fails to sufficiently fund reserve components. i'm certain that the witnesses here this morning agree that without this additional funding, our reserve components would be woefully underequipped. it is our duty to our men and women of the guard and reserves who are called on to deploy in harm's way just like their active duty counterparts to make certain they're adequately trained, adequately equipped. so gentlemen, i look forward to hearing your perspective on these issues. and working with this you this year in support of our guardsmen and reservists. and i would like to thank you all of you for testimony this morning. your full statements will be made part of the record. we'll begin with our hearing

with the panel of the national guard. but i'd like to call on mr. alexander, because our vice-chairman has been slightly delayed. he has just called to say he'll be coming in shortly. >> thank you, mr. chairman. and i'll condense my remarks to welcome, gentlemen. we look forward to your comments. reequipping the guard is one of the biggest challenges facing the department of defense. i think our chairman has outlined that very adequately, and the president's proposed budget does not adequately support the reserve and guard. each of our states are very proud of the role that our men and women have played, our army guards to 78th army armored cavalry regiment to which i'll be asking some questions who have been deployed twice. many are serving in afghanistan or iraq, flying c-5 operations,

installing fiberoptic communications and getting wounded in harm's way. so we're grateful to them, and we're grateful to the efforts that have been made to modernize the guard. and we've seen great changes in what men and women who join the guard expect to do over the last 10, 15 years. and we need to be responsive to the changed conditions and the changed expectations of guard members. so i'll be listening closely to the testimony. and i appreciate very much your service and your being here today. thank you, mr. chairman. >> may i now call upon the vice-chairman. >> mr. chairman, thank you very much for convening the hearing. i am pleased to join you and other senators in welcoming our panel of distinguished witnesses this morning. we thank you for your service to our nation, helping protect the safety and security of our citizens and our interests around the world. thank you. >> may i recognize general mckinley.

>> chairman inouye and ranking member cochran and distinguished members of the committee, thank you. it's a privilege to be here today with my two directors bud wyatt as well as the other reserve chiefs. we have a very close affiliation with each other. and it's a pleasure and an honor, again, to testify before you. i wanted to take this opportunity as i always do to thank you all for your dedication to the soldiers and airmen that we represent. bud and bill will make some brief statements after i do. both of them distinguished former ajutnats. so they have the state of our soldiers in the title 32 status. we find ourselves obviously in the midst of constrained budgets and tough decisions. no doubt we must all curb spending, but should not at the expense of our security.

that is why i must tell you that sequestration would hollow the force substantially and devastate our national security. it would result in further severe reductions to the national guard, reserve, and the active component. the national guard is already facing difficult budget cuts as you have alluded to, cuts that impact equipment and personnel. further reductions would significantly limit the guard's ability to function as an operational force, decrease the total forces all right capability, and reduce department's capacity to protect the homeland and to respond to emergencies. the national guard is a more ready, more capable, and more rapidly deployedable force than ever in our nation's history, as all of you know so well from your visits back home. we have and will continue to answer the call for mobilizations and volunteer support of our combatant commanders. today more than 50% of our guardsmen have combat

experience. as part-time force, the national guard is a proven, affordable defense option for america. during a time of constrained budgets, we should be continue to be used as an operational force to ensure the nation is getting the most defense capability at the lowest cost. as an operational force, the national guard is ideally suited to meet the new strategic guidance, to meet steady state demands and act as a strategic head for unforeseen world events. at any time the national guard can and will augment the active duty, both the army and the air force to surge and regenerate forces. the nation also counts on the national guard to protect the homeland. your home states, commonwealths, territories and the district of columbia. the national guard is the best and primary military force to respond to complex catastrophes and contributes to our security by protecting our airspace and borders. while representing only a small portion of the guards' response

capability, last year federal and state authorities called on one of our 57 civil support teams to use their unique weapons of mass destruction assessment skills almost twice a day. every day in our hometowns. the national guard is crucial to our governors. over the past three years, guardsmen and women responded to an unprecedented spring of disasters. we're poised and ready to provide that support again. according to fema administrator craig fugate, speed is critical to domestic response. he has stated recently at the national governors association conference that aviation assets need to be organic to the national guard. other options he added may not provide the same speed and capacity. we're obviously located in over 3,000 communities across the country, and the national guard is positioned to respond quickly and efficiently and work very close with our civilian first responders to any domestic emergency. our dual role requires that we

continue to improve the quality and quantity of our equipment. the national guard reserve equipment account has been and will continue to be crucial to that endeavor. negria is vital to the guard as i'm sure it is to the other chiefs, including homeland defense needs. after 11 years of war, we continue to work closely with the united states army and the united states air force to reset our force to ensure our equipment levels meet the defense strategy. as citizen soldiers and airmen, guardsmen are able to blend their unique combination of military training, civilian-acquired skills to provide innovative approaches to support our nation's security strategy. the state partnership program is a cornerstone of the new strategic guidance and demonstrates the guard's versatility. our partnership with more than 60 foreign countries has strengthened their military capacity and competence, as well as our alliance. most recently demonstrated in chicago with our nato summit.

