Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the

The subcommittee will come to order. With the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process now underway, we are here today to receive testimony on the posture of the National Guard Bureau and reserve components. Thanks all of you witnesses for being here. General Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau. Lieutenant General Robert Harter, Chief of the Army Reserve. Rear Admiral Richard Lofgren, Acting Chief of the Navy Reserve. Lieutenant General Lonnie Anderson, Commander of the Marine Forces Reserve. And Lieutenant General John P. Healy, Chief of the Air Force Reserves. This will be General Healy's final posture hearing with the subcommittee, so I want to thank him, his wife Kathy, for decades of dedicated service to our nation and the lasting impact he will leave on the force. So gentlemen, welcome, we look forward to candid discussion about the President's budget request for fiscal year 2027. The President's intention to significantly increase overall investment in national defense is certainly good news, but the details beneath the top line will determine whether the U.S. military can train, equip, deploy, and sustain a force capable, actually capable, of deterring serious threats. The Guard and Reserve are critical to the homeland defense, security cooperation with allies and partners, and readiness to meet aggression with an overwhelming response. Obviously, ongoing operations in the Middle East offer a tragic reminder that a majority of the service members killed in action since March 1st have been members of the Guard or Reserve. And I know the subcommittee's deepest sympathies are with their comrades and their families. Of course, current conflicts also offer urgent lessons about the future warfare. This is not just a responsibility of the active component. Secretary Driskell observed last week that Ukraine has, quote, "fundamentally altered how humans engage in conflict," and that, quote, "we are learning a lot from them," end quote. I think the Secretary's observation is spot on, but the value of these lessons will hinge on our own ability to actually apply them. Our adversaries, for their part, are applying them. Iran has used lessons from Russia's war and applied them against us in the Middle East. The U.S., on the other hand, has been slow to adapt. Why could that be? Well, in part because two administrations in a row have limited the number of military advisors who could visit Ukraine. It's hard to learn if you do not observe. It's also hard to deepen cooperation with Ukraine while cutting assistance at the same time. That's why Republican majorities in Congress voted both to authorize and, more importantly, appropriate $400 million in assistance for fiscal year 2026, this year. And we expect that the Department will obligate and expend those funds in accordance with congressional intent. The current strategic landscape suggests that the demand for highly trained, well-equipped citizens in uniform, like the ones currently operating in CENTCOM, isn't likely to decrease anytime soon. But the Guard and Reserve's ability to perform these official missions, to answer the call, depends on your access to modern capabilities and stable funding. So I'll be curious to hear what lessons you're deriving from current conflicts and what you're doing to implement them across your commands. I was encouraged that the President's budget request includes increased funding for military personnel, operation and maintenance, and most notably, the National Guard and Reserve equipment account. Congress has historically carried the water for this account, which helps to modernize the equipment available to both the Guard and the Reserve, but it is included in the base budget request actually for the first time. These are important requests of commitment, but you know better than anyone that it'll be hard to meet multi-year modernization targets without stable funding. And on that front, I've repeatedly, repeatedly warned the Department and even more importantly, OMB, that one-time shots of reconciliation dollars simply cannot stand in for continuing annual appropriations. So we owe it to the men and women of our armed forces to reliably provide ample funding for the common defense year after year by strong bipartisan support. With that, let me turn to Senator Coons.

Thank you so much, Chairman, and I want to thank all of our witnesses today and echo a number of the things the Chairman just said. You'll hear them in my remarks. We have worked closely and well together, as have our staff, and we agree on many of the core points that the Chairman just raised, in particular the 400 million appropriated for Ukraine and the importance of the State Partnership Program in connecting American Guard elements to some of the countries around the world as they sought to emerge from the Warsaw Pact or as they sought to develop a modern military. They were great partnerships. Let me also join in a special thank you to Lieutenant General Healy at his final appearance before our subcommittee. I'm sure you're relieved, but frankly, you and your family, I just wanted to thank you for your service. Your components all do an extraordinary job of balancing both civilian lives and a military career, and I think that does not get enough recognition. So let me begin by thanking all the men and women who you represent of the Guard and Reserve, who are a critical part of the full U.S. military. Many of us became, were reminded once again of that balance when shortly after the President launched Operation Epic Fury, components of our home state Guard and Reserve were mobilized or put on notice for deployment, as were two units from Delaware. While we have policy differences on this war, this was just the latest demonstration of the larger point that the Guard and Reserve are absolutely essential to our U.S. military. I join the Chairman in grieving over the loss of 13 Americans so far and the hundreds who've been wounded, and not only do our prayers go to their families, but our hope for success in the peace negotiations currently underway. Today's hearing is on the Guard and Reserve's fiscal year 2027 budget, and it comes in the much larger context of a $1.5 trillion defense budget request submitted by the President. The Pentagon is just starting, literally just starting today, to put details of this budget online, but what we know so far is that the overall request shows, in my view, a misunderstanding of the balance that our nation requires. The 2027 budget request is for a record 44 percent increase in defense, and there are many programs and initiatives across munitions and shipbuilding, space and cyber, effective procurement strategies that have widespread bipartisan support. And in my view, we have to respond to the increasing collaboration and partnership between our adversaries, the PRC, Russia, Iran, the DPRK across the globe. But this top-line number did not emerge from a thoughtful policymaking approach from the Pentagon's planning staff. It was a demand tweeted by the President. And I'll join with the Chairman in saying this: last year, the OMB chose to request a critical part of the defense budget inside the budget reconciliation process, which is not a guarantee and is a partisan process. And that choice last year and the timing of it produced billions of dollars in mistakes. And OMB, rather than recognizing that error, this year has tripled the size of that bad idea to 350 billion. And that uncertainty will not give our defense industrial base the predictability to plan. We've also seen defense programs added at the last minute or nicknamed simply to please the President, which I don't think helps the Department differentiate between genuine core needs, nice-to-have items, and vanity projects. I also have concerns about how the Department proposes this record request, which includes cuts to programs and services all Americans rely on. But let me move forward. I firmly believe that Chairman McConnell, Chair Collins, Vice Chair Murray, myself, and all the others can figure out a responsible way to fund the government without leaving to our children trillions in debt and deficits and without harming healthcare, transportation, and education. But that is a broader conversation. Before us today is how we support the Guard and Reserves. I'm a very strong proponent of the Guard and Reserves, especially folks in my home state who've deployed repeatedly. This subcommittee has to ensure each of the components testifying today are trained, equipped, and ready to answer that call. And I am concerned about some ideological choices made over the last 14 months that have hit your components with a one-two punch, as your O&M accounts have been diverted to pay for operations abroad and at the southwest border, and as the administration has shown some real hostility to the civilian members through a hiring freeze, no pay raise, and OPM's on-and-off insistence on literally personally approving every new hire. No private business would run their company that way, and you don't deserve this distraction and chaos. On the positive side, and again I agree very much with the Chairman, the billion dollars for the National Guard and Reserve equipment account is a welcome addition, and I look forward to hearing how you're planning to use those forces to modernize and protect yours. And in closing, the State Partnership Program, I think dollar for dollar punches way above its weight. All of us know our home state partner, whether it's Ecuador and Djibouti in the case of Kentucky, or it is Trinidad and Tobago in the case of Delaware. I've seen it on the ground, I've heard about it from combatant commanders, and I think it pays great dividends. So I look forward to hearing about ways we can support many valuable programs through the Guard and Reserve and to work in partnership with our allies in cyber, in medical and combat specialties and others. Our nation needs and deserves and appreciates the service and support of the components you represent. And Mr. Chairman, I very much look forward to this morning's hearing.

