Senate Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on FY2004 Defense Authorization

FDCH TRANSCRIPTS
Congressional Hearings
Feb. 25, 2003
Senate Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on FY2004 Defense Authorization

REED:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

First, let me begin by thanking, commending General Shinseki for his great service to the Army and the nation, and also Patty Shinseki, who's served with equal distinction, at least. Thank you.

There's a recurrent theme in today's questioning about manpower and end-strength, and I think that emanates from a common-sense view that it's very difficult to interject military forces into a region, and it's sometimes more difficult to get them out.

And so, I think we're all anticipating not only successful military operations, but long-term operations. I know you've responded but could you particularly respond to the issue of Reserve and National Guard, because what I've seen and Senator Inhofe suggested—in my home state we've mobilized practically all the Guard and Reserve forces we have for one year—a more specific question is, what do we have to do now to ensure that we don't run into a wall a year from now and there aren't any willing, able National Guard, Reserves to fulfill critical missions, many of which might be particularly germane to the Reserves and the Guards since civil affairs—distribution of water, distribution of food, as you suggested, General Shinseki—there's a lot more of those qualified individuals in the Reserves than in active forces? Could you comment, and then I'll ask all of you gentlemen to do so?