Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00:00You're going to find today, and as the last couple weeks, have been very, very busy, so we'll have people in and out.
00:00:06I think we have three votes going on, one going on as we speak, and so we'll be in and out.
00:00:14Hopefully we can get more people here today.
00:00:15We have other hearings going on, so thank you for being here, and ranking member Warren, thank you for being here.
00:00:24We had to sprint to get here, right?
00:00:26I did.
00:00:26All right.
00:00:30The Senate Armed Services Committee on Personnel meets this afternoon to provide an important opportunity for senior leaders at the Department of Defense to highlight areas where Congress can support and strengthen our military's most valuable asset, its people.
00:00:47People are our most valuable asset.
00:00:48I think we should all know that.
00:00:50Those who volunteer to serve in and out of uniform are the backbone of our national defense, and this is a critical discussion as we prepare for the NDAA for physical year of 2026.
00:01:02I want to thank our witness for joining us today, Lieutenant General Brian Eifler, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel for the United States Army, Vice Admiral Richard Cheeseman, Jr., Chief of Naval Personnel for the United States Navy, Lieutenant General Michael Borg...
00:01:24Board Schulte, sir.
00:01:26Board Schulte, that's worse than Tuberville, okay.
00:01:31Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs for the United States Marine Corps, Lieutenant General Caroline M. Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower Personnel and Services for the United States Air Force, and Ms. Catherine Kelly, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital for the United States Space Force.
00:01:51I'm glad to see our military refocusing on warfighting and readiness after the previous administration prioritized DEI on abortion and other progressive policies, initiatives over lethality, one of the reasons we're here today.
00:02:04This shift is already leading to renewed enthusiasm for personnel, for military service, and among the American people.
00:02:12While I'm encouraged by the recent improvements in military recruitment, I'm increasingly concerned about the quality of the recruits we're bringing in.
00:02:21Many of the services have lowered their standards to meet requirement goals.
00:02:26The Army and Navy's prep courses have seen some success, but that success only matters if they're actually raising the academic and physical performance of our recruits.
00:02:38The caliber of men and women we bring in directly affects readiness levels and the long-term strength and effectiveness of our military.
00:02:47So I'd like the witnesses to address the effect that lowered enlistment standards could have on long-term attrition and readiness and how you're ensuring you're not sacrificing quality for quantity.
00:03:00I'd also like to address the health of the force in this hearing.
00:03:05Military hospitals and clinics are facing staffing shortages, leading to reduced access to care, which ultimately impacts the health and retention of service members and their families.
00:03:17This combined with lower recruiting standards means the force is more susceptible to health issues like obesity and mental health challenges.
00:03:27I'd like to hear what the services are doing to ensure the health and readiness of their military personnel.
00:03:34In recent years, this subcommittee has invested heavily into the quality of life service members, ensuring they and their families have the resources and support necessary to thrive both in and out of uniform.
00:03:47This remains a priority. However, these investments will be undermined if we fail to address the quality of recruitment and health of the force.
00:03:58Sustaining a healthy and effective military goes beyond simply meeting and recruiting missions.
00:04:05It requires a commitment to the well-being and long-term readiness of every single service member.
00:04:12So thank all the witnesses for being here today. I look forward to your testimony and Senator Warren now can give her opening statement.
00:04:20Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
00:04:22So our annual posture review hearing provides the department and the military services the opportunity to discuss personnel priorities for the coming year.
00:04:34It's also a chance for members of this subcommittee to continue to address the major challenges confronting our all-volunteer force.
00:04:44After all, our ability to defend ourselves and defeat our adversaries depends on brave men and women stepping up and volunteering to serve.
00:04:54So I am pleased to see the military services are making progress in addressing their recruiting challenges since our last posture hearing.
00:05:03It's critical that we welcome and support anyone who wants to serve their country.
00:05:10But in just the last two months, President Trump has fired General C.Q. Brown and Admiral Lisa Franchetti.
00:05:18It sends a chilling message about who is and who is not welcome in our military.
00:05:24Secretary Hegseth has removed the military's top legal advisors and the Army has reportedly cut training on combat medicine and the laws of war.
00:05:36Secretary Hegseth has announced plans to fire or push out 50,000 to 60,000 civilians and he has already fired civilians who do everything from acquisitions to missile defense to childcare for military families.
00:05:53So let's start with the civilian workforce.
00:05:57As Secretary Hegseth told this committee during his confirmation process, civilians are, quote, important and, quote, provide continuity and expertise to our armed forces.
00:06:11DOD civilians are not just critical to supporting the military, they're also a bargain for taxpayers.
00:06:20The most recent study from the Federal Salary Council found that civilian employees earned nearly 25% less than their counterparts in the private sector.
00:06:33They come to work because they believe in the most important mission we have, and that is to keep Americans safe.
00:06:41But what are co-presidents Trump and Musk doing?
00:06:45Well, just last week, President Trump signed an illegal executive order attacking federal unions and stripping federal employees of their rights.
00:06:55At DOD, this won't make us safer.
00:06:58This won't make us more efficient.
00:07:00It will diminish morale and harm recruiting.
00:07:04Doge has plans to slash the DOD workforce by 8%.
00:07:10The results will fall into one of three buckets, and none of them are good.
00:07:17First, the military manpower could be pressed into service to accomplish the tasks that are more appropriately performed by civilians.
00:07:31Or the federal government could pay billions more to backfill these employees by using contractors.
00:07:39Or critical work could just be left undone.
00:07:44So far, neither Elon Musk nor Secretary Hegseth has given any indication of how they plan to deal with the workload that these civilian employees currently perform.
00:07:56As part of the 8% planned reduction, Elon Musk has taken a chainsaw to DOD's probationary workforce.
00:08:05Think about what that means.
00:08:07It means firing workers who've been recently promoted or have been hired to fill a critical need, often to fill gaps identified by members of this very committee.
00:08:20The law makes very clear that the Secretary must make sure that reductions do not jeopardize our national security.
00:08:29Specifically, the law, 10 U.S.C. Section 129A, mandates that the Secretary may not reduce the civilian workforce, quote,
00:08:40unless the Secretary conducts an appropriate analysis of the impacts of such reductions on workload, military force structure, lethality, readiness, operational effectiveness, stress on the military force, and fully burdened costs, end quote.
00:09:01We have no indication that this analysis has occurred, and I look forward to working with members of this subcommittee to ensure that this administration complies with the law.
00:09:14It is also important for this subcommittee to understand how damaging the Trump administration's efforts to shut down the CFPB will be for service members and their families.
00:09:27An entire division of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau functions as the cop on the beat to enforce service members' consumer rights, and it has been remarkably effective.
00:09:42The CFPB has discovered more than $363 million in financial scams directly affecting our service members and veterans, and it has gotten that $363 million returned directly to the service members and vets who were cheated.
00:10:04Dismantling the CFPB will devastate the enforcement of the Service Member Civil Relief Act and the Military Lending Act, which provides special protections for service members.
00:10:18For example, current law permits service members to break their lease if they are deployed or if their duty station is transferred.
00:10:27The law also protects service members from being foreclosed on or having their car repossessed without a court order.
00:10:35Without the CFPB to enforce these key laws, service members are now vulnerable to scams and predatory practices that distract from the mission and undermine our military readiness.
00:10:50I also continue to be concerned that this administration does not understand how essential women are to our military.
00:10:59None of our military branches would have met their recruiting goals if women had not volunteered, and we cannot afford to dismiss the talents of more than half our population.
00:11:13I am very concerned that this administration is more focused on pushing women out of combat roles and reinstalling a glass ceiling that will only make us weaker.
00:11:26There are several topics I want to focus on with our witnesses today.
00:11:30First, child care.
00:11:32We need to make sure that service members have access to high-quality, affordable child care.
00:11:38The most recent Blue Star Families survey confirmed that child care, quote,
00:11:43continues to be a top barrier to employment for active duty spouses, close quote.
00:11:50Failing to address these shortfalls threatens retention and will drive out the military families we need.
00:11:58And second, making sure that service members receive the benefits they deserve and are protected against predatory companies.
00:12:06To thank service members for the sacrifices they make, Congress has created programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Tuition Assistance Program,
00:12:17making it easier for service members to get the education that they want and that they need.
00:12:23I look forward to discussing how we can improve those programs in a bipartisan fashion.
00:12:29I want to thank all of our witnesses for being here today, and I look forward to your testimony.
00:12:34Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:12:36Thank you, Senator Warren.
00:12:37Now we'll have opening statements from each of our witnesses.
00:12:42General, if you'd like to start.
00:12:45Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, and distinguished members of the subcommittee,
00:12:49thank you for the opportunity to address you today.
00:12:51The Army stands ready to defend our nation.
00:12:54Our Army can provide combat power anywhere in the world to protect American and allied interests.
00:13:00Our Army is lethal, cohesive, and ready.
00:13:03We are proud, but we are not satisfied.
00:13:06The Army is transforming its organizations and delivering technology to keep up with the evolving battlefield.
00:13:12Continually transforming means the Army is more adaptable, flexible, and lethal.
00:13:17The Army is moving forward under four focus areas that directly address an increasingly volatile world.
00:13:23These pillars are war fighting, ready combat formations, continuous transformation, and strengthening the profession.
00:13:32Within these four pillars, our team of professionals will execute all human resource actions that directly support our most important asset, our people.
00:13:41Under this framework, the goal is to improve, streamline, and renovate how we do things in the HR community to be faster and more efficient.
