Tucson lawmaker seeks answers about deficiencies in Air Force equipment and Army language training
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to explain why the U.S. Air Force has repeatedly failed to get a new combat search and rescue aircraft into production.
The aircraft, known as the CSAR-X, would be based at Tucson's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and is urgently needed to replace an aging fleet of helicopters used to retrieve downed pilots and combat troops from harm's way. Questioning Gates during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on next year's Pentagon budget, Giffords noted that procurement of the CSAR-X has been delayed because of inefficiencies in the existing acquisition process.
Gates agreed with Giffords that the process is flawed and needs reform. He said that maintaining clear and stable program requirements during the contracting process and predictable funding are helpful in ensuring our warfighters get the best equipment possible in the shortest amount of time.
Giffords also pressed Gates on language and cultural training, which is vital to the intelligence mission at Fort Huachuca. The Tucson lawmaker expressed concern that not enough officers were being given an opportunity to seek graduate education, and mentioned the detrimental effect this is having on officer retention. She asked whether the Defense Department was doing enough to support educational efforts for our military personnel.
Gates agreed with Giffords that military education is very important and suggested offering more incentives for undergraduate ROTC students to study critical languages and other relevant courses of study while in college. He reiterated how critical these skills are to the war on terrorism and intelligence efforts.
After the hearing, Giffords said she was encouraged by Gates' responses but emphasized the need to pursue both issues aggressively. "It comes down to the readiness of our armed forces to confront the unique threats we face in the 21st Century," she said. "The United States has the mightiest military in the world. The men and women who serve in our armed forces are unrivaled. We must do everything possible to prepare them for the challenges in the years to come."
Today's hearing was conducted as Congress begins consideration of President Bush's proposed $515.4 billion Pentagon budget for 2009, a 7.5 percent increase over 2008.
Prior to the hearing, Giffords consulted with a number of military experts in her district. They included Major General Donald Shepperd, former chief of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon; General John Wickham, former chief of staff of the Army; and Major General Rataczak, adjutant general of the of the Arizona National Guard.