Hearings to examine the posture of the United States Transportation Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2026 and the Future Years Defense Program; to be immediately followed by a closed session in SVC-217.

Senate Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

2025-03-05

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The hearing convened to examine the posture of the United States Transportation Command (U.S. Transcom), focusing on its critical role in military readiness, global power projection, and sustainment of forces. Discussions highlighted pressing challenges such as evolving threats in contested logistics environments, the need for modernization across air and sea lift capabilities, and improving support systems for military personnel and their families [ 00:22:50-00:23:01 ] .

Themes

Contested Logistics and Strategic Preparedness

Transcom is vital for U.S. military readiness and power projection, especially in an era where logistics and sustainment are no longer guaranteed [ 00:22:50-00:23:28 ] . Adversaries like China and Russia are actively developing capabilities to disrupt mobility and sustainment operations, making contested logistics a critical battlefield [ 00:24:02-00:24:06 ]

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. General Reed affirmed that Transcom is preparing for contested environments by adapting plans based on understanding adversary actions and collaborating with international peers . He also highlighted Transcom's new role in global bulk fuel management and running contested logistics scenarios to identify theater requirements .

Modernization of Air and Sea Lift Assets

The modernization of Transcom's fleet is a significant concern, with calls for recapitalization of both air refueling and sea lift capabilities.

  • Air Refueling: The aging KC-135 fleet, some dating back to the 1950s, requires technological advancements and improved connectivity to remain survivable [ 00:24:53-00:25:23 ]

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    . While the KC-46 program has faced delays and technical issues, it is seen as a critical next-generation asset that requires continued investment [ 00:25:28 ]

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    . The blended wing-body design was praised for its potential to offer significant improvements in range, fuel efficiency, and operational flexibility . General Reed supports any technology that enhances fuel efficiency and range for air assets [ 00:41:29 ]

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  • Sea Lift: Over half of government-owned sealift ships will reach the end of their service life by 2032, necessitating urgent recapitalization efforts . General Reed advocates for building new ships and purchasing used foreign vessels, proposing to raise the current 10-ship limit on foreign acquisitions to increase flexibility [ 00:44:49 ]

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    . He also noted that civilian mariner shortages have led to the sidelining of some Military Sealift Command (MSC) vessels, emphasizing that newer, more reliable ships are crucial for retaining the workforce . The importance of the Jones Act was also highlighted for maintaining a domestic shipbuilding industry and a pool of qualified U.S. crews . Concerns were raised about the ability of the aging Ready Reserve Force to perform adequately in a major conflict .

Global Household Goods Contract (GHC)

The transformation to the Global Household Goods Contract aims to improve the moving experience for service members and their families . General Reed acknowledged initial challenges but affirmed Transcom's commitment to seeing the program through, including recent adjustments to transfer rates . Concerns were raised about how to manage the transition from older, more expensive "tender of service" programs to GHC without creating perverse incentives for suppliers to avoid the new contract . General Reed explained that annual rate adjustments in May are designed to align costs and encourage GHC participation [ 01:20:54-01:21:19 ]

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Use of Transcom Assets for Migrant Transport

Concerns were voiced regarding the Department of Defense's (DoD) use of Transcom aircraft, such as C-17s and C-130s, for migrant transport, citing inefficiency, high costs, and a potential diversion from core military missions . General Reed clarified that the Department of Homeland Security is the lead agency, with DoD providing support, and the tasking comes through NORTHCOM . He confirmed that Transcom did not initiate these missions and that they are non-reimbursable for the DoD . Questions were also raised about the verification of individuals' identities during these transports and the legal basis for such operations .

Alaska's Strategic Role

Alaska's unique geographic position presents significant strategic opportunities and challenges for national security [ 00:23:14-00:23:28 ] . Senator Sullivan highlighted increased Russian and Chinese military incursions in the region, emphasizing Alaska's critical role in Indo-Pacific and Arctic logistics, including the need for robust tanker support for intercept missions [ 00:25:58-00:26:27 ]

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. The potential of Adak, a former U.S. Navy base with significant infrastructure and a large fuel storage facility, was discussed as a strategic logistical hub, especially in light of the Red Hill closure . General Reed praised Alaska's strategic importance, the adaptability of the Port of Anchorage, and the readiness of U.S. forces in the state .

Right to Repair and Supply Chain Resilience

The mission-capable rate of key aircraft like the C-5M Super Galaxy has been unacceptably low (46% in 2023), partly due to supply chain issues and contractors limiting military access to technical data for repairs . General Reed agreed that giving the military more flexibility to repair parts in the field would significantly increase readiness, underscoring the importance of equipment availability for commanders [ 01:16:25-01:16:42 ]

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. Legislation like the "Service Member Right to Repair Act" aims to ensure the DoD can negotiate for repair rights from the outset, improving efficiency and reducing costs [ 01:17:15-01:17:31 ]

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Tone of the Meeting

The meeting's tone was predominantly serious and concerned, reflecting the gravity of national security and readiness challenges [ 00:23:28-00:24:02 ]