00:13:50Our readiness for large-scale combat operations depends on it.
00:13:55As an example, we will focus on the overhaul and revamping of our retention processes.
00:14:00This will ensure quality over quantity and provide leaders the right skills for our formations.
00:14:06Next, we will modernize our centralized promotion board system and leverage artificial intelligence in an ethical and responsible way to make sure we update the systems.
00:14:17Additionally, we will work with this Congress to overhaul the officer professional management system to make it relevant to the current operational environment and the future.
00:14:26The Army remains committed to quality of life initiatives to ensure our soldiers remain focused on their missions.
00:14:33Barracks renovations and modernization efforts are correcting outdated housing.
00:14:38Dining facilities are being updated to provide more flexible and nutrition options.
00:14:43The holistic health and fitness program, or H2F, embeds experts directly into our units to ensure peak performance.
00:14:50Recruiting will remain a priority.
00:14:53The Army exceeded its FY24 goal with over 55,000 new soldiers and is targeting 61,000 in this FYI.
00:15:02And are currently on glide path to surpass without lowering standards.
00:15:08With congressional support, we will keep the Army on a sustainable strategic path as we transform for the future.
00:15:14We will deliver ready combat formations with advanced capabilities to defend our nation and its interests.
00:15:21As we celebrate our 250th anniversary this year, I thank you for your unwavering support of our talented soldiers, civilians, professionals, and their families.
00:15:31Admiral.
00:15:32Admiral.
00:15:33Admiral.
00:15:34Chairman Tubbleville, Ranking Member Warren, and distinguished subcommittee members.
00:15:40Thank you for the opportunity to testify today, representing the incredible sailors and families of our United States Navy.
00:15:47Supporting me today is my Senior Enlisted Advisor, Fleet Master Chief Delbert Terrell, who provides wise counsel on all issues, whether officer, enlisted, or civilian.
00:15:57It is those sailors and civilians that we both serve who are on duty around the clock and around the globe, a lethal fighting force working to deter aggression, particularly in the Red Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific.
00:16:10Continuing Resolution 25 funds a thorough, strategy-driven Navy budget that is focused on delivering resources to ensure our naval forces remain ready, resilient, and agile to execute national tasking and preserve peace through strength.
00:16:25I thank you for your support within CR25 that helps Navy's recruiting and retention efforts, as well as our quality of service initiatives writ large.
00:16:34They are making a difference and I encourage continued congressional support in these areas for fiscal year 26 and beyond.
00:16:41Navy recruiters had a historic 2024, contracting more sailors than in any given year since 2003.
00:16:48We exceeded our increased contracting goal by implementing real-time data-informed processes, capitalizing on the future sailor prep course, streamlining medical waiver reviews, increasing the quality and number of recruiters, and identifying and removing barriers to recruiter productivity.
00:17:06As a result, we are on pace to exceed our fiscal year 25 recruiting goal of 40,600 future sailors.
00:17:13I remain focused on ensuring our schoolhouse supply chain is ready to receive this influx of motivated students, and we are ensuring every future sailor receives the training they need to be ready on day one in a fiscally responsible, efficient, and effective manner.
00:17:28Additionally, we continue to exceed retention forecasts across all zones, in part due to consistent congressional support in funding sailors' special incentive pays and bonuses.
00:17:41Sea duty manning is an essential element of our operational readiness, and I know our chronic shortfalls impact job satisfaction and retention.
00:17:49We are driving barrier removal across the enterprise, and we can now predict a steady drop in gaps at sea over the next 18 months.
00:17:57My goal remains achieving 100% rating fill by 2027.
00:18:02Our sailors, civilians, and their families are the backbone of our Navy.
00:18:06It is our duty to take care of them by delivering the highest qualities, excuse me, highest standards of quality of service.
00:18:13We must build great people, great leaders, and great teams to innovate, solve hard problems, and dominate in combat.
00:18:21Our sailors stand ready as a lethal fighting force to deter or confront any adversary.
00:18:26You and every American can be proud of your Navy and this team.
00:18:29This is my last scheduled hearing in front of this body as I retire later this summer.
00:18:34It has been a privilege to serve in this role over the last few years.
00:18:44And I sincerely thank all the members of this subcommittee and the staff for your continued support.
00:18:53Thank you, Admiral. General.
00:18:56Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, and distinguished members of the subcommittee,
00:19:00I am honored to appear before you and tell the Marine Corps story through the personnel lens.
00:19:06The Marine Corps approaches the challenges of this critical manpower portfolio with a singular focus,
00:19:12and that is delivering combat-credible, lethal forces to operational units wherever they are needed.
00:19:18Every decision we make, whether that's through recruiting, retention, assignment, or policies,
00:19:24are evaluated through the lens of lethality.
00:19:28Today, your Marine Corps has over 30,000 Marines operationally deployed in over 35 countries across the globe.
00:19:37These Marines are supporting our nation's campaigning efforts, underpin deterrence,
00:19:41under the banner of peace through strength, and ready to respond when called upon.
00:19:46Sustaining this high state of warfighting readiness depends entirely on our ability to recruit and retain those lethal warriors.
00:19:54I am pleased to report that we continue to win on the recruiting front, and we will make mission again this year.
00:20:02We've achieved these recruiting goals while exceeding all DOD quality standards,
00:20:06without lowering and without ever compromising those standards that define us, the Marines.
00:20:13We believe our discipline culture, our warfighting ethos, and high standards attracts the competitive,
00:20:18high-performing Americans that we need to fill our ranks with tough, smart, and gritty Marines.
00:20:25The retention of our Marines has also reached historic heights.
00:20:28This year, we've exceeded last year's unprecedented numbers, and just this last week,
00:20:33we surpassed 100 percent of the retention goals that we need, and we're not stopping.
00:20:38This marks the highest number and highest quality we've retained of Marines in decades,
00:20:45and proves that warriors that earn the title Marine want to stay Marine,
00:20:49and are proud to protect and defend the nation that we love.
00:20:53I'd also like to thank you, each of you on this subcommittee, for your ongoing support
00:20:58in providing each of the services with the tools that make these successes possible.
00:21:02Financial incentives, quality of life initiatives, school access, family support programs, and many, many more,
00:21:09make a difference when a young American decides to become a Marine or stay a Marine.
00:21:14I'm going to go a little bit step further with a request.
00:21:18If you have sons or daughters or family members or friends that you think have what it takes to be a Marine,
00:21:24I know a general that can make that happen, and I'll leave a bunch of business cards out here after testimony
00:21:29so we can get in contact with me.
00:21:31But after all this success talk, I'd be remiss if I didn't stress this.
00:21:35We can't stop here.
00:21:37The success each service is going to highlight today, which has been fantastic, it remains fragile.
00:21:42The force depends not only on resources, but on something more enduring, and that's the value of military service.
00:21:49Our nation must reawaken a sense of purpose around serving, around being part of something bigger than self,
00:21:56and I ask you to help us restore the value and prestige of service in the eyes of our fellow citizens.
00:22:04And in closing, I'll ask that we all continue to commit to attack each key decision through the lens of lethality and warfighting excellence.
00:22:12Our Marines and our nation are counting on it.
00:22:15I look forward to your questions today.
00:22:17Semper Fidelis.
00:22:18Thank you, General.
00:22:21General Miller.
00:22:22Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, and distinguished members of this subcommittee,
00:22:27I am honored to have the opportunity to appear before you with my fellow service personnel colleagues.
00:22:33The Department of the Air Force is committed to ensuring we are postured to deter and, if necessary, prevail
00:22:39against our sophisticated peer competitors to include China and Russia.
00:22:43As the Department looks to the future, readiness continues to be the foundation of our mission success.
00:22:50Readiness can be assessed through multiple lenses.
00:22:53However, our most significant competitive advantage is our people, our airmen.
00:22:59We exist to fly, fight, and win, none of which is possible without the dedication and talent of the men and women who volunteer to serve.
00:23:08This year, we continue to focus on recruiting, developing, and retaining skilled and innovative individuals, ensuring they are equipped with essential operational skills and resources.
00:23:19Fiscal year 2024 saw improvements in recruiting due to an increase in recruiter manning, changes to training processes, and an increase in delayed entry program to its highest level in 10 years.
00:23:32The Department is also improving pilot retention through increased accessions and training through capacity, using monetary and non-monetary authorities granted by Congress.
00:23:43As readiness is directly linked to the welfare of our airmen and their families, we continue to target barriers to well-being and overall force readiness in areas including economic security,
00:23:55access to quality childcare, sexual assault, and sexual harassment prevention, and suicide prevention.
00:24:02Efforts to reduce financial stress include training through programs such as the Personal Financial Readiness Program and direct financial assistance authorized by the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.
00:24:15We also remain committed to improving access to available, affordable, and quality childcare programs.
00:24:22To bolster sexual assault and sexual harassment response and prevention, we have implemented policies to establish standards for care providers to ensure accountability and facilitate inter-office collaboration.
00:24:35Furthermore, the Department has codified the DOD suicide response system and implemented a post-vention command support team.
00:24:44This team delivers leader-focused training designed to implement rapid response activities following a suicide event to minimize suicide contagion, facilitate individual and unit cohesion, and reduce negative impacts of force readiness.
00:24:59Talent management remains one of the cornerstones of our efforts to build and develop the force we need.
