>> and out just doesn't seem to me that we're looking to create those opportunits that are just there, ready, prepared.

experienced, seasoned. they know what they're doing. here we have this shortage. why can't we find some better ways to access that pool of talent of men and women who have served and are ready to serve and wanting to serve more in a civilian capacity? >> well, sir, certainly agree with the, and pay all respect to those who serve this country. with regard to the age, i believe there is proposed legislation that would take that age up to 35. i don't think there's any disagreement because it would still allow 20-plus years on the back end for full retirement for those individuals. with regard to the announcement last december from which some 260 of those individuals were

selected, it wasn't open and continuous. it doesn't mean it's open every time because there still has to be some balance with how many people air traffic can then put into those facilities from those announcements. we're certainly working with our customer, and i expect we'll have another one of those announcements out very, very soon. but from that last announcement, all those selections were the individuals that i think both you and i -- it was 260. and they are matriculating through the security and medical process right now. those individuals, sir, are also capable of applying on the -- [inaudible] they actually have two bites at the apple. so if they don't get in or choose not to apply -- [inaudible] they can apply under the entry-level announcement as well. so we provide two opportunities for them to come into the process. >> well, you know, i appreciate --

>> gentleman's time has expired. >> is my time expired? >> yeah. >> thank you. >> mr. cabell saw's -- cabela's recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman, and i'm going to be very brief because my colleague, mr. maloney, who joined me in filing 5292 asked a lot of the questions that i wanted to raise. but i'll just say mr. rinaldi earlier described a situation in atlanta which resembles an experience we're facing in miami. of course, miami international airport is the main economic driver in south florida, and we have 91 positions but only 58 fully certified controllers. so exactly -- mr. rinaldi explained in atlanta, this is a crisis for us. that's why mr. maloney and i came together to introduce h.r. 5292. we believe that it is going to

give faa a clear mandate, a clear direction to solve this hiring crisis once and for all. so i would just like to ask all of my colleagues who have not yet cosponsored the legislation, we're up to 122 bipartisan cosponsors. if you're not on yet, get on. and i'd like to ask our leadership here in the house on both sides, republican and democrat, to help us advance this legislation. because if my colleagues think that this tsa line issue is a problem, if we don't get this right, this is going to become a much greater problem for our air transportation system in this country. so i want to thank mr. rinaldi for all his comments today in sport of this -- in support of this legislation. i want to thank the chairman, the ranking member for holding this very timely hearing on this matter. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. >> you're welcome. thank you.

i'd like to take some time to ask a follow-up real quick, mr. hampton. i asked you to give a simple yes or a no on whether you think the atc reform package would affect -- how -- would it positive hi affect the -- [inaudible] process. can you expand on your answer of yes? yes? >> thank you. i think the question is it's been a longstanding issue at faa, and i think it's a policy question. and the question is it would take some time once the new -- if the new entity was established, it would be a nurse priority for that -- first priority for that entity to address the staffing challenges at the critical facilities. i would think an entity that was so totally focused on air traffic would stand a much

better chance of addressing it than the current structure. >> thank you. mr. caanan, the pass rate dropped significantly since the controller hiring process was revised to 79% in 2014 and just 65 president in 20 -- 65% in 2015. has the faa determined the reason why an increasing number of controller candidates are not making the grade? >> that would be mine, sir. >> ms. bristol. i apologize. >> that's okay. thank you. i think it's still too soon to say, because it takes time for controllers to work through the entire training process. but i will say there were also at the academy we had some curriculum changes as well between the terminal and enroute courses, and it had to do with the way we do our performance verification. we wanted to standardize it more so that we didn't see as many

failures in the field. if a trainee can't make it through, we'd rather see that happen earlier in the process than later in the process because it continues, we continue to pay for that employee's development. so i think that is contributing as well. and we don't see that necessarily as a bad thing, but pleatly i don't think we have -- completely i don't think we have enough information yet to understand. >> is there any nexus between the rising failure rates and the agency's revised hiring process? specifically the fact that they must pass a biographical assessment? >> again, i don't think we know for certain yet. >> can you look into that matter and report back to the subcommittee? thank you. i now recognize ms. titus for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'd like to foul, mr. hampton. -- follow up, mr. hampton. i wonder, your comment focusing on the understaffing, i wonder if your staff specifically

researched whether in canada or in great britain they have looked at the understaffing problem or if they have explored understaffing in relation to people not wanting to go to these tough, expensive areas like we've heard is a problem in the u.s. have y'all specifically studied that? >> no. when we looked at -- >> okay, thank you. now i have another question. [laughter] this question is directed to ms. bristol and mr. rinaldi. and it's related to staffing, but it's more about the equipment and the ongoing efforts by the faa to modernize the control towers. last week there was an article in the ap. it ran across the country, including in my district in las vegas. and the article was entitled union: new airport towers must be remodeled before opening. in the article, mr. rinaldi, you specifically identified the new

control tower in las vegas saying it requires an overhaul before it can be operational. i reached out to our local controllers, our safety engineers and faa because i'm concerned that this overdue project's now going to have to be delayed even further due to a failure by the faa. and i'm also worried that people around the country are going to read that there might be a problem flying in to las vegas and not want to come there, and we certainly can't have that. so what i learned is that our controllers there had, were given a role and a responsibility in designing the system that's in place. and the tower in las vegas can operate with both the paper flight strips and an electronic system once it's chosen to be put in place. now, i know there's a prototype that's being tested now, i think it's in cleveland and in phoenix, and y'all are going to make that decision this summer.

