This story, originally published on March 16, has been updated.
It will take years — and billions of dollars — to restore the level of readiness levels to what they were before lost from half a decade years of budget cuts, the leaders of the Army and Air Force told a Ccongressional committee Wednesday.
Short-term, temporary funding increases will not provide a quick fix never be a quick-fix solution, they said.
Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, the service chiefs and secretaries said they do did not know how much more money it will take to reverse the effects of the drawdown, restore readiness levels and modernize equipment while performing the necessary modernization to combat emerging threats beyond the Islamic State.
“As far as what this budget request is, it is minimal,” said acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy, acting Army secretary, said, readdressing the Army’s fiscal 2017 request for $125.1 billion. “We are taking high risk as an Army and as a nation … at this level.”
Murphy noted that the cited the Army had ‘s level of 45 brigade combat teams five years ago. They have been reduced to , which has downsized to 31 at a time when operations tempo is high for soldiers for carrying out missions in the Middle East and for prepositioned assets in Europe for deterring a resurgent Russia.
One way to mitigate the risk, if incrementally, would be to Offering alternatives for Congressional members to understand the Army’s preparation, Murphy said that increase the size of units in the National Guard, double the training they receive, and modernize it, Murphy said.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told the committee that the Air Force has 79 fewer fighter squadrons thant it had during Operation Desert Storm.
To sustain the forces, the drawdown must slow and equipment must be modernized, the Army and Air Force chiefs agreed. The Army’s targeted end-strength levels remain at 450,000 in the Regular Army, 335,000 in the Army Guard, and 195,000 in the Reserve. Slowing the drawdown numbers while continuing with modernizing equipment is necessary to sustain the joint forces, the chiefs echoed.
“Just because you give us money, does not mean we will be at 90 percent [readiness] the next day,” Murphy saidreiterated. The Army’s targeted end-strength levels remain at 450,000 in the Regular Army, and 195,000 in the Reserve.
Offering alternatives for Congressional members to understand the Army’s preparation, Murphy said that doubling and modernizing training for the National Guard and increasing their unit sizes is one incremental way to mitigate such risks, even when timelines are stretched thin.
Army Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark Milley, responding to Rep. Robert O’Rourke, D-Texas, took issue with the idea that more boots on the ground is the being a singular solution.
“My whole issue [with] readiness is, readiness for what?” Milley said. “You can take the [Army] to the bank right now as ready to fight ISIS, al-Qaeda, al-Nusra … but that’s not what we’re talking about when we’re talking risk. We’re talking about great power war.”
Milley named China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as the larger threatstasks at hand. The U.S. would prevail, for example, in a conflict with against Russia, Milley said. It would be “catastrophic for a whole lot of people, but we would prevail.”
Unlike its predecessor, Air Force leaders are pushing to boost the size of the force, from 311,600 airmen now to 321,000 or even 323,340 service members, by the end of fiscal 2017., which may surpass their $120.4 billion budget request.
Unlike its predecessor, The Air Force’s $120.4 billion budget request calls for boosting the size of the force,, Air Force leaders are pushing to add more airmen — from current levels of 311,600 airmen now to 321,000 or even or as much as 323,340 service members, by the end of fiscal 2017 — in sync with their $120.4 billion budget request.
In its fiscal 2017 budget request, the Air Force is seeking in their FY17 request is asking for $120.4 billion.
But beyond numbers, modernization is a key concern. In the 25 years since For 25 years since Desert Storm, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said airpower has been used non-stop to support supplement the joint services, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh.
The ability to And the process to deter adversaries comes not only at a price, said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, and but also at a time when aircraft fleets are deteriorating, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said.
“Half of our combat air forces are not sufficiently ready for the kind of fight General Milley just described,” James said. “Money is helpful, but freeing up the time to do this training is equally important. History teaches me that [without it] you lose more lives and it’s a prolonged conflict.”
Oriana Pawlyk covers deployments, cyber, Guard/Reserve, uniforms, physical training, crime and operations in the Middle East, Europe and Pacific for Air Force Times. She was the Early Bird Brief editor in 2015. Email her at opawlyk@airforcetimes.com.