Thank you very much, Senator Coons. Now turn to the panel, beginning with General Nordhaus, and I'd like for each of you to limit your remarks to about three minutes, which will give us a maximum chance for Q and A. And General, would you like to lead off?

Thank you. And before I provide my opening remarks, I ask that we remember our fallen service members across the joint force who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They will always be remembered. Chairman McConnell, Ranking Member Coons, esteemed members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the strength of your locally-based, globally-engaged National Guard. I thank our 54 adjutants general and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, who is with me today, for their counsel. Moreover, I want to thank you, Congress, for your support that underpins everything we do, ensuring a stronger and more secure tomorrow. It's an honor to represent 435,000 soldiers and airmen of the National Guard. Today, nearly 44,000 guardsmen are engaged worldwide, securing our homeland and supporting every combatant commander around the globe. Your National Guard has had a remarkable year, defined by the scale and simultaneity of our operations. We are powered by our core advantage, the citizen-soldier. They combine the warrior ethos and civilian-acquired skills, creating an organization that is as innovative as it is lethal, a force that is community-based and engaged worldwide. Defending the homeland is the Department of War's number one priority. This is the National Guard's foundational mission, our dual mission serving as the primary combat reserve of the Army and the Air Force while also serving as the military first responder in domestic crises. This is a challenge we proudly accept. Without hesitation, during Operation Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury, National Guard crews delivered decisive blows to Iran in lockstep with our joint force partners. Your National Guard is an indispensable return on investment for America. We represent 20 percent of the joint force, yet we operate on less than 4 percent of the department's budget. Our decisive capabilities are only possible if our citizen-soldiers and airmen train with modernized equipment, fully interoperable with the joint force. To sustain strategic dominance, we must modernize concurrently with our services to aggressively outpace and overmatch tomorrow's threats with robust investments for today. This year, I remain laser-focused on sharpening our warfighting edge to increase our Guard's readiness and bolster our capabilities and our core missions for homeland warfighting and partnerships. When we serve our citizens in a state active duty status, current policy sends those reimbursement funds back to the Treasury. We ask for your support in restoring those state active duty funds that get spent back to our readiness and back to our formations. Our warfighters are our most critical asset, and to support their service, we must enact duty status reform and compensate equal work with equal pay and benefits. In closing, I want to again thank this committee for your unwavering support. Let us pray and continue to support our warfighters in harm's way. Let us stand by them and their families, and we are thankful for their service. We will always keep our promise to our nation and to our citizens to be always ready and always there. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.

Thanks, General. Let's take the witnesses in the following order: Anderson, Lofgren, Harter, and Healy. Thanks, General. Let's take the witnesses in the following order: Anderson, Lofgren, Harter, and Healy.

Great, thank you, Chairman McConnell, Vice Chair Coons, distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the Commandant of the Marine Corps about your Marine Corps Reserve. I'm honored to be here with my incoming senior enlisted leader, Sergeant Major Patrick Fay. Marine Corps Reserve is a critical component of our nation's defense. We provide 30 percent of our total force capabilities with 3.2 percent of the Marine Corps's budget. We are not a strategic reserve held for a distant crisis. We are globally engaged operational force that provides the Marine Corps strategic depth and the ability to augment and reinforce the active component at a moment's notice. Our relevance is defined by our readiness. Providing combat-ready units to global operations, the Reserve is seamlessly integrated with the total force. In fiscal year 2025, we activated Reserve Marines across five combatant commands. Today, we have Marines activated in every geographic combatant command to include combat operations in CENTCOM and afloat on our Marine Expeditionary Units. These deployments are not just a measure of our readiness, but it's how we build it. We are growing a more capable, combat-seasoned Reserve force that's going to be prepared for high-end conflict. This level of readiness and modernization is directly enabled by your support. We thank the subcommittee for its continued support, especially through the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account. For the Marine Corps Reserve, NGREA is not just a funding line. It's a warfighting requirement and the primary tool that enables our modernization. These funds allow us to field the modern platforms and systems our Marines need to train as they fight. With 99 percent execution rate across recent fiscal years, the Marine Corps has proven its ability to execute with discipline and reserve and speed while maintaining our service's clean audit for the last three years. Reserve readiness requires modern infrastructure. The Marine Corps Reserve occupies 148 Reserve Training Centers across 47 states, and the average condition in our portfolio is poor. While we aggressively pursue efficiencies through programs like facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization, and military construction Navy Reserve, to slow this decline, the disparity between our requirements and resources is growing. Continued support for our military construction and sustainment accounts is essential to provide safe, secure, and modern facilities where our Marines train. Because at the heart of the success is our Marines, sailors, and families who serve with unwavering dedication. They are the foundation of our readiness. With your continued support, I'm confident that the Marine Corps will remain what our nation expects us to be: an elite, combat-ready force prepared to answer a call anytime and anyplace. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. It's a great time to be a Marine Reservist. I look forward to your questions.

Good morning, Chairman McConnell, Ranking Member Coons, and distinguished members of this committee. For 111 years, the Navy Reserve has provided critical strategic depth for the fleet and the joint force. When our nation calls, we answer: ready, lethal, and all in to fight and win today. We are building the Navy of the future and defining the next era of American sea power. Today, we are a resilient, agile, globally present, and combat-critical force that is fully integrated into the Navy's mission. With me today is our Force Master Chief Nikki Rios, a tireless advocate for our sailors and their families. Force and I thank you for the opportunity to address this committee on behalf of our incredible Navy Reserve sailors. Over the last couple months, in support of Operation Epic Fury, our logistics support wing flying the C-40 and C-130 aircraft have evacuated over 2,800 personnel, including families, out of harm's way and demonstrated critical aerial refueling capabilities for the Navy, all while supporting critical carrier strike group logistics. These same squadrons have delivered thousands of pounds of critical cargo and tactical airlift support to SOUTHCOM, protecting our homeland and safely relocating our teams out of the path of Hurricane Melissa. When our nation calls and our fleet calls, the Navy Reserve answers, delivering logistics when and where they're needed. Your support for the KC-130J in the President's budget will ensure we can continue to answer that call with the capability and capacity our nation requires. Our North Star is clear: we are unambiguously focused on warfighting readiness. Today, 14,000 of our 59,000 Navy Reserve sailors are on active duty orders, serving in every area of responsibility. Our sailors are deployed 24/7, 365, restoring peace through strength while advancing the foundry, the fleet, and how we fight. We continue to modernize our force and align our resources to warfighting priorities, ensuring ready to fight and win today, tomorrow, and well into the future. Our most significant contribution to the nation's defense and the very foundation of our deterrence posture is our people. A lethal, ready, and resilient force is not built of steel and circuits alone; it's forged from the talent, training, and motivation of our sailors. Therefore, I ask for your full support in funding the RPN, the OMNR, and NGREA appropriations at the President's budget level. Our investment in our sailors is critical to enabling a mobilization and combat-ready force. Every drill weekend, every exercise, every mobilization must sharpen our edge and must be matched by investment in modern equipment. To this end, we are posturing our force to deliver advanced combat-focused capabilities that the fleet demands. Replacing our aging C-130 Tango fleet with the modern KC-130J Super Hercules meets the fleet's demand to enable contested logistics and sustain maritime power. As I've shared with many of you, our C-130 Tango fleet, operated exclusively by the Navy Reserve, is the Navy's only long-range intra-theater lift of oversized cargo. Last year, this wing moved over 72,000 passengers and 22 million pounds of cargo. However, this fleet is aging and lacks modern survivability and communication equipment needed for contested environments. We're grateful for the strong bipartisan alignment on this priority. Chairman McConnell, Ranking Member Coons, and members of the committee, thank you for the continued support of the Navy Reserve, the sailors, the civilians, and the families who make our mission possible. I look forward to your questions.