00:25:05Our talent management philosophy is based on high standards, accountability, and meritocracy.
00:25:11Each airman record is evaluated on its own merits, specifically in terms of job performance, demonstrated skills, and warfighting readiness.
00:25:21To improve readiness, the Department is focused on developing specialized skills to solve operational and strategic challenges.
00:25:28As the Department of the Air Force looks to the future to preserve our supremacy against adversaries, I assure you the Air Force leadership is wholly focused on maximizing readiness and lethality
00:25:39while caring for our force.
00:25:42Thank you for your continued partnership and your advocacy of the United States Air Force.
00:25:46I look forward to your questions.
00:25:48Thank you, General.
00:25:50Ms. Kelly.
00:25:52Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, and distinguished members of this subcommittee,
00:25:57thank you for the opportunity to represent the United States Space Force here today,
00:26:01and thank you for your opening remarks about the importance of people.
00:26:04This subcommittee, like no other, is a huge supporter of the talent that we have in the Space Force.
00:26:11Our mission is clear.
00:26:13To secure our nation's interests in, from, and to space.
00:26:17And strategic competition in space represents a serious threat to our national security and to our global leadership presence.
00:26:26The Space Force remains focused on developing guardians with the foundational skills and experience necessary
00:26:33in this highly technical, contested, and lethal 21st century world that we find ourselves in.
00:26:41This past year, the Space Force launched its inaugural officer training course.
00:26:47This is a rigorous 12-month course covering space operations, intelligence, cyber, and acquisition,
00:26:56designed to develop the most credible guardians possible.
00:27:01Simultaneously, we evaluated our enlisted training and development in our cyber and intelligence as applied to the space domain.
00:27:12And for our civilians, we launched an optimization for space course to enhance the civilian expertise in this continuing, evolving domain.
00:27:24Building the Force American needs requires the continued growth and investment in all our space professionals and all our guardians.
00:27:32As our uniformed service grows, we are ensuring the civilian workforce is aligned to critical functions
00:27:38and in direct support of the warfighter mission and the support the guardians give to the joint fight.
00:27:45I'm proud to share that the Space Force has exceeded its fiscal goal in 24 for enlisted recruiting,
00:27:51and we are on track in 25 to exceed as well.
00:27:55We are also at a retention rate of 96% across our force, both officer and enlisted.
00:28:04Currently, we have more than 440 recruits awaiting entry into the Space Force, which will allow us a further pipeline for next year as well.
00:28:14To ensure the long-term pipeline of guardians, we've established a recruiting squadron,
00:28:18which is the first time for the Space Force to have a guardian recruiting other potential guardians.
00:28:24And so we are excited about what this new model can bring.
00:28:28We're leveraging new marketing platforms as well because we're cognizant of the talent that we seek for the Space Force,
00:28:35leveraging technology and ways to meet these potential guardians where they're at.
00:28:41And we are excited about a new Space Force Planetarium show that will be debuting around the country on National Space Day next month.
00:28:50The Space Force is committed to fostering support for guardians and their families as well,
00:28:55as we recognize things like childcare are one of the primary resources crucial for quality of life and readiness
00:29:03that allow our guardians to focus on the 24-7 operational support that much of our force provides on a day-to-day basis to the joint fight.
00:29:13We've made significant progress in consolidating space expertise across the Department of Defense.
00:29:19We've opened our first application window for space professionals in the reserves to transition over to the Space Force in a full-time capacity.
00:29:28We have far outweighed our ability and interest, and we continue to bring more into the Space Force over the next subsequent years.
00:29:37The flexible service options that this committee provided us in the Personnel Management Act
00:29:43enable guardians to move between full and part-time work roles in a much more seamless way and aligned to the service mission needs.
00:29:52We are also leveraging the authorities you gave us to incentivize and compensate our best and brightest,
00:29:59our STEM-focused talent, and those guardians who represent this nation.
00:30:04Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, and all distinguished members of this subcommittee,
00:30:08thank you again for the opportunity to represent our Space Force guardians with you today.
00:30:13As the space domain becomes increasingly contested, no longer a benign environment,
00:30:19we remain steadfast in our mission to secure our nation's interests,
00:30:23and I very much look forward to your questions here today.
00:30:26Thank you, Mr. Kelly. Thank you, all of you.
00:30:29And you all have very important jobs, as we all know, and we all know the consequences.
00:30:38You know, if you do great or don't. So thank you for your efforts.
00:30:43I once was a recruiter in my former job. I know how hard that is.
00:30:47And pretty much the same level and the same age group.
00:30:51And it's a thrill a minute, you know, when recruiting 18, 19, 20-year-old young men and women.
00:30:58So we'll go through a few questions here.
00:31:01General Eifler, you know, this week my office heard from a constituent that the Army was planning to close its command
00:31:09in General Staff College Satellite Campus at Redstone Arsenal, my state of Huntsville, Alabama.
00:31:15When was this decision made, and can you share with the committee the reasoning behind this closure?
00:31:22Yes, Chairman. There was no decision. This is all pre-decisional.
00:31:26I know they're doing some analysis out there based on some decisions for the delayed retirement program,
00:31:32but no such decision has been made at this time.
00:31:35Thank you. Secretary Hexbeth recently ordered a 60-day review of military combat arms standards
00:31:43to ensure that everyone who filled these roles was held to the same equal standard.
00:31:48Each one of you, and we'll start with the General on the left here.
00:31:53If you have, can each of you, if you have affected jobs,
00:31:59discuss your services approach to meeting this deadline
00:32:03and creating sex-neutral standards based solely on the operational demands of the occupation
00:32:08and not an artificial desire to achieve a certain representation number.
00:32:14Can each of you talk about these and these requirements? General, we'll start with you.
00:32:19Yes, Chairman. Specifically, we asked, we were looking into this because of the NDA last year
00:32:25that directed the close combat units, specifically in MOSs or specialties like infantry, armor,
00:32:33special forces, engineers, have a higher standard for close combat activities.
00:32:39So we have already been working on that, and we'll continue to work on that here soon.
00:32:43That is due out by June to have in place, according to this committee and this Congress.
00:32:49What the SecDef has asked us also to look at is having one standard that is regardless of sex
00:32:58for those close combat units. So we're taking our analysis and looking at all of that
00:33:04to make sure that we are focused on lethality and focused on what we require for combat.
00:33:09Admiral.
00:33:11Senator, thanks for the question. Navy's taking a similar approach as my Army colleague here.
00:33:15We've done some nascent work with our SEALs and EOD folks, also with some of our Civil Engineering Corps folks.
00:33:22We have a much smaller cadre given we're not necessarily ground focused, but for those communities that are,
00:33:29we're working with Manpower and Reserve Affairs, we're developing those standards, but the work to date is nascent, sir.
00:33:34General.
00:33:36Senator Toberville, thanks for asking this question.
00:33:39For Marines, we carry high standards and we don't apologize for it.
00:33:43We are very proud of our high standards.
00:33:46Every Marine conducts a fitness, a combat fitness test and a physical fitness test.
00:33:51These combat fitness tests, this is where you carry a Marine over your shoulder through an agility test for 50 meters.
00:33:56You throw a grenade, a dummy grenade, you carry ammo cans, and we're pretty proud of that.
00:34:02Every Marine fires an automatic weapon and qualifies not just from 100 yards, from 500 yards, five football fields.
00:34:10Every Marine.
00:34:12In addition, for our combat arms Marines, all Marines have the same standards.
00:34:16So things such as wearing your full combat heavy equipment with your service weapon and going on a force march for 20 miles under a certain time.
00:34:28All Marines.
00:34:29Another instance would be taking a Mark 19, very heavy weapon grenade launcher weapon system, putting that over your head.
00:34:35Doesn't matter, male, female.
00:34:37All Marines.
00:34:38Taking an Olympic bar, 115 pounds, put it over your head.
00:34:41All Marines.
00:34:42Taking an Olympic bar, 150 pounds, up holding deadlift.
00:34:45All Marines.
00:34:46So we're, again, very proud.
00:34:48Thanks for asking that question.
00:34:49We hold our standards and we don't apologize for it.
00:34:51If you can't meet that standard, you're not in that MOS.
00:34:53General, can you carry somebody 50 yards on your shoulders?
00:34:56I can, yes, sir.
00:34:57Can you?
00:34:58I see your group behind you.
00:35:00If you come down to Quantico, sir, I'll carry you.
00:35:04General Miller.
00:35:05General Miller.
00:35:06Yes, sir.
00:35:07We had already started doing this.
00:35:09We have, we already have a special forces combat arms physical fitness test and we just wrapped up the EOD.
00:35:15It's been, we've been working over the EOD for the last couple of years and they finalized it last week, actually.
00:35:22So the timing was perfect.
00:35:23We're getting ready to demonstrate it to the chief.
00:35:26And at that point, we will be in compliance with the, with the requirements, sir.
00:35:30Were there a lot of adjustments to it?
00:35:32Not at all.
00:35:33None.
00:35:34And, and ours are also sex neutral.
00:35:35They always have been.
00:35:36Yeah.
00:35:37Ms. Kelly.
00:35:38Yes.
00:35:39Chairman, on the Space Force side, I would add one unique dynamic for us.
00:35:43In addition to the review that we're in the midst of on combat relevant, the, the piece for the Space Force that we're really looking at is the cognitive abilities necessary on an ops floor for us.
00:35:53A lot of what our focus is for guardians is to make sure that they're coming to work ready, rested, awake, focused on what they need to do.
