term plan to ensure all barracks buildings are maintained at the
    improved level.
        Dr. Waksman. Please refer to the Army's fiscal year 2024 NDAA,
    Section 2839, Report to Congress. As documented in that report, the
    Army estimates approximately $4 billion is required to bring the Army's
    current unaccompanied housing inventory to a minimum quality standard.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, the comprehensive Navy-wide inspection
    identified multiple facilities requiring immediate attention and
    corrective action beyond the initial Palau Hall relocation at Andersen
    Air Force Base.

        Naval Station Rota Spain--Camp Mitchell:

        The most significant findings occurred at Naval Station Rota Spain,
    where we directed the immediate closure of Camp Mitchell buildings 1778
    and 1779 due to substandard living conditions. These facilities were
    among the 11 buildings (1.2 percent of all inspected facilities)
    assessed as inadequate and requiring immediate mitigation measures. The
    conditions in these buildings fell below acceptable habitability
    standards, necessitating the consolidation of 20 sailors into the other
    Camp Mitchell buildings (1774-1777) to ensure their safety and well-
    being.
        We implemented a comprehensive in-depth remediation plan that
    included securing a specialized cleaning contract, deploying a Public
    Works tiger team of experienced personnel, and organizing sailor-
    powered working parties to systematically address the significant
    issues identified during the detailed inspection process. This
    coordinated multi-phase effort was successfully completed on 13 June
    2025, demonstrating our commitment to rapid response and thorough
    resolution.
        As a result of the assessment, NAS Oceana Dam Neck Annex building
    550 was identified among the facilities requiring offline status due to
    substandard conditions that did not meet our established habitability
    standards. 178 servicemembers were relocated.

        Comprehensive Assessment Results:

        In sum, critical facilities at Rota and Oceana Dam Neck Annex
    required the coordinated relocation of approximately 200 sailors to
    suitable alternative accommodations. The subpar conditions varied by
    facility but generally included issues related to structural
    maintenance, environmental health standards, and basic habitability
    requirements that fell below the Navy's established criteria for safe,
    secure housing.

        Systematic Enterprise-Wide Findings:

        Our comprehensive inspection of 951 facilities across 119 military
    installations revealed that while most facilities met or exceeded
    standards, we identified specific areas requiring immediate attention.
    Of the 336 buildings assessed as ``yellow'' or acceptable, 70 have
    Building Condition Index (BCI) scores in the red category (ranging from
    0-69), indicating they require prioritized investment and maintenance
    attention to prevent deterioration to inadequate status.
        This proactive identification and immediate remediation of
    substandard conditions demonstrates the Navy's unwavering commitment to
    maintaining the highest standards for servicemember living conditions
    and our systematic approach to ensuring no one resides in facilities
    that do not meet our established safety and habitability requirements.
        The majority of Marine Corps barracks (547 out of 658) are rated as
    good and fair condition. The Marine Corps currently has 109 barracks
    with a facility condition rating score of less than 80 which we have
    deemed as poor condition. Out of these 109 barracks, 69 are currently
    occupied. Three barracks that are rated as failing condition do not
    have any marines living in them. Marine Corps leadership will direct
    that marines move out of poor barracks and maximize occupancy of our
    best barracks where possible. ``Barracks 2030'' is the long-term
    solution to improve facilities condition for each of the Marine Corps'
    barracks, ensuring that marines have good living conditions.
        Mr. Saunders. Since the news reports about Palau Hall, there has
    been one other DAF dormitory that has been found with significant
    issues. VADM Gray (Commander CNIC) inspected Furnari Hall on JB
    Anacostia-Bolling (Anacostia side of the installation) and due to the
    status of the dorm, he directed sailors who are part of the Navy's
    Ceremonial Guard to vacate by the end of June 2025. Furnari Hall has
    had significant issues with the HVAC system and interior flooding. A
    project to repair the HVAC system is nearing completion; a dorm
    renovation is planned for fiscal year 2028.

        45. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, if any other unaccompanied housing has been
    found to have poor conditions, who or what entities were responsible
    for these poor conditions?
        Secretary Marks. I am not aware of any individual or single entity
    bearing responsibility for the poor barracks conditions. However, as
    the Department's Chief Housing Officer and chair of the Barracks Task
    Force recently established by Secretary Hegseth, I will ensure the
    Department fulfills its responsibilities to set and maintain the
    appropriate standards for barracks.
        Dr. Waksman. There is no one individual or entity responsible for
    barracks conditions. Limited funding and capacity over the last several
    decades have resulted in deferred maintenance. But we are correcting
    course. The Army committed to funding sustainment of permanent-party
    barracks at 100 percent to ensure the good and fair quality barracks
    remain in that condition. The Army's annual report to Congress includes
    a 5-year plan to remedy inadequate conditions, and we will update that
    plan annually to ensure we are prioritizing our highest-need barracks.
    Safeguarding restoration and modernization funding from use for other
    missions is also critical to ensuring the Army can consistently address
    unaccompanied housing issues.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. In many cases, the facilities identified with
    concerns were previously slated for decommissioning or long-term
    renovations. However, evolving mission requirements and unexpected
    occupancy demands necessitated continued use of these buildings.
        Responsibility for conditions is shared across multiple echelons,
    including installation leadership, housing management, and base
    operations support. While accountability is critical, our focus has
    remained on immediate remediation and long-term investment to modernize
    the housing portfolio. We've reinforced leadership expectations and
    institutional responsibility, while also increasing oversight
    mechanisms to prevent recurrence. Fundamentally, ensuring quality
    housing is a shared duty that spans facilities, resource sponsors, and
    tenant commands alike.
        Mr. Saunders. For decades, investment in the unaccompanied housing
    (UH) enterprise has faced the same funding challenges as the rest of
    the infrastructure portfolio when it comes to necessary FSRM and MILCON
    funding to support sustainment, modernization, and recapitalization.
    The DAF's recent decision to ramp up spending on UH is a vital first
    step in correcting this challenge for UH, but addressing the full scope
    of the portfolio will take many years and continued funding support.
    The DAF is committed to taking care of airmen and guardians living in
    permanent party dormitories. Commanders and enlisted leaders are
    heavily involved to ensure junior enlisted reside in safe, adequate,
    and well-maintained facilities.

