Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Hearing

Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Cochran, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to present an update on the United States Navy Reserve. I have had the honor of leading over 61,000 dedicated Reserve Sailors over the past year and a half, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you on their strategic and operational importance as a part of the Navy's Total Force. Navy Reserve Sailors live and serve in every state and territory and are also deployed forward at sea and ashore to every theater. I am honored to appear here today to represent them and on their behalf would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for the support you continue to provide.

Next spring, we will recognize a significant milestone as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Navy Reserve. Our beginnings actually predate 1915, as citizen Sailors augmented the Continental Navy during the first days of our Republic. Our role expanded during WWII, a conflict in which five future U.S. presidents served in the Navy Reserve. Today's Navy is structured and operating as a fully aligned and integrated Total Force where the Reserve Component (RC) provides critical capability and surge support at tremendous value. The Reserve Component accounts for approximately 15% of the Navy's military end strength at just over 6% of the Navy's total military personnel cost.

Every year in the planning, programming and budgeting process, Navy leadership analyzes force structure and capabilities. Where periodic and predictable missions align with operational prudence, the Navy tasks the Reserve Component, in whole or in part, with execution of these missions. Reserve Sailors are used in augmenting, mirroring, or complementary roles depending on the type of mission, required response timeline, and associated costs.

In January 2014, we published our annual Navy Reserve Strategic Plan, embodying concepts that are in alignment with the Chief of Naval Operations' Sailing Directions. This plan also outlines the Navy Reserve's mission, vision, and strategic focus areas:

Mission: The mission of the Navy Reserve is to deliver strategic depth and operational capability to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Forces.

Vision: The Navy Reserve provides essential naval warfighting capabilities and expertise, strategically aligned with mission requirements - valued for our readiness, innovation, and agility.

Strategic Focus Areas: 1) Deliver a Ready and Accessible Force; 2) Provide Valued Capabilities; and 3) Enable the Service of Our Sailors and Civilians.

The Navy Reserve Strategic Focus areas are purposefully derived from the CNO's Tenets: Warfighting First, Operate Forward, and Be Ready. As an integral part of the Navy, we continue to be fully committed to these guiding principles and focus our resources to align with the CNO's strategic vision. The Navy Reserve routinely and deliberately focuses on Total Force alignment and integration with the Active Component (AC). The result is a Navy manned by Active and Reserve Shipmates serving steadfastly alongside each other - Sailors who have distinct skills and strengths, but whose commitment and patriotism are indistinguishable.

Warfighting First: Deliver a Ready and Accessible Force

Reserve Sailors are deployed in every theater supporting the ability to deter, influence and win during this era of uncertainty. Since 11 September 2001, the Navy Reserve has completed 70,060 mobilizations in support of contingency operations around the world. These requirements were filled by 54,476 Selected Reserve Sailors, with 22% (12,218) supporting multiple mobilizations. In FY-13, 4,360 Sailors were mobilized in support of Global Force Management Allocation Plan (GFMAP) Combatant Commander (CCDR) requirements - a level of operational support that constitutes 78% of the Navy's Individual Augmentation (IA) effort. As U.S. force levels adjust in Afghanistan, the Navy Reserve will mobilize to fill most of the remaining IA requirements, allowing AC Sailors to fill critical sea duty billets. In FY-14, we estimate 2,650 Reserve Sailors will be mobilized to support 81% of the Total Force IA commitment.

On any given day, approximately 25% of Sailors serving in the Navy Reserve are providing operational support to AC commands. Our Reserve Force remains flexible, responsive, and innovative - attributes that will continue to provide a solid foundation for the Navy's focus on putting Warfighting First. PB-15 will allow the Reserve Component to continue to provide the following operational capabilities:

Expeditionary. Mirroring AC force structure in the RC provides surge capability that increases Total Force capacity. Sailors assigned to Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) represent the single largest community of Sailors mobilized in 2013. They have served brilliantly in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) conducting a variety of missions. RC Seabees serve across Afghanistan providing critical combat construction support and conducting training missions building partner nation capacity. Seasoned RC Sailors in our Seabee Battalions bring the added benefits of valuable civilian skill sets, experience and maturity. Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group supports the multi-modal retrograde of rolling stock, containers, and equipment from Afghanistan to ports in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Oman. Coastal Riverine Squadrons provide command and control and waterside/landward protection to U.S. Navy installations and other designated high-value assets in selected CENTCOM and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) ports.

