▶ 0:02:42The subcommittee will come to order. I ask unanimous consent that the chair be authorized to declare recess at any Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent that non-subcommittee members, if any, be allowed to participate in today's hearing after all subcommittee members have had an opportunity to ask questions. Is there objection? Without objection, non-subcommittee members recognized at the appropriate time for 5 minutes.
▶ 0:03:14I'd like to welcome everyone to today's I thank you witnesses from the Department of Defense, Department of War, Army, Navy, and Air Force for being here. Readiness does not begin on the battlefield, it begins on our bases, in the barracks, in our shipyards, in our training facilities, and across the infrastructure that supports the Unfortunately, we continue to face serious challenges.
▶ 0:03:42military construction costs are much too A recent study found that barracks cost on average 68% more than comparable private sector projects. Physical fitness facilities cost 126% At current funding levels, that gap translates into billions of dollars in lost buying power each year. We need better discipline in design, estimating, and execution.
▶ 0:04:12I look forward to continuing to work with the department to address this issue and to and to seeing how you implement the MilCon reforms included in the FY26 In addition, the shipyard infrastructure optimization program requires continued oversight. We have already seen sharp cost growth. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard's dry dock rose from 528 million to 2.2 billion.
▶ 0:04:41And Pearl Harbor Shipyard's overall master plan increased from 6.1 billion to nearly 45 billion. As we increase the ambition of this program, projects of this scale must be tightly managed to prevent further overruns from crowding out crowding out other readiness priorities and overwhelming the Navy's construction At the same time, the department continues to carry too much excess The Army estimates more
▶ 0:05:11than 20% of its facilities are excess, costing roughly $12 per square foot each year to maintain, which translate to hundreds of millions of dollars spent on buildings that no longer serve a real mission. Those resources should be redirected to higher readiness priorities. The part the department must present a clear plan to right-size its footprint. Barracks conditions remain a serious quality of life issue.
▶ 0:05:38Secretary Hagseth estimated the barracks task force, which has begun inspections, and directed new funding towards urgent fixes and This is a good start, but decades of underinvestment will not be solved overnight. I expect sustained focus and real progress. Congress included important housing reforms in the one big beautiful bill, including tools that allow for expanded privatization of barracks.
▶ 0:06:10These authorities are temporary. The services should move quickly and responsibly to use them. Taking care of our service members, giving them safe housing and functional infrastructure, is not optional. It is fundamental to readiness. Environmental cleanup continues to lag behind requirements. The military munitions response program has more than doubled in scope since its creation, and projected costs now exceed $14 billion.
▶ 0:06:40Execution delays and rising costs have strained both contractors and affected communities. We need better planning, clearer accountability, and faster Small modular reactors and microreactors offer a promising path to provide reliable on-site power for installations as the Department evaluates pilot programs and future deployment.
▶ 0:07:06Energy resilience is essential to mission mission assurance, and this committee will ensure these efforts are cost-effective, properly regulated, and aligned with long-term mission needs. PFAS cleanup remains a significant challenge following EPA's 2024 drinking water standards, with projected costs exceeding 9 billion, and cleanup timelines recently extended at roughly 140 installations, including ongoing concerns at Camp Grayling,
▶ 0:07:37We expect greater transparency, clearer execution plans, and steady progress, and this committee will continue to closely oversee remediation efforts and the responsible transition away from a triple F. I [snorts] thank the witnesses for being here today. I look forward to your testimony and to working together to address these challenges and with that I turn it over to my friend and colleague the ranking member John Garamendi. Thank you very much Chairman Bergman.
▶ 0:08:10And for the witnesses pleasure seeing you once again and thank you so very much for being here. I know that you're responsible for the foundation of the Department of The installations that support operations housing and for our service members and their families.
▶ 0:08:32The energy that powers our bases and the land that allows our forces to train and For too long this foundation has been overlooked and underfunded. The made it a priority to shine to shine the light on aging infrastructure dilapidated barracks, leaking ceilings premier laboratories and World War II facilities they're still out there.
▶ 0:08:59Where the main where we maintain some of our most exquisite assets and proud that we've worked in a bipartisan way to increase the funding for these and create new authorities to streamline military construction and hold the department accountable. However, as you heard from the chairman not great success yet.
▶ 0:09:23But there are always more work to be This fiscal year the Department of Navy is in the process of executing the SIOP program. It's essential for maintaining our aircraft carriers, submarines uh and into the future. However, the SIOPs must not become another example of overruns, construction delays, and shifting timelines. Unfortunately, it's well on the road to accomplishing that rather nefarious goal.
▶ 0:09:51As the ranking member strongly said the oversight of the SIOPs will remain a top priority for me and for the subcommittee for the next few years. This year, the subcommittee will also address how emerging technologies are integrated into our installations. The administration has directed the department to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence on DOD installations.
▶ 0:10:16AI may offer real benefits in logistics and sustainment, but we must proceed thoughtfully. Data centers cannot be placed on installations without ensuring that there is sufficient energy capacity. We also cannot allow AI to sustain and strain the base operations or the resources of the surrounding And that brings us to energy, energy resilience, including the advanced nuclear technology that the chairman was talking about a moment ago.
▶ 0:10:47I'm encouraged by the department's efforts to invest in unique fuels and technologies that are safe, efficient, and can protect the department from risks presented by the electrical grid Energy security is national security, but I have concerns about consolidating nuclear development under a single service rather than maintaining strong oversight at the office of the Secretary of Defense.
▶ 0:11:15Each installation is likely to be with unique needs, and we must ensure these efforts strengthen, not distract from the service core missions. And that we must execute responsibly on the nuclear authorities provided in the 2026 NDAA. Energy resilience has been a bipartisan focus of this subcommittee for years.
▶ 0:11:39And we've worked to diversify the installations energy sources, whether through batteries, microgrid, or nuclear technologies. All the while protecting operational readiness. And I would add to that A little bit of installation here or there may be the fastest way to get a lot of lot more energy out of a system.
▶ 0:11:59The DOD Siting Clearinghouse, created by this committee in 2011, is a great example of how the DOD has balanced the use of alternative energies with DOD operations. It has successfully protected military testing, training, and radar systems while working constructively with energy developers to mitigate conflicts. That process has proven predictable predictability for both the department and the industries.
▶ 0:12:28That's why I was disappointed to see the Office of the Secretary of Defense halt the construction of numerous offshore wind projects. All projects that had previously been approved by the DOD Siting Clearinghouse. In some cases, they were over 90% complete. While I understand there's an ongoing litigation regarding these projects, we must ensure that long-standing transparent process of the DOD Siting Clearinghouse are not undermined.
▶ 0:12:56The department should be working collaborative with industry to protect protect readiness while supporting responsible development that can benefit installations and energy In the year ahead, this subcommittee, under the leadership of Mr. Bergman, will continue its oversight of infrastructure modernization, quality of life improvements, and energy resiliency.
▶ 0:13:20I look forward to working with my colleagues here on the panel, as well as with those that are before us as all of us seek to strengthen the foundation that supports our war fighters and their families. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Uh thank you, Mr. Garamendi. Uh For our witnesses, I'm going to recognize you all at once for your remarks.
▶ 0:13:45And uh Honorable Mark, you start the ball rolling and we'll just move down as you finish. Thank you, Chairman Bergman and Ranking Member Garamendi and distinguished members of this subcommittee. As we begin today, I do want to first stop to acknowledge the brave sacrifice of our service members, especially those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, and I want to offer my deepest condolences to their families, friends, and units at their loss. They will not be forgotten.
▶ 0:14:13For decades, our enterprise accepted cumulative risk in our facilities to prioritize near-term operational readiness. That bill is now due. Today, the degraded state of our installations is no longer a future problem. It's a direct and present threat to our ability to project power, defend the homeland, and properly care for our service members. Our installations are the platforms from which we deploy our forces and the communities where our warriors and their families live. Their readiness is mission readiness.
▶ 0:14:39The department is moving with a unified purpose to address this challenge head-on, focusing on several critical lines of effort. First, we're confronting systemic crisis in our infrastructure. The department's portfolio, as you said, is aging, burdened by a massive and unsustainable backlog of deferred maintenance. This is not just a matter of crumbling buildings. It is a direct impediment to our war-fighting capability. Compounding this issue is military construction process that is fundamentally outmatched by the challenges we face. It is too slow, too bureaucratic, and way too expensive.
