▶ 0:26:47I uh want to start off apologizing. Um we had a meeting with the president of the United States this morning. So I was uh detained as along with the rest of the committee. Hopefully they'll be coming in shortly as the meeting is ongoing. I couldn't get out of there. But now the subcommittee on defense will come to order. Today, the subcommittee will convene for an open oversight hearing to receive testimony on the National Guard and Reserve Forces.
▶ 0:27:13pleased to be joined by General Steven uh, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lieutenant General Robert Harter, Chief of the Army Reserve, Vice Admiral Nancy Laor, Chief of Navy Reserve, Lieutenant General Leonard Anderson, Commander of the Marine Corps Reserve, and Lieutenant General John Healey, Chief of the Air Force Reserve. Warm welcome to all of you, and thank you for years of distinguished service.
▶ 0:27:41The men and women of the National Guard and Reserve Forces wear the uniform not only in times of war, but in times of peace, recovery, and crisis. The Guard and Reserve are not simply backup forces. They are citizen soldiers who are neighbors, co-workers, constituents who stand ready to serve at a moment's notice. They fight overseas, but they also fight wildfires in California. I can attest to that, and respond to hurricanes and natural disasters throughout our country.
▶ 0:28:10and the National Guard serves with our partners around the world through the state partnership programs to build critical capabilities for our allies as we saw in Ukraine. Most importantly, they have also been on the front lines protecting our border to ensure the flow of deadly fentinol is stopped. What makes these service members unique is not just their versatility, but their dual commitment. They balance civilian careers and military obligations with extraordinary professionalism.
▶ 0:28:39But that balance is not without a cost. That's why we must ensure that the Guard and Reserve receive the same level of equipment, modernization, and training resources as their active duty counterparts. That will require smart, sustained investment. This committee has long supported the Guard and Reserves throughout the National Guard and Reserve equipment account, including 850 million in fiscal year 2025.
▶ 0:29:06I'm interested in hearing from you what more can be done through that account to ensure that you can continue your great work. I also look forward to hearing from all of the witnesses on how we're thinking about innovation, taking calculated risk, and retaining talent to address growing career areas such as AI and cyber. What additional resources could Congress look at providing to our organizations to make them more successful?
▶ 0:29:35Last, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on specific areas that equipment and modernization efforts would apply to your organization. Where do you see current gaps that are preventing the Guard and Reserve from being able to train and integrate with active duty forces? So, with that, I now recognize distinguished ranking member, Miss McCullum, for her opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Mr. Chair.
▶ 0:30:00I uh stated to our uh people testifying this morning that I will be leaving to go interior, which you and I both served on. Um right after my opening statement, Mr. Casease will will be here in my my mystead and I hope to be back. So, good morning again to each and every one of you. Thank you for appearing before the committee. Thank you for your patience. As the chair said, you all play a pivotal role in the safety and security of our nation.
▶ 0:30:25And I want to not only thank you but for each one of the service personnel under your charge for their dedication to our country and protecting the goals, objectives, the ideals of our constitution. As I have said in our previous meetings, fiscal year 2026 budget process is off to a very rough start. I think it's gone beyond rough.
▶ 0:30:46I think we're in more than rough uh shape now with uh the delays that we know are coming on knowing what the the numbers are going to be and this is because there's only four months left at the end of FY 2025 and all that still hasn't been finalized yet. So this committee really doesn't know what foundation we are building on to get a budget done as as the chair has been asking us to do in June.
▶ 0:31:15Um the skinny budget this year has been released and there's you know rumors the full uh budget might not be released until June and we were told yesterday soon well soon is not soon enough. We have not been able to discuss in any detail the budget priorities.
▶ 0:31:34So specifically, it is disappointing that we'll be unable to uh discuss each of your priorities in pragmatic details for FY26 at a time when some programs are facing long delays and others are facing setbacks. So I hope each and every one of you will reach out to the chair and the members of this committee as soon as the details are released to share your priorities for the coming year.
▶ 0:31:56Our National Guard and Reserve components are called upon to support a variety of missions including humanitarian missions, overseas operations to increase support to the southwest border and the Guard in particular, the state partnerships, one in which the chair and I were just at with um other members of this committee uh in Lithuania and uh state state partnerships. We were with we were with regular quote unquote the regular traditional troops, but they were talking about how important the state partnerships were to them.
▶ 0:32:27So given the announcement that the number of troops deployed to the southern border mission will dramatically increase, I'd like to better understand how will it impact each one of your units and how it will also impact the pace and schedule of other deployments and exercises. I'd also like to understand how this mission may be affecting our troops morale, readiness, and retention efforts. It would also be helpful if each of you would share the impacts of the continuing resolution and the current pace of operations for each of your services including training.
▶ 0:32:57And with the announcement of the Secretary of the Army, there will be a force structure change in equipment modifications. I would really like to hear from the Army Guard and Reserve how this might impact troops and the units and the equipment under your command. And finally, it would be helpful to understand the impacts of the civilian workforce.
▶ 0:33:15You already do a lot on a shoestring and these cuts could and I believe will further your uh ability to execute your missions with the success that you you deserve to have in serving our country on top of managing a civilian job. In many cases supporting a family, this is one of the highest forms of service our citizens soldiers do. They are truly putting their country above themselves.
▶ 0:33:43So, I thank you all for your efforts today to give us the best information you have, although I fear it will lack the substance and information we need to do our budgeting. I look forward to a productive dialogue today. I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. We'll now begin uh with witness testimony. Without objection, your full written testimony be placed in the record. Uh please try to keep your remarks to five minutes or less. General Nord House will begin with you for a brief summary of your remarks. General, you're recognized.
▶ 0:34:12Thank you, Chairman Calbertt, Ranking Member McCollum, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf 433,000 National Guardsmen and their families. Our National Guard is combat ready, cost-effective, experienced, and dual role, both state and federal, like no other force. As a primary combat reserve of the Army and the Air Force, the National Guard delivers unparallel operational capacity with strategic depth.
▶ 0:34:41We represent 20% of the joint force at 4% of the budget. And since 1636, our unique force has served in every one of our nation's wars. The National Guard's mission, Triad, Homeland, Warfight, and Partnerships, aligns perfectly with the president's vision of peace through strength and the Secretary of Defense's priorities and restore the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence.
▶ 0:35:08In today's complex and dangerous environment, your National Guard is 33,000 Guardsmen globally engaged, serving in every combatant command. We are building elite units and combat power to deter adversaries and when called upon win our nation's wars. We will prioritize our war fighters, champion duty status reform, full-time support, military technician modernization, and improving medical access to build readiness.
▶ 0:35:34In the homeland, we operate 15 of 16 aerospace alert sites defending our skies. We are postured to support the Golden Dome initiative, leveraging our expertise in air and missile defense and unique capabilities in strategic missile warning and groundbased interceptors. We currently have 6,000 Guardsmen securing our southern border. Additionally, our counterdrug program disrupted 13 billion in illegal narcotics just last year.
▶ 0:36:01And in disaster response, the National Guard responded to six hurricanes and 62,000 wildfires, supporting our communities, saving countless lives. To sustain this ability, investments in foundational readiness accounts such as flying hours, facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization, weapon system sustainment, and base operating support are critical to rebuilding our military. As a war fighting force, the National Guard provides 40% of the Army and 30% of the Air Force's operational forces.
▶ 0:36:30Our combat readiness was demonstrated on April 13, 2024 when DC National Guard forces neutralized enemy drones and missile defense in defense of Israel supported by Tennessee National Guard. This operation earned 11 distinguished flying crosses.
▶ 0:36:49To continue to be interoperable, deployable, and integrated with the joint force, we must recapitalize concurrently with our service into advanced platforms of helicopters, infantry squad vehicles, fighters, tankers, and cyber. These modernization efforts will help advance our warf fighting capabilities, deter adversaries, and maximize the return on investment for our joint force and our taxpayers.
▶ 0:37:12And on partnerships across nearly every zip code and 60% of the nations worldwide, we build trust, partner capacity, and resilience that strengthens national security. Locally, we collaborate with first responders across 2500 communities. Federally, we work with inter agency partners countering drug trafficking and defeating cyber threats. And globally, our state partnership program with 115 partner nations conducted over a thousand engagements in 2024.
▶ 0:37:41The National Guard's local to global partnerships ensures we are stronger together and stronger tomorrow. The National Guard is ready, lethal, and postured to ensure peace through strength and deliver decisive victory if needed. Your continued support will transform at speed, will deliver an incredible value to America. Your National Guard is always ready and always there. Thank you. Thank you, General Harter. You're recognized. Good morning, Chairman Calbert.
▶ 0:38:11Congressman Casease and distinguished members of the subcommittee. On behalf of the more than 180,000 soldiers and civilians and their family members that make up your Army Reserve, it is an honor for me to be here today along with my wingman command major Greg Betty. Simply put, your Army Reserve exists for one purpose, to deliver combat ready soldiers and formations at time of need in support of the nation. First and foremost, I want to thank you for your support, continued support of our warrior citizens.