Naval Special Warfare (NSW). SEAL Teams 17 and 18 provide Special Operations capabilities to CCDRs by deploying SEAL, Special Warfare Combatant Craft (SWCC) and combat service support personnel to support Theater Special Operations Commands. Of specific note, the role of women in the NSW community is expanding. Reserve Female Support Technicians are a vital augment to Navy SEAL Teams and are currently deployed to Afghanistan. The maturity, continuity, and expertise of our Reserve Sailors provide a unique capability for the NSW community as these Sailors operate throughout every CCDR AOR.

Rotary Wing Aviation. The Reserve Component provides rotary wing squadrons that deliver key capabilities to the fleet and Combatant Commanders. HSC-84 and 85 currently provide standing crisis response detachments in support of Naval Special Warfare and joint special operations forces in the CENTCOM and PACOM AORs. HSL-60 is the Navy Reserve's only Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) Mark-III squadron and deploys SH-60B helicopters aboard surface combatants in support of fleet requirements. Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadrons, HM-14 and HM-15, are AC squadrons that employ a composite AC/RC force structure. Flying the MH-53E Super Stallion, their rapidly deployable airborne mine countermeasures capability is necessary for crisis response to any location in the world where a mine threat may exist.

Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aviation. Reserve Maritime Patrol squadrons (VP-62 and VP-69) flying P-3 Orion aircraft have been mobilized and deployed to meet PACOM GFMAP requirements. Fulfilling operational commitments normally met by AC units, this forward presence is helping enable the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) transition to the P-8 Poseidon. The squadrons operate in support of missions including Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR), Anti-Submarine Warfare, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) sorties throughout the Western Pacific region.

Navy Air Logistics. The Navy Unique Fleet Essential Airlift (NUFEA) community provides the air logistics capability that resides exclusively in the Reserve Component. This mission is conducted using C-40A, C-130T, C-9B, and C-20G cargo and passenger aircraft. NUFEA is a force multiplier providing flexible, responsive, and efficient logistics capability to support the Navy's forward presence around the globe. In FY-13 NUFEA transported 23 million pounds of cargo and 118,000 personnel resulting in an estimated cost avoidance of $900M compared to alternative DoD/commercial transportation options.

The C-40A Clipper cargo and passenger aircraft showcased its capabilities by executing the first Littoral Combat Ship "Crew Swap" mission, traveling over 8,000 miles in 25 hours to transport 76 USS FREEDOM (LCS-1) Core and Surface Warfare Mission Module crew members to Singapore. Additionally, Navy C-40A crews delivered a load of time-sensitive, safe-for-flight replacement components for grounded Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets in CENTCOM within 72 hours of the grounding, minimizing the operational impact.

Reserve Information Technology (IT) Skill-Diversity. RC Sailors bring the unmatched benefit of their skills and experience from civilian careers. Over the past year, RC Sailors used their civilian IT security certifications to train and qualify Active Component personnel as Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Security professionals. Leveraging Reserve Component expertise in this manner helps enable Navy's compliance with DoD IT directives.

Operate Forward: Provide Valued Capabilities

Reserve Sailors provide surge capacity and valued capabilities throughout the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Force. Our Sailors continue to actively seek opportunities to gain knowledge and experience while supporting operational needs. The RC delivers additional value by fulfilling periodic and predictable requirements which releases Active Component manpower to focus on other emergent operational demands.

Information Dominance. Reserve Sailors serving in the Information Dominance Corps Reserve Command (IDCRC) bring relevant civilian expertise to the Navy. This unique RC benefit greatly enhances Navy's ability to achieve superiority in the information domain. The IDCRC brings together Sailors across multiple communities - Intelligence, Information Warfare, Cyber Warfare, Information Professionals, Space Cadre, and Oceanography - to provide operational advantages by integrating functions, capabilities, and resources. This collaborative environment produces a synergy that fosters forward-thinking innovation, helps optimize decision making and maximizes operational effects. These Sailors can provide direct front line operational support from Joint Reserve Intelligence Centers (JRICs) across the nation. Whether providing reach back capability or forward deployed support, IDCRC Sailors provide critical analysis and awareness to Joint and Navy commands and combat support agencies.