national guard partner nations have reduced the demand on u.s. forces. 22 partner nations have provided 11,000 troops to afghanistan, and 40 partner nations have provided over 31,000 personnel and support of u.n. peacekeeping operations. this year we will celebrate 20 years of the state partnership program, and we look forward to continuing to work with the ajutants general to continue this approach to security cooperation for the future. each year we continue to adapt our skills to better serve the nation's strategy, and that is why this year we are instituting a threat-based resourcing model for our counter drug activities. this will direct funding to states facing the most direct narcotics threats to our communities. the breadth of our skills allows the guard to take on new and emerging missions. i would also like to address our most important asset, as you have so aptly stated. our soldiers and airmen are the

reason the national guard has been so successful over the last decade. indeed, for the last 375 years. today your national guard is the most capable and competent in history, and that is because we are recruiting the highest quality soldiers and airmen. our noteworthy enlistment and retention numbers since september 11th, 2001, are proof that they join because they want to be used and expect to be used. this dedication would not be possible without the support of our families, communities, and the employers. that's why i'm dedicated to working closely with the army and the air force to provide our service members, their families, and employers with the best and most effective support available. thanks for the opportunity, mr. chairman to appear before you today. i'd like to ask my wingman, bud wyatt to speak, followed by bill ingram. >> chairman inouye, i'd like to

open with a brief review of the events of 2011 before looking to the future of the air national guard. your guard airmen continue to make significant contributions to our nation's defense both here at home and around the globe. last year guard airmen filled approximately 54,000 requests for manpower. 91% of these requests were filled by volunteers. the air national guard's responsiveness and adaptability was clearly demonstrated a year ago when on 17 march, 2011, as the united nations security council passed regulation 1973 authorizing a no-fly zone over libya, the air national guard kc-135s from the refueling wing tennessee and the 168th aerial refueling wing alaska were diverted in route to forward operating bases. these guard airmen began flying operational missions in support of operation odyssey dawn 48 hours later, clearly

demonstrating that the air national guard is both accessible and ready to serve. last year national guard airmen spent over half a million man days performing domestic civil support missions, a third of it on state active duty. this included assisting local authorities with explosive ordnance disposable, helping with security at special events such as the arkansas governor's inauguration and the boston marathon, done at state expense, not federal expense, and helping victims of floods and other natural disasters, and helping to save lives by assisting in search-and-rescue efforts. additional to supporting civil authorities, guardsmen spent an additional million man days in homeland defense. this included helping to defend u.s. airspace and aerospace control missions, assisting u.s. customs and border protection on our southwest border, and supporting america's counter drug program. your national guard airmen and soldiers have spent countless volunteer hours in their local communities, aiding their fellow airmen, sailors, soldiers and

marines through yellow ribbon and wounded warrior projects, and volunteering for public project services such as youth challenge and habitat for humanity. congressional funding through the national guard and reserve equipment account has been essential to the air national guard for fulfilling both its federal and state missions. air national guard f-16 and a-10 squadrons deployed to afghanistan with lightning generation 4 targeting pods for the first time as a direct result of ngria funding. the funds were also used to install allowing air national guard units to train and develop tactics and procedures for cyberwarfare without disrupting networks used to accomplish day to day missions. while the fy '13 budget has challenges for the air national guard, it also has opportunities, and we adjusted our priorities to take full advantage of those opportunities. the air national guard's priorities in preparing this budget were, number one, posture

the air national guard by aligning for size and composition to be flexible, agile and ready with special attention to new missions such as the mc-12 and remotely piloted aircraft. number two, maintaining a combat ready force able to quickly surge and a integrate seamlessly into joint operations, and number three, repairing units broken by the previous base closure and realignment process and recent programing changes. in conclusion, mr. chairman, thank you. i'm grateful to be here, and i look forward to answering any questions that you and the committee may have for me. thank you very much, sir. >> thank you very much, gentlemen. gentlemen ingram? >> chairman inouye, ranking member cochran, members of the subcommittee, it's an month nor to be with you today representing the 358,000 citizen soldiers of the air national guard. the patriotism and sacrifice of these soldiers, their families and their employers is a source

