we have opportunities to say you are amazing, we want you to be a part of what we have going on. here is my standard -- if you are going to put your hand over . .hers, if you have something you want to contribute and take advantage of that opportunity, i want you to be here. it is absolutely true that we have got to take care of the folks who are trying to do it the right way. ' heartstand why folks are touched by children in these circumstances, but families have been sep

>> what you see behind you is a cubic foot box of those we have 30,000 cubic feet of state records. legislative branch, judicial, and executive branch. about 15,000 cubic feet of records which fall under our manuscript collection. these other private donations from individuals, everything from letters and journals of photographs.

this is was known as the patriot constitution of 1812. there was a lot of history behind this particular document. in 1812 a group of georgia sutlers known as the patriot army invaded northeastern florida, and there were operating with the assistance of citizens who were living in spanish florida. at the time of war was still a colony of spain. the motivation for this particular group of individuals was that they were going to come into florida, primarily from georgia, and there were going to come into florida and encourage the citizens of spanish florida rise up against the government and proclaim independence. >> the history and literary life of florida state capitol tallahassee saturday at noon eastern on c-span2 and sunday at two.

>> president obama met with irish prime minister today in the oval office discuss a variety of issues including immigration and ukraine. >> it is wonderful to have him back here in the oval office. this is one of my favorite times of year because i am able to a join with our friends from ireland to celebrate the incredible bond that exists between our two countries. think it is fair to say that there are very few countries around the world where the people are strong.

we also share these family ties. i want to once again thank the people of ireland for the incredible hospitality. i started the meeting today congratulating on the economic progress that has been made over the last several years. obviously ireland was hit hard by the financial crisis. it required some very tough decisions. we have now seen ireland emerge from its assistance per gram in a much stronger position on the global stage in a global markets . the consequence, really well-positioned to start

building for a future and attracting businesses with a highly skilled and well educated work force. there is tremendous investment by u.s. companies, a tremendous investment here in the united states buyers companies. one example of the mutually beneficial trade across the atlantic which is why we appreciate the strong leader as we move forward. we had the opportunity to discuss a range of global affairs. ireland has been a strong voice in the european council for the need to send a clear message of support for the ukrainian democracy. and a strong message to russia that it should not violate the

integrity and sovereignty. we continue to hope that there is a diplomatic solution to be found. the united states and europe stand united, not only in its message about ukrainian sovereignty, but also that there will be consequences if in fact that sovereignty continues to be violated. we had an opportunity to discuss the fact that ireland has tremendous work around the world on all range of issues. punches' above its way when it comes to our humanitarian efforts. we very much appreciate that. we both share an interest in seeing northern ireland continue to take the next steps that unnecessary to finally bring an end to what so often has been a tragic history. i was disappointed, the u.s.

government was disappointed. we are urging the parties to continue to negotiate. i know that good influence coming from dublin will help to encourage that to move out of the past. future that no the island so greatly deserters. i greatly appreciate your visit. we look forward to a good lunch, and i suspect with irish music. we will have a wonderful st. patrick's day this perception this afternoon. there will be able to celebrate alongside us. to you and your delegation, bank you for your and support. >> let me just say it is a privilege to be here with the

president to continue these discussions the chair to countries. on this occasion we did not have to have a detailed discussion about ireland's economy the president, the promise our country is made up last couple of years. the president, the issues that we did discuss. not a question of immigration reform which is an issue for ireland and many of the catchers. rio to pursue those discussions down in the capitol building, a number of other representatives. so it is a privilege to be here. and i have given the president a review of the attitude and happenings of the european council, particularly with the situation in ukraine. the message and the feelings of mike and prevent a very difficult circumstance from rising.

clear to the european council region, the presentation by the ukrainian president, the discussions we have had with prime minister camera earlier this week and our hopes that this matter can be resolved. again, my privilege to be here. i wish the president of first lady, and the family every success. i would certainly place around the world. >> thank you, everybody. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> he will get there. he will get there. >> the president in the irish

leader later went to the capital for the annual friends of ireland luncheon. joined by vice president biden and congressional leaders including house speaker. the event included a musical performance by the irish folk duo. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ambition. ♪ ♪ [applause] >> the suggestion is only say freedom of choice people go there and wait a, what i think we often mean is they know best. the government does not know best. and so the notion of autonomy, upper the lambert word, is basically a way of, a one word way of saying that people know better than outsiders to about what will make their lives go

well. and this sounds kind of academic and abstract, but i think the mistakes are real and concrete. the question and we think about our policies, at least a lot of the question is of people going to be sick, they going to be miserable, they going to be dead ? and if we have some policy, whether it involves saving for retirement or it involves privacy on the internet or if it involves air quality, if we can think of some way that makes them less likely to be sick or miserable or dead while also giving them all to the league of their own way if that's what they want the one that's probably a good bargain. >> former obama administration official on his latest sun and that it:00 on c-span q&a.

>> c-span2 providing live coverage of the u.s. senate floor proceedings and keep public policy events and every weekend book tv now for 15 years the only television network devoted to nonfiction books and authors. c-span2 created by the cable-tv industry and funded by your local cable and satellite provider. watch as in hd, like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter. >> today air force officials testified in the house hearing on the president's 2015 budget which would allocate $109 billion to the air force and proposes reducing troop levels by 20,000. the air force secretary and air force chief of staff discussed of the budget will affect military readiness. congressman buck mckeon chairs the 3-hour hearing.

>> the committee will come to order. i want to thank you all for joining us here today as we consider the 2015 air force budget requests. appreciate their testimony. joining as today is a secretary for the air force and chief of staff of the air force. he has burned up the room a little bit by inviting his wife and his daughter to be with us. thank you for doing is. i want to especially welcome secretary james, the 23rd secretary of the air force, as this is her first posture hearing before committee. we are also delighted that she is a former house staff member. we were talking just before she came in here. one of her office's that her ten

year on the staff, welcome back. well, this committee and you have warned about the consequences of cuts to our defense budget. at of thing policymakers in washington on the american people understand how much has been cut and what it means. for the air force what it means is that all of the budget request highlights reinvestments and readiness, the air force still cannot meet its readiness needs and tell 2023. passed by because that we made over the last couple of years are so deep and the budget forecast into the future -- what is our problem?

sequesters and. house in with forget. that has basically flattened out into the future. to try to refill will with the limited resources in the future, ten years is to get us back to where we need to be. second, the air force is now faced with making difficult force structure trade-offs. in this year's budget alone the air force is retiring to pretty good aircraft. just because we don't have the resources to maintain them. these aircraft have been the capabilities that the combat commanders that we have already at in the hearing process to this point need. it is interesting. the people before you have said that you were an hn pilot.