▶ 0:38:39Negria specifically makes a tremendous difference for the Army Reserve as we look to keep pace with modernization efforts. We are thankful for the $131 million appropriated this year. Negria drives combat readiness for our formations and our combat readiness is critical. During a recent mobilization tabletop exercise, Army planners highlighted that 99% of all Army bulk fuel transportation support resides in the United States Army Reserve. 99%.
▶ 0:39:09We are not a strategic formation. We are an operational force by design and necessity. We are the enabling force for the joint fight. To that end, nearly 9,000 Army Reserve soldiers are currently deployed globally across all combatant commands, including over 700 soldiers supporting operations on our southern border.
▶ 0:39:29Our challenges have been relatively consistent over the last sever several years with our largest problem areas being inadequate manning, aging facilities that don't support our training requirements, and poor equipment readiness. We are working hard to help ourselves. Regarding manning, we are working with the Army. They recruit for us to increase assessions and hold recruiters to account.
▶ 0:39:52We are driving on retention, implementing health and holistic fitness programs across our footprint and revising processes for more deliberate and improved career management for our part-time TPU force. On the facility front, we are thankful for our military construction and uh sustainment dollars, but we simply are not resourced adequately to maintain or sustain our aging reserve centers.
▶ 0:40:15As a result, we are reooking our stationing model with a focus on investing our precious facility dollars in locations that support recruiting, retention, and allow for readiness producing training. Finally, maintaining our equipment is hard. Nearly 80% of our equipment is stored at equipment concentration sites located across the country. These sites are funded to just 50% of our full-time mechanic requirement.
▶ 0:40:41To offset this challenge, we've initiated a pilot program to store and maintain critical fleets at forward locations in Europe and in the Pacific. And we've remissioned our internal support maintenance companies to conduct their annual training at our centralized sites, turning wrenches, fixing our equipment, and improving readiness. There are three areas that I would ask for your continued support. First, continued support of our reserve pay accounts, RPA, despite our end strength challenges.
▶ 0:41:09We are aggressively managing our people and seeing increased participation rates at our battle assemblies. RPA makes a difference. Continued support of NGRA. Negria allows us to procure modernization modernized equipment that drives lethality. We only receive about 1% of the army's procurement budget. So, NGRA has an outsiz impact on our ability to procure modernized equipment.
▶ 0:41:32Over the past three years, we've purchased 2,300 mission command systems, significantly improving our formation's ability to communicate effectively on the battlefield. Finally, we need consistent and predictable funding. Army reserve soldiers balance civilian careers with military commitments, and continuing resolutions force us to delay, cretail, or cancel training events. Predictability is essential for our soldiers, their family members, and their civilian employers. So, I ask for your continued support.
▶ 0:42:00Again, thank you for the opportunity to be here and I look forward to answering your questions. Uh, thank you, General Admiral Lor. You're recognized. Good morning, Chairman Calbert, Congressman Casease, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. For 110 years, the Navy Reserve has provided strategic depth for the fleet to deter aggression and when required to prevail in combat. We are a globally deployable and operationally relevant force, integrated into operations on the southern border and filling critical gaps at sea.
▶ 0:42:30Thank you for the opportunity to address you on this force of which I am extremely proud. And with me today is Force Master Chief Tracy Hunt, who in keeping with his title has been a forceful advocate for Navy Reserve sailors. He will retire in July after 36 years of exceptional service. Over the past few months, Reserve C130 crews transported thousands of pounds of ordinance into the Red Sea fight, keeping our ships on station, intercepting Houthy missiles, conducting precision strikes, and safeguarding global commerce.
▶ 0:42:59When the fleet needs logistics, whether to deliver firepower or staying power, the Navy Reserve answers the call. Warfighting readiness is priority one for the Navy Reserve. As such, every drill weekend, annual training, exercise, and training dollar is focused on generating warfighting readiness. It's an all hands effort underwritten by our SA sailors, civilians, and their In April, the Navy Reserve officially met our authorized end strength for the first time since 2020.
▶ 0:43:29Result of an exceptional recruiting effort combined with high retention. Today, 15,000 of our nearly 58,000 reserveists are in active duty orders serving in every AO. We deliver half the Navy's intelligence and expeditionary combat capability. And our reserve logistics support wing flying the C40 and C130 operates 247 365 in Indoaccom, Yukcom Sentcom. We are investing in our war fighters because they are our strategic advantage.
▶ 0:43:59They bring tactical expertise and civilian experience that adds unique value to our force and expands the Navy's capacity. We deliver the training, resources, and quality of life initiatives that enable reserve sailors to maintain their war fighting readiness. and we're doing it with a clear focus to deliver a force that's ready on day one. The Navy's designed to operate as a distributed maritime force which demands an agile supply chain. The Navy Reserve answers that demand as I've shared with many of you individually.
▶ 0:44:30The C130 Tango Hercules operated exclusively by the Reserve is the Navy's only long range interthe airlift for oversized cargo. This capability is in high demand from fleet commanders, particularly in the Indoacific, playing a critical role in the contested logistics necessary to sustain a maritime fight.
▶ 0:44:50Last year, Navy Reserve Airlift transported more than 80,000 passengers and 20 million pounds of cargo, sustaining carrier strike groups in every theater, delivering salvage teams, resupplying critical munitions, and providing repair parts to keep F-35s flying in the Pacific and Aegis destroyers on station in the Red Sea. However, our C130 fleet is aging and lacks the survivability necessary to operate in a contested environment.
▶ 0:45:16Recapizing with the KC-130 Juliet is critical to ensuring that we can effectively and safely carry out the critical intrathere logistics missions for the fleet today in 2027 and well beyond that. We are grateful for the strong bipartisan alignment on this priority. Negria is an essential appropriation for the Navy Reserve and we are grateful for it, but we need more. My requirements greatly exceed the Navy's percentage of Negria.
▶ 0:45:44We'd benefit from a more balanced aortionment of degree because a Pacific fight will undoubtedly stress the maritime services. Chairman Calvert, Congressman Casease, and members of the committee, thank you for your support of the Navy Reserve and the sailors, civilians, families, and employers who make our mission possible. We remain committed to delivering what the fleet requires precisely when the fleet needs it. I look forward to your questions. Thank you, Admiral. Uh, next, General Anderson, you're recognized. Good morning.
▶ 0:46:14Uh, Chairman Calbert, Congressman Casease, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the comedon of the Marine Corps about your Marine Corps reserve. I'm honored to be here with my senior enlisted leader, Forsar Major Edwin Moda, and my command master chief Michael Muset, who will retire next month after 32 years of service. The Marine Corps Reserve is a critical element of the total force. It's essential to meeting current operational demands while enabling the deliberate modernization of the AKA component.
▶ 0:46:42We serve as a scalable ready force provider, reinforcing all three marine expeditionary forces. We prioritize battalion level deployments, but retain the flexibility to deploy smaller mission tailored elements to our most emerging requirements. It's been a busy year since my last testimony. Reserve Marines are increasingly assuming operational missions that give active units the time and space to retain and modernize uh appropriately.
▶ 0:47:08And this balance between crisis response and future force design is fundamental to our service strategy. Initiatives like the latoral craft companies exemplify how we're integrating new platforms and capabilities into reserve formations while supporting experimentation and innovation. But time is not on our side. From a reser perspective, the 2027 Davidson window is only 72 drills and 30 days of annual training away.
▶ 0:47:34That's all the time we have to build and maintain lethality required to maintain make meet the pacing threat. Every repetition counts. Every dollar matters. Our training must be deliberate and our reserve marines already balancing civilian careers and family commitments must have access to modern platforms and realistic training to be lethal on day one. Continuing resolutions and budget uncertainty introduce challenges to these opportunities.
▶ 0:48:02We thank the subcommittee for its continued support, especially through the National Guard and Reserve equipment account for the Marine Corps Reserve. Negria is not just a funding line. It's a war fighting requirement. These funds allow us to field and sustain the platforms, communication systems, and equipment that Marines need to train as they fight. Negria enables reserve forces to integrate with active forces by equipping them with modern capabilities at pace.
▶ 0:48:26And with a 99% execution rate across recent fiscal years, the Marine Corps Reserve has proven its ability to execute with discipline and speed while maintaining our services clean audit. The comedon has made clear that fully leveraging the reserve component is one of our top priorities. Reserve Marines bring unmatched depth, resilience, and asymmetric advantage to the fight. With your continued support, they will remain not only a force in readiness, but a force in consequence. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:48:56Thank you, General. General Healey, you're recognized. Chairman Calbert, Congressman Casease, distinguished members of the subcommittee, on behalf of the 67,000 members, men and women of the Air Force Reserve, it's an honor for me to be here today with my senior enlisted adviser, Chief Master Sergeant Israel Nunees. The Air Force Reserve embodies warrior ethos through operational capability, strategic depth, and surge capacity across every core mission, both overseas and here at home.