of great pride for all americans. we're now the best manned, best led, best trained, best equipped, and most experienced force in our 357-year history. and it's congressional support for the army national guard that has contributed to our transformation and enhanced our readiness. as a result, the army national guard is a ready and reliable force, fully accessible for contingencies both at home and abroad. we provide equipped, trained soldiers, giving the president and the governors maximum flexibility in times of crisis. we're an operational force and a full partner with the active army. since september 11th, 2001, the army national guard has completed over a half million soldier mobilizations in support of domestic operations in overseas missions. we currently have 29,000 army national guard soldiers

mobilized. last year in fy-'11, 45,000 army national guardsmen were deployed in support of ongoing missions around the world. as an operational force, the army national guard provides a cost-effective solution to meet the new strategic guidance. for 12.43% of the army's budget, the army national guard provides 39% of the army's operating forces. our soldiers represent nearly every zip code in the nation. they play a vital role as the department of defense first responder for natural disasters and terrorist attacks on our soil. today's army national guard soldiers continue the pride tradition of service to their states and to our nation. in 2011 alone, it was the citizen soldiers who provided

900,000 duty days of support across our nation. that's the second largest domestic response since 9/11. since hurricane katrina. we are attracting skilled soldiers and future leaders. with the nation at war as a backdrop, our year to date enlistment rate for fy-'12 is in excess of 95%. but our retention rate exceeds 130%. so we are meeting our authorized in-strength of 358,000. the army national guard is equipping to meet 21st century challenges through your support of the necessary resourcing for modernization. our 28 brigade combat teams that includes one stryker brigade, our aviation brigades and our two special forces groups well equipped. we understand our readiness

level, however, is dependent on the level of resourcing that we receive. the overall army national guard equipment on hand for our deployable units is currently at 88%. an increase over two years ago when we were at 85%. our critical dual use equipment on hand is at 92%, an increase from 86% two years ago. and a significant increase from the 65% it was during hurricane katrina. from december 2011 through june 2013, the army national guard is programmed to receive over 120,000 pieces of equipment from army procurement funding. army national guard armories are actually the foundation of our readiness. we have facilities in 2899

communities across the 50 states, the territories and the district. providing quality facilities, however, is an ongoing challenge. more than 46% of our armories are over 50 years old. many are unable to meet the needs of the 21st century operational force, while failing to meet modern building standards, and especially in terms of energy efficiency. the army national guard continues to make suicide prevention a top priority. our soldiers are our most precious resource. we are addressing high-risk behaviors and suicidal tendencies through preventative measures, comprehensive training, and a range of intervention programs. in addition, we're addressing sexual harassment and assault response and prevention through an aggressive training program executed at the state level. it's crucial that these behavioral health programs receive funding in our base

budget. in closing, i acknowledge the continued support that you have demonstrated through the budget process in program planning for an operational national guard through 2015. i want to express the army national guard's sincere appreciation of the critical role your committee plays in resourcing and sustaining the most capable national guard that our nation has ever had. i appreciate the privilege of being here and invite your questions. >> thank you very much, general ingram. general mckinley and general wyatt. as i indicated in my opening remarks, this past march, the air force announced structure changes and end strength reductions. and the greatest reductions were in the air guard. 5100 billets lost.

my question is were you involved in reaching this final decision? were you consulted? what was your involvement? >> senator, i think i'll let bud talk to the tactical process by which the air force works its corporate process. and traditionally in the national guard, the two directors have been totally involved with their services in how the budgets are built and how they're briefed. i will tell you that as chief, i was involved in the final deliberations discussions in the december time frame at which time i expressed certainly our corporate view on behalf of the adjtants general, on the outcome that the air force was pursuing. and then following the holidays, a number of meetings with both secretary panetta, chairman dempsey, general schwartz, and secretary donnelly to continue to work out the end game

strategies. i think you've had general schwartz and secretary donnelly here to talk about their overall views of the size of the air force, that it's the smallest air force in history. recapitalization is a major issue for our air force. and as general wyatt will tell you, and i'm sure general stener will tell you, that our air force and its strength cascades to its reserve component, both air national guard and the air force reserve. so i'll let general wyatt cover the corporate process that you're alluding to with your question, and then take any follow-up questions you may have about our involvement. >> general wyatt? >> mr. chairman, the air force decision-making process as we put together budgets is commonly referred to as the air force corporate process. and it has several different steps along the way, beginning at the action officer, going up through the one star, two star level, which is the board level. the council level is three star. and recommendations are

