Jon Tester Leads Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing On FY25 Budget Request For National Guard

4 months ago

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) leads a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the fiscal year 2025 budget request for the National Guard.

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Transcript

00:00:00Good morning. Let me begin by welcoming our witnesses. I thank you all for joining us

00:00:08to discuss the fiscal year 2025 budget priorities. General Anderson, welcome. Congratulations

00:00:15on your new command. And I think the entire committee knows that all the tough questions

00:00:19go to you, okay? It just is. Look, being a member of the Guard of Reserves is a serious

00:00:24commitment. These service members have careers in the civilian world and they frankly put

00:00:28those careers on hold, often in a moment's notice, to be able to serve this country.

00:00:34Whether at the Montana Air National Guard base in Great Falls, which was just selected

00:00:38for delivery of the new C-130Js, or any of our other critical bases around this country,

00:00:44Guard and Reserve units fill critical missions, including logistics, the state partnership

00:00:48program and responding to wildfires and other disasters at home, just to name a few. Providing

00:00:54our Guardsmen and Reservists the best possible training and equipment, just like their active

00:00:59duty counterparts, is a national security imperative. Our Guard and Reserve units must

00:01:05seamlessly integrate with the rest of the joint force if the military is going to accomplish

00:01:09its mission. You are doing this while dealing with ongoing recruiting challenges, as well

00:01:14as the yearly and excusable disruption caused by needless threats of a government shutdown

00:01:20or continuing resolution. I want to hear what you're doing and what you recommend

00:01:25for us to do to take care of the families and make sure that our Guardsmen and Reservists

00:01:29have the support and the protections that they need. Once again, I want to thank the

00:01:34witnesses for their testimony today. I especially want to thank General Hokanson and General

00:01:39Daniels and Admiral Mustin for their distinguished service to this country. We appreciate it

00:01:45very, very much. Congratulations on your upcoming and well-deserved retirements. Susan will

00:01:52be coming shortly, but since she's not here, I'll just tell you, you're all welcome to

00:01:56retire in Montana if you so choose, okay? With that, I think we'll start the opening

00:02:02statements when Vice Chair Collins gets here. We will suspend and go to hers if she so chooses.

00:02:12We will start with General Hokanson.

00:02:22Chairman Tester and esteemed members of the subcommittee, this is my final testimony as

00:02:26the 29th Chief of the National Guard Bureau. It has been the honor of my life for Kelly

00:02:31and I and our Senior Enlisted Advisor, Tony Whitehead, and all of Team 29 to represent

00:02:36the soldiers, airmen, and families of the National Guard. I'm proud of their service

00:02:41and sacrifices, and I'm grateful for this subcommittee's efforts and support. I'd also

00:02:46like to thank the subcommittee for robust and reliable NGREA funding that supports our

00:02:51overall readiness. Our nation's investment in the National Guard comes at a pivotal moment.

00:02:57Our strategic competitors are seeking advantages in every domain. If we are to compete, and

00:03:03if necessary, prevail in combat, we must invest in our people. Specifically, our people

00:03:09include our pilots, maintainers, and support personnel working in our fighter squadrons.

00:03:15As a recent RAND study concluded, many have nearly double the experience of their active

00:03:19counterparts, and we operate our aircraft at significantly less cost, providing capability

00:03:26and capacity we must retain at a time when the global demand for fighters grows ever

00:03:31louder. Pilots and maintainers cannot be rapidly replaced or regenerated. Maintaining

00:03:38all 25 existing Air Guard fighter squadrons is essential to keep pace with global demands.

00:03:44Additionally, the cap on active Guard and Reserve positions and a federal technician

00:03:49program that is no longer competitive in today's economic environment must be addressed to

00:03:55ensure we have the full-time personnel required to ensure our formations of predominantly

00:04:00part-time soldiers and airmen remain deployable, sustainable, interoperable, and ready.

00:04:07Meanwhile, every member of our force must be medically ready to fight and win our nation's

00:04:11wars or respond to our communities in the time of need. However, not all Guardsmen have

00:04:17consistent access to health care. All National Guard and Reserve component service members,

00:04:24regardless of status, need medical and dental health care benefits. This is a matter of

00:04:30addressing affordable access, a matter of recruiting and retention, and a matter of

00:04:34duty to the Guardsmen who serve and sacrifice for our nation. When we ask them to step on

00:04:40the field, we have to make sure they're medically ready to play their position.

00:04:45The National Guard is a dynamic operational force that is integral to the success of the

00:04:50National Defense Strategy, and I will continue working with the Subcommittee to build the

00:04:55combat-capable National Guard our country needs. With your continued help, we will keep

00:05:00our promise to America, a promise to be always ready, always there. Thank you for your time,

00:05:06your friendship, and your support. I look forward to your questions.

00:05:10Thank you, General Hoganson. General Daniels.

00:05:16Lieutenant Tester, Ranking Member Collins, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee,

00:05:20thank you for this opportunity to testify today. On behalf of the 190,000 soldiers and

00:05:25civilians of America's Army Reserve, we stand ready to protect American interests and posture

00:05:31ourselves to meet challenges at home and around the world. On any given day, nearly 9,000

00:05:37Army Reserve soldiers are mobilized or deployed worldwide in support of combatant commands.

00:05:43Tens of thousands more are engaged in training events and annual combined and joint exercises,

00:05:49reinforcing alliances and partnerships around the globe. The Army Reserve is also a key

00:05:54partner in the homeland, facilitating both large-scale mobilization operations and defense

00:05:59support to civil operations and authorities. As a joint force prepares to operate in a

00:06:04contested logistics environment, the Army Reserve will play a key role in delivering

00:06:07the critical enabling capabilities needed for large-scale combat operations. A ready

00:06:12and modernized Army Reserve is a crucial part of the joint force that can deploy, fight,

00:06:17and win our nation's wars. From the start of my tenure, I challenged our leaders to

00:06:22prioritize tough, realistic training done safely over dealing with administrative metrics.

00:06:28I trust that message will continue to resonate beyond my tenure, which is coming to an end

00:06:32in just a few weeks. The Army is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation. The

00:06:38Army Reserve requires robust investment to modernize our aging equipment to enable interoperability

00:06:43with the joint force. Nigeria represents roughly 35 to 40 percent of the Army Reserve's equipment

00:06:48procurement budget. That said, the Army Reserve's unfunded equipment requirements list continues

00:06:54to increase, while Nigeria funding does not. With inflation and material costs rising,

00:07:00our buying power is decreasing. The success of the Army Reserve's modernization efforts

00:07:05tends on Nigeria funding, and we absolutely greatly appreciate the committee's continued

00:07:10support. Additionally, it is important to ensure that

00:07:13our soldiers and their families remain a top priority. Caring for our soldiers and families

00:07:18and ensuring they receive benefits they entitle is vital. Last October, the Army Reserve developed

00:07:23a first-of-a-kind intergovernmental service support agreement pilot to deliver child care

00:07:29services to soldiers during weekend training. We look forward to building on this pilot

00:07:34and collaborating with the other Reserve components in future efforts.

00:07:38I want to take a moment to thank all my fellow officers on this panel. I want to especially

00:07:42thank Vice Admiral Mustin for his collaboration on a variety of efforts, especially our Go

00:07:46Army Beat Navy videos. Our new Command Sergeant Major of the Army Reserve, Command Sergeant

00:07:51Major Betty and I, are incredibly proud, along with my husband, to lead the men and women

00:07:56of your Army Reserve and are ready for your questions. Thank you.

00:08:01Thank you, General. Admiral Mustin.

00:08:04Good morning, Chair Tester, Vice Chair Collins, and distinguished members of the subcommittee.

00:08:09It's a privilege to address you today, alongside with my colleagues, with an update on the

00:08:12state and the vision of America's Navy Reserve. I'd like to begin by recognizing my wife,

00:08:17Kim, whose steadfast support for 31 years exemplifies the unsung sacrifices typical

00:08:22of our military spouses. I'd also like to thank Master Chief Tracy Hunt for his tireless

00:08:27efforts in support of our enlisted Reserve Sailors. And given this will be my last hearing

00:08:31before this committee, I want to thank General Hokanson and my peer Reserve Chiefs for their

00:08:35support and friendship during my tenure as Chief of Navy Reserve.

00:08:38On any given day, the Navy Reserve provides 60,000 Sailors, nearly 150 aircraft, two

00:08:43SEAL teams, three expeditionary medical facilities, and nearly half of the Navy's Expeditionary

00:08:48Combat Command and intelligence capability. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days

00:08:55a year, your Navy Reserve is standing at the ready with nearly 15,000 Sailors, or 25

00:09:00percent of our force, serving on active duty orders.

00:09:04Our current operations extend from Europe's security crisis to the Red Sea, and from the

00:09:09Indo-Pacific region to recent support operations in Baltimore, showcasing the flexibility,

00:09:14readiness, and value our citizen Sailors generate and contribute to national security.

00:09:19In response to modern threats, the Navy Reserve has aggressively executed a multiyear transformation,

00:09:24unambiguously focused on warfighting readiness, to prepare the force for high-end, multi-domain

00:09:30warfare. This effort necessitated modernizing equipment, training systems, and mobilization

00:09:35processes to ensure our Sailors are both trained and combat ready from day one. We have 927

00:09:42days until 2027, and the accelerating pace of that countdown clock drives our actions

00:09:47and our sense of urgency daily. The procurement of modern KC-130 Juliet aircraft

00:09:52to replace aging airframes is critical to enhancing the logistics capabilities of the

00:09:56Joint Force. We share a strong alignment on this priority, as demonstrated by last year's

00:10:00incorporation of the KC-130 Juliet in the Defense Appropriations Bill and this year's

00:10:05Congressional Ad. This airframe modernization is essential and my number one equipment priority.