Good morning, Chairman McConnell, Ranking Member Coons, and distinguished members of this committee. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. On behalf of Command Sergeant Major Greg Betty and the more than 180,000 soldiers and civilians of your Army Reserve, thank you for your support of our warrior citizens and their families. For just 6 percent of the total Army budget, the Army Reserve provides over half of the Army's maneuver support forces, including the majority of theater-level medical, engineer, and sustainment units, and more than 95 percent of the Army's total bulk fuel distribution capacity in support of the joint force. You go, we go. That's my message to my active duty teammates. Right now, nearly 9,000 Army Reserve soldiers are deployed, supporting Army and joint force requirements at home and around the globe, to include support to Operation Epic Fury and operations on our southern border. Our soldiers are in the fight. To keep pace with emerging threats and to prepare for large-scale combat operations, or LSCO, we are transforming. The foundation of this transformation is our shift to a geographic mission command, a model that replaces a C2 structure built for predictable GWOT deployments with a geographic alignment that better supports building readiness for LSCO. To ensure our soldiers and units remain ready, I ask for your help in three key areas. First, predictable funding. Continuing resolutions and government shutdowns have huge readiness impacts, and the part-time nature of our force makes missed training days nearly impossible to recover. Second, continued support of our OMAR and RPA funding. In a major conflict, more than 35,000 Army Reserve soldiers are required within the first 60 days. We must be ready. Third, continued support of the much-appreciated National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account, or NGREA, which allows for the flexible procurement of critical equipment. On 7 March, my Command Sergeant Major and I were on the tarmac in Dover, Delaware, greeting our six fallen Army Reserve heroes as they returned home from the CENTCOM AOR. More than 30 Army Reserve soldiers were wounded in that same attack at Shweiba in Kuwait. We honor their sacrifice, and it affirms our resolve to ensure every Army Reserve soldier receives counter-drone equipment and training at pace with the Army and joint force. To that end, we've dedicated nearly a third of our NGREA appropriation to counter-UAS systems and will continue to invest in these life-saving technologies. In closing, while we are your Army Reserve, we are not a force in reserve. We are in the fight. The resources you provide are critical to ensuring the young men and women in our Army Reserve stay combat-ready. Thank you for your time today, and I look forward to your questions.

Chairman McConnell, Ranking Member Coons, distinguished members of the subcommittee, it's an honor for me one last time to be here with my senior enlisted advisor, Chief Master Sergeant Nunez, representing 67,000 Air Force Reserve airmen. We are a strategic advantage and a cost-effective investment, not a backup force. Our airmen's unmatched experience provides the strategic depth to deter our adversaries. Our partnership builds interoperability with our allies and partners. Our recent surge for Operation Epic Fury proves we're always ready and accessible to respond to any crisis in less than 72 hours. This is the Air Force Reserve advantage in action. When properly resourced, we're a cost-effective solution for all DAF mission areas. We operate our installations 28 days a month on just 25 percent of our force, delivering mission-ready airmen for only 30 cents on the dollar. FY 25's closeout was our best on record. Your support and our data-driven tools enabled precise resource management and risk-informed decisions. The Air Force Reserve is efficient, experienced, accessible, and lethal in every mission set. We need your support to maintain this advantage. Currently 77 percent of our fleet is over 39 years old. Supply chain shortages threaten aircraft availability, and a $1.5 billion backlog means requirements are rapidly outpacing our resources. NGREA is a critical modernization agility and an opportunity to maximize purchasing power. I look forward to the discussion on the change from a dedicated congressional appropriation to the presidential budget. We are currently hollowing out our nation's future combat capability through disproportionate divestment. Over the FYDP, the Air Force Reserve is projected to lose 20.1 percent of our inventory, a significant imbalance compared to the other components. Our number one priority has been and will remain concurrent and proportional fielding of advanced aircraft. As our crews prove their value right now in Epic Fury, disproportionate divestment is unnecessarily adding risk to national security. That security hinges on our seamless interoperability with our allies and partners. Recent operations have proven this is an urgent necessity, not an option. Now in its second year, our Reserve Allies and Partner Program continues to build global interoperability. While operating on a near-zero budget, we've conducted 71 engagements last year, including formal partnerships with the United Kingdom and France while establishing new security pathways with the Netherlands and the Philippines. Prioritizing this program is a cost-effective investment that enables our allies to share the burden of strategic deterrence. I'd like to take this last opportunity to thank you and this body for your continued support of the Air Force Reserve and our warfighters. I'd also like to thank my wife Kathy, whose unwavering support to the men, women, and families of the Air Force Reserve and to me deserves note in this record. Thank you very much and I look forward to your questions.

Thank you, General. Good luck. We know that drones are going to play an increasing role in modern warfare. I remember recently reading someone described Ukraine as follows: the Silicon Valley of drone development. In other words, the leader in the world in this new advanced technology that becomes increasingly important in warfare. Yet I'm having a hard time finding American military people or civilian military leadership who fully understand the significance of continuing to support our friends and allies in Ukraine. So let me ask each of you, in terms of your own experience, have you ever been to Ukraine? Any of you? No one. Okay. Well, I'm not blaming you, but that underscores part of the problem we're running into in getting proper attention attention by the civilian leadership that you all ultimately report to to understand the importance of avoiding at the end of the conflict the headline that says Russia wins, America loses, not a headline that I think does us any good in our efforts to continue provide the leadership that we need, not just for our own country, but to have a stable world, America needs to be in the leader on the cutting edge of the biggest problems. What are you doing to make sure the Guard and Reserve is best postured to adopt the lessons learned from Ukraine?

Chairman, to start off with, just last month I went down to Indiana at Camp Atterbury where they're working with T-REX, and T-REX stands for Technology Readiness Experimentation and Exercise. And so some of the drones that you've seen Admiral Cooper use over in CENTCOM have been built through that incredible partnership. I recently passed on the TAG of Indiana to the TAG of North Dakota to make sure that they're taking a look at how we're doing that and how we're testing and bringing that capability to the next level. The National Guard is incredible on building innovative and individuals and new capabilities, and we look forward to working with the department, the Joint Staff, JIATF 401, the Joint Interagency Task Force on how we get the next level of drones, UASs and counter-UAS systems.

The Air Force Reserve has also participated from the onset of the conflict in Ukraine. The Air Force Reserve has also participated from the onset of the of the conflict in Ukraine, while not directly in Ukraine, but providing quite a bit of technological experience and help with month-to-month advancements in terms of what the Ukrainians are using. On a separate note, we are learning quite a quite a bit from how to counter these drones as well. Last year, the Air Force Reserve with our 10 unit-equipped bases that we're responsible for used $78 million at the end of year to purchase a counter-sUAS system, which is being deployed month-to-month right now. We've got two of them deployed currently, and in addition to this, we also have a counter-sUAS, a rapidly deployable counter-sUAS system. And in the in the early days of Epic Fury, there was quite a bit of incursions into some of our bases from drones, and our rapidly deployable version of this kit was sent to Barksdale within 30 hours of request. And in that first night, we actually had our first drone knockdown as well. So we are certainly taking advantage of what the what we're learning from a defensive perspective, but in a at the small level, at the one, two, three, four-person level, we're making sure that our best and smartest are in Germany and best helping out what they're advancing month-to-month in Ukraine.