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. Members expressed strong support for Transcom's mission and thanked General Reed and the service members for their critical work . While there were clear concerns and some sharp questioning, particularly regarding the use of military assets for migrant transport, the interactions remained largely respectful and collaborative, with General Reed providing direct and informative responses [ 00:41:29 ]

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. The overall sentiment leaned towards a proactive and action-oriented approach to addressing the identified problems [ 00:27:02 ]

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Participants

Transcript

This hearing will come to order.  The Readiness Subcommittee today meets to receive testimony on the posture of the United States Transportation Command, U.S.  Transcom.  And I want to thank our witness this afternoon, General Reid, for being here today.  Sir, it was good meeting with you earlier.   In the week, I want to say up front, Transcom is a very, very important combatant command.  It's not the one that you always hear about, but it's really critical to our military, our readiness, and our ability to win wars, and our ability to project power and sustain our forces.  As a senator from Alaska, I'm keenly aware of the unique challenges and strategic opportunities   Our state presents in the broader national security landscape, but we are also operating in an area where logistics and sustainment are no longer a given in any potential conflict.  What used to be an asterisk or an incorrect assumption or what they call in the military, fairy dusting away a problem,   On DoD's part, with regard to sustained and contested logistics has allowed our adversaries, such as China and Russia, to actively develop capabilities aimed at disrupting our mobility and sustainment operations across multiple domains.  Current theaters from the Indo-Pacific region to the Arctic to the European theater in the   Middle East all present significant, unique challenges in military contested logistics.  Our military must ensure that pre-positioned stockpiles, robust transportation networks, and hardened infrastructure are available to sustain forces in high-end conflicts.  I'm particularly interested in how Transcom is addressing contested logistics,
through enhanced resiliency in sea lift, air lift, and overland transportation.  I would also like to hear your thoughts, General, on how we can better leverage infrastructure, our ports, and airfields to strengthen our power projection capabilities in both the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific regions.   As the Air Force looks to the KC-46 and other next-generation programs for its air refueling needs, we cannot forget about the programs that are actually doing today's missions.  The KC-135 has been a cornerstone of the U.S.  Air Force's air mobility and refueling capabilities since the 1950s.   That's not an incorrect statement, since the 1950s.  But it needs advances in technology to evolve with military needs.  While this is not a budget hearing today, I hope General Reid to hear about how Transcom has informed the Air Force's tanker strategy moving forward, especially in light of the long delays in KC-46 deliveries and recent reports about cracks in certain components of the aircraft.   Air refueling tankers play a vital role in extending the range and endurance of fighter aircraft, bombers, surveillance planes, enabling them to perform long-range missions without relying on forward operating bases.  They are crucial to America's Fight Tonight mandate, and as we talked about earlier, General,   This morning, they're actually very crucial in my home state of Alaska where Russian and Chinese incursions into our aid is over the last year have spiked.  The men and women who fly these intercept missions from Alaska do nearly 2,000 mile round trips   to intercept Russian and Chinese strategic bombers.
And they, of course, rely heavily on transcom tankers to get them to the intercept and to get them home safely.   We also want to hear about the challenges with regard to shipbuilding and military sea lift command, which is another element of what Transcom does and does so well.  Modernization of our sea lift capacity must be a top priority if we are to maintain our ability to surge forces anywhere in the world in a crisis.   The recently initiated tanker security program is a natural progression, but broader efforts are needed to ensure that we do not face a mobility crisis in the coming decade.  I'm particularly interested in hearing about the status of sea lift recapitalization efforts, including any challenges Transcom faces.   is encountering so that when the FY26 president budget is released, we can follow up to see if funding support is needed to accelerate modernization efforts.   The well-being of our troops and their families is obviously a top priority of this committee.  We must ensure that the different changes that we've seen in the global household contract goods challenges are made in a way that provides seamless transitions during permanent change of station moves.  General Reid, I look forward to   getting an update on this program in light of the challenges.  Finally, I want to thank the men and women of US Transcom for the critical work they do every day to sustain our military forces and project power globally.  Again, this is an incredible   combatant command that not enough Americans know about understand and appreciate in this hearing is in part to help change that with that I want to Recognize ranking member senator Hirono for her opening remarks
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and General Reid, it's good to see you.  Thank you very much for your service.  Senator Sullivan, it's good to continue our work on this subcommittee, this time you as chair and me as ranking, so we will continue our efforts together.   General Reed, thank you for your service to our nation, and I thank the service members under your command around the globe conducting missions even as we speak.  Transcom plays a critical role in the movement of people, supplies, and equipment anywhere in the world.   Your command remains the backbone of our military to ensure the joint force remains agile and responsive.  However, as the landscape for logistics continues to evolve, we must adapt to the new reality and full spectrum of emerging threats.   ranging from cyber attacks to kinetic strikes on ports and airfields, and we need to recognize that contested logistics will be a battlefield in itself.   Fortunately, the Air Force is currently taking steps to modernize its aerial refueling fleet, shifting toward a new tanker design that can operate in contested environments.

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