▶ 0:15:09Under the current paradigm, a critical project can take 9 years or more to move from validated requirement to a completed facility. We cannot win a race against our adversaries with a construction process that moves at a a pace. In response, the department has launched a comprehensive top-to-bottom review of MILCON and facility sustainment restoration portfolio, and we're overhauling the unified facilities criteria to slash discretionary rules and align our standards proven efficient industry best practices.
▶ 0:15:37Our goal is simple: to build and sustain the facilities we need at the speed of relevance. Second, we're aggressively securing our installations against strategic vulnerabilities. Our dependence on a fragile commercial grid is a critical weakness. To defend the homeland, our installations must be able to function and sustain critical missions even when the grid goes down. And so, the department is executing a unified strategy for mission assurance through energy and water assurance.
▶ 0:16:02We're hardening our infrastructure through enterprise-wide investments in microgrids, redundant power generation, and advanced energy storage. We're also driving investment in next-gen energy Third, we recognize that our warriors right in this starts at home. We cannot expect our service members to be fit to fight if they live in conditions that are unsafe or unsanitary.
▶ 0:16:24We acknowledge that decades of underfunding and lack of sufficient oversight created unacceptable living conditions, and we're taking decisive enterprise-wide actions to fix fix this. The Secretary Esper's task force is driving a focused effort backed by significant new funding to restore and modernize failing unaccompanied housing. Simultaneously, as today, we are establishing a new housing task force and deal team to reinforce standards and restore financial viability across the privatized housing portfolio.
▶ 0:16:53Our message is clear: providing safe, quality housing is a non-negotiable requirement. Finally, we recognize that the government cannot solve these immense challenges alone. To accelerate change, we're embracing innovation and strategic partnerships as essential force multipliers. Through the work of the Office of the Local Defense Community Cooperation, we're partnering with local communities to build resilient infrastructures beyond our fence line. Through enhanced use leases, we are unlocking the value of underutilized land to fund critical projects.
▶ 0:17:23These partnerships, combined with alternative authorities that can deliver solutions faster and more cost-effectively than traditional methods allow, are vital to extending our resources and achieving our modernization goals. The challenges facing our military infrastructure are significant, but our resolve is stronger. The Department of War is committed to rebuilding our foundation, securing our energy future, honoring our commitment to our people, and innovating for the challenges ahead.
▶ 0:17:51Thank you, and I look forward to your Chairman Bergman, Ranking Member Garamendi, distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to discuss the Army's installation, energy, and environment Our installations are the bedrock of the Army's war-fighting platform. From our installations, our warfighters train and deploy to fight and win our nation's wars.
▶ 0:18:19Critical to their success is having resilient and reliable energy and water. As we develop additional capabilities to further our advantage, we're incorporating technologies with increased energy demand, which the Army is working quickly to address.
▶ 0:18:34Beyond enabling Army modernization, the Army is fully committed to delivering high-quality, safe environments for our soldiers and their families to live and We appreciate the committee's ongoing attention to critical infrastructure issues on our installations, and we look forward to continuing to work together to deliver on President Trump and Secretary Hagel's commitment to achieve peace through strength. Critical to our soldiers' readiness is having sufficient facilities at which to live, work, and train.
▶ 0:19:03One of these critical training ranges is Pohakuloa Training Area in Hawaii. The Army is currently working with the state of Hawaii and local communities to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. We look forward to working with this committee to include the necessary language in this year's NDAA. The Army's been working to deliver real change that our warfighters deserve from eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy that drives up military construction costs to making critical investments in barracks under Secretary Hexeth's barracks task force.
▶ 0:19:33The Army has taken concrete action to invest in our lethality. We look forward to working with this committee to identify additional authorities that can further enhance Army's ability to invest in our warfighter readiness. As we've discussed with this committee before, the Army Corps of Engineers recently estimated that military construction cost is much greater than private sector construction.
▶ 0:19:54While the estimated costs varies by building type and component, like the chairman cited, the Army estimates that we are paying as much as 60% or more than private sector construction for barracks buildings. This cost premium has a direct negative impact on soldier quality of life. For our part, the Army is looking for every opportunity to drive down costs and stretch each dollar to have the largest impact on warfighting readiness.
▶ 0:20:19We appreciate the committee's leadership on this issue in last year's NDAA providing the department more flexibility and fewer requirements for We will look for additional opportunities to work with this committee to continue to make Outside of appropriated dollars, Army is looking for every opportunity to work with the private sector to support and invest in our installations.
▶ 0:20:40The Army's revitalized effort to lease underutilized land on military installations will generate benefit to the Army such as increased investment in our barracks and increased energy In addition to these efforts, the Army continues to work with private sector partners to increase investments in our privatized family housing and To address the Army's growing energy needs and ensure mission continuity at our most critical installation infrastructure, the Army has launched the Janus program to acquire safe, secure, reliable,
▶ 0:21:10on-site energy generation using advanced nuclear This year we anticipate executing agreements with several companies to develop prototype reactors with the aggressive goal of breaking ground on a number of Army installations by 2028. Our installations are much more than where our soldiers and families live. They are where we train for war and sometimes even where we fight from.
▶ 0:21:35The historic investments we are making in installation housing, operational facilities, and energy capabilities will increase our warfighters lethality for years to come. Thank you. Look forward to your Chairman Bergman, ranking member Garamendi, and distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. It's an honor to represent the sailors, Marines, civilians, and families of the Department of the Navy.
▶ 0:22:00I also want to begin by recognizing the extraordinary professionalism of our service members operating around the world today. We are immensely proud of them and deeply grateful for their service. Those in harm's way deserve the very best. Our responsibility is straightforward. The mission support the mission, support the warfighter, and support their families. The Secretary of the war and the Secretary of Navy have been clear and unequivocal. We must cut through bureaucracy, operate on a wartime footing, and move with urgency. The Department of the Navy is changing how it operates to meet that expectation.
▶ 0:22:30A central point I want to emphasize today is that our installations are weapon Training for combat begins on our installations. Naval aviators launch from the 172 runways across our enterprise. Our surface combatants and submarines deploy from 461 piers and warfs. Our sailors and Marines train for combat, build lethality, and certify to deployment across 35 critical ranges.
▶ 0:22:53Our installations are weapon systems, require redundancy to eliminate single points of failure in the face of a rapidly evolving threat vectors. Without sustained investment infrastructure, we shrink the warfighter's decision space in a contested environment. The infrastructure structure challenge is real. We will not milk on our way out of this problem. We appreciate the additional flexibility that Congress has provided, and we intend to pursue new commercial facing solutions.
▶ 0:23:21We have a fiduciary responsibility to the American taxpayer to find more efficient pathways. At the center of all of these efforts are our people. Our most important responsibility is ensuring our unaccompanied sailors and Marines, and those with families, have clean, safe, and comfortable places to live and thrive. I appreciate the strong focus across the department and Congress on improving the quality of our and we will continue to invest there.
▶ 0:23:46In privatized housing, the Department of the Navy has six partners across 15 partnerships managing over 61,000 homes. Under the leadership of OSW, we will fix troubled privatized housing contracts, honor our commitment to those families, and drive long-term accountability. Looking ahead, several initiatives are critical to our future.
▶ 0:24:05The Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, or SIOP, represents a generational investment in our four public shipyards, and it is foundational to restoring capacity and efficiency in our nuclear fleet maintenance. Our energy and water demands are also growing rapidly. Today's installations require more of both. To reliably deliver power, we need to recapitalize our electrical grid. To have redundant power generation, we need to optimize to a full portfolio of firm 24/7 power options.
▶ 0:24:35We're also driving investment in next-generation energy technology, as mentioned before, including advanced nuclear. That will strengthen installation resilience and benefit our surrounding communities. The unique communities around our installations are important. The Department of the Navy operates 95 installations around the globe. Our sailors, Marines, and families live and work in these communities, and our mission readiness depends on those enduring partnerships. So, let me close where I began.