00:10:11It ensures the Navy Reserve can effectively and efficiently meet contested logistics requirements

00:10:15and conduct the operations that our combatant commanders and fleet commanders demand, particularly

00:10:20in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility, where this reserve-only capability factors

00:10:24heavily into our operational plans. Beyond equipment, we've embraced and invested

00:10:29in technological advancements to improve work and training environments, propelling the

00:10:33Navy Reserve into a new era of both operational and digital readiness.

00:10:38Commitment to our Sailors is central to our efforts. Focusing on personal and professional

00:10:42development, promoting a culture of excellence, and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment,

00:10:47the Navy Reserve has leveraged innovative approaches, including establishing the Navy

00:10:51Recruiting Reserve Command and employing advanced digital analytics tools and ad placements

00:10:56to improve our recruiting efforts. The retention of our prior service enlisted Sailors is at

00:11:00a seven-year high, ensuring a robust and ready force. These commitments enhance our warfighting

00:11:05readiness and take full advantage of the unique professional skills inherent in our Reserve

00:11:09Force. I extend my gratitude for the Committee's

00:11:13support, which is critical for maintaining the operational predictability essential for

00:11:16our Sailors, their families, and our global combatant readiness.

00:11:20Chair Tester, Ranking Member Collins, and all the members of this Committee, the dedication

00:11:24of our citizen Sailors, civilians, and their supportive families is a gratifying source

00:11:29of daily inspiration. Commanding, representing, and advocating for the Navy Reserve has been

00:11:34the honor of a lifetime. Thank you for your continued support and for the opportunities

00:11:37to address you today. I look forward to your questions.

00:11:41Thank you, Admiral. General Anderson.

00:11:45Chairman Tester, Vice Chair Collins, and distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for

00:11:49the opportunity to appear before you today to testify on behalf of the Commandant of

00:11:53the Marine Corps about your Marine Forces Reserve. I'm honored to appear with fellow

00:11:58Reserve Component Service Chiefs and with my senior enlisted leaders, Four-Star Major

00:12:02Edwin Mota and Command Master Chief Michael Musset. The Marine Corps Reserve has always

00:12:07been a critical component of the Marine Corps' total force. The emergent picture of the intricate

00:12:11and multi-domain warfighting environments of the future increasingly reveals the risk

00:12:15of relying on the active component alone. The problem set demonstrates why the Marine

00:12:19Corps strategically leverages its Reserve Component in two important ways. First, the

00:12:24Marine Corps Reserve provides support to global force management. We're employed as a vital

00:12:29contributor to meet combatant command requirements. The Reserve Component, in close partnership

00:12:35with Marine Forces Command and the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, continues to mature the

00:12:39utilization of service-retained forces in support of global crisis response operations.

00:12:45We provide Reserve Forces for global deployments that span the spectrum of conflict, and we

00:12:49participate in combat-related training exercises in every geographic combatant command and

00:12:53cybercom. Second, the Marine Corps Reserve is amplifying its talent management efforts.

00:12:59This subcommittee has been briefed extensively in recent years on the Marine Corps' force

00:13:02design initiative. Talent management is a major focus of the Marine Corps and the Marine

00:13:07Corps Reserve. We are identifying select individuals with high-demand, low-density skill sets that

00:13:12are inherently challenging to acquire, and providing those Marines pathways to continued

00:13:16military service that are complementary to their civilian careers. Each year, this subcommittee

00:13:22provides National Guard and Reserve equipment appropriation funding for the Marine Corps

00:13:26Reserve, and I'm grateful for your continued support through NGREA. The Marine Corps Reserve

00:13:30is designed to be equipped at near parity with the active component, and NGREA funds

00:13:34allow the Marine Corps Reserve to resource that requirement set forth by Congress and

00:13:38the combatant commanders. The Marine Corps Reserve would realize an even greater advantage

00:13:42by receiving NGREA funding that restores us to our historical share. I ask that you consider

00:13:47this in your future funding decisions. The Commandant of the Marine Corps recently

00:13:52called the Marine Corps Reserve our backbone, and emphasized to our senior leaders the need

00:13:57to maximize the potential of our Marine Corps Reserve forces by resourcing and equipping

00:14:02them to ensure they are prepared to meet the threats that face this nation. Reserve Marines

00:14:06serve honorably while balancing their civilian careers and families. They bring a depth and

00:14:10breadth of knowledge to the Marine Corps that gives the total force an asymmetric advantage.

00:14:15Chairman, I am glad to be here, and thank you, and I look forward to your questions.

00:14:19Thank you, General. General Healy. Chairman Tester, Vice Chair Collins, distinguished

00:14:24members of the subcommittee, on behalf of the 69,600 men and women of the Air Force

00:14:28Reserve, it's an honor to be here today with my senior enlisted advisor, Chief Master Sergeant

00:14:33Israel Nunes. We're both continually amazed at the accomplishments of our Reserve Airmen

00:14:38as they meet every challenge given on behalf of this nation.

00:14:42The Air Force Reserve provides an operational capability, strategic depth, and surge capacity

00:14:46across every Air Force Corps mission set. We provide a ready now accessible force that

00:14:52is both mission effective and cost efficient. Since last October, Air Force Reserve personnel

00:14:58and aircraft have mobilized, some within 72 hours, to fill critical airlift and air refueling

00:15:03missions in support of CENTCOM and TRANSCOM. To date, in FY24, Reserve Airmen have accomplished

00:15:10over 68,000 manned days in support of LAVA operations.

00:15:14As effective and efficient as we are, the Air Force Reserve must transform for the future.

00:15:19This requires proportional modernization and concurrent fielding with the regular component.

00:15:25Maintaining equipment parity ensures our ability to match pacing threats. Legacy aircraft investment

00:15:30without recapitalization and delayed modernization adds substantial risk to our surge capacity.

00:15:37It's imperative that our funding reflects proportional distribution as well. While our

00:15:4125 budget request is relatively flat compared to FY24, it is designed to preserve readiness.

00:15:47However, the recent HAC-D markup recommends a $111 million reduction to our operations

00:15:53and maintenance budget. This 2.7 percent overall reduction is proportionally 90 times greater

00:16:00than the active component's 0.03 percent reduction in O&M. This puts substantial risk

00:16:06to our flying hour program. I respectfully request HAC-D address this imbalance during

00:16:11markup, ensuring equitable funding that maintains our readiness as well.

00:16:16We're grateful to Congress for NGREA funding. NGREA enables us to modernize or replace equipment

00:16:21when recapitalization by the active component isn't feasible. For FY25, HAC-D has proposed

00:16:27an NGREA allocation of $124 million for the Air Force Reserve, a $31 million reduction

00:16:34from FY24. And we would appreciate your support to increase this allocation, enabling us to

00:16:39field a more lethal and survivable force.

00:16:42While equipment is critical, our most important weapon system is and always be our airmen.

00:16:49Two of our most significant lines of effort focus on providing accessible and affordable

00:16:53child care and access to health care for family members with special needs through the exceptional

00:16:58family member care program. Over the past seven decades plus, the Air Force Reserve

00:17:03has provided combat-proven readiness. I'm certain the Air Force Reserve will always

00:17:08be ready to defend our great nation now and in the future. Thank you for the opportunity

00:17:12to appear before you today and for your continued support of the Air Force Reserve, our citizen

00:17:17airmen and their families, and I look forward to your questions.

00:17:20Thank you, General, and I want to thank you all for following within the three-minute

00:17:24guideline. I appreciate that very much. Please know that your entire written statement will

00:17:27be a part of the record. I'll now turn to Vice Chair Collins.

00:17:32Thank you very much, Chairman Tester, for holding this hearing, and thank you all for

00:17:37your candid assessment of the President's budgets and the needs that you have. I know

00:17:45that for three of our witnesses, General Hawkinson, General Daniels, and General Mustin, that

00:17:52this is likely your last opportunity to testify before our committee, and I want to personally

00:17:59thank you for your many years of military service and for serving your country.

00:18:09One of our priorities for fiscal year 2025 defense appropriations is to ensure that it

00:18:17reflects the fact that many of you have commented on, that the Guard and Reserve have served

00:18:24as operational forces for the past two decades, and not just as a strategic reserve. Even

00:18:33today, the National Guard and Reserve provide valuable contributions to our national defense

00:18:39from the southwest border, where Guardsmen are supporting border security operations,

00:18:46all the way up to the far corner of the Northeast, where Guardsmen in the 101st Air Refueling

00:18:53Wing, based out of Bangor, are refueling military aircraft. In short, the need to properly resource

00:19:03ready, well-equipped, and integrated Guard and Reserve components could not be more clear.

