WASHINGTON, DC - Led by Ranking Member Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) and Chairman Joe Wilson (R-SC), the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee for Readiness released its proposals for the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today. The Subcommittee will meet at 9:00 AM on Thursday, April 26, in Rayburn 2212. The markup will be live streamed on the Committee’s website. The Subcommittee's mark is available here.

The Readiness Subcommittee ensures that America’s warfighters and the equipment they train with are ready, well-supported and maintained, and prepared for combat operations. It makes strategic investments to improve readiness and reduce risk. 

The Readiness Subcommittee's proposal:

Rebuilds troop readiness and makes investments in equipment maintenance by: 

  • Recommending the Full Committee increase funding for equipment maintenance, spare parts, and training to rebuild readiness for ships, aircraft squadrons, and ground combat units;
  • Recommending the Full Committee fund 20 Combat Training Center rotations across the Army—16 Active and 4 Army National Guard;
  • Directing the Navy to provide a clear chain of command for operations, for building readiness, and for shipyard maintenance;
  • Requiring the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) Inspections be conducted on a no-notice basis make details of those inspections unclassified and available to the public;
  • Requiring the Secretary of the Navy to provide a report on ways to optimize surface Navy vessel inspection and crew certifications to reduce redundancies and the burden on inspection visits that ships undergo;
  • Limiting the amount of time a Navy vessel is forward deployed overseas to no more than 10 years;
  • Ensuring the Navy retains sufficient ship repair capability and capacity in the Western Pacific by prohibiting the redevelopment of the Former Ship Repair Facility on Guam.

Ensure infrastructure supports military readiness by: 

  • Recommending the Full Committee increase funds for facility sustainment above the fiscal year 2019 request;
  • Establishing a new Defense Community Infrastructure Program which will provide for resilient facilities and utilities off-base that directly supporting our military installations;
  • Authorizes the Secretary of the military departments to carry out military construction projects to enhance force protection and safety on military installations;
  •  Extends the Defense Laboratory Modernization Pilot Program until October 1, 2023, and clarifies that the authority can be used for architectural and engineering services in addition to construction of infrastructure projects.

Improve oversight by: 

  • Requiring DOD to include cyber and space in its quarterly readiness report to better reflect the National Defense Strategy and to ensure a comprehensive look at readiness across every domain of warfare;

Directing several assessments of the military departments’ plans to rebuild readiness, enhance exercises, and modernize training requirements.

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