        46. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, if any
    other unaccompanied housing has been found to have poor conditions, how
    did you hold accountable the individuals or entities responsible for
    these poor conditions?
        Secretary Marks. While I am not aware of a single individual or
    entity who is solely responsible for barracks reaching these
    conditions, as the Department's Chief Housing Officer and chair of the
    Barracks Task Force recently established by Secretary Hegseth, I will
    ensure the Department fulfills its responsibilities to set and maintain
    the appropriate standards for barracks. Additionally, the Military
    Departments have established procedures to appropriately address poor
    barracks conditions.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Across the enterprise, installation commanders,
    housing program managers, and supporting chains of command are engaged
    in rigorous performance monitoring. When deficiencies have been
    identified, leadership has initiated targeted reviews, realigned
    resources, and implemented process changes to reinforce responsibility.
    Ultimately, our response has been multifaceted, focused on both people
    and processes, to cultivate a culture of care and responsibility
    consistent with the spirit of the UH Tenant Bill of Rights.

        47. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Secretary Johnson-Turner,
    please provide the results of Navy-wide inspection.
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Navy to provide
    the requested results.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Navy has completed a comprehensive,
    enterprise-wide inspection of all unaccompanied housing facilities
    following the substandard conditions discovered at Anderson Air Force
    Base.
        Region Commander (REGCOM) leadership conducted systematic
    inspections of every facility in their respective areas of
    responsibility housing single sailors. The comprehensive assessment
    encompassed 951 facilities across 119 military installations throughout
    the entire Navy enterprise, spanning multiple geographic regions and
    operational commands. This coordinated effort involved deploying
    specialized inspection teams trained in building condition assessments,
    safety protocols, and habitability standards to ensure consistent
    evaluation criteria across all locations.
        The results demonstrate that most Navy unaccompanied housing meets
    or exceeds acceptable standards:

          577 buildings (60.7 percent) were assessed to be
    ``green'' or good condition: These facilities demonstrate superior
    condition, maintenance, and habitability standards that exceed baseline
    requirements.

          336 buildings (35.3 percent) were assessed to be
    ``yellow'' or acceptable condition: These facilities meet acceptable
    standards with minor maintenance or improvement needs.

          11 buildings (1.2 percent) were assessed to be ``red'' or
    inadequate: These facilities require immediate mitigation measures and
    corrective action.

          26 buildings (2.7 percent) were already offline before
    assessment: 15 due to planned renovation projects and 11 due to various
    issues discovered before the directed inspections.

          1 building is still under construction.

        Of the 11 buildings assessed as scanty, one included the Air Force
    building at Andersen AFB that initiated this comprehensive review and
    was immediately vacated. Three of these 11 facilities--specifically
    Rota buildings 1778 & 1779 and NAS Oceana building 550--were identified
    to be taken offline within 30 days, requiring the coordinated
    relocation of 198 sailors to suitable alternative accommodations.
        Of the 951 facilities assessed, 122 are managed and operated by
    services outside of the Navy, but where sailors reside.

        48. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.
    Saunders, please provide copies of any other inspections or
    investigations into the conditions of barracks at Anderson Air Force
    Base, Naval Base Guam, or Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz within the past 5
    years.
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Military Departments to provide the
    requested results.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. A comprehensive Department of the Navy-wide
    Unaccompanied Housing (UH) Assessment was conducted within the past
    year and focused on Quality of Life for sailors and marines. Enclosure
    4 part of the assessment represents the results with respect to
    barracks conditions at Naval Base Guam (NBG), and Marine Corps Base
    Camp Blaz (MCBCB).
        Numerous projects are ongoing and planned for repairs, painting,
    and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades at NBG. MCBCB
    UH facilities are new or under construction, with marines only recently
    occupying these facilities.
        Barracks at Andersen Air Force Base are under United States Air
    Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility. The USAF can
    provide information regarding their facility management and operations.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF is anticipating results from a service-wide dorm
    inspection soon. In the meantime, we have reached out to the Base to
    request historical data from previous years. We will provide an updated
    answer when reports are available.

