Defense Subcommittee Hearing on the FY05 National Guard & Reserve Budget: Testimony of Lt Gen Dennis M. McCarthy, USMCR, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL DENNIS M. MCCARTHY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE COMMANDER, MARINE FORCES RESERVE BEFORE THE DEFENSE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING GUARD AND RESERVE ON APRIL 7, 2004
INTRODUCTION
Chairman Stevens, Senator Inouye and distinguished Members of the Committee, it is my privilege to report on the status and the future direction of your Marine Corps Reserve as a contributor to the Total Force. On behalf of Marines and their families, I want to thank the Committee for its continued support. Your efforts reveal not only a commitment for ensuring the common defense, but also a genuine concern for the welfare of our Marines and their families.
YOUR MARINE CORPS RESERVE TODAY
As the last few years have demonstrated, the Marine Corps Reserve is a full partner in our Total Force. Marine Corps Reserve units participated in all aspects Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, providing air, ground, and combat service support as well as a large number of individual augmentees to Marine and joint staffs. Reserve units continue to fill critical roles in our nation's defense during the Global War on Terrorism -- whether deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Georgian Republic, Djibouti, Kuwait, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba or on standby at U.S. bases to quickly respond to Homeland Security crises.
The Marine Corps has completed 27,389 Reserve activations, in response to both internal and joint operational requirements. Of the 27,389 Marines mobilized since 9/11, 1426 (or 5.2 percent) have been mobilized more than once. For Operations ENDURING FREEDOM V and IRAQI FREEDOM II Phase II, of the approximately 6300 eligible for activation, 3422 Reserve Marines have already been mobilized at least once since 9/11. Marine Forces Reserve has maximized the use of Individual Ready Reserve volunteers, 4,570 have been activated to meet these requirements, primarily in the areas of staff augmentation, such as linguists, intelligence specialists, and for force protection requirements.
During the peak of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, the Marine Corps had 21,316 Reserve Marines on Active duty. Marine Forces Reserve proved once again that it was ready, willing and able to accomplish its primary mission of augmenting and reinforcing the active component by seamlessly integrating into the I Marine Expeditionary Force. As an example of the level of support Reserve Marines provided, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, the second largest battalion in the Marine Corps mobilized 1,972 of its 2,172 Marines from 11 separate sites. The unit is comprised of 10 companies spread among 12 Reserve centers across the U.S. During the war, the battalion distributed 8 million gallons of fuel, produced and distributed over 3.1 million gallons of water and provided material handling support for numerous convoys. In addition, the unit built the longest Hose Reel Fuel line system (80 miles), the largest tactical fuel farm and the longest Improved Ribbon Bridge in Marine Corps' history.
The Fourth Marine Division was equally engaged. Two infantry battalions, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines and 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines were directly engaged in ground combat, as was 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, and other combat support and combat service support outfits. Reserve officers and staff noncommissioned officers effectively trained their units for combat and led them successfully in battle. Marine Reserve KC-130Ts proved their worth. Using the most modern night vision equipment, they participated in 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing's assault support effort, landing on highways and dirt strips to resupply Forward Arming and Refueling Points that supported the I Marine Expeditionary Force's 500-kilometer drive from Basra to Baghdad and on to Tikrit.
The seamless integration of reserve units is a credit to the Marine Corps commitment to Total Force. A strong Inspector-Instructor system, providing a top notch staff of Active duty and Active Reserve personnel at each site, and a demanding Mobilization and Operational Readiness Deployment Test program ensure Marine Corps Reserve units achieve the highest level of pre-mobilization readiness. Marine Corps Reserve units train to a high readiness standard, eliminating the need for post-mobilization certification. For Operation IRAQI FREEDOM the Marine Corps Reserve executed a rapid and efficient mobilization. While some of our Reserve units deployed in as little as six days from notification, on the whole our units averaged 23 days from notification to deployment. None of our units missed their deployment window. In fact, many of our units were notified, activated, and ready to deploy faster than strategic lift was available. The ability of the Marine Reserve to rapidly mobilize and integrate into the active component in response to the Marine Corps' operational requirements is a tribute to the dedication, professionalism and warrior spirit of every member of the Marine team - both Active and Reserve.