and kind of indicated they you suggested getting rid of the ten. it is amazing how things work. i think the ones that we should probably be asking about other ground forces that have their lives saved because of the kayten and the pilots that have flown the. i understand the dilemma. general, you said it best when you posed the question, do we want are ready forced today or a modern force tomorrow? and of the air force is trying to make the best of a bad situation, but i fear that the way we're heading will have neither. our nation expect our forces to be superior and ready. we don't want to go into any fair fights. whether to deploy to reassure our eastern european allies to monitor missile launches around

world, to provide close air support and intelligence to troops in afghanistan, which of those missions would like to eliminate? their technological superiority in the air space. our forces are already strained. i said this on wednesday with, is is the air force we want for our nation? while we continue to debate funding we cannot forget the values and standards to which we all the military. integrity matters, matters. the vast majority of our service members embody those values daily. unfortunately we have read too many stories recently that reveal behavioral and cultural problems that permeated the nuclear enterprise. many of our nation's nuclear

deterrent is an immense responsibility, and there are many air tran who bear this to be with the utmost skill and professionalism. however, a few bad eggs put at risk the mission and taint the record of the rest of the air force. that cannot be allowed to happen. i hope these sobering remarks rhinos not to lose sight of our shared values and the vital importance of reversing the dangers. i look forward to your testimony here today. ms. sanchez. >> thank you, mr. chairman. both to the secretary and to the general, and is a pleasure to anti before us today. general, i often use your own speech. grateful to have you here. i will be submitting opening statements for the record. >> without objection, so ordered

>> before i -- before we have the witnesses give their testimony, i just want to let you know that i am looking for two areas today. the first i continue to be extremely concerned with respect to the and personnel within the icbm nuclear cases of misconduct , low morale, missile cheating and task, and commanders of conducting themselves in a man that lives up to the standard of the air force. this committee will agree. i would like to hear what you're doing with respect to that. and the second -- i have been to vote -- closely monitoring the lack of competition in the air force space launch program. unfortunately had just learned that the air force has made a decision to continue this trend

by reducing the competitive opportunity by 50%. i think that is a very unfortunate outcome because i believe that competition drives down prices and brings up talent those are two areas of like you to address as you move forward. thank you. no accord to your testimony. >> thank you. madam secretary. >> thank you so much. it truly is an honor for me to be here this morning. thank you for your kind opening. this is kind of like coming home for me. i admit that i had more experience sitting in a chair in the back of this room and sitting in the chair on the side of the table. it's great to be back here. particularly apropos is a graduate of the military personnel and compensation subcommittee to have this be my first posturing. the general and i am prepared remarks which i would ask be

submitted for the record and will summarize with your concurrence. melson just want to take a moment. >> without objection your written statements will be entered into the record. >> thank you. i would also like to say to my take a moment to say that there are a lot of people who are morning right now on the pentagon to to your announcement that you will be retiring from the congress. and so i just want to say i don't think it is too late to reverse that decision. and i know that you will, but we are grateful for all the work they you have done to believe will surely miss you a great deal. the biggest honor and privilege for me in this huge gown, and i am 11 weeks old now is to be a part of this terrific airforce. that is 690,000 more or less active duty national guard reserves and civilian air men and women as well as their

families. that is the total team. it is a huge honor and privilege during my first 11 weeks have been very busy, not only studying upon all of these budgetary matters and on our programs and trying to get on top of that as best as possible, but i have also tried to hit the ground running and bin and about to see our air force in action. eighteen bases in 13 states is where have been so far. quick but enormously helpful. in a nutshell here are three things that i have noted. i have noted leaders and all levels, officer leaders as well as a list of leaders have taken on tough issues and tough budgetary environments. they're getting things done despite difficulties. secondly, i have seen super total force team work. here i am talking particularly with our national guard reserve forces operating with our active

duty air force from headquarters right on down to the unit level. i have seen them get the job done. number three across the board amazing, amazing here man who are enthusiastic about what they're doing in service to our nation. ever i go i do town hall meetings. with that enthusiasm they're also looking to us, you, our nation's leaders for decisions, greater stability if we can give it to them and. and indeed these are challenging times, both in terms of our security environment and the declining budgets the talked about. and in a submission that we have before you we have done our very best to tackle these challenges head on in a thoughtful and deliberate and very inclusive way. in the fy15 budget we do have a strategy driven budget. let's face facts, we are severely indebted by the fiscal

choices that are contained in the budget control act in a bipartisan budget act. for 2015, as you know, we do it the dollar targets that are in the bba mobile we also have contained therein will recall the opportunity to grow the security initiative get us back closer to where we want. i will get a chance to talk more about that. that is at 515 degrees for 16 and beyond we similarly have difficult choices that we make in will talk a little bit more about that. the key thing is that this is a budget and which we are rebalancing. mr. chairman, you said its readiness in the future and really not an either or because we really need to have above.

i am pretty sure as we get into this we will make everybody happy. as a matter of fact and pre-show be a fair amount of unhappiness. we made these choices. i don't mean to sound like a broken record but it really is the truth. there were no elements of low hanging fruit. so just a few words on strategy. the strategy imperatives for day laying it out. this is the first budget. we need to defend the homeland against all strategic threats. many to build security globally by protecting u.s. influence in deterring aggression and many to remain prepared to win decisively against any adversary should deterrence fail.

there is also tomorrow, the strategy imperatives. new technologies, new centers of power, particularly the pacific, more volatile and unpredictable world law world in which we can no longer accept that american dominance of the skies in space will be preeminent. we have to get ready, have abilities to operate in a contested in burma. again, your air force is critical as well. we're grateful for the stability . it does not solve all the ills. we are grateful for the appropriations and the many decisions contained. again even with those bumps there were difficult trade-offs that had to be made because the

2015 topline and beyond is all lot less than we ever thought possible just a few short years ago. i have been in and around this business as an observer on the scene for more than 30 years. thank you all will agree with me that there is always a strategy and a never match. there's always a certain degree of mismatch. when that happens is when you have to make these decisions command a based on the best military judgment and what we think are prudent risks where we can assume those risks. as the story. at think this is a more complex and difficult year than most. as i said, there was no low hanging crude asbestos intel. in general our decisions reduce capacity in order to gain credibility. sustained readiness and guarantee technological superiority.