there may be concerns about that electronic system, that prototype. but i would ask mr. rinaldi if maybe this got framed in the wrong light in that article? that has been known to happen by the press. i want to be able to figure out what's happening with our tower and reassure our potential visitors. and then, ms. bristol, i'd like to ask you to weigh in. i know we've had a lot of problems with next general, but i -- nextgen, but i want to know what the plan is with this power prototype because i think your comment to the press was, well, we'll figure out what we need to do. that's not very reassuring. so could the two of you address that article and let me know what's going on? >> sure. thankthank you, congresswoman. i'll go first. as you can imagine, someone who has been in the press as much as you, sometimes your statement gets twisted and misconstrued. what i was talking about on a possible was two brand -- on a panel was two brand new

facilities. we had the idea of bringing the prototype to those two facilities and be a 100% electric flight strip like the rest of the world. but the prototype we've been working in phoenix and cleveland, we've jointly made a decision it's just not stable enough to grinning bring into a new facility. -- to bring into a new facility. i then went on to talk about the san francisco tower and that they would need bigger counter spaces to put printers in and strip bays in. now, in las vegas they have made that accommodation. so really it was about san francisco tower which is coming on roughly the same time as las vegas tower is also. the challenge in las vegas tower is that they didded something very dynamic and we support tremendously is actually put the controllers that will work the airplanes in the air a little higher, a few steps up than the controllers working the ground view so they can actually see

straight down. so there's going to be a lot of movement with controllers to hand strips back and forth as opposed to being able to have an electronic flight strip program where controllers would never have to leave their position to move the control of that airplane. that's kind of what i was capturing. yes, it did get lost in that. it's not going to delay the opening of las vegas tower. but it is a challenge that the work force is going to have to move patient strips around when we have this beautiful, brand new facility and we should have the most modern equipment. that's my biggest concern. >> so it's not going to be delayed -- >>. no. >> and it's not a problem of safety for people flying into las vegas. >> it is not. >> okay -- >> and i fly to las vegas a lot. >> okay, thank you. >> no. congresswoman, that's why i answered that question that way. i never had any doubt that we would not be able to provide that capability. and so we'll make a

determination if the prototype can come online at that facility, but regardless et will not impact -- it will not impact in the least, and certainly it's not a safety issue. at the same time, this month we expect to award the contract for the production system of that electronic flight strip capability. and so only a few facilities will have the prototype, and they'll be the first ones to be replaced when we roll the production system out into future. >> and are you listening to the air traffic controllers as you look at that prototype with any problems that they may have with it? >> yes, ma'am, we are. >> yeah. we are working together on that. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you. mr. rinaldi, i'm shocked that you would think that sometimes statements get misconstrued in the media. [laughter] just shocked. >> it's always the headline that seems to say something completely that you didn't say in the article. >> well, we've, obviously, we've never had that happen. >> never. [laughter] >> if there are no further

questions, i would like to thank once again our participants for being here this morning. this has been a very inform ty hearing. -- informative hearing. we will continue to exercise vigorous oversight to make sure we're fully staffed with the most highly trained air traffic controllers in the world. thank you all for being here today. [inaudible conversations]

>> today, the network of enlightened women organization hosts its annual conservative women's conference. you can see that live starting at 1:15 eastern here on c-span2. ahead of the party's convention in philadelphia next month at 1 p.m. eastern. >> booktv has 48 hours of nonfiction books and authors every weekend, and here are some programs coming up this weekend. on saturday night at 8 eastern from bookexpo america, former nba player and author kareem abdul-jabbar discusses his forthcoming book about the current political and social landscape. on sunday at 2:30 p.m. eastern, a round table discussion about donald trump's book the art of

the deal fist published -- first published in 1987. panelists incrude michael cruz -- include michael cruz and monica langley. and then at 9 p.m. eastern, "after words." political science professor pennsylvania was gur secrecy talks about his book, isis in history. he's interviewed by the author of mecca and main street. >> so the spectacular surge of isis was a direct result of the creeping sectarianism, the deepening sectarianism, the civil wars in al-nusra, in the arab east, the security vacuum that exists in iraq and syria and the deception that mow the arab spring could naturally change the existing order. >> go to booktv.org for the complete weekend schedule.