RECRUITING AND RETENTION
The Marine Corps Reserve has achieved historically high retention rates in FY03 and, the retention rate for the Marine Corps Reserve remains favorable with a 7 to 10 percent increase over retention rates in the near-term past. Marine Forces Reserve will not be complacent about these positive trends. I will carefully and continuously monitor the data on both recruiting and retention, and will make every effort to stay ahead of any problems. These are areas in which we cannot wait until we are in trouble to initiate corrective measures. Every Marine Corps leader knows the role of leadership, training and family readiness programs in the recruiting and retention of our Marines. With the accession of 6,174 non-prior service Marines and 2,663 prior service Marines, the Marine Corps Reserve met and exceeded, respectively, current recruiting goals. Current Military Occupational Specialty match rates are exceeding the goal of 75 percent with an enlisted Military Occupational Specialty match rate of 87.4 percent and officer match rate of 75.8 percent.
As of 29 February 2004, our end-strength was 40,235, which is 635 above our authorized end-strength but within the allowable 2 percent variation. Officer recruiting and retention remains our most challenging concern. This is due to the low attrition rate for company grade officers from the active force. The Marine Corps recruits Reserve officers almost exclusively from the ranks of those who have first served an active duty tour as a Marine officer. We are exploring methods to increase the participation of company grade officers in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve through increased recruiting, increased command emphasis on Reserve opportunities and participation, and Reserve officer accession programs for qualified enlisted Marines. Further, the Marine Corps supports the legislative proposal to allow bonuses for officers in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve who fill a critical skill or shortage. We currently have a shortage of Reserve company grade officers; this bonus could complement other efforts we are making to increase their participation.
MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIES
Our future success will rely firmly on the Marine Corps' most valuable asset - our Marines and their families.
Operational Tempo Relief
In addition to supporting Operations NOBLE EAGLE, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM, Reserve Marines provided operational tempo relief to the active component. Notably, 96 Reserve Marines volunteered to participate in the West African Training Cruise-04, a biannual 6th Fleet sponsored exercise in West Africa (a first for the Marine Corps Reserve). During the months of October and November 2003, the Marines deployed to West Africa from various Reserve Training Centers throughout the United States via Air Force strategic lift. There they boarded the High Speed Vessel Swift and sailed Africa's West Coast conducting training exercises with military forces from South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia, and Senegal.
Marine Forces Reserve also provided the majority of Marine Corps' support to the nation's counter-drug effort, participating in numerous missions in support of Joint Task Force 6, Joint Interagency Task Force-East and Joint Interagency Task Force-West. Individual Marines and Marine units supported law enforcement agencies conducting missions along the U.S. Southwest border and in several domestic "hot spots" that have been designated as high intensity drug trafficking areas.
Similarly, 335 Reserve Marines volunteered to deploy to South America to participate in UNITAS 45-04. Sponsored by Commander, Naval Forces Southern Command, UNITAS is an annual naval and amphibious exercise that takes place throughout South America. This will be the second UNITAS sourced primarily from the Selected Marine Corps Reserve. This year the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Marines of Marine Forces UNITAS will conduct a 13-week training program at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and subsequently embark on the USS Tortuga. From the Tortuga the Marines will disembark to conduct bilateral training with our allies in the Caribbean and the Pacific. In Peru, Marine Forces UNITAS 45-04 conduct a multi-national amphibious exercise that includes forces from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.
Mobilization Support
Mobilization readiness is our number one priority and the men and women in the Marine Corps Reserve have responded enthusiastically to the call to duty. Approximately 98 percent of Marines reported when mobilized. One of the keys to this success is the support given to the Marines and their family members prior to, during and after activation.
Programs such as Marine Corps Community Service One Source provide Marines and their families with around-the-clock information and referral service for subjects such as parenting, childcare, education, finances, legal issues, elder care, health, wellness, deployment, crisis support and relocation via toll-free telephone and Internet access. Marine Corps Community Service One Source familiarizes our activated Reserve Marines and their families not located near major military installations to the requirements and procedures associated with military programs such as TRICARE. TRICARE
Marine Forces Reserve recognizes family readiness as an essential part of mobilization preparedness. Upon activation, Reserve families must make significant adjustments in lifestyle. Civilian jobs and/or educational commitments must be correctly managed: proper notifications provided to employers to ensure legal protections, continued good Marine-employer relations and an eventual smooth return. The TRICARE Prime-Remote provisions have made health care issues less challenging, with families no longer required to shift providers in order to use TRICARE benefits.
Since 9/11, Congress has gone to great lengths to improve TRICARE benefits available to the Guard and Reserve. Reserve members are now eligible for dental care under the TRICARE Dental Program for a minimal monthly fee. Mobilized Reserves are granted additional transitional benefits once their activation is complete. In an effort to increase awareness of the new benefits, Reserve members are now receiving more information regarding the changes through an aggressive education and marketing plan. And finally, the newest, temporary changes include provisional benefits to Marines and their family members 90 days prior to their activation date and up to 180 after deactivation and extending TRICARE coverage to members and their families who are either unemployed or employed but not eligible for employer-provided health coverage. The new reserve health program, being temporaru, offers us the ability to assess the impact of these benefits after the trial period. We will review the eggects of these programs on reservists and their families as they transition to and from active duty and look at the overall effect on retention and readiness.