we slowed the growth in military compensation in order to free up money to up put back into today's readiness as well as recapitalization. we chose to delay or terminate programs. and we saw cost savings the rahway's reducing headquarters, putting us on a glide path to greater reliance on the guard and reserve, seeing reductions and a number of ways in order to balance all this out as best we could. i would like to give you some of the key decisions but give it to you within the context of priorities i have laid out. those priorities are taking care of people of balancing to this readiness with tomorrow's readiness and ensuring that we have the very best air force that we possibly can have at the best value for the taxpayers. basically everything work and not try to work on the presence of those three priorities. taking care of people.

taking care of people means recruiting the right people, retaining the best people, developing them once we have them in the fourth commander in diversity of thought and background at the table as a make our decisions. protecting the most important family programs. dignity and respect for all and making sure that everybody is on top of and leading and living in our core values as he talked about the importance of integrity. it means fair compensation going for it. it means a lot of things. two areas of particular, first of all based on where we believe we are going we're going to be a smaller force in the future. coming down on all, active, guard, reserve, and civilian.

you will get smaller, rely more on our guard reasons, but as we get a smaller wind shear force. particularly on the active duty side of the absurd and imbalances, certain categories and specialty areas where we have too many people and of the categories in specialty areas where we have too few people. we have a series of programs that we are offering him a son to retrain people, some are voluntary incentives for people to leave as, and if we can't get the numbers and the balance there in voluntary programs. this is on the minds of ahriman. another area of controversy is compensation, slowing the growth of military compensation. this was one of those hard decisions that nobody is totally happy with that we felt that given the fact that military compensation has risen quite a bit and is a look at

compatability with the civilian sector we felt that someone slowing the growth was a reasonable approach in the next several years as we attempt to plow money back. so hard decisions, to particular areas that are on the minds of our people quite a bit. gasol leads me to my second priority, bouncing their readiness of the day with and readiness of tomorrow. as you point out and will take us awhile to get back to a readiness levels that we wish to have where we can do the full range of capabilities. we took a big hit with sequestration last year. for a 515 we need to get back on a glide path. we need to fully fund the flying hours. high priority readiness issues. you will see a gradual improvement if we can secure these resources. but i have to also say their is a readiness of tomorrow, today and tomorrow.

in addition to the readiness of today we remain committed to on programs of tomorrow, the three top ones of the joint strike fighter f35, the new tanker program and all long-range strike palmer. will also remain committed to the nuclear triad for the air force and no accord to talking about the icbm as we get in the q&a. and spent a fair amount of time on that issue. and they're other things. there are a billion dollars per new energy technology. also critical advances in our space capabilities. these are all the things that we chose to invest in, in some cases doubling down in our investments. of course in order to do the readiness of today in making

investment tomorrow, that is where we came down to reduce. here are some of the highlights with some of the reductions that we're proposing to take. first of all, the retirement of the kayten fleet is an extremely controversial area. you will talk about as begin in the q&a, but i wanted to know that we're absolutely committed to a close air support mission. we will not let it drop. i try to talk to commanders on the ground. general wells knows far more than i do about, but we will cover and we can get really commit the we will. retirement of the youtube fleet, we will keep the global lock. having of its together would be terrific, but it is not affordable. we feel under the circumstances there are requirements which when you add those together we are about the validated

requirement for high altitude reconnaissance. once again in a tough budget environment this is a choice with the weakness in some rest. we will have limited growth and our combat air patrol which is the reaper in a predator. so we originally set a couple years back to ago the 65. under our proposal we will go to 55. today we are 50. still growing, this is not as much. over time we will retire the predators' in favor of having an entire fleet of in kaynine. retiring one in favor of the other. by making use tough choices today we think we will preserve our combat capability and make each taxpayer dollar count better which leads me to the third priority which is value for the taxpayer and how we will ensure that killing forward. there is a host of areas. we have to keep the acquisition programs on budget and on

schedule, work toward on the ability in any to join with the secretary of defense and asking for another round of base closure toward. make every dollar account for the taxpayer. just give you a couple. 20 percent we have so we're going to ready get that done more quickly. i predict we will get that done in one year, not five. hopefully we will do a little bit better than 20 percent giving us an opportunity to stand back and review how we do things and do things a little bit differently and you better than that 20 percent. that is one area that i wanted to bring to your attention. now that may also turn and i will begin to wrap up sequestration. if we return to the

sequestration level, first of all if there is one key take away from the hearing the feel it would not be a way to go and ask you not go that way in your final decision. we feel that it would simply be too much of a compromise for our national security. if we have to return to those levels we it tried to think through how we would manage to be let me just give you a few of those highlights. we have to return to sequestration this would mean the retirement of up to 80 more aircraft including the case cetane tanker fleet. we would choose to defer up greens of the global lock that we would need to make otherwise to make it more on parity. it would have to defer those. we would have to retire their global hawk 40. this is a long endurance to detect and track moving targets. we want to do this because it will minimize our risk during transition.

we feel we cannot afford it if we have to go back to sequestration. it would slow the purchase of the f35 do have 45 of these with our reapers and predators that i told you about rather than 55. we could not do that next generation engine program my children about and what nafta probably reevaluate the combat rescue helicopter and a host of a things. so that sequestration level is not a good deal for us of the country and we would ask you try to support those high aryans. in conclusion mr. chairman we are going to be a smaller airforce in the future, but we are committed to making sure the we're capable and innovative and ready, committed to being a good value for the taxpayer, making every dollar that we spend count him able to respond overseas as well as your at home when disaster strikes, more reliant, not less, but more reliant on a national guard and reserve and

fuel by the very best chairman on the planet. and thank you so much for what you do for us and i will now yield to general welch. >> general. >> thank you, mr. chairman and distinguished members of the committee. it is an honor to be with you. thank you for introducing my wife and daughter. i am not had the pleasure to introduce betty to you, but my wife is magic. she is just magic. am glad you're getting the chance to meet her. my daughter is smarter and more talented. she embarrasses me. it is wonderful to have them here. it's also wonderful to be sitting here next to my new boss in london great things for our air force. i believe you will find this will be a great thing for our relationship. i'm looking forward to having her school me on the right way to do this job and communicate. i would like to add my special thanks for your tireless support of our national defense, all of

our services, airforce and herrmann. twenty plus years in the congress. a remarkable public servant, and we thank you for your example. ladies and gentlemen, your forces the finest in the world, and we need to keep it that way. we built this budget to ensure air force, power remains unequaled which does not mean it will remain an effective. every major decision reflected in our budget proposal earths. each of them reduces capabilities that are combatant commanders would love to have an believe that they need. there are no more easy cuts. and we cannot ignore the fact that the law says we will return to sequester funding levels and f-1 16. to prepare for that the air force must cut people and force structure to create a force that is balanced enough that we can afford to train and operated. we started our budget plan in the making to significant

assumptions. first is that the air force must be capable of fighting and winning a full spectrum fight against the well-armed and well-equipped and well trained in the me. second is that ready today versus modern tomorrow cannot be in either or decision. must be above. we also knew the old woman majority of reductions in our budget would have to come from readiness for structure and modernization. that's where the money is. understanding that we try to create the best balance possible between readiness to mike ability, capacity across the fog machine areas. the appropriations bill allowed us to fully fund in fyi 15. with continued funding at that level it will take us to in years to return. it is a complicated equation of lots of things winless slide to fund activity of last 14 years. because we needed to reduce our planned spending in other areas by billions trimming around the edges just was inclined to get it done.

