WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered remarks and sat down for a discussion on the National Defense Authorization Act with the Heritage Foundation. To watch the event in its entirety click here.
"In addition to meeting our Constitutional requirements to provide and maintain, build the military forces of the United States, there are really two primary thrusts for this years NDAA: readiness and reform."
"What's happened over the last few years is that budget cuts coupled with deployments, at a pace and a number that have not really declined very much, have caused a readiness crisis in all the services."
"The Air Force is short 4,000 maintainers and more than 700 pilots today."
"In 2015 the Navy had a backlog of 11 planes in depot, next year in 17 they are going to have a backlog of 278."
"Less than one-third of the Army is ready to meet the requirements of the Defense Strategic Guidance, it's supposed to be no less than two-thirds."
"Marine Corps aviation requires on average 10 hours of flight time a month and they are getting about 4."
"I've got a bottom line here, that it is wrong in every way I can think of to send people out on missions for which they are not fully prepared or fully supported. It is just wrong and unfortunately that is the trend."