▶ 0:25:02Operating on a wartime footing means unleashing the creativity and urgency of our people, uniformed, civilian, public, private, with a relentless focus on outcomes. The Department of the Navy's combat power originates from our installations around the world. These installations are weapon systems, and we must treat them as such. Our sailors and Marines trust us to get this right. Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:25:32Chairman Bergman, Ranking Member Garamendi, and distinguished members of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, on behalf of the Department of the Air Force and the nearly 645,000 active and reserve component airmen and including those engaged in combat operations today and in the future around the globe, I want to thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today.
▶ 0:25:55I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Department's energy, installations, and environment programs, as our partnership with this subcommittee has been foundational to ensuring that we maximize the lethality and war-fighting capability of our 177 Department of the Air Force installations around the We must ensure the readiness of the Readiness is the cornerstone of credible deterrence and effective war-fighting.
▶ 0:26:19For the Department of the Air Force, this begins with our installations, which serve as platforms for projecting air and space power. We must modernize and sustain physical and energy systems that enable missions, deliver increased capability through strategic operational energy use, and ensure the well-being of our airmen and who execute the mission, the families that support them, and make a commitment to the readiness that is essential for the health and safety of our communities and surrounding environments,
▶ 0:26:50both on and off the installation. We are aggressively addressing the challenges of PFAS by continuing to investigate, mitigate, and remediate on and off installation impacts from PFAS releases from Department of the Air Force Second, we must align infrastructure with strategy.
▶ 0:27:09This means deliberately posturing the right capabilities in the right locations, co-locating where mission integration demands it, and dispersing where survivability, operational flexibility, and geographic reach require it. The Department of the Air Force is committed to executing the strategic basing process in a manner that is sustainable, repeatable, deliberate, and most importantly, transparent.
▶ 0:27:33Simultaneously, we must be willing to demolish excess or obsolete infrastructure that no longer supports the needs of the world's greatest air and space force. The Department of the Air Force is increasing our demolition investments to remove obsolete facilities and exploring innovative and collaborative ventures with our communities through strategic real estate opportunities for the mutual benefit of both the community and the Department of the Air Force.
▶ 0:28:00Third, we must fundamentally transform how we deliver infrastructure to match the speed and adaptability required in today's strategic environment. Traditional military construction processes are too slow, too rigid, and too costly to support the dynamic demands of modern conflict and rapid force posture adjustments.
▶ 0:28:19To close this gap, we will aggressively leverage the use of recently expanded congressional authorities for non-traditional delivery models that enable us to align with the industry proven best practices and compress timelines, reduce costs, and accelerate capability to the field. Additionally, in accordance with the President's nuclear energy agenda, we are leading the Department of War in the development and deployment of advanced nuclear energy.
▶ 0:28:44At Eielson Air Force Base, we are pioneering the first commercial application of a microreactor on Department of War property. This project, along with our advanced nuclear power for installations initiative, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit, will accelerate the deployment of small, modular, and microreactors to provide even our most strategic and austere installations with safe, reliable, and grid-independent power.
▶ 0:29:11By investing in our installations, we invest in our ability to deter and win. By securing our energy, we ensure mission continuity under fire. By protecting our environment, we help maintain the trust and health of communities and the long-term viability of our training and operations. And by caring for our service members families, we strengthen the very heart of the Thank you for your continued support of our Airmen and Guardians, and I look forward to taking your questions. Thank you.
▶ 0:29:40Now, we're going to begin our questioning in a in an effort to respect all of our members time and the panels time, I would ask the members to uh keep their questions and comments to the 5 minutes. And if we need a second round, we'll do a second round. And to start it off, I'm I'm going to defer my questions until the end, and Mr. Garamendi, you're recognized for 5 Uh Mr. Chairman, you place a heavy burden on me to do the same. But I think I'll forego that opportunity.
▶ 0:30:09Um There are a couple of things that I want to get to very quickly. I did have the opportunity to talk to most of you before this hearing, and thank you for that time. Um The sighting at the Department of Defense has been in existence since 2011. And it's specifically there to deal with uh projects that could impact the base, a base.
▶ 0:30:37I'm specifically concerned about wind turbines. Uh and this question goes to you, Mr. Marks. We talked about it earlier. Uh, many of the agreements on wind turbines are waiting for your approval. Uh, I don't know how many, but that is a question. Uh, how many are standing out there? This is a process that takes some time. Wind turbine wants to go up somewhere, and it may or may not interfere with the base and its operations.
▶ 0:31:07And so, the clearinghouse is supposed to look at that. There may be mitigation that's necessary. I'd like your office to provide the number of agreements that are waiting for your approval. so, if you have that number with you, or send it to us for the record. Thank you, member. I'd be happy to do that. Uh, there are roughly uh, a dozen right now uh, that are going through the process. I have none on my desk. I went back and checked after we spoke earlier today, sir, um, to make sure of that.
▶ 0:31:37And they are uh, we are trying to move those forward. Uh, that would be important. Some of these uh, developers are all over me and perhaps my colleagues here. Uh, once you've approved a mitigation measure, what is the standard timeline? Now, you haven't been there that long, but uh, Yes, sir. No, I I I appreciate that. Um, the way that that works is really is so dependent upon the mitigation measure that's required to do that.
▶ 0:32:04So, let let me go to one that I know you're familiar with, and again, thank you for pointing me back to Travis. So, for example, in Travis, an an Owave system that we could install means that we've already identified how to mitigate it. And then, on the depart part of the department, we can work with the Air Force to get something like that installed. In other areas where I don't quite have that kind of technology, or we're examining alternative technologies, it takes a little bit longer to ensure that we can do the mitigation measures.
▶ 0:32:31Um, but but cer- certainly, I would say the negotiations are active uh, to make sure that we can do that. Are you going to change Are you going to change the process? Sir, the intent is to change the process to speed it up. Um and so we are looking at the process. I've actually asked our Northcom partners uh NORAD Northcom has a significant role in this because of the homeland defense nature of the site and clearinghouse. And And we've asked of uh for inputs on how to make that better. And it's supposed to come back to me soon.
▶ 0:32:59As all of us know, all politics are Travis Air Force Base runway November been looking at that for a long time. The lack of Excuse me, of a taxiway created a 50% reduction in the efficiency of that base. I want uh to bring that to your attention and ask you to work on this with me and others try to get this done quicker.
▶ 0:33:30It is the gateway to the Pacific. And right now I suspect almost uh nearly all of their aerial tankers are deployed significantly well halfway around the So please take a look at that. We'd like to push that forward uh the base and I'm sure that uh the Air Force would also. With that I yield back keeping it as short as possible, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Garamendi. Um Mr. Manchin, you're recognized for 5 Thank you very much.
▶ 0:33:59And And I while I respect the the ranking member very much, I have zero interest in windmills and uh and solar power uh for two reasons. If there's no wind, there's no power. If there's no sun, there's no power. And what you need in a in a base is reliable energy. Plus second reason, both of those infrastructures are outdoors. Really hard to uh to defend uh against adversaries. And so I'd I'd rather go the nuclear route, okay? And um a question for for anybody there.
▶ 0:34:29Are you aware of technology that by utilizing a nuclear power uh and very high temperature nuclear power you could actually generate and jet fuel out of the out of nuclear reactors. Anybody aware of that? I I will speak at least and I'll defer to my partners, but we just came from 2 weeks ago working with Valor Atomic. We were part of the delivering of the reactor from California to Hill Air Force Base. And as part of that we did have a conversation about that possibility. Yes, sir.
▶ 0:34:59Which would make the the the bases more self-sufficient. Also will we reduce our cost for for fuel. Also you have fuel when you you can't be refueled or or restocked. You could actually make your own. So I think it's a it's an interest a very interesting proposition. So like for you all to to look at that. I'm just going to switch bases now. I'm going to go to the uh things that are happening in in in my neck of the woods and in Key West, NAS Key West.
▶ 0:35:27Uh we have some substandard housing there that is uh is managed by Balfour Beatty Communities. I'm going to show you a couple of photographs. This this is the the the housing that we have in Key West. This is the stuff that's happening. The the ceilings are falling down. We have we have mold and mildew all over the place, but this is for the enlisted people.