00:36:02So in addition to the physical training and the fitness that they're working on, we're also exploring whether we can bring technology into that to help them see and be more aware of how ready they are for that direct fight that night.
00:36:17Senator Warren.
00:36:18Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:36:19So, every parent in this country understands how hard it is to find high quality, affordable, available childcare.
00:36:29And for our military families, the tasks can be just whole orders of magnitude harder.
00:36:35Often, they have to navigate finding childcare while they're on long deployments, abrupt relocations, and non-standard work hours.
00:36:46And if military families can't find childcare, they just may not be able to serve.
00:36:51I appreciate that at least two of you specifically mentioned childcare when we talk about our service members and our force readiness.
00:37:01DOD knows how important childcare is.
00:37:05And that is why it runs the nation's largest employer-based childcare system.
00:37:10It's high quality, it's affordable, but right now it is facing a huge shortage of childcare workers,
00:37:18which means fewer childcare slots and literally thousands of families on wait lists.
00:37:27In 2023, a DOD task force investigated the staffing shortages and confirmed that in order to fix this problem,
00:37:37we need to increase childcare workers' wages.
00:37:40So, in last year's NDAA, we tasked the DOD with redesigning the compensation model and starting to implement it by April 1st.
00:37:53But here we are, a year later, and you haven't even finalized the redesign,
00:37:59much less begun implementation that was supposed to have started, what is it, eight days ago?
00:38:06So, for each witness, I want to ask, when can we expect to see the updated compensation model?
00:38:14And when can we expect to see implementation begin?
00:38:18Lieutenant General Eifler, let's start with you.
00:38:21Thanks, Ranking Member.
00:38:22And I'll be writing these down.
00:38:24Yeah, thanks.
00:38:25So, what's the date?
00:38:26Yeah, so, I am not clear on that date because I know, I believe all the services are working with the Department of Defense on finalizing that.
00:38:33I do believe the CR has some impacts because of funding for it.
00:38:37No, I'm sorry.
00:38:38The CR has impacts on your implementation.
00:38:41Right.
00:38:42It does not have an impact on your obligation to update your compensation model.
00:38:48You're supposed to do the modeling with the money you got.
00:38:51Yeah.
00:38:52So, when can I expect to see your updated model?
00:38:55I would have to follow up with you, Senator, because I am not clear on when that's going to be in place.
00:39:01Okay.
00:39:02Well, I hope you're clear that you're already way past due.
00:39:04Yes.
00:39:05Yes, Senator.
00:39:06All right.
00:39:07Vice Admiral Cheeseman, how about you?
00:39:08What's the date?
00:39:09Senator, similar answer.
00:39:10We're working with our OSD partners on when that date would be.
00:39:13And when I have a more informed answer, I'll make sure I get back with ma'am.
00:39:16Yeah.
00:39:17Well, I'd like to have an answer that suggests that you guys are paying attention to this.
00:39:21We didn't put this in the law just for the fun of it.
00:39:23It wasn't advisory.
00:39:25It was for you to actually perform by a date certain.
00:39:29Lieutenant General Borg Schulte.
00:39:32Senator Warren, thank you very much for bringing this up.
00:39:34This is personal to me.
00:39:35I've got kids.
00:39:36I've got a spouse that has a career.
00:39:38And we have used our world-class childcare at every duty station.
00:39:41Good for you.
00:39:42So when?
00:39:43And so I will get back.
00:39:45We have increased the wages.
00:39:46I'll get back to you with a specific date.
00:39:48But we have over 40,000 kids in our child and youth programs.
00:39:53I mean, think about that.
00:39:54So that really, that's a retention effort.
00:39:56And that allows them to be free to go fight.
00:39:59And we're, I just appreciate you bringing that up.
00:40:02Okay.
00:40:03So you said many nice things.
00:40:04And the fact that you've actually moved toward increasing wages,
00:40:07puts you a step ahead of the other two people to your right.
00:40:10We'll take that, Senator.
00:40:11I'll get you back an exact answer on that.
00:40:13But I've got to have this done.
00:40:15Okay.
00:40:16Got to have this done.
00:40:17Lieutenant General Miller.
00:40:18Yes, ma'am.
00:40:19We've actually increased our wages.
00:40:21Also good.
00:40:22How about your plan?
00:40:24We have a plan.
00:40:26I can get it over to you, ma'am.
00:40:27Oh, great.
00:40:28You actually have it?
00:40:29Because we weren't able to find it.
00:40:30So I'm delighted.
00:40:32I will initiate or I will send over what we have done over the last year,
00:40:35which is quite significant.
00:40:36Okay.
00:40:37It's an updated compensation model.
00:40:38Yes, ma'am.
00:40:39It's what you're required to do under the law.
00:40:42Okay.
00:40:43And then start implementing that model.
00:40:45So thank you.
00:40:46I hope that's right, Lieutenant General Miller.
00:40:48Ms. Kelly.
00:40:49Senator, we leverage the Air Force for our CDC,
00:40:52so the model that General Miller is referencing would be applicable for guardians as well.
00:40:55So you're pointing back in the other direction.
00:40:57Yours will be ready when his is ready?
00:40:59No, ma'am.
00:41:00General Miller.
00:41:01Oh, I'm sorry.
00:41:02Yes, ma'am.
00:41:03We support her.
00:41:04Sorry.
00:41:05I apologize.
00:41:06No, the Air Force runs the child development centers that the Space Force guardians leverage.
00:41:10So the adjusted salaries that the Air Force has to include the fee assistance programs that are unbelievably helpful for our CDC workers.
00:41:19We've seen significant improvement.
00:41:21You know, I just want to say on this, look, I understand that I am unpleasant about this, and intend to be even more unpleasant if this doesn't get done.
00:41:31You all fully understand why this is so important, and so important any time.
00:41:38We don't say to our military families, here's this really hard job, and then not give them the support that they need to be able to carry it out.
00:41:48So I appreciate that you all seem to understand that, and my job is just to keep turning up the heat until we actually get this done and pay them better.
00:41:58Let me just bring out one more, of course.
00:42:01This is all about making sure we have the staff needed to bring down military child care wait lists, but of course that's not going to happen if we're slashing the civilian workforce.
00:42:13Two weeks ago, a child development center in Utah closed because of cuts to its civilian staff.
00:42:20So let me just ask, do you agree that cutting child care by laying off civilian child care workers makes life harder for military families?
00:42:30Ms. Kelly, we'll start at your end this time.
00:42:33Senator, I absolutely agree that lack of child care is a readiness issue for all the services and certainly for the Space Force.
00:42:39Go ahead.
00:42:40Yes.
00:42:41Yes, ma'am.
00:42:42It is a readiness issue.
00:42:44General Borg-Schulte.
00:42:45Senator Warren, I agree 100%.
00:42:47We have not shut any down and don't plan to.
00:42:49I hope that's right, but it really is the reminder that these civilian cuts can have profound effects for our active duty service members.
00:42:59Vice Admiral Cheeseman.
00:43:00Senator, thanks for the question.
00:43:02For our child care employees, they are funded out of non-appropriated funds.
00:43:06We have not let anybody go.
00:43:08In fact, our staffing levels have increased by 10% over the last year and we've decreased the wait list by about 1,000 spots.
00:43:14That is really terrific to hear.
00:43:16Thank you very much and I appreciate your getting that on the record.
00:43:19General Eifler.
00:43:20Yes, Ranking Member.
00:43:21Totally concur.
00:43:22We have not shut down any and we do believe it's a readiness issue because of that.
00:43:26Good.
00:43:27I appreciate that.
00:43:28And now, in the name of the chair, I call on Ms. Virono.
00:43:33Thank you very much.
00:43:35So, Senator Warren, you said that you can be very unpleasant about all this.
00:43:40Yes.
00:43:41It's called oversight.
00:43:42Yes.
00:43:43And if we need to be unpleasant about it, so be it.
00:43:47So, General Eifler, did you say that this is the last time you're going to be testifying?
00:43:51Oh, thank you very much.
00:43:55Congratulations for doing what you do and my best wishes to you.
00:44:00So, you know, let's face it.
00:44:03I am deeply concerned about Secretary Higgs' personnel policy changes within the DOD and their impact on military personnel and overall readiness.
00:44:15You all acknowledge how important all these programs are, including childcare and everything else on readiness, but he's making these cuts.
00:44:22The reinstatement of the transgender service ban and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs raise serious questions about their effects on recruiting, retention, and unit cohesion.
00:44:40Furthermore, reports of abrupt dismissals of tenured and nonpartisan military officials, most recently General Hall, without clear justification, call into question the institutional stability and apolitical foundation of our military.
00:45:01And these concerning developments require a thorough examination to ensure that DOD policy supports a diverse, inclusive, and effective fighting force.
00:45:12Even as there are all these attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the fact of the matter is that all of the services need to recruit from as wide a swath of people as possible.
00:45:25So, these attacks on DEI, they are the wrong way to go.
00:45:32As I said, we should be recruiting from as wide a swath of people as possible.
00:45:37Now, this is for Admiral Cheeseman.
00:45:39The Navy currently has over 20,000 gaps in at-sea billets, and this shortfall has serious readiness implications since it requires the Navy to pull sailors assigned to ships and submarines undergoing maintenance and assign them to units going on deployment.
00:46:02This cannibalization of personnel causes cascading and disruptive effects across the service.