00:19:11Yet, that is why it is so disappointing that the President's budget request for fiscal

00:19:18year 2025 cuts the Guard and Reserve budget by nearly $2 billion, compared to fiscal year

00:19:272024. As just one example, the Guard and Reserve's budget request for procurement constitutes

00:19:36just 2% of the Department's total procurement request for next year, despite the fact that

00:19:43the Guard and Reserve account for 37% of the overall total force. Such funding levels,

00:19:53in my judgment, make it virtually impossible to field the new aircraft and weapons systems

00:20:02in Guard and Reserve units on a concurrent and proportional basis, which was and remains

00:20:10the recommendation of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force 10 years

00:20:17ago, and it's a principle that many of us support today as well.

00:20:23As your written statements point out, and your oral testimony as well, the Guard and

00:20:29Reserve provide mission-effective forces in a cost-efficient way. The National Guard State

00:20:37Partnership Program is a great example of that. This program is a security cooperation

00:20:45program that partners a Guard unit from one U.S. state with another country that is an

00:20:51ally or partner. To date, Guard units have formed 89 partnerships with 106 countries

00:20:59around the world. I can report firsthand that the main National Guard's partnership with

00:21:06Montenegro was essential to paving the way for that country's successful ascension to

00:21:15NATO in 2017.

00:21:18In general, as you described in your written testimony, these strategic accomplishments

00:21:24occur on a budget that is less than 1% of the Department of Defense's annual budget

00:21:32for security cooperation with other countries. What a return on a very small investment.

00:21:41This is an opportunity for you to candidly share your priorities as well as the operational

00:21:49challenges and readiness concerns that you are experiencing as a result of the constrained

00:21:56budget.

00:21:57I am very proud of the contributions of our men and women in the Guard and Reserve and

00:22:04was delighted to welcome the Secretary of the Air Force to the 101st Air Refueling Wing

00:22:11just a couple of weeks ago. I think he was impressed with what he saw.

00:22:17Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:22:18Thank you, Vice Chair Collins. Now we'll go to questions and we'll start. This is a question

00:22:23for all of you.

00:22:24Each year, Congress adds hundreds of millions of dollars to the National Guard and Reserve

00:22:29equipment account. It is important to us to make sure you have modern equipment so you're

00:22:34ready when you're called upon. This money is in addition to the Department's budget

00:22:40request and recognition that the active forces usually have first pick.

00:22:44That said, it is concerning to me that despite the funding gaps each of you have, these funds

00:22:51are spent very, very slowly. A couple things. I'd love to have you explain that. And then

00:22:58I would also love to have you explain how this budget process can become more effective

00:23:04and more efficient. What could you do better? What can we do better? We'll start with you,

00:23:08General Holkinson. We'll go in the same order as you spoke.

00:23:12Yes, Chairman. As in my written statement and my opening statement as well, NGRI is

00:23:18absolutely fundamental to the readiness of the National Guard. It allows us not only

00:23:23to find commercial off-the-shelf solutions, 80 percent of the solution at 20 percent of

00:23:29the cost, but it also allows us to purchase equipment that the services don't have the

00:23:33resources to do, which directly impacts our readiness.

00:23:37In terms of the budgeting process, Chairman, anytime we have a continuing resolution for

00:23:42any period of time, it has a significant impact on our organization, not only readiness, but

00:23:48equipment, MilCon, everything, particularly the state partnership funding, as we're not

00:23:53allowed to access it until the CR ends. So any help that we can get to eliminate the

00:23:58CRs would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

00:24:02Anybody else would like to respond to that? Go ahead.

00:24:05So one of the reasons that we don't spend immediately is because we make a very hard

00:24:10look at what we can purchase, what are our current year needs. We also look at what is

00:24:15the rate of production of an existing line that's building something, and sometimes it

00:24:19cannot add any additional equipment in, even though we need it and would like to purchase

00:24:23it that particular year at that point in time. So we may have to delay until that line can

00:24:29be expanded or until active components resourcing efforts have expired. So that slows us down

00:24:36a little bit.

00:24:37Okay. Anybody else? Admiral?

00:24:39Just there's a tactical and a strategic implication of where we are relative to Nigeria for this

00:24:44year. So the House has proposed a 20 percent mark, which leaves the Navy share at a low

00:24:51since 2007. But I would like to comment just at a strategic level also that in the last

00:24:57two decades post-9-11, we've seen the preponderance of funds appropriately skewed to the Guard

00:25:04and Air National Guard, with the service chiefs allocating about a third between us. If we

00:25:11agree that the Indo-Pacific is a theater of concern, I would offer that the combined total

00:25:17between the Navy and the Marine Corps, which has hovered at about 7 percent of total, could

00:25:21be worthy of revisiting. And frankly, the kinds of things that we're spending the money

00:25:27on are high-impact dollars, as you heard from General Healey. And I would just ask that

00:25:32we revisit before we close the books on the FY25 budget.

00:25:35Okay. Thank you.

00:25:36General Anderson?

00:25:37Thank you, Chairman. I'd like to second the predictable budget. I think just across both

00:25:45the Reserve and the Guard, what's predictable, repeatable, that helps our workforce that's

00:25:51both on the civilian side and the military side. So it reflects and compounds, as this

00:25:56year is an example, as we approach the last quarter, the degree of money has not been

00:26:00funded yet. And we're playing catch-up when we find ourselves in this CR situation.

00:26:05Thank you, sir.

00:26:06General Healey?

00:26:07Yes, sir. Currently, the Air Force Reserve shortage is roughly $1.3 billion in terms

00:26:13of major equipment that we could use and agree on dollars on. As my other colleagues have

00:26:18stated, it's a challenge to get out of the blocks with delays. But once we do, we typically

00:26:22see first-year expenditure at roughly about 10 percent. Second-year expenditure, we're

00:26:28usually at about 50 percent of execution for that year, with three years executing at 100

00:26:34percent consistently, as far back as my records go.

00:26:38So with regard to a five-year FIDEP, we're still coming in under that, and we're still

00:26:43getting this much quicker than the active duty is able to access major equipment in

00:26:47order to make our weapons systems more viable.

00:26:50Thank you. This question is for you, General Hokanson. The National Guard is now in the

00:26:53seventh year of serving on the southern border in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

00:26:58During that time, things have gotten worse under the administration, failed border policies.

00:27:04So, General Hokanson, I'm going to ask you the same question I asked Secretary Austin

00:27:08when he was in front of this committee last month. How many Guards personnel are currently

00:27:12serving on the southern border, and what does this mean for Guardsmen's operational readiness

00:27:17for other duties?

00:27:21Chairman, when we look at the – we have about just under 2,500 Guardsmen on the southwest

00:27:25border under Title X serving under U.S. NORTHCOM. As I've expressed within the building as

00:27:32well, there is no military training value for what we do. This is a law enforcement

00:27:36mission under the Department of Homeland Security. I know that we're providing additional support

00:27:42along there, but for our Guardsmen there, they might as well be deployed to Kuwait or

00:27:47somewhere overseas because they're away from their families. They're there doing mission

00:27:52sets that are not directly applicable to their military skill set, and so it increases their

00:27:57personal operational tempo. And that time, I think, would be better utilized building

00:28:02readiness to deter our adversaries.

00:28:05Okay. Thank you. Chair Collins.

00:28:12Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. General Daniels, as I know you are aware, last October

00:28:21Maine experienced the worst mass shooting in our history. Eighteen Mainers were killed.

00:28:30Another 13 were injured in a horrific mass shooting that was carried out by a sergeant

00:28:41in the U.S. Army Reserve. I have worked with the Army because I am drafting legislation

00:28:51where I want the Army and all the services to be able to trigger state crisis intervention

00:29:00laws, yellow flag laws, such as we have in Maine. It's an example that would result in

00:29:07a judge reviewing the evidence of whether or not a service member poses a threat to

00:29:15him or herself or others. And I've waited to introduce that because the Army Reserve

00:29:23has done an extensive investigation, and I asked the Army IG to review that. Well, that

00:29:31was supposed to be finished in January. We're a long ways from January now. I was told by

00:29:39the secretary that she expected the Army Reserve's administrative review to be completed in a

00:29:46couple more weeks. That, too, has passed by. What is the cause of the delay, and when can

00:29:55we expect to get this? I really don't want to introduce a bill without the benefit of

00:30:01the findings and recommendations in this report, which is going to document how many red flags

00:30:08were missed.

00:30:11First of all, I'm very sorry for your loss. The report from my side has been signed in

00:30:18late May. We are working on redacting it and making that available in the next couple of

00:30:22weeks, and I look forward to coming and briefing you and your team on what we have found as

00:30:26a part of that report.

00:30:28Thank you. I'm going to hold you to that next couple of weeks because I've heard that phrase

00:30:33a number of times.

00:30:35Yes, ma'am.

00:30:36And it really is important. Thank you.

00:30:40General Hawkinson, you've stated that one of your top priorities is the need to recapitalize

00:30:46an Air National Guard's fighter fleet because a disproportionate number of new fighter aircraft

00:30:55procured by the Air Force are delivered to active duty units rather than to Guard or

00:31:02Reserve units that comprise the total Air Force. This disproportionate fielding of aircraft

00:31:10also affects other kinds of aircraft as well.

00:31:14For example, I understand that the current KC-46A basing plan would place 71 percent

00:31:24of the new KC-46s with active units, 14 percent with Reserve units, and 15 percent with Guard

00:31:33units.

00:31:34Now, that is the plan, even though the Guard flies about 38 percent of all Air Force tanker

00:31:44aircraft. So could you explain why this allocation is done this way? And also give me your opinion

00:31:55on whether the fielding of new aircraft in a manner that would be concurrent and more

00:32:03proportional would help improve the operational readiness of the Guard and the total Force?