        49. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has the DOD, and your respective services,
    done any review of whether the Tenant Bill of Rights is sufficient to
    support the needs of servicemembers and their families? If so, please
    provide the results of this analysis.
        Secretary Marks. My office has not analyzed the adequacy of the
    Tenant Bill of Rights.
        Dr. Waksman. Yes, the Army has reviewed the Tenant Bill of Rights
    and believes it is sufficient.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy routinely reviews
    implementation of the Tenant Bill of Rights to ensure it remains
    responsive to the evolving needs of sailors and marines. Internal
    reviews include feedback from residents, housing office personnel,
    tenant advocates, and command leadership. One important tool in this
    effort is the annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey, which provides
    valuable insight into resident experiences and informs the Navy's and
    Marine Corps' ongoing improvement initiatives. These reviews reaffirmed
    that the Tenant Bill of Rights serves as a robust and comprehensive
    framework, ensuring tenants are aware of their rights, including access
    to safe and sanitary living quarters, responsive maintenance services,
    and freedom from reprisal or interference. It also validated those
    mechanisms such as dispute resolution support, inspection rights, and
    accountability provisions are implemented and constantly reviewed.
    Consequently, the assessment concluded that the existing Tenant Bill of
    Rights effectively supports the welfare of servicemembers and their
    families and provides a solid foundation for resident advocacy.
        Mr. Saunders. The Tenant Bill of Rights helped standardize and
    codify what servicemembers can expect when living in privatized
    housing. In addition, adoption of the Tenant Bill of Rights directly
    enabled the establishment of important resident initiatives, such as
    the Universal Lease and the Formal Dispute Resolution process.

        50. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, does the DOD, and your respective services,
    believe the Tenant Bill of Rights should be expanded to better support
    the needs of servicemembers and their families? How so?
        Secretary Marks. My office does not have recommended changes to
    expand the Tenant Bill of Rights currently.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army believes the current Tenant Bill of Rights as
    written is sufficient to support the needs of servicemembers and their
    families.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy believes that the
    current Tenant Bill of Rights provides comprehensive protection and
    clearly defined expectations for both residents and housing staff. This
    reflects a thoughtful balance of rights and responsibilities,
    empowering tenants to report issues, participate in inspections, and
    holds all parties accountable. The document has been instrumental in
    fostering transparency, improving communication, and reinforcing
    standards. As conditions evolve and feedback is gathered, the Navy and
    Marine Corps remain open to adjustments, however based on current
    assessments, there is no immediate need for expansion. The existing
    framework remains a cornerstone in our commitment to uphold quality of
    life for all residents.
        Mr. Saunders. No, at this time DAF does not believe that the Tenant
    Bill of Rights needs to be expanded.

        51. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, please provide an estimate on the total time
    and costs associated with the long-term needs for barracks improvement
    projects across the DOD, and your respective services.
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Military Departments to answer as
    each has their own total time and cost estimates for addressing
    Unaccompanied Housing (UH) improvements.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army plans to invest an average of $2.8 billion
    annually from fiscal year 2026 to 2030 in unaccompanied housing through
    a combination of new military construction, restoration, and
    modernization, and sustainment funding across all three components.
    This includes funding sustainment of permanent-party barracks at 100
    percent of the modeled requirements. The Army believes this level of
    funding will achieve a Building Condition Index score of 70 or greater
    for all barracks by fiscal year 2030.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Navy conducted a full assessment this year
    and are taking corrective measures to address any findings of subpar
    condition. After the comprehensive inspection of facilities, the Navy
    has implemented a multi-phased approach to address both immediate
    safety concerns and long-term infrastructure improvements. Included in
    this approach, the Navy is looking at expanding its current privatized
    UH locations with additional phases while moving toward privatized UH
    in other locations. The Marine Corps continues to move forward with the
    Commandant's ``Barracks 2030'' initiative which targets Barracks
    improvements completion by 2037 by modernizing infrastructure to ensure
    safe and livable facilities, professionalizing management through
    civilian housing staff and centralized systems, and enhancing quality
    of life with upgraded furnishings, amenities, and responsive
    maintenance support.
        Mr. Saunders. For DAF to meet the Air Force Goal of 80 percent of
    the permanent party dorms with Building Condition Index (BCI) score of
    greater than 80, the following investment level is required:

          FSRM O&M funding averaging $461 million/year ($5.1
    billion total) to improve the current inventory building condition and

          MILCON investment averaging $322 million/year ($3.2
    billion total) to mitigate the current permanent party deficit and
    provide 100 percent capacity of the requirement

          The timeframe to reach this goal is 10-11 years

        52. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has the Facilities Sustainment, Restoration,
    and Modernization (FSRM) program been adequately funded over the past
    10 years to conduct necessary repairs and restorations of the military
    barracks?
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Military Departments for specifics
    on how FSRM funding was allocated for barracks projects over the past
    decade. However, the Department appreciates the inclusion of
    significant funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to address UH
    priorities and we are committed to UH improvements.
        Dr. Waksman. Over the past 10 years the Army has taken risk to fund
    higher priority FSRM needs. Recognizing the need to address barracks,
    in its fiscal year 2025 budget request and every fiscal year since, the
    Army has prioritized funding for barracks related FSRM at 100 percent
    of the requirement. This has greatly assisted the Army's efforts to
    slow barracks degradation.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. Over the past 10 years, we have accepted risk
    in the FSRM program to support mission requirements within our top line
    budget resulting in the Navy having a $35 billion deferred maintenance
    backlog and the Marine Corps having a $25 billion maintenance backlog.
    Of that backlog, $1.9 billion is associated with Unaccompanied Housing
    (UH). However, with recent efforts and policy focusing on UH
    sustainment, 79 percent of Navy and 96 percent of Marine Corps barracks
    are currently in good condition. The DON remains committed to improving
    quality of life for our warfighters and the appropriate maintenance of
    our barracks.
        Mr. Saunders. For fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2021, the
    annual FSRM investment in unaccompanied housing averaged $59 million
    per year. Beginning in fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2025, the
    average investment rose to $270 million/year, across 137 projects.
    Despite the increase in investment, the average UH Building Condition
    Index (BCI) decreased from 81.8 to 77.5. The current UH Portfolio PRV
    is approximately $30 billion, therefore the recent average investment
    of $270 million per year falls considerably below the 4 percent of PRV
    annual investment recommended by industry to properly sustain
    facilities and infrastructure. The insufficient investment history for
    UH over the last 15 years worsened the overall condition of the
    portfolio and generated a deferred maintenance and repair (DM&R) cost
    of approximately $5 billion according to recent real property records.