▶ 0:49:23With a 72-hour response time proven, we are always ready. Whether it's combat operations, hurricane hunting, or fighting wildfires from the air, we're supporting federal, state, and local agencies, ensuring the safety of our citizens here at home. From those citizens, we recruit and train from the best our nation has to offer, holding them accountable to uncompromising standards.
▶ 0:49:46If properly resourced, citizen airmen are the costefficient solution to the DAFF, providing more air force We operate our 28 our installations 28 days a month with just 25% of our force. Compared to our active duty counterparts, we deliver mission ready airmen for only 30 cents on the dollar. We are efficient, we are accessible, we're experienced, and we lethal. The flying hour program is at the foundation of our mission readiness and lethality.
▶ 0:50:14However, the $145 million O andN mark in the fullear CR left us $26 million in the hole. Flying our required plan will likely exhaust program funding by early September, putting air crew proficiency at risk. Our FY26 budget request outlines flying hour requirements to train agile combat ready air crew. The best operators need the best equipment though, so thank you for the 132 million uh in Gria this year, but our readiness still remains at risk.
▶ 0:50:43disproportionate Air Force Reserve legacy aircraft devestment without programmed recapitalization fails to provide equipment parody. By 2030, our calf portfolio will decrease from a 20-year average of 9% to just 3%. This represents a 44% loss in operational surge cap capacity, sidelining the world's most experienced Title 10 Concurrent and proportional fielding provides significant return on investment through affiliation and retention.
▶ 0:51:14But that's not happening. Modernizing platform drives the DoD's competitive advantage to deter Chinese aggression. Strong international relationships underpin insurance. In the past year, we've established the Reserve Allies and Partners Program, RAP, to formalize international partnerships and conducted 28 bilateral engagements with 19 partner nations. We're building partner capacity through key leader and milto-mill engagements, deliberately planned exercises, and force development.
▶ 0:51:44Our allies and partners' interest in the Air Force Reserve integrated base defense and a professionalized NCO Corps helps build successful global partnerships and serves as a powerful deterrent. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today and for your continued support of the Air Force Reserve, our citizen airmen, and their families. And I look forward to your questions. Thank you, General. Uh, and I'll start the questioning and then we'll go down through the members.
▶ 0:52:09Um, as we all know, the California Guard, as I mentioned in my opening test, uh, testimony, responded admirably earlier this year to devastating uh, and tragic wildfires, as the Guard does throughout the United States, their respective Guard units.
▶ 0:52:26Given the increasing frequency of domestic disasters and we've seen substantial number of them just this last weekend and civil support missions is the guard adequately equipped and trained to meet the growing state level demands without compromising federal readiness. So I'll think I'll start with you General Nordaz. Uh chairman, thank you for the question. And uh I was able to land out at uh California right prior to the first math taking off uh for the uh LA wildfires.
▶ 0:52:56And so uh the National Guard, as you know, is 430,000 strong and across the board are 50 states, three territories in the District of Columbia. We get after the mission set, whether it's in the homeland or overseas. Currently, we have 34,000 uh engaged globally, which is less than 10%. So as we look at the force, we're capable of being able to meet the needs within the states and around the globe as needed.
▶ 0:53:21Certainly uh we need help uh as we look at our foundational readiness accounts, flying hours, weapon system sustainment, uh facility uh sustainment, restoration, modernization, and base operating support. So, as we continue to uh uh look to those things to be able to make sure they're right so that we can build readiness that every dollar you put in the National Guard gets after readiness not only in the homeland but around the world.
▶ 0:53:49Just uh from with regard to the wildfire fights too, I mean it's a it's a unified e effort between the guard and the reserve. our 302nd airlift wing also uh actually out of sequence so out of a normal training cycle participated in uh getting rid of those uh LA wildfires. So a great team effort on behalf of both the reserve and the guard sir. Great Mr. Chairman I would just offer that the Army Reserve we partner with our guard teammates. Uh we have immediate response authority where we can help in local communities.
▶ 0:54:17I think what's critical on the equipping side is that a lot of our equipment is that enabling capability. We call it critical due use water purification, engineer equipment, um so forth, logistics equipment. We use a lot of our engineers to respond to hurricane in in North North Carolina. Uh effects of the storm. So continued funding of negri and procurement dollars assists us in that effort over. Thank you. Uh other quick uh question.
▶ 0:54:43Um as you all know and this has been a bipartisan effort on all of us is on this counterdrug program and uh we certainly appreciate the results that have been delivered so far. Congress provided 295 million to the Guard counterdrug program for uh fiscal year 2025 to provide funding for training and operations and also provided an additional 26 million for the National Guard Counterdrug School Program,
▶ 0:55:13provide necessary education to support combating and these drug trafficking efforts. Uh General Nordhouse, how can the National Guard best utilize these resources to address this fentinol crisis? as uh as we're obviously is terrible killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. Mr. Chairman, thank you for uh highlighting this and and uh incredible situation that we have to make sure we're laser focused on all the time.
▶ 0:55:41And I want to thank Congress for all the funds that go into counterdug each year. of the counterdug program uh is across the states and they build those counterdrug programs to use every dollar to get after helping local law enforcement and others take drugs off the street.
▶ 0:55:56Um as I mentioned in my opening statement last year $13 billion was credited with some help from the National Guard and taking that off the street and I can only imagine how many lives that saved and families um that were able to not uh have fentanyl or another uh drug hurt them. 67,000 uh local law enforcement uh agents were also trained through the five counterdug schools through the funding that the counterdug program. Uh we can never take our eye off the ball.
▶ 0:56:25We have to keep getting better each year. We do lessons learned. We continue to take those lessons learned and push those out across the 54. Then each year we're looking at where the dynamics are changing and where drugs are being pushed from one maybe one state to another state or there's more pressure and then we move that money to make sure that we get the right so resources to the right place at the right time. Thank you. Any other comments that Mr. Case thank you Mr.
▶ 0:56:53Chair and to each of you thank you for your service and and for that of the hundreds of thousands that you represent. I want to focus on what ranking member McCollum said in her opening statement. She said quote unquote that the fiscal year 2026 budget process is off to a very rough start and it could get a lot rougher as we look out over the budget uh horizon. As she said, there are rumors that we won't get a full budget until June.
▶ 0:57:18Um there's also the concern that we would be required in this subcommittee and full committee to mark up before any effective oversight of the full budget. And there are even some concerns that some in the administration would prefer uh that the normal budget process not occur this year and move into another CR which I think and hope we would all agree would be a disaster.
▶ 0:57:41And so from our perspective uh we are um in the discharge of our oversight essentially having to shoot in the dark at oversight right now and do predictive oversight without knowing exactly what we're overseeing.
▶ 0:57:54And so that forces us into trying to get the information from you that you're in the middle of deliberating inside the Department of Defense right now and to understand what the issues are that you are facing uh with ACR uh because as we stand here today since we are in a full year CR uh we are in a situation where essentially the information and the decisions um that we're being asked to make right now are two years old.
▶ 0:58:21That's the last time we did effective oversight on a decision that was actually reflected in a full budget. So, I'm just going to go right down the the line here and ask each of you, what are the principal issues that you are dealing with right now in the budget that we can start to get a handle on before we have a full budget, before we have full information, and especially if we do not have the opportunity to provide full oversight before we have to make major decisions in this subcommittee.
▶ 0:58:49General Nordhouse, what is the biggest issue you're facing today? Congressman, um first I'd like to thank Congress for adding some uh ads in the year-long CR with SP and Gria and her full-time uh Manning uh to be able to use those in FY25. Certainly on the readiness uh accounts, the foundation, uh it's every part of readiness.
▶ 0:59:12So, every dollar you put in that we can put a mechanic out on the flight line uh to be able to get helicopters or the machines that we operate to get after readiness is critical. Um weapon system sustainment as well on parts uh those dollars uh matter.
▶ 0:59:30So whatever we can do to increase that capability along those lines and then on the modernization uh as we talk about fighters and tankers and and cyber uh those are all critical as we go into the future along with uh what we're doing with the army. And then lastly for our war fighters there are things that we can do in the future um whether it's duty status reform full-time support or milche modernization that can have a big impact as we go forward into the next year. Thanks Congressman.
▶ 0:59:57Admiral the core biggest budget issues you're facing right now. Uh thank you I sir uh Congressman I think the biggest issue for us related to people is the predictability and being able to get reser orders. It impacts not just morale but it impacts readiness um when we're not able you know they can't commit to their civilian employer and um they take time off from their civilian employer and then we can't come through with the order. So that is a big one as far as the people go.
▶ 1:00:23As far as equipment, um, we're very grateful for the ads we've gotten in 24 and 25 for the C130 because as you heard, the C130 is our number one equipment priority. Um, and we are behind Glide Slope for that recapitalization effort. So, okay, those are our biggest impacts. Um, I'm sorry I'm doing this fast, but I need to get through all of you. General Harter. Yes, sir. Uh, biggest issue really too, the reserve pay accounts. So, that runs across our formation as far as getting our soldiers orders cut, getting them to training exercises. We have some big training exercises coming up.