00:32:11Vice Chair Collins, it's a great question. So if you look at where we are today, as you

00:32:17mentioned, the Guard's about 37 percent of the aerial refueling. So we are being fielded

00:32:23concurrently. We're just not being fielded proportionally. So under the current plan

00:32:29from the 183 KC-46s, 32 will go to the Guard. So we'll go from 37 percent down to about

00:32:3616 to 17 percent of the new aircraft. The reason why this is concerning to me is a recent

00:32:43RAND study looked at the operational rates of Guard and active duty units. And we still

00:32:50meet the same readiness requirements, but we operate at about 34 percent less of the

00:32:56cost of the KC-135, and we think it would be similar on the KC-46. So the end result

00:33:02is, I think by not putting more on the Guard and Reserve, it's going to be more expensive.

00:33:08And a lot of our experience and capability reside there in the Guard.

00:33:12I think that's a really important point, that it's going to be more expensive, and plus

00:33:18that's where the capability is. Thank you.

00:33:21Senator Sheehan.

00:33:26Well, thank you all very much for your service to the country, and General Hokanson, General

00:33:32Daniels, and Admiral Mustin, we will miss you. General Hokanson, I very much appreciated

00:33:39working with you as the co-chair of the National Guard Caucus, so I will especially miss you.

00:33:46The Senate Armed Services Committee enacted historic reforms several years ago to address

00:33:52sexual assault and harassment in the military, including taking those offenses out of a service

00:33:59member's chain of command. That was the result of years of work on that issue.

00:34:05Unfortunately, as we have discussed, these reforms don't necessarily apply to the National

00:34:10Guard, given the state and local jurisdiction of National Guard units. And some states have

00:34:15adopted similar reforms on the state level, but some haven't. And instances of sexual

00:34:21harassment in the Guard continue to be an issue, including in my home state of New Hampshire.

00:34:26The SASC-passed NDAA includes legislation that I was pleased to introduce to require

00:34:33the Defense Advisory Committee to study this issue and to report to Congress, and we appreciated

00:34:39the help we got from your office in drafting that legislation, and also to strengthen the

00:34:44Office of Complex Investigations and their ability to look at command climate as part

00:34:49of the investigations. So the Guard Bureau can play a really important role in looking

00:34:55at this issue. Can you talk about how you and whoever succeeds you will be able to use

00:35:01your position as chief of the National Guard Bureau to incentivize states to take active

00:35:08measures to address this issue?

00:35:12Senator Shaheed, this is one of the priority things that I'll share with my successor

00:35:18when that person is named. At the end of the day, sexual assault is actually not anything

00:35:26ever condoned within any aspect of the U.S. military, and we have to use every tool we

00:35:32have available to us to ensure that we rid that from our formations. Now, you can look

00:35:37at the statistics. They have gone down this year, but until they get to zero, we'll always

00:35:43So we'll utilize our prevention workforce that we're hiring now, also our Office of

00:35:49Complex Investigations, to help states bridge that gap between the state law and the federal

00:35:55law, depending on the duty status they're in. Our general counsel is very involved in

00:36:00that, and as we've seen with New Hampshire, we'll send staff assistance teams to go out

00:36:05there to take a look at their program and make recommendations, and we follow up with

00:36:10those as well, because at the end of the day, we have to eliminate this from our formations,

00:36:14and so I think everybody here on this table understands just how important that is, and

00:36:19I don't think there's anything that we're not doing to help promote that.

00:36:24Are there other measures that you think the Congress should take to better encourage states

00:36:30to take action and to better support efforts that the Guard can undertake?

00:36:36Senator, fully funding our prevention workforce is one thing to make sure so that we've got

00:36:41those folks in every brigade, every wing, so that any soldier or airman knows exactly

00:36:47who to go to to get the help they need, but also to help identify inappropriate behaviors

00:36:53that may, so we can basically end it well beforehand and identify those potential perpetrators.

00:37:01Well, thank you. I think it's, and as you know, it's an ongoing issue that we've got

00:37:05to continue to work hard to address. I don't know if anybody else on the panel would like

00:37:11to address that at all. Are you happy to have General Hokanson respond?

00:37:17I'll chime in that while we're seeing an increased number of reports, I had the team go back

00:37:23and take a look at whether or not those were current year reports or prior year reports,

00:37:27and so it appears that our current year harassment and assault cases are in decline,

00:37:33but we're seeing a significant number of prior year reports, which gives me confidence

00:37:38that we're gaining trust, that people are more willing to come forward to say what has

00:37:43happened to them previously, and they trust us to act on that. So that gives me a little bit of hope.

00:37:48Thank you. General Hokanson, as you know, the Guard Bureau's decision to relevel

00:37:54New Hampshire's 157th Air Refueling Wing has been a concern, particularly given Senator

00:38:00Collins' comments about the KC-46 and the disparities that exist and the need to continue

00:38:09those operations. I appreciate your providing an extension to New Hampshire and to the other

00:38:15units who have requested one, but can you also commit to reporting back to Congress

00:38:21prior to reimplementing the leveling initiative, including on the operational impacts,

00:38:26and also ensuring that your successor also understands the importance of doing that?

00:38:33Yes, Senator. Actually, we're working on that now, and the result of this was we found,

00:38:37as we looked across all of our formations, we had a disparity in the full-time manning,

00:38:41and so we wanted to make sure that like units had the same, and what we've identified

00:38:46is the increase in demand on the reserve component has actually driven a greater need

00:38:51for more full-time manning because of the readiness levels we have to maintain, and

00:38:55so we look forward to working with this committee and others to make sure that the number of

00:39:00full-time manning adequately reflects what the units are being asked to do so that we

00:39:05don't put a disadvantage to our part-time soldiers where we ask them to continue to

00:39:09work more and more to make up the difference between our full-time manning.

00:39:13Well, thank you. I look forward to seeing the report.

00:39:16Yes, ma'am.

00:39:17Senator Moran.

00:39:18Chairman, thank you. Thank you all for your service to our nation.

00:39:23General Hokanson, let me follow up again with Senator Collins' questions of you.

00:39:29I would add some additional thoughts on the KC-46A basing.

00:39:35A recent RAND study shows that the reserve component pilots are more experienced and

00:39:40cost-effective than their active-duty counterparts.

00:39:44The study recommends that the Air Force reevaluate its bed-down plans for the KC-46A to maintain

00:39:50an efficient balance between active and reserve components.

00:39:55In your best military advice, does the Air Force current KC-46A basing plan adequately

00:40:02equip the Air Guard fleet to maximize the benefits highlighted in the RAND assessment?

00:40:08Senator Moran, thank you for the question.

00:40:10And, sir, when we look at concurrent proportional, I don't think it does.

00:40:15We're currently 37 percent of the aerial refueling fleet, but the KC-46 plan has us going to

00:40:22about 16 to 17 percent.

00:40:25And when you look at the fact we operate our KC-135s at 34 percent less cost than the active

00:40:31component, I would argue by putting more in the active duty, you're incurring greater cost,

00:40:36whereas the same readiness levels are met within our Air Guard units.

00:40:40And the amount of aerial refueling that we do is very significant.

00:40:44So I would argue that more fielding within the reserve component reduces the cost, yet

00:40:50retains the same capability that our nation needs.

00:40:54On a similar subject, Congress appropriated $350 million to procure one company of Gray

00:41:01Eagles in the National Guard Division.

00:41:03This is a fine start, but all Guard divisions should mirror the active component's operational capabilities.

00:41:11I particularly think this is true.

00:41:13I mean, the war in Ukraine has highlighted for me the value, the necessity, in fact, of UAVs.

00:41:20And it seems to me a terrible mistake that our Guard and Reserve would not have the capabilities

00:41:25that are necessary.

00:41:28In your best military advice, do you agree, not with my assessment, but with the assessment

00:41:34of the need for more active component parity?

00:41:43Senator, I would argue one of the greatest missions of the military is to prevent war

00:41:50by deterring others to do things that they might want to do, and by ensuring that our

00:41:55reserve and Guard units are manned, trained, and equipped just like their active duty component,

00:42:00then I think it increases the greater deterrent value.

00:42:03If you look at the fact we have eight divisions within the National Guard, ensuring that they

00:42:08have the same capability and capacity, so when called forward, if that need arises,

00:42:13they bring the same capabilities to the battlefield, and that our adversaries understand that it

00:42:19doesn't matter if it's Guard, Reserve, they bring the same capability.

00:42:22And the grey goes, as you mentioned, the drone capability, the reduction of putting manpower forward,

00:42:28but the capability is something we need absolutely in every one of our eight divisions.

00:42:32Thank you.

00:42:33General Healy, your opening statement highlighted the risks associated with legacy aircraft,

00:42:38divestment without recapitalization, and delayed modernization.

00:42:42What strategies must be employed to mitigate the potential impacts on air superiority and surge capacity?

00:42:51I appreciate the question, Senator Moran.

00:42:53And in follow-up to the previous question regarding KC-46 bed down,

00:42:58I'd point out as well that we currently have one KC-46 unit at Seymour Johnson 1

00:43:03that's potentially on the books out at Marjay Reserve Base,

00:43:06but our six remaining KC-135 units have no program or record,

00:43:09so we're not being concurrently fielded with KC-46 units.