        53. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, please explain how the DOD
    fiscal year 2026 budget proposal funds the FSRM program.
        Secretary Marks. The Department's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal,
    submitted well prior to the Secretary's barracks initiative, funds
    barracks at the historic rate of 85 percent of the Facilities
    Sustainment Model. However, the Barracks Task Force established by the
    Secretary of War in October 2025 is focused on the efficient and
    accelerate spending of fiscal year 2026 base and reconciliation
    resources to more rapidly improve barracks to ensure they are clean,
    comfortable, and safe. Additionally, the Department is focused in the
    midterm on continuing to correct long standing deficiencies in the
    barracks inventory and at a sufficient level of investment to ensure
    that the facilities are maintained in good condition. Congress has
    given the Department an array of investment tools and authorities it
    can leverage such as Other Transaction Authority, Intergovernmental
    Support Agreements, and leases to provide clean, comfortable, and safe
    barracks to servicemembers.

        54. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how does the DOD intend to
    fund the long-term needs of the FSRM program to address the poor health
    and safety conditions in the barracks?
        Secretary Marks. Through the Barracks Task Force, the Department is
    developing a long-term plan based on the needs of the servicemembers
    and the promise of ensuring access to clean, comfortable, and safe
    barracks spaces.

        55. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, the Government
    Accountability Office reported extensive deficiencies in Army barracks.
    According to press reports the Army plans to shift $1 billion Congress
    appropriated to repair these barracks and make sure servicemembers can
    focus on the mission to enhance border security. What is the Army's
    plan to address, fund, and fix these deficiencies?
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide
    the specific plan.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army needed to balance the operational
    requirements in fiscal year 2025 with $1 billion from the FSRM account
    to provide resources for higher-priority Department of Defense
    missions. The President's fiscal year 26 budget makes significant
    investments to replenish that funding with over $8.5 billion in FSRM,
    an increase of approximately 23 percent from fiscal year 2024.
        The Army continues to assess its required barracks infrastructure
    as detailed in the Army's annual report to Congress on the Condition of
    Covered Military Unaccompanied Housing and ``Get Well Plan.'' Currently
    the Army simply does not have the resources or capacity to immediately
    fix every barracks deficiency. Many of these large-scale projects
    require coordination and extensive planning to minimize potential
    errors and delays.
        In this year's budget, the Army funds barracks sustainment at 100
    percent to maintain quality of existing barracks and prioritize
    deficiencies by ``worst first'', to bring those barracks with the most
    critical needs up to standards as soon as possible. Timely enactment of
    this budget will help to minimize project delays.

        56. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, according to
    press reports, the Army has already announced that it is phasing out
    barracks maintenance at Fort Cavazos. How will this decision impact
    health and readiness at this base?
        Secretary Marks. Our understanding is that the decision by the Army
    related to reducing manpower and did not stop maintenance on barracks
    at Fort Hood.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is evaluating all NDAA requirements and
    internal Army processes to ensure any staffing changes do not adversely
    impact health and readiness. The Army continues to evaluate all
    authorities available to address barracks maintenance, including
    leveraging public-private partnerships and intergovernmental support
    agreements. Leveraging novel solutions will help the Army address
    current facility maintenance needs while reducing costs.

        57. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what is the
    Army's plan to address ``persistent air conditioning failures and
    stifling heat'' at Fort Cavazos if barracks maintenance is being phased
    out?
        Secretary Marks. Our understanding is that barracks maintenance at
    Fort Hood remains a priority and that as part of the effort of the
    Barracks Task Force, the Army has prioritized improvement of barracks
    conditions there.
        Dr. Waksman. Staff reductions at Fort Hood does not change the
    Department of Public Works' process for handling life, health, and
    safety, as well as emergency maintenance needs, as priority-1
    requirements. HVAC issues fall under both categories. Routine
    maintenance may be delayed. The Army is evaluating staffing changes
    across the facilities portfolio to mitigate impacts to soldiers in
    barracks.

        58. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what is the
    Army's plan to address its $20 billion backlog of deferred maintenance
    and repairs for Army barracks?
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide
    the specific plan.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army's plan to address the $20 billion backlog of
    deferred maintenance and repairs for barracks includes the ``Get Well
    Plan'' submitted to Congress as part of the required fiscal year 2024
    NDAA, Section 2839, Report on the Condition of Covered Military
    Unaccompanied Housing. The Army addresses the most critical repair
    needs first.

