Statement of the Honorable Tina W. Jonas Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) FY 2006 Department of Defense Budget Senate Appropriations Committee -- Subcommittee on Defense 2 March 2005
Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, it is my pleasure to be here to discuss President Bush’s fiscal year (FY) 2006 defense budget request. You have received extensive materials on the budget, which I do not want to duplicate in my statement. Instead I will briefly underscore some of the most important features of our request.
First, I want to thank this committee for its strong support for our men and women in uniform. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure that our armed forces have everything they need to carry out their difficult and dangerous missions.
The President’s budget request for the Department of Defense (DoD) for FY 2006 is $419.3 billion in discretionary budget authority, a $19.2 billion increase (4.8 percent) over the FY 2005 enacted level. Combined with FY 2005 supplemental appropriations, this request includes sufficient funding to sustain the President’s pledges to defeat global terrorism, restructure America’s armed forces and global defense posture, develop and field advanced warfighting capabilities, and take good care of our forces.
Supporting the Global War on Terror
The FY 2006 budget supports the Global War on Terror (GWOT) by keeping U.S. forces combat ready and strengthening our overall defense capabilities. Readiness is especially critical in this time of war because forces must be prepared to deploy on short notice. Reflecting this importance, the FY 2006 budget includes $147.8 billion in Operation and Maintenance (O&M;) accounts -- where training, maintenance, and other readiness essentials are funded -- nearly $11 billion over the FY 2005 enacted amount.
Critical to the fight against terror, the President’s plan adds $2.1 billion in FY 2006-2011 for chemical and biological defense – achieving total funding of $1.6 billion for FY 2006. We sustain our commitment to our Special Operations Forces (SOF) capabilities, providing $4.1 billion for FY 2006. We are adding 1,200 military personnel, including 4 SEAL platoons, and 200 civilians. We also are adding $50 million for programs to boost SOF retention. (The FY 2005 supplemental includes $62 million for SOF retention.) Since 2001, our investment in SOF capabilities is up by $1.7 billion or 73 percent. The budget includes $9.5 billion for activities related to homeland security -- such as detection and protection against weapons of mass destruction, emergency preparedness and response, and protection of critical infrastructure.
Restructuring U.S. Forces and Global Defense Posture
The FY 2006 budget provides funding to continue to work to restructure U.S. forces and our global defense posture and basing. Restructuring Ground Forces. The Department has made a major commitment to restructuring the Army – adding $35 billion over 7 years (FY2005-2011) to the $13 billion in the Army baseline budget. In FY 2005 and FY 2006, the Department proposes to fund Army restructuring through supplemental appropriations because acceleration of this effort is urgent and vital to the war on terror. The funds requested in supplementals will accelerate the restructuring of the ground forces moving into the theater and reset those forces rotating out of theater. This effort will expand the operating combat force of the Army – making our forces more effective in the Global War on Terror and reducing the demand and strain on our military units and troops. Beginning in FY 2007, we will request funding in the baseline budget to restructure the rest of the Army.
Restructuring will increase the number of Army brigades and convert them into brigade combat teams (BCTs) that are capable of independent operations. The Active Army will expand from 33 maneuver brigades in FY 2003 to 43 BCTs in FY 2007.
The Marine Corps is restructuring to add two active infantry battalions and other combat and support units – increasing its warfighting power and reducing stress on capabilities that are currently in high demand.
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). The President’s budget also includes $1.9 billion in FY 2006 to implement the 2005 BRAC Commission recommendations. The previous BRAC rounds eliminated about 21 percent of DoD infrastructure and generated savings of about $7 billion per year.
Global Posture. Closely linked to the BRAC process is the President’s global posture restructuring, which will ensure that U.S. forces and equipment are located where they can best respond to likely requirements in today’s security environment. It will return 70,000 military personnel and 100,000 family members to the United States, and relocate forces and equipment that must remain overseas. As the 2005 BRAC Commission considers how to streamline and restructure the Department’s installations, it will have the benefit of this global posture restructuring plan.