If I could share, it's a daily conversation in the Marine Corps on the lessons that are being learned, and particularly for Marine Forces Reserve, our drone attack team in the Marine Corps is led by two reservists. The talent that we have in the reserves rises to the top, and in fact, they were just promoted meritoriously to staff sergeant by the Department of War due to their efforts in how do we use attack drones in the Marine Corps. And second, over the next four years, we're standing up our our what we're calling our fourth LAAD, our low-altitude air defense, so we have our counter-UAS and ballistic missile capabilities and detection in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve because we've seen that through Force Design, you've seen it in the current conflict where long-range precision fires and the counter-UAS is going to be a priority for our forces in the field. So we're we're getting it after in that way, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, we're in the Army Reserve, we're driving on that. In my opening statement, obviously not only what happened in Ukraine or what's going on in Ukraine, but what happened in Kuwait to to our Army Reserve formation. To that end, I mean, we are procuring anti-drone equip kit using NGREA. We will be testing 17 technologies at our integrated exercise this June, Operation Sentinel Justice, to include running our first-ever kinetic drone range, where we will have expendable drones coming in and soldiers with their weapons and the proper sight kinetically engaging and being able to defend themselves. So the Army Reserve, we take this very seriously. We're nested with the Army in Joint Task Force 401 to make sure we have the latest technology.

Mr. Chairman, I would add that for the Navy, on a force design standpoint, we are investing in billets that support both undersea warfare and and surface assets from a from an unmanned perspective. Critical for us is the in that NGREA funding as well is is using that to to fund unmanned systems and some of the other assets that we'll use both for aerial refueling and expeditionary logistics. So it it ties in together, sir.

I have one more question directed at General Harter that I admit has a Kentucky connection, but it's I think important to moving in the direction of where the warfare is headed. Kentucky manufactures and produces ultra-lightweight camouflage net system, commonly referred to as ULCANS. Both Ukraine and Russia have placed a high priority on passive defenses like modern camouflage against drones. Given the vulnerability of legacy camouflage systems against modern sensors and drones we're likely to face in the future, to what extent is the Army accelerating fielding of ULCANS at the speed of relevance? Does the current procurement strategy adequately address the requirements of the Army Reserve?

Thanks, Chairman. We we are tied in to to the Army's procurement of ULCAN. That that is a game changer for us. We're getting rid of all of our legacy systems. We still have some of those. And I think what the battlefields of Ukraine will show that some of the basics of just getting back to cover and concealment, overhead cover, and systems like ULCAN that is defeats IR and helps defeat some of the sensing systems goes a long way towards ensuring survivability on the battlefield. So the Army Reserve is synced with the Army in changing out our legacy systems for systems like ULCAN.

Senator Coons. Thank you so much, Chairman. I could not agree more with your first question. Have you been to Ukraine? Senator Shaheen led a bipartisan delegation through which I recently had the chance to visit Odessa and to see deployed counter-drone systems that had been provided several years ago to the Ukrainians who are defending Odessa, to see deployed naval assets that had been donated by the United States and to talk to to real critical U.S. leaders from the Army who are helping learn the lessons of Ukraine. And I think what I've seen and observed both in briefings and on the ground is that Ukraine is not just fighting bravely and with great determination against Russian brutality and aggression, but they are innovating into the next generation of warfare, and it is our dramatic loss if we fail to embrace and learn those lessons and to stand with those defenders. My first event this morning was with the Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in a bipartisan breakfast, and I spent Sunday at a Ukrainian church in Delaware and met a double-amputee veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and an American mother whose son, with no ties to Ukraine, volunteered, deployed, and was killed by Russians in combat. So I recommend to you the chairman's insight. On NGREA, I am encouraged that the DOD has finally included in the base budget request a billion dollars. But I am concerned about one thing. One of the most important features historically about how we have appropriated NGREA funds is our requirement that all of you as the chiefs of the reserve components administer the funds. This ensures the Guard and Reserves actually prioritize their own requirements because at times there is a disconnect. Are you aware of any proposed changes to this process, any of you? Then let me simply say on the record, it is my hope and intention that the Guard and Reserve will remain in control of the procurement and deployment decisions being made through that. One of the reasons I pay attention to this is that at times Big Army, Big Air Force does not make the same deployment decisions as the Guard and Reserves. This is a parochial question, but General Nordhaus, can you describe the operational benefits of completing the C-130J updates across all the Guard units who are not currently so equipped?

Thanks, Ranking Member Coons. Senator, the C-130 is just a great aircraft all the way across the board for moving tactical airlift and things across not only the battlefield but across the homeland in response. The C-130J adds another pallet position, so it has extended range and has extended ability to take equipment and people and capabilities to where they need to go. So we appreciate the incredible funding of the C-130s from Congress. We have MOB 12 that we will push out shortly, so there's three units left with the H models, and then Arkansas, which has the training, and then the LCs up in New York. So we appreciate Congress's support on the C-130s.

We've heard from you about the importance of updated C-130s for the Navy Reserve as well.

Sir, if I could inject as well, we have three remaining squadron of C-130Hs in the Air Force Reserve. And while they're very capable and modernized with new engines, they're still a 30-year-old aircraft and not included in any relevant OPLANs for the Department of War, which leaves us in the position of if we want to participate, we have to bring our own maintenance associated with it. So very keen on the Air Force Reserve perspective as well to get modernized and into those Js as well.

Thank you. That's helpful. And your earlier testimony about the disproportionate divestment of platforms across all of your components is something I keep in mind. The Guard and Reserve forces have been tasked with expensive operational requirements that are including operations on the southern border and deployments to Washington, D.C. and other states. All of you plan your O and M needs for the year without these unexpected additional requirements. How is the increased operational tempo impacted your readiness, every one of you, but you started this, your readiness is your relevance, that is a memorable sentence. What tradeoffs are you having to make in terms of maintenance, training, flying hours as, for example, Guardsmen and reservists are deployed to patrolling Washington, D.C. and beautification projects rather than being truly trained, equipped, and ready for participation in combat? General.

Thank you for the question. Readiness off the top, just as if I could, you know, we normally get our reservists 39 days a year. That's how much we get to train with them. So any time I can get them on orders, I'm gaining readiness, whether or not it's medical, some other training, we'll find a way as Marines to get some additional tactical training regardless of the mission. Although yet we have not been tasked with southwest border or other missions, what we do in the Marine Corps and because of the Commandant's drive to optimize the use of the Reserves, we plan our deployments across the FYDP. We know what units are going out to 2030, 2031, that helps them plan their lives, helps them plan their career and their families. So so far, everything that we've been conducting in the Reserves was already budgeted. Now we're working on POM 28 and 29 and the out years, but for the Marine Corps, we have yet to see an impact on our overall operating funds.

Mr. Chairman, if I could ask General Nordhaus to answer the question as well, then we'll move on.

Senator Coons, as we work with the training that we do across the border statutory requirements, we continue to get after that across the 54. We are seeking reimbursement from the Department of War and they're working with MOUs with Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. So we continue to work to get after our training and make sure that our soldiers and airmen are always ready and always there and we'll continue to work with the department on those reimbursements.

