Page images
PDF
EPUB

nificant to all who observe the work of our national forces during this critical time.

You have already achieved considerable success in this regard. The Congress and the American people have seen the results firsthand again and again from Bosnia to Kosovo to Afghanistan to the current operations pertaining to Iraq.

As we all know, the hardest tasks before those in leadership positions is to successfully promote and to produce change. And with respect to the Army, the two of you, the DOD, this Committee and others have all seen our share of frustrations along the way. This is not new, especially when it comes to developing and fielding equipment.

Many of us recall vividly a hearing this subcommittee held 3 years ago where representatives from the Army were unable to answer basic questions about the status and continued relevance of your acquisition programs. As a result, we pushed the Army to rethink both the process for developing and acquiring weapons and how the Army organizes itself to accomplish that task. Mr. Secretary and General Shinseki, you both heard us; and you have responded.

We know what it is like to propose new ideas and technologies. Not so long ago—we have talked about this a lot. Not so long ago, this Committee had to struggle with all of the military services to win the acceptance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as a regular element of the forces you deploy. Now, with the successes of these systems in the Balkans, in Afghanistan and elsewhere, one almost takes for granted the capabilities of these systems, what they bring to the fight and to each of the services as well.

And, General Shinseki, I would like to say to you that our troops who have used the Stryker medium combat vehicle, those troops and our warfighting commanders, they feel the same way about a system which was not brought into this world in a typical fashion, a major new program which will fill a dangerous void in our Nation's power projections capability.

Now it goes without saying that, even while we are here principally to discuss the 2004 budget request, all this takes place at a very dangerous time in our world history and indeed a very dangerous time for our Nation. Your forces are engaged around the clock supporting the global war on terrorism in Afghanistan and elsewhere. You have deployed thousands of troops for a likely conflict in Iraq, and events on the Korean peninsula continue to represent a cause of grave concern. And let us not forget those tens of thousands of Reservists who have been called to duty who are not only on the front lines overseas but also, in a way we have not seen since the Second World War, providing for our homeland security as well.

No one ever believed we would need soldiers to protect our places of business, production and public gatherings. But the troops who have taken on this job have been a soothing reminder of those who are willing to protect our Nation with their lives; and the soldiers have performed their duties with good cheer, grace, and efficiency that have made them welcome everywhere they have gone.

The lesson is that the world, at least for we Americans, has changed. Yet America's Army is where it has always been, on the front lines, wherever those front lines may be.

We understand the tremendous pressures that these events place on your equipment, your facilities and all of those Army families, the military and civilian, their loved ones, those called to duty, and those with ties of blood and history to those who serve.

We are here today to hear your views on these matters and have a number of questions we need to discuss with you in that regard. I want you to know that your entire statement will be included in the record as we proceed. This member and all of those sitting on this Committee have, over the years and especially since September 11, seen firsthand the hard work and the difficult missions carried out by our forces in the field.

Indeed, within the past few weeks, some of us have traveled to observe our forces deployed on the front line to see those young men and women firsthand; and indeed it is not just a thrilling but in many ways a frustrating experience.

This is a testament to all of the work of our Armed Forces, but the teamwork that exists in connection with this commitment in many ways is personified by a man who I believe has been in the right place at the right time. I would like to take just a moment, if you will, to talk about an individual. This young man of whom I speak, throughout his 37 years in the service of our country, beginning with West Point, to distinguished service in Vietnam, and then the postings with the Army in Europe during the Cold War, he served the Nation with distinction. He was part of that force which both kept the peace during that time and then made possible the dismantlement of so many of those walls in Europe.

Then, in the new world following the end of the Cold War, he assumed positions of increasing responsibility; and just 6 years ago he was placed in command of the multinational forces who helped bring some measure of peace to Bosnia and also Kosovo. Now, after 4 years as Chief of Staff, through those very tough, demanding years, he can look back as being the man who was ahead of many in making the concept of military transformation shift from being a slogan to a working reality. He did this with a clear vision, candid talk and perseverance and, by so doing, helped bring this Nation to the top of the Defense agenda.

He has done all of this while presiding over an Army which, following the shock of September 11, moved around the world to help liberate Afghanistan and which as we meet today is hunting terrorists and protecting America's interests in many places. That same Army today is now joined with the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and others in carrying out what we all know is a very difficult, crucial and probably long-term mission in the Middle East. Of course, you all know that I am referring to General Eric Shinseki. Ric, you have been a great friend of this Committee. We want the country to know what we think of your service. A soldier who has fought in the Nation's wars along with many others and who has also benefited from the opportunities granted by our country in the military that services it. General, we thank you for your work.

Mr. Secretary, we thank you for your work.

Secretary WHITE. Thank you.

Mr. LEWIS. Before we move on to that testimony, I suggested earlier I would like to call on my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania, Jack Murtha.

REMARKS OF MR. MURTHA

Mr. MURTHA. As you know, Mr. Secretary, the Chairman, myself, Mr. Dicks and Mr. Hobson just came back from Kuwait. What a transformation. When I was there in August-I mean, in August I knew we weren't going to war in the near future; and today they are ready to go.

I stood there with my nephew, who is in the other branch of the service, in tents left over from the Army and a flag that I gave him that was flown over the Capitol and I listened to those young folks talk about how well prepared they were and some of the systems that we put in place.

The Chairman is too modest when he talks about the Predator. If it hadn't been for him, there would be no Predator. He was the guy who pushed it. He was the guy that got criticized, and he was the guy that they tried to stop from putting it out in the field. He persisted, and that Predator is one of the most important systems that we have. The combat systems that they have today, which have been improved so much, the batteries so much smaller, which gives them such an advantage. And they are confident that they will win this war. There is no question in our mind about it.