        59. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, is the Army
    planning to or considering hiring additional contractor support to
    address deferred maintenance and repairs for Army barracks? If yes,
    please provide any available cost estimates.
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide
    the specific plan.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is considering all options to cost-
    effectively address deferred maintenance and repairs for Army barracks.
    Once internal staffing changes are complete and we evaluate where the
    greatest need is, the Army will conduct cost analyses for any
    additional contractor support.

        60. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how large will
    the Army's deferred maintenance and repairs backlog be in a year if
    funding to address this backlog is reduced by $1 billion?
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide
    this data.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army estimates the total deferred backlog for all
    facility types to be $144 billion. The Army updates its estimate
    annually based on the amount of facility investments, the current cost
    of construction, and any unforeseen accelerated or decelerated
    degradation of facilities. An increase or decrease in one specific year
    does not directly affect the deferred-maintenance backlog.
        The low recapitalization rates and insufficient facility
    sustainment funding over the last several decades have significantly
    increased this backlog. The Army plans to invest the additional funding
    provided by the recently enacted reconciliation bill, as well as the
    significant investments proposed in the President's 2026 budget
    request, to minimize the amount of deferred maintenance.
        Additionally, the Army continues to evaluate our current facility
    inventory to identify opportunities to optimize our current footprint
    and reduce excess infrastructure.

        61. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how large will
    the Army's deferred maintenance and repairs backlog be in a year if
    funding to address this backlog is reduced by $2 billion?
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide
    this data.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army estimates the total deferred backlog for all
    facility types to be $144 billion. The Army updates its estimate
    annually based on the amount of facility investments, the current cost
    of construction, and any unforeseen accelerated or decelerated
    degradation of facilities. An increase or decrease in one specific year
    does not directly affect the deferred maintenance backlog.
                          privatized military housing
        62. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how do you plan to strengthen
    oversight of DOD's privatized housing program?
        Secretary Marks. I take my role as the Department's Chief Housing
    Officer seriously and as part of that, I have met with several of the
    project owners in my office or at their privatized housing projects to
    express to them my priorities for privatized housing. All
    servicemembers and their families should reside in clean, comfortable,
    and safe housing. In addition to the long-term sustainment of
    privatized housing, I advised the project owners that I expect them to
    adhere to their preventative maintenance plans. Further, I have asked
    my team and the Military Departments to consider delegating additional
    privatized housing decisionmaking to the installation commanders as
    those officers are most able to ensure habitable homes for our
    servicemembers.

        63. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how will you evaluate the
    success of enforcement of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative
    Tenant Bill of Rights?
        Secretary Marks. While my organization has not specifically
    evaluated the efficacy of the Tenant Bill of Rights, my office engages
    in monthly and quarterly meetings with the Military Departments on
    their privatized housing projects and issues or concerns at any of
    their projects. My office also works with the Department's Inspector
    General and the Under Secretary of War for Personnel & Readiness, among
    other stakeholders, to gather information directly from residents on
    their overall experience, including any concerns they have, and to
    address each raised issue. The Tenant Bill of Rights is one of many
    topics that residents have brought up and we take their concerns about
    it seriously.

        64. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, last year the DOD launched the
    DOD Housing Feedback System to enhance transparency and accountability
    in DOD privatized military housing. Will you commit to educating
    servicemembers and spreading awareness about the DOD Housing Feedback
    system?
        Secretary Marks. I do commit to more education for servicemembers
    and their families on the DOW Housing Feedback System.

        65. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, according to the Department's
    Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) data collection contractor,
    artificial intelligence-driven price-setting software is now used
    extensively throughout the property management industry. How will the
    DOD mitigate fraud, waste, and abuse and ensure that landlords aren't
    using algorithmic pricing software to hike rents for servicemembers and
    in turn, overcharge the Federal Government for rent?
        Secretary Marks. The scope of the BAH program is to set rates based
    on the price of market-rate rental housing in the private sector.
    Recognizing that market rents may be higher than they would be
    otherwise due to local property managers using pricing software does
    not change the fact that those are the market prices that
    servicemembers (and civilians) must pay if they want to live off base.
    These are also the prices the Department captures in the BAH data
    collection process and uses to set BAH rates, ensuring that military
    families have access to suitable, adequate, and available housing.

        66. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, do you think that a shortage
    of off-base housing affects military readiness and personnel? If so,
    how?
        Secretary Marks. Access to clean, comfortable, and safe housing on
    and around our installations is a quality-of-life issue and does affect
    the readiness of Military personnel.

        67. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, the Defense Community
    Infrastructure Program (DCIP) helps States and local governments
    improve ``deficiencies in community infrastructures supportive of a
    military installation.'' Do you think that a proposal to expand DCIP to
    prioritize projects that will increase housing supply for families who
    can't live on base will help lower housing costs for servicemembers and
    in turn, the cost on the Federal Government?
        Secretary Marks. The DCIP is a useful tool for the Department to
    address some of its facility and infrastructure issues. I commit my
    organization to further exploring appropriate opportunities to further
    leverage this authority.