Family Support
At each of our Reserve Training Centers, the Key Volunteer Network Program serves as the link between the deployed command and the families, providing unit spouses with official communication, information and referrals. This creates a sense of community within the unit. Additionally, the Lifestyle Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills Program is a spouse-to-spouse orientation service offered to new Marine spouses to acquaint them with the military lifestyle and the Marine Corps, including the challenges brought about by deployments. Online and CD-ROM versions of the Lifestyle Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills Program make this valuable tool more readily accessible to working spouses of Reserve Marines not located near Marine Corps installations. The Peacetime/Wartime Support Team and the support structure within the Inspector and Instructor staff provide families of deployed Marines with assistance in developing proactive, prevention-oriented steps such as family care plans, powers of attorney, family financial planning, and enrollment in the Dependent Eligibility and Enrollment Reporting System. Our deployed commanding officers have confirmed the importance of this family readiness support while they were away and as part of their homecoming. The Department of Defense has proposed an impressive package of legislative initiatives that will help us to effectively employ the Marine Corps Reserve. Of particular note are provisions which support a "continuum of service," a concept that makes it easier for an individual service-member to move on and off of active duty depending on his or her availability and willingness to serve.
PREPARATION FOR OIF II / OEF V
I am most pleased to report that every Reserve Marine deployed during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and those currently deployed into harm's way are fully equipped with the most modern Individual Combat Equipment available. Reserve Marines deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are wearing the latest in individual ballistic body armor protection, the Improved First Aid Kit, and the new digital pattern Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform. Additional individual equipment programs nearing production and distribution to our units include the new Lightweight Helmet, the Improved Load Bearing Equipment pack system, and the All Purpose Environmental Clothing System third-generation Gore-Tex.
Operationally, since I last testified, over 40,000 pieces of Reserve combat unit equipment including individual and crew-served weapons, night vision devices, radios, computers, vehicles, and engineer equipment have been deployed, engaged in theater, redeployed back through our Marine Corps installations, processed through the maintenance cycle, and returned to Reserve Training Centers. This equipment is poised to resource and future contingencies. NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE EQUIPMENT APPROPRIATION The $44.6M provided by FY04 National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation will provide the Reserve Force with the systems needed to improve mission capability and readiness now and into the future. Important communications systems such as the Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical Terminal, the Enhanced Position Location Reporting System and Iridium Satellite phones will greatly enhance our ability to communicate on the battlefield and, most importantly, to integrate with the active component. National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation funding has allowed the Marine Corps Reserve to procure mission-critical night vision devices such as the AN/PVS-17B/C Mini Night Vision Sight (used with individual weapon systems) and the AN/PAS-13 Thermal Weapon Sight (used with crew-served weapons). These sights increase our capability to fight at night and during reduced-visibility conditions. This year's National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation also funded the Electronic Warfare Suite (AFC-230) for 47 percent of our AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters. We require 20 additional Electronic Warfare Suites to protect the remainder of our AH-1W fleet. However, I want to assure you that every aircraft, both rotary- and fixed-wing, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan will have the latest in Aircraft Survivability Equipment installed either prior to departure, enroute while embarked aboard amphibious shipping, or shortly after arrival in-theater. A contractor "tiger team" is scheduled to arrive in Afghanistan tomorrow, 8 April, from Iraq to upgrade our UH-1N utility and AH-1W attack helicopters.
GROUND ELEMENT EQUIPMENT PRIORITIES
The increasing age of our equipment is also a challenge within the Reserve ground component. I am pleased to report that we are meeting these challenges in several areas. Of our 3448 aging High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, Basic and A1 variants, Marine Forces Reserve has so far replaced 1162 with the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle A2 variant. Of our 1233 Five-Ton truck fleet, 604 have been replaced with the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement truck. Both new vehicle systems embrace the latest sustainability and maintainability technological improvements available to the Marine Corps. We continue to receive over 300 new High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle A2s each year and project complete replacement of our fleet by FY 09. We are scheduled to receive an additional 301 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement trucks between now and November 2004 with the remaining balance scheduled to be delivered by the end of FY05.