elected cutting fleets of aircraft as a way to create a significant savings required. in the superiority mission and reductions to be eliminating an entire fleet windy thus unable to provide air superiority for a theater operations command no other service can do that. isr is the number one shortfall our combat commanders identify year after year for your. it would never support even more cuts that we have already had put in. we have several fleets in the global mobility area. i spoke with the chief of staff assessed what he thought. his view was that a smaller army would need to be more responsive and able to move more quickly. he did nothing for the reduction was again idea. we looked at the refueling fleets and it considered the best in the case .. as an option but the analysis shows us the mission impact was to significant.

a warmer as the boss said it would you return to sequester from the novels this option must be back on the table. we would have to cut many more kc-135 to achieve the same savings and with that many out of the fleet we would not be able to meet our mission requirements. in the strike mission area we looked at cutting the 18 it reveals a look at the f-16 and the f-15 e. as the chairman mentioned i am in a tent when the pet trade. we have a son who was a marine corps infantry officer. close air support is not an afterthought to me. it is not going to be a secondary mission. but close air support is not an aircraft. we do it very, very well with a number of airplanes a day. the reason we let that be a tennis because we can save over three and a half billion dollars by divesting the fleet and another 500 million cost avoidance for planned upgrade of

would not be required. to achieve the same savings of require a much higher number of f-16s are at 15 east the limit of those options. we ran a detailed operational analysis comparing divestiture of the agent from the divestiture of the b-1 fleet reducing the f-16 fleet among differing procurement of a number of 35 or decrease in readiness for the west and the number of fighter squadrons. he is the standard planning some areas and the results show a cut in the fleet was lowest risk operation -- excuse me, the lowest risk option from an operational perspective. on the one is happy about recommending divestiture of this great friend it is the right decision from a military perspective and it is representative of the extremely difficult choices that we're being forced to make. the funding levels we can reasonably expect of the next in your's dictate that for america to have a capable, credible, and viable air force in the mid 2020's when musket smaller now.

we must modernize parts of our forests, but we can't modernize as much as we planned and must maintain a proper balance across our core mission areas. thank you for your continued support of our air force in my personal banks for your and in in support of year in an infant's. we look forward to your questions. >> thank you very much. just a little bit on the way of the land, we understand it going to have allowed to enter 15, will try to get as many questions and before that as we can. i'll watch the time very closely. you will come back after the votes. if you can stay we would appreciate it because we have many members that will have questions. those who can return, please come back as quickly as

possible. and would give. those are easy choices. the testing for structure is a tough thing. what elements of the force structure proposed divestitures would you recommend retaining. for example, sr, what others have similarly impact will consequences? >> of sorry.

the british or falls we have related to the combat commander requirements of the year our isr and fighter squadrons by the way, in the isr category would include command-and-control platforms like the awacs and the chase our's. so isr is clearly the first category and i would maintain credibility. we will not meet them by a wider margin. and then we have to be careful about divesting of roughly two months because of your and our requirement today. required to meet the standing.

>> show is talking to general lanes. how many planes the and. now talking to a general hostage the 10% out compared to what we had been. so when we say the air force is getting smaller i think people need to understand it will be the smallest it has been since its inception. and madame secretary, your account sequestration is a problem. it's a huge problem. it is not on land. while we have a short reprieve with this budget that was arrived at in december, it becomes back in full force and 16. i think it's incumbent upon us to use those numbers because

that -- until there's a change that will be along land. i think probably everybody on this committee realizes the dangers that we are facing because. in the american people need to know that the air force will be the smallest as ever been. the navy is going back to the size that it was and will wall one. the army and marines are going back to the smallest of its been since world war ii. that is the trajectory we're on right now. i'm not sure that the american people really understand how serious it is. so much of the time when the of talked about cut back here it has really been we slowed the growth rate.

these are real cuts. year-over-year over your. thank you for the working in doing. ms. sanchez. >> thank you, mr. chairman. and in questions. welcome back. maintaining the military flexibility to adequately said the nuclear force is crucial to ensure that we have an optimal nuclear deterrent. i hope you agree with that. what is the impact of the air force not having served the environmental assessment and would allow any valuation of our reduction of icbm silos as part of the military decision on an optimal nuclear force structure for of the new start treaty and as the air force plan to initiate that environmental assessment and if so wire one

not. >> of course the new start treaty contains a variety of numbers that we have to it in terms of our total net their capability over a certain time. does not tell us how to do it. there are choices that are made. a combination era. the department of defense has been looking at this for some time. i think within a couple of weeks , two to three weeks you will have a better feeling of where this is. at the moment we have not started in a normal assessment. we have given different bodies of law about what to do on an environmental assessment. of course within the departments of defense in been discussions about what to do. again, within the next few weeks we will have a better path forward and more information. >> if you could go back and work with your people and get some answers as to as you're going to

do it, when you think you will start doing it, i would appreciate it. it's one of the areas were watch quite a bit. we really need to assess what's going on. not to eliminate, but to figure what we really need in order to continue that deterrent. the issue of rising costs in the air force continues to be a great concern. i have always believed that one of the ways to give more talent and get smarter about this and to get more competitive on this as you know we have had 01 stores situation for a long time it's to have competition which is why in 2012 under secretary

of defense directed the air force to aggressively reintroduce a compounded procurement environment. so in 2012 the air force briefed my office that it will be opening 14 opportunities for new entrants into the national security space launch. but now the air force has indicated that it plans to reduce this to only seven. cut it by 50%. and no air force mission available for competition in fiscal year 15 aside from one. so what did you do is the impact of sustaining competition. several companies are working to

compete and not against that company, but i believe that with competition we can bring down the cost of these watches significantly, maybe to 50 or 25 percent of what its customers now. if you could please speak to that. >> i will. one of my visits i mention, have been out to, rawness brendan did spend some time with the space command. first of all i agree with everything you said on competition. i'm a big believer in competition. i suspect some of the same questions. since we all believe in competition, why does it take as long as it is taking? here's the way i would describe the current state of play on the program. over time it has been a successful program. over time as cost a country with

more than any of us would have wished to dream. in recent years, some been coming down, coming more under control. even though we don't have that competition and a suspect threat of competition has helped us to bring down its costs. good news for the taxpayer. let's see it weaken speeded up. what does it take as long as it takes? these launches of course, a variety of palin's and satellite that can launched. technically complex, different degrees of heaviness which is one thing. and then there are different palin's. some have almost catastrophic consequences if they want to go well. there would be huge military significance. that's one type of satellite launch. other satellite launches which although they are important and you would not want anything to go along, you can in effect take a little bit more risk with new entrants the people who have not demonstrated as much of the team has been doing.