Aviation Training. The process-oriented, programmatic approach to Naval Aviation training capitalizes on seasoned prior-service aviators. In addition to on-demand surge capacity, fleet experienced Reserve aviators bring stability, continuity, and corporate knowledge to the training environment. Embedding RC instructors in Fleet Replacement Squadrons provides a scalable, responsive, and cost-effective production capacity.

Within the Naval Air Training Command, Reserve instructor pilots and flight officers are fully integrated into Active Component training squadrons and have proven essential in the production of Naval Aviators for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. In FY-13, Navy Reserve aviators comprised approximately 13% of the Instructor Pilot population and provided 20% of the instructional flight hours. This translates to over 52,900 hours directly supporting multiple Carrier Qualification, Weapons, Familiarization, and Formation detachments.

Four Reserve squadrons provide over 80% of the Navy's dedicated Red Air support. They also provide current operations intelligence briefs to Fleet personnel, keeping our deploying forces abreast of the most recent developments in threat aircraft, equipment, and pilot tactics. Using their significant tactical aviation expertise and experience, these RC aviators fly legacy F/A-18 and F-5 aircraft simulating modern airborne threats in order to prepare fleet aviators for the rigors of air-to-air combat. Support sorties span the full spectrum of combat aviation preparation from Unit Level Training, Fleet Replacement Pilot instruction, Carrier Air Wing pre-deployment exercises, and TOP GUN Red Air instruction.

Religious Ministry support. Navy Reserve Chaplains and Religious Program Specialists fill both a complementary role as the sole source of religious program support to the Marine Forces Reserve and an augment role by supporting the Navy'sChaplain Corps. Religious Ministry Teams are embedded into every level of command throughout the Marine Corps and are assigned to lead prevention efforts in critical areas such as Sexual Assault, Suicide, and Domestic Violence. These teams also provide surge capacity to the Chaplain Corps for the full range of religious ministry requirements.

Strategic Sealift Officers (SSO). Reserve Sailors in the Strategic Sealift community are prime examples of an operationalized strategic asset. These professionals leverage their civilian skills, experience, and best practices to enable strategically important wartime logistics missions while minimizing manpower costs. Strategic Sealift Officers (SSOs) are a Navy Reserve community of professional mariners with vital specialized skills and experience essential in supporting national defense sealift requirements and capabilities. These alumni of maritime academies throughout the country serve in the maritime industry while meeting their military obligation in the Navy Reserve after graduation. The knowledge and experience these Reserve Sailors bring to the table does not exist elsewhere in the Navy - they are unique force multipliers and innovation enablers.

Crisis Response and Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA). Reserve augmentation units throughout the fleet provide staffs with pre-planned and on-demand surge capacity in times of high workload, such as major exercises and crisis response. The Reserve Component often brings area expertise, continuity, and operational planning skills. When international concern mounted over the potential use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, Reserve Component Officers surged forward to support U.S. European Command (EUCOM) planning efforts within 72 hours of notification. Reserve Sailors supported Expeditionary Strike Group SEVEN when they were called upon to conduct Operation DAMAYAN, providing HA/DR following the devastating typhoon in the Philippines. This planning and staff augmentation capability is also regularly employed in response to domestic tasking. Reserve Officers serve as Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers (NEPLO) to provide support, information, and situational awareness to State and Regional Commanders during emergency events. Supporting Navy's role in conducting HA/DR and Defense Support to Civil Authorities, Reserve NEPLOs surge in response to national tasking and provide a low-cost alternative to full-time manning.

Waterfront Ship Maintenance. Reserve Sailors provide routine support maintaining damage control and electrical internal communications systems and performing corrosion control. By augmenting AC crews during planned preventative maintenance efforts, RC Sailors increase command maintenance capacity. This is especially beneficial in a constrained fiscal environment where these efforts enable AC crew members to spend more time conducting operational training and maintaining appropriate levels of readiness.

Sustaining Forward Presence. PB-15 will allow the RC to continue providing forward presence in support of sustaining new and innovative platforms like the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB). USS PONCE, the first AFSB in CENTCOM, is employing a balanced manpower solution where the Reserve Component is filling a large portion of the required billets. RC Sailors are serving in many aspects of the ship's mission, from running air operations to providing intelligence analysis.

Navy Reserve Medicine. Reserve Component medical professionals are a critical component of the Navy's health care delivery system. Leveraging cutting edge civilian expertise and skills, members of the Navy Reserve medical team bring valuable experience and exceptional abilities that increase readiness. Navy Reserve Medicine provides long-term support to overseas contingency operations, operational support to HA/DR missions, and is structured to optimize surge response and maximize support to the Active Component.