Efforts to improve our communications capabilities have focused on increased fielding of several tactical single-channel radio programs including the PRC-117 satellite radios, PRC-150 high frequency radios and PRC-148 squad radios. Previous National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation funding allowed Marine Forces Reserve to buy state-of-the-art battery chargers, power adapters for single-channel radios, and power inverters, providing a range of alternative power options comparable to active component units.
As I mentioned earlier, mobilization readiness is my number one priority. In order to continue seamless integration into the active component, my ground component priorities are the sustained improvement of individual Marine protective equipment and overall equipment readiness. With your continued support, Marine Forces Reserve will deploy Marines with the best available individual and unit equipment needed to accomplish their mission and return home safely.
AVIATION ELEMENT EQUIPMENT PRIORITIES
Maintaining current readiness levels will require continued support as our equipment continues to age at a pace exceeding replacement. Within Reserve aviation, the average age of our youngest platform is the UC-35 at 6 years, followed by the AH-1W Cobra at 11 years, the CH-53E at 16 years, the KC-130T at 18 years, the F/A-18A at 20 years, and the F-5 at 31 years. Our oldest platforms -- platforms that have exceeded programmed service life -- include the UH-1N at 31 years (20-year service life) and the CH-46E at 37 years (20-year service life with "safety, reliability, and maintainability" extension to 30 years). Maintaining these aging legacy platforms requires increased financial and manpower investment with each passing year due to obsolescent parts and higher rates of equipment failure. For example, for every hour the CH-46E is airborne, an average of 25.2 maintenance man-hours are required. Continued support for airframe and avionics upgrades -- pending the arrival of the next generation of aircraft -- reduces maintenance man-hours and increases the availability and capabilities of our aircraft.
We are thankful for and remain confident in the readiness of the Marine Corps Reserve, and we seek your continued support in the FY05 President's Budget. Your continued support is critical in our ability to maintain readiness and mission capability to support operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Marine Forces Reserve is and will continue to be a community-based force. This is a fundamental strength of Marine Forces Reserve. Our long-range strategy is to maintain that fundamental strength by maintaining our connection with communities in the most cost effective way. We do not want to be located exclusively in just several large metropolitan areas or consolidated into a few isolated enclaves.
We seek every opportunity to divest Marine Corps-owned infrastructure and to locate our units in Joint Reserve Centers. Marine Forces Reserve units are located at 187 sites in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; 33 sites are owned or leased by the Marine Corps Reserve, 154 are either tenant or joint sites. Fifty-three percent of the Reserve centers we occupy are more than 30 years old, and of these, 37 are over 50 years old.
Investment in infrastructure has been a bill-payer for pressing requirements and near-term readiness for most of the last decade. The transition to Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization funding has enabled us to more accurately capture our requirements and budget accordingly. Similar to the active component, we do not expect to be able to bring our facilities to acceptable levels of readiness before FY13. In FY03 we funded seven Whole Center Repairs in a step forward to meeting the FY13 goal. This will reduce the facilities currently rated below acceptable levels to 58 percent. While the FY05 Presidential Budget provides a nearly 39 percent increase in our sustainment budget, we still face a backlog in restoration and modernization across the Future Years Defense Program of over $30 million dollars. The majority of this backlog requires Military Construction funding due to the deterioration of our facilities, but it also includes Operations and Maintenance-funded whole center repair projects and site improvements at Reserve Training Centers in Texas, New York, Florida, and Washington. Maintaining facilities adequately is critical to providing quality-training centers that support the readiness of our Marines. Replacing inadequate facilities is also part of our overall infrastructure program. The yearly Presidential Budget average for new military construction of $8.67 million dollars for the previous six Fiscal Years has allowed us to address our most pressing requirements. Past vulnerability assessments identified $33.6M in projects to resolve anti-terrorism/force protection deficiencies at the 41 sites that we own or at which we have responsibility for site maintenance. We have expended $8.3M the last two years to reduce these vulnerabilities. The age of our infrastructure means that much of it was built well before anti-terrorism/force protection was a major consideration in design and construction. These facilities will require anti-terrorism/force protection resolution through structural improvements, relocation, replacement or the acquisition of additional stand-off distance. All these expensive solutions will be prioritized and achieved over the long-term to provide the necessary level of force protection for all our sites. We continue to improve the anti-terrorism/force protection posture at our Reserve Training Centers and are acting proactively to resolve the issues and deficiencies.
