Hearings to examine matters within the jurisdiction of the Assistant Secretaries for Energy, Installation, and Environment in support of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

1[Senate Hearing 119-320]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                                                        S. Hrg. 119-32056UPDATE ON MATTERS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARIES7FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATION, AND ENVIRONMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE FISCAL YEAR8                2026 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT910=======================================================================1112                                HEARING1314                               before the1516                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON17                    READINESS AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT1819                                 of the2021                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES22                          UNITED STATES SENATE2324                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2526                             FIRST SESSION2728                               __________2930                             JUNE 25, 20253132                               __________3334         Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services3536    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3738                 Available via: http://www.govinfo.gov39                                   _______4041                 U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE424363-003 PDF                   WASHINGTON : 20264445                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES4647                ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi, Chairman48DEB FISCHER, Nebraska              JACK REED, Rhode Island49TOM COTTON, Arkansas               JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire50MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota          KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York51JONI K. ERNST, Iowa                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut52DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska               MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii53KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota         TIM KAINE, Virginia54RICK SCOTT, Florida                ANGUS S. KING, Jr., Maine55TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama          ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts56MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma         GARY C. PETERS, Michigan57TED BUDD, North Carolina           TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois58ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri             JACKY ROSEN, Nevada59JIM BANKS, Indiana                 MARK KELLY, Arizona60TIM SHEEHY, Montana                ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan6162                       John P. Keast, Staff Director63                Elizabeth L. King, Minority Staff Director6465                                __________6667            Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support6869                 DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska, Chairman70DEB FISCHER, Nebraska               MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii71KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota          JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire72RICK SCOTT, Florida                 TIM KAINE, Virginia73ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri              ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts74TIM SHEEHY, Montana                 TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois7576                                  (ii)7778                         C O N T E N T S7980                           __________8182                         June 25, 20258384                                                                   Page8586Update on Matters Within the Jurisdiction of the Assistant            187  Secretaries for Energy, Installation, and Environment in88  Support of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization89  Act.9091                           Member Statements9293Sullivan, Senator Dan............................................     19495Hirono, Senator Mazie............................................     39697                           Witness Statements9899Marks, The Honorable Dale R., Assistant Secretary of Defense for      4100  Energy, Installations, and Environment.101102Waksman, Dr. Jeff L., Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for     13103  Installations, Energy and Environment.104105Johnson-Turner, Ms. Brenda M., Performing the Duties of Assistant    18106  Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and107  Environment.108109Saunders, Mr. Michael E., Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air      25110  Force for Energy, Installations and Environment.111112Questions for the Record.........................................    57113114                                 (iii)115116UPDATE ON MATTERS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARIES117FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATION, AND ENVIRONMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE FISCAL YEAR118                                  2026119                   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT120121                              ----------122123                        WEDNESDAY JUNE 25, 2025124125                          United States Senate,126              Subcommittee on Readiness and127                                Management Support,128                               Committee on Armed Services,129                                                    Washington, DC.130    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:34 p.m. in room131SR-232A, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Sullivan132(Chairman of the Committee) presiding.133    Committee Members present: Senators