I look forward to hearing back from you about those reimbursements. I think it's important that you have the equipment, the training, the resources you need to carry out your core mission and that there be reimbursement for unexpected additional missions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to all of you for being here and for the incredible work that you and all the members of our Department of War are doing. It's just unbelievable and we're behind you 100 percent and we appreciate you so much, all of you. General Nordhaus, two quick items right off the top. One is we've got an Air Guard unit now that actually works in the missile fields with Minot Air Force Base security police. Great operation ongoing, working with the active duty on a full-time basis, incredible example of how you guys are in the fight every day. Want to commend you on that and emphasize it. And the other is our Jamestown facility for the 817th Combat Engineers. They've been operating out of the civic center there for a long time. A facility for them has to be a priority. They're often deployed unit, you know that, just want to hear your thoughts as far as supporting that.

Senator Hoeven, thank you for the question and for the support. It's my understanding it's currently in design, expected 35 percent design by August, and we'll continue to work with Congress and with Army National Guard on funding it.

Thank you, sir. You referenced the T-REX program and as you know, our Air Guard base, Camp Grafton, North Dakota is a T-REX site and we're looking forward to exercises there in August. We've already emphasized the importance of drone warfare. We've been at all things UAS and counter-UAS in our state for over 20 years. And so talk to me about what can be accomplished at that T-REX site and then I'm going to ask our reserve members the same thing because this is a DOD designation and this drone effort is Department of War wide. So your thoughts and the other members' thoughts on what can be accomplished with these T-REX sites for drones and counter-drones.

Thanks, Senator. When I went to Atterbury, I got to see and talk with 15 people from industry as they integrate each of the pieces and parts and capabilities into drones along with about 100 of our Guardsmen who are bringing the capabilities and understanding the impacts from the Ukraine conflict and then across the board for counter-UAS and UAS systems. So each of the defense industrial base experts, they really appreciated how this T-REX is going because they can fail fast, they can then go back, make adjustments to whatever their system is and then integrate it with all the other players to make sure those drones or drone systems are top of the notch so our Department of Defense can take a look at what capabilities they bring and then buy the right systems, best in breed.

Thank you, sir. Let's go to the Corps and then just down the line. What can we do on these T-REX sites for the Corps?

Senator, for the T-REX sites, while I don't have the depth of knowledge that General Nordhaus does, where we do our primary work is the DOG, the Defense Autonomous Working Group. That's where we spend a lot of our time developing our drone tactics is through that lane.

Okay. Navy.

Senator, we're spending most of our time right now with the USVRONs and UUV-RONs, so both unmanned surface vessels and undersea vessels as well. I think one of the critical things that all of the reservists bring to the fight is not just their military skill sets but also their industry civilian skill sets that they can bring to the fight as well too. So things that we're seeing is that innovative spirit and can-do attitude that comes every time that we have the opportunity to train and bring those people into execute missions and operations.

Thank you. Army.

Senator, any opportunity that we have to train, especially in this type of environment with drones and technology, the Army Reserve is all in. I know one of our challenges, and we've got some clearance at some of our training locations, the FAA clearance to be able to operate drones to enable our counter-drone efforts. So if we have that in North Dakota, Army Reserve is all in.

So that's great comment and that's one of the unique things about North Dakota is we have it statewide now. We're the only state that has the FAA raw data radar feed so we can do exactly that. That's one of the reasons we've been designated the T-REX site. So thanks for bringing that up. Air Force, only appropriate that you're batting cleanup here because you're doing a ton out there at Grand Forks and we appreciate it.

I appreciate that, sir. While we're unfamiliar generally with the T-REX system, absolutely if there's an opportunity for us to get better trained, better equipment, better exercises. Currently in our Air Force generation model that we're currently using, our expeditionary wings are getting a certification event to authorize the organic nature of a unit to pick up and deploy and part of that includes counter-drone, counter-UAS training. So anything that might actually accelerate that a bit more, we'll be more than welcome to join in on. Thank you.

Again, thanks to all of you gentlemen. We appreciate it very much. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Senator Baldwin and then Senator Capito.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Lieutenant General Harter, we have had thousands of active duty and reserve soldiers participate in combat operations against Iran over the last several weeks and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. Hundreds more have been injured since the war began. So I would like you to please identify and explain any differences between how soldiers in the active duty and reserve components are screened for injuries and given medical care as they return from combat deployments like those in the Middle East.

Thank you, Senator Baldwin, for that question. Good talking to you last week. So I think what it comes to our soldiers on the battlefield, we're treated as one team. We're treated by the way phenomenal treatment what I'm getting anecdotally from our wounded that came back also by Kuwait medical care and then going up through Landstuhl and then getting back here to the United States. Two quick points I would offer is it's bringing the family members into that process quicker. I think some of our skill sets have atrophied on how we notify families of wounded soldiers. Obviously our fallen we're pretty good at. So making sure family members are tracking the status of their soldier. And then once we get back to our mobilization site, my biggest concern is as soldiers are screened, they've been in a pretty kinetic environment and then they go back to home station. And so how do we maintain contact and make sure those soldiers continue to get the care they need? And we're nested with the medical community, our soldier recovery units, SRUs, to continue to maintain that. And then ma'am, it's just leadership, making sure squad leaders, platoon leaders, and commanders at echelon are tracking by name.

Thank you, General. I've heard directly from some Army reservists from Wisconsin who returned from the war and said that they initially received less timely and thorough medical services than their active duty counterparts. Has the Army reviewed the care reservists are receiving after deploying in the war against Iran and have you identified any problems?

So ma'am, we are reviewing as is the Army exactly what care our soldiers receive. We've met with some soldiers as they've come back through Fort Hood and back through Washington, D.C. here and there were some perceptions, I believe, and perceptions are pretty important, that they weren't receiving the same level of attention. We think they have and we're going to but we will continue to follow up to make sure that they get the care they need. I'm flying to Fort Hood in the not so distant future to talk to some more of our young men and women.

Thank you. My next question is for you, General Nordhaus. Given that members of the National Guard do not receive full and premium-free TRICARE benefits like their active duty counterparts, Guardsmen can struggle to pay for medical care necessary to keep themselves ready for combat. Can you describe some of the medical readiness challenges that are faced by the National Guard and how that impacts your ability to deploy?

Senator Baldwin, thanks for the question. All of our National Guardsmen, all 435,000, they're ready to go. Always ready, always there means something. And so as we look at their medical care as traditional soldiers and airmen, they don't get, you know, that full-time TRICARE. And so what we see is that probably the largest section of readiness comes on the dental health. And so when we send soldiers to an MFGI mob station, they don't return or get returned to unit because they're not ready or they're not trained, it's because they're not dental ready, right? And so dental readiness is readiness for our National Guard and so I think that's very critical. As we look across all of our healthcare, look forward to working with Congress on incremental approaches to this so that all of our members can have the healthcare they need to be always ready and always there.

Thank you. Given how much our military relies on our Guardsmen and reservists for operations, it seems clear that we need to take further action to get the reserve component better access to health insurance and healthcare. What can Congress do to help and do you think it would improve readiness to expand TRICARE access, including dental, to the reserve component?

Any healthcare is great for the National Guard. We look forward to working with Congress, but I'd also like to open it up to the other reserve chiefs.

Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. TRICARE Reserve Select right now as an option was recommended in 2020 but is not scheduled to put in action until 2030. Anything we can do for our reserve technicians decreases an individual's cost per month by about $216, decreases a family member's about $350 as they're currently paying through the FEHB. In addition to that, dental. There's a $1,500 cap on an individual in terms of what they're authorized when they're not in an order status. So put one root canal on the books and you're not qualified to deploy. During a normal deployment cycle, 180 days ahead of a rotation deployment, they've got the opportunity to get on orders and get that fixed. But in this last execution of Epic Fury, we mobilized our people in 72 hours, and there's no chance that we're going to get those people needing that additional care, that level of care for that cost benefit.

Thank you.

Senator Capito, followed by Senator Shaheen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank all of you for your service and for being here. Before I begin my question, I wanted to acknowledge a tragedy within the Guard community, obviously, and I do express my condolences to those who have had issues with this latest incursion. But we lost two Guard members from the West Virginia National Guard community the day before Thanksgiving, Specialist Sarah Backstrom and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf, who was 24, were attacked here in Washington, D.C. while volunteering to make our streets safe. We lost Sarah on Thanksgiving Day, and we continue to send prayers to her family in West Virginia. I'm proud to report that Andy has made a miraculous recovery, not full, but miraculous so far, and he threw out the first pitch at the WVU baseball game just recently. So it's a testament, I think, to the service and sacrifice of our National Guard members, and I just want you all to keep them in their thoughts and their families in their thoughts and prayers. And General Nordhaus, thank you for everything that you've done. Admiral Lofgren, excuse me, it's great to see you again and thank you for coming to your visit to West Virginia to see the Lockheed Martin facility that makes significant portions of not just the Navy's KC-130J, but also this C-130 variants across all the other services. Now we've already kind of covered ground here on the 130J, but I just wanted to give you an opportunity to talk about the significance of that aircraft for the Navy Reserve.

Senator, I appreciate the question and thank you for the time in West Virginia. The KC-130J, as I look at it, it's not just another aircraft for the Navy. Really it's the connective tissue for maritime operations, moving people, fuel, and equipment across these vast domains and distances and being able to support the combatant commanders. In a fight defined by distance, the logistics really is combat power, and the KC-130J delivers on that. It brings critical refueling capabilities. We're seeing that right now in theater at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz that's refueling the air wing. It's the first time that the Navy Reserve has refueled aircraft in a combat zone and helped evacuate nearly 3,000 family members and personnel. So it's a real-world example of that speed, capability, and the capacity under pressure. But it also highlights the real challenge that we've got right now. That KC-130 fleet, the Tangos right now that we're flying, they're aging, they're 35 years old. The reliability, the survivability, and really the long-term sustainment are problems and they're real and they're growing concerns. So that's exactly why we need to recapitalize and replace those right now with a more survivable platform. I'll tell you what stood out to me on our in during my time in West Virginia was this made it real. I mean, we met somebody that was working on that on that assembly line, second generation of his family to work on those aircraft. And he said something that really has stuck with me is that every single American C-130 that's flying right now has been touched by West Virginians. And what we really felt was that expertise, that pride, and the precision that's built into every single tail that we rely on. So I mean for us bottom line, that KC-130, it's closing that credibility gap and that capability gap that we need right now. And so the support for from you and the rest of the committee is critically important as we think about replacing those tails.

Thank you. Thank you for recounting that story because if you hadn't, I was going to remind you of that. Thank you. So General Nordhaus, thank you for your visit and our exchange in my office just recently. There's been a lot of talk about drone warfare and there's the Admiral talked a little bit about, well all of you did, about the innovation that comes from the warfighter, the ones that are in the in the theater. And there's a lot of soldier-inspired innovation that goes on that they bring from their own maybe jobs that they have outside of the reserves. And I would say the Ridgerunner Irregular Warfare Exercise Laboratory, which is hosted by our West Virginia National Guard, provides some of that. General, how is the National Guard harnessing that innovation from citizen soldiers to address the new age of warfare? Could you give us a couple examples?

Senator Capito, thank you also for highlighting our soldier and airman. As we look at Ridgerunner, I'll be there tomorrow, so I'm excited to see that. As we look at innovation, our guardsmen work out in industry and they bring all that innovation, technology, on the cyber side they bring those skill sets. As we look at taking innovation out at the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center, they take innovation and are taking the NGREA dollars that we get and are getting 80 percent of that capabilities at 20 percent of the cost because they're innovating those tools and systems in as we go across. I do appreciate the discussion on the UASs and one of the things that we continue to do is innovate with how we can protect and defend our bases and on the National Guard, Air National Guard and Army National Guard side, we're often operating in a Title 32 status, which doesn't have the same protection and benefits as Title 10. So we look forward to working with Congress on those authorities so that when we're operating for counter-UAS within our defenses also that we have the right authorities.

Thank you. Thank you all very much.

Okay, Senator Shaheen, following by following by Moran, Boozman, and Murkowski.

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to each of you for the great job you do representing our National Guard, which are the men and women of the Guard are critical not just to the national security of this country, but to our individual states, and all of us appreciate that. So thank you. And let me start by agreeing with Senators McConnell and Coons in their comments about Ukraine. I hope we are doing everything possible to learn from what is happening in the war in Ukraine and how it's affecting the future of war. I also, General Nordhaus, appreciated your comments about dental care. I don't know why the policies of the government and, sadly, my home state of New Hampshire have failed to recognize that the mouth is part of our healthcare and it should be treated as such. General Nordhaus, thank you for visiting New Hampshire. It's the home of the 157th Air Refueling Wing and, as I'm sure you were told often when you were there, it's the only KC-46 wing in the country to reach initial operating capacity. And you won't be surprised to learn that I am concerned about the logistic composite model study at Pease and, ultimately, I understand that that study has revealed that the wing needs more maintenance billets than are currently there permanently. I understand that General Pehrack had a very good meeting with our TAG and he talked about the importance of maintaining the temporary billets until they can become permanent. But can I get your commitment that the 157th is going to receive those maintenance billet supports that they need as determined by General Pehrack and the L-COM study? Can I get your commitment that the 157th is going to receive those maintenance billet supports that they need, um, as determined by General Pehrack and the L-COM study?

Senator Shaheen, first off, thank you for the visit last year. I planned on visiting and flying the KC-46 just prior to Epic Fury, but that's delayed it, but I'll be up there to fly the KC-46. I have spoken with General Mikolajtis and General Pehrack over the last day to make sure that this is going in the right direction. I know that the L-COM study added 10 positions, so we will make sure those go in. We're also added the 29 temporary AGRs to make sure that we're moving in the right direction. But we're also continuing that work with the Air Force and KC-46s as a whole as that platform is so capable and incredible going forward. We do also appreciate that what's authorized on the AGRs because that full-time resource is so critical that it's also appropriated as well so that we can have those AGRs so that we can push not only at the 157th, but across the National Guard, both Army and Air, AGR and our full-time resources are critical because they build the readiness for our guardsmen to come in on the not only the weekends, but when they come in on their drill status to be always ready and always there.

Well, thank you. And thank you for helping to make that argument, which the subcommittee will have to take up when we get to that point in the appropriations process. I also want to ask you about the remote vision system that as we know has been an ongoing problem with the KC-46. What we're hearing is that Boeing hopes to integrate the the revised RVS 2.0 system into the new builds beginning in 2027, but they don't have a timeline for retrofitting KC-46s that are already in service. So can you talk about your understanding with respect to that and do you expect to advocate for that and perhaps General Healy might want to weigh in on that as well?