00:46:09Question to you.
00:46:11I mean, does this gap concern you?
00:46:14Senator, thanks for the question.
00:46:16It keeps me awake at night.
00:46:18Yes, so it concerns you.
00:46:20That's right.
00:46:21What are you doing about it?
00:46:22Yes, ma'am.
00:46:23Our survey data tells us the single biggest concern among our sailors is burnout due to lack of manning.
00:46:30All right.
00:46:31So, with that, we've done a number of things.
00:46:33First, we have completely merged our distribution and advancement systems into something we call billet-based advancement.
00:46:40That has shown great strides in this area.
00:46:43From E5 to E9, I essentially have no gaps at sea.
00:46:47In fact, I have a small surplus.
00:46:49All of our gaps at sea right now are among apprentices, and it speaks directly to the recruiting challenges we've had in the past.
00:46:55When we contracted over 40,000 sailors in 2024, it takes time to get those sailors through the pipeline.
00:47:02They will start arriving to ships in 2025.
00:47:04By the end of this fiscal year, we should have about 18,000 gaps.
00:47:08And by the end of 2026, we should be down to about 8,000 gaps.
00:47:12It takes about, on average, nine months for a sailor to get through the pipeline.
00:47:16Those new sailors are coming.
00:47:17I hope you achieve those goals.
00:47:19And in fact, we probably will be following up with you on how you are doing.
00:47:24Yes, ma'am.
00:47:25Because this is a huge gap, and they're not going to-
00:47:27As you should.
00:47:28Yes, ma'am.
00:47:29You're not going to eliminate the gaps by hoping that it will.
00:47:31I just want to ask you all, are women in the military important?
00:47:36Let's start with you.
00:47:38Senator, yes, they are.
00:47:40Senator, absolutely.
00:47:42Yes, Senator, absolutely.
00:47:43Absolutely.
00:47:44Yes, ma'am.
00:47:45So, when we talk about how important childcare is and all of those kinds of things, it makes
00:47:53me wonder whether, in fact, women are important in the military.
00:47:57And let me just point out a program that was created.
00:48:02It's called the Women's Initiative Team.
00:48:04All the services had Women's Initiative Teams.
00:48:07Apparently, they are all gone.
00:48:10Are they gone in all your services?
00:48:12Are you planning to bring them back?
00:48:15It's important, I would say, if women are important to the services.
00:48:19Do you still have WITs?
00:48:24I'm not aware that we do, Senator.
00:48:27Pardon me?
00:48:28I'm not aware that we do, Senator.
00:48:31Did you ever have them?
00:48:33I believe we did.
00:48:34Okay.
00:48:35What about you?
00:48:36Senator, for the Navy, we folded our women's, we stood down the Women's Initiative Team.
00:48:41We do have a Navy culture advisory group that, you know, takes in all issues from all sailors.
00:48:48Senator, I'm not aware of that particular initiative.
00:48:50But we can incredibly value our females in the Marine Corps.
00:48:54Well, I am told that all the services had them.
00:48:56So, the fact that you're not aware when you say that women are important and this is one
00:49:00of the ways that we can recruit, retain them, and support them, I would suggest.
00:49:04In fact, I'm going to follow up and put language in the NDAA that requires all of you to reinstate
00:49:11this program so that if women, in fact, are important to the services, then we, your policies
00:49:17and practices will reflect.
00:49:19Do you want them?
00:49:21We, all of our affinity clubs have been stood down temporarily.
00:49:24Mm-hmm.
00:49:25Yeah, I wonder why.
00:49:26I know why.
00:49:27That is a rhetorical question.
00:49:29Ms. Kelly?
00:49:31Yes, Senator.
00:49:33We, we connected with the Air Force for this as well.
00:49:37They have been stood down.
00:49:38Mm-hmm.
00:49:39I acknowledge your point.
00:49:40Yeah, and they've been stood down because they're all supposedly under attack for being,
00:49:45promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
00:49:48It's like totally wrongheaded.
00:49:50Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:49:53Senator Warren.
00:49:54Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:49:56So, when Congress passed the GI Bill in 1944, a grateful nation promised to help service
00:50:02members with the cost of their education.
00:50:05This was a thank you for their sacrifices to our country.
00:50:09The promise is not charity.
00:50:11It is an ironclad commitment, and it is key to how we recruit and maintain a fighting force.
00:50:18Survey after survey has demonstrated how important this promise is, both to recruitment and to retention.
00:50:25And I see you're nodding along with this.
00:50:28Too often, however, the federal government has failed to live up to our promise, not delivering on the student debt relief that service members are entitled to, or leaving them vulnerable to predatory lenders.
00:50:43For example, after student loan repayments restarted after the pandemic, the CFPB found that service member complaints about student loan servicers went up,
00:50:55thanks to hours-long hold times and other customer service failures with the companies that were managing their loans.
00:51:05Meanwhile, the VA has warned about the rise of scams, where predatory schools will promise, quote, immediate student debt cancellation that doesn't really exist in order to lure veterans into enrolling.
00:51:21So, again, I'd like to go down the line, if we can, with our witnesses for this question.
00:51:26Just yes or no.
00:51:28Does it undermine our ability to recruit and retain personnel?
00:51:33When we let bad actors scam our service members out of the educational benefits that they have earned and been promised by the United States government?
00:51:45Lieutenant General Eiffler, if I could start with you.
00:51:48Yes, Ranking Member.
00:51:50And Vice Admiral Cheeseman?
00:51:52Senator, yes, ma'am. Absolutely.
00:51:54And Lieutenant General Borkschild?
00:51:56Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. No, our Marines should not be scammed.
00:51:59Yeah.
00:52:00And Lieutenant General Miller?
00:52:01Yes, ma'am.
00:52:02And Ms. Kelly?
00:52:03Yes, ma'am. Absolutely.
00:52:04Well, that is the reason that I have proposed language for this year's NDAA to protect service members from predatory actors.
00:52:13This committee has worked in a bipartisan fashion before to ensure that service members get the educational benefits that they have earned.
00:52:23Under a bipartisan law signed by President George W. Bush back in 2007, the federal government will cancel the student loans of people who work in public service and faithfully pay their loans for at least a decade as a way to honor their public service.
00:52:41And last year, Senators Cortez Masto and Senator Moran led a successful effort to require DOD and the Education Department to perform a data match so that all eligible service members automatically receive the public service loan forgiveness that the law says that they have earned.
00:53:03So once again, I want to go down the line with our witnesses.
00:53:07Is it important that DOD do everything it can to deliver debt cancellation under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to all eligible service members as statutorily required by Congress?
00:53:22Lieutenant General Eifler?
00:53:23Yes, Ranking Member.
00:53:24Vice Admiral Cheeseman?
00:53:25Yes, ma'am.
00:53:26Lieutenant General Bork Schulte?
00:53:28Yes, ma'am.
00:53:29Lieutenant General Miller?
00:53:30Yes, Senator Warren.
00:53:31And Ms. Kelly?
00:53:32Yes, ma'am.
00:53:33Absolutely.
00:53:34Okay.
00:53:35Good.
00:53:36We're in a good place.
00:53:37Once again, though, this is work that remains unfinished.
00:53:40So I have submitted an NDAA proposal for this year requiring DOD to provide quarterly updates until the Public Service Loan Forgiveness data match is implemented,
00:53:52and also requiring the GAO to analyze the challenges that service members face with student loan debt repayment.
00:54:01I have also submitted a proposal to require DOD implement the same risk-based surveys that the VA is already statutorily required to use to monitor fraud and waste and abuse at schools that receive more than $600 million in service member tuition assistance each year.
00:54:26These are programs that matter to our service members, and I appreciate having all of you as allies to make sure that our service members get what the American people promised them.
00:54:37So thank you very much, and thank you, Mr. Chairman, for letting me do this.
00:54:41Thank you, Senator Warren.
00:54:44Let's talk about health care real quick.
00:54:47The demanding nature of military service loan deployments and challenges of balancing military and family life can lead to a burnout and turnover among military medical professionals.
00:54:57Additionally, the potential for more lucrative opportunities in the civilian sector can make it harder for the military to retain these highly specialized medical professionals.
00:55:06Last year's NDAA included a provision to increase the authorized number of nurse officers the services could recommend for promotion.
00:55:15So, one at a time, what are you doing to recruit and retain military medical personnel specifically, and what can we do in help assisting and retaining medical personnel?
00:55:27General.
00:55:28General.
00:55:29General.
00:55:30General.
00:55:31General.
00:55:32General.
00:55:33Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
00:55:34I think this, as you articulated pretty good, it's a competition that we have with our local communities across the service, across all services.
00:55:41Having been recently served in Alaska, we're in competition with the hospitals in the area for health care professionals, the whole gamut.
00:55:52And so, we appreciate the support with being able to provide the necessary bonuses and pay grade equal to what's out there in the commercial sector to keep them in.
00:56:03I think one of our biggest number one issues is job satisfaction.
00:56:08Our providers want to be doing the things that they were trained to do.
00:56:14They want to do more service on post.
00:56:17So, every time if we channel folks off post to other care, it limits their experience and their satisfaction.
00:56:27So, they want to do the surgeries.
00:56:28They want to do the medical care.
00:56:30So, the more we can focus them on that, the better off that they are with their satisfaction.
00:56:35And that's one of the things we're working on to make sure that all the medical professions are getting to do the things and getting the service and the experience in the field that they want to be doing.