▶ 0:35:54Over there, that's the housing for officers in another place which is about a Balfour Community and in Pensacola, okay? That's that's a house of an admiral I think and this is the house of of a captain. I doubt sincerely, okay, that the same stuff that's happening there is happening there. Frankly, I'm astounded, okay?
▶ 0:36:21And part of the morale of the of the of the armed forces to me would be that, "Hey, you take care of your people And so, I'm not sure that that the the enlisted people are being taken care of. And so, I'd like for somebody to look into this and what's happening. I actually looked at those communities about 3 years ago and I was not impressed then and I'm even less impressed now with what's going on there.
▶ 0:36:50what is preventing the Navy from developing the 18 acres at Sigsbee in partnership with the city of Key West for additional housing. Not only for our service men and women, but for housing, much needed housing that is needed in the in the Keys. Uh so, Mr. Rogers, I guess that's that's with you. I've been asking for this for about 5 years.
▶ 0:37:12Public part private partnership when I was mayor of Miami-Dade County, we built we built a heck of a lot of housing in a public private partnership form because we had the dirt. And in the Keys, dirt is gold. So, what's what's happening with that project? Is that project going to happen? Are you moving forward with it? Or is it just hey, you know, our bureaucracy? Yeah, Congressman, thank you and appreciate obviously what's been going on in Key West and as you pointed out the mold and some of the challenges have been there.
▶ 0:37:42We are actually actively working with BBC on this. You mentioned Sigsbee. Sigsbee has been the kind of epicenter of the problem and we'll continue to work there. You also asked about what are we going to do in terms of future development. The critical component with BBC specifically in that Key West and that Southeast region is making sure that the overall business model works. This is one of the things that we'll be working with OSW.
▶ 0:38:05Honorable Marks and I had a meeting with BBC leadership just last week and one of the things that we talked about was what is the future and what is the right size. So, there is an interest in development. The end of the day, those most of those Sigsbee houses were built in the '60s. We need to recapitalize that project as you know and we need to create something that's safe, and clean for our sailors. So, there is a real interest in the development. The key there
▶ 0:38:28My house was built in the '50s. I live in this you know, I live in a a hurricane-prone area. It doesn't look like that, okay? Uh okay, so um I know don't don't give me that the age is the issue. Those houses that I showed you for the officers in Pensacola, they were built in the '30s. All right?
▶ 0:38:45So, it's it's it's a question Uh and so, you know, I my time is up and I'm going to have to you know, reel back, but uh there's a whole bunch of other questions that I would like to ask you. Thank you and I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Vasquez. You're recognized for 5 minutes. Thank you uh Mr. Chairman. Thank you, ranking member. Thank you for all the witnesses for taking the time to be here today.
▶ 0:39:10I have the privilege of representing New Mexico's 2nd District, home to Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range, and I'm the only member of the New Mexico delegation to serve on Armed Services Committee. I have vested interest in all of New Mexico's These installations are homes to our service members and their families, conduct critical mission and testing, and house our military stockpiles.
▶ 0:39:32Ensuring that we maintain their access to power isn't optional, it's mission I'd like to talk today about grid And as I'm sure you know, the 2nd District of New Mexico experiences uh weather fluctuations, intense heat waves every summer that can cause increased demand, overloading the grid, and causing power outages as we have seen at White Sands Missile Range in years past.
▶ 0:39:56But, other forms of severe weather such as snowstorms, hurricanes, or high winds at other military installations can also impact the grid by damaging key components resulting in blackouts that require long man-hours and equipment to Man-made events including terrorism, cyberattacks, and sabotage also pose a risk to our military's energy In the face of these threats, uh we can't find ourselves unprepared.
▶ 0:40:20Ensuring mission readiness whenever and wherever the fight uh is going to rely on us having the power that we need to support it. And so, Assistant Secretary Marks, uh how is the department taking extreme weather conditions, sabotage, and cyberattacks into account when preparing for the future of energy resilience? Sir, thank you for that question, and it begins with a very robust partnership with both the Department of Energy as well as with industry.
▶ 0:40:45So, I meet on a regular basis with energy CEOs uh to discuss how we collaboratively can invest because, as you know, 98% of our energy comes from off the installation, not on. So, so first and foremost is it's a shared concern and one in which we're working together to identify critical vulnerabilities across the entire grid system and how collaboratively we can get after that together. That is an ongoing uh process that we're working on uh about every couple of weeks we meet together to make sure that we're chasing that.
▶ 0:41:13Part two of that, from a Department perspective, is the investment in alternative energy sources across the board. We're an all-in, all technologies, whatever it takes to make sure right energy, right place. New Mexico, as you mentioned, has some very unique opportunities there that we can use that again don't relate to other parts of the country. So, we want to make sure that we tailor that and then work with with the power provider to ensure that we're getting after those things. Lastly, uh is investments in energy storage.
▶ 0:41:39Um what I like to remind people is absent energy storage, uh if I put in a grid, I put in a system, but there's no backup power, there's no energy storage system, then then we're just dead in the water again. So, the use of black start exercises, backup systems is what helps us. Thank you, Assistant Secretary, and I'm glad that uh that you mentioned your approach to the all of the above uh energy resiliency strategy because we know energy security is national security, especially on our installations.
▶ 0:42:04Uh and I'm glad that you mentioned that 98% uh of the power generation on military installations comes uh from from the private sector. Um Mr. Secretary, Assistant Secretary, have you received any pushback from Department leadership to plan, procure, or build closed-loop energy sources that include renewable energy like solar and We have all things again on the table right now, and we are working again.
▶ 0:42:28I think I think the difference at this point is it's not an an across-the-board, but it is no kidding one in which we work with the installations and their energy plans to ensure we're getting after what makes the most sense in that community. Thank you, Assistant Secretary. And just for the record, there hasn't been any official directives issued or any of the other type of guidance issued related to renewable energy installations at our military bases as a degraded option or perhaps a non-option.
▶ 0:42:55I I have we have not issued nor have I even given anything that would restrict us from taking best opportunity to help our installations be energy resilient. Thank you, Assistant Secretary. And to your point about things like battery storage. We know that modern battery storage technology keeps getting better and better, hopefully more affordable as well. And that technology could impact the overall reliability of things like close close grid solar systems.
▶ 0:43:22What is your progress in identifying that technology, installing that technology, and having that storage on hand? So certainly we're working with my colleagues to my left in each of the services as they look at what is the opportunity. Part of the challenge, sir, simply put, is I also look at critical minerals at the same time. And so alternative battery storage is also a thing. So everything from rocks that store power, salt that stores power, other ways it so store power. So all alternative technologies that help us clean up the power, but have it readily available for our mission needs.
▶ 0:43:52Thank you, Assistant Secretary. I appreciate that. And I just want to mention as well that because we're no longer investing in renewable energy infrastructure transmission through the use of subsidies as we have in years past, I do fear that that technology will be less widely used uh for more energy resiliency on our military installations and uh I'm very worried about that. With that uh my time is back is up. I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Moylan. You're recognized for 5 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:44:19Uh I've been hearing long-standing issues from all of you regarding our request for energy. And the answer for Guam, and this is a great concern for Guam as well as the investments into the Guam Power Authority um managed grid. Guam Power Authority takes care of all of the transmission on the island to include all of our military bases right now, but most of the grid is leased from the War Department.
▶ 0:44:44And as the War Department increases requirements placed on Guam Power Authority, the support has not been matched by the Department of War. So, that's that's a critical concern for us. And in addition to that, the power, we also have a top concern of housing. Increased housing off base threatens our local market.
▶ 0:45:05And the Joint Regional Marianas is working with our business community to find more off base housing, but uh this plan off base must need met with uh supplemented with new And we have the uh MHPI private partnership or housing military constructions are all options, but the Department cannot rely entirely on existing housing to meet these needs.
▶ 0:45:32And another concern we have for Guam is something new in some massive quali- uh quantities of doldrum. Doldrum found in our Guam's drinking water, and we'll be relying upon the War Department's full cooperation to identify the source of this contamination. So, Secretary Borders, thanks for visiting the other day. Appreciate you coming into my office.
