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House Armed Services Committee
Chairman Skelton's opening statement--March 21, 2007

"Today's hearing is part of our annual series of posture hearings with Combatant Commanders. I am very pleased to welcome General Cartwright of STRATCOM, Admiral Keating of NORTHCOM who will soon be taking the reins at Pacific Command, General Schwartz of TRANSCOM, and Admiral Stavridis of SOUTHCOM. We are honored to have all four of you with us today.

"I also want to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the men and women in and out of uniform whom you command. They provide a valuable service to our country, and we are in their debt.

"Although the challenges which we face in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere consume much of the energy, resources, and attention of our nation and our Committee, we ignore other parts of the world and other issue areas at our peril. For the sake of brevity, I will mention only a few key issues in each COCOM.

"In Colombia, we have spent over $4 billion since 1999 to stem the flow of illegal drugs into our country and aid the Colombians in their fight against home-grown terrorists. But, according to the latest figures from the Justice Department, the supply and purity of illicit narcotics on our streets has not changed much in the last several years.

"The Administration of President Uribe is also currently embroiled in a criminal investigation into a seemingly widespread conspiracy between high-ranking government officials and leaders of the terrorist paramilitaries.

"I fear that this scandal and the underlying unholy alliance, if proven to be true, will severely undermine the ability of the Colombians to assume greater responsibility for combating narcotics trafficking and taking the fight to the terrorists "Y both of which may place a larger strain on our American forces during this time of war.

"Finally, with regard to Guantanamo Bay, I would like to begin a discussion on whether we should continue to use the U.S. Naval Station there as a detention facility and venue for the military commissions. Although recent legislation, Supreme Court decisions, and Department directives have probably improved the nature of interrogation and detention at Guantanamo, I think that it may be a little too late.

"Guantanamo, like Abu Gharib, has become, in the minds of many of our allies, a textbook example of how NOT to run a detention facility. There are hardened terrorists who must be detained and tried, but the name Guantanamo has come to reflect on the well-deserved, sterling reputation of our armed forces.

"As I turn to NORTHCOM, Admiral Keating, I am interested in the status of planning and training activities between NORTHCOM, our National Guard and Reserve components, and local responders. As you know, the response to Katrina highlighted the need to better coordinate these activities, as cited in the recent Guard and Reserve Commission report. We must do more to improve this coordination process.

"Traditionally I have been a strong proponent of the Total Force�h concept of integrating the Reserve and Active components into one effort. Yet, I am concerned about reports that NORTHCOM does not adequately understand the capabilities of the Guard and Reserves due to the fact that NORTHCOM is overly-staffed by active duty personnel. I look forward to hearing your assessment of this observation and learning what proposals, if any, you might make to remedy this imbalance.

"With regard to STRATCOM, I am interested in the war fighters�f perspective on the balance between nuclear and conventional forces in the future. I understand that General Cartwright recognizes the need for a national discussion on this important issue, and in that regard I look forward to hearing his thoughts about the Reliable Replacement Warhead and Conventional Trident Modification programs.

"I have followed with interest the expanded role the warfighter has been playing in the missile defense business, particularly in the context of the North Korean test of a long-range missile last summer. In addition, would like to hear your assessment of how we should respond to the recent Anti-Satellite test conducted by the Chinese.

"With regard to TRANSCOM, General Schwartz, I believe that the critical issue for the committee will be to understand better the nature of our future mobility requirements. We are reaching untimely decision points on strategic airlift production and modernization that will impact our capabilities. For example, without knowing exactly what the mobility requirements and concept of operations of the Army's Future Combat Systems will be, how can we make informed decisions to support fully our warfighters?

"I am also concerned about the state of our airlift, tanker, and seagoing platforms as they continue to age due to procurement shortfalls that began in the 1990s. The challenge of operating and maintaining older equipment is further compounded by the faster use rates, particularly among our aging KC-135 fleet of tankers, the C-130 airlifter, and the T-5 fueling tanker.

I now turn to my good friend and colleague, our distinguished Ranking Member from California, Duncan Hunter, for any opening remarks that he would like to make."