00:56:46Are you seeing a lot of interest in medical and recruiting?
00:56:49We are.
00:56:50It's just, it's a competition.
00:56:52And it's something that we've got to be creative.
00:56:55We can't rest.
00:56:56We've got to keep the gas pedal down.
00:56:57We can't rest on our laurels.
00:56:58We always are looking at ways to bring them in into the service of our nation.
00:57:04So, we're actively doing that across our recruiting commands.
00:57:08Admiral.
00:57:09Senator, thanks for the question.
00:57:11We have, well, first, thanks to the authority for the nurse corps.
00:57:14Navy intends to use that to our advantage.
00:57:17For the medical community writ large in the Navy, it's similar to the enlisted recruiting problem we have.
00:57:23And our issues are because of stress and burnout on the force.
00:57:25So, we have doubled down on our medical recruiting.
00:57:28We've changed the process in which way we do that.
00:57:30We've outsourced some of that to medical professionals who do the recruiting for us.
00:57:34And as a result, we've seen a tenfold increase to date in the number of folks interested in joining the Navy.
00:57:39So, nascent efforts still, but trending in the right direction.
00:57:43We're going to be much better this year than we haven't been in the past, sir.
00:57:47General.
00:57:48Sir, in the Department of the Navy, Marines don't have any medical personnel.
00:57:53So, we rely on my good friend here by several cheesemen to support us.
00:57:57They do a very fine job of it.
00:57:58But I think it goes deeper than that.
00:58:00That's in the military treatment facilities, but also out in town.
00:58:03So, some of those bases and stations and being an expeditionary force when we're out in areas where they don't have access to a military treatment facility.
00:58:11And sometimes going out through TRICARE out in town can take 30 days plus, especially with mental health physicians.
00:58:18Very difficult.
00:58:19So, again, thanks for the help with the Department of Navy.
00:58:22We certainly support them.
00:58:23And I would ask for anything that you can do to help with the out in town physicians.
00:58:28General Miller.
00:58:29General Miller.
00:58:30Yes, sir.
00:58:31We also have the same struggles of trying to get our medical professionals on board.
00:58:37I will say that DHA has been challenging as well just to work with them.
00:58:42General DeGose, our SG, has been doing everything he can to get out there and recruit the medical specialties.
00:58:49We're doing, we're trying to give them, you know, their credit so we can bring them on at higher grades than they normally would.
00:58:55Additionally, we're working, we're looking in the mental health perspective of doing online, you know, so one provider can do multiple areas.
00:59:05So, they don't actually have to physically be there, but they can do online mental health.
00:59:10So, it is a struggle.
00:59:11We're trying everything that we can to get our force back up because it's, we've got to have them.
00:59:16Ms. Kelly.
00:59:17Yes, Chairman, much like the Marines, we rely on the Air Force for medical support.
00:59:23So, from a Guardian perspective, a Guardian is going to an MTF that the Air Force is running underneath the auspices of Defense Health.
00:59:33I would agree that the recruiting is a challenge.
00:59:35I would also agree that the way that the Air Force is attempting to tackle this and the changes that they're making in that additional pay structure are going to be very pivotal for the Guardian as well.
00:59:45Just this question, if anybody can answer if you want.
00:59:50There's been discussion over the past few years about unnecessary and burdensome barriers to entry for DOD nurses, including a one-year prior experience required barrier.
01:00:02Can any of you speak to these barriers and are they hurting or helping recruiting?
01:00:08I mean, have you seen any of that?
01:00:09Anybody?
01:00:10Anybody want to throw anything in?
01:00:15Sir, from the Navy, I have not seen that or are familiar with that.
01:00:19So, I'll take that for the record and get you a more frozen answer.
01:00:21Okay.
01:00:23Senator Scott.
01:00:24First off, thanks to each of you for your hard work.
01:00:32I don't think what you do is easy.
01:00:35So, we've had a tough time other than the Marines of hitting our recruitment numbers, right, for quite a few years.
01:00:42So, should anybody be held accountable?
01:00:45And if so, have they been held accountable for not meeting our recruiting goals?
01:00:53I'll start, sir.
01:00:54So, our recruiting numbers in the Air Force have gone up.
01:00:57We're actually exceeding where we thought we would be.
01:01:00Some of it, we had a, the last two, three years, it was a little more difficult.
01:01:05Based COVID, I think, was one of the factors.
01:01:08The other thing is just the propensity to serve across our nation was down.
01:01:12And so, we have done, we have put every effort we can into increasing our recruits and we have exceeded our goals.
01:01:20We actually were planning to exceed it by about 3,000 this year.
01:01:24And we'll see if we have enough MILPERS to cover that.
01:01:27But they didn't, but y'all didn't meet the goals.
01:01:30Yes, sir, we did this year.
01:01:32Yeah, but prior years.
01:01:34No, sir, we did not.
01:01:35And so, we looked at what was, we had our own barriers internal to the Air Force.
01:01:40And so, we removed those barriers.
01:01:42One of them, you know, we had very strict, for example, tattoo policies.
01:01:46And we, and so, we removed some of those because it was a barrier for entrance from some of the population of our nation.
01:01:54So, that increased it.
01:01:55The other thing that we did was, we note that internally to the Air Force, you had to have a driver's license in order to enter our Air Force.
01:02:05We removed that.
01:02:06And then we do, if it, if it's required for your position, we will work on getting the driver's license.
01:02:11So, all of the internal barriers, we removed.
01:02:13And we have since seen a larger population from which we can recruit.
01:02:19Additionally, we did not lower our standards at all.
01:02:23We have, we've maintained our standards, DOD standards.
01:02:27But the individuals that were responsible for recruiting before you started making your numbers, should they have been held accountable or not?
01:02:34Or is it something that was completely outside your control?
01:02:39It's not, I don't think it's in my control.
01:02:43But I think that they were held accountable in the fact that they were given specific goals.
01:02:47We used to do goals every quarter, and now we do them monthly.
01:02:50And so, our recruiter, who's a one-star general, reports to a four-star.
01:02:55So, I think the accountability was there from that aspect, sir.
01:02:59But nothing happened to anybody for not meeting their goals.
01:03:01They were, they were promoted just like anybody else.
01:03:03Well, the same promotion.
01:03:04I mean, he's been a one-star the whole time.
01:03:06So, he hasn't yet been promoted.
01:03:08Okay.
01:03:09How's the Navy?
01:03:10How about the Navy?
01:03:11Sir, I'll tell you that, sir, thanks for the question.
01:03:14And also, thanks for the opportunity yesterday to speak within your office.
01:03:17And you're meeting your goals, right?
01:03:18Sir, we are far exceeding our goals, absolutely, in 2025.
01:03:22I will, I anticipate sending 44,000 future sailors to boot camp, probably just under that number.
01:03:30Our goal is 40,600, so we're well above it.
01:03:33I think inside of our enterprise, inside the MyNavy HR enterprise, we took a really hard look about who was tasked to do what.
01:03:42We upgraded the position of the Navy recruiting commander from a one-star to a two-star.
01:03:46And with that came a recruiting operations center.
01:03:49It came increased data analytics.
01:03:51It, you know, you know, a review of medical waiver processes came.
01:03:55We understand the data behind recruiting.
01:03:58To be candid, sir, I think we had to learn how to recruit coming out of COVID.
01:04:03And I won't speak for my, you know, fellow service members here, but, you know, that's how it was for the Navy.
01:04:09I think prior to COVID, we were very good at processing the people who walked in the recruiting stations.
01:04:14Coming out of COVID with a decrease in propensity that General Miller just, you know, mentioned,
01:04:19we really had to learn how to recruit.
01:04:21We are up on step now, and we're running on all cylinders, sir.
01:04:25How about the Army?
01:04:26Yeah, thanks, Senator.
01:04:28As you know, probably a couple years ago, we completely revamped it.
01:04:32I think this was an Army entirety fault.
01:04:35I wouldn't say an individual, but I would say the Army was at fault.
01:04:38We were sleeping at the wheel for years on recruiting, resting on our laurels.
01:04:42And we put General Davis and a team of folks in there to revamp and relook how we did recruiting systemically from the top and the bottom.
01:04:52Over the last 12 to 18 months have been putting these in place, and we're seeing now the fruition.
01:04:57We saw that last year was a good year.
01:04:59This year is a great year.
01:05:01We are exceeding.
01:05:03We're over 50,000 recruits out of the 61,000 that we were shooting for this year just six months in.
01:05:11So we're having, as I call it, catastrophic success with this, with how we're doing now.
01:05:17But the ones in charge, when we weren't successful, nothing's happened to them.
01:05:22They were promoted just like normal, like, I think that's true?
01:05:28No, they weren't, Senator.
01:05:30All right.
01:05:31Okay, so what's the slogan for the Marines?
01:05:34Senator Scott, good to see you.
01:05:36We talked a bit about this.
01:05:38We put our best Marines in recruiting, even if they want to.
01:05:41Do you have a slogan?
01:05:43A slogan?
01:05:44Yeah, do you have a slogan?
01:05:45The few, the proud.
01:05:46We have a lot of slogans, sir, if that's the one you're after.
01:05:51We don't promise you a Rose Garden.
01:05:53Many different.
01:05:54We'll stop there.
01:05:55I remember that, but I was in the Navy.
01:05:58Army, do you guys have one?
01:05:59Yeah, this will defend, Senator.
