Contact: Josh Holly; 202.226.3988
Forbes Opening Statement on the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request for the Reserve Components
Washington D.C. – Today, the House Armed Services Subcommittee of Readiness held a hearing to examine the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget request for the reserve components. Ranking Republican J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) released the following opening statement for the hearing:
“As we all know, the readiness of our troops is critical to our national security and success in the war on terror. The Department of Defense continues to face budgetary pressures against the backdrop of the on-going war on terror, continued high operations tempo, and a need to recapitalize much of its aging equipment.
“There is no doubt that the challenges facing the Department of Defense are significant. Years of underfunded procurement accounts are manifesting in aging fleets of aircraft, ships, and vehicles. This aging equipment is costly to maintain, offers reduced reliability, and requires increased man-power to keep it serviceable. The high mission capable rates and mission effectiveness ratings that are being reported are a direct result of the hard-working, dedicated, men and women serving this nation.
“No where is this more evident than in the National Guard and Reserves. The reserve component has faced many additional challenges because it started this long war postured as a strategic reserve. For decades we postured the National Guard with a Cold War mindset. We believed we could accept risk in equipping and training the Guard, because we thought there would be a clear, unambiguous signal to get them ready. We also believed there would be sufficient time to field the equipment and get them trained before they would be needed on the battlefield.
“We have learned many lessons as we move into the sixth year of this global conflict. We've learned that there is not time to ready the Guard from a strategic reserve posture—because the threat doesn't allow it, the industrial base can't support it, and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina come with little to no warning. The need for a ready, well-equipped and integrated reserve component is clear.
“However, the shortfalls in equipment—the ‘holes in the yard’—prior to 2001 make the Guard's transition to a modernized, operational reserve particularly challenging. Although substantial progress has been made, there is much more to be done. In 2001, the Army had a $56 billion shortfall in major weapons systems and modernization funding. The Army is now on a path to reduce that to $17.4 billion by 2013. The reserve component was a large part of that number and will benefit greatly from investments being made to modernize and equip the forces.
“However, we must realize that we cannot snap our fingers and produce a reserve component that is fully ready—regardless of the funds provided. Transitioning from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve would take years even if there were no other demands on the National Guard and the Reserves. Navigating that transition while we are at war is what many have likened to changing the oil in your car with the engine running—most would say it is possible, but it is not easy to do and it is certainly not recommended. Unfortunately, it is where we are and we must be successful. In order to do so we must be patient, we must have a solid plan of action, and we must provide the funding stream necessary to make it happen.
“I look forward to hearing from each of our witnesses today on the readiness challenges and the tools they need to get the job done for our nation. Thank you for being here with us today.”
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