mr. fontaine. >> thank you very much for granting me the opportunity to testify today. i'm honored to take part in this hearing. my testimony today is based on a report called "contracting and conflicts: the path to reform." in this report, i discuss possible solutions to many of the poblems that have plagued the contracting process. the entire report is available for download on our website. our report proceeds from the realization that when our nation goes to war, contractors go it. the invasion of afghanistan together with the march 2003 invasion of iraq saw an increase in the size and scope of contracted support on the battleffeld that is unprecedented. but the system in which this contrting takes place has not caught up with the new reality. as america's dependence on contractors is likely to continue, the need for reform is prsing. my written testimony details many recommendations we've made to move down the path to reform. i'd like to highlight a few that are particularly important. first, e