▶ 1:00:52We're looking at how do we manage that and then it gets to uh class 9 repair parts for equipment because that's all budgeted for and how do we order that. So those are those are the two biggest issues followed closely by military construction and sustainment of our facilities. That's what we're looking Yes. Thank you sir.
▶ 1:01:09I I echo the thanks on including degree in this year's CR that was certainly beneficial but for us uh we had to reduce our reinment incentives for the remainder of this fiscal year was a number one impact and then I think second as we lose our operational funds not only for the reserve component but on the active component in the Marine Corps our exercises are minimized which gives us less time to train with our active component uh forces like we're going to do when we're in the first island chain. Thank you.
▶ 1:01:33And General Healey, sir, echoing uh much of what's been already said, the predictability and stability of of being able to pay our participants is one of the biggest factors with the O and M accounts. As I mentioned in my opening statement, we're going to be $26 million short of flying out or flying hours this year. So, we're working trying to figure that out. In addition, quarterly authority during a CR uh doesn't work well with weapon system sustainment when you've got large ticket items like $62 million to put a B-52 into periodic depo maintenance.
▶ 1:02:02So those continue to be challenges as we go forward. Thank you very much. And let me concur with Mr. Casease. None of us like CRS. And so obviously we're looking toward the administration to get us numbers as quickly as possible. Any advice that you can give to folks that would be appreciated. Mr. Diaz Ballard. Thank you very much. Uh Mr. Chairman, this was this has been helpful. And to echo what uh what the chairman said, we hate CRS.
▶ 1:02:32They're they're devastating. Let me let me first uh start by uh to General Haley, Homestead Air Force Base. You know it well. Uh you know, we have a state sponsor of terrorism just 90 miles away from the United States. We have all of the humanitarian issues that have that continually arise in the hemisphere.
▶ 1:02:53Uh and yet uh the uh our the airplanes there are we have what 28 block 30s that uh my staff actually reminded me that they first rolled off a production line the same year that IBM unveiled its first laptop. I mean it's it's insane. And so uh is there a formalized plan for replacing those F-16s at at at Homestead Air Force Base?
▶ 1:03:18And if not, what do we need to do to to try to kind of move that in the right direction, General? Well, sir, I appreciate the question and uh it's uh Homestead has certainly got a place in my heart. Uh we're going to plan on using that for our first deployable combat wing. Uh the men and women of the 482nd Fighter Wing are leading the leading the charge for the Air Force Reserve getting after that.
▶ 1:03:41With regards to the plan, uh the current program record only has the F-16s pre-blocks as you mentioned, block 30s, uh only funded through FY27. There is no program record beyond that to date. Uh with regard to how we move forward and how we get beyond that, typically I'd recommend and advocate speaking to Congress, but I'm doing that right now.
▶ 1:04:03So, um, we're looking towards, uh, we're trying to put everything we can, uh, towards getting F-35 potentially as a recapped item. But as I mentioned in my opening comments as well, we are systematically being non-reinvested for devested aircraft.
▶ 1:04:20So uh anything that we can do in order to show the value associated with the air force reserve uh we manage our bases essentially as I mentioned as well you know we we can do 20% of the capability of the air force right now for only 3% of the cost. We can manage these at a cheaper rate than the air force sir. Yeah and I'll that's that's I'll follow up with with you Mr. Chairman about about that at at a letter later date.
▶ 1:04:45Let me let me also just now throw in the time that I have another question to all of you and and the issue is recruitment and how are you all doing with recruitment? Is there something that we could be doing to assist in recruitment and we've already heard about your kind of financial crunches but what else could we do and how are you doing in general and whoever wants to if you all want to kind of just briefly touch on that.
▶ 1:05:08I'll so for a recruiting perspective from the Air Force Reserve uh we put quite a lot of uh resources into it and as a result last year we met our recruiting goals and it exceeded them. This year we're currently producing at roughly 2.6 recruits per recruiter which is actually the best in air force right now exceeding the 1.9 per month that the active duty is doing. We fully expect that we're going to exceed our recruiting goal for this year. The challenge for us is the retention rate.
▶ 1:05:34We're about 1% under our retention rate and that is going to get down to the wire with regards to whether or not we meet end strength. Yeah. Anybody else want to? Congressman, uh sir, thanks for the question. Our challenge in the Army Reserve is uh the active Army recruits for us. We're part of the United States Army recruiting enterprise gets after it for us. We provided roughly 1,400 Army Reserve AGRs to support that effort. Uh and while they're making big strides with Compo One recruiting, they've continued to miss our number. They're they're delivering about 70%.
▶ 1:06:03And uh and what that equates to is we're currently short about 9,500 privates. And what I tell folks is that's equal to about 60 truck companies. And so we're we're working on our bonus program and we're working closely with USA and getting the branding out. It's a wicked hard problem to recruit for the Army Reserve. Uh but again, we're working with our Army teammates to get after that. Thank you. Yes, sir. Congressman, the National Guard continues to see historic levels of uh recruiting and retention.
▶ 1:06:30Uh the Army National Guard when I came into the job um 7 months ago was was focused on getting to 325,000. We're at 328,000 uh Guardsmen. On the Air National Guard side, we're at 105,000 which is our funded strength and uh we're going to continue to do well through the rest of the year and our retention continues to be strong. A lot of those things uh deals with how we're getting after commands, the bonus uh criteria and payments that we're doing.
▶ 1:06:59uh army recruiter, master trainers, and then also uh working to get our folks through MEPS as fast as we can. Uh we're going to keep our foot on the accelerator because we want to keep and retain the best war fighters out there. Yes, Thank you for this question. Uh reserve Navy Reserve hit end strength last month and we anticipate being about 600 personnel above end strength and that's the first time since 2020 and we attribute a lot of that to our recruiting effort by which we established a Navy recruiting reserve command. So we own the prior service mission now.
▶ 1:07:28So we we are responsible for recruiting folks off active duty. Great. Which has gone a long way. If the chairman will allow just a few more seconds. Yes. 10 seconds. Thanks to the success of marine recruiting. We've maintained our numbers uh even through co as you know and marine reserves are no different. We are uh 5 to 600 over our NDA for this fiscal year. We're healthy both in recruiting and retention and part of that is due to the support from active duty uh recruiters. So where could we get help? Uh again, the CR affecting the budget for our recruiters uh has certainly hurt us this year. Yeah.
▶ 1:07:58And thank you, Chairman. On that subject real quick, uh we just did a recent pay raise for E1 E4s. Was that Uh Miss Captor. Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman, welcome. Uh you are always welcome here on both sides of the aisle and we are very proud of you and we are proud of your service and those under your command. uh your service to our country and to liberty.
▶ 1:08:24Um I wanted to um all of us come from different parts of the country. The gentleman to my left, Hawaii, so that's Pacific, right? And uh the gentleman to my right, Texas. Well, I'm Great Lakes. And uh we each look at the world in a different way based on where we come from. Uh but I was struck by your testimonies, and I read them all last night.
▶ 1:08:48How many of you mentioned in one way or another the shortage and need for technicians and those that actually uh work and create the new technologies of the future. And General Nordhouse, when we spoke recently, I was struck by something you said uh with uh related to the guard base in my region, the 180th fighter when you know well uh it's because of the maintainers.
▶ 1:09:16You said, if I'm quoting you correctly, that the unit scored as high as it did. Is that is that a correct uh quote? Am I quoting you correctly on that? Yes, ma'am. I believe the National Guard has incredible maintainers because of uh the experience that they have, the how they work together as a team. Uh but yes, the 180th Fighter Wing certainly has incredible maintainers.
▶ 1:09:41Well, the reason that I say that is because I'm going to ask each of you in terms of recruitment as well as the situation our country faces. We can't produce airplanes on time. We can't get our ships built on time. Uh each of you faces challenges within the units that you command.
▶ 1:09:59What programs do you have or could have that would better work with local assets, be they educational um uh or otherwise to help us create a stronger stream of people who build and um the there's a program called Starbase some of you may be familiar with. I'm not saying that's a good program that the military has, but it's something that started.
▶ 1:10:27um what other programs exist within the military that could be a better funnel to move people into these professions that are so desperately needed both by the military and the private sector. Um uh we have a serious shortage of technicians and uh mechanical uh mechanically trained people. Uh we see it in our region every day even though we try.
▶ 1:10:54Is there anything any of you is aware of within your branch that um might be expanded to help in this way? Um and I'm talking about younger people perhaps 13, 12, 13 to 18 that could link to organizations. What within the military exists or could be expanded?
▶ 1:11:20Ma'am, if I could, uh, locally near my headquarters in New Orleans, uh, we have the New Orleans, uh, Military Maritime Academy. It is a 100% Marine Corps JOTC school, uh, in New Orleans with over 900 students that bring in and introduce the trades early on to get them interested in that because to your to your point, ma'am, they they make that decision early on in high school which route they might want to take. And even though they're not joining, they may not join the Marine Corps, they're interested in the maritime industry uh, and the trades.