01:06:01And how about the Navy?
01:06:03Sir, Forged by the Sea.
01:06:06Air Force?
01:06:07Fly, fight, and win.
01:06:08Aim high.
01:06:09Space Force?
01:06:10Semper Supra, always above.
01:06:12And when you, when, so, do you think that, do you think that when people come in, they
01:06:20know what your mission is?
01:06:22When you're recruiting, do they know what your mission is?
01:06:25I think we've all heard for years the Marine slogan, and we've all heard for years the Army
01:06:30slogan, but I don't know.
01:06:31Do you think we've heard the others?
01:06:32And do you think that that's a reason why we've had a hard time is people not, not sure,
01:06:38not sure what we're doing?
01:06:42Anybody?
01:06:43Senator, I'll, I'll speak to it from a Navy component.
01:06:46We, we, we've been with the Forged by the Sea marketing campaign for a little bit of time.
01:06:52I think it resonates well with younger folks.
01:06:54The average age of our recruit is 22, not necessarily 18, like some of the others are.
01:06:59So they're a little older.
01:07:01It resonates.
01:07:02That slogan, that culture manifests through boot camp, through a schools now into the fleet.
01:07:07So I think it's nesting pretty well.
01:07:09Senator, I'll offer from the Space Force perspective, being just over five years old, we took a concerted
01:07:17effort to market what a Guardian is, and more importantly, what they do specifically for the joint fight.
01:07:23So I acknowledge your point.
01:07:25It's one of the focuses that we have right now.
01:07:27We've actually built a planetarium show that we're debuting in a month at planetariums around the nation
01:07:32to get after exactly your point, which is, does the average American know what the Space Force is
01:07:38and that they can join it as its newest service?
01:07:41You think they do?
01:07:43Our data right now shows us that we have a brand awareness problem, absolutely.
01:07:48That's right.
01:07:49That's what I would say in Florida.
01:07:50Yes.
01:07:51Yes.
01:07:52Space Force for sure, sir.
01:07:53Yeah.
01:07:54So have, so the Marines continue to be successful.
01:07:57Was there, was after, after the problems that we had, was, did the other branches, did they follow what the Marines
01:08:04are doing?
01:08:05Did you guys look at what the Marines were doing?
01:08:07Yes, I used to be the one that never had a problem.
01:08:10He, he tells me.
01:08:11I was in business.
01:08:12I always wanted to be number one.
01:08:13Absolutely.
01:08:14You know, I always wanted to be the one that nobody ever questioned my numbers.
01:08:17Senator, from a Navy perspective, we did take a little bit of a look at what the Marines had done.
01:08:22We had already been involved in, in increasing the quality of our recruiters.
01:08:27What, you know, in talking to my good friend here, you know, that manifests in what they're doing.
01:08:31So the, the communities that provide our officer recruiters have increased the quality of those
01:08:36commanding officers that go to recruiting command, the Commodores that oversee them.
01:08:40And we do provide a large amount of incentives for our junior, for our enlisted sailors to head out to recruiting.
01:08:46And the quality there is increasing as well.
01:08:48Senator, from the Air Force perspective, we absolutely did look at the, the Marines and their recruiting and their, their, their, their, the way that they attack it.
01:08:58And that they do put their best and brightest on there.
01:09:01So we did modify that over the last year when we added additional 400 plus recruiters.
01:09:06And that it was, it was, you know, you have to be selected to be there as opposed to just throw your name in the hat because you thought it would be fun to do.
01:09:14So yes, sir, we did do that.
01:09:16Senator, if I may, I would be remiss if I did not go on the record and note that the Space Force has made its recruiting numbers for the last five years.
01:09:23I'll be it small.
01:09:24We, we are absolutely focused on finding the talent where it is and leveraging some technical ways to connect directly with those potential guardians.
01:09:33Senator, the, the Army took into consideration and further professionalizing the recruiting force.
01:09:43So creating a new MOS, a new warrant officer that, you know, taking some things from industry training with industry and how they do that.
01:09:52How do they relate to get a little bit better and selecting not everybody is a good recruiter.
01:09:58Some people are better than others.
01:10:00And we're just making sure that we're putting the right people in the right places to, to access the people that we're trying to bring in.
01:10:06Thank you for what you do.
01:10:07Thank you, Chairman.
01:10:08Thanks, Senator Scott.
01:10:09Senator Duckworth.
01:10:10Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
01:10:11And thank you for keeping the hearing open so that I can make it here.
01:10:16I appreciate it.
01:10:18Each of our services claims to build the best and most capable leaders within the world's greatest fighting force, capable of thinking critically, navigating the fog of war and leading diverse teams in times of uncertainty.
01:10:30But how can the department train leaders to make decisions for themselves if it is actively banning books from service academies and micromanaging their access to information?
01:10:39This administration's obsession with removing diversity within the force has now expanded into attacking diversity of thought.
01:10:46Censorship does not produce stronger leaders.
01:10:48It produces brittle ones.
01:10:50Suppressing ideas is not a sign of might.
01:10:52It is an expression of fear.
01:10:53And if we allow fear to drive policy, we feel not only our cadets and service members seeking to develop themselves as leaders, but also the American people who count on them to lead with wisdom and critical thinking.
01:11:05For each witness, do you believe our future commanders will be fully prepared to navigate the complexity of tomorrow's war fighting environment if we continue to micromanage their exposure to the world and different perspectives?
01:11:16Should we be limiting their perspectives and banning books in our academies?
01:11:21Would that make them better leaders?
01:11:23No, Senator.
01:11:27Senator, I'm generally familiar with the issue you're talking about, but I've not seen specifically the issues at the Naval Academy, nor have I talked to Admiral Davids about that.
01:11:37What I can tell you, I agree with you.
01:11:39You know, I believe the Naval Academy should have everything they need to create future Naval officers.
01:11:43Within my domain, I am certain that we have everything we need to make sure every sailor is qualified to do their job.
01:11:50Yes, ma'am.
01:11:52Nice to see you.
01:11:53I'm a proud graduate at one of those service academies, and it is.
01:11:56I could never make it in.
01:11:57It's okay.
01:11:58I'm an ROTC guy.
01:11:59Barely.
01:12:00But it matters to us in the sense we take 25% of that class, of that Naval Academy class that comes into the Marine Corps, and we get eye water and talent.
01:12:11And so just inspiring, attracting our top young Americans to attend that school is important to us.
01:12:19And I just wanted to, you know, put a plug for, you know, how important that school is, how much it means to us.
01:12:25General Miller.
01:12:26Yes, ma'am.
01:12:27I would concur.
01:12:28You know, I don't know exactly what they're doing at USAAFA as far as the libraries and going through the curriculum.
01:12:33But I do know that we have the best airmen, and a large portion of them come from the academy.
01:12:38And I think that we need to make sure that we continue to draw, similar to the Marines and Navy, the best individuals from the United States.
01:12:45But they need to be exposed to all elements of thought, and we should not be banning books in our training of our service members.
01:12:50I think they should definitely be, they should have all trains of thought.
01:12:54Yes, ma'am.
01:12:56Ms. Kelly?
01:12:57Absolutely.
01:12:59I do think that we owe service members protection from moral injury by empowering them with the training to operate in complex wartime environments with life or death decisions for their brothers and sisters in arms, as well as civilians who find themselves caught in the middle.
01:13:13But I heard some concerning things from general counsel nominee, from the general counsel nominee yesterday regarding this administration's commitment to the law of armed conflict.
01:13:21Will each of you commit to ensuring that service members receive the appropriate training and education on the law of armed conflict?
01:13:28Yes, Senator.
01:13:30Senator, yes, ma'am.
01:13:31Senator, this is key to our warfighting effectiveness.
01:13:34Absolutely.
01:13:35Yes, ma'am.
01:13:36Agree, ma'am.
01:13:37That is why we're the greatest fighting force on the face of the earth.
01:13:40We set the standards for the rest of the world.
01:13:42And I'd like now to pivot to the Indo-Pacific, and I'd like to shift your attention specifically to the current makeup of our active, reserve, and guard forces,
01:13:50and whether our forces are prepared for the reality of fighting and sustaining large-scale conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.
01:13:56For each of you, do you believe your service currently has the force structure and personnel necessary to meet the demands of such a fight in the Indo-Pacific?
01:14:04And if not, given our current personnel projections and plans, are you confident your service will be prepared to execute large-scale mobilization
01:14:11and sustain power projection across contested domains?
01:14:14And what can this committee do to ensure you are fully supported?
01:14:17Because I would tell you, it is a bipartisan issue.
01:14:19We have talked about this in a bipartisan way, and I want to make sure you have the ability.
01:14:22I think probably the Army and the Marines would be most on this, maybe, obviously, as well.
01:14:26But can we sustain the fight where we are right now?
01:14:28And what kind of support do you need?
01:14:30Thanks, Senator.
01:14:31Yes, we can.
01:14:32But I'm not satisfied.
01:14:33I don't think we're satisfied that we need to continue to transform to prepare for that even more.
01:14:38And as you know firsthand, the more readiness, the better we're going to be.
01:14:42We have to transform not just our modernization, our force, but how we do things in large-scale combat operations.
01:14:48So when our chief says, hey, transformation and contact or continuous transformation, that's what we're doing.
01:14:54We can't rest on our laurels.
01:14:56We can't say, hey, we won the last war.
01:14:58We're good.