Senator, so I've flown the F-16 for 23 years and the F-35 for a little bit of time and air refueling is the most critical thing and you're seeing it play out in Epic Fury where the National Guard has a very large percentage of tankers, both KC-135s and the KC-46 over there. And so we have to be able to do that back and forth. So certainly I'll be very focused with the Air Force and working with General Healy to make sure the systems that come on board that we can have the best systems capable for our airmen that are out there flying those mission sets. And I've never completed a combat mission without refueling either before, after, or both.

And and so again, I know that Boeing's talking about getting the new remote vision systems into the planes after '27, but how how are you talking to them about what's going to happen with those already in service?

Ma'am, I know that there's pressure from the Air Force for retrofitting the RVS systems on those existing KC-46s. We've got two units in the Air Force Reserve, we're classically associated with one and we have a unit equipped one at Seymour Johnson. We're just as concerned about it about getting the proper equipment in the current systems.

Well, thank you. I'm sure the chair and ranking member will be very interested in what we might do in the defense appropriations bill to help address that as well. Thank you all.

Senator Moran.

Chairman, thank you. Let me join Senator Shaheen in expressing concern about KC-46As and KC I'm sorry, KC-46 135s and 46s. They matter greatly in Kansas, both in the active duty and the Guard. And I want to start by asking questions about that, certainly about the safety issue of of Boeing and we're anxious for all of the fleet to be updated with the latest and safest technologies and we saw the need for that in Epic Fury. But our KC-135s are relied on significantly, but they are an aging fleet. Modernization of that force needs to take place quickly. And I'm asking you, General Nordhaus, about recapitalization plans, particularly for our Air National Guard refueling wings.

Senator Moran, thanks for the question. As we look at the National Guard, we're in the in the fight every day. And so when we look at what we're doing over in Epic Fury, we're 30 percent of the operational Air Force and we're over 30 percent of that air power over in Epic Fury right now. So critical capability like you said that we need for our nation and for our joint force. We know that we have MOB 9 getting ready to go out for all the KC-135 wings to be able to apply for the next KC-46 fielding. As you know that process is is run through the Air Force corporate process. It's transparent, repeatable, and defendable and we'll make sure that all wings compete fairly for that and we look forward to MOB 9 being pushed out when those planes come on board.

What's the time frame you expect, General?

I don't have the exact time frame right now, but I believe it's in the, you know, 2030 to early 2030s. But we need to modernize the rest of the fleet as well. So 14 of our 17 KC-135 wings are flying those KC-135s and they were built in the 60s and the 70s. And so they need to be modernized as well.

General, this sounds like an aside, it's more than an aside. I when when I learned of the difficulties that tankers were having in in theater a few weeks ago, I immediately thought of Kansas and Kansas families, both Guard and active duty. And I would just highlight for you all, I had insufficient capability at that time to learn about what planes and what units and whether National Guard or Kansas was involved in those accidents. And I couldn't get an answer either in state or in Washington, D.C. And I think that's a error that needs to be corrected for the future. There just was no information for days and I learned finally mostly from the public press as to what units and National Guard members were involved. I'd I'd just welcome your help in making certain that in the case of Epic Fury and future engagements that we have the capability of learning what's going on for the information of the family members back home.

Absolutely, Senator. We'll we'll take that on and as each week right now I'm currently speaking with all 54 Adjutants Generals every Monday and Thursday. And so we'll continue to work that and make sure that we get timely information to you.

Thank you very much. I'm I'm getting interested again in and engaging in this issue of duty status reform. I'd welcome any support that you'd like to make this morning for our efforts to address this issue. How can this process be streamlined to provide Guard and Reserve with the efficacy it needs in response in missions and how do we make sure that our Guard members and their families know what they're entitled to under what status?

Senator, I'm going to speak very quickly because I know my other Reserve chiefs are very focused on this as well, but duty status reform is critical. It simplifies over 30 statuses down to nine and then in four categories. It helps guarantee parity with equal pay and benefits for service members serving side by side. It speeds mobility, it increases National Guard readiness and reduces error and then it creates less frustration for our service members and their families and it provides the health care that they need on time.

Sir, I'd just add on to it. This is clearly and simply a retention issue. Make it easy for our members to serve. We've been working and looking at duty status reform since I was a lieutenant colonel, so that's 20 years we've been looking at this. We finally got some options and opportunities coming up through the House side, so we gladly welcome anything on the Senate side to coordinate with that.

We we intend to lead on this issue and would inform my colleagues of the the value of their support and we welcome their input on how best we can write legislation that gets duty reform accomplished. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Senator Moran. Senator Boozman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and thank you, Senator Coons for having this important hearing and we appreciate you all so very much and your service to our country. I also would echo Senator Moran's concern about duty status reform. I've visited with several of you about this and know how important it is. General Nordhaus, Congress funded the National Guard to purchase Gray Eagles in fiscal year 23 and 26. We understand these platforms are still pending a basing decision. Can you explain the tactical advantage of the National Guard having the UAS program?

Thanks, Senator Boozman and it was a pleasure visiting Ebbing Field in Arkansas about a week ago. You have a terrific Adjutant General in General Chad Bridges. Thank you to Congress for three sets of Gray Eagles. The first one has been identified to be bedded down in Arizona. There are two units to be stationed. As we look at the National Guard, the Army National Guard, out of the Army's 18 divisions, eight of those divisions are in the Army National Guard. And so we need to be interoperable, plug and play. And so as those divisions go downrange to plug back in for a division that's coming out, it needs to have those ISR platforms. And so the Gray Eagle provides one of those platforms. Platform agnostic though and so ISR capability and capability like we're seeing being used over in Iran right now in the MQ-9 is critical to the warfight and so it's critical to our divisions that our divisions are plug and play into the Army other divisions.

Very good. Do you have any idea when the basing decision will be made?

I don't have a specific, we'll have to get back to you, but it'll be in the hopefully in the coming year.

Good. Thank you. General Healy, we're grateful for our Reserve airmen and their continued readiness and availability. We understand that you all have done a tremendous job in executing resources given you by Congress. What specific areas should this committee prioritize in the fiscal year 27 budget to preserve the advantage that the Air Force Reserve delivers?

I appreciate the question, sir, and I believe I'm contractually obligated to say fully funding our O&M and RPA request would be the simplest answer, but obviously it goes more than that. We executed our 25 funding roughly $4.2 billion in O&M down to $11 million, which was unheard of level of accuracy on our behalf. Our Reserve Personnel Appropriation of just under $3 billion we executed down to just over $6 million at the end of the year. So with that, with our execution of our flying hour program of 101.1 percent, we essentially created the readiness that we said that we would. So when we ask for fully funding our current request for O&M and RPA, we have a proven track record that that readiness is what allowed us to generate that mobilization in a ready fashion in 72 hours for Operation Epic Fury. So I would ask for that fully funding of O&M and RPA.

So that's your biggest challenge is the funding?

Anytime a decrease in funding, it creates subsequent challenges along with it. We've got whether it's, you know, we've talked about already the TRICARE Reserve Select and with regard to the dental as well. Our biggest challenge is that and concurrent fielding of weapon systems.

Very good. General Harter, I understand the Guard and Reserve continue rely on the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account to update legacy systems. We were happy to see it funded for the first time ever in this year's President's budget request. Can you tell us how you use this funding and maintain parity with the active duty components?