presented to the chief and the secretary at the four star level. i was able to participate. my staff was able to participate all along the way. we were encouraged to make our inputs, and we did so. in fact, we exercised that encouragement rather vociferously inside the process. we did present alternatives to the air force, alternatives to the 13 pb as it officially came out. i think general schwartz has accurately described the process when he said that there were very difficult decisions for the air force to make. he encouraged open debate. i engaged openly in that debate and made my inputs. but in the end, the final decision is left to the chief and the secretary. and many of the recommendations and alternatives that we proposed were not adopted. but we respect the difficult decisions that the chief and the secretary had to make. and once those decisions are

made as title 10 officers, we need to recognize that fact and salute and proceed forward. >> but you were able to make an input? >> we made several inputs, sir. several alternatives, different ways of meeting the budget and the operational demands of the air force, some of which were accepted. a lot of which were not. >> thank you very much. general ingram, during calendar year 2011, we would have been advised that 98 guardsmen took their own lives. can you tell us is happening? >> chairman, any soldier that -- or any person that takes their own life is a tragic experience. in the case of the army national guard, we're citizen soldiers,

and i don't have the exact statistics of how many of the soldiers in the army national guard that committed suicide. had never deployed, but there were quite a few. i'm not sure whether the citizen or the soldier committed suicide. in some cases, and we do a very thorough after action look at each case, and in those cases, we take steps to prevent that from happening again. we use that in our training. we use -- and we've increased the level of training in suicide prevention. but it's an american problem as well as an army problem as well

as an army national guard problem. and we're going to great lengths to prevent our soldiers either having suicidal tendencies or actually committing the act. >> thank you very much. may i call upon senator kaufman. >> mr. chairman, thank you. general mckinley, the air force's restructure plan suggests that reductions in air guard, in personnel, and in aircraft ought to be undertaken. you describe in your testimony the enhanced use of guard forces that would provide capability in overseas missions. looking at our recent experience in libya, there were air force personnel and aircraft involved in the no-fly zone strategy. tell us what your impressions were of those who were engaged

in that operation, what changes, if any need to be made in terms of support for funding of different activities or equipment, acquisition in light of those experiences. >> you rightfully point out, senator cochran, that the air force is uniquely positioned to utilize its reserve component effectively and efficiently. for the entire period of time that i've been in the national guard, there has always been a close personal relationship between our active force and its guard and its reserve. that led to the capability that general wyatt may want to discuss a little bit more intimately involved in the tanker mission and the mission that supported the no-fly zone in libya. to rapidly get volunteers in our communities who are associated with the requirement out of their civilian jobs to their units in a voluntary status so

we didn't need to mobilize, and we got them overseas in record time, and they participated in the full unified protector mission, as you allude to. and that's been a tradition. it's been a core competency of our air force, its relationship with its guard and reserve for the last four decades. so i'm very proud of that. i don't think our air force can survive without the close cooperation and collaboration of its reserve component. i've heard both secretary donnelly and general schwartz make those comments in public. i'll let general wyatt talk about the numbers, types of equipment that actually deployed, how quickly they deployed, and how effectively they were used by the nato command in the successful prosecution of the libyan operation. >> general wyatt? >> senator cochran, i mentioned a little bit about the time frame of the response early on. i will tell you especially in the refueling portion of odyssey

dawn, it was a joint effort with the active component, the guard and the reserve. the guard and reserve actually had over 50% of the refueling capability in theater. the expeditionary wing was commanded by an air guardsman out of pennsylvania. the integration of the three components in the air force i think is a model, primarily because we're trained to the same standards. we use the same equipment. that's the way we fight. that's the way we train and fight. as we go forward in the future, i think the key for the air force to maintain the capacity and capability and continue reliance upon the reserve component guard and reserve is a couple of things. number one is the guard and reserve have to be fielded to the new equipment at the same time with the current active component in representative numbers so that we can continue to be an operational force that

can be called upon on a moment's notice. i would remind everyone that there was no mobilization authority available for odyssey dawn for the libya no-fly zone. 100% of the guardsmen and reservists that showed up for that engagement were volunteers. the key, besides new equipment, fielded concurrently and in a balanced fashion, proportional fashion across the reserve components. the other key is in the baseline budget of the air force, there has to be sufficient mpa days to allow the operational use of the guard and the reserve. as an organized training equipped organization, i believe general stenner would back me up on this, the air force adequately funds us to be able to train and equip. but to be able to use us in operational missions around the world, they need sufficient mpa days so we can be