Sullivan, Fischer,134Scott, Sheehy, Hirono, and Kaine.135136           OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN137138    Senator Sullivan. The Readiness and Management Subcommittee139hearing is now in session. I want to begin by noting that this140Committee is focused on readiness today, although,141unfortunately you're not reading about it in the press or142anything. It marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the143Korean War, which is a real lesson in American readiness that I144think we in the Senate and hopefully in the Armed Services145continue to learn from today. Because that was a--outbreak of146that war was a real lesson and hard knocks in terms of147readiness, and it's something I think we all need to remember.148    Of course, to the remaining American veterans of the Korean149War, we want to thank them for their service. I've never liked150the term the Forgotten War. I think it should be called the151Noble War because it was the United States coming to save a152country from a communist invasion, many of whom we didn't know153and young Americans sacrificed in enormous ways, 37,000 killed154in action.155    We in our country unfortunately barely even talk about that156war. So, I wanted to begin by that. Our Committee meets today157to receive testimony on the Department's military construction,158energy installations, environmental and base closure programs159in the review of the Defense Authorization Request of Fiscal160Year 2026, I would like to welcome Assistant Secretary Marks to161his first hearing since his recent confirmation.162    So, Mr. Secretary, welcome, I congratulate you and look163forward to working closely with you in this very important role164for our military and the Pentagon. I also thank the other165esteemed witnesses for being here today and for their continued166service to our country.167    Each of you play an important role in ensuring our Armed168Forces are ready at a moment's notice to defend our country.169But right now, we are facing problems and challenges that are170detrimental to that objective. While our personnel are the171backbone of our military, the installations are what bring them172together. Simply put, our decaying facilities are causing173significant issues with regard to our warfighters and the174locations and resilience of our bases could serve as a175detriment to our national security during wartime.176    With that in mind, I want to discuss our current basing177posture in the Indo-Pacific in the context of dispersal,178survivability, and logistics, including for bulk fuel and179energy requirements. I believe we have over concentrated our180basing and force posture in the Indo-Pacific at places like181Guam and we should look for opportunities to both disperse and182harden these facilities. Make them more resilient, and position183ourselves to better support operational and strategic maneuver184in a contested environment in this critical AOR [area of185responsibility].186    I would like to hear from each of you on the implementation187of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization188requirement to achieve 4 percent plant replacement value by1892030. This requirement came after a lack of priority from the190services that led to crumbling infrastructure in many areas191across the United States and the world. This has only driven up192the cost in damage service readiness. We must take immediate193action to mitigate this damage for many of these facilities194throughout the world.195    As Chairman Wicker said during the Air Force Posture196hearing, ``This is the law of the land.'' I would additionally197like to discuss any updates each of you have in improving and198maintaining unaccompanied housing. The poor living conditions199which unfortunately include sewage overflow, mold, mildew,200broken windows, decrease the quality of life and readiness for201servicemembers mostly junior enlisted and their families, which202of course, negatively impacts readiness across the services.203    We must ensure that our servicemembers are not living in204barracks that do not meet the standards set by the Department205of Defense (DOD). Additionally, your thoughts on the206Department's work in operational energy in how these systems207can transform the modern warfighter are crucial to this208Committee's work on contested logistics.209    Finally, I would like to hear from each of the witnesses210about your future priorities since the Department did not211release the Future Year's Defense Program budget through 2030,212we are still waiting for that. The challenges we are facing213today are the result of years of pushing these problems aside,214kicking the can down the road. We must work together to215modernize our infrastructure to give our country and our troops216the best footing possible for any contingency that is thrown217their way.218    Again, I want to thank the witnesses for attending today. I219look forward to each of your testimony, and with that, I want220to thank my Ranking Member, Senator Hirono, and ask her for her221opening statement.222223           OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR MAZIE HIRONO224225    Senator Hirono. Thank you, Chairman Sullivan. I want to226thank each of our witnesses for your years of service and to227the many hardworking civilians in your respective228organizations, I thank them. This Subcommittee remains focused229on ensuring that the Department of Defense is equipped not only230to meet today's operational requirements but also to strengthen231the long-term resilience, readiness, and well-being of our232military installations.233    I appreciate your engagement on each of these critical234issues. I have been very focused on infrastructure and I'm glad235that the chair recognizes the importance of modernizing and236repairing our infrastructure, which we have not done a very237good job on. I want to begin by expressing concern regarding238this Department's ability to deliver timely, efficient, and239cost-effective infrastructure, construction delays and cost240overruns undermine readiness and public trust.241    I will ask each of you to identify specific areas where the242military construction process can