WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) told the senior leadership of the U.S. Army  today “we know these are dangerous times, and we will do everything it can to provide you with the resources you need to perform your mission – even if they are not in your budget request.”

At a public hearing in the U.S. Capitol, Frelinghuysen said “We have to work together to make sure the Army has the right number of soldiers and right degree of readiness.”

Joined by Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley, Acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy agreed.  “Readiness is critical for three reasons: 1) readiness wins wars: 2) readiness deters threats and re-assures our allies; 3) readiness prepares our forces for future conflicts.”

The Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing was conducted as the Army remains engaged around the world and against the backdrop of increasing threats.  “In Afghanistan, the Army is trying to secure the hard-fought gains we made over the past 15 years of conflict, even as plans for our departure have been postponed.  We have soldiers ‘advising and assisting’ – and still in harm’s way – in Iraq and Syria and Africa.  The Army has a missile defense mission in the Persian Gulf and peacekeeping mission in the Sinai.  Over 28,000 soldiers stand alert in South Korea against the unpredictable regime to the north. At the same time, the Army stands against Russian belligerence in Europe and acts to deter a newly aggressive China.”  

Members of the Subcommittee covered many other issues at the hearing, including Army aviation modernization, the future size of the force, unmanned aerial systems and artillery modernization among other topics.

Today’s hearing was the latest in a series of open defense posture and budget oversight hearings Chairman Frelinghuysen is conducting with the military services, combatant commands and other major components of our armed forces. 

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