▶ 0:45:55I know we touched on the topics regarding our resilient power transmission to especially to Anderson Air Force Base and how critical it is uh to close the northern loop with underground transmission and I commend the Guam Power Authority for ensuring that Anderson Air Force never lost power during Typhoon Mawar despite only having one leg of the northern loop underground I like to know from you sir what efforts do you plan to undertake to work with Guam Power Authority
▶ 0:46:25and Department of Navy to further support underground transmission lines in the north of Guam. Congressman thank you for your time yesterday. I found it very illuminating and thank you for bringing that important issue up. Luckily I was able to communicate with my shipmate to the right. We were both in violent agreement about power and the necessity for that.
▶ 0:46:48As we move forward I I think getting eyes on getting out there and taking a look and something that I'd like to bring is is kind of replicating a a system or a template that we had at AFSOC to where we step through this hand-in-hand with our community partners and and grid owners. So uh thank you for allowing me to to talk about that but thank you for allowing us to visit in the future and really getting eyes on.
▶ 0:47:17Thank you with you and also Rogers. This cooperation of course working with the power authority will help our public will help our service members to prepare for the next typhoon or in the time of conflict. So it's really important appreciate that. Assistant Secretary Rogers also we spoke recently and what I felt was the extremely productive phone call of course and thank you for your proactive interest into Guam.
▶ 0:47:42And I know we've been exploring ways to support critical sections of the Guam power grid which are leased by the Department of Navy to Guam Power Authority and the Department has articulated needs outpacing GPA that could provided by the 2030s without a previous administration working to support the grid. So at this stage, do you know if O&M funds, MilCon funds, or some mixture of funding streams would most enable the war department to prepare Guam's power grid for the growing demands?
▶ 0:48:15Thank you for the question and I appreciate the time and the discussion the other day. Um as we discussed, the critical component here is what our requirements. And so we continue to know that Guam is strategically important and will be and will continue to be important to the Indo-Pacom region going forward. And what we're focused on now is what does that posture look like and what are all the requirements?
▶ 0:48:34Um you talk about the the grid, the grid is critical in all of our installations, but certainly as as Guam and as we talked about on the phone, um not only getting out there but really spending some time with GPA, understanding really the state of the world today, then measuring that capability versus our requirements. The gap is where we are going to focus on the funding. Uh thank you.
▶ 0:48:54And what can we do to ensure more new housing construction is planned so Guam can support sustainable Right now the housing in the in the significant investment that's occurred uh so far and from a housing standpoint, we're actually um not at full capacity. Again, this is going to really be driven by what does the force look like and what does that kind of employment of force look like in the going forward. That will ultimately drive where again requirements and then where are we relative to that. Uh but look forward to working with you and your staff on options.
▶ 0:49:24Thank you. Thank you, panel. Thank you, chairman. Ms. Bordallo, you're recognized for 5 Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh Mr. Gillis, your assertion that you could somehow insert language into this year's NDAA is quite frankly delusional and You and I had this conversation.
▶ 0:49:47Right now I think I don't need to remind any of you on that dais or anyone here as well that trust with the military in Hawaii is low. Whether it's because you poisoned our whether it's because you took the land unilaterally after the illegal throw of the Hawaiian Kingdom, whether it's you you essentially squatted on it for the last 65 years, a dollar a year for the bases and facilities you sit on.
▶ 0:50:13That's like squatting And then last year the whispering of condemnation. You can put the word friendly in front of it. There's no such thing as friendly condemnation to a people where our land is everything because we have a lot less of it than any other state in this country. We know how important it is and it's personal and we're connected to it.
▶ 0:50:40And so I'm sure you can imagine that the threats, the whisper, the indication of any kind of taking, eminent domain or otherwise, this is like a huge red flag for the people of my district, for the people of my state. And so you and I have had this this conversation on where I stand on this particular issue. No more land That's happened already too often. We know how this story ends.
▶ 0:51:09What I want to start to hear is how we are going to actually sit down and talk and meaningfully negotiate about a lease renegotiation. Hawaii is the landowner as we should be and a lease that reflects the true value, not of the land, cuz you know that that land, Poahakuloa, may not be worth a whole lot of money, but the value that it is to the military, that it presents to the military to have that training.
▶ 0:51:36And not only that, but a lease that reflects the level of activity and sensitivity that should be required to be literally our neighbors and in our backyard. To do all that, by the way, requires significant community and public engagement.
▶ 0:51:53To date, I have seen zero of I have people asking me, "When are they going to come to us and talk to us about real proposals?" If we are going to be serious about moving forward as we hit the ending of those leases in 2029 to 2020 2031, then I want to know that you are going to abandon this talk of condemnation and commit yourself to actually, in good faith, renegotiating
▶ 0:52:24renegotiating the terms of the lease. Will you commit to that? Congresswoman, first first of all, I am grateful for your continued engagement and the transparent dialogue that we've had on this issue. Pōhakuloa is extremely important to the Army. We are
▶ 0:52:43Pōhakuloa is extremely important to Hawaiʻi, as well. Un- understood. And and we are willing to uh explore all options that are on the table to uh allow us to have continued access to that training land. Be clear with me because this is a a big fear and a justifiable fear and anger that my constituents have. Commit to taking that condemnation completely off the table.
▶ 0:53:08You can't negotiate in good faith about terms for a lease renegotiation if you've always got that dangling over people's head. Will you commit that you'll take it off the table and we can just talk about lease terms? Like, for example, we talked about the length of years. Senator Inouye himself, when this first came about, suggested 25. 65 is way too Can we talk about those things? Can we talk about reduced activity? Can we talk about real compensation, not squatting for a dollar a year on our land? Will you commit to that?
▶ 0:53:37That's what I want to hear, and that's what my constituents want to hear, too. Uh we'll we'll commit to having those conversations. Uh, Commit to taking condemnations off so we can have a real dialogue. Whenever you have a threat, hold a knife literally above someone's head, that's not negotiating in faith. Nope, don't intend for that to be a threat, Congresswoman. Want to leave all options on the table. However, I can assure you that all our negotiations have been in good faith. And with respect to community engagement, I'm heading out to Hawaii on uh, the 23rd of March to do that myself in person.
▶ 0:54:07I have not seen yet any advertisements to the public that you're going to be out there on the 23rd. Again, this is not about meeting with select people in a room or advisory group that's formed by the governor. It's getting out to real people who have real opinions, real thoughts, real connection to the aina. I would like to see that kind of engagement happen. And again, I'm going to hold you. We are taking that condemnation off the table. We'll talk about lease renegotiations.
▶ 0:54:28commit to continuing to engage. Thank you, Congresswoman. Mr. Higgins recognized for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, thank you for being here. I'd like to echo the sentiment that was shared by my colleague from Florida, Representative Giménez, regarding nuclear power.
▶ 0:54:48I said to Secretary Marks, nuclear power capacity of small modular nuclear reactors seems to Americans that take a look at it, is clearly the answer. I don't know if anybody on the panel or in the audience or even up here is 71 years old. it was it was 71 years ago. Was it chairman, 71? I'm not sure.
▶ 0:55:18I'm I'll be 65 in a few months. So, I I'm I'm not trying to hurt anybody's But, it was 71 years ago we we floated the first nuclear powered vessel. We're talking three quarters of a century old And it And here we are 71 years later wondering how to power our bases. America doesn't understand why we're not moving forward.
▶ 0:55:46We built 219 nuclear powered vessels with for the for the United States military. We have 6200 reactor years of incident-free I I I think when we discuss reliable off-the-grid independent permanent energy for our military bases, we we have to to Department of War, we have to be focused on small modular nuclear reactors.
▶ 0:56:15So, but I I digress cuz like everyone else up here, I want what I want for my state. Under Secretary Gillis, said to Secretary Gillis, Fort Polk and the JRTC, the Joint Readiness Training Center, are critical to Army readiness. Do you concur? I do. Absolutely.
▶ 0:56:39So, the Louisiana delegation has previously backed the 780 million in funding for military construction projects across the state, including more than 300 million for Fort Polk. Yet, we have a 5,000 bed deficit and we're housing service members in temporary substandard facilities.
▶ 0:56:59At the same time, military construction projects, in some cases, are carrying cross print cost premiums of 40 to 70% compared to the private sector. So, Mr. Gillis, what is the Army's current timeline of and funding plan to construct a rotational unit building area at JRTC and close the existing bed deficit?