Military Funeral Honors. Navy Reserve Sailors are deeply embedded foundational members of communities across the country. In this role they are the Navy's ambassadors to the citizens whose lives they have sworn to protect. Operating out of our 122 Navy Operational Support Centers, Navy Reserve Sailors provide a majority of Navy funeral honors and chaplaincy support in all 50 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. In FY-13 RC Sailors played a pivotal role in paying tribute to our deceased veterans by providing Military Funeral Honors on behalf of a grateful nation at over 35,000 funerals.

Be Ready: Enable the Service of Our Sailors, Civilians and Families

"Ready Now. Anytime. Anywhere." Our motto is a pledge to our Sailors, our Navy and our Nation that we will provide trained and ready Sailors when and where needed. Though the majority of our Sailors serve in uniform on a part time basis, they live the Navy core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment every day. We are committed to providing these Sailors the Quality of Service tools, including resources and training, that enable them to succeed. Also critical to that success is the support of their families and employers. Our Sailors are able to succeed in their assigned missions because of the strong support and resources they receive. The current fiscal environment necessitates that we continue to assess and focus our efforts on how we train and how we best support the Total Force.

Enabling Operational Training. PB-15 provides discretionary RPN (Reserve Personnel, Navy) funding, in the form of Active Duty for Training (ADT) funds, that is the primary catalyst of a trained and ready Navy Reserve force. The Navy Reserve primarily employs ADT funds to improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our Sailors. This training can have the added benefit of providing operational support to the Active Component, thereby enhancing the Total Force concept. ADT funds can be quickly re-allocated so Reserve Sailors can meet emergent needs and fill critical fleet gaps. Maintaining funding levels for Discretionary RPN has a direct correlation to maintaining operational support to the Total Force.

Reserve Facilities Programs. The Navy Reserve is a tenant at over 45 installations, maximizing taxpayer value by sharing facilitates wherever possible. Our Military Construction (MILCON) and Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) programs consist of important projects throughout the Navy Reserve Force. Investments include direct support to operational missions such as a new C-40A aircraft hangar, two new Joint Reserve Intelligence Centers, base security upgrades, and airfield pavement repairs. It also includes other facility investments including replacing two antiquated and inefficient facilities with new Navy Operational Support Centers (NOSCs) and comprehensive repairs to several older NOSCs. These programs are vital to readiness and morale and provide significant improvements in force protection compliance, facility condition and configuration, and energy efficiency.

Information Technology (IT) Initiatives. The Navy Reserve continues to be a leader in IT innovation, having recently fielded initiatives that improved connectivity, communication, and collaboration capabilities like the deployment of commercial Wi-Fi capability to our Navy Operational Support Centers and other Navy Reserve facilities. Continuing our efforts to better support our Sailors, we have implemented a second phase to increase bandwidth and create additional access points at high demand locations. This year we are piloting a commercial cloud capability which has the potential to significantly improve secure access to Navy computing resources from personal devices. These transformative IT delivery avenues will provide increased efficiency, effectiveness, and security, thereby improving Quality of Service for our Sailors.

Continuum of Service. The Navy's missions are accomplished through the combined efforts of Active and Reserve Sailors, and the Continuum of Service provides opportunities to adjust a Navy career to suit changing life circumstances and personal goals. Sailors can transition between full time active duty (365 days per year) and part-time reserve duty (minimum one weekend per month and two weeks per year) through a range of programs. Continuum of Service tools are designed to smooth the transition between the Active and Reserve Components and within units of the Navy Reserve. The Career Navigator Program and support programs such as Transition, Goals, Plans, Success (Transition-GPS) enable the Continuum of Service, ultimately allowing the Navy to retain our most valuable assets - experienced Sailors.

Career Navigator Program. The Career Navigator Program debuted in 2013, giving our enlisted Sailors the tools to plan and execute career decisions faster and more efficiently than ever before. Career Navigator supports key Sailor career decisions by employing a group of IT systems including Career Waypoints (formerly Fleet RIDE), Career Management System-Interactive Detailing (CMS-ID), Career Information Management System (CIMS), and Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS). Career Waypoints provides Sailors a single point of access to: communicate intentions to reenlist; view opportunities for rating conversion or reclassification; view opportunities and apply for transition between the Active Component and Reserve Component; and receive approval to apply for billet assignment. Eventually, Career Waypoints will encompass a Sailor Portal, providing an online window for Sailors to be able to review their career information, take career interest inventory, explore their career options, view their enlistment applications, and access career development tools. In addition to making it easier for Sailors to manage their careers, our ability to balance the force is expedited as we are now able to electronically process applications for Reserve Component Sailors to fill critically undermanned Active Component billets and for shifting manning to cover high priority Reserve jobs.