>> next, a senate confirmation hearing for general david goldfein, nominee to be the next air force chief of staff. he testified about preparedness, retention and equipment readiness. this is just over 90 minutes. [inaudible conversations] >> hey, how you doing, general? how are you? good to see you. i'd like to apologize to my colleagues for beginning this hearing a little late. thisthere was a meeting called y our republican leader for republican senators which is still going on which i'm sure our other colleagues will be joining us soon at the conclusion of those monumental discussions.

the senate armed services committee meets today to consider the nomination of general david goldfein to be the 331st -- 21st chief of staff of the united states air force. we thank you for joining us this morning. we're grateful for your many years of distinguished service and for your continued willingness to serve. i also recognize that you are a member of the elite group of pilots whose number of landings do not equal the number of takeoffs. congratulations on that. it's not a club that many choose to be members of. we also welcome members of your family who are joining us this morning and thank you for supporting you and the nation. as is our tradition, at the beginning of your testimony, we will invite you to introduce any family members that are joining us today. now more than ever, a strong air force is central to deter

adversaries and defend our national interests. global challenges continue to grow. the threat of terrorism from north africa to the middle east to south asia advance potential adversaries such as russia and china and rogue states number as north korea and iran. today's air force is the oldest, smallest and least ready in its history no doubt in part because of the arbitrary budget cuts that congress and the president agreed to five years ago and have since failed to reverse. even under the best of budget conditions, modern air space and cyber capabilities are much more expensive in absolute terms than their predecessors; that is, if they even have predecessors. that's one of the primary reasons the air force's inventory of war-fighting weapons has steadily decreased over the past decades. in 1960 the united states air force had 2,000 bombers and 4,300 fighters.

in 1980 that declined to 323 bombers and 3,600 fighters. today the air force has 159 long-range bombers and less than 2,000 fighter aircraft. today the air force is retiring aircraft faster than it procures them and will continue to do so for years to come. while the aircraft today, we have today are highly capable, our adversaries are shrinking that gap or finding asymmetric ways to negate our advantage. the air force's global reach and global power are being tested as our adversaries invest heavily in fifth generation fighter aircraft, advanced missiles and integrated air defense systems that expand air space and exacerbate the tyranny of distance. meanwhile, as our air force shrinks, the combination of relentless operational tempo and misguided reductions in defense spending continues to deplete

readiness. the air force does not expect to return to full spectrum ready areness for more than a decade. general gold fine, addressing -- gold fierntion addressing these three challenges -- capacity, capability and readiness -- will require the next chief of staff's strong leadership and personal be engagement. one of the principal obstacles you will confront is a huge bow wave of modndization and investment programs costs that are all coming due in the next decade. just consider the list of air force modernization priorities, f-35a fighters, kc-46a tankers, before-21 bombers, j stars, compass call, awacs and a new trainer aircraft not to mention a modernized nuclear force including the ground-based strategic deterrent b-61 glafty bomb and the long-range standoff weapon. there's simply no way all of

these important yet expensive modernization programs will fit into the projected air force budget. at this point it is by no means clear to me that the air forces has con sued a plausible path through this tremendous budget crunch. with the future of our air force on the line, it will be your task, if confirmed, to chart this course in the coming years. in any event, no matter how many dollars we spend, we won't be able to provide our military the equipment they need and a defense acquisition system that takes too long, costs too much and innovates too little. in the last two defense authorization bills, this committee has embarked on a major effort to reform this system including ways to empower our service chiefs to manage their own programs and take on greater accountability. i will be keenly interested in hearing how you would employ these new authorities to accelerate and streamline air

force acquisition programs, insure our war fighters get the equipment they need when they need it and act as a responsible steward of american taxpayer dollars. finally, we must acknowledge the service and sacrifice of the outstanding men and women in the united states air force. as you mentioned in your opening statement, general gold fine, the air force has been at war for 25 years straight, and we cannot take our airmen for granted. we must recognize that high operational tempo, reduced readiness and lucrative opportunities outside the air force continue to drive some of our best talent to leave the service. i'm interested in your plans to recruit and retain the best talent for our air force including how best to provide a competitive and tailored compensation package that incentivize retention especially for united states air force pilots. general goldfein, we look

forward to your testimony. senator reed. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. let me welcome general goldfein, and thank you for your many years of service to our nation and your willingness to continue to serve. we are mindful that families also serve, and so we want to extend our thanks to the family as well, and you'll have an opportunity to, please, introduce your family. the general is highly qualified for the position to which he has been nominated. his most recent position is vice chief of staff of the air force which means he is extraordinarily familiar with the challenges facing the air force today and into the future. general goldfinishing ein has also had numerous positions of responsibility before that

>> you'll be tasked with insuring the force retains the readiness levels to insure our nation meets challenges and future challenges, crises evolving today and in the future. that is all within your responsibility. the air force is facing challenges in affording all the aircraft weapons systems it needs. and on top of those challenges, the air force and the rest of the service are facing she questionsation cliffs next year which i think would be devastating. i look forward to your thoughts on how you take on these challenges. i intend to support your confirmation. thank you again for your service to our nation. thank you, mr. chairman.