00:43:13The constant advocacy on my behalf, I think, is the best answer right now,

00:43:18whether that's to the Department of the Air Force leadership

00:43:21or within this body and the House Appropriation Committee as well.

00:43:25With regard to proportional and concurrent, two issues come about from that.

00:43:33Our ability to act in a fifth-gen flight is severely limited if we've got fourth-gen equipment.

00:43:41Referencing the RAND study that General Hokanson brought up,

00:43:45we have a more experienced force than the active component,

00:43:49and that's just by virtue of people want to continue to do the mission

00:43:52well beyond their 10-year active duty service commitment.

00:43:56That being said, if they don't have the opportunity or the venue

00:43:59to go to something that they can continue to provide service in,

00:44:03i.e. F-35 or a KC-46,

00:44:06then we potentially are losing some of the outstanding experience

00:44:11that is on the table with regards to fighting our next conflict, if called upon.

00:44:17General Healy, I would point out your answer to me.

00:44:21One of the things I think is important is all branches of the service to different degrees

00:44:26experience recruitment and retention challenges, and we ought to be utilizing,

00:44:31you just mentioned the capability of retaining personnel in this capacity,

00:44:36and we ought to be taking advantage of that circumstance

00:44:39that doesn't exist in all circumstances. True?

00:44:43Absolutely, sir. We call it closing all the windows.

00:44:47We've got to stop letting these people get out.

00:44:49So we do a fantastic job of retention in the Air Force Reserve.

00:44:53We're currently at about 88.3%.

00:44:5689% was our goal for this year, but we're consistently at 88.2% retention

00:45:01on a 10-year average for our pilot force,

00:45:04which is the most exquisite and costly force that we have.

00:45:07Speaking of closing all the windows, you should close all the windows

00:45:10on three of the folks who are sitting at the table this morning.

00:45:13I will miss their presence.

00:45:15And finally, I would say, just as a comment,

00:45:18I am working with the Kansas National Guard in regard to expanding their state partnership,

00:45:23and I would like your help, General Hoganson and others, to accomplish my goal.

00:45:28Thank you.

00:45:29Senator Baldwin.

00:45:30Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:45:31Before I get to questions, I want to add my words of congratulations to General Hoganson,

00:45:37Lieutenant General Daniels, and Vice Admiral Mustin on your upcoming retirement.

00:45:43I want to thank you for your service to our nation.

00:45:47General Hoganson, I have appreciated working with you over the past few years

00:45:52on expanding health care to service members,

00:45:56and I appreciate your mentioning that in your opening remarks.

00:45:59Like you, I believe that increasing access to health care and dental care,

00:46:04especially for our Guard and Reserve members, would pay dividends in readiness,

00:46:10especially for short-notice deployments.

00:46:13Last Congress, I introduced the Bipartisan Health Care for our Troops Act,

00:46:18a bill that would provide all National Guard and Reserve service members

00:46:22with premium-free health care coverage.

00:46:26And I understand that the Defense Health Agency is working to study this issue,

00:46:32and I look forward to seeing those results.

00:46:34So, General, can you please describe the progress that your team has made

00:46:39towards this goal during your tenure and what you see as the feasible next steps?

00:46:47Senator, thank you, and I greatly appreciate your support for this,

00:46:51really my number one priority, and it's been my number one priority since my time

00:46:54as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

00:46:57When you look at the health care progress, we continue to have the conversation,

00:47:03the act that you mentioned, and more and more the conversation is taking place,

00:47:07and we knew this would take time.

00:47:09We look forward to helping with the study in any way we can to really clarify the costing.

00:47:15Unfortunately, we have to assume that every single member would take the premium-free health care,

00:47:21which drives the cost up significantly.

00:47:23Well, we know that would not be the case.

00:47:25Many of them do have health care through their civilian employer.

00:47:30But there's a lot of other things related to this.

00:47:32We think it would have a significant impact not only on recruiting but also retention

00:47:37so that the family would know, as long as their service member is serving in the Guard or Reserve,

00:47:41that they have health care.

00:47:43And so if they're injured on deployment or responding to a disaster in their community,

00:47:48that they're going to have the health care to get better

00:47:50and come back not only to be the breadwinner for their family or part of that,

00:47:54but also to continue to serve their country.

00:47:57And so anything we can do to help promote that, answer those questions,

00:48:01I think is going to be really important.

00:48:03When you look at the economic environment today, most businesses do offer that health care.

00:48:09And so for us to be competitive in the recruiting environment, it's also a requirement for us as well.

00:48:15Thank you.

00:48:17Tactical wheeled vehicles are essential to supplying combat vehicles with fuel, ammunition,

00:48:24and spare parts to seize and control ground.

00:48:28In other words, tactical wheeled vehicles are a critical backbone of the logistics needed to sustain

00:48:35and win a fight.

00:48:37I'm proud that many of these vehicles are made wholly or in part in the state of Wisconsin.

00:48:43As this committee has discussed many times,

00:48:45clear communication with industry and consistently funded demand signals are critical

00:48:52for allowing our industrial partners to plan for and meet future demand.

00:48:58General Hawkinson, can you provide the committee detailed National Guard vehicle requirements

00:49:05and plan purchases for both the family of heavy tactical vehicles

00:49:09and the family of medium tactical vehicles across variants and across the future years defense program?

00:49:17So, Senator Baldwin, I'll have our staff get the exact numbers.

00:49:21But as you mentioned, the heavy and the light and the medium tactical vehicles

00:49:25are absolutely critical to our ability to move across the battlefield

00:49:29but also to logistically support our forces.

00:49:32And so, as I mentioned earlier, it's important that all of our Guard formations are man-trained

00:49:37and equipped like their active duty counterparts to reduce the variance of systems,

00:49:43but then also we can operate more efficiently.

00:49:46So we'd love to do that and we will continue to advocate as we field new systems

00:49:52that all of those come into the Guard and Reserve.

00:49:54Thank you.

00:49:55And General Daniels, can you also provide this information to our committee?

00:50:01Yes, ma'am, absolutely.

00:50:02Thank you.

00:50:03Senator Baldwin, if I may, can I give just a brief follow-up to your initial question

00:50:07regarding access to health care and specifically dental care?

00:50:10Please.

00:50:11One of the issues that's become more and more prevalent to us is the fact that

00:50:15the dental pay requirement is capped at $1,500 for our service members.

00:50:21So once any of their annual dental requirements exceed that, it's out of pocket.

00:50:25As a result of that historically low number of $1,500,

00:50:31we end up having over 700 of our service members not able to be ready to go and deploy

00:50:38because we don't have the ability to enforce an out-of-pocket expense to our airmen.

00:50:45Thank you for that.

00:50:47Senator Bozeman.

00:50:51Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank all of you.

00:50:54We appreciate your service.

00:50:55We're going to miss those of you that are rotating out,

00:50:58but we do appreciate you so much.

00:51:01I think we always have to remember this is a family affair,

00:51:05and not only you but your families that for many, many years have been so faithful.

00:51:10General Daniels, I understand the funded reimbursable authority

00:51:14allows the reserve component to answer combatant command

00:51:18and intelligence agencies' demand signals for increased support

00:51:22to meet intelligence activity mission requirements.

00:51:25General Daniels, can you describe what funded reimbursable authority is

00:51:30and how the active component would benefit if this was expanded to other high-demand specialties?

00:51:37Thank you very much, Senator Bozeman.

00:51:39The funded reimbursable authority allows the combatant commands

00:51:43to assess whether or not they have increased intelligence requirements,

00:51:46and if they do, they can take their operational maintenance dollars

00:51:51and convert them to reserve component pay and allowances,

00:51:55which then allows our reserve component members to support those intelligence activities

00:51:59and help with the readiness and help with the current threat assessments

00:52:03that the combatant commands are desiring.

00:52:05Very good.

00:52:06And will expanding the authority occur any additional cost?

00:52:11No additional cost would be required because it's combatant commands

00:52:14looking at what resources they need.

00:52:16We're looking to expand to include not just intelligence but space,

00:52:19information operations, and cyber capabilities as a funded reimbursable capability

00:52:24that they could request from the reserve components.

00:52:26So it's a win-win.

00:52:28Very good.

00:52:29General Huckeson, I've heard you mention the need to keep 25 of the 25 fighter squadrons

00:52:36in the Air National Guard to meet demands of the national defense strategy

00:52:40and keep pace with our peer adversaries.

00:52:43Is the Air National Guard on track to keep 25 fighter squadrons?

00:52:47If not, what is the impact of losing fighter capability?

00:52:53Senator Bozeman, thank you.

00:52:55When you look at the current 25 fighter squadrons that we have,

00:52:58we're currently in the jeopardy of losing two of those,

00:53:00Martin State in Maryland and Selfridge in Michigan.

00:53:04Both of those are A-10 units.

00:53:06In fact, the unit from Maryland is now redeploying from a tour in the deployment in the Middle East.

00:53:12When you look at the fact the Air Force is short about 1,000 pilots

00:53:15and 4,000 maintainers, I don't think we can afford to lose a single formation.

00:53:21And we actually looked at a plan by, we call it the Temporary Cross-Component Aircraft Transfers,

00:53:28where we could cascade older fighter aircraft into these formations to retain them

00:53:33until production can catch up with replacing those aircraft.

00:53:38When you look at there's 48 fighter squadrons in the Air Force right now,

00:53:41and I believe the requirement is 60, we're already critically short.

