Opening Statement (As Prepared)
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Without Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Guardians, we cannot man military weapons systems, deliver humanitarian assistance, or effectively respond to security challenges around the globe.
And yet, the declining propensity for military service among America’s youth is a cause of deep concern for me. I come from a military family where several generations, including myself, opted to serve. But that exposure to a military lifestyle is decreasing across our nation, and parents, teachers, counselors, and coaches are less and less willing to recommend military service to young people in their spheres of influence. This is compounded by the fact that, according to Blue Star Families’ 2024 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, only 32 percent of active-duty families would recommend military service to a young family member.
I am also concerned that we may have instituted unintended barriers to service that may be preventing those who are willing to serve from joining the military. So, I would like to partner with my colleagues and the Services to identify ways to widen the pool of applicants from which we can draw our all-volunteer force.
I am interested in how the Army and Navy’s prep programs, which help potential recruits overcome physical fitness or academic barriers, have expanded the pool of applicants. It will be important to understand the long-term impact of these efforts on first-term attrition and retention.
We have seen awe-inspiring technological advances in the last 50 years, which suggest that the jobs the military must do to meet the future fight must also evolve. That is why I want to hear from the Services, in particular the Navy, about examples of new occupational specialties that help our military keep their tactical edge in warfighting.
We ask a lot of our service members. We ask them to risk their lives to protect our country and in turn, we must make sure that we have their backs and support them and their families. We don’t always live up to that and need to do better.
So, it is imperative that we continue the work we started in last year’s bipartisan Quality of Life Panel. The FY25 NDAA included several of the recommendations made by the Panel, but there is still room for improvement in areas like food security, housing, childcare and access to health care.
The Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Guardians who serve today have different needs than in the past. Women serving has increased to over 17% and nearly a third of our active-duty force have children. More than ever, the military must be able to provide service members with affordable and convenient childcare. However, childcare staffing shortages have resulted in untenable waitlists that negatively impact unit readiness across the force. Moreover, we must not lose sight of the impact current events have on our military. Seems like every other day we’re hearing about another scandal out of the Pentagon, and I’m concerned about how these stories are affecting the morale of the force.
It is also true that there are a series of recent changes to personnel policies which could potentially sideline exceptional men and women who are currently serving. All these events, including the indiscriminate attacks on Department of Defense civilians, could have lasting negative effects on the military.
What we should be doing is working together to foster a culture that encourages and rewards excellence, creativity, innovation, and critical thinking so our military can continue to meet emerging challenges around the globe.
As our military has grown more diverse and inclusive, it has increasingly reflected our nation, and our lethality remains as strong as ever. It’s a false choice to say we have to choose between acknowledging diversity and building an effective and formidable military.
As I mentioned earlier, I’m concerned about this Administration’s all-out assault on federal civil service, which threatens the essential support programs for military families and the partnership between military and civilian personnel across the military. Bureaucratic delays and incompetence in implementing these flawed personnel policies, to include chaos over exemptions and hiring freezes, have left military personnel performing sometimes two or three jobs while positions are being reviewed for exemption or from hiring freezes. It makes no sense that civilian employees DOD spent months and months hiring, are now being sent home in droves without any rhyme or reason, so I’d like to hear from the witnesses about the impacts these actions against civilians are having on morale and retention.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for having this hearing today so we can discuss the importance of personnel policies on the lives of service members.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here, especially to Vice Admiral Cheeseman on his last testimony before retirement. I yield the balance of my time.