improve and what steps are243being taken to enhance accountability and performance. I244recognize this is pretty much a perennial problem but when I245ask each of you to identify very specific ways that we can do246better, I mean, very specific things that are doable, things247that we can see the outcomes of the improvements.248    So, please think about that as I'm finishing my remarks.249Another priority area is the quality of military housing, and250apparently both of the chair and I certainly have visited251military housing and see the needs there. So, both for families252and unaccompanied servicemembers, quality housing directly253affects morale, retention, and overall readiness. Significant254work still needs to be done. For example, the Department's255March report on its use of waivers highlighted 32 substandard256facilities on Army installations. Yet we know the problem is257broader.258    That is why I am troubled to learn about the Army's plan to259divert $1 billion of facilities sustainment, restoration, and260modernization funding to pay for operations at the Southwest261border. These funds were originally intended for the repair and262maintenance of facilities like barracks. This is only occurring263because the Secretary of Defense has chosen at every turn to264waive reimbursement as an option in the many requests for265assistance from the Department of Homeland Security.266    It's a curious choice made by the Defense Secretary267especially since the DOD's fiscal year 2024 Agency financial268report cited a deferred facility maintenance backlog of $267269billion. That is a significant part of the DOD's whole budget.270We have to do better people. We know that.271    So, we need to understand how the Department plans to272ensure that soldiers have access to safe, well-maintained273housing considering this shift, this Committee asked the Army 3274weeks ago for simple details on planned versus executed275facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization projects276in fiscal year 2025. Yet we've not received anything to date.277So, Dr. Waksman, I expect the Army to deliver answers as soon278as possible to our requests.279    Pivoting to the Indo-Pacific, as each of you know, several280of the militaries more essential training areas across Hawaii281are leased from the State and are set to expire in the coming282years. The training areas are foundational to joint readiness283in the region and at the same time they hold cultural and284historical significance to the native Hawaiian community. It is285essential that any path forward respects that significance286while ensuring our forces have access to the ranges and287facilities that they need.288    The Department must work in good faith with State officials289and the community to ensure these leases are renegotiated in a290way that is equitable to all parties. Regarding military291construction in the Indo-Pacific, we have previously authorized292the extensions of the H-2B visa programs to ensure sufficient293labor for projects in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands,294Secretary Marks, as a construction in the region accelerates,295we need to understand the potential cost and readiness296implication of these mission critical visas that they are297extended.298    I realize that the chair has asked the question as to the299continuing spending that's going on in Guam. But if we intend300to continue to do what we need to do in Guam, these visas are301very necessary. Next, I'd like to touch on demand reduction and302installation resilience. The Department's investment and303operational energy programs not only reduces the logistics304footprint for our warfighters but also enhances their combat305capabilities as well. It is critical these programs continue to306garner the bipartisan support they've had for years now.307    Meanwhile, initiatives like the Readiness and Environmental308Protection Integration Program and Sentinel Landscapes309strengthen our installation readiness. These programs310strengthen our installations--sorry. These programs not only311improve energy security and mission assurance but also protect312surrounding ecosystems and prevent encroachment on military313basis.314    Finally, I want to address the growing risks posed by315extreme weather and natural disasters to our installations.316Secretary Marks, as you experienced firsthand, these events317have cost the Department tens of billions of dollars and318directly impact mission readiness. It is imperative that DOD319approaches these risks proactively so that joint forces better320postured to adapt to the risks to military installation321resilience. So, we can expect a lot more of these unpredictable322weather events and as I know we should be better prepared to323deal with the damage costs by these massive weather events. We324have a lot of ground to cover today, so I thank each of you for325being here and thank you, Mr. Chairman.326    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Hirono, and now we're327going to begin with 5-minute opening statements. If you have a328longer written statement for the record, we'd be glad to submit329that for the record. We'll begin with you, Secretary Marks.330331 STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DALE R. MARKS, ASSISTANT SECRETARY332     OF DEFENSE FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATIONS, AND ENVIRONMENT333334    Mr. Marks. Well, Chairman Sullivan and Ranking Member335Hirono and distinguished members of this Subcommittee thank you336for the opportunity to appear before you today. As you337mentioned, the newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of Defense338for Energy Installations and Environment, I really do339appreciate this opportunity to discuss the President's proposed340fiscal year 2026 budget for the Department of Defense's Energy341Installation Environment portfolio.342    The President and Secretary of Defense have laid out a343clear objective for the Department, achieve peace through344strength. As the secretary has said, the threats we face are345serious. Our investments to counter them must also be and346that's what this budget is intended to do. I firmly believe347that the