MODERNIZATION AND TRANSFORMATION
Command, Control, Communications, and Computers With your help, we have made great strides in Command, Control, Communications, and Computers equipment readiness during the past year. Marine Forces Reserve's Command, Control, Communications, and Computers readiness increased noticeably, due to the FY03 National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation. As I speak to you today, a detachment of our 4th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company is in Iraq, outfitted with high frequency and satellite radio equipment almost completely procured with the FY03 National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation funds. This marks the first time in the past year and a half a Reserve Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company unit performed its mission without provisioning radio equipment from its gaining force commander. There are a few areas that I would like to bring to your attention in which you may again assist us. Because of the increased reliance on Marine Forces Reserve's military police and civil affairs capabilities, we have validated an additional requirements for 200 handheld radios. . Critical new requirements have emerged for our civil affairs groups' coordination and command-and-control capabilities such as the additional validated need for 100 AN/PRC-148 handheld radios and 50 single channel/satellite AN/PRC-117 radios to meet the unexpected growth in civil affairs capabilities.
Digital Data Servers
Progress has been made in fielding new equipment to bridge the gap between active component units and their Reserve counterparts. However, there are areas of improvement in which you can help speed the closure of the gap. Prior to completion of Marine Forces Reserve fielding, 24 Digital Data Server suites were reallocated to support training requirements for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
Enhanced Data Relay
Today, battalion-level units in the Total Force are unable to receive robust data communications beyond line-of-sight. Regimental-level units rely on satellite and multi-channel radios to maintain reliable secure data communications to senior and parallel headquarters across the battlefield. The data link down to battalion-level units is the Enhanced Position and Location Reporting System, but it has a range limited by line-of-sight. The range limitation does not allow the secure data communications to be extended from the Regimental level to distant or fast moving battalion-level and below units. The Marine Corps Command-and-control on-the-move Network Digital Over-the-Horizon Relay initiative is an attempt to extend data networks beyond line-of-site. This initiative uses satellite and ground radio relays mounted on High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles in three variants. It also allows units to use standard radios to connect to tactical data networks. Though in the early stages of development, the Marine Corps Reserve's tactical Command, Control, Communications, and Computers effectiveness as well as that of the active component could be significantly enhanced with funding and fielding of the Command-and-control on-the-move Network Digital Over-the-Horizon Relay initiative.
Navy-Marine Corps Intranet
With the delay of Marine Forces Reserve's transition to the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, many Marine Reserve units have not received up-to-date hardware to replace their aging computers. At least 12 percent of our computers are incapable of running the Marine Corps-approved operating systems, creating compatibility and reliability issues. Marine Forces Reserve is advance-fielding Navy-Marine Corps Intranet deployable computers to units deploying for operations to mitigate this problem. While this is a quick fix, it does not solve the primary issue of aging computers in the Force. Presently, Marine Forces Reserve is only funded for approximately 8,000 Navy-Marine Corps Intranet computers. Unfortunately this leaves 6,000 required Navy-Marine Corps Intranet computers, in the form of user seats. Without the funding to replace our aging computers, Marine Forces Reserve will have to contend with critical long-term computer compatibility and reliability issues.
AN/PRC-150
The FY04 National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation significantly mitigated our high frequency radio readiness issues with the purchase of man-packed AN/PRC-150 radios to replace the obsolescent AN/PRC -104s. However, the acquisition objective for AN/PRC-150 radios will grow as more of the 20-year-old AN/PRC-104s become unserviceable. We appreciate your continued support for the funding of the AN/PRC-150s which will keep potential high frequency radio readiness issues at bay. As the transformation of our Force continues, there will be a greater need for newer tactical Command, Control, Communications, and Computers equipment to fill voids in satellite communications and data communications areas. Requirements for the Lightweight Multi-band Satellite Terminal will increase to provide the same wideband satellite communications capability resident in the active component's major communications units. Tactical data network requirements will continue to grow and so will the need for a continued refreshing of computer technology in the Force. During the next year, requirements for additional Lightweight Multi-band Satellite Terminals and tactical data network equipment will be identified for funding. In the past few minutes, I pointed out several challenges in Command, Control, Communications, and Computers readiness for Marine Forces Reserve. However, I want to emphasize that while challenges remain, your support in providing a path for us to replace and sustain our Command, Control, Communications, and Computers equipment has placed your Marine Reserve in a much better Command, Control, Communications, and Computers posture than a year ago.
CONCLUSION
The Marine Corps Reserve is ready, willing and able to answer our Nation's call to duty in the Global War on Terrorism, as has been so well demonstrated by the mobilization and integration of Reserves into the active component. Our greatest asset is our outstanding young men and women in uniform. The Marine Corps appreciates your continued support and collaboration in making the Marine Corps and its Reserve the Department of Defense model for Total Force integration and expeditionary capability.
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