00:53:46And the demand for those aircraft globally only goes up, not only for capabilities,

00:53:51but also the deterrent value that they provide.

00:53:55And so we're willing to do just about anything we can to retain those formations

00:53:59because once we lose them, then we literally lose them forever.

00:54:05Very good. Thank you.

00:54:08General Healy, I appreciate our discussion centered on the Air Force's efforts

00:54:13to reoptimize for great power competition.

00:54:16Can you share your perspective on how the reserve component will be impacted by this reoptimization

00:54:22and how your current posture can be leveraged to support future units of action for the total force?

00:54:30I appreciate the question, sir.

00:54:33In short, the reserves are ideally suited right now for the great power competition moves

00:54:38that the Air Force writ large are making.

00:54:40Through our normal structure of being a relatively lean force with regard to our own bases,

00:54:48operating 28 days a month on just 25 percent of the staff,

00:54:52we're ideally suited to be able to show the cost savings

00:54:55while also showing the ability to effectively segregate the wing,

00:55:00create deployable combat wings, meaning the fighting force is able to pick up and go forward,

00:55:05while remaining behind is a base component that manages the base.

00:55:10We're perfectly suited for that, and we're only having to make minor changes in our manning structure

00:55:15in order to be ready for the first opportunity to employ this in 27.

00:55:20With regards to the overall reorganization, reoptimization,

00:55:25what we discovered and what we were able to show the active component

00:55:28and the entire Department of the Air Force is through the current construct of our organization,

00:55:34the reserve component or the Air Force reserve specifically underpins every MAJCOM

00:55:39and every aspect of the current construct.

00:55:42As the new construct develops, we also will underpin and be integral

00:55:47and integrated into each of these new portions.

00:55:50So, again, ideally suited to enhance and move forward the Air Force's ability to utilize this new construct.

00:55:58I think at the end, from an operator's perspective,

00:56:02great power competition is all about ensuring that we have the ability to fight and win if called upon,

00:56:09and I think the Air Force reserve is going to provide deployable combat wings,

00:56:14combat generation wings, and in-place combat wings that will absolutely fill out the need

00:56:21that would be presented by the United States Air Force.

00:56:23Very good. Thank you, sir.

00:56:24Yes, sir.

00:56:25Senator Coons.

00:56:26Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member,

00:56:28and thank you to all of our witnesses today for your service and your dedication to your nation

00:56:33and to General Hokanson and Vice Admiral Mustin, Lieutenant General Daniels.

00:56:37Thank you and congratulations on your upcoming retirement.

00:56:39I wish none of you were leaving.

00:56:42We look to you for advice and insight as we try to finalize our appropriations decisions.

00:56:48I'm from Delaware.

00:56:50The Delaware Air National Guard is one of four states that are still working to secure C-130Js.

00:56:56I co-led a letter with Senator Barrasso to continue, frankly, to complete what has been, I think,

00:57:02an important acquisition process that helps support national security and ensure interoperability.

00:57:08I'd be interested, General Hokanson, in how you see the Guard Bureau's role

00:57:13in completing the procurement of C-130Js

00:57:16and how that outfitting, in your view, might support national security

00:57:20and how congressional support might be relevant.

00:57:24Thank you, Senator.

00:57:25When you look at the C-130 fleet, obviously with any system,

00:57:29if we can pure fleet to the same model, it reduces maintenance, training, all sorts of costs,

00:57:35and we gain many efficiencies.

00:57:37And so the intent for us to continue to advocate for the fielding of the C-130J in all of our squadrons

00:57:43so that we can capitalize on those cost savings.

00:57:47And so we will continue to do that.

00:57:49I know we have four squadrons left to go,

00:57:51and our intent is to hopefully complete that within the next couple of FIDEPs.

00:57:57That's a high priority for me and for my home state.

00:58:00We also have in Delaware an Air National Guard unit that, as I think both Guardsmen and Reservists,

00:58:05that is a strong cyber unit.

00:58:07It has both offensive and defensive capabilities,

00:58:10and it's, in my view, a great example of leveraging the private sector.

00:58:13We have very large data centers.

00:58:15Many of you are probably carrying credit cards issued from the state of Delaware.

00:58:19And so state-of-the-art, very high-performing, very capable cyber professionals in the private sector

00:58:24have the opportunity to join and serve in both Guard and Reserve roles.

00:58:28I'd be interested in hearing from you, General Hokanson is also Lieutenant General Healy,

00:58:34how Air Guard units successfully leverage private sector resources,

00:58:39support national security at a lower cost,

00:58:41and what else you think we could be doing to support the outfitting and deployment of cutting-edge cyber units.

00:58:48Mr. Senator, when I look at we've got 66 units in the National Guard, both Army and Air, in 42 states,

00:58:54and the capability they provide is pretty amazing, in fact, up to the highest levels within cybercom.

00:59:00And this is because of our ability to leverage not only their military training but their civilian training.

00:59:05In fact, a lot of the young kids say they can do things in their civilian job they can't do in the military,

00:59:10and they've got things they can do in the military they can't do in their civilian job.

00:59:13But by learning from both sides, they develop incredible capability,

00:59:17and not only on their military side but also under state active duty to help mitigate cyberattacks

00:59:23or issues with networks within their community,

00:59:27where the governor has the authority under state active duty to leverage them.

00:59:31John?

00:59:32That's all right.

00:59:33So we're a little bit more modest within the Air Force Reserve, about 3,500 folks doing cyber mission,

00:59:38but very proud of it.

00:59:39Again, we have a retention rate right now of roughly 86 percent, which is fantastic.

00:59:44And what we're also doing in terms of how do we entice and how do we bring more online

00:59:49is we've currently got a direct commissioning program.

00:59:51We're in 2023.

00:59:53We direct commission three individuals.

00:59:55We've got three going in 2024 with seven pending right now.

00:59:58So it gives exactly what you're talking about,

01:00:01the opportunity for an individual in the civilian workforce to take their skills

01:00:05and their training that they get credit for,

01:00:09and then we're going to commission them straight in to the Air Force Reserve.

01:00:12Thank you for that example.

01:00:14Last question, if I could.

01:00:15The state partnership program is something I've strongly supported.

01:00:18I've had a chance to visit state units in the field from the Baltics to West Africa to Southeast Asia.

01:00:24It's 30 years old.

01:00:26There's 92 partnerships touching 106 countries.

01:00:29I think Montana's partners Kyrgyzstan, if I'm not mistaken,

01:00:32and I think Maine is Montenegro, Delaware, Mongolia,

01:00:39a country squeezed between China and Russia and eager for American help.

01:00:43What I've seen about the state partnership program is that it allows long relationships,

01:00:48no disrespect, but, you know, active duty folks tend to cycle in and out of a country.

01:00:53And I think the National Guard is the best example we have of civilian control of the military,

01:00:59integration into civilian missions, disaster response, infrastructure, otherwise.

01:01:05What do you see, General, as the challenges to sustaining the state partnership program?

01:01:09What are the opportunities?

01:01:11What more could they be doing?

01:01:13I think some of the work we did with Ukraine between 2014 and 2022 made a transformational difference,

01:01:21and so I'm a huge fan of the state partnership program.

01:01:24Senator, I greatly appreciate your support of that program.

01:01:27And just as an example, if you look back to 2023, we did 1,750 global engagements.

01:01:34And as mentioned earlier, that's on 1% of our budget related to international interactions.

01:01:42When we look at the challenges we face going forward is as we add partners,

01:01:47we've actually added seven this year, is the startup costs are initially a little bit high,

01:01:53about $800,000 per partnership, but then the sustainment numbers continue to go down over time.

01:01:59And so stable, consistent funding, not having a continuing resolution so we can have access to that fund early in the year,

01:02:07greatly appreciates it.

01:02:09When we get the funding late in the year, sometimes our state partners can't adjust their schedules quick enough,

01:02:15and so the earlier the better.

01:02:17But as you mentioned, Senator, the great thing is, in many cases, our state military or the state National Guard is about the size of the country's military.

01:02:26And because we're there like they are throughout their career, those relationships are critically important,

01:02:31not only to develop capability and capacity, but their ability to protect their citizens,

01:02:37but also to have additional U.S. presence to counter the messaging they may see from some of our adversaries.

01:02:44Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

01:02:46Impressive recall, but I noticed you didn't get to West Virginia.

01:02:49Senator Murkowski.

01:02:53Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

01:02:54And to all of you, thank you for your leadership, your commitment, and all you have given for your country.

01:03:02We're appreciative and grateful.

01:03:04We recognize, so many of us recognize, just the role of our reserve forces

01:03:09and all that they bring in terms of talent and experience to the fight.

01:03:14So thank you.

01:03:15In Alaska, we certainly see that every day, not only at the tip of the spear when it comes to homeland defense,

01:03:21but all that goes on from the 24-7 radar operations, what they're able to do with search and rescue capability.

01:03:28We cannot live without you.

01:03:30I think there's a song about that.

01:03:33Let me ask you, General Hogan, because we have talked a lot about the Air National Guard transition

01:03:42of the 575 AGR positions to technician billets.

01:03:48Alaska takes the greatest cut in the AGR airmen,

01:03:52but Senator Shaheen mentioned it from New Hampshire's perspective here.

01:03:58In the House NDAA, there was an increase to the Air National Guard's AGR ceiling.

01:04:05It added 403 positions.

01:04:08Does this provide enough stability to the Guard to pause the current full-time leveling?