▶ 0:57:24And how will you leverage contracting, progressive design build, modern stuff, and other authorities at your disposal, sir, to reduce costs and accelerate completion. And I yield the floor to the gentleman. How can you help Louisiana and by extension the entire United States Army and the readiness of the United States military? Uh first I want to acknowledge your point about JRTC.
▶ 0:57:51It's one of one, a unique uh facility for for the Army. Polk is actually a location where we are exploring uh alternative construction techniques. And at the ruba in particular, uh we're also exploring alternate design and construction agent authorities. And so rather than have a core of engineers barracks construction project in the traditional style uh for the ruba, we have got Army Material Command as the design construction agent.
▶ 0:58:19Uh and we'll be contracting with an innovative 3D printing uh company who will build those barracks with their printer machine uh out of out of concrete. We've done a pilot at Fort Bliss. We've seen what these look like in real life, and they are a good solution. For the rest of your questions, sir, on uh on the broader deficit, I'll have to get back to you so that we can brief you and out the bigger plan for construction. But on the ruba, we're we're ready to move out.
▶ 0:58:46Yes, sir. I I like that answer and and the fact that that the Department of War is embracing modern 21st century construction methods and and um willing to deploy that as opposed to you know, in this town you launch another study or special subcommittee under the committee for the subcommittee. And and you study something for a few years and eventually get around to it.
▶ 0:59:14So we'd like to see actual construction beginning and completed in the very near future. Can I look forward to a commitment like that, sir? Uh you can. When we lay the first rope on that construction, we'll invite you, we'll cut the ribbon. There you go. That's a deal, Mr. Chairman. I yield. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you. Ms. Elfreth, you're recognized for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, thank you for being here. I'm going to I'm going to echo my my colleague from the south. We all want what we want what we want for our states.
▶ 0:59:43I'm hoping my question though will serve other installations in other states though. It's around extreme weather and and storm water challenges. I represent the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. Mr. Rogers, by virtue of almost every one of your bases having to be on your near water, you experience storm water challenges more so than almost anybody at that dais. You know, we I think you're experiencing you said something very interesting and I'm going to quote quote you back. We cannot MILCON our way out of this problem.
▶ 1:00:10And and that really resonated with me because right now, as we're addressing some of these very severe and very expensive tens of millions of dollars of of storm water projects that are only going to get worse as seas rise. It we're struggling right now because it's competing with MILCON and O&M accounts and pushing back some other critical infrastructure projects on base. And so I'm I'm just curious because the GAO has identified gaps in the department's tracking of the full cost and operational impacts of natural disasters.
▶ 1:00:41I'm curious, is there a different way we can look at this? Yes, private public partnerships are going to be a part of this, but I think also the way that we're budgeting isn't necessarily keeping up with the new threats. So, has the department formally evaluated evaluated establishing a dedicated line of funding specifically for storm water management and flood mitigation to proactively reduce long-term recovery costs and strengthen installation resilience? Thank you very much for the question.
▶ 1:01:09And as you talk about the funding aspect of this is absolutely critical. So, it has not been done historically in the past. And so what has occurred is we have budgets, we spend a lot of time staffing them, we have great plans, and we want to execute, and then mother nature does what mother nature does. And that then impacts those budgets cuz our funding goes away. So, I I certainly would be excited to work on something like that because what we could do is come up with a kind of contingency fund, but it needs to be informed by a couple things.
▶ 1:01:38What does the data say in terms of what has actually impacted us, and what do we think that the resiliency plan will look like because we need to have a sense of when things happen, how do we react? We tend to uh historically wait for the event Right. and [clears throat] then react. And so, it it would certainly look forward to uh working with yourself and others on how can we better set aside in the funding contingency dollars that if not if hopefully nothing happens, that's great.
▶ 1:02:05Uh but if something does happen that they're available so that we can actually move fast.
▶ 1:02:09I appreciate that. I look forward to working with you and and Mr. Marks on that cuz I think it's a it's a department-wide issue. Um I'm going to move on to to Army, Mr. Gillis. There's certain Army installations you're probably going to guess which I'm talking about by my question that host combatant commands with responsibility central to homeland defense under the national defense strategy, and these missions operate continuously that and and they don't always have to do with the surge when there's a crisis.
▶ 1:02:33At the same time, many of these installations face significant aging infrastructure that are stressing housing, working conditions, even roads. Um MILCON investments must be prioritized across the force under balanced portfolio approach, but I'm just curious if you have any thoughts here. How is the department prioritizing MILCON investments at installations whose operational ready responsibilities are foundational to homeland daily homeland I uh Thanks for the question, and and apologies that I missed you at Fort Meade.
▶ 1:03:02I was there just a few weeks before you uh looking at housing. But but agree, when we prioritize MILCON or FSRM construction, we do look at critical missions, prioritize those first even if it's a mission that belongs to a tenant unit. Um sometimes those missions are harder to get recognized, but we do work very hard to be sure that we do. I don't want to sound ungrateful.
▶ 1:03:24We've made a tremendous investment on the NSA side, but the garrison side has surged in terms of population and stressors and I don't I think we can do a better job collectively at prioritizing some of those quality of opportunities here. So I look forward again, Mr. Marks, thank you for shaking your head. I look forward to working with you on Fort Meade issues. Lastly, Mr. Marks, you mentioned the 90% of energy coming from off installation. That is is obviously a huge risk for many reasons.
▶ 1:03:52Can you Can you choose your own adventure for me a year from now when you're sitting in front of the subcommittee? Mr. Secretary, thank you for having this. Where would you like that number to be and before you leave the Department of Defense, where would you like that number to be and how? So I'm not sure that I want to completely track to a number because here's why. As I talk to energy CEOs, the co-investment and the nature of what that demand would be and the amount of money that it would take for us to take it over completely it is astronomical.
▶ 1:04:20And quite frankly, if I were to chase that, I think it would slow us down and hurt readiness. I think the alternative is can I prove to you that we have through whether it's black star exercises or other ways that we've actually advanced the cause where my installations can stand on their own that they have the redundancy and the resiliency that they should have to make sure they complete the mission, but beyond that, it has to be within the And in the And what I use by that is simply this, 70% of our service members roughly live outside the fence line.
▶ 1:04:48If that's true and it is, so then I need to make sure that it just because I can keep power on inside the fence line, but if my service members can't get to the installation to do their mission, then we've still failed. So that's why the approach we're trying to take is as collaborative and and a co-investment strategy where we look at the most critical infrastructure that we can with our energy partners and then make those strategic investments together to get the most that we possibly can. I'm excited to work with you on this. Thank you, Mr. Jared Yield. Mr.
▶ 1:05:18Schmidt, you're recognized for 5 Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank our witnesses for being here. Uh no rest for the weary, Mr. Gillis. I have a couple of questions for you as well, and I want to uh thank you for the information. I represent uh Fort Riley, Kansas, uh obviously home to the First Infantry Division, and uh you know, one of America's great heavy combat divisions.
▶ 1:05:41The middle of the country, uh which is actually a tremendous advantage uh geographically for us cuz we can get we can get to a boat on the Pacific coast, we can get to a boat on the Atlantic coast, or on the Gulf course or Gulf course Gulf coast um in about the same amount of time. It It tremendous flexibility for moving very heavy equipment and and soldiers. Uh in order to do that, we obviously have to have the ability to quickly get equipment onto the rail. Uh we have the advantage of a Class 1 railroad with a main line that runs through post.
▶ 1:06:10Uh I recall I was out here in the '90s, and I recall uh this same debate uh discussion, and it resulted in the construction of a terrific railhead facility that allows us to get uh equipment onto onto train very fast. It's actually named the Dole uh railhead, and you can imagine why that might be. And Senator Dole got that job Uh on our watch now, the the next matter that's very important um we don't have I call it in civilian terms, it's a paved parking lot with lights.
▶ 1:06:40There's a course of military it's a DRRF or whatever you want to call it, but you know, you bring all the heavy tracked vehicles down the tank tracks, you get them right in the area where you're going to stage them before you put them on the railhead, and right now it's dirt or gravel, uh and it's dark uh if you do it at night, and if you rain, it's muddy, uh and it's somewhat dangerous for soldiers, and it can limit whether you can do 24 hours worth of loading promptly depending on um the weather.