Developing and Fielding Joint Military Capabilities
The FY 2006 budget funds a balanced combination of programs to develop and field the capabilities most needed by America’s military – today and well into the future. Procurement funding in FY 2006 is $78 billion, $3 billion higher than the President’s FY 2005 budget request of $74.9 billion. This $78 billion is almost double the low point of $42.6 billion provided in FY 1996. Future procurement funding will steadily increase and reach $119 billion in FY 2011.
Missile Defense. The FY 2006 budget includes $7.8 billion for the Missile Defense Agency to continue to strengthen U.S. missile defenses, focusing more intensely on the most promising technologies. The FY 2006 budget supports the continuing acquisition of Ground-Based Interceptors, Standard Missile 3 missiles, and increased radar capabilities in California and Alaska. As you know we just had a successful test of an interceptor missile launched from an Aegis cruiser – the fifth successful sea-based intercept in six tests.
Shipbuilding. The budget includes $9.4 billion in FY 2006 for shipbuilding. This funding supports procurement of four ships: a Virginia class submarine, an LPD-17 San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship, a Littoral Combat Ship, and a T-AKE dry cargo and ammunition ship. The Navy’s restructuring under its Fleet Response Plan has made more of its ships available for rapid deployment. In addition, with precision weapons and newer platforms, today's ships and naval aircraft are far more capable. For example, the Navy now measures targets destroyed per sortie rather than the number of sorties per target. These changes are increasing the effective size and capability of the Navy.
Army Modernization. The modernization of the Army and the development of new combat capability are critical to the future of its restructured modular force. Most critical is the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, which will develop a family of advanced, networked, air and ground systems – combat and support, manned and unmanned. FCS funding is $3.4 billion in FY 2006. The program has been restructured to deliver transformational technologies to today’s force as soon as they mature. The advantage of this change is that it will accelerate the upgrading and increased joint operability of current Army forces.
Aircraft. The FY 2006 budget continues our investment in the new generation of tactical aircraft, including $5.0 billion for the Joint Strike Fighter, $4.3 billion for the F/A-22, $2.9 billion for the F/A-18E/F, and $1.8 billion for the V-22 Osprey. Under current plans the Air Force is scheduled to procure F/A-22s through FY 2008 to reach a total of 179 aircraft. The budget also includes $3.7 billion for the C-17 and $1.5 billion for unmanned aerial vehicles. The 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review will assess U.S. capabilities for sustaining air dominance and other aircraft requirements as part of its broader analysis. Taking Care of our Forces
Most importantly, the FY 2006 budget maintains the President’s commitment to take good care of our military people and their families. It reflects our conviction that people are the nation’s most important defense asset. The budget includes a 3.1 percent increase in military base pay and provides significant funding to ensure high quality health care for our military families. The FY 2006 budget provides about $20 billion for the Defense Health Program and $7 billion for the military personnel who support the health care program. The budget sustains our commitment to no out-of-pocket costs for military members living in private housing, by increasing the Basic Allowance for Housing by an average of 4 percent. And the budget keeps the Department on track to fund by FY 2007 the elimination of all inadequate military family housing units in the U.S., and to fund by FY 2009 the elimination of all inadequate units worldwide.
FY 2005 Supplemental Appropriations
Before closing, I want to thank this committee for beginning work quickly on the President’s FY 2005 supplemental appropriations request of $74.9 billion for the Department of Defense. Rapid and full approval of the request is crucial to fulfilling our military’s requirements for the rest of this fiscal year.
Two-thirds of the supplemental is to cover costs for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the supplemental includes $11.9 billion to restore or replace equipment damaged or destroyed in combat. This funding is crucial to ensure the readiness of the force. It consists of $3.2 billion for depot maintenance, $5.4 billion to replace military items destroyed or expended during combat operations, and $3.3 billion to improve protection of our forces.
The supplemental also funds the vital strategic goal of training and equipping military and security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Strengthening these forces is essential to the long-term security and stability in both nations, and will enable them to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on U.S and coalition forces.
Closing
In conclusion, the President’s FY 2005 Supplemental request and FY 2006 budget provide the funds necessary to support the global war on terror, restructure our forces and America’s global defense posture, develop and field advanced military capabilities, and maintain the well-being of our military people and their families. I urge your support for this request, as well as for the President’s proposed FY 2005 supplemental appropriations. Thank you.