There is no question that the conditions are very austere and very difficult. But I was so impressed by the new logistic system we have where you can go in there—

And, by the way, I asked how many were Reserve and Guard people; and half of them held up their hands; and they were seamless. You couldn't tell the difference between who was the Guard and the Reserve.

But they will be able to save money by not stockpiling stuff in the front. They will be able to send it out where it is needed because of the computerized system that works so well.

And they are going to prevail. None of us want to go to war. But if we have to go to war when the President makes the decision, I am so confident under your leadership you have done such a good job. And, of course, the lighter Army is going to be the Army of the future; and you folks have done so much. Greg Dahlberg, who was here, was in the forefront-and Kevin Roper.

All of us in this Committee feel so strongly that we have got to move the Army in another direction, along with you. So I look forward to hearing your testimony and congratulate you and compliment you on the work that you have done, because the product is out there in the field ready to go.

Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Secretary, please proceed. Your entire statement will be placed in the record.

[CLERK'S NOTE.-The Fiscal Year 2003 Joint Posture Statement of the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army is printed at the end of this hearing. See page 140.]

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF SECRETARY WHITE

Secretary WHITE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Congressman Murtha, distinguished members of the Committee. I am grateful for this opportunity to talk to you today about the Army.

Our priorities remain the same as they were a year ago: Win the global war on terrorism and transform the Army, as you have talked about, to prepare it for future wars.

First and foremost, I wish to thank this Committee for your continued support of the Army. The 2003 budget has allowed us to make significant improvements in many key areas. We have structured our budget request for 2004 in exactly the same fashion as 2003, based upon our top priorities of People, Readiness and Transformation.

PERSONNEL INITIATIVES

The people front. Thanks to you and your support, we are making significant strides in the personnel area with initiatives including a fully funded general pay raise for all soldiers, targeted pay raises in selective cases, significantly reduced soldier out-of-pocket expenses for housing, and an accelerated Residential Communities Initiative to improve on-post quarters for our families.

This year, we are examining options under an initiative called personnel transformation to shift away from our individual replacement system to a unit manning approach that will enhance the cohesion and combat readiness of our formations while improving the predictability of assignment patterns for Army families. As you know, we have had over 30,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists on active duty consistently since the 11th of September of 2001; and, as of today, we have activated over 130,000 soldiers for current and potential future federal operations at the federal level. In addition, over 2,700 soldiers currently are activated for state service.

These Reserve Component soldiers are performing magnificently, and we appreciate the tremendous support they have received from their employers as well as the American public. We recognize the unique sacrifices made by these citizen soldiers as they step up to do their duty as citizens and patriots.

READINESS AND OPTEMPO

In readiness, the Army is ready for any additional operations that we are ordered to perform in the future; and our great soldiers are successfully meeting our many current obligations around the world.

With your help in 2003 and again in our 2004 budget request, we gave priorities to funding training requirements for the force, significantly improved our spare parts availability and accelerated fielding of soldier support systems and unit communications equipment to make our units as ready as possible.

Having said that, our operational tempo-I think the Chief would echo this—has never been higher in the 40 years of experience that I have with the Army. We are indeed an Army on the

move.

While we are actually funded normal OPTEMPO training, including the full complement of pre-9/11 missions such as Bosnia and Kosovo and the Sinai and Korea, we have many other obligations as we pursue the global war on terrorism as part of the joint force. Post 9/11 missions in the past 18 months include Operation Noble Eagle here at home, Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, as well as operations in the Philippines and elsewhere.

Finally, we have the significant flow, as you have seen personally, of Army forces into the Persian Gulf in support of the diplomatic effort to insure the disarmament of Iraq.

Given this level of activity, I don't think it is any surprise that supplemental funding will be required in 2003 as we progress during the year.

We are working hard to balance our readiness imperative for realistic training with our obligation to be good stewards of the environment. That balance is reflected in DoD's range preservation initiative that we ask your support for. It is essential for us to maintain the balance between the use of military lands for their uniquely military purposes and the need for environmental protection and species preservation. The readiness of our soldiers going into harm's way depends upon it, so we ask for your help with this important initiative.

TRANSFORMATION

Transformation. You have mentioned it, and you have fully supported it in the Committee for a long time; and for the Chief, almost four years now since he laid the marker down. We are transforming our Army even while we execute combat operations and prepare for future contingencies. This simultaneity is not only a necessity, it is an imperative.

We are transforming the business side of the Army as well as the operational forces, and we are transforming within the joint context not merely in a service centric manner. We have held steady to the azimuth established by the Chief, General Ric Shinseki back in 1999.

FUTURE COMBAT SYSTEM

In 2004, we request funding for the fourth of our six Stryker brigades to be fielded at Fort Polk, Louisiana, to the Second Armored Čavalry Regiment. We remain focused on the Objective Force with the restructured Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter program. We are postured to successfully meet acquisition Milestone B in May for the Future Combat System or FCS. FCS includes the non-line of sight variant, the initial fielding increment which will meet the cannon requirements previously addressed by the Crusader program. We remain on glide path to field the first Objective Force unit in 2008 with an initial operational capability, IOC in 2010.

On the business side of the Army, we fully solicit your support for the DoD transformation package that would greatly streamline our operations and give us the flexibility to manage the Department in the most efficient manner. In the same vein, our business transformation initiatives are designed to achieve greater value for the taxpayer dollar.

« PreviousContinue »