▶ 1:11:49Some of them go to the Coast Guard and other services as well, but that is a program uh at least early on that we've got in the Marine Corps. Ma'am, what who has the excuse me, just one second, General, who has the lead on that in that area? Ma'am, the school is a it's a privately run school, but the core JOTC, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps that is a it is funded by the Marine Corps, by the service. We provide uniforms, uh boots, you know, all the basic things for for uh the young students there at the school. Thank you. Yes, General.
▶ 1:12:19Yes, ma'am. We we uh use GEROTC as well to navigate into that youth population and familiarize them with opportunities in the United States Army Reserve. I would tell you just like in Toledo though, in the Army Reserve, we have our private public partnership program where we reach out into communities and we try to orient, you know, youth that want to join to opportunities in the Army Reserve, specifically in the technician area. We're doing a hiring fair actually in Toledo in September where we'll illustrate, hey, here here are some of the technician mechanic jobs we need.
▶ 1:12:48We're only funded to 50% of our requirement. We have a lot of shortages. You join the Army Reserve, become a great American soldier. We get you trained up. So, we'll continue to drive on that. We'll follow up on that. Yes, General. Junior RTC just the same. That's run by the active duty Air Force Air Education and Training Command. Uh and then it gets down to the individual bases that we're at for community outreach within their uh any programs that they have in the local community. Ma'am, thank you.
▶ 1:13:17Congresswoman McCaffer, uh one thing I did in a previous job down at Coner First Air Force was Civil Air Patrol. And so that's another thing that uh Civil Air Patrol goes across from the Air Force. Um, and then as you know, our guardsmen and from each of uh the reserve component here, we work out in the community. So, I think it's about getting the word out uh across the board about what we do and how we do it and then uh continue to recruit and retain uh the best and the brightest. Thank you.
▶ 1:13:47Thank the gentle lady, Mr. Wulmarmac. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to the generals. Admiral, thank you for being here today. one of my favorite topics, the reserve components. And um it's no surprise that when issues regarding the Guard and Reserve come up in in uh in this subcommittee that a lot of heads look in my direction because of my experience down through the years with the National Guard. I want to ask General Nordhouse about the state partnership program.
▶ 1:14:17Um we we have a lot of them scattered around the country. I think we have 18 now in the Indoacific region. Arkansas just recently had a big exercise with Guatemala. Um, and not not terribly long ago, and I I personally believe these SP programs are just really important. Um, and it's a two-way street. It's good for the state. It's also good for the host nation.
▶ 1:14:42What are your thoughts about expansion and what budget constraints uh could impact our ability, particularly as we look to the Indoacific region? Congressman, thank you for uh the incredible uh question and the funding across the board. I want to thank Congress for state partnership uh funding. Uh as we look uh to the future, right now we have 115 partners around uh around the globe.
▶ 1:15:0660% of the nations are partnered with uh a state partner and last year we did a thousand engagements at 1% of the theater security uh cooperation budget. uh like you talked about whether it's an Indopaccom I just recently went out to t- or less with Rhode Island their partnership's only three years old and they're with the latest democracy on the planet in team or leste and that relationship was incredibly strong and the president and the minister of defense all thanked uh me repeatedly for
▶ 1:15:36that incredible relationship. Uh then I met with Hawaii and Guam uh when I was over there and uh also saw their incredible partnership with the Philippines. And so as we look to the future, every time we get asked to partner with another nation through the state department and through the combatant commands, multiple states are asking to be that state partner. So I don't think we're we're short on the ability to add state partners um out there, but we do need consistent funding as those partnerships grow.
▶ 1:16:05But we need a little bit to kick it off each year to start those key leader engagements and then the additional funding. And uh as you look at the the funding for the state partnership program, the combatant commands, I hear them talk all the time about how incredibly important it is. And I think the a little bit of extra funding in there continues to just robust that program across the board for our national security. Are you still getting good uh comments, good reviews back from the host nation and from the units themselves? Absolutely, Congressman.
▶ 1:16:35Uh recently I met with Norway in the Pentagon with Min uh Minnesota and just over the top incredible uh relationship there. Sweden in New York came into uh town. Uh that partnership's only three years old. I know Virginia and um Finland, that partnership has kicked off since those two nations have uh joined NATO.
▶ 1:16:57and just over and over here the robust coordination between uh our states, you know, our states have went to combat with their state partners. Uh I know that uh in upcoming JRTC um operation, they're going to have a couple state partners actually train with them. So, it's not only do we do mill uh but we do it globally, but it also goes mill to civ and then civ to civ. U another question, budget related question.
▶ 1:17:25Uh I've had some concerns about constraints on the budget and u the impact it could have on our ability to get uh units to the combat training centers or to the uh exportable uh combat training centers. The uh is that is is that a concern? Is this something that I I mean I consider these combat center rotations to be very important to our readiness and uh and I would assume that you would agree that for the reserve component it's no different.
▶ 1:17:57Uh Congressman certainly the CTC rotations uh that we do um are critical to our readiness each year and this year we're doing two and we're going to do one XCTC and then while that contract uh is expiring we're going to go to CRC. So, they're combat readiness exercises and they're going to be 15-day deployments where we're doing force on force and getting after largecale combat employment operations.
▶ 1:18:22As I talked to Lieutenant General Stubs, our director of the Army National Guard, he thinks there's great opportunity here and that we're going to find um good training and that'll make us more lethal and more ready for the war fight if we're called upon. Yeah. Thank you. Uh you referenced John Stubs for the benefit of my colleagues up here uh a long long time ago when I was a battalion commander. John Stubs was one of my lieutenants and um since that time he has become the agent general for the great state of Arkansas and now the director of the Army Guard.
▶ 1:18:52We're very very proud of him and I'm assuming uh you're getting your money's worth from his service. Absolutely congressman. Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. Yes, sir. I thank the gentleman uh Mr. Qu. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh I want to thank all of you all for your service and the men and women that work along uh yourselves. Um two questions. One has to do with the role that you play at the border. Uh I'm from I represent border areas, live there at the border.
▶ 1:19:22And then the other one has to do with the impact of the army transformational in initiative on the National Guard. I'll talk about the border. The National Guard has provided border security for many years. Um again working with the Department of Homeland in a host of different missions. Uh they done that both in a federal and a state status.
▶ 1:19:43Uh performing a number of duties that include detection, monitoring, logistics, and transportation enhancing the work that CBP or Border Patrol does down there. um and that is to impede the denial or or deny the legal crossings situational awareness and we certainly want to thank you. Um now that the numbers have gone down, border patrol uh uh pretty much you know it's not the way that we're strained.
▶ 1:20:13Uh so I would ask you to you know continue doing the work you're doing there but to look at some of the basic work for example let's assume this is the Rio Grande um right now the roads of border patrol come in this way uh they need more river roads so they can patrol the river is one thing I would ask you to consider number one number two there is you know unless if you're from the border you're not familiar with the evasive kiso cane that just grows very high
▶ 1:20:44uh on both sides of the border. But one of the things that we could do is to get rid of that kiso cane and we've added monies to get rid of that kiso so border patrol can have a clear side of you. So since the numbers have gone down I would uh ask you besides the work you're doing is talk to border patrol and talk to them about river roads and the uh eradication of kariso ka and I think that would be extremely helpful.
▶ 1:21:08Besides uh keeping in mind that one-third of the uh cameras for border patrol are working. Twothirds of the cameras are not working. Think about that. Twothirds of the cameras are not working for border patrol. So those are some things that I think living on the border I think will be very useful. Uh and then the second question um um general I'd like to have a better understanding of the impact of the army transformational initiative on the national guard.
▶ 1:21:38As you know the army national guard has four Apache battalions including the first attack recon battalion 149 aviation in the state of Texas. So there's more of us, a few of us from Texas, which currently is flying the D model Apaches uh that I understand is are supposed to be devested. So what is the army's plan for the guard to ensure that we have a full fleet of current uh Apache helicopters and what's the plan to sustain and upgrade the uh fleet?
▶ 1:22:08So those are my two questions. Congressman, thank you for the questions. uh as uh we work super close with uh Secretary Driscoll and General George on the Army side with uh Army Transformation Initiative. Uh the Army National Guard is very synced in and obviously National Guard's 325,000 really 320 uh 328,000 strong.
▶ 1:22:33And so as we look at uh going into the future, keeping that uh transformation and very synced with the army is important. And uh that's been synced across the board. As we look at army aviation, I see that continuing to go in a in a very good direction uh from the Apaches. As we look at the uh echo models, we've transformed two of the four. A third is in transformation right now. And then Texas will transform in the future to uh echo models.
▶ 1:23:01And I see a strong future for the National Guard as we go through this transformation with the Army. uh congressman on the border. General Guio uh has that as the combatant commander. General Guio and I know each other well and we work very closely. Uh 1500 of our guardsmen are in title 10 that fall underneath him.
▶ 1:23:23So, we will certainly pass these comments uh forward on to General Guio and also I work with General Salszer who's the agitant general for the state of Texas and where we have about 4,400 uh guardsmen uh supporting operation lonear uh in the state of Texas. And so I've been down to the border twice uh to see our troops down there and how they're getting after the mission to seal the border. Yeah. And when the numbers were high uh coming in from the border, border patrol needed help in logistics, transportation, and all that.
