Hearing of the House Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee - Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Appropriations bill

Hearing

Thank you for this opportunity to share with you my concerns and priorities for the
military installations within Georgia's First Congressional District. It's an honor to represent a
district which houses four major military installations, every branch of the military, and
thousands of veterans who have served our country so honorably. With this unique military
footprint, the district's defense elements are important not just to our state and region but to the
nation and America's interests around the world.

The First District is the proud home of Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. As the
largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River and home to the "Rock of the Marne," the
3rd Infantry Division (ID), Ft. Stewart has a long and storied past as well as a vibrant role in
today's national defense missions. Its level of significance and contributions continues to be a
point of pride for the district, from spearheading of the advance into Baghdad during Operation
Iraqi Freedom to the deployment of soldiers to West Africa to help contain the Ebola outbreak.
Today, as I speak, the 3rd ID is deployed to Afghanistan and Eastern Europe.

With the Army's planned manpower drawdowns, the maintenance of effective troop
levels and missions sets at Ft. Stewart has become a very concerning issue. I've heard
discussions about reducing the total number of Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) nationwide
and additional manpower cuts which could affect the 3rd ID by the reduction of one or even two
BCTs. Such reductions would be a severe blow to the ability of the 3rd ID,
Ft. Stewart and Hunter to provide their extraordinary capability to our national defense.

Fort Stewart and Hunter are uniquely equipped and strategically located to deliver a
devastating blow to our adversaries world-wide. It has vast training areas, modern facilities and
an extraordinary network of intermodal deployment options through nearby ports and on-base
and nearby airports. For those reasons and more, I am requesting that the Army broaden its
evaluation of Fort Stewart and Hunter with regard to BCT reductions. That should include
factors such as cost efficiencies of operations and speed of deployment, the regional training
capabilities with other installations, and community support.

The regional capabilities and multi-service resources include another unique resource of
national significance located in the First District-- the Townsend Bombing Range (TBR). TBR is
itself owned by the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and operated by the Georgia Air National
Guard. Townsend is integral not just to the State of Georgia but also to the Air Force, Navy,
Army, Air National Guard and Marine Corps elements that use it. Recently, I've learned that the
Air National Guard (ANG) Headquarters has signed over the operational control of TBR to the
USMC because of the apparent ANG inability to devote the necessary personnel resources for
the expansion of the range. While we're excited that the range is expanding to accommodate 5th
generation fighters like the F-35, there are concerns about access to the range by other services
and the provision of adequate resources to address community concerns. Two counties in my
district, Long and McIntosh, are in discussion with the USMC about compensation for losses to
their tax digests, and I am working with the Marine Corps to secure clarification on a number of
related questions and issues.

Nearby Fort Stewart, my district proudly includes the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base,
located in St. Mary's, Georgia. Kings Bay is the home port for the Atlantic ballistic missile
submarine fleet. The fleet of submarines located at Kings Bay plays an indispensable role in our
nation's security as an element of the nation's nuclear triad. It is currently home to 8 Ohio-class
submarines, 6 of which are ballistic missile submarines and 2 of which have been converted to
guided missile submarines. While these submarines fulfill a critical role in nuclear deterrence
and readiness, they will soon be reaching the end of their expected timeline and a replacement
will be needed. The last guided missile submarine is expected to be retired in 2028, leaving the
Navy with a 60% reduction in in undersea strike capacity.

The first Ohio-class replacement submarine was originally scheduled to be procured in
FY2019, but necessary deferments by the Navy have pushed back that timeline. This means that
there may be a gap in the retirement of the Ohio-class boats and the procurement and production
of its replacement class of boats. Because of this, I submitted a programmatic request in support
of the Department of Defense's budget line of $1.391 billion for the Ohio replacement
development in accordance with the President's budget.

The Virginia-class fast attack submarine is another major program with a critical role in
the defense of our nation and our Navy. With the Ohio-class replacements on the horizon,
Virginia-class submarines will continue to fulfill a larger role in the submarine fleet, especially
with their life expectancy projected to reach as far as 2070. The Virginia Payload Module
(VPM) is a cost-effective way to preserve our undersea strike capacity by adding expanded
capabilities and armaments to the Virginia-class submarine fleet. With the rise in development
and procurement of anti-access and area denial systems, undersea strikes will, through necessity,
assume a more dominant role in future conflicts. It is through an expansion program, like the
Virginia Payload Module, that we would be able to effectively maintain our capabilities while
assuming cost savings until a guided missile replacement can enter service. The development of
the Virginia Payload Module must continue to ensure that all Block 5 boats procured in Fiscal
Years 2019 through 2023 can incorporate the capabilities of the expansion. This will help to
ensure that we don't have a loss in undersea strike capabilities between the retirement of the
Ohio-class submarine and the procurement and construction of its replacement boat. It is for all
these reasons discussed that I am requesting $168 million for the development of the Virginia
Payload Module.

Moody Air Force Base located in Lowndes County is currently home to the 23rd Wing of
the Air Combat Command as well as the 94rd Air Ground Operations Wing. The A-10s,
operated by the 23rd Wing, have been providing critical close air support (CAS) for our ground
troops since they first entered service in the 1970s. It is this unique ability to perform effective
close air support that has garnered the A-10 with high accolades in recent theatres of conflict,
including Iraq and Afghanistan. As we speak, A-10s are flying CAS missions against ISIS
advances in Iraq. In an article dated from January of this year, Iraqi News reported that "the
aircraft sparked panic in the ranks of ISIS after bombing its elements and flying in space close to
the ground." This combination of abilities and its record of survivability against defensive
platforms have earned it many supporters over the years and has elevated the airframe to a level
of CAS that is unmatched by anything in our fleet of aircraft, including the untested F-35 in CAS
missions.

Plain and simple, the A-10 is the only aircraft of its kind that can effectively accomplish
its mission of protecting our troops while loitering around the battlefield for any additional
support that may be needed by ground forces. The A-10 platforms provide a cost-effective and
proven mission set that is fully capable of filling a role that no other airframe can accomplish to
that degree. With the F-35 untested in the CAS role, we cannot afford to retire the A-10
airframes, especially with no how much life is left in the planes. That's why I am requesting
your support of full funding for the A-10 fleet in the Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Appropriations
bill.

I also would like to discuss United States Marine Corps (USMC) procurement. The
Marine Corps is a service that has learned to do more with less. Their procurement process is
often different than the other services because they service a wide range of missions for a smaller
force. The engineer equipment currently in use by Marine Corps operators is insufficient in
today's wartime environments and doesn't provide adequate protection for those Marines who
are in harm's way. In addition, the committee has previously recognized the need for versatile
engineer vehicles, especially backhoes, for expeditionary forces and for homeland support
missions. It is for this reason that I am requesting to provide an additional $15 million for the
USMC's Engineer and Other Equipment procurement account.

Lastly, I want to address improved camouflage systems and their role to the services in
future conflicts. Current camouflage netting systems do not afford proper concealment against
enemy threats, specifically short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensors. Research and development of
next generation systems is essential for our military to maintain the edge against our adversaries
in multiple environments. For that reason, I have requested report language encouraging
development of new and improved camouflage netting systems that will thoroughly provide
protection for our troops.

Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony to the Subcommittee today. With
our rich military heritage, these issues are extremely important to me and my constituents in the
First District of Georgia. I'm very proud of the men and women who serve in our military and it
is my intention, as I am sure it is yours, to do everything possible to ensure they continue to be
the best equipped, most highly trained, and well cared for fighting force in the world. I
appreciate your attention to these requests and thank you again for the time today.

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