>> general, this is the can custom of this committee. we have standard questions to ask the nominees, and if you'll just respond appropriately for, to these questions. in order to exercise its legislative and oversight responsibilities, it's important that this committee and other appropriate committees of the congress are able to receive testimony, briefings and other communications of information. have you adhered to applicable laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest? >> i have, sir. >> do you degree when asked to give your personal viewses, even if those views differ from the administration in power? >> i do, sir. >> have you undertaking any actions which would appear to presume the outcome of the confirmation process? >> i have not, sir. >> will you insure your staff complies with deadlines including questions for the record and hearings? >> yes, sir, i will. >> will you cooperate in response to congressional

requests? >> yes, sir, i will. >> will those witnesses be protected from reprisal for their testimony or briefings? >> yes, sir, they will. >> do you agree to confirm and testify upon request before this committee? >> yes, sir, i do. >> do you agree to provide documents including electronic forms of communication in a timely manner when requested by a duly constitutioned committee or to consult a committee for any denial in providing such documents? >> wes, i will. -- yes, sir, i will. thank>> thank you, general. please proceed. >> let me begin by thank you for your tireless support and advocate sky for the greatest treasure in our nation's arsenal, the young men and women who continue to join our ranks and serve their country during time of war. if confirmed, it will be my honor to lead the over 660,000 -- >> general, i don't mean to interrupt, but would you care to introduce your family to the

committee before you finish. >> yes, sir i would. i'm thrilled to introduce my family including with our youngest daughter, diana, who is a stool teacher following in the footsteps of her grand ma mary and her mother who are both here today. >> welcome. >> in a few months, diana will be an author of her first children's book. kind, caring, compassioning nate but tough when she has to be. >> maybe we ought to make that required reading -- [laughter] >> if asked, most of us can remember our favorite teachers, but almost all of us can name our first grade teacher. her kids are blessed to be in her class, and i could not be prouder to be her dad. >> our oldest daughter can, danielle s a captain in the air of the and is on duty today. she is also a third generation, following in the footsteps of her grandpa bill, a refired f-4 pilot who is here today and both

of her uncles, her cousin and her dad can. dani is a great officer and combat veteran having recent returned from a deployment to afghanistan. i could not be a prouder father. all this good in our daughters comes from their mother, dawn, who i met in high school 40 years ago when both of our parents were stationed in germany. dawn represents the best deal our nation gets in the military family, our spouses. 33 years, 21 moves, three wars and several deployments to include a recent two-year separation. i not only love her, i admire her strength and courage, and i believe i am the luckiest man on the planet that she chose me. >> welcome to the entire family. >> chairman, i'd like to thank president obama, secretary carter, secretary james and chairman dunford for this opportunity of a lifetime. i'd also like to thank general

mark and betty welsh. they've led our air force over the past four years with passion, style and unwavering commitment. it is my honor to serve as general welsh's vice chief of staff, and if confirmed, talking about and i look forward to -- dawn and i look forward to building on their success. chairman, i've seen firsthand how important a service chief's relationship is with members of this committee to help you execute your oversight responsibilities. if confirmed, i am committed to building a relationship of trust and confidence with each of you based on openness, candor and competence. the questions you just asked form the foundation of this relationship. and i fully understand the gravity and the importance of living up to my answers. today's global landscape offers equal amount challenge and opportunity. the combination of strong states challenging world orders, weak states that cannot preserve order and undergoverned spaces

providing sanctuary to extremists all represent challenges we must counter simultaneously as part of a joint, coalition and interagency team. from troubling chinese military activity in the south china sea to recent provocative actions by russia in crimea and ukraine to continued malign activity across the middle east by iran to the increasingly unpredictable actions we see out of north korea, each represent state respondent that challenges world order and the stability and predictability all civilized nations rely on for prosperity and freedom. add to the military campaign to deliver a lasting defeat to isil and our continued work in afghanistan, and we have the framework secretary carter laid out months ago as the fife global challenges the department of can defense must be ready to counter; china, russia, iran, north korea and violent extremism. if confirmed, i take very seriously my role as a member of the joint chiefs and look

forward to providing an airman's voice as we deliberate military options, capabilities and risk in formulating our best military advice. the other hat i will wear, if confirmed, is the top officer in my service, responsible for assisting secretary james to properly organize, train and equip an air force that can meet these challenges both today and tomorrow. when i was commissioned in 1983, we had not fought in combat since my dad came home from vietnam. the cold war was in its final years, and there was no conflict on the horizon. this all changed in 1991 when we launched operation desert storm. when the war ended, the air force stayed. from operations northern and southern watch to follow-on campaigns in the balkans and then allied force through the last 15 years of operations enduring freedom, iraqi freedom, inherent reto solve and resolution support the air force has been in continuous combat for 25 years.

