[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 108 (Thursday, July 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1133-E1134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       AMENDMENT NO. 77 TO H.R. 2397, FY14 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
                           APPROPRIATIONS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JIM BRIDENSTINE

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2013

  Mr. BRIDENSTINE. Mr. Speaker, the House passed H.R. 2397, Fiscal Year 
2014 Department of Defense Appropriations Act on July 24, 2013. My 
amendment, made in order as Amendment #77, was adopted by the House in 
En Bloc package number one offered by Mr. Young of Florida. I want to 
be clear about the intent of this amendment. The amendment reduces the 
Defense-wide Operations and Maintenance account by $11 million and 
reallocates $10 million split evenly between Army and Air National O&M 
accounts for National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) activities. 
Specifically, this amendment would reduce the lowest priority internal 
media activities within the Defense Media Activity (DMA) Operations and 
Maintenance account. The Department should not apply this reduction to 
DMA overseas media activities. My intent is that the increases in Army 
and Air National Guard O&M accounts specifically fund the National 
Guard State Partnership Program.
   I would like to thank my colleagues, Ms. Bordallo and Mr. Wilson, 
for co-sponsoring this amendment. These two members are champions of 
the National Guard and its security cooperation programs. The Bordallo-
Wilson bill, H.R. 641, codified SPP in statue and became Section 1204 
of this year's House-passed National Defense Authorization Act.
   The State Partnership Program is a vital component of the DOD's 
security cooperation mission. In contrast, Defense Media Activity 
includes numerous ``nice to have'' activities such as the Pentagon 
Channel and all of those glossy brochures that fill our in-boxes during 
budget season. This very modest funding readjustment signals Congress's 
commitment to fully leveraging SPP as a security cooperation tool. SPP 
is particularly important given the budget cuts to active duty deployed 
forces that will be less able to fulfill these requirements.
   SPP is a DOD security cooperation program run by the National Guard 
that links state and territorial National Guards to military and 
civilian personnel in 70 partner nations. Almost every state and 
territory participates in SPP. In my state of Oklahoma, our National 
Guard has developed a robust relationship with Azerbaijan, a country 
increasingly important to energy security in Europe and Israel.
   Unlike some security cooperation programs, SPP is not a ``talking 
shop'' where nothing of substance takes place. Typical SPP missions 
include:
   1. Subject matter expert exchanges
   2. Demonstration and training of certain capabilities and 
technologies
   3. Senior leader visits; and
   4. Mentor and liaison teams in which National Guardsmen actually 
embed with partner personnel on operations.
   In times of budget cuts and sequestration, regional combatant 
commanders will reduce active duty participation in theater security 
cooperation activities. SPP can help plug this hole in support of joint 
COCOM and Chief of Mission objectives. No activities can occur without 
the joint approval of the COCOM and Chief of Mission. The types of 
activities eligible for funding are limited to those within the 
National Guard's core competencies.
   By using the National Guard, SPP adds value in ways that, frankly, 
active duty forces cannot match. SPP brings three unique attributes to 
the table. First, SPP creates enduring relationships between particular 
individuals over the course of careers. Some National Guard and foreign 
military personnel have literally been training with each other for 
over two decades. As a Navy pilot, I can tell you that trust is 
indispensable in terms of fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with allied 
forces. Trust is built through constantly engaging with our allies and 
friends.

[[Page E1134]]

   Second, the National Guard's dual-status gives it expertise in 
certain operations that partner nations must execute regularly. Our 
National Guardsmen are experts in disaster relief, border security, 
search and rescue, and civil disorder operations, among other 
operations. Finally, SPP brings our states and territories into 
security cooperation and provide conduits for developing non-security 
relationships such as strengthening economic or educational exchanges.
   Mr. Speaker, I'm proud of the work the Oklahoma National Guard has 
done working with Azerbaijan. My amendment is a modest step toward 
properly funding this vital program.

                          ____________________