▶ 1:07:07And even if you get everything down there and you get it on the rail quickly sometimes it's just very muddy and in fact uh the commanding general was telling me recently that uh one of the recent times they deployed armor to to Europe I think they wound up paying $7 million in penalties to the shippers both the rail and the boats and I think maybe to the Europeans when they got there cuz they had Kansas mud on the tracks even though everything was clean when they put it on the tank uh trail to get it down there.
▶ 1:07:35So, uh getting getting that that derf done matters a lot uh not only for convenience but for cost and not only for convenience and cost but for safety and not only for those things but for our ability to quickly uh get those units where they are. So, it's my understanding that that project is in the pipeline. Uh it's currently under design. Uh I would love to get it done uh as quickly as we can.
▶ 1:07:58What can you tell us about uh where that stands uh is there any chance we can get it in the president's budget uh for the 20 7 Well, well, first Fort Riley, historic uh installation, uh storied unit, great soldiers. Having been a young officer in an armored brigade combat team and loaded trains and unloaded trains more times than I like to remember, understand the importance of a workable, usable, efficient railhead.
▶ 1:08:22Um specific to your question, I don't know where that project is at the moment but I will take that uh and based on based on you bringing that to my attention, uh I'll pull the thread, we'll come back to you with an answer on where it is and where it stands. Thank you. And obviously anything we can do to help hit the accelerator, we would like to do that uh within the bounds of what's proper. We'd like to get it done. Uh second and related question uh related in the sense it's also Fort Riley issue.
▶ 1:08:49Uh I had a discussion out there recently with some folks in the area in the in the region uh talking about deployment of of nuclear generation uh on America's military posts around the country. There was some interest uh in uh whether Riley might be in line for that type of consideration and some some discussion that they'd talked with folks, I think in your shop, uh Mr.
▶ 1:09:12Irwin, if I'm not mistaken, and and had they at least interpreted the conversation to suggest we might be, you know, relatively close to the top of the list where this might happen. What can you tell me about uh where that all stands, particularly as to Fort Riley? We're a little bit in the middle of source selection in our Janus program, talking to uh companies that submitted proposals, but I can tell you that the process is once we have narrowed down the companies that we want to do business with, we will match them up with installations where it makes sense and where we have willing utility partners, willing states,
▶ 1:09:42um and then we'll have our list of companies and installations, and so more more to follow and we can brief you on that as the project progresses. Thank you. I'd be grateful for being kept posted, and if we can be helpful in those discussions, we're happy to do it. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I yield Mr. Tran, you're recognized for 5 minutes. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, ranking member for today's hearing. All the witnesses, appreciate you all being here. My district is home to Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos as the primary base for the California Army National Guard.
▶ 1:10:13Los Alamitos is a critical strategic asset for both the US military and for Southern California. As the only military airfield in Los Angeles and Orange County, Los Al serves as a critical staging ground during disasters and was a lifeline for Californians during the uh during the disaster um excuse me, during the LA uh fires last year.
▶ 1:10:37The base supports hundreds of jobs in my community and provides um essential training for our service service members year round. On two separate occasions in the last several months, I was disappointed to learn that because of the Army Transformation Initiative, the Army has deactivated aircraft and units as at Los and plans to deactivate even more.
▶ 1:10:59In both instances, my office and this committee were not appropriately notified of the Army's intention to make these changes as required by law. Uh Secretary Gillis, can you speak to the Army's decision-making process when choosing bases to move personnel and assets from? And what requirements, as you understand, to notify Congress about these moves? Uh I can take that to my colleagues that work those decisions and and get back to you. That is not uh typically a installations, energy, and environment decision.
▶ 1:11:29But with respect to Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, that was an energy project that came to fruition when I was last in this seat uh involving solar and battery storage. That was an important uh resilience project in the guard infrastructure. Yeah, I would appreciate that very much if you can get your colleagues to get back to me on that. Uh as a former enlisted service member, I know that one of the chief complaints among our soldiers the quality of the barracks and dormitories as heard by my colleague, Mr.
▶ 1:11:56Jimenez uh particularly for our junior enlisted service members who can't move off base, they are dealing with leaks, mold, pests, and plumbing issues that can take weeks or months to be repaired. There is no doubt um that this has had a negative impact on our soldiers. Can one of you address uh what data does the department use to assess these impacts uh of the barracks conditions on retention, morale, and force readiness?
▶ 1:12:22So, let me start and then I'll pass to my colleagues, but broadly, this was exactly what got our attention and why we launched the barracks task force. So, wall-to-wall inspections by all all of my partners to my left. Uh that data then goes into a service all database where we understand by the services what what we're dealing with. Um the types of problems that includes a 24-hour we must have uh service work done.
▶ 1:12:45Uh most of that is through QR codes or other methodologies so that we can not only the soldiers can report it right away or or they can just scan, report immediately. Um, but also by the very nature of the fact that um, they can we can track that information and beyond that that installation commanders are now required to be the ones who sign off on how that works, but I'll let my partners uh, fill back in the rest of it in their individual I'll just tell you quickly that we have a work order uh, app called Arma, um, which is the one that we work all
▶ 1:13:16of those requests through. Across the Navy and the Marine Corps or um, did the same thing. We actually went and looked and inspected all of the rooms. We actually then track on a condition index basis what is the what are the rooms. If we have issues, we actually where we have capacity, we move uh, sailors or Marines out of those rooms and into appropriate ones.
▶ 1:13:35In terms of repair, also using the QR codes, having just traveled through several of our both Marine and Navy installations, I go to UH barracks and I ask them, "What's the speed like?" One thing I wanted to note on barracks 2030 that the Commandant of the Marine Corps has been very focused on. We're actually hiring and getting civilian managers to help to speed up this process and talking to Marines, I know that's had a very positive impact. For the Air and Space Force, we view this as a retention issue.
▶ 1:14:03Uh, we are looking at a number of different initiatives when it comes to dorms. I've already had several conversations with the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force uh, to develop new policy to really allow us to kind of open the aperture on what we can expect and what we should be expecting for our our airmen and guardians in the future. Everything is on the table. Really quickly, uh, can any one of you describe what steps uh, your departments are taking to reduce reliance on Chinese manufactured components in the energy storage systems?
▶ 1:14:32So, well, on behalf of the department, couple of different things happen. One is through our CFIUS process and our ability to look at those. We look at every single component and we evaluate all of those. Um, so that is through the uh, through my IBP side. Uh, and then we make sure that as those are going forward, those are examined in the databases maintained to report those Fantastic. Chairman, my time is up. I yield back. Mr. Sorensen, you're recognized for 5 Thank you, Chairman.
▶ 1:14:58Uh thank you to the ranking member and a welcome to all of our witnesses here today. Uh first, I'd like to thank Assistant Secretary Gillis uh for taking the time to speak with me ahead of this meeting. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with you to support the Rock Island Arsenal, as well as looking forward to expanding on the Janus program. So, I hope we can be a part of that. Um Uh my first question, when we talk about installations, we need to make sure that we're properly protecting the taxpayers' investment.
▶ 1:15:29Uh right now, I don't think that we're doing enough. Um the hiring freeze is making life difficult, and it's next to impossible to hire emergency service personnel. And this also comes as job slots are being cut. Uh case example, back in 2018, uh the Rock Island Arsenal Fire Department fought a fire that ended up causing uh tens of bill- tens of millions of dollars in damage. Uh but back then, they had really great staffing levels.
▶ 1:16:00Um and they had the firefighting equipment that they needed. Today, we run the risk of not having the people and the resources to respond with a successful outcome. Uh and I believe that we need to make sure that the 2023 NDAA requirements for firefighting minimum manning requirements are being followed without reducing any And quite frankly, the firefighters that we do have are overworked and underpaid. But here's the thing, I've been out on the Arsenal. I've been to the fire station.
▶ 1:16:30They love their jobs. And the Arsenal that that we have at one time was the nation's Arsenal that Abraham Lincoln decided to put on a 900-acre parcel in the middle of the Mississippi River. It is something that we cherish as Quad Citizens. Um we need to work to keep our firefighters safe, as well as every person who works on our installations. Can [snorts] I work with all of you to make sure that we're addressing these staffing issues? Can we agree?