01:04:17As we have discussed, Alaska is on a year pause.

01:04:20That's helpful, but is this the answer here?

01:04:25As you're answering that, if you can share with me whether you've had conversations with either NORTHCOM,

01:04:32PACAV, Secretary Kendall, or General Salzman on the impact that the full-time leveling would have

01:04:41on their ability to perform their missions.

01:04:45Yes, Senator.

01:04:46When you look at the addition of about 400, that just moves the conversation one or two years down the road.

01:04:53We asked our team, as I said, look, we have to stop iterating.

01:04:56Tell me what the actual solution is that we need.

01:04:59When they did that full analysis, and Alaska is a great example,

01:05:03what we're doing is we continue to ask more and more of our National Guardsmen,

01:05:08but we don't provide the full-time manning to sustain that, particularly when you have 24-7 operations.

01:05:14This week alone, we had a rescue unit save six people in an airplane crash in Alaska.

01:05:21That capability is made possible by the full-time manning within those units.

01:05:26When I told them, stop looking at the iterative.

01:05:29Tell me what the actual answer is.

01:05:31They came up with 29,100, and we can actually show you exactly where that manning would be

01:05:36to prevent making a decision where somebody has to go from an AGR to a technician position.

01:05:42As I mentioned earlier, we do have a legislative proposal in to fix the Technician Act

01:05:47because it's just not competitive at all in today's environment.

01:05:50You can't live on that in Alaska.

01:05:53Those are very expensive environments, but we ask a lot of them.

01:05:57As a result, my best advice is to get a 29,100 AGRs within the Air National Guard

01:06:06and then also to fix the technician program.

01:06:09I know we're working with your state to mitigate the impacts of that.

01:06:13We pushed it back a year while we get this, hopefully, support and all the data

01:06:17so that we can get the right answer so we can continue to provide the capabilities

01:06:21that our communities and, frankly, our nation need every single day.

01:06:25I appreciate your response to that, but I also recognize that as I talk to these AGR folks back home,

01:06:35they've got decisions to make.

01:06:38They have family commitments that they're looking to, and all they see right now is instability.

01:06:44Thank you for the one-year reprieve, but this is not the only thing that they're looking at with concern.

01:06:54We've also talked an awful lot about the Space Force considerations,

01:06:59the fact that Air Force wants to force our Air Guardsmen into the active-duty Space Force.

01:07:07There's been a lot of back and forth from National Guard Bureau saying it's not going to cost that much.

01:07:13Air Force says it's going to cost a lot, but what is really going to cost us

01:07:18is when these people vote with their feet when they leave,

01:07:22and then we lose that experience that we have invested in them.

01:07:27So I know that this is, again, one of those issues that is generating a lot of debate out there,

01:07:37but I look at that and I listen to what's being discussed up at Clear Air Force Station

01:07:44as they are manning that operation.

01:07:46I look at what's going on with this leveling,

01:07:50and the greatest benefit that you have with your reserves has been the stability that comes with these positions.

01:07:58And I note that Lieutenant General Healy, you've shared that the recruiting efforts are great

01:08:05with inactive-duty and reserve forces, but they're lagging within the Air National Guard,

01:08:11and it just causes me to wonder whether or not this self-inflicted instability

01:08:17is having a very detrimental impact on our ability to execute the mission

01:08:24and really do right by our AGR folks.

01:08:28Yes, Senator, and as you know, it's all about our people.

01:08:33Equipment is nothing without them, and we look at every one of our families.

01:08:38They want to take care of their family, and so they need that stability,

01:08:41and we all need that, and so we're trying to do everything we can to provide that stability.

01:08:47And I've been very clear in my conversations about the Space Force from day one.

01:08:53We actually have a Space National Guard.

01:08:55We're just not willing to admit it.

01:08:57We have Space Forces that have been doing this for 27 years.

01:09:02So it actually does exist.

01:09:04We just don't name it that.

01:09:06And when you look at the full-time manning requirements,

01:09:1174% in our latest survey said that they want to stay in the Air National Guard.

01:09:16And frankly, we've been doing this for the past over four years since the creation of Space Force,

01:09:20and we can continue to do that.

01:09:23But if we don't take care of our people, if we don't give them predictability,

01:09:27if there's decades of experience that they have that will take decades to replace,

01:09:32they're going to vote with their feet and they're going to do something else.

01:09:35And at this point, the critical point in the history right now of global environments,

01:09:41now is not the time to lose those people.

01:09:43Exactly. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

01:09:46Senator Capito.

01:09:47Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

01:09:49Thank you all for being here, and to those who are rotating out, best wishes and a voice of gratitude.

01:09:56In terms of the state partnership program, since Senator Coons didn't include West Virginia,

01:10:01we have two partners, Peru and Qatar.

01:10:05I was going to ask a question about that, and I might get back to that later,

01:10:08but General Hokusen, he's not even listening, but that's okay.

01:10:12The West Virginia National Guard has done the Ridge Runner irregular warfare training every year,

01:10:18which is a partnership with the Irregular Warfare Center

01:10:22and the Ridge Healer exercise, which focuses on austere medicine.

01:10:27So I'm proud of these programs and have supported them through the appropriations process,

01:10:31and there are 11 partner countries now from the European and Indo-Pacific theaters

01:10:36that are training in irregular warfare and prolonged field care.

01:10:41Not to mention this provides the training and the validation for the Air National Guard Special Forces.

01:10:45So I'm not sure how familiar you are with Ridge Runner,

01:10:48but do you view this as a value add for the Guard Bureau and for the DOD?

01:10:53And I'd be interested in your perceptions if you're familiar with this program.

01:10:58So, Senator Capito, I'm familiar with the exercise, and it's done there for a reason.

01:11:04And 11 nations come there for a reason because of the capability

01:11:08and what they can learn in that environment.

01:11:11The team there does a great job, and the reason why it continues to grow is people see the value from that.

01:11:16It also helps us validate our special operations forces before they deploy.

01:11:20And so when you look at that field in special operations, they go where it works,

01:11:24and that works extremely well.

01:11:26Well, we're very proud of it, and I know it's growing,

01:11:28and certainly I'll continue to support it through the appropriations process.

01:11:32So I'm going to go over here to General Anderson.

01:11:34He has been so quiet over there.

01:11:37I have a general question for everybody, but I think it's an important one.

01:11:43The issue of modern equipment to the reserve component that meets the requirements

01:11:48of an Indo-Pacific contingency should it come about,

01:11:52including extended range and tactical data link capabilities for air mobility fleets.

01:11:58So I know we all saw how much our reserve components were called upon in Iraq and Afghanistan.

01:12:04So I would be interested to know from your end, and we'll just go down the line

01:12:08as far as we can get with the time that I have,

01:12:10what specific modernization priorities could help your component meet today's requirements

01:12:15and be ready for a future conflict?

01:12:19Senator, thanks for the question.

01:12:20It has been a long silence over here at this end of the table.

01:12:24Hoping to get by with that, but I wasn't going to let you.

01:12:26Being the new guy in the seat, I figured it was just a test.

01:12:30To your point on modernization, the responsibility of the Marine Corps Reserve

01:12:34to the parents that have allowed their young men and women to join,

01:12:37it's my responsibility to train and equip them for the current threat.

01:12:42And we do that with parity in the Marine Corps, their active component,

01:12:48and the equipment that we have.

01:12:49One example is that we have a battalion that's going forward.

01:12:52They'll be on UDP in our priority theater this fall.

01:12:55So these are all reservists from the West Coast who will be trained and equipped

01:12:59for the current threat as we rotate and relieve some of those active component forces.

01:13:04The Marine Corps Reserve, to the point of some of the initial comments made

01:13:07at the start of this, is an operational reserve.

01:13:09That's why Marine Reserves stay.

01:13:11They want to deploy, they want to have the new gear,

01:13:14and they want to be forward and facing the threat.

01:13:17So it is certainly a priority of mine to do that so they can answer the nation's call

01:13:21and, more importantly, return home.

01:13:23General Daniels?

01:13:25In terms of our priorities for equipment, we're looking.

01:13:28The Army has what's called liquid logistics.

01:13:31And so those are various different assets for water, petroleum, and so forth.

01:13:34And so we need modernization of that kind of equipment

01:13:37because it's enough to have lethality,

01:13:39but then you need the support to keep the lethality to be able to sustain itself.

01:13:44So a lot of reserve sustainment capabilities need modernization that are not of lethality,

01:13:49as well as communications and vehicles.

01:13:51Thank you.

01:13:52General Hoganson?

01:13:53Senator, so the great advantage we have in a reserve component

01:13:57is not only capability but capacity.

01:14:00And what we see is fights aren't over in two weeks.

01:14:03And so it's great to have capability,

01:14:05but if you don't have capacity like we have in the reserve component,

01:14:08then you jeopardize, really, a lot of your strategy.

01:14:11So when I look across the Air Guard specifically, as I mentioned before,

01:14:15it's our fighter aircraft.

01:14:16Those are the ones most urgent, followed closely by tankers and then C-130Js.

01:14:21On the Army side, we have to make sure that our divisions are fully capable

01:14:25to deter somebody from doing something.

01:14:27And so we need to grow to make sure we have attack helicopters

01:14:30and Gray Eagles in all of our divisions.