Transition, Goals, Plans, Success (Transition-GPS). We also fulfill our commitment to Sailors returning from mobilization by equipping them with a roadmap to a smooth transition back to civilian life through the Transition-GPS program. Transition-GPS is a critical part of the plan to reduce veteran unemployment through the Vow to Hire Heroes Act and is a DoD Total Force program that includes: pre-separation counseling; a military-to-civilian skills review; a Department of Veterans Affairs benefits briefing; financial planning support; a Department of Labor workshop on job search skills and resume preparation; and a tailored individual transition plan. Full program implementation began in 2013 with the Navy Reserve coordinating with the staffs of Navy Mobilization Processing Sites (NMPS) and Fleet and Family Support Centers to optimize scheduling and participation in the five-day classroom curriculum. We are committed to continually improving our execution of the program as we integrate this concept into the Reserve military life cycle.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Employers are a key pillar of support for our Reserve Sailors. By partnering with ESGR we are able to develop synergy in connecting with, educating, and thanking employers in order to strengthen support for Reserve service. Every year we recognize employers who provide extraordinary support to their Navy Reserve employees. The Navy Reserve Employer Recognition Event showcases the Navy's capabilities and highlights the essential nature of the contributions provided by their employees during periods of military service. Employers have the opportunity to interact with Reserve Sailors and view equipment to learn about the capabilities in the expeditionary, special operations, surface, and aviation communities. The day's activities also give us the opportunity to recognize them for their commitment to the service of their citizen-Sailor employees.

Yellow Ribbon. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) provides our Sailors and their families with deployment and reintegration information to assist them in meeting the challenges associated with mobilization. In collaboration with our partners which include ESGR, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and community-based networks of care, the YRRP provides information, referrals and outreach to military members, their families, employers and immediate support network. Our flagship program under the YRRP is the Navy Reserve's Returning Warrior Workshop (RWW). The RWW is a post-deployment event that facilitates the reintegration process for Reserve Sailors and their spouse or designated individual of their choice. The RWW honors the sacrifices of service members and their families and can identify psychological health issues to connect Sailors with needed follow-on care. This Navy program has been described as a "best practice" within the DoD YRRP and has served over 14,000 attendees since 2008. Always looking for innovative ways to make it easier for Sailors and families to serve, the Navy Reserve recently produced the "Deployment and Transition Guide," a tool that provides significant breadth and depth of information to prepare Sailors and their families for all phases of a military deployment. If history is a reliable indicator of the future, the need for reintegration programs will outlast the conflicts that precipitate the requirement.

Suicide Prevention. The Navy Reserve is committed to suicide prevention and education. We have implemented a comprehensive series of programs to foster resiliency and encourage bystander intervention, and reduce the stigma associated with seeking help. We are encouraged that suicides declined 50% among Reserve Sailors from 2012 to 2013 and that at-risk Sailors are more frequently seeking help. The Psychological Health Outreach Program (PHOP) ensures that Reserve Sailors and their family members understand the psychological health care services available. PHOP Outreach Teams educate and equip Reserve Sailors and family members as they interact during site visits. They also support Returning Warrior Workshops and maintain regular contact with recently demobilized Sailors.

Sexual Assault Prevention. The Navy Reserve engages in a wide variety of initiatives to improve readiness and prevent subversive and destructive behavior. Our sexual assault prevention program remains one of our most important initiatives. Our message is unwavering and persistent - sexual assault has no place in the Navy's culture of honor, courage, and commitment. We have appointed a full-time program manager to provide oversight and coordination for our Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) initiatives. Our Sailors have led and participated in prevention and response training at all levels: SAPR-Fleet, SAPR-Leadership, General Military training, and a SAPR stand-down. This training is embedded in our leadership courses and prioritized at all levels of the chain-of-command. Commanding Officers are directed to have a Command Climate Survey within 90 days of assuming command and they are required to review the results with their reporting senior and brief unit members. There is still work to be done, but we are making progress in breaking down barriers to reporting within the Navy Reserve. Sexual assault is unacceptable within our ranks, and we remain committed to eradicating it from our Force. We are ensuring any sexual assault cases are handled by the military justice system in a timely, fair and effective manner and we are committed to meeting the needs of victims while respecting their rights and preferences.