while we're extremely proud of our contributions to these operations, it has taken its toll on our ability to properly balance capability, capacity and readiness. when combined with unpredictable budgets and the devastating impacts of sequestration, i am acutely aware that, if confirmed, i will be taking the reins of the smallest and oldest air force in our 69 year history with significant readiness challenges. but where there is challenge there is opportunity. and i believe it is the obligation and duty of senior leaders to offer the president, the secretary of defense and the congress creative solutions to our most complex challenges. we are the service known throughout our history for innovation and breaking barriers. from the earliest days of manned flight to breaking the sound barrier to reaching the outer limits of space to fielding advanced stealth technology, we are the service you rely on to push the limits of innovation. it's in our bloodline.

we faced challenging times before and have overcome them with ideas. over 90% of today's air force joined after 9/11. they have never known a day when we were not at war. as i speak, or airmen stand watch with our nation's most destructive weapons. they sit alert and will scramble when called upon to defend our homeland. they work side by side with their fellow soft warriors in the most remote corners of the globe to build partner capacity and hunt down our enemies. they're flying missions to deliver supplies for humanitarian relief or personnel for a complex joint mission. they're flying combat over iraq and syria with, providing top cover for the joint and coalition teams as we deliver a lasting defeat to eye ill. and they're operating -- isil. and they're operating 12 constellations of satellites providing everything from an uninterrupted gps signal to an unblinking eye on our adversaries.

these airmen provide the oxygen the joint team breeds. this is who we are. your air force. we operate from a capsule below the surface to a combat controller or cyber warrior on the service to a cockpit at all altitudes above the surface to a constellation in the outer reaches of space. we're everywhere. we know whoer -- who we are, and we know we're expected to deliver for the joint team. air power. if confirmed, its will be my -- it will be my honor to work with secretary james to create the environment where great ideas get a hearing, where barriers are crushed, where airmen and their families thrive and where war-fighting excellence remains our top focus. thank you again for this opportunity, and i look forward to your questions. >> thank you, general. on the issue of the b-21 bomber, do you know what the independent cost estimate associated with the winning bid was roughly? was it $23.5 billion? >> yes, sir. that is the independent cost estimate.

>> and the aircraft per unit cost associated with the winning bid was about $556 million? >> yes, sir. that is correct. >> and the air force budget request development is about $is 1.36 billion? is that right? >> yes, sir. >> the air force released an artist conception of the -- the air force released the top tier suppliers for the b-21? >> yes, sir. >> i'm having a difficult time understanding how that's going to give the enemy more information on capabilities of a new bomber than what the air force has already disclosed. all i can see is that keeping it a secret deprives the american taxpayer the transa parent city and -- transparency and accountability they deserve. can you explain what new information our enemies might learn from the release of the contract award value that they couldn't learn from the information the air force has already released? >> yes, sir. and, chairman, i agree with you.

and i believe that if we're not transparent with the american people on the costs of this weapon system through its elected leadership, then we have a good chance of losing this program. >> i thank you very much for that. during the air force hearing on march 3rd, general welsh testified in reference to long-range readiness issues that need investment. quote, that will take us 8-10 years once we have a chance to reset the force from what we're doing today which is not going to happen. obviously, the issue is sequestration and what it's doing. and we know what it's doing as far as acquisition is concerned because all you have to do is count. but talk to us a little bit about the men -- the effect on the men and women that you just adequately and appropriately praised in your opening statement, on how they can do

their job and what effect it has on retention particularly, very frankly, on pilot retention. maybe you could, for the record, give us your views on what i think at least in my view is almost an emergency situation given the events that are taking place in the world and the changes in the world since 2011 when we enacted sequestration because we didn't have the guts to make the budget cuts that were necessary. >> thanks, chairman. when i think about retention, i think about quality of service and quality of life. and when it comes to quality of service, our airmen when they join are looking to be the very best they can be. pilots who don't fly, controllers who don't control, cyber warriors who don't operate because they're not given the resources to do so, morale goes down x they vote with their feet. when we were sequestered in 2015, we grounded 13 fighter squadrons that stopped flying.

we're still recovering from that effort, and if we're sequestered good many, it'll be even worse. >> and retention, are you beginning to feel the effects of this lack of flying hours? i've been told that our pilots are flying less hours than russian and chinese pilots are per month. and do you agree with i believe it was the chief of staff of the army who stated before this committee that we are putting the lives of the men and women who are serving at greater risk? >> yes, sir. the reality is it's a mixed story because where we're flying a significant number of hours is where we're stationed forward. so if all crews in the middle east are at a high state of readiness and flying a significant number of hours. the bill payers to allow that level of readiness is what's happening at home station. so at home station, sir, you are actually correct. we're not flying the number of hours that we used to fly. there's a number of issues that contribute to that.

