Hearings to examine personnel policies and programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2026 and the Future Years Defense Program.
Senate Subcommittee on Personnel
2025-04-09
Source: Congress.gov
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Transcript
Hearing in session from the Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, we appreciate our witnesses here today and thank you all for your service. You're going to find today, and as the last couple of weeks have been very, very busy, so we'll have people in and out. I think we have three votes going on, one going on as we speak. We'll be in and out. Hopefully we can get more people here today. We have other hearings going on. So thank you for being here. And Rankin Member Warren, thank you for being here. Thank you. We had to sprint to get here, right? I did. All right. Senate Armed Service Club Committee on Personnel meets this afternoon to provide an important opportunity for senior leaders at the Department of Defense to highlight areas where Congress can support and strengthen our military's most valuable asset. It's people. People are our most valuable asset. I think we should all know that. Those who volunteer to serve in and out of uniform are the backbone of our national defense, and this is a critical discussion as we prepare for the NDAA for physical year of 2026. I want to thank our witness for joining us today, Lieutenant General Brian Eifler. Eifler? Eifler. Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel for the United States Army, Vice Admiral Richard Cheeseman, Jr., Chief of Naval Personnel for the United States Navy, Lieutenant General Michael Borgschulte. Borgschulte, that's worse than Tuberville, okay. Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs for the United States Marine Corps, Lieutenant General Caroline M. Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower Personnel and Services for the United States Air Force, and Ms. Catherine Kelly, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital for the United States Space Force.
I'm glad to see our military refocusing on war fighting and readiness after the previous administration prioritized DEI and abortion and other progressive policies, initiatives over lethality. One of the reasons we're here today. This shift is already leading to renewed enthusiasm for personnel, for military service among the American people. While I'm encouraged by the recent improvements in military recruitment, I'm increasingly concerned about the quality of the recruits we're bringing in. Many of the services have lowered their standards to meet requirement goals. The Army and Navy's prep courses have seen some success, but that success only matters if they're actually raising the academic and physical performance of our recruits caliber of men and women we bring in directly affects readiness levels and the long-term strength and effectiveness of our military. So I'd like the witnesses to address the effect that lowered enlistment standards could have on long-term attrition and readiness and how you are ensuring you're not sacrificing quality for quantity. I'd also like to address the health of the force in this hearing. Military hospitals and clinics are facing staffing shortages and leading to reduced access to care, which ultimately impacts the health and retention of service members and their families. This combined with lower recruiting standards means the force is more susceptible to health issues like obesity and mental health challenges. I'd like to hear what the services are doing to ensure the health and readiness of their military personnel. In recent years, this subcommittee has invested heavily into the quality of life service members, ensuring they and their families have the resources and support necessary to thrive both in and out of uniform. This remains a priority. However, these investments will be undermined if we fail to address the quality of recruitment and health of the force.
Sustaining a healthy and effective military goes beyond simply meeting and recruiting missions. It requires a commitment to the well-being and long-term readiness of every single service member. So thank all the witnesses for being here today. I look forward to your testimony, and Senator Warren now can give her opening statement. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
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