specifically what happened here is the launches that will go forward in the most in need the years, these are though really heavy-duty militarily significant watches, and that is the contract they just talked about where those launches will be done by the original team. the other launches where we help these new entrants will qualify, those launches were deferred a bit. there's still going to happen. what just happened later. and the reason for that actually again is a bit of good news. the satellites which are referred to in the secondary launches, the existing satellites are doing better than me about possible. good news for the taxpayer. we don't need to get them up into orbit. that's why they got deferred. it was more than a reason the money to be they're going to happen, and i want those new

entrants qualified as an apostle . >> it takes quite a bit of money when you close down those competitive pieces those companies have a harder time than last what you're doing and being so i hope you understand that when i look at the cost you may think that the numbers of come down with this original launch team and i can go back and show you just how much this is costing the taxpayer when i can see a french company that does it for half-price. by the way, my suggestion that this is not a core value.

that has proven and continues to prove this by having to companies and will bring down the costs of the american taxpayer. i will continue with you on this thank you. >> can i clarify one thing, over the next five years there are eight qualifying launches assuming we get new entrants certified. seven of those will be competing . >> 50% of what i was told just a year and a half ago. >> thank you. mr. forbes on the uncertainty is taking a bit of an impact on the

morale and your ability for retention. is that accurate? >> sure, we have not really seen a problem with retention to this point could be a more about the problem with retention overtime, especially as the answer in the continues which is no need to have a firm way forward, number we can count on an aim toward the air force of the industry and make it the best we can. >> i agree with you. madam secretary, you're shaking your head. let me tell you and i and that is of major concern to me. recently been read this week where a cadet at the air force was forced to take a bible verse off of a private white board in his room. the fact that i have received from the air force, these are not high pedicles, this cadet had no intention to offend anyone or any group, the private

whiteboards have long been used to display an and reflecting their personality and from which the drop personal inspiration. they have long been used for setting inspirational quotes. and this is perhaps the most offensive, the air force of this was a teaching moment that the cadets action in putting was inappropriate based upon principles. general and madame secretary, that cadet, family, the other cadets are now putting a bible verses and verses cannot stand in front of you today, but i can. is the question i am for you to mike and you tell me any other inspirational quotes that cadets have been forced to remove from their personal white boards of inverses from the bible back and are want to point this out, when you come in my office over the door you walk through i have our national model. mr. mcintosh, the same model.

mr. miller chairman of the government reform committee putting it up in his office. chairman of the ways and means committee, speaker of the hell's here's the question for both of you could be given us the teaching moment. hell that is any different than this cadet putting his own personal versus own personal white board and the number to how is that offensive? >> perhaps i will start. >> sure. >> are read in the process, and that it had a chance to talk to general johnson yesterday to say

what is going on with this. our want to share with you what she shared with me in terms of how this incident actually involve the. i would get to that a second. if i may add just want to read the policy about the religious freedom. leaders and all levels must balance constitutional protections from individuals, free exercise of religion and of a personal believes and prohibition against government and established an of religion. for example the most of what the actual or apparent use of a physician. >> adelle want to cut you off by only have a minute. can you answer the question for me what other quotes of cadets been forced to pull off of their white boards that were not bible verses? >> i don't know, but the point i wanted to if i may the cadet said this makes me uncomfortable that could then voluntarily took it down. >> that's not true.

your own facts, what your liaison officers given to me, the entire force chain of command in a particular situation -- that's what he says. in the air force commander is what i am given by facts of your office went to that cadet. then they say when all of them come to him he voluntarily did it. can you imagine a young cadet coming in and telling him basically this is an appropriate? that is what your folks recited to me, it was inappropriate based on principles. at some point in time i am just telling you, we need to stand up for these cadets. freedom of religion and the exercise about whether there. from the koran on a bible is not to make sure no person on the planet is offended. it's a say in that cadet ought to have the right in their own personal board to put that versant there. helping with this. why if he is wrong our call was

wrong in putting in god we trust up in our office? >> my facts come from general johnson. i apologize. i have not seen the paper you're looking at. what i just explained -- >> i hope you guys will come back to los and the air force stand up for these cadets and they're rights instead of constantly saying if anybody in all opposes a going to make and take these things down. >> may i briefly and ask questions, been the commander of a cadet squadron, not of the academy. we removed hundreds of "because they're not in the room. there in the hallway. personal and professional messaging to make sure we understand the context. what you said is true. every cadet has a right to free religious expression. if someone else comes to them and says that bothers me, if that's what happened a would complement both of them. we have to get the facts

straight. >> my time is up. first of all, it's different in just have a one-on-one discussion. this is the chain of command. again, i'm just going by what your offices given me. the second thing is you can't have it both ways. you can see we force of the people that take these off but this was voluntarily done. you ask this cadet in the other cadet they don't believe it was voluntarily done. >> general welch, i am also on the strategic for subcommittee. imagine as we have we will have a debate about forward deployed nuclear weapons in europe. set to kick-off for the subcommittee at some point in the future when we have that hearing can you first off discuss some of the costs of

fall were deploying nuclear weapons in europe and discuss the contingency plans of one or more nato countries not preparing nuclear capable air force after their own aircraft retired in 2020? >> yes, sir. the fall were deployed nuclear force takes money to maintain and upgrade and keep secure and to provide charity, does like any other part. you have to pay attention. it's not an insignificant cost. the actual significant cost is classified. as nato nations, if they choose not to upgrade their own nuclear aircraft capabilities and other nato nations that have those capabilities from an operational perspective will pick up the love. double b n/a no policy decision. we do have the capacity to pick up the load. >> and can you discuss whether

the request includes funds to make that 35j sf tool capable? >> the department has committed to making the f35 dual capable. there is discussion ongoing now with nato partners. they don't believe they can afford to do that with their own aircraft without our support in making the airplane dca capable. so that the ongoing debate. that is not happening this year, but there is money in the plan to move us in that direction. >> in which direction? >> to ensure that the aircraft can be made dual capable when it needs to be. >> the 35 or the nato countries? >> the f 35. >> and did you say in that answer that we may be called upon to pay for other countries to upgrade there? >> no. when i was referring to is the other nato countries to flare

will fly the f35. they're responsible for paying the costs and to great capability on their own aircraft >> thanks. with regard to the case .. -- by the way, i'm glad to see them casey for sex with pegasus is moving forward. we are all very pleased about that in washington. what of the programmatic options would you have congress other prohibited the retirement? as you might know, we are famous for telling you the aircraft you can retire and making you pay for that. if congress privet the retirement of the k.c. tan what programmatic problems with you have to up execute if we did private the retirement? >> again, i will start but none of the chief will jump in.