strength and lethality of our military is built both348on the weapon systems that defend us and on the readiness of349our servicemembers and their families who accomplish this350mission.351    Make no mistake, our installations are weapons systems just352like our ships, tanks, and planes. We must ensure that they're353postured to carry out the entire spectrum of military354operations. At the same time, we know that America is a target.355Our installations are under threat not just from our356adversaries but from aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and357increasingly complex operational demands. Our budget request358includes 17.9 billion in military construction funds, 27.3359billion in FSRM [Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and360Modernization] and 3.8 billion in installation, operational361energy investments and addresses these challenges by focusing362squarely on military readiness and operational capability.363    This ensures our resources directly support what matters364most, maintaining ready forces and resilient OP installations365that can operate effectively under any condition. In366particular, we're focusing on energy dominance, infrastructure367modernization, operational energy security and investing in our368innovation and research programs in support of the warfighter.369    At the same time, we recognize the resilience of our370installations is enhanced by partnering with our defense371communities and we're making a concerted effort to work with372them on mutually beneficial initiatives that enhance373redundancies and prevent risks to national security. We also374recognize that our servicemembers' readiness starts at home.375    We want to ensure our warfighters are able to deliver 100376percent of their effort to their missions without having to377worry about issues with their housing or about the health and378safety of their family members back home. So, our 1.9 billion379in family housing and 1.2 billion unaccompanied housing request380supports our commitment to ensuring that the DOD's housing381portfolio provides a positive living experience for military382personnel and their families.383    We also continue to address risks to human health and384environment through our environmental cleanup programs funded385at 1.5 billion. We're moving in the right direction but I386recognize we must do better on behalf of our servicemembers and387their families. To accomplish these goals, the Department must388ensure that we make the most efficient use of our resources and389manpower to enable us to focus on our core mission of defending390the Nation. Energy, Installations, and Environment (EIE) is391coordinating several efforts to review current processes and392regulations to create efficiencies and reduce costs, including393a review of our Military Construction (MILCON) and FSRM394investment portfolios, real property efficiencies and a review395of our implementation of environmental laws and regulations.396    Finally, as part of this administration's effort to counter397China's malign actions in the Indo-Pacific, we continue to work398with key stakeholders to address DOD's use of lands and natural399resources in Hawaii through the Hawaii Coordination Cell. We're400also undertaking holistic master planning effort to effectively401sequence development, prioritize infrastructure needs and align402support functions with mission growth on Guam.403    We'll look forward to working with Congress to address404issues such as further extension of the H-2B visa authorities.405Going forward with some big issues to tackle such as meeting406Congress' directive to significantly increase our FSRM407investment to at least 4 percent of plant replacement value. I408look forward to working with this Committee to address these409challenges head on and fulfill our commitment to our soldiers,410sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians. Thank you and I look411forward to your questions.412    [The prepared statement of The Honorable Dale R. Marks413follows:]414415           Prepared Statement by The Honorable Dale R. Marks416                              Introduction417    Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished members418of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the419President's proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget for the Department of420Defense's (DOD) energy, installations, and environment programs. As the421newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy,422Installations and Environment, I look forward to working with this423Committee in the coming months to ensure our installations are postured424to support the President's and Secretary of Defense's focus on ensuring425the U.S. military remains the most lethal and effective fighting force426in the world.427    The President and Secretary of Defense have laid out a clear428objective for the Department: achieve peace through strength by429reviving the warrior ethos and restoring trust in our military,430rebuilding our military by matching threats to capabilities, and431reestablishing deterrence by defending our homeland. To achieve these432objectives, we must ensure our power projection platforms are postured433to maximize our servicemembers' lethality and defend the homeland while434remaining secure against a wide range of threats.435    The President has also recognized that national security relies on436establishing American energy dominance. The Department is laser-focused437on implementing this critical national security imperative to unleash438the United States' abundant natural resources and maintain our439leadership in energy technologies and innovation. We are working across440the interagency to advance these goals, with a key focus on the441national security objectives in contained in the Executive Orders on442Establishing the National Energy Dominance Council, Unleashing American443Energy, Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential, and444Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security,445among others.446    In addition, we know that America is under threat. Our adversaries447are targeting our critical defense, government, and economic448infrastructure, both