        68. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, the
    privatization of military housing has led to poor military housing
    conditions and contractors with fifty-year contracts that are difficult
    to hold accountable. Does the Army intend to privatize its barracks?
        Secretary Marks. The Department acknowledges that additional
    privatization is a tool that can be utilized to ensure clean,
    comfortable, and safe spaces for unaccompanied servicemembers. The
    Military Departments are currently considering all options, including
    privatization, to ensure access to habitable housing.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is evaluating how to leverage existing
    leasing authorities to more quickly and cost-effectively build, repair,
    and maintain barracks. The Army is coordinating with OSD and OMB to
    pursue collaboration with Congress to adjust Federal guidelines,
    enabling the Army to more easily pursue innovative barracks management
    options that ensure stronger accountability.

        69. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, please provide
    any analysis that the Army has conducted as it evaluates whether to
    privatize its barracks.
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide
    any analysis that has been conducted.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army is conducting a pilot initiative at Fort
    Irwin, commonly referred to as the ``Irwin Apartments.'' The Michaels
    Organization submitted an unsolicited proposal for privatized UH
    apartments, for junior enlisted personnel, within their existing
    privatized housing leasehold. My team vetted the proposal and received
    buy-in from Army Senior Leaders to pursue the pilot.
        The Army determined the privatized housing model was more cost
    effective over the lifecycle of the project, compared to government-
    owned-and-operated barracks. The Army estimates the Michaels
    Organization will be able to finance the construction for the housing
    project and operate the housing from BAH revenue. The privatized
    unaccompanied housing project at Fort Irwin is unique because of the
    types of non-deployable units stationed there and limited housing
    options in the area.

        70. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, did poor
    conditions in the barracks contribute to the decision to initiate the
    privatized barracks program at Fort Irwin, California?
        Secretary Marks. In accordance with 10 USC Sec. 2837, the Military
    Departments conduct Housing Requirements and Market Analyses (HRMA) not
    less frequently than once every 5 years. The HRMA assesses the Military
    Department housing requirements against current and future housing
    inventory in that military housing area. It is our understanding that
    the HRMA results were the primary impetus for the Army pursuing
    additional privatization at Fort Irwin.
        Dr. Waksman. No. The need for the Irwin Apartments came from the
    need to house junior enlisted personnel in a remote and isolated
    location. The 2020 Housing Requirements and Market Analysis
    substantiated an unaccompanied housing requirement for 1,327 bed
    spaces. Fort Irwin proposes to retain 783 of its existing barracks
    spaces, to repurpose 668 Q3-rated spaces, and demolish 60 other
    inadequate spaces, resulting in a remaining need for 544 bed spaces.
    The Irwin Apartments lifecylce cost analysis determined the privatized
    model was cost effective for meeting this need.

        71. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how long is
    the contract with the Michaels Organization in relation to the
    privatized barracks pilot program at Fort Irwin?
        Secretary Marks. The term of the ground lease runs through February
    2079.
        Dr. Waksman. The transaction involving the Michaels Organization
    does not involve a traditional contract; it is structured as a public-
    private partnership between the Army and the Michaels Organization. To
    finance the new construction of the apartments, the Michaels
    Organization required an extension to its current ground lease. The
    Army provided a 25-year ground-lease extension.

        72. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what
    contractual provisions are in place with the Michaels Organization to
    hold the company accountable in the event of inadequate conditions at
    the privativzed barracks at Fort Irwin?
        Secretary Marks. The ground lease includes all directed National
    Defense Authorization Act and Executive Order language as well as Army-
    driven Davis-Bacon Act guidance and improved oversight requirements.
    These ground lease provisions provide clear consequences when the
    lessee does not comply with required provisions. The Tenant Bill of
    Rights and the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant
    Responsibilities are also incorporated into each tenant's lease for a
    housing unit. In addition, the Army Incentive Performance Management
    Plan will be used to award incentive fees for meeting required
    performance metrics. Failure to meet the required metrics will result
    in forfeiture of property management incentive fees. The Army reserves
    the right, as the lessor, to pursue remedies expressly available to the
    United States under the Ground Lease and other applicable legal
    agreements, including the Property Management Agreement and the
    Operating Agreement.
        Dr. Waksman. With the 25-year extension, the ground lease includes
    additional oversight clauses the Army now inserts into all ground
    leases, including language reinforcing a requirement that the provider
    properly maintain the housing and the language outlining consequences
    for non-compliance.

        73. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, does the
    contract with the Michaels Organization for the pilot program at Fort
    Irwin require that the private housing company comply with the ``Tenant
    Bill of Rights?''
        Secretary Marks. Yes, the ground lease includes all directed
    National Defense Authorization Act and Executive Order language as well
    as Army-driven Davis-Bacon Act guidance and improved oversight
    requirements. These ground lease provisions provide clear consequences
    when the lessee does not comply with required provisions. The Tenant
    Bill of Rights and the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant
    Responsibilities are also incorporated into each tenant's lease for a
    housing unit.
        Dr. Waksman. Yes, as part of this partnership with the Army, the
    Michaels Organization is required to comply with the Tenant Bill of
    Rights, as with all its other DOD housing.

        74. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what other
    private entities are involved in building, operating, and maintaining
    the privatized barracks at Fort Irwin?
        Secretary Marks. The Michaels Organization serves as the owner and
    developer while an affiliated entity will serve as the contracted
    property manager for the project. As owner, Michaels is the entity
    responsible for management and oversight of daily operations and
    maintenance. Michaels has contracted with Clark Building Group
    Construction Company LLC, as General Contractor, for construction of
    the improvements.
        Dr. Waksman. The Michaels Organization will build, operate, and
    maintain the Irwin Apartments.