before coming to the conclusion that the case .. would be retired if we add to your this sequestration, casey 135 was like that very, very closely. during that operational analysis, there would have been far too many that would have to come out and ordered to come up with the same cost savings. it's about a two and a half billion savings over the five years. the casey tense or to come. >> there are no good options. every decision we're making large. that's kinda come on another mission capability like the one that is current. >> one last question on this opportunity growth and security initiative. not quite sure what makes it different than just putting dollars and your readiness account and not calling it the opportunity this year.

can you help me understand the difference between this initiative and just funding? >> this $26 billion fund to which the air force would have 7 billion is contingent upon coming up with some of said savings. of course the president's budget plan as proposals on how to do that. but if the offsets or not there then presumably the money could not be provided. that's what makes it different. >> thank you. i yield back. >> thank you. >> thank you, mr. chairman, madam secretary, general wells, thank you for being here today. i want to join with congressman forbes. i hope he will make every effort to promote and preserve religious freedom for our service members. in particular it is important to me -- my dad served in the 14th air force in india and china. i know the capabilities very

grateful for uncle of the persons serving in the air force today. i just know of your capabilities secretary james, the primary u.s. national security launch of the satellites uses a russian-made engine. defense daily this week reported on this engine and stated that is rumored that russia could cut of supplying the our c-span2 80 to the u.s. in response to economic sanctions. understand we have a two year stockpile, but i also know that the air force just committed to a five-year procurement of the atlas launch vehicle. there are at least three american launch vehicles the utilize american made engines that offer the full range of capabilities without relying on russian components. i believe it is in the interest of our national security that we should shift to american made engines. what is your counsel on this? >> i do want to take a look at

that. as you said, if there is good news year -- there is some good news. we have the supply, a little bit of breathing room. we have a fairly long standing good relationship, but it's something we have to keep our eye on. >> i appreciate your looking into that because certainly we all hope for a much more positive relationship. there are consequences to aggression in the republic of georgia. general welch to my understand that the air force has decided not to fund the combat avionics program for the f-16s. with the f35 not expected to be fully operational until mid 2020, are you concerned about the air for suffering from a significantly -- significant capability gap in the destruction of enemy air defense mission? additionally without helles the

air force planning to counter the growing sophistication of many countries integrated air defense systems? >> sir, we have to an integrated air defense system that we would be concerned about. we believe that by 2023 that will expand. by that time frame we have to have a fleet feel that they can operate with the capability to operate in and remove those threats if we should never have to do that. that is the f35. the act at the platform feel that. everything that we have in our modernization accounts went through over the past year. we've cut about 50 percent of our planned modernization programs because of the impact of the sequestered as level funding over time. what we have done is funded the things that are absolutely required to make aircraft viable in the near to midterm against the threats that we know or they're to be anything that is nice to have or should have is off the books for now. .. pass

>> for the standards of our

country for the greatest extension of freedom and democracy in the history of the world. we should not be ashamed but standing up for positive religious principles and pushed back political correctness. i yield. >> thank you chairman and secretary james and general, a thank you for your testimony as one of the cochairs i look forward to working with you in the future and i appreciate your commitment to the rebalancing of the asia-pacific region. i know you have visited air force bases all over the nation have you been to the one in glom? >> not yet.

>> i was going to extend the invitation. regarding the of long-range striker to update the aging b-52 fleet. the budget proposes and increase for that lrs of 419 billion. is that be enough? also how critical is the bomber presence? >> yes. that 940 million is the right amount of funding for a long-term program and light in the existence of the bombers is extremely important to the rain jim persistence in flexibility to give national leaders time after time it has helped to deter aggression and control the situation

said otherwise may have escalated. >> do you feel the same way? >> yes we have used that since the berlin blockade -- blockade. that is a symbol now. >> i have a couple of questions those applied the b-52s as seen demonstrated have never i am concerned of the b-52 radar capability. by lenders and so what is the plan how to be mitigates with us 30 year-old radar?

>> congress woman there was a plan in place for the radar replacement program it went the same direction as the of 63 just discussed. of it took $8 billion a year at of the topline over the next 10 years we cannot afford it. >> i understand the global talks are performing critical missions but the current budget proposes an increase from 120 billion net debt 225 million with liability movements can you provide is the update in the pacific including plans for locations and sales of allied nations?

to reduce the gaps especially in the asia-pacific region? >> i would say everything i know about that global talks in qualm are doing a great job day in and day out with a humanitarian assistance program that we helped in the philippines after the typhoon. with international sales with the republic of korea were getting close. >> we believe the sale is imminent. we will have the first full deployment to to pay him later this year and the aircraft is performing very well to transition from the

global stock that is used to support their vacation in the middle east. that remains the law. is that is not there to fund the upgrade. >> the second question about the b-52 i am sorry to see we cannot do something about the problems they have. i yield back. >> i will again want to align myself with the issues that he has raised to disarm the nuclear capabilities. the year time article says russia is violating the

treaty and disarming the united states should be under constant threats that we have. >> over 12,000 people were far -- furloughed as a result of sequestration although you are doing a budget to forcing into a tough constraints but the reality is the cuts are devastating in the air force 2 affect morale and capability although we have the discussion if he made the right choice. we cannot go out to the rest of congress to say this is devastating. to tell us how this is affecting the air force negatively. >> and a return to sequestration would have big consequences on the readiness. not only to get up to the

minimum levels that we say are necessary but also not take it beyond what we need to do due to go into a contested environment. afghanistan was permissive nobody was shooting at us but in the pacific or under another scenario we would have other things coming at us. not enough pilots have been able to practice and we could lose aircraft without those additional funds for readiness. also to retire the additional aircraft and you heard the chief say they're already below the validated requirements. they've want to do their job with the least amount of risk but some cases we go beyond both. that is the whole strategy.