▶ 1:23:53the numbers have gone down tremendously. In fact, in the Loredo sector a day we get maybe 30 maybe 40 uh and so across the board the numbers are gone. So the logistics, the intelligence and all that is very important but I would ask you again everybody looks at the shiny objects. It's the basic things that should be done at the border that will have long-term effects. the river roads. Imagine the river right here.
▶ 1:24:23The roads run this way, not this way. And the kariso cane, they grow almost as high as this uh thing, this uh ceiling. And again, they're on both sides. I'm just talking about the US side. Just clearing that up will provide a better view from cameras, uh eyesight, uh uh horse patrols by border patrol. So, I would just ask all of y'all, whoever is involved in this, just to pass that on. and I've talked to the general on this, but I think it's important that we keep the basics in mind.
▶ 1:24:52With that, I want to thank all of y'all for the work that y'all do and thank the men and women that serve with y'all. Thank you. Thanks, Congressman. Thank Thank the gentlemen, uh, Mr. Fleshman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I'd like to thank each and every one of you all for your service and your dedication, your and your excellence, uh, and for your time here today. like to especially thank Lieutenant General Harter for taking time to come and visit us in our office with your great staff yesterday and meeting with my staff.
▶ 1:25:22Very helpful and insightful, sir. Thank you. Um, I've got a couple questions, so I'm going to try to uh condense this a bit. First question is on the tanker fleet. Um, as you know, I'm from the great state of Tennessee. Uh Tennessee's 134th Air Refueling Wing was uh rightfully honored for their role in Operation Troop Promise. I believe 11 Air Guardsmen were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their service. Just truly, truly outstanding.
▶ 1:25:52The Navy's current tanker, the KC KC130T, has a mission capable rate of about 30% and apparently is quite frankly not a survivable aircraft in a contested environment. The KC130T fleet is being recapitalized to the J model apparently.
▶ 1:26:10Uh my question for the Navy and Air National Guard, can you share with this committee your role in logistics sustainment and provide your assessment of our current tanker capacity to sustain protracted conflict in the Pacific? And a follow-up question, the KC130J and the KC46 complement each other's roles.
▶ 1:26:30Is there a target number between the Air National Guard and the Navy Reserve that would be sufficient to fulfill our projective uh projective logistics Oh, thank you, Congressman. I appreciate your interest in uh in our airborne logistics. Um for the Navy, uh you're right. The uh the KC130 Tango um mission capable rate is is not great. It's not where it needs to be. And this is a reserveon mission.
▶ 1:27:00that we support the active duty for the interthe logistics. So, it's critical that we recap to the to the Juliet um for their couple reasons. One is they come with integrated survivability systems which will allow us to operate in a test contested environment, but two, we're also anticipating emission capable rate of uh above 70% for for those aircraft. So, that'll be essential to what we do.
▶ 1:27:22Um the pack food commander has already asked us for uh you know to work on organic uh aerial refueling and we are doing that with the tangoes but it's it's a long haul. They're not all plumbed for that whereas the Juliet will come with that plumbing already uh established. We anticipate with that at least two times the aerial refueling rate and if we include ground refueling as well we're looking at probably eight times our our refueling capability in theater which is which will be a huge win for us in the Pacific. Thank you. Thank you.
▶ 1:27:52Congressman, uh, as we look at the Air National Guard and in a previous role, I worked out at NORAD and as you looked at tankers to support not only the homeland defense mission, but then you have the nuclear mission that you need to support and then you have the other COCOMs. Tankers are an incredibly vital uh, capability and requirement for a nation to be uh, able to do air superiority.
▶ 1:28:15uh the Air National Guard does has 36% of the Air Force's air refueling uh capacity and so most of that is in the KC 135 which does amazing work but it's an aging fleet and will be need to be able to modernize in the future. on the KC46. As you know, we have uh several units out there and MOB 7 will be announced uh towards the fourth quarter of 2025 and uh we look forward to continuing to modernizing the fleet in coordination with the Air Force as we go forward. Thank you.
▶ 1:28:45Thank you both. Um now a question about the Army Reserves role in Pacific logistics. Uh the Army's fleet of landing craft, logistic support vehicles, and utility v vessels play a significant role in the military logistics ecosystem. General Harter, yesterday in my office, you emphasized that the Army Reserve delivers over half the army's maneuver support capabilities and over 90% of certain key theater level enablers like sustainment, medical, and engineering.
▶ 1:29:15My question sir is u I'm deeply concerned about the agent size of the army's watercraft fleet. Can you provide us with your frank assessment on the health of the army logistics fleet and ability to sustain a war in the Pacific? And what would you prioritize sir to improve uh your capabilities? Thank you. Now thank you congressman for the question. So we have we have divester our water watercraft fleet although that might be coming back. So we're posturing for that how we support active army sir.
▶ 1:29:43But with regards to the question what we discussed yesterday the um you know I said 99% of bulk petroleum transportation supports in the army reserve and in that in that in that tabletop exercise that we ran it was focused on the Pacific theater. So what we're looking to do again agree plays a huge role in how we modernize our fleet and get after the new tankers that the arm is providing and then we are also looking at how we posture equipment forward.
▶ 1:30:07We've already tested it in the European theater where we put some of our own equipment forward that'll be needed early in the fight and we're now starting to posture for uh for Indoaccom and in the Pacific theater because we will not have time to get that equipment there in large scale combat operations. So I thank for that question. Thank you sir and I yield back. I thank the gentleman Mr. Qu on that issue on the ciso canaine. It's we call it a runo in California.
▶ 1:30:35Uh it's an as you recognize it's an invasive species and uh was brought in by the Spanish uh to used for thatch material back in the back in the day. So something we should Pete and I were saying maybe it was chiso cane but that's Mexican food. I I support any chiso cane. There you go. Mr. Agular. Let's hope there's no tariffs on that kiso. Yeah, we should put a tariff on it. That's basic. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um uh thank you.
▶ 1:31:04Thank you all for the testimony today. General Nordhouse, I know uh R I know Chairman Calbertt uh thanked you for the support that the Guard has offered Los Angeles during the wildfires and and and we appreciate that um to to all of you. Uh General Nordhouse, uh as you're aware, the Air Force is in the process of F15C's. Uh the California Air Guard is scheduled to receive F-15 EXs to replace their aging F-15C's.
▶ 1:31:33I'm concerned about recent announcements uh that appear to direct some of the F-15EX aircraft to Selfridge over Fresno and New Orleans. Uh my first question is can we expect to see delays in the delivery of the F-15 EX's um to Fresno and how are you working to with the department to ensure that the Calgard doesn't have a gap in the F-15 mission? Congressman, thanks for the question.
▶ 1:32:00in uh in a previous role as uh a coner first air force commander understand the mission set very well and what Fresno does uh for NORD Northcom in that mission space set uh incredible unit out there I recently was out in Portland and had the opportunity to fly in an F-15 EX so it's a great aircraft that will come into the Air Force and the Air National Guard is bringing that on board.
▶ 1:32:22Uh we also work very closely with the Air Force as we continue to modernize the force and we appreciate the additional um F-15 EXs coming into uh uh the Air National Guard. Uh we're working very closely with the Air National Guard, General Pier, our acting director of the Air National Guard, working very close handinand with not only the Air Force but the Air Force Reserve about what bed down for fighters looks like in that uh future.
▶ 1:32:47As we look to the F-15 uh EX and the C model transition there, um they're working there very closely so there's no gaps or seams and they're trying to mitigate any impacts. Will there also be um with the training courses uh for the A-10 pilots transitioning? Um could a could the A10 to F-15EX transition cause some manning shortfalls across the F-15 enterprise? Well, Congressman, I would say this.
▶ 1:33:16Transitioning from an A10 to an F-15C, it will be a longer training program. And so that will have to be planned and really thought out very, very well. Going from an F-15C to an F-15 EX, like I'm seeing up in Portland, uh, is a very quick transition. And so the pilots up there, uh, was very impressed by them. They have 36 pilots at Portland. 22 of them are instructor pilots.
▶ 1:33:38So, I know the vast capability and experience and that will help make transitions from F-15C to F-15 EX uh go very quickly. Are are you passing any concerns, you know, up the chain? I mean, I I hear what you're saying, but but clearly with the change in Selfridge, um this could this could be a problem. I mean, some of these transition from the from the A10, it'll have a longer um education gap, a training gap there.
▶ 1:34:04uh and and the potential for the for the gap with the uh exs to Fresno. I mean, you're you're conveying the any any concerns you may have, not saying that you have any, but any concerns you have are being are being conveyed when it come be conveyed when it comes to timeliness.