not the least of which is a short, shortage of critical skills in our maintenance force. and when you add that up to the age of the aircraft, that makes them harder and harder to keep airborne. >> isn't it true that a b-1 squadron just came back with something like six aircraft out of 20 that were operational? isn't that a story that i've heard? >> yes, sir, you have. when i was deployed forward as the air component commander, i enjoyed upwards of 95% on average mission-capable rates across every fleet that was forward. that was the b-1, f-16, a-10. every one. to we had the parts, the supervision, the maintainers. that's what we pushed forward. i knew that if i went back to the home station, that was the bill payer to get me that level of readiness. so back home at those locations that you have talked about, the

b1s when they come home, they require a significant recovery time when they come back from combat operations. >> well, i don't mean to get parochial here, but we just had a vote that i was trying to fix the problem, and it wasn't just democrats that voted against it, it was republicans that voted against it as well. and members of this committee. i think it's a very heavy burden for them the carry given the state of our military today and the situations and challenges that we face in the world which are just e his mited by the terrible -- e epitomized by the terrible tragedy on orlando. i hope that the voters understand that a good faith effort was made, or and it was turned down four votes short by members, some of the members of this committee. i'm embarrassed. thank you, general. >> thank you. >> general, you have the

responsibility of modernizing the bomber and the icbm force. are there any particular authorities that you think are necessary to help you accomplish those tasks which you don't have? >> sir, actually, the authorities that you pushed recently to service chiefs are very helpful. the way i look at those authorities, it's in both authorities, but also increased accountability for a service chief. so in the two areas where i'm focused, number one is i am the lead requirements officer for all major weapons systems. it's my responsibility to insure that we don't have requirements creep that increases cost or increases schedule on any of our programs. that's number one. and number two that i now have more authority and accountability in some of the milestone decisions, specifically milestone a and milestone b that allow a service chief to have an input on a program as it goes forward. >> very good. and so you feel at this point

confident you have the legal authorities to bring these programs online in a very cost effective way? >> sir, i do. and i would highlight that those authorities also, many of those authorities reside with the secretary of the air force. so i believe it's my job to work with her to keep these on track. >> we've had an ongoing debate in the committee and the congress about the plans to retire the a-10 aircraft which is an extraordinarily effective close air support platform. the air force seems, at least temporarily, to adjusting to keeping it. but longer term, this issue's going to come up again and again. and it raises the issue of how do you develop and you develop the same capabilities if at some point the a-10 is retired? can you give us some thoughts about that? >> yes, sir. my commitment to you, if confirmed, is we will cover down this mission et for the joint

team, and i will take ownership of that. when it comes to the a-10, i'm actually as concerned about the a-10 community as i am about the platform. because the a-10 community is actually our ph.d. force when it comes to close air support, and they set the bar for not only the joint team, but for the coalition team. anybody who does close air support, they try to reach the level that the a-10 community has been able to achieve. so my focus is going to be on insuring that i go back to the doctors of cass, the a-10 fleet and the a-10 operators and say what is the future of close air support. that's the conversation we need to have. we need to maintain what we have for the current fight, but where are we going in the future? where are we, you know, why is it that i only get a minute and a half of trigger pull on a 30mm bullet? and why is not every bullet precision guided? why do i spend so much time having to figure out who's friend and foe on the ground when we have technology to help us do that?

why is it that i have to do all the work for collateral damage estimates when i have the machine that can help me do that? it's a matter of where we're going in the future, and my commitment to you is i will take this on. >> thank you very much, general. another issue we've been dealing with and we've seen some movement is deploying more and more enlisted pilots for remotely-piloted aircraft. there are various molds in the history of -- models in the history of military warfare. the one that always has sort of impact with me is the helicopter pilots in vietnam, particularly army, were mostly warrant officers with some officers but the vast majority were extremely capable. in fact, they had more hours in their aircraft than anybody else. and it seems to me that model could be applied much more vigorously. i know the air force is taking steps. can you elaborate on what you're

doing, what you want tad? >> jess -- to do? >> yes, sir. the rpa community is actually the largest number of pilots that currently serve in the air force. we have over 1300 currently serving. the next closest second of any community is c-17 with just high of 800. so for me, this is a question of what is the future of this business as we go forward, and how does the enlisted, the professional enlisted corps that we enjoy fit boo that enterprise. -- into that enterprise. and we're committed to having enlisted pilots. this fall we'll have our first class of enlisted rq4 pilots that will go through. right behind them will be another class, followed by another class. so we're making sure they're pulley a part of that weapons system. is so i see as one of the major growth industries in the air force, and i think this is the exact right path to be on. and we have a model for it that we know works. we actually started offline

satellites when we had nothing but officers, and we transitioned over a few years from officers with, you know, the scientific backgrounds to officers with more political science kind of backgrounds, and then we made it into enlisted. and today 50% of the satellite constellations are flown and managed by the enlisted force. so we're taking that same very successful model and applying it to the rpa model, and we're on track. >> thank you very much. thank you, mr. chairman. >> just to follow up, general. in other words, from your comments on the a-10, at this time it's best not to retire them, but to look at orr options for follow -- other options for follow on, is that a correct statement? >> sir, right now we're looking at that as an option. the challenge will be to keep capability so that the fight we're in today, there's no degradation to any of the soldierings sailors, marines or my airmen on the ground -- >> so we should not be retiring them now? >> not in the near term, no, sir. >> i thank you. kohler in roger wicker, united