>> i give my time to mr. bishop's. >> with your opening statement reaffirming the nuclear triad icbm capabilities. i heard you correctly? been a key aspect mccready for following the what it seems unusual and that is something to be congratulate also during the environmental impact but specifically you will follow that. and in response to senator sanchez i have three specific questions. dealers anticipate reducing the icbm fleets of 450 missiles? >> will any silos be put in an arms status do thank you can conduct that without congress changing it? train wreck i am sorry i don't have the numbers cover your shooting for the new start numbers.

the warm based status in the next few weeks you have a more say about that. in the third question? dimity believe you have the authority to do the environmental statement without congress changing though law? >> there are different interpretations but i will say i am holding as secretary of the air force and tell i get more guidance >> until when it? >> in the next couple of weeks i think it will be more clear. >> i would like to follow up the answer if you have more specific with those numbers when it becomes available. and a follow-up to my colleague's question can i ask if i am offended by your budget will you take it down? >>. [laughter] >> i yield back. >> please answer back to him

as soon as you get the information on those three specific questions. >> i will. >> thank you, mr. chairman for a being here. general i would want to thank you for your visit to the air force base it was great to have your wife join you and it meant a great deal to the commonwealth and the communities as well tuesday very able and those serving. i heard a lot of feedback to take the time to come and visit for us to highlight the remarkable work being done. and secretary james great to have you on board. people would love to invite you to come while your schedule allows.

these are challenging times in the era of financial resources. into these realities is scrutinizes the changes you are proposing but you have a ballclub analysis as you try to find a way for word. i'd like to focus on the need of community investment in order to maintain our technological edge giving the dynamic security environment that we lived in. coming from massachusetts we take great pride to be a part of that because we see precisely because of the investments paid -- made our service members are better protected with access to life-saving technology and we have a technological

advantages on the battlefield they also served in the field and can lead to significant cost savings. but to sustain an environment it is a reality of our times. to rapidly deliver the latest technological with france's to help cut costs to protect men and women. of the department of defense will undertake acquisition reform i am concerned the unique type of packwood -- representative acquisition will not meet the air force information technology technology, cybermission that has a unique challenge to the acquisition system. so have a specialized forces

in what is the long-term plans to make sure the air forces in a position to meet the new requirements? >> i've will begin with a philosophical comments. we have to focus more rapidly delivering capability to the field with the wartime environment i do not want to see us return to the ways of the past where a very collaborative and long term period to get going. we have pockets of this with the scarce resources and i am personally very interested to work on this issue to get our levels back up to where i think is more acceptable. >> a very important issue given the time frame this requires it does not serve

us as a country. >> to look at issues like this how we can do a better job in private industry today we have not had great success over time we have a lot to learn with the best way to look get these challenges than the past we have not been successful the process is not working. >> i have seen people hamstrung by the process. and working very diligently

as we reform to the effort thank you. >> secretary and general, of wellcome. also i worry with this cool trading leaders into combat they are not sure of themselves so they cannot exist for religious views and i wonder if they're the right folks for that this is the madam secretary you will be the last one for this administration 2017 is coming and i appreciate your readiness we know the person to hold responsible on this very important issue and i

appreciate for your support to will be hard with sequestration and budgets and all the nonsense we put you through. the air force has the furthest to go. that is not a badge of honor because the others are further ahead. i have a page from last november's report that the plant deadlines to get to audit readiness. not one of them have been met. to getting the air force ready on time can you give us the current status?

>> i am having regular meetings on this is a top priority for me thank you for pointing now we are where we are a and also heard that comparison we have the farthest to go but we are both on it and pressing and aware of the debt binds. i am watching the experience of others and it is apparent you may not thank you can go through that but maybe it is better to try because the following year you will because you don't get it the first time and around. all i can say to you i am trying to be on top of it. >> how far down the chain of command?

>> three and have the years ago i was with everything commander we have then working as hard but don't have the tools to do it right so i have nothing to add. we just keep grinding on best. >> thank you for those comments from the efforts of others the marine corps has at least one year of transactions audited the and if they've learned a lot as opposed to getting ready as opposed to just doing it with the issues that you will learn to tell the american people the entity that spends more taxpayer dollars than any other each year that it can audit the books to present that statement to the taxpayers.

you may well know where every nickel has gone so again you don't have to respond but the chaplain said you are wearing that across by george uniform that makes me uncomfortable. >> thank you. >> thank you for being here this morning. obviously we have very serious concerns we have made in response to sequestration i am very concerned about the future that we have and to support

our allies. i want to congratulate you to take on this assignment to be so hands on so early. i meant to tell you to go out and meet in person with air force personnel and general also thank you for your service the incredible number of years also thank you bringing your wife and daughter. they are a good reminder that you serve in uniform and they serve to. to see firsthand that we made to support my dad. so i have the particular

affection by cuts a lot of wants. with the cuban missile crisis i remember the base was locked down we were right on the front line. we have talked about it before this morning we have several pilots including yourself general in the room the retired colonel who was a pilot flying out and your presence reminds us this is not an issue we have 31 colleagues here in the house and senate so let's take

another look and i hope we can still continue to look at that to make these incredible budget reductions. but the concerns raised a day about the american public lack of awareness to rededicate colleagues in the house that the path we're on is a grave problem. i want to ask you, when i talked to army personnel that when the war todd is overhead that providing close air support to the ground combat troops should

be maintained also i hear the argument that the appearances that guide the weapon systems with many more types of aircraft but there are critical elements of the mission that seiders cannot make so if you could both respond if the 810 is retired would is a plan to support the ground troops within 100 meters but to bring cage the enemy with moving targets this is what the 810 does best. >> egad i will start. thank you for your comments about me trying to be on top of things early. i also tried to do my own

due diligence with the 810 because i heard the spatial and -- specialty capability with these missions in a unique way but at what i have learned with briefings and the us pentagon i have been too moody air force base i have seen it with demonstration and f-16 pilots also of the of the mission but what i have learned over time although it is a great aircraft other aircraft can do it as well in the percent of what we do with close to your support in afghanistan is aircraft other samba a-10 80% by other aircraft so the mission is covered. how? it is covered by other aircraft that might require other trading -- trading but

we feel it could be covered >> secretary james thank you for coming to colorado springs it was good to see you and we both know the airforce academy is in my district but i am very disturbed about days suppression of his religious right. i will ask you about funding cuts and i want to defend the academy but my job is harder. but before i get to that let me get to a different issue that is of local interest there has been some concern about changes in the flight patterns to express my

concern and work with local residents. i just want to call that to your attention. with the funding issue the academy is cutting 10 majors and 100 positions because of budget considerations. i don't see that happening at the naval academy, west point or merchant marine academy so why is there a discrepancy how the academies are treating budget cuts? >> this is an important topic. the first objective was to take the objective look after looking up the

programs i asked a small group designed and private would it would look like if she was building it today. what would the academic curriculum be? military training? the sports program? but i've want to have her tell me if it is different why it is different and why should we change. we have the essence of the air force academy with vigor she is working with what is absolutely you required the its looking at everything from course contents it's not all funding cuts.