▶ 1:34:20C certainly all all the all the bases are talking to the Air National Guard readiness center and they're passing that information up to the director of the Air National Guard and we're working with the Air Force uh as we look to the future understanding each of those pieces and then you also have the production of the F-15 X's coming offline uh off the line and so we want to understand what that looks like in the future and then we'll take that into consideration and minimize any gaps or seams so that we keep war fighters flying and healthy aircraft
▶ 1:34:51to get after uh deter our adversaries. General, I don't mean to pick on you here. Um the the administration has expressed interest in establishing a space national guard. Can you share how the bureau is interacting with the DoD and the administration in establishing a space national guard? Uh Congressman, yeah, thank you for the question. Uh once again, in a previous role, I was the apace commander for Spacecom, so I understand the space mission pretty well.
▶ 1:35:18I know our air national guardsmen have been doing this mission set for 30 years. Uh NDAA25 has that transfer of 578 into the Space Force. We're working very closely with the um Space Force and with uh the Air Force on that transition. Thank you. Yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, gentlemen. I uh also share Mr. Aguilar's concern about the F-15s. We haven't had a really good briefing on that and the Fresno situation.
▶ 1:35:48U we some of us believe that rotation was changed. Uh so we want to take a look at that and also how does that affect the air cap at uh at March Air Force Base because uh those aircraft presently are coming out of uh out of Fresno and what that how are we going to deal with that if there is a delay? Chairman, thanks for the question. uh working with General Guio, the Air Force, and with the Air National Guard.
▶ 1:36:16Those are those are pieces and uh things that we're going to have to work out and make sure that we have the right aircraft in the right location to be able to do the mission set for homeland defense and homeland security. And I'm very confident that we'll work out solutions in the future. Chairman, I look forward to working with you on that. Thanks, Chairman. Mr. Rogers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome, lady and gentlemen, to the subcommittee.
▶ 1:36:41Let me focus my time um on the Army National Guard securing funding for the Grey Eagle drones. Uh since 2023, Congress has included funds to procure these platforms and yet here we are still awaiting a decision from the National Guard Bureau on where they'll be stationed.
▶ 1:37:10There is a significant amount of work that needs to be done to house the grey eagles and we are at the point where we can't wait anymore. Uh when can we expect a basing Uh when do we expect that'll be made that decision?
▶ 1:37:36uh and and what capability gaps might there be due to these Sir, Congressman, thanks for the question. Uh as far as the basing decision for the 12 uh grey eagles that were in the NDAA23, those have been uh pushed out and the announcement was made to uh Arizona.
▶ 1:38:01Um as far as the uh NDAA2 um those will go through a basing decision and through the uh army force structure like we do uh with any basing decision. And so we're very deliberate follow a strategic process both on the air force side and the uh army side to make sure that we uh take everything into consideration and then make uh funding decisions as we go into the Earlier this month, uh the army
▶ 1:38:31transformation initiative was announced which included mention of cancelling grey eagle procurement for the active component. Tell us about the importance of the gray eagle drones for the national guard.
▶ 1:38:54Uh, how might the Army initiative affect your plans for gray eagle drones in the guard? Congressman, as we look at the Army has 18 divisions, eight of those divisions are in the Army National Guard. And currently, as we look to uh have UAS capability in those divisions in the future, um, we're looking to bed down and work with the Army on that.
▶ 1:39:21So the first one uh was Arizona as we look at the gray eagle uh and that will get bedded down over the next you know 26 27 um as we take that uh into the force and we look forward to learning from that and bringing UAS's into the Army National Guard and working with the Army on the future of UAS's and the other divisions as we go forward. Well, we'll be keeping an eye on it. Thank you, Congressman.
▶ 1:39:49Uh quickly let me ask you about the deteriorated facilities. Um, you all would probably agree with me uh in saying that our facilities within the Guard and Reserve are old, deteriorated, lack the modernized infrastructure to support emerging missions such as cyber operations and
▶ 1:40:20domestic responses. In Kentucky, the National Guard uh has been vital in the emergency response to natural disasters. As we speak, the Guard is on active duty in my home county in Kentucky due to heavy tornadoes Friday night. So, they uh they serve a very important mission.
▶ 1:40:49Um, despite their indescribable value, there are multiple facilities in my district which are all but obsolete. And yet, it seems nearly impossible for National Guard and Reserve units to get the funds necessary to make these much needed improvements.
▶ 1:41:12What is the current backlog of deferred maintenance for National Guard and Reserve facilities and what percentage of Guard and Reserve facilities fail to meet modern Sir, Congressman, uh on on the National Guard, we have 2,200 armies across uh 2,000 locations. Uh the average age of our armories are about 48 years old.
▶ 1:41:42Um so every dollar that comes in to get after facility sustainment, restoration, modernization is critical to the National Guard for our readiness and to be able to go forward. As far as the ex uh exact rates, I'll have to take those for the record and get those back to you, sir. Well, my time has expired. Thank you, Mr. I thank the gentleman and also share the gentleman's concern regarding the Grey Eagle or the MQ9. Uh it's been a very effective platform both for ISR and for combat purposes over the years.
▶ 1:42:11Uh I haven't met a combatant command around the world who doesn't want more of them. So uh it's interesting that the the higher up we go the latter it seems that the the less uh support. But then when you get to the combat areas they all want them. They all want them badly. So with that, Miss Lee. Uh thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for being here and for your service and leading uh soldiers in our country.
▶ 1:42:39And um I wanted to turn to General Healey. Um in your uh statement you touched upon this that the air air force reserve pre-block F-16s at Nellis uh serving the 706 aggressor squadron are being divested. Um it's not clear what is filling the void at this time. And so can you tell me what the plan is to fill the adversary air requirement at Nellis Air Force Base?
▶ 1:43:09And can you also touch on the impact that divestments like this uh has on the reserve mission on your uh ability for the reserve to provide the depth uh capacity and Well, thanks very much ma'am for the opportunity to answer the question. Uh that's accurate. The 706 is scheduled for devestment. uh we will be devesting the 19 aircraft pre-block F-16s between October and December of this year. Uh and there is no program of record to replace that right now.
▶ 1:43:40So uh any options available to the air force are are going to be year of execution funding uh to either have uh civilian contract air pick that up at I would expect a higher cost between 12 and $18 million more a year to manage it than our current cost structure for our our F-16s there. There's also opportunities that we might be able to use additional aircraft participating using the ranges there to act as aggressors as well.
▶ 1:44:07With regard to the impact to it, uh it's going to be about 88 people that are ops and maintenance folks currently working on the F-16 program that are going to be uh reprogrammed back into the Air Force Reserve coffers, so to speak, where we have holes. We do have mission for most of them whether it be CCA and the bringing CCAs along or the RQ170 programs that are still within that uh same uh Nevada area.
▶ 1:44:31Uh but ultimately what we're going to be losing too is with the reduction of those is about a 40% loss of instructor pilots that are currently providing uh adversary air uh for the fighting force to in order to get them ready and trained to go. Okay. Thank you. Um, I wanted to turn to uh, General Harter.
▶ 1:44:52Um, I had the pleasure of visiting our soldiers at the Dunaway Army Reserve Center earlier this year, and while I was there, it was highlighted that an issue impacting recruitment is tuition parody within the National Guard. Um, it's my understanding that 33 states offer this for Guardsmen, but there's no uh, commensurate program for reserves.
▶ 1:45:15And so can you speak uh to the uh disparity and the impact this has on your Uh yes, Congresswoman, thanks for that question. It was great having General Culitz got out there. So I appreciate you coming out and visit our Army Reserve soldiers. So So recruiting for the Army Reserve is hard. I acknowledge that. Right. Many young men and women who walk into a recruitment center are looking to either go active duty and and if they do want to go part-time, the benefits that our our National Guard teammates offer are incredible.
▶ 1:45:45And so uh we are working with local state houses and governors to try to create more parody uh in those benefits. I mean, an example would be, and I can't remember what state, uh, could be Virginia or Pennsylvania or both, but if you walk in enjoying the National Guard, your college tuition is paid for, your spouse's college tuition is paid for if it's a state school and all of your children.
▶ 1:46:08And so, by the same token, an Army Reserve soldier that might want to join the Army Reserve, and is a constituent of that state, uh, those benefits aren't afforded. And I understand that, right? And and we're not title 32. Uh, but we continue to work.
▶ 1:46:21it at the end of the day the army reserve that that the impacts of the short shortage of manpower I talked about it 60 truck companies so we continue to work with our comple teammates they recruit for us and then continue to work and partner with the national guard I would offer it's not a zero sum game we don't have combat arms formations and so we are not in direct comp uh competition with our guard teammates and so we continue to work that across the footprint great thank you uh I'll I'll address this to the panel Maybe uh General
▶ 1:46:51Nordhouse, you'd like to speak to this. Uh something that you all touched upon is the Angria uh appropriation being critical for readiness from firefighting to rescue to procurement of critical equipment, upgrading weapons systems. Uh however, we know that the purchasing power of this account has fallen 83% since 2015.
▶ 1:47:15I think you touched upon we're sort of at even keel right now, but uh we still are at a disadvantage there. Can you uh touch on how critical this funding is and what level would allow you to achieve your goals? Congresswoman, thanks for highlighting Gria.