inside and outside our fencelines. Every domain is449contested--air, land, sea, space, and cyber.450    Our installation investments focus squarely on military readiness451and operational capability. When we evaluate infrastructure452improvements or assess environmental impacts, we apply one clear453standard: how does this strengthen our warfighting capability? This454mission-focused strategy ensures our resources directly support what455matters most--maintaining ready forces and resilient installations that456can operate effectively under any conditions. We will continue to457assess weather-related impacts on our operations, mitigate weather-458related risks, conduct environmental assessments as appropriate, and459improve the resilience of our installations, but always through the460lens of enhancing military effectiveness and operational resilience.461    As the Secretary has said, the threats we face are serious and our462investments to counter them must also be. That's what this budget does.463We also know we have some big issues to tackle, such as meeting464Congress's directive to significantly increase our facilities465sustainment, restoration, and modernization (FSRM) investments to at466least 4 percent of plant replacement value. I look forward to working467with the Committee to address these challenges head-on.468                          Supporting Lethality469    The strength and lethality of our military is built both on the470weapon systems that defend us, and on the readiness of our471servicemembers, and their families, to accomplish this mission. Make no472mistake: our installations are weapon systems, just like our ships,473tanks, and planes. We must ensure that they are postured--in terms of474quality, condition, and laydown--to carry out the entire spectrum of475military operations.476    The hard truth is that our installations are under threat, not just477from our adversaries, but from aging infrastructure, extreme weather,478and increasingly complex operational demands. In the past decade alone,479weather-related damages have cost the Department over $15 billion.480    Our adversaries understand these vulnerabilities. They actively481seek to exploit our dependencies on energy and water infrastructure,482attempting to degrade our ability to deploy forces, undermine our483deterrent capabilities, and put our installations at risk. These484disruptions directly impact warfighter health and safety, training and485testing equipment reliability and performance, critical infrastructure486functionality, and overall force readiness and lethality.487    To maintain mission readiness and sustain the installations that488make deterrence credible, the Department is investing over $1.5 billion489to ensure availability of energy to meet installation missions, provide490diverse sources of energy for onsite generation, field microgrids and491energy storage, deploy energy efficiency upgrades, and pursue492innovative and resilient technologies like small modular nuclear493reactors. Continued investment in energy efficiency through Energy494Saving Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Services495Contracts (UESCs) with DOD's industry partners bolsters installation496energy resilience by reducing the installation energy demand and need497for backup resources during commercial grid disruptions.498    One of the Department's most significant energy infrastructure499investment initiatives is the Energy Resilience and Conservation500Investment Program (ERCIP). The fiscal year 2026 budget request501includes $723 million ($684 million in construction projects and $39502million in planning and design funds) for ERCIP, focused on deploying503cutting-edge technologies, including advanced energy storage systems,504next-generation geothermal and nuclear capabilities, and sophisticated505microgrid networks--all essential to maintaining the military's506operational readiness.507    The Department also must enhance the operational energy posture of508Joint forces. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the Department consumed 68509million barrels of fuel at a cost of $10.7 billion, with nearly half of510that fuel being purchased overseas. As we operate in increasingly511austere and contested environments, we need to ensure that air, sea,512land, and space platforms are assured the supplies of energy needed to513deter and, if needed, defeat adversaries.514    The fiscal year 2026 budget request includes $2.3 billion to515enhance the operational energy posture of Joint forces. These516investments include enhancements to the range, endurance, and on-board517power of combat vehicles, advanced propulsion to increase the range and518endurance of surface combatants, increased standardization, safety, and519capabilities of advanced energy storage technologies, next-generation520adaptive propulsion, and mission planning and execution tools to521maximize combat capability per gallon of fuel.522    The Department is revolutionizing how we plan for energy needs and523mitigate energy-related risks in combat operations. Our new Resilient524Logistics Operations & Analytics Demonstrator (RELOAD), a collaborative525project with DARPA and other defense partners, is significantly526improving our ability to make informed decisions about capability527development, bulk fuel posture, and operational concepts. RELOAD uses528advanced analytics to identify critical shortfalls in the Joint529Logistics Enterprise, ensuring we can effectively distribute, store,530and deliver fuel to the warfighter. By providing comprehensive531operational impact assessments of new technologies, alongside program532evaluations of cost and schedule performance, RELOAD empowers533Departmental leaders to proactively address energy-driven operational534risks and optimize resource allocation.535    These efforts are underpinned by critical Defense-wide innovation536programs that set the technical direction for the DOD by funding the537development and demonstration of mission-critical energy capabilities538and helping them through the acquisition process. These include the539Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF) and the540Operational Energy Prototype Fund (OEPF), which