I appreciate the question, Senator. So we get less than 1 percent of the Army's modernization budget. So NGREA is critical, it provides almost 40 percent of our modernization capabilities for us. And so we will use that to continue to get after protection systems, counter-UAS, as well as modernizing our fleets. Again, we're 95 percent of bulk petroleum distribution for the joint force. So as we can modernize our truck and fuel fleets, we use NGREA to get after that as well. So it's critical to driving readiness for your Army Reserve.

I'd just add our concern and not concern, but open to the discussion with regard to the change to presidential budget for NGREA this year versus independent appropriation. Concern for 100 for instance in the Air Force Reserve, 155 million is what we've executed in the most recent years, but as that's programmed out for five years, that becomes flat due to inflation, I would say. And quite honestly, our biggest concern with the PB authorization for NGREA is that it never gets to the Reserve. So we're concerned about that as well, sir.

General Nordhaus, can you very quickly, we talked about this in the office, the importance of the State Partnership Program. Can you explain very quickly the importance of funding the partnership program?

Senator Boozman, thank you very much. So the National Guard has 116 partnerships globally. It started in 1993 with 13 and now we're at 116 around the globe. The combatant commanders love it for the capability that it provides. The nations that we partner with love it because it's building partner capacity, it's building burden sharing. We learn as much from them as they do from us. And as we continue to grow this program, we need the supporting funding so that we can have the bilateral affairs officers, we can do key leader engagements and we can continue the robust exercises and partnerships with the nations globally.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Senator Boozman. Senator Murkowski.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, thank you for being here, thank you for your leadership. I want to start off my questioning focused on the combat search and rescue and personnel recovery. I think we all recognize that this is this is an essential capability that has to be maintained. And it's also one of these niche areas where pretty amazing, pretty amazing what what we see in this capacity. It was reported in the FY 27 program objective memorandum cuts to the Air Force combat search and rescue enterprise, particularly the planned elimination of the HC-130J Combat King II fleet. I have received a commitment in person from General Wilsbach that he will not cut the HC-130Js. The budget appears to reflect that, but in fairness, the fact that it was even up for consideration was was concerning. So General Nordhaus, the National Guard has, of course, rescue components in Alaska, but also in Kentucky, Oregon, New York, California. And General Healy, the Air Force Reserve has these rescue components in Oregon, Arizona, and Florida. I am assuming that you would agree that cuts to these missions would would severely impair our not only our operational abilities, but I'm worried about the signals that it would send to our forces if we were to make these cuts. And I just would like some reinforcement from the two of you this morning as to the imperative for the combat search and rescue mission.

Senator Murkowski, it's a pleasure to visit Clear, Eielson, and JBER over the last 18 months.

Thank you for that.

I know the criticality of the search and rescue mission as a previous CFAC where you're looking at airmen hundreds of miles off the coast of Alaska to intercept adversary aircraft or to be able to search and rescue or what we just saw in Operation Epic Fury where we had to go in and retrieve two downed airmen, search and rescue aircraft are critical. General Wilsbach and I are close, we're both committed on the C-130 rescue up in Alaska and there's no plan in the president's budget to divest.

Excellent. General Healy.

Yes, ma'am, I'd echo that that General Wilsbach's position is unequivocal that he does not support any cuts whatsoever to the CSAR. I think we're seeing that by the investment in the HH-60 Whiskeys that the Air Force Reserve is currently going through and the potential for more. I think also yesterday's news about the A-10s extension for two years, critical role in CSAR over in Operation Epic Fury lends to that as well.

Very good. Thank you, gentlemen. I want to ask about the costs that are being incurred in the ongoing Operation Epic Fury. We anticipate seeing a relatively large supplemental coming before us and so trying to understand what it is that that is being incurred in terms of of the costs. I think General Nordhaus, you just mentioned that perhaps that the the Guard and the Reserve are 30 percent of the of the capability in Operation Epic Fury currently. Was that correct?

On the Air National Guard side, as far as the air component, the Air National Guard is at least over 30 percent of those forces.

So so let me ask to that because that is that is considerable in terms of the Air Guard's contribution. I don't know if it's possible for you all, each of you to share with the committee your component's contribution to Operation Epic Fury and and the cost for engagement to date. My my interest in this is is I want to make sure that that cost will be fully captured in the supplemental request because I worry that some of it may be absorbed into the baseline budget in ways that could degrade your readiness for years to come. So General Nordhaus, if you want to start with that.

Thanks, Senator, and I'll also say our Army National Guard is doing amazing work over there as well. So we are capturing that data right now and we're pulling that in, we're working with the Department of War and we'll provide those those data and funding up to the committee as appropriate.

Do you do you share my concern that that that some of this may be absorbed into the baseline? I'm I just want us to know what it is that we should be looking for here.

Senator, I don't have specifics on that, but certainly all of our aircraft and Army formations and guardsmen downrange as we bring that equipment back, we need to make sure we capture all the costs so that we can build that readiness back up and rebuild the military as we continue to do.

Fair enough, I appreciate that and we'll look forward to further information, but I truly appreciate the efforts of of all of our services in in this operation as we're moving forward. So thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'm going to skip a possible next round and turn to my colleague, Senator Coons. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, just one quick concluding question for me if I might and then an observation. On the State Partnership Program, which Senator Boozman also asked, we added $26 million above the president's budget request last year to improve training and exercises and expand these partnerships. General Nordhaus, I think if I heard you right, from 13 today there's 116. We've heard from several combatant commanders in our recent hearings just how much they value them. Can we work together in the year ahead to expand their scope, their reach, and their striking cost-effectiveness?

Ranking Member Coons, Senator, absolutely, and what we see is today another partner will go out to the 54 to possibly to partner with and we'll go through our normal process. But as we look to each of the combatant commands, it's just an incredible capability, 60 percent of the globe is partnered with a state at less than one percent of the theater security cooperation budget. It's a force exponential that our countries, every country I meet with, they go on and on about it. When I was over in Finland, Sweden, and Norway with the adjutants general from each of those, you could see the immense amount of pride and connectivity. One of the chiefs of defense said that they had been partnered with one of our states, not officially through a State Partnership Program for 50 years, but in the last three years where they were partnered, it was game-changing was his term about how it helped them with their capability and we're learning from their military readiness and ours how we're growing together.

Outside of my state's 30-year partnership with Trinidad and Tobago, the very first time I was really educated on it was in Ukraine in 2016. I got to visit with the then new leader of the Ukrainian National Guard and as they were transitioning from a Soviet Warsaw Pact style military to a more NATO style military, the routine deployments and training and the joint exercises that emphasized not just military doctrine, but also civilian control of the military, transparency and accountability, anti-corruption efforts, local investments. The leaders I met with who were Ukrainian Ukrainian military leaders said that their partnership with guardsmen from California over years had made a transformational difference. I've since seen and heard the same thing in Latvia, in Lithuania, in Nigeria, in Djibouti, I mean in a dozen places around the world. Let me just close with an observation you made at the outset. Twenty percent of the joint force, four percent of the budget. I think you said, General, 30 percent for three, unbelievable value for the dollar and reinforcing the values that founded us as a republic. You do incredible things with very modest amounts of money, the least we could do is to honor that service and sacrifice by investing in you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for letting me go on a few more minutes. And thank you for your service.

Thank you, Senator Coons.

Senator Coons, I want to thank all of our witnesses, thank you for your service and your testimony today. Members of the subcommittee will have a week to submit additional questions for the record. Senators may submit additional written questions and we ask each of you if you get some of those to respond within 30 days of receiving them. The subcommittee now stands in recess subject to the call of the chair.