>> thank you for the explanation. with the airlift squadron's using airplanes with the 302nd with the other mission and the airborne firefighting mission to dump thousands of gallons of retardant or water on the of wildfire. but to hurt the capability of the 302nd the associated unit to carry out its mission in particular. >> i have to get back with specifics. but i guarantee the general is not interested in cutting

mask capability we are looking to expand its any way we can. i don't think we will hit that dramatically. >> i appreciate that answer i look forward to getting further specifics from you. and to call to your attention the unfortunate crash last year and you are familiar with the progress of the ejection seats out older ones don't fit the best current needs but to give them a newer or better generation. there is a study under way now under a technological development but in those

seats would protect you with that flight but can we develop one to handle ejection have a higher speed with more g forces? >> and have the series of questions but me congratulate you and i have other issues for the record with those long-range strike what is the cost of the new bomber it could be the new

lrs jews serve the same purposes as the bomber. if not, why not? if the nsa budget was part of the deity budget reductions or decreases what do you recommend? here for studies the next generation the rationale to have the existing future icbm fleets what is the all-inclusive cost for the icbm program? with a comprehensive review of the triad of nuclear strategy? it is wise and useful to

conduct such a study. this is the question i have russian troops at the border of the ukraine what is the status it reaction to this situation? >> congressman we have baltica share police right now barely for we now have six applying air patrol over the baltic nations also deployed f-16 to the airfield in poland with the detachment there and adding six or so there will be 12th flying in poland. and then flying to another base in poland that is the

extent to what we have done that the u.s. european command in niches in the theater. >> i will get back to you. >> thank you so much for joining us today secretary in general with your service to the nation. colonel i have spent a the pacific command a number of times with their allies and combat commanders to talk about the challenges one thing that comes up consistently is the chinese threat specifically. can you give me from the air force prospective what you have to counter that what you see air force capability to address specifically in the region of the world with the chinese capability and

to what it means as a threat to our forces. >> i can. starting an effort to a while back airforce navy now army and marine corps the intent is to do gatt after with the area of denial that they are getting better and better with the ability to shoot things at us. how do we counter that as a military force to gather? we have been doing exercises working on different arrangements actually technology excursions to better link airforce aircraft llord data links

within airborne lehrer -- layer as in the arabian gulf for the indian ocean it is about rangy and information sharing and connectivity we are doing everything we can with the measure day and a steady way. >> are you comfortable with the current state of readiness? >> we can do anything right now the united states air force is 38% ready compared to fully standard combat ready which do is not acceptable. >> talk about a 35 sustainability of see platform itself of the f-35 looking for there is concerns to make sure the functions and services going forward are there for the

f-35 talking about the lag time as we looked the it industry source challenge environmental to have the right capability and to manage cost but as cost goes up you are back in the same situation of the f-22 not being able to do the things but with the affordability and sustainability for the f-35 where we are going to make sure it is indeed cost-effective and sustainable? >> i believe we are headed in the right direction but i will concur it is an enormously expensive program with technology not only do

i have things in the pentagon to see this training with pilots and i have met with the program manager a few times from what i saw to speed up certain things. this is going in the right direction but it will take leadership of of levels and that persistent focus and leadership is happening we have to watch dog every single day and sustainability is a huge area to require a lot of thought there are some creative strategies spinet there is the critical piece the problem is we have everything from here.

to go above digit not being delivered on time it exacerbates a situation. by critical mission needs across services i want to make sure we're doing everything to address sustainability and affordability. i keeled back its direct -- i yield back. >> we try to get in as much before behalf to break. >> thank you for your leadership than professionalism. to talk about personnel issues i know secretary james you are very familiar with the air force is supporting the idea of the effort for their prey to of growth with military compensation we could

sustain a number of increases over the last number of years and we all feel very strongly to support the men and women with their families but yet we are faced with this dilemma. if you could talk best serve your own thinking that may or may not affect also perhaps cutting back with housing allowances possible increase of commissary prices and the air force goes ahead without waiting for the commission to come forward with recommendations. help us to understand your thinking and how we can look at those changes you are suggesting in light of other

things we can do if we don't have that. >> as part of the package of tough choices compensation choices are for the military. it was a judgment call related to can redo this for a few years? i don't think it is in perpetuity but for a few years. so are we competitive now? and i think people said yes. then a further judgment call had to do with do we put the savings into readiness and modernization? we are committed to that. we're not seeing retention problems. as a matter of fact we have incentives to encourage the air men to leave the

service. retention is high and recruitment we are getting high quality recruits having to turn them away so the numbers are good. so could we watchdog? can we get by with one or two years? i think the judge recalled was a hard one. >> i look at it as i am not blowing smoke the congress has been exceptional to take care of entitlements, a benefits of the united states military. you have seen the growth curve average pay scale at 40% going from $60,000 to 90,000 for investment. because you take care of our people but that curve now

goes like this and we cannot sustain. we have to put it onto a path we can sustain. not taking money at of people's pockets but slowing growth that is the effort we are making. i believe everyone understands having a comprehensive look. >> if we ask the airman they would suggest they don't want to see any cuts but when you assess that with the evaluations or what ever tout -- to wills you use our be really giving them a true picture of the cost of these cuts verses other things they could not do even with training or readiness? how are you working with

them to prioritize as well? >> as i have done the beginnings of my walk around with town halls to talk to the air amanda number one thing they bring up is during that period of sequestration i could not do my job. my training was canceled. those are the things we would call readiness issues. they typically have not brought up believe it or not compensation and tall i bring it up than everybody is interested. i have not yet met a person get that plug like to we paid more buds when they bring up what is on their minded 10's to be the work environment. >> the time is expired. thank you. welcome to the panel today.

we recently had a sit-down conversation to include religious liberty a big concern i join my colleagues as we're all concerned. one major piece of this is we are worried the idea that good order and discipline is the excuse. . .