deliver game-changing541technologies focusing on Energy Dominance (through advanced command and542control), Energy and Power Projection (through revolutionary endurance543and propulsion systems) and Energy Surety (through next-generation544storage solutions). These programs have delivered remarkable successes,545including advances in nuclear fuel technology, wireless power546transmission, and unmanned aircraft endurance. For fiscal year 2026,547the Department's request for $169 million for OECIF and $55 million for548OEPF focuses on critical capabilities like airborne energy delivery in549contested environments, improved power management, and advanced energy550storage.551    While our military operations depend heavily on energy552infrastructure, much of that infrastructure lies outside our553fencelines. The most powerful military in the world relies on civilian554infrastructure to train our forces, power our bases and project power555globally. With this vulnerability in mind, we are conducting556comprehensive assessments of our Nation's power and fuel557infrastructure, focusing particularly on coastal vulnerabilities, while558simultaneously evaluating strategic priorities like the development and559deployment of advanced nuclear technologies and partnerships in560artificial intelligence and data center development. These initiatives561not only align with the President's vision of American energy dominance562but ensure our military maintains the power it needs to defend our563Nation's interests at home and abroad.564Supporting Defense Communities and Promoting Compatible Development565    The Department recognizes that the resilience of our installations566is enhanced by partnering with, not competing against, our defense567communities. Our defense communities are critical enablers that support568our defense installations and ensure our servicemembers have the569resources they need to carry out their missions. At the same time, they570face many of the same threats our installations face. We know our571adversaries are targeting supporting infrastructure like electrical572grids and water systems, and our communities are just as, if not more,573exposed to natural hazards than our installations. As such, we are574making a concerted effort to work with our defense communities on575mutually beneficial initiatives via direct support or planning while576also ensuring military operations, mission support, and warfighter577capabilities remain unimpeded and to prevent risk to national security578by incompatible development.579    Key to these efforts is the Office of Local Defense Community580Cooperation (OLDCC). OLDCC provides technical and financial assistance581to states, counties, municipalities, regions, and other communities to582foster cooperation with military installations to enhance the military583mission; achieve facility and infrastructure savings and reduced584operating costs; address encroachment and compatible land use issues;585increase military, civilian, and industrial readiness; and support586military families. OLDCC will leverage the requested $159.5 million to587work with defense communities to further the Secretary's priorities,588ensuring their efforts both enhance the readiness and lethality of589military installations, ranges, and test facilities and provide590benefits back to the communities.591    To date, OLDCC has awarded 11 grants in fiscal year 2025, to592include:593      A grant to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to work594with Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Wainwright, the State of Alaska, and595local utility on permitting for a natural gas pipeline, respond to596other energy requirements, and address housing affordability issues.597      A grant to County of McMullen, Texas to design a single598access road to the ROTHR-TX (Relocatable Over the Horizon Radar)599location and to obtain funding to carry out improvements. These efforts600will enhance the readiness of the McMullen Range, the only United601States-based radar system in USSOUTHCOM's surveillance architecture,602including enhancing detection and surveillance capabilities along the603southern border, and strengthen mission readiness and lethality at604Naval Air Station Kingsville.605      A grant to the city of Virginia Beach Department of606Public Utilities to plan and design ?1.5 miles of a new 30-inch607diameter water transmission main to support potable water and water608suppression needs at Naval Air Station Oceana and Joint Expeditionary609Base Little Creek-Fort Story, ensuring the installations' readiness and610lethality.611      A grant to Belle Chasse Academy, Inc., a charter school612in Louisiana, to design, renovate, and expand current facilities. This613project provides expanded capacity for 30-year student use and supports614learning for the more than 650 military-connected students (90 percent615of the enrollment), military families and warfighters, enhancing616lethality and readiness by improving recruitment and retention.617    Of note, last month, OLDCC published two Notice of Funding618Opportunities for the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Community Infrastructure619Program and the Community Noise Mitigation Program; both will be620awarded by the end of the fiscal year.621    In addition to directly supporting our defense communities, the622Department recognizes that the condition of the lands and waters on-and623off-installation affects our ability to conduct weapons system testing,624realistic live-fire training, and essential operations that are vital625to preparing a more lethal and resilient combat force. Ensuring that626the land and waters surrounding our installations are compatible with627military mission requirements is critical to ensuring unencumbered628warfighter access to lands and ranges that replicate the operational629environment in which they fight. The Readiness and Environmental630Protection Integration (REPI) Program provides this assurance. Our631fiscal year 2026 budget request for REPI is $158.3 million, which will632fund cost-sharing agreements between the Military Services, other633Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private partners to634avoid