states air force reserve. >> thank you, mr. chairman. general, you said you're going to give us your personal views. regardless of the administration's policy. let me ask you this: chairman mccain has repeatedly referenced the terror and carnage caused by assad's barrel bombs that are deployed by syrian aircraft. our chairman has made the point, and i agree with him, that as evil as isis is, it's the barrel bombs and air attacks that are causing most of the civilian casualties in syria. is that correct in your view? >> yes, sir. >> and do you agree with general petraeus who testified before us a few months ago when he said that we have the capability to take out assad's air force? >> i do. >> did the presence of russian air forces in syria impact the

administration's decision not to implement a no-fly zone last year? >> sir, i don't know whether it had any impact on the administration's decision. i will tell you from a military standpoint as a service chief, if confirmed, it absolutely complicated the situation that we were facing. >> okay. it complicated the situation, and did it rule it out or was, was it a close call? and do you think that should be revisited? >> sir, whether it be revisited or not would certainly be a decision that would be bo mine. let me -- above mine. let me tell you as an airman who has planned and executed no-fly zones, this is a capability that we retain. we know how to do it. and if the question is can we do it, the answer absolutely is, yes. >> [inaudible] >> but there are three fundamental questions that think have to be answered before i would ever recommend that as an option. the first is i would have to have the authority to shoot down and kill anybody who violated a no-fly zone. that would mean i would have to

have the authority to shoot down and kill russian or syrian aircraft. the second is i would have to have a clear understanding of exactly what the objective was on the ground below the no-fly zone. and the objective was to do humanitarian safe zone or refugee return, that would require some indigenous ground force, because i can't control that from the air. and the third would be a clear-eyed decision that i would have to divert resources from the current campaign to do the no-fly zone. but with the answer to those three questions, sir, we can do that. >> do you believe a no-fly zone would have saved lives of innocent civilians in syria? >> sir, a no-fly zone alone that would have stopped aircraft that were going out to bomb civilians absolutely would have had an impact. >> thank you. let me ask about a replacement of the legacy huey helicopters. some of which are nearly 40 years old. these helicopters are used to secure our nuclear weapons for global strike command as well as

the air force district of washington's mission to insure continuity of government operations. some members of this committee are interested in learning more about the air force strategy to replace these legacy huey helicopters. we would like to obtain a description of the air force helicopter requirements including how requirements differ between global strike command and other missions such as the air force district of washington. we are also interested in obtaining a life cycle cost analysis of alternatives that includes mixed fleet versus single fleet solutions. if confirmed, will you commit to providing this committee with a report on air force acquisition strategy for replacing these hughly helicopters? >> yes, sir, i will. >> do you think you could get this report to us by october 1st of this year? >> sir, yes. i believe we can. >> thank you very much.

and i yield back the time. >> senator gillibrand. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you for visiting with me earlier week. i recently visited the niagara air reserve station with my colleague, senator schumer, and we're pleased to see the progress in converting the 914 air 4reu69 wing to the kc-135 mission. however, there's not yet a simulator scheduled to be moved to niagara falls to obtain the training that's necessary each though there's a building waiting. will we have your assurance that the excellent airmen of the 914th will have all the tools they need to sustain their expertise including a kc-135 flight simulator on the grounds of the air station? >> yes, ma'am. and i will also tell you that my mother, who's born and raised in niagara falls, would go after me if i didn't. [laughter] >> thank you. as you know, the 109th air lift wing operates our only fleet of

skybirds. given the evolving terrain and increased commercial and military activity in the polar regions of the world as a result of global warming, these aircraft provide a critical capability to national security as well as to scientific research. at the the moment, however, there's no recapitalization plan in progress for these aircraft. if confirmed, will you commit the resources to insuring this fleet of high demand aircraft remains operationally capable? >> yes, ma'am. >> thank you. new york's pararescue jumpers are transported to those in need via the combat rescue helicopter, an aircraft undergoing a modernization program. i was thrilled when i learned the helicopters will not receive upgrades until the last three years of a ten-year cycle. for now they will receive refurbished helicopters. i think this was unacceptable and not in line with the concept of total force integration that has been generally adopted. should you be confirmed, will

you see to it that the combat rescue helicopters and the reserve components receive concurrent modernization along with their current active duty counterparts? >> yes, ma'am, i will. but if i could add, our current plan because we're getting reserve helicopters back, those attrition reserve aircraft, the newest aircraft are actually going first to the air national guard. and then we'll, you know, replace the oldest in the fleet. and then the reason right now the air national guard on the back end of the combat rescue helicopter is that as we go through that, they're actually going to have the newest helicopters that we'll replace. >> okay. according to the most recent annual report of sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies for 2014-2015 academic year, despite being similar in size to the naval academy, the air force academy had almost double the

