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Statement of Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee Chairman Adam Smith SOCOM and NORTHCOM FY09 Budget Request

March 5, 2008

"Good afternoon. Welcome to our guests and to our panelists. I want to thank the members of the subcommittee for attending this important hearing in which the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee will begin to consider the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization budget request for U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM).

"Admiral Olson and General Renuart, I want you to know that I appreciate you taking time this morning away from your regular duties to offer your expertise to our members, and also to thank you for your service to our country.

"As members are aware, SOCOM consists of more than 50,000 special operations forces (SOF) personnel who serve as the tip of our spear against terrorists and insurgents. SOF troops are active in dozens of countries around the world, doing a fantastic job of executing the missions they've been given, especially considering the heightened operations tempo required by our continued occupation of Iraq and our commitments in Afghanistan. These actions in the CENTCOM area of responsibility have pulled more than 80 percent of our SOF personnel into those specific areas on conflict and have placed an enormous strain on SOCOM.

"This strain makes it exponentially more difficult for SOCOM to pursue terrorists elsewhere around the world in a comprehensive, global struggle against al-Qaida and their violent totalitarian ideology of subjugation. Both the wear and tear on our troops in the CENTCOM AOR and the spread of al-Qaida elsewhere around the world cause me to react with deep concern at the seven percent cut in the fiscal year 2009 SOCOM budget request compared to the FY08 appropriated levels. I am very interested to hear our panel's perspective on the wisdom of such a cut at such a pivotal time.

"In addition, the subcommittee is interested in hearing from the panel about any potentially new authorities required for SOCOM to successfully prosecute the fight against terrorism, as well as any steps that can be taken to improve intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) support to our special operations forces.

"NORTHCOM was created in 2002 in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and has grown from an initial size of 1,300 Defense Department personnel to a force of more than 15,000.

"NORTHCOM has continually responded to and worked to become more prepared for catastrophic events, including terrorist attacks, targeting the U.S. homeland. The Command has lent invaluable assistance to civil authorities in numerous scenarios since its inception, including the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and the Minneapolis-St. Paul bridge collapse in August 2007. Challenges remain, however, particularly with regard to questions of interagency coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"Again I want to thank members and our panel for their time this morning as we consider the authorization for two Defense Department commands that are absolutely essential to our fight against terrorists and insurgents all over the world. I also want to thank Ranking Member Thornberry for his bipartisan cooperation and look forward to continuing our work together to get our men and women in uniform the resources they need to accomplish their mission."