        75. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, will soldiers'
    participation in the Fort Irwin pilot program be voluntary?
        Secretary Marks. Yes. The Army will not assign soldiers to units
    within the development, nor will occupancy guarantees be provided for
    with this project. In accordance with Army policy, government-owned
    assets will be at 95 percent occupancy before Certificates of Non-
    Availability (CNAs) are issued. soldiers who receive CNAs will have the
    option to live in the development or find adequate housing off-base.
        Dr. Waksman. Yes, soldiers' residence at Irwin Apartments will be
    voluntary. They will have the option to use their BAH elsewhere, but
    with the planned amenities and convenience of Irwin Apartments--as well
    as the limited housing options around Fort Irwin--we anticipate many
    soldiers will opt to reside there.

        76. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, will
    commanders have legal authority to conduct health and welfare
    inspections of the privatized barracks on Fort Irwin?
        Secretary Marks. Yes. Unit leadership access to the complex is laid
    out in the ground lease and a Memorandum of Agreement or similar
    document will be executed with Army leadership prior to occupancy.
        Dr. Waksman. Commands can coordinate through the privatized
    provider to gain access to the apartments for health and welfare
    checks.

        77. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, if commanders
    conduct health and welfare inspections of the privatized barracks on
    Fort Irwin, will you provide copies of these inspection results to all
    members of the Senate Armed Services Committee?
        Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to answer.
        Dr. Waksman. The Army intends to report all inspection results that
    are required by law or otherwise requested by the Committee.

        78. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, does DOD intend to expand
    privatization of barracks to all military services?
        Secretary Marks. The Department acknowledges that privatization is
    a tool that can be utilized to ensure clean, comfortable, and safe
    spaces for unaccompanied servicemembers. However, the Department does
    not have any pending proposals from the Military Departments to expand
    UH privatization beyond the current projects.

        79. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how would the privatization of
    the barracks impact future DOD budget requirements for BAH via military
    personnel accounts?
        Secretary Marks. Under the current MHPI model, the housing
    allowance would be the primary source of revenue for future MHPI
    projects. New MHPI projects, if using the current MHPI model, would
    increase costs to the military personnel budgets, but these increases
    are likely to be offset in each military service budget by decreases in
    the annual operations and maintenance accounts that would otherwise
    fund UH sustainment.
        My organization is looking at all potential financial models for
    future housing privatization, including those that move away from the
    current model of full reliance on the housing allowance as the primary
    source of revenue for the private owner.

        80. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, does the plan to privatize the
    barracks include DOD requesting authorization for unaccompanied, junior
    enlisted servicemembers to receive BAH?
        Secretary Marks. Under the current MHPI model, the housing
    allowance would be the primary source of revenue for future MHPI
    projects.

        81. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, if existing barracks buildings on military
    installations go unused as a result of privatization, what is the plan
    for these facilities?
        Secretary Marks. Each Military Department will consider the best
    course of action depending on the mission requirements of the
    installation. However, the Department will ensure that the real
    property footprint is optimally used and that it isn't funding the
    sustainment of excess, unused infrastructure that it can convert to
    another use or demolish.
        Dr. Waksman. The project has a waterfall tenant clause that would
    allow certain tiers of residents to lease vacant units when the overall
    project occupancy drops below 95 percent for a period greater than 60
    consecutive calendar days and the gains/losses are not projected to
    exceed 95 percent.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON carefully reviews which installations
    and barracks facilities to privatize, as privatization is not always
    possible. Typically, the DON maintains some barracks as government
    owned at military installations to allow for flexibility of force flow
    especially where ship movements can occur frequently at our privatized
    locations. As part of the Navy's ``Forging Communities of Excellence''
    program the Navy is committed to facilities improvement and
    optimization throughout its inventory including identifying locations
    for right sizing.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF continues to evaluate the feasibility of dorm
    privatization but is not currently pursuing any active privatization
    efforts for barracks facilities. If DAF initiates dorm privatization in
    the future that results in unused barracks, a plan will be developed
    for those unused facilities.

        82. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-
    Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has the DOD, or any of the individual
    services, conducted location-specific assessments of available private
    sector housing near military installations and considered whether that
    housing is sufficient to meet the military's current or future housing
    needs? If so, please share detailed findings.
        Secretary Marks. In accordance with 10 USC Sec. 2837, the Military
    Departments conduct HRMAs not less frequently than once every 5 years.
    The HRMA assesses the Military Department housing requirements against
    current and future housing inventory in that military housing area. The
    Military Departments can share HRMA findings for their installations
    upon request.
        Dr. Waksman. The DOD uses the Housing Requirements Market Analysis,
    a structured analytical process to assess both the suitability and
    availability of the private-sector rental housing market, using assumed
    specific standards for affordability, location, features, and physical
    condition to satisfy the housing requirements of the total military
    population. It is conducted no less often than every 5 years.
        Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON routinely performs Housing Requirements
    and Market Analysis (HRMAs) of all its primary installations. These
    HRMAs help inform decisions about the size and scope of the inventory
    at each installation by measuring the adequate housing within an
    acceptable commuting distance and military demand. Additionally, the
    Military Housing Offices are engaged with the local communities and
    able to provide assistance to servicemembers on housing options in the
    community including adequacy and availability of homes.
        Mr. Saunders. The Air Force conducts Housing Requirements and
    Market Analysis (HRMA) every 4 years for OCONUS and every 5 years for
    CONUS installations. DAF HRMAs establish rank/bedroom requirements and
    assess whether the community can provide suitable housing. Commanders
    use the HRMA results to engage community leaders regarding installation
    housing needs and garner support to address private sector housing
    shortfalls. The HRMA is conducted in accordance with DODM 4165.63, AFI
    32-6000, fiscal year 2023 NDAA Section 2811, and the USAF HRMA Guidance
    Manual. The latest results are shown in the table below:

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ongoing HRMAs: An HRMA contract has been awarded for the following
    installations: Alconbury/Molesworth, Barksdale, Dyess, Fairford, Grand
    Forks, JB Andrews, JB Charleston, JB Anacostia-Bolling, JBSA--Ft Sam
    Houston, JBSA--Lackland, JBSA--Randolph, Lakenheath/Mildenhall, Little
    Rock, Maxwell and McConnell.
        Future HRMAs: An HRMA will be contracted in fiscal year 2026 or
    fiscal year 2027 for the following installations: Dyess, Altus, Arnold,
    Buckley, Cavalier, Columbus, Croughton, Davis-Montha, Edwards,
    Goodfellow, Hill, Keesler, Minot, Misawa, Mountain Home, Offutt, Osan,
    Peterson, Robins, Schriever, Scott, Sheppard, Tinker, Vance, Whiteman,
    Wright-Patterson and Yokota.
                           confederate installations
        83. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, are you aware
    of whether community leaders were consulted before renaming Fort Moore,
    Fort Liberty, Fort Johnson, Fort Cavazos, Fort Eisenhower, Fort
    Novosel, Fort Walker, and Fort Gregg-Adams? If so, what feedback was
    provided?
        Secretary Marks. To my knowledge, any discussions or community
    engagement regarding the renaming of these installations would have
    been handled by Secretary Hegseth's staff or the Department of the
    Army.
        Dr. Waksman. To my knowledge, community engagement regarding the
    renaming of these installations occurred following the renaming
    announcement.

        84. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, are you aware
    if the family of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore of the Army, a Vietnam War hero,
    and his wife, Julie Compton Moore, were consulted before Fort Moore was
    renamed? If so, what feedback was provided?
        Secretary Marks. To my knowledge, any discussions or community
    engagement regarding the renaming of Fort Moore would have been handled
    by Secretary Hegseth's staff or the Department of the Army.
        Dr. Waksman. To my knowledge, the Moore Family was notified of the
    redesignation shortly before it was publicly announced. My
    understanding is that they expressed disappointment.

        85. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how much will
    it cost the Army to rename each of these installations? Please, provide
    a breakdown by location.
        Secretary Marks. My office is not directly involved in this effort
    and as such, I would defer to Dr. Waksman on any associated costs.
        Dr. Waksman. My office was not directly involved in this effort.
                                hanscom air base
        86. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Mr. Saunders, Massachusetts
    and the Air Force are eager to partner on a mission that would help the
    Air Force reduce costs and divest unneeded property, while creating
    economic development opportunities for the State, a mission the Air
    Force has called a ``Strategic Real EState Opportunity.'' Do you commit
    to being fully transparent with the Commonwealth and MassDevelopment as
    these discussions move forward?
        Secretary Marks. The Department intends to work transparently with
    the Department of the Air Force and other stakeholders in Massachusetts
    as future real eState opportunities at Hanscom Air Force Base are
    considered.
        Mr. Saunders. The DAF kicked off the Strategic Real EState
    Opportunity (SREO) at Hanscom AFB in June. DAF has already met with
    MassDevelopment and members of the Commonwealth team on DAF's intent
    for the SREO effort, and we intend to continue to work transparently as
    these discussions move forward.

        87. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Mr. Saunders, do you commit
    to working with Massachusetts to ensure the process is collaborative?
        Secretary Marks. The Department intends to continue to work
    transparently with the Department of the Air Force and other
    stakeholders in Massachusetts as future real eState opportunities at
    Hanscom Air Force Base are considered.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF has already met with members of MassDevelopment
    and members of the Commonwealth team in the lead up to kicking off the
    SREO effort and during the SREO working group sessions; DAF commits to
    continue to work collaboratively as we continue the SREO effort.

        88. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Mr. Saunders, do you commit
    to retaining the current personnel footprint at Hanscom AFB as part of
    this effort?
        Secretary Marks. Consideration by the Department and the Air Force
    of future real eState opportunities at Hanscom Air Force Base is in the
    earliest stages. The goal is to reduce costs and divest property excess
    to military needs, but it is premature to assume the exact impacts at
    this time, including those related to personnel.
        Mr. Saunders. DAF is at the very earliest stages of initiating the
    SREO effort at Hanscom. The intent is to work with MassDevelopment and
    members of the Commonwealth to explore options that will help DAF
    reduce costs and divest unneeded property. It is unknown whether the
    team would jointly recommend moving forward with an option that could
    impact the personnel footprint at Hanscom AFB; however, DAF does not
    anticipate any impacts on the mission footprint at Hanscom as part of
    the SREO initiative.

                                     [all]