Manning Our Force

Our most important asset is our people. Recruitment and retention of quality Sailors continues to be a high priority for the Navy Reserve. The demands of the Fleet require an aggressive strategy to provide the proper inventory of trained and ready personnel. Despite a 31% reduction in end strength over the past 10 years, the Navy Reserve continues to fill critical roles in Navy's Total Force mission across almost every designator and rating. Successful recruiting and retention strategies are vital in attracting and retaining the right skill sets and talent to support the Navy's needs. These efforts focus on matching individual qualifications to billet requirements and are supported by a targeted and tiered bonus structure.

Recruiting. In FY-13, Navy Recruiting achieved success in Selected Reserve enlisted recruiting programs, but did not meet RC officer goals in the Unrestricted Line (URL) and Medical Corps communities. Navy Recruiting attained 77% of the overall general officer recruiting and 75% of the RC Medical Department officer goals. Strong AC retention equates to smaller numbers of officers leaving active duty which significantly reduces the prior service pool, the RC's primary source for URL officers. In some Restricted Line and Staff Corps communities, Direct Commission Officer (DCO) programs have been extremely successful in recruiting officers with no prior service to supplement the pool of officers leaving active duty.

Accessing Health Care Professionals remains our greatest recruiting challenge. Thanks to past Congressional action, the Navy Reserve has authority to expend resources to attract and retain these officers for critically undermanned wartime specialties. However, lack of awareness about Reserve service, impact of mobilizations on medical practices, and significant income loss during military service continue to hinder medical officer recruiting.

Retention. We are encouraged to see high retention rates across the Navy Reserve Force. We gauge retention by quantitatively monitoring attrition, and current attrition rates are more than 2% below the previous five year average. In FY-13, officer attrition was 10.18% and enlisted attrition was 17.15%. The first quarter of FY-14 indicates similar performance can be anticipated, as we are observing very similar attrition rates. The Navy Reserve is able to manage planned Officer and Enlisted reductions through voluntary means by reducing total accessions below natural attrition and focusing special/incentive pays to shape manning in critically undermanned ratings and designators.

Special Bonus and Incentive Pay. A Selective Reenlistment Bonus is used to improve retention of Enlisted Sailors in targeted specialties, while affiliation and enlistment bonuses are used to recruit Sailors in targeted ratings and specialties from both prior service veterans and direct accessions of non-prior service recruits. Officer accession and affiliation bonuses and Special Pays (to include Special Pay for the retention of Healthcare Professionals) are used to maintain or increase inventory by targeting undermanned pay grades in critical and undermanned skill sets. Additionally, Navy has received "critical" designation for Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) officers, authorizing a limited Critical Skills Retention Bonus in an effort to further reduce attrition. This authority is especially important today because the accession pool for Reserve URL officers, such as those in the SEAL communities, is predominantly limited to previously designated officers leaving active duty and is directly impacted by high Active Component retention.

Equipping Our Force

The Reserve Force depends on modernized and well-maintained equipment to accomplish our assigned missions. To that end, I would like to personally thank the Committee for the support you provide to the Navy Reserve. In FY-15, we will accept delivery of two C40As, bringing our total inventory to 14 aircraft, and a 15th C-40A will be delivered in FY-17. The procurement of two additional aircraft is needed to fulfill the risk-adjusted requirement of 17 C-40As, which will allow the Navy to complete the divestiture of aging, inefficient, and costly C-9B and C-20G legacy aircraft. The Navy Reserve C-40A cargo and passenger aircraft program places the Fleet closer to realizing a more capable and cost-effective lift capability.

Looking to the Future

Today's Navy Reserve serves as a hedge against uncertainty by providing agility, capability and capacity to the Total Force - delivering ready and capable Sailors where it matters, when it matters. The Navy relies on its Reserve Component as a dependable source of strength to mitigate risk and offset cost whether augmenting warfighting requirements overseas, supporting major contingencies at home, or providing enduring core capabilities. We will continue to evaluate integration of effort, and the balance of roles and responsibilities between Active and Reserve components as the Navy rebalances toward the Asia-Pacific.

Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). With the addition of LCS to the Fleet, Reserve Sailors are providing waterfront seaframe maintenance, security, watchstanding, Mission Module support, and LCS Squadron logistics and administrative support to the Navy's newest ships. They are also engaged in Train-to-Qualify (T2Q) pipeline training onboard LCS seaframes. As the LCS fleet grows, Navy Reserve will add additional support capacity.

Cyber. Cyber operations are a core component of each of the three pillars identified in the Navy's Information Dominance Strategy. Reserve Cyber operational support teams are at the forefront of their field, participating in exercises that shape the defense of critical national infrastructure and key resources. Additionally, Reserve Sailors continue to actively develop and test pre-planned responses to cyber threats, preparing fleet Sailors to properly and reliably respond to various scenarios. The Navy Reserve will continue to leverage the skills of all our Information Dominance professionals and will look for opportunities to further strengthen AC/RC integration within the Information Dominance Corps.

Unmanned Systems. As the Navy continues to introduce unmanned systems to the fleet, the Reserve Component offers cost effective solutions for this mission. Reserve Sailors have been mobilized in support of Tigershark/Copperhead UAS conducting counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) missions in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. We have also been providing support to the Persistent Ground Surveillance System (PGSS) which provides Forward Operating Base ISR coverage at sites throughout Afghanistan.

The Navy has already integrated Reserve Component manpower in the Fire Scout program and is currently developing plans for the MQ-4C Triton. The periodic and predictable nature of Triton's operating construct is particularly well suited for the Navy Reserve. Utilizing RC manpower can provide flexibility, on-demand surge capacity, and potentially reduce personnel and operating costs through pragmatic and innovative solutions. We stand ready to fill roles in all areas of unmanned systems.

Aviation Force Structure. Within the arena of manned systems, in addition to the requirement to complete the recapitalization of the Air Logistics fleet, other areas of specific focus are Airborne Electronic Attack and Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance. Reserve Component aviators developed and led training in support of the MPRF Active Component's P-8 transition utilizing their extensive commercial Boeing 737 experience. We will continue to seek further opportunities to utilize these highly skilled aviators in a more operational role. VAQ-209, formerly an EA-6B Prowler Squadron, completed a homeport shift to NAS Whidbey Island in order to align more closely to the Navy's base for AEA force structure. They are currently completing their transition to the EA-18G Growler and will deploy in support of CCDR requirements on the FY-15 GFMAP.

High Value Unit Escort. The High Value Unit (HVU) escort mission involves providing protection for vessels as they transit in and out of port. The Navy is assuming this mission from the U.S. Coast Guard, leveraging the capabilities of RC Sailors assigned to NECC's Coastal Riverine Force. This Reserve Component solution is enabling the Navy's previously scheduled AC units to maintain their established operational deployment schedule. Beginning in FY-15, the Navy Reserve is expected to expand our HVU escort mission to additional stateside ports.

Joint High Speed Vessel. Reserve Sailors are serving as the Military Detachment Headquarters providing command and control (C2) capability in support of USNS SPEARHEAD's three-month maiden deployment. As the C2 element for 80+ Active Component Sailors and Marines, these Reserve Sailors will work in concert with SPEARHEAD's crew of civilian mariners conducting a variety of missions within the EUCOM and AFRICOM AORs. This ad hoc solution showcases the versatility and adaptability of the RC in supporting evolving missions.

Conclusion

For almost a century the Navy Reserve has answered the nation's call. Today's Navy Reserve Sailors continue to serve as a force multiplier and have been relied upon to support a wide spectrum of mission areas across the globe. The Navy Reserve remains postured to be the go-to force for integrating and augmenting the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Forces. The President's FY-15 budget request provides resources to support a Navy Reserve force structure of 57,300 Sailors. We will continue to seek opportunities to further align Active and Reserve force structure, manpower, and missions, leverage the unique advantages found in the Reserve Component, and enhance Quality of Service for every Sailor. In so doing we will deliver surge capacity and operational capability to the Navy, Marine Corps and Joint Forces, posturing the United States Navy for success today and in the future security environment. On behalf of your Navy Reserve Sailors, I would like to again offer sincere thanks for your continued support.

Read this original document at: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/ht-defense.cfm?method=hearings.download&id=4320f423-9863-4fee-97a1-7c3ce94ea2ff