▶ 1:17:01Yes, sir. Absolutely. Yes, Congressman. Thank you so much. I appreciate it, gentlemen. Um I've been uh proud to support the pilot program that created a a Zillow-type online real estate tool for the United States Army. This has allowed the Army to see uh which buildings that we have, deciding on where it makes sense for new military construction in some of our installations.
▶ 1:17:26For instance, on the historic Rock Island Arsenal, we would be thrilled to welcome new tenants to even some of the historic and the newer buildings that are ready for tenants. This tool's already likely saved the Army millions of dollars by averting the need for new building costs. It's exactly the sort the sort of um smart, common-sense uh things that we need to be doing. Um Assistant Secretary Gillis, could you speak to the importance of this online real estate tool uh for the Army?
▶ 1:17:54Well, it it primarily the purpose is a great tool to show us where we have underutilized space and to help us maximize or optimize our footprint um cuz we have a lot we we mentioned excess space a minute ago.
▶ 1:18:07We We have a lot of opportunities to consolidate and make better use of the space that we have where it's excess to need or underutilized for our requirements, we've got an opportunity to engage in in enhanced use leases to obtain something of value for the department and deliver something of value to the communities. Great. Thank you so much.
▶ 1:18:28And before I yield back, I'd like to say that, you know, I'm in the House Agriculture Committee, which is the reason why I'm wearing my corn tie, but also the Congresswoman next to me said that she would get up and leave if I said, "You know, this could have been a day where we had a colonel in front of me." So, I'm not going to say it. Instead, I'll say, "Mr. Chairman, I yield back." Was that an attempt at humor? All right. All right.
▶ 1:18:55Um thank you all for your for your I got a couple of questions. Uh Mr. we're going to get We had a little meeting in our office a few days ago. I'll get right to the point. The Army proposed a $20 million investment to expand the PFAS barrier at Camp Grayling, Michigan. And that funding is no longer moving Uh I'd like to exact know exactly who made the decision not to proceed.
▶ 1:19:23Um what specific data supported the And thirdly, will that 20 million still be spent at Camp Grayling on Or has it been redirected? Let's start with that. Well, first, apologies for not having all the facts on Camp Grayling when we met last week.
▶ 1:19:45Moreover, we take our responsibilities to communities impacted by PFAS very seriously, and I wanted to acknowledge that I understand that this is about meeting our obligations and and achieving results. At at Grayling, we have a very good working relationship with the city, with the township, with the state regulator, with the RAB. Look forward to continuing to build that relationship. With respect to the permeable barrier project last summer, we installed a pilot, and we are testing its ability to impact the expansion of the plume.
▶ 1:20:16We are expecting that report later this calendar year. In the meantime, we are committed to engage further with your office, with other stakeholders involved with remediation of PFAS at Camp Grayling. I can commit that the Army will continue to work with the RAB, the state
▶ 1:20:31on just a sec. What I thought I heard you say was you installed a barrier. That's right, a pilot permeable barrier at Grayling. Okay, so we have a barrier installed that we're evaluating right now. That's correct. Okay. Uh has Eagle from the state of Michigan stuck their nose into this at all? Uh I'm I'm not sure. I can pull the thread and get back to you with an answer on that.
▶ 1:20:55we as we when you and I had our meeting, we we had the discussion of uh you know, PFOA PFOA doesn't wait for the perfect barrier, but we, through a trial and error, will figure out which barrier will give us the best results. Well, it'd be great if it was 100%, but if it's 90 or 80, that's how we move forward. So, I just wanted to make sure that we understood where we were in the timeline here.
▶ 1:21:22And so, next summer, meaning this coming 6 months from now? Uh by the end of this calendar year. By the end of this calendar year, so we'll have data on that barrier that has been installed. I And sir, if if I could add, based on our last engagement, I I commit to visit Grayling in conjunction with the next in-person RAB meeting, uh which is on May 19th. Okay.
▶ 1:21:48Well, again, as we talked about, it's it's about the clarification of the communication because a lot of times the the ball doesn't get dropped intentionally, it just gets dropped. So, I appreciate that. Uh Mr. Borders, you and I had a nice meeting. Uh Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, that's been one of the most prominent PFOA sites in the country for for a long time, uh with impacts to the groundwater and to the surrounding community.
▶ 1:22:17Can you give us an update on the current status of the remediation efforts at Wurtsmith, including what work is underway now, and what timeline is for completing a meaningful cleanup? Chairman, currently the Air Force, the Department of the Air Force has 10 different initiatives going on at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Uh Air Force Base. Uh we're pretty excited about the potential of those.
▶ 1:22:41We'll continue to monitor and keep an eye on it and I do look forward to visiting there and on the ground uh and taking advantage of some of the some of the um points that you talked about. I did appreciate our meeting and I do understand the passion you have behind this and we're taking it extremely seriously. Yeah.
▶ 1:22:58Well, I think for any I don't care what the subject is and no matter whose district it is, the the citizens that live there as best as would like to know at least up occasionally uh or on a routine basis, but you know, timelines but timelines change, but as soon as you know the timelines change, communicate the change and people may not like it, but they will accept the fact that you've communicated that and I appreciate that across the department as a whole.
▶ 1:23:27Now, this is each one of you um can respond to this. Uh Congress has expanded your authority in the one big beautiful bill to allow use of partial uh basic allowance for housing for those who don't know the acronym uh to support privatized barracks projects.
▶ 1:23:49What specific steps have been taken to implement that authority and what should when should we expect to see some actual projects awarded or under construction? So, anybody who wants to make a comment, please do. So, let me start simply by saying, Chairman, that uh we we want to use every tool at our disposal and uh we are encouraging uh absolute investment right now. So, it's not wait for a study, it's let's get it going.
▶ 1:24:15So, I'll turn to my partners as they can give you examples of how we're trying to get after that uh especially through the task force. Okay. Chairman, I'll make the next comment on the um on the barrack side. We've actually have two places where we're currently deployed that it's a also in Virginia in the Hampton Roads area and also in San Diego. We tried to tend to focus on the privatization of barracks using the BAH model where we have fleet concentration centers. So the current one which I have actually toured through called Iowa States is actually doing quite well in the Hampton Roads area.
▶ 1:24:45Have not been out to San Diego but the reports are that it's positive. We've met with the the counterparts and in terms of new construction we've taken the learnings from what we call phase one in the Hampton Roads area and are currently in the process of negotiating and finalizing the deal for phase two. Phase two in the Hampton Road area would bring us on on board about 8,000 additional bedrooms in the UH area using this model and so we're focused on making sure that we have the right counterparty, the right deal and we can go and execute the pieces to move that.
▶ 1:25:15We are moving out on that. And I'll just add that I personally toured the Navy facility where they use partial BAH in Hampton Roads and and I'm thrilled by the results. We're taking a hard look at that as well as any other authorities that we might be able to use to to deliver barracks in a different way. Chairman, thank you for those authorities. Those are monumental and probably the most comprehensive reforms we've seen in decades.
▶ 1:25:44What the Air Force is doing is we're aligning our current and future MILCON projects and we're also trying to make sure that we can have different projects through local developers done through EULs or IGSAs to further make a decision a smart financial decision. Do we need to keep this MILCON project online or is this EUL IGSA more than sufficient to meet the needs of our airmen and guardians? Thank you. Any final comments?
▶ 1:26:13Anything from any of the members? Well, um we know as we said early on in the opening comments in its simplest thing as we look to care for and make life quality of life for our our service members and their families as as as high a quality as possible.
▶ 1:26:35That's always ongoing with everything from changes in technology and building to taking care of routine maintenance in a in a house or a an apartment complex or whatever it happens to be and we also know one of the challenges that we have is that basically roughly almost 60% increased cost to build aboard a military base as it does out on the other side of the fence line which makes absolutely no sense.
▶ 1:27:05So as we continue to work forward here as the committee, we appreciate your Uh, bad news doesn't get better with time. Those of you who have sat in our office know that's how we end every meeting. So please when you see something, say something, reach out to us so we as a as a committee here can take appropriate action to support you to make things right. And with that, thank you for what you do for all of our serving military members and our families and this hearing is adjourned.