01:14:32And then also, as the Army develops these multi-domain task forces

01:14:36to operate the Indo-Pacom AOR,

01:14:38to make sure that we also field those in the reserve component

01:14:41so we have the capacity so that our adversaries realize not only capable,

01:14:46but we've got depth so we can last.

01:14:49Vice Admiral?

01:14:51For the United States Navy, both the capacity and the capability for intratheater lift

01:14:56is a reserve-only mission,

01:14:58and that's why my number-one equipment priority

01:15:00is the recapitalization of our VR squadrons, our C-130 squadrons,

01:15:04to the KC-130 Juliet.

01:15:06Right now I'm flying 33-year-old airframes

01:15:09and struggling to keep them mission-capable,

01:15:11and that's both a parts obsolescence issue

01:15:14but also just a training and availability issue.

01:15:17So that's number one.

01:15:18And then number two is we talked a little bit about the NAGRIA funding.

01:15:21That's another one where I'm almost at a 20-year low

01:15:25given the proposed HAC-D mark.

01:15:27So I would certainly love to revisit how we can modernize our avionics

01:15:32on our existing aviation fleet, which is what we use NAGRIA for,

01:15:35as well as recapitalizing our ability to do expeditionary vertical launch reload

01:15:41like we're doing in the Red Sea.

01:15:44General?

01:15:46You know, what I've been talking about either in visits in to my superiors

01:15:49is we provide an Air Force reserve access and affordable mass,

01:15:54which is rails for the fight, at cost.

01:15:56So what we're doing with our NAGRIA dollars is ensuring

01:15:59that if we do have legacy aircraft, they are well-tricked-out legacy aircraft.

01:16:03So that includes tactical data link, as you mentioned,

01:16:06for not only our F-16s but all of our heavy fleet,

01:16:09large aircraft, infrared countermeasures,

01:16:12so we've got the ability for our C-5s, C-17s to defend themselves.

01:16:16We're talking also about survivable radar and missile warning systems

01:16:19for the 135s out there so they actually know if something's coming at them.

01:16:23And one of our most impressive is the AESA radar,

01:16:27which is the Active Electronically Scanned Array radar,

01:16:30one of the most advanced radars in the world,

01:16:32that we're putting into our Block 30 F-16s, which make them more than formidable.

01:16:36Good. Well, that's a good list, and thank you for providing that.

01:16:40In terms of the state partnerships, just quickly,

01:16:43I'll say I just returned from a trip with Senator Moran and some others,

01:16:47and we were all over the place, Finland, Sweden, Egypt, Greece.

01:16:54These state partnerships are not just meaningful to us and our states,

01:16:58but they all mentioned it as we went around,

01:17:01how the benefits that they reap, how they are stronger than ever,

01:17:06and how they really not just like them but feel like it's such a necessity

01:17:11as we see the globe sort of shrinking right before us.

01:17:14So thank you all very much, and thanks for the opportunity.

01:17:18General Hawkinson, I'll go a little parochial with you then.

01:17:21A guard announced spring of 26 to the fall of 26,

01:17:26the C-130Js will be delivered to Montana.

01:17:30Do those dates still stand?

01:17:33Yes, Senator, those dates still stand.

01:17:35I think April 26 to October 26, and then initial operating capability

01:17:41and fully operational capability shortly thereafter.

01:17:44And will the Hs, the museum pieces called the C-130H,

01:17:50be swapped out for the Js on a one-to-one basis?

01:17:53Senator, right now I believe it's a two-for-two, that we'll send two at a time

01:17:58and make sure that our air crews and maintainers are well trained in advance.

01:18:03Okay. My last question is for you and General Daniels,

01:18:06General Hawkinson, General Daniels.

01:18:10This subcommittee has been made aware of two Anti-Deficiency Act investigations

01:18:15involving the Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

01:18:19Both involve budgeting areas that happened during COVID.

01:18:22I would just like to have you both explain what happened,

01:18:26the status of the investigation,

01:18:28and what corrective actions have been implemented.

01:18:31Go ahead, General Hawkinson.

01:18:32Mr. Chairman, I can follow up with you on that

01:18:34because that investigation has not been concluded yet.

01:18:37We're waiting for the conclusion and any recommendations or disciplinary action.

01:18:42When do you anticipate that conclusion?

01:18:44Chairman, I've been following it weekly.

01:18:47I'm hoping that it's done by the end of this month or mid-July at the latest.

01:18:52When do you retire out?

01:18:55September 1st, Chairman.

01:18:56Okay. So we've got a little time. Okay, go ahead.

01:18:59Before I leave, Chairman.

01:19:00Okay, good.

01:19:03I'm going to mirror his response if that's okay.

01:19:05Okay, no problem.

01:19:07We look forward to finding out what happened, why it happened,

01:19:10and what corrective actions will be taken.

01:19:12Hopefully you'll be able to do that in writing moving forward.

01:19:16Senator Collins.

01:19:18Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

01:19:21General Daniels, I understand from your testimony

01:19:25that the Army Reserve maintains approximately 18,000 Humvees

01:19:32and that almost half of them are beyond their useful life

01:19:37and need to be replaced.

01:19:39What's even more concerning to me is that the Army's budget request,

01:19:45unless I'm misinterpreting it, only supports buying 16 Humvees,

01:19:52which just doesn't make sense to me since it's so far below

01:19:57the 1,631 vehicles needed to maintain the minimum rate of production.

01:20:06I'm pleased to see that the Army Reserve does plan to spend $29.5 million

01:20:14with its fiscal year 2024 NGREA funding to buy new production Humvees.

01:20:22If we do appropriate funding for NGREA in this coming fiscal year,

01:20:29do you expect to use portions of that funding to buy Humvees?

01:20:35Yes, ma'am, we do.

01:20:37We're looking explicitly because of the safety concerns of the older fleet

01:20:42and being able to have the new safety features of the anti-lock brakes

01:20:46and the electronic stability control kits.

01:20:48Those are things we'd like to see in the newer models for our safety purposes.

01:20:52So, yes, we do look to expend our NGREA funds on Humvees.

01:20:55That really is an extraordinary disparity between what you need

01:21:01and what the budget request is.

01:21:05General Hokanson, I want to follow up on a question

01:21:10that Chairman Tester started going down the road on,

01:21:15and that has to do with the obligation of funds.

01:21:22From 2015 to 2024, only 4.4% of the DOD procurement budgets

01:21:31were allocated to Guard and Reserves,

01:21:35and this year's request, as I mentioned earlier, is barely 2%.

01:21:40I think that's totally inconsistent with the tremendous contributions

01:21:45that each of the components make to our national security.

01:21:50So what Congress did in response is to fund

01:21:55the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account, NGREA as it is called,

01:22:02and it provides procurement funding separate to address

01:22:06critical Guard and Reserve modernization needs.

01:22:10Now, I'm very much aware that in the last two years,

01:22:14Congress has funded this separate account at $1 billion per year.

01:22:20However, to follow up on the Chairman's point,

01:22:24a substantial fraction of the amount appropriated over the last three years

01:22:31is still unobligated.

01:22:34Now, I understand how terrible continuing resolutions are

01:22:39for your ability to get your jobs done,

01:22:42but we're talking three years, and it looks like it's more than half

01:22:48has remained unobligated.

01:22:51It's difficult for us to make the case, which we want to make,

01:22:57if you're not obligating the money.

01:23:00And this seems to be across the board.

01:23:03So tell me why it's taking so long to put the funding on contract

01:23:09for such needed equipment.

01:23:12So, Vice Chair Collins, when you look at our historically,

01:23:16our execution rate is 99% at the end of the period.

01:23:20And unfortunately, when we look at the demand for equipment,

01:23:23sometimes the delay is manufacturing capability to meet with it.

01:23:28But we do execute 99% or over 99% of the funding

01:23:32at the end of the three-year time frame.

01:23:35But because of COVID and manufacturing issues,

01:23:38sometimes at the one- to two-year mark it looks completely off,

01:23:42but we're usually able to obligate all of it or 99% of it

01:23:46within the time that we're authorized to do it.

01:23:50I realize that you have a period of time that you can use,

01:23:55but is it accurate that about half of the funding appropriated

01:24:02over the last three years is still unobligated?

01:24:08I can follow up with that, Vice Chair Collins.

01:24:10But my understanding is that it all gets executed.

01:24:14It's just a matter of when we can get the contract signed

01:24:16within the time frame,

01:24:18so that we do make sure we don't leave money on the table.

01:24:21But sometimes the contracts are delayed.

01:24:23We can't get them as soon as we would like them.

01:24:26General Daniels, did you want to add something?

01:24:29I completely agree.

01:24:30We expend down to the last nickel

01:24:32because each one of those dollars is vital to our ability to modernize.

01:24:36We may not have it early on in that three-year period,

01:24:39but we absolutely prioritize, rigorously scrutinize that list,

01:24:43and buy everything that we possibly can with the dollars that we receive.

01:24:48Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

01:24:50I want to thank you all for your testimony

01:24:52and your concise answers to the questions.

01:24:55We appreciate that.

01:24:56As you guys can probably tell,

01:24:57this committee appreciates your service to this country

01:24:59and very much appreciate the folks who are hanging up their cleats

01:25:03come September, and we thank you for your service.

01:25:07Senators may submit questions for the record.

01:25:10We would ask you all, if you get a question,

01:25:12to respond to it as timely as possible.

01:25:14This committee now stands in recess.

Jon Tester Leads Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing On FY25 Budget Request For National Guard

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