number of reports as compared to 17 at the naval academy. have you been able to look at this information, and do you have any explanation about the larger number of reports compared to other academies? and what measures are in place to prevent and respond to sexual aall the at the air force academy? >> thanks, ma'am. on a personal be note, i want to personally thank you for your passion on this issue. i've actually thought a lot about our conversation, and you've given me several things to think about, and i actually shared that with my staff, and i look forward to working with you on this issue. the numbers you're looking at, i believe, are just the restricted reports. if you take a look at a combination of restricts and unrestricted, you actually don't see the large jumps. but the data tell you one thing, the reality is for me is what's the culture at the air force academy that makes this crime more and more difficult over time to actually commit so that

we, not only do we bring in cadets with the right moral background and character that would make this unacceptable in their squadron, but also that when we infuse them and work on that character and build on that character so that they can be leaders of character when they come out. and so we're not going to stop or take our foot off the gas until we're to zero. >> so i would look, i think the discrepancy is between unrestricted and restricted, and unrestricted are the ones where investigation can move forward. so your unrestricted numbers would show that people are comfortable with the investigation. if you're restricted numbers are higher, it means they're not comfortable. so when you're reviewing your own protocols at the air force academy, i would look to retaliation and perhaps, you know, investigate what the reason for not reporting is. they may fear retaliation -- >> yeah. >> they may fear it'll harm their career.

i would dig deep on what the climate is like within the academy to get those unrestricted numbers up. >> yes, ma'am. i will do that. >> thank you. thank you, mr. chairman. >> senator be fischer. >> thank you, mr. chairman. good morning, general. >> good morning, ma'am. >> do you believe that the current mix of capabilities in our nuclear forces -- and by that, i mean the triad of our delivery vehicles, the gravity bombs, standoff weapons, the forward deployed tactical weapons -- do you believe that that will continue to be necessary for deterrence in the 2 21st -- 21st century? >> i do, ma'am. >> do you believe that there are any of those capabilities that would be unnecessary? >> i do not. >> given the investment of russia and china in their nuclear arsenals and in particular concerning statements by russian officials about the limited use of nuclear weapons, would you say it's important to preserve the variety and u.s. nuclear forces to insure president has flexibility in his

ability to respond? >> yes, ma'am. and i would add to that the nuclear command and control that we're responsible for, for the nation to insure that we tie those three legs together. >> aside from capabilities, do you see reductions in number of nuclear weapons as being likely in the near term? and do you believe that any reductions in nuclear forces should only be made as part of a negotiated, bilateral and verifiable agreement? >> ma'am, i would defer to the secretary of state and secretary of defense on. i will tell you that as a service chief, if corn firmed, my -- confirmed, my job will be to execute according to the guidance. we are on track right now to execute against the s.t.a.r.t. ii treaty, and so we're making the associated changes according to that direction. >> would you personally recommend against any unilateral reduction in u.s. nuclear forces? >> my personal opinion is i would recommend against that, yes, ma'am. >> thank you.

and, general, when we met last month, we discussed milestone a, that decision for the gbsd. and i'm also concerned that the lrso is yet to receive its milestone a sortification as well -- certification as well. both of these programs, i believe, are absolutely essential for the air force's component of our nuclear deterrent. do i have your commitment to resolve these two issues as soon as you possibly can? >> yes, ma'am, you do. >> and also as you know, the department has embarked on a so-called third offset initiative. and the continued advancement potential adversaries insured that the issue of technological superiority and innovation will be something that you confront if confirmed. are there specific technologies that you will, that you believe will be key to insuring future superiority, and how do you view

the balance between investing in these current requirements such as readiness and also to be able to balance that with our future needs? >> yes, ma'am. as i said in my opening statement, you know, innovation and breaking barriers is something that you would expect the air force to do. as we look toward in the third offset strategy, it's about tying together three grids in new ways. the first is the sensor grid which looks at six domains, air, land, sea, space, signer and undersea and says how do we use all those domains in a way that we can actually pull those sensors together and fuse that information and use machine to machine and autonomy to be able to produce decision, quality information for a commander. and then we have to tie that into the effects grid to all the members of the joint team on what we bring that's beyond platform. it goes to our special force. it goes to what we're doing at sea. it's tying those together and what effects are we trying to create. so there's some significant investment there. but the coin of the realm and

where i think the air force is going to be focused is on the third grid which is command and control. because it's how we tie in this all together, old and new, manned and unmapped, pen trading -- unmanned, penetrating and standoff. it's the air force that has the core mission of command and control, and we do this for the joint team, so i believe it's going to be where we're going to spend most of our time investing, to pull those grids together. >> thank you for that very thorough answer, i appreciate it. thank you, mr. chairman. >> general, congratulations on the nomination for this important post. senator warner, my colleague and i today did something we do once a year which is really fun. we have a coffee for all of academy nominees that are about to report to all the service academies. we're sending some great virginians to colorado springs, and they're very, very excited to report, i guess, on june 30 is when they're out two, weeks today. very, veryxc