01:14:59We have to continually look and adapt, because as we see in the battlefields across the globe, things are changing faster than our budget cycle.
01:15:09They're faster than our, you know, how we can acquire equipment for the acquisition.
01:15:16So we have to be faster.
01:15:17So we can't say, hey, we're ready, we're good, stop.
01:15:20No, we actually need to keep getting more ready, keep adapting.
01:15:23And I think your support absolutely with your oversight, but also with the proper appropriations and flexible funding so that when something changes,
01:15:32like we're talking about with UAS, counter UAS, and that technology that is changing so frequently inside that budget cycle,
01:15:39we've got to be able to adjust and not get consumed by buying this one thing that was good for that time and is no longer and it's obsolete.
01:15:48So that's what I would say we need help with.
01:15:52Senator, thanks for the question.
01:15:54I believe in our operators.
01:15:55I'm certain we'll get the mission done.
01:15:57That being said, the Navy is on a journey.
01:15:59One of our lines of effort is to make sure that we're very much aligned within our maritime operation centers.
01:16:04We want to fight from those operation centers in the future.
01:16:08There's a lot of things going on here with, you know, hardware, software, people.
01:16:12From my portfolio, I'm sure I'll need more people in those specific skill sets when it comes to the IW community,
01:16:17the cryptologic community, the Intel community, the space community.
01:16:21So we're on a growth profile in those areas.
01:16:24Additionally, I know working closely with the Chief of Navy Reserve, Admiral LaCour, they are organized around the fight from the mock concept.
01:16:31So the training that they do is so they're able to fight, you know, fall in on those mocks when trouble is brewing so they can support the fight as well.
01:16:39So we're modernizing the entire approach towards the fight from the mock.
01:16:42And we just look forward to continue to working with this community to get that done.
01:16:46Senator Burser.
01:16:47Senator, thanks very much.
01:16:48The Indo-Pacon theater is one of the most challenging theaters.
01:16:51I mean, my last job before this role, commanding aviators, you know, the distances at which we may need to fight in that theater makes it very difficult with the geographical dispersion.
01:17:01As you know, six years ago we started down this path with General Berger and now General Smith on force design.
01:17:07Force design was clearly meant to grow the force to the right type of marine, right skill set, divest to invest.
01:17:18Now we're into the invest phase where we have the right numbers of Marines, capacity and capability.
01:17:24We don't have the capacity we need.
01:17:25So we are on a plan, so to your question, I really appreciate that, is to grow our end strength.
01:17:30And we have a plan to get there, but it's quite frankly not fast enough.
01:17:34And so any help that you can provide us in funding really for that end strength, we would applaud.
01:17:41Thank you, Chairman.
01:17:42Yes, we too are shifting to the Pacific.
01:17:45The tyranny of distance is a challenge for us because we have tankers and where we're going to put them and how we're going to fight from there.
01:17:51So we are doing large scale exercises to make sure that we're ready, but we too need to increase our end strength probably.
01:18:02And then we just have to have the right, we have to have the right kit forward.
01:18:06And so that's our challenge right now.
01:18:08If we're going up against the PRC, it's not going to be dominating the skies.
01:18:11We're going to have to fight our way in and fight our way out.
01:18:13Same with the surface warfare.
01:18:15Yes, ma'am.
01:18:16Senator, I'd just like to add that from the space perspective,
01:18:19the Indo-PACOM fight is absolutely enabled by the space capabilities that our warfighters need.
01:18:25So the ability for this service that is now five years old to continue to grow with the support of this committee is going to be very critical,
01:18:33because the space enabling warfighter has got to be part of what we deliver for the fight.
01:18:39You've been incredibly generous, Mr. Chairman.
01:18:41Thank you, Senator Duckworth.
01:18:43I just have one more question here before we finish, mainly for the NDAA.
01:18:49Specifically talking about bonuses and special pays, retention.
01:18:53Obviously, you all want to recruit new people, but we also have to recruit the people we already have in the service.
01:18:59So I'll start.
01:19:00General Miller, 24 NDAA, Congress authorized the Air Force to increase aviation retention bonuses up to $50,000 for pilots,
01:19:11who agreed to extend their contracts earlier than initially planned.
01:19:15Could you give us some kind of update on the status of how these are working?
01:19:20Yes, Senator.
01:19:21Actually, they're working incredibly well.
01:19:23We are right now across our rated population.
01:19:26We are where we need to be with exception of the 11Fs, which are fighters.
01:19:30However, we have completely closed the gap based on a lot of it is the bonuses, the aviation bonuses.
01:19:38Additionally, we're doing we're looking at the how the trainers were a little bit short on the trainers.
01:19:44So we're training by simulators, too, and we're finding that we're closing that gap.
01:19:48And we expect that we will get there relatively quickly.
01:19:51But thank you very much for that NDAA.
01:19:53It's been very helpful.
01:19:54Yeah.
01:19:55So we'll start down here, General.
01:19:57Just what you think in recruiting wise in terms of bonuses for retention?
01:20:02Or what do you think we could do in the future for just normal recruiting?
01:20:08Yeah, I think the support for the future soldier prep course has been great.
01:20:13That's tapped into another population that we haven't been able to access before.
01:20:17Funding for that.
01:20:18And again, I hate to keep beating that horse on the funding funding for that those type of things that are not accounted for typically in the budget cycle.
01:20:30So I think that support the bonuses.
01:20:32Obviously, that's that's huge for retention as well as recruiting and getting the people that we want to get into the service.
01:20:38I think if you continue to get that support and oversight for us, that will be definitely helpful.
01:20:45Yeah.
01:20:46Adam?
01:20:47Senator, thanks for the question.
01:20:48And allowing me to build the ability to highlight the importance of these special incentive pays, the bonuses and such.
01:20:56It's incredibly important to the retention game.
01:20:59We're doing very well in retention, but we still shorten our manpower accounts right now.
01:21:03So we're going to have to move some money around to make sure we meet our obligations to our sailors and we don't get to the point where we create an IOU situation.
01:21:11I would like to highlight as we move into FY26, if we start the year with a continuing resolution in FY26, this will be problematic for that account.
01:21:20Right now, you know, I appreciate the 10% pay raise for our junior listed sailors.
01:21:25That's funded for FY25 only.
01:21:27If we move into FY26 with a CR only, it'll severely depress the manpower account and I will have trouble paying those bonuses, which are obligated to our sailors.
01:21:37General?
01:21:38Yes, Senator Tubbo.
01:21:39Thanks very much for this question.
01:21:40The aviation bonuses are key.
01:21:42So are all the other bonuses, as Vice Admiral Cheeseman had mentioned.
01:21:45The selective retention bonus.
01:21:46Some are really exquisite skilled senior enlisted and middle grade enlisted that have cyber signals intelligence.
01:21:53Those type are really difficult to retain.
01:21:56But for the pilots, in a sense, the bonuses are, it's kind of a combined arms effect.
01:22:02It's the bonuses are important, but it's also climate culture.
01:22:06And it really just selling that, hey, flying a commercial aircraft is one thing, but flying a gray aircraft with a trigger is another thing.
01:22:12And we got to have the bonuses.
01:22:15That's important.
01:22:16But it's climate and culture as well.
01:22:18Thanks for your support there.
01:22:19Ms. Kelly.
01:22:20Senator, I would add for the Space Force, the targeted bonuses are crucial.
01:22:23The space, cyber, and intel skill sets that is essentially the guardian population that we have in the Space Force are exquisite skills themselves,
01:22:32and much like the other colleagues here today.
01:22:35The ability to retain and attract and hold that type of exquisite skill is critical.
01:22:41The targeted incentives help us do that.
01:22:43You just go to General Miller and say, well, who's your best ones?
01:22:46I need your best ones, right?
01:22:48She does that, right?
01:22:49Yeah.
01:22:50I would, too.
01:22:51People want to join the Space Force, sir.
01:22:54Hey, thank you.
01:22:55I apologize for all the rigmarole here, but we got more hearings and people, and you notice the lines outside.
01:23:03They're rather big.
01:23:04But thank you for what you do.
01:23:05You have a great responsibility.
01:23:07I don't think people really understand that.
01:23:09The responsibility is, you know, you win with people.
01:23:12And, you know, obviously we've got weapons and all that, but you've got to have good people, and we thank you for what you do.
01:23:17Admiral Cheeseman, thank you for your service.
01:23:20I will tell you this.
01:23:22I did the same thing.
01:23:23I retired, and after a few weeks, my wife walked by my couch when I was drinking coffee one morning.
01:23:30She said, hey, this has been my house for 40 years.
01:23:33Go get you a damn job.
01:23:35So, yeah.
01:23:36I'm hearing it already.
01:23:37Yes, sir.
01:23:38Oh, yeah.
01:23:39But thanks for what you do, and we want to help as much as we can.
01:23:42That's one reason we had this today.
01:23:44A lot of people will watch this on video, a lot of our members.
01:23:48So if there's anything that we can do to help in your capacity, we want to help.
01:23:54We're, you know, we all, all of you know we're in harm's way every day.
01:23:59And we've got a lot of enemies out there, but the bigger and better we have our military,
01:24:07the less problems we'll have, because they don't want to mess with the United States or
01:24:11America.
01:24:12And we sure want them to know that, but you're the beginning of it.
01:24:15So thank you all and look forward to visiting and working with you many, many times.
01:24:21Again, Admiral, good luck.
01:24:23This hearing's adjourned.