▶ 1:47:37I have been in combat in an F-16 with an Angria uh sniper pod or lantern pod or lightning pod. Um an engine that is in the back of the F-16. Uh and so without those angria, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish the mission set that I needed to help save lives on the ground. Okay.
▶ 1:47:59And so when you look at whether the Angria is purchasing things on C130s or on fighters or other things uh in the Army National Guard to be able to give them the capabilities that we need to be able to communicate back and forth, it helps make sure that we're interoperable and deployable and can be part of the joint team uh consistently across the board. So that Gria funding is critical uh for the National Guard and for the reserve component. Yes, ma'am.
▶ 1:48:29If I could add on too. So, we have a $ 1.5 billion backlog on modernization efforts for our aircraft. We've got u they're legacy airplanes 38 years old. 88% of our fleet is over 38 years old. So, uh we typically are getting between 150 and $155 million a year in Angria. Greatly appreciated. 132 million this year. we can easily execute up to 175 $176 million in order to to get after that backlog of modernization.
▶ 1:49:00Great. Thank you for that. I'm I'm over. Thank the gentle lady. Uh Mr. Else. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for being here. I was going to start serious, but then I looked at the panel and I decided that according to my written notes here, uh beat Army and beat uh Air Force are not just a slogan. It's a reality this year. So, I I'm sorry I had to say that. Good fun. Um, thank you all for being here.
▶ 1:49:27Uh, as I look at this distinguished panel, and I mean that with all seriousness, I see combat leaders and corporate knowledge the likes of which can't be replicated anywhere else. And as we start any fight uh or respond to any attack after a sustained amount of time, it's the corporate knowledge and the aircraft and the men and women that that are represented by you that are the ones who sustain that fight.
▶ 1:49:52Uh and so I think that you have an incredibly uh difficult job uh especially when we talk about uh and it's never met, but when you come to the fight, you bring uh the second rate stuff, but the first rate uh fighting men and women. So, thank you for being here. Uh General Anderson, Lonnie, as I've known you for many, many years. Um in the in the short time that I have here, give me about 30 seconds of if you could ask me to ask you a question, what would it be?
▶ 1:50:22And answer it real quick. What are your Marine Corps reserves doing today? and uh congressman uh 12% of the Marines deployed forward uh are reserveist today and that number is going to triple through 2027. So as we continue to prepare for the fight uh that's what the Marine Corps reserve is focused on and uh we are part of the total force like the chairman mentioned earlier we are not an afterthought. We are part of the solution. It is not something that we do later.
▶ 1:50:46We are forecasted in our deployments out through 2031 so our members can plan, prepare and be ready for uh for that deployment. That's a perfect answer. Thank you for asking. Yeah. And and and and those folks are dual-headed. They're doing civilian jobs back at home with families and then they put on the uniform as all of you of you have and and go to the fight.
▶ 1:51:07And that's to be commended and we relied on we've relied on that in every fight since uh since Desert Storm and even before uh going as we talk about uh the Indoaccom, which is usually the first word that comes out as we're talking about China, we talk about contested logistics. The Marine Corps is going to play a very large role in that, but so is contested logistics not not only means cargo, but it also means tanking.
▶ 1:51:34And Admiral Laor, no slouch yourself in in the in the cockpit. I think that you and I shared the round domes in San Diego at the same time when I was at HS4. U we've tried to get you all some recap on your KC130JS. Talk a little bit about the capabilities of the J versus what you have. uh that you're trying to recap on and how many you need in fiscal year 26 to accomplish that mission of contested logistics. Uh thank you, Congressman. Happy to talk about that.
▶ 1:52:04Um as you know, the C130 is only operating in the reserve and it provides the Navy's only intrathe uh or um airlift cap capable of moving oversized cargo. And we're we're not part-time. We're doing this 24/7 365 in all the major theaters. We have 27 aircraft right now, the tangoes with a um average age of 34 years and a mission capable rate of 40%.
▶ 1:52:28Recapping to the Juliets will get us first and foremost survivability systems which will allow us to operate in that contested environment, but we're also anticipate a 75% mission capable rate which will go a long way. We started this recap journey in 2024. Um and we're behind Glide Slope honestly. Uh the plan was to be at uh 32 aircraft by 2030. We got one in 24, two in 25, and we're super grateful for them. But right now for the outy years, and we need to we need to be looking at six six per year in order to get us where we need to go.
▶ 1:52:57And what are we going to get out of this? A lot. We anticipate being doubling our sorty rate, getting three times the service radius in combat. And if you if you're looking at aerial refueling and ground refueling in an austere air field, we're looking at eight times what we have currently available to us. Okay. Well, I know that that the KC130J, for those who don't know, the J will only refuel Marine Corps and Navy aircraft.
▶ 1:53:24It won't uh at least in this configuration will not uh refuel our Air Force brothers and sisters. Uh so, as we talk about the Indoecom, which is uh it's an all services fight, but we we we talk about the naval services a lot. So, you said what was the percentage of availability of the tea? About 40%. about 40%. So we're we're just a couple years.
▶ 1:53:49If we fund you for what you need over the next two to three years, you're actually going to surpass your capability with far fewer aircraft because of the higher availability rate. Right. So we need to be emphasizing getting you what you need in the next couple of years. Would you agree with that? 100%. Absolutely agree. Congressman, five minutes goes fast. Mr. Chairman, thank you for your time. I yield back. M. McCullum. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 1:54:13Um, the New York Times reported last week that the Department of Homeland Security would be requesting the DoD to provide 20,000 National Guard forces to assist in the removal of immigrants from the United States. This was based on an order from the president to increase deportation uh forces. The article also stated that state governors would ask for volunteers for this duty. Um, General uh Norus and Guardsmen will be called up for this mission on the southern border.
▶ 1:54:42Are they being called up as law enforcement personnel to assist in the removal of immigrants outside the United States or both? If they are to be called up for the removal of immigrants, can you share with the committee the following? Where will the guardsmen be called up? What activities will they be executing? And will law enforcement be among them?
▶ 1:55:04So the question becomes having been a state representative under what legal authority will the guardsmen be utilized because some of the guardsmen will have been maybe law enforcement, sheriff's officers and others and they would have some rest authority in certain circumstances. So, can you um explain how you see uh law enforcement personnel being used?
▶ 1:55:32Just folks that maybe don't serve in law enforcement in a regular capacity in their civilian job and people who are law enforcement in their civilian job if they will be given different duties or different duties expected of them. Uh Congresswoman, uh thank you for the question. I do know that um the Department of Defense has received a request for assistance.
▶ 1:55:59It is just initial into the building and is being staffed. Don't have specific details or how the department will execute on that request for assistance at this time. Um, I do know that the National Guard has supported law enforcement uh whether it was in presidential election inauguration 60 or in 59 and multiple times uh across the states that the National Guard gets trained and ready.
▶ 1:56:24We operate under the authorities of either um the state uh and the governor or operate under authorities um from Congress. And so we take those things uh very seriously and we make sure that we're following the constitution, we're following the law and any policy and guidance and then that our guardsmen receive the training and we're put on missions that they know exactly what they need to do, when they need to do it, and how they need to do it. And so we'll be focused on that going forward. Okay.
▶ 1:56:52Well, I think there's a lot of legal questions that our guards men and women need to know before they're assigned to duties. And I expect due diligence to be done because there's also talk about um using more federal lands um um using land and the federal government declaring it uh part of a national emergency and then putting military personnel on there that does that make it a military base.
▶ 1:57:17I think there's a lot of a lot of uh areas which we don't understand um as of yet at least I don't and I feel I have an oversight responsibility to understand what what the roles are going to be because I don't want to put any any uh person military or um whether they're guards or non-guards in in a position where they're given an order where things haven't been really thought out very clearly because it's going to be their name in the paper.
▶ 1:57:44it's going to be their unit in the paper and I just want to make sure that we do our due diligence and when we give them a mission to fulfill that we have we have thought of all the legal responsibilities and obligations they have. The other question that I'm concerned about is as these activities increase, how does that affect their training and their qualifications for a nearpeer fight? How do how do you work with with the department with with the president to find that sweet spot? And that's my only question that I have, Mr.
▶ 1:58:15Chair. Congresswoman, uh thank you. As as we talk about the National Guard 433,000 strong and currently 34,000 just over uh 33,500 today uh around the globe. And so that's less than 10%. And as we see when hurricanes, wildfires, uh things hit a state, uh we're able to use emergency management assistant compacts and be able to go to wherever is needed to provide that support in the state.
▶ 1:58:43Uh also, while we're training for the wartime fight and so uh from your National Guard, we're we're always ready, always there. We're we're making sure that we're using every dollar that Congress gives us to maximize that training and and readiness so that we can answer the call when called upon. I thank you, gentle lady. Uh Mr. Cole uh was unable to attend today, but his statement will be placed in the record and he wanted to emphasize his support for the garden reserve over the years and his continued support.
▶ 1:59:13Uh thank you. I appreciate everyone here for coming out. I apologize again for starting late. And with that, we are adjourned. Thank you.