or remove land use conflicts near military installations,635minimize environmental restrictions that limit military activities, and636improve the resilience of military installations, while addressing637mission-essential considerations, including flight hazards, operational638security, and wildland fire resilience.639    DOD manages and maintains nearly 27 million acres of land, water,640and airspace across the United States and its territories that have the641principal purpose of supporting mission-related activities and642furthering the national defense strategy. Realistic environments are643essential to field testing new technologies and for the military to644train, which requires access to deserts, grasslands, rainforests,645tundra permafrost, coastlines, and other ecosystems. Training and646testing in varied ecosystems prepare our warfighters for any of the647challenges they may face while conducting global operations. Without648sustained strategic investment and management, DOD lands can be649degraded or eliminated, resulting in a net loss in the ability of these650military installation lands and waters to sustain a combat-ready and651lethal military force. To address these issues, the Department is652requesting $599.9 million in conservation and environmental management653funding. Through programs such as REPI, the Military Aviation and654Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse, and DOD Legacy Resource655Management Program, the Department can stimulate mutually beneficial656and cost-effective partnerships between local communities, Federal and657State agencies, and non-governmental organizations to support DOD's658ability to operate seamlessly across domains and maintain its strong659record as a steward of our Nation's natural, cultural, and historical660heritage.661                          Improving Efficiency662    The Secretary of Defense has issued a clear directive to focus on663eliminating waste and duplication to enable the Department to focus on664its core mission of defending the Nation. In support of this directive,665EI&E is coordinating several efforts to review current processes and666regulations to create efficiencies and reduce costs.667MILCON and FSRM Review668    For fiscal year 2026, the Department is requesting $17.9 billion669for Military Construction (MILCON) and $27.3 billion in Facilities670Sustainment, Restoration & Modernization (FSRM) funding. Given the size671and scope of the Department's infrastructure footprint, these672investment portfolios represent a significant opportunity to maximize673the effectiveness of the taxpayer dollars while improving the readiness674and lethality of our warfighters.675    Under current processes, a military construction or large-scale676FSRM project can take 5 years to be incorporated in a budget request to677Congress and once funded, can take potentially another 4 years to678obtain beneficial use. The Department must develop more timely and679flexible processes and organizational structures to enable more agile680delivery of infrastructure needs.681    As such, the Deputy Secretary of Defense has directed a 60-day682review of the Department's MILCON and FSRM portfolios. My office is683developing recommendations for proposed regulatory or statutory684changes, updates to DOD policy, and process improvements that improve685cost structure, efficiency of execution, and lifecycle sustainment. In686support of this, we are aggressively streamlining the Department's687regulations such as the Unified Facilities Criteria, evaluating how to688build additional accountability into our processes, and pursuing689additional contracting authorities to allow us to execute like the690private sector.691    The Department appreciates the authorities Congress has provided in692recent National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) to make our693processes more efficient, including increases to the unspecified minor694military construction (UMMC) threshold in the fiscal year 2023 NDAA,695the pilot program permitting replacement of failing barracks in the696fiscal year 2024 NDAA, and the increase in the threshold for697acquisition of low cost interests in land and a pilot program to698optimize our footprint using UMMC in the fiscal year 2025 NDAA. We look699forward to working with Congress to further our common goal of making700efficient and effective investments in DOD infrastructure.701    The Department also shares Congress' interest in ensuring that the702current DOD construction agent model maximizes efficiency, is703responsive to the needs of the Department, and minimizes redundancy and704unnecessary costs. Consistent with Section 2877 of the fiscal year 2025705NDAA, my office has entered into a contract with the RAND Corporation706to review the roles and responsibilities for executing construction707projects. We will work closely with the Military Departments to ensure708the Department collectively provides a timely objective report on this709critical issue.710Real Property Efficiencies711    As part of EO 14222, Implementing the President's ``Department of712Government Efficiency'' Cost Efficiency Initiative, and as required in713Section 2850 of the fiscal year 2025 NDAA, the Department is working to714reduce its leased space inventory. The Secretary of Defense has715directed us to reduce our administrative and warehousing leased costs716by 30 percent within the next 18 months. To achieve this reduction, we717have implemented regular building occupancy reporting that enables us718to identify existing spaces with capacity and focus our personnel719laydown within our installations. The reduction is a critical step in720enabling the Department to focus on its core mission of defending the721Nation by eliminating waste and duplication to maximize the value of722our real eState portfolio.723Reviewing Processes for Complying with Environmental Regulations724    Another area of opportunity to improve efficiency and improve our725delivery of capability to our warfighters is to eliminate delays within726the environmental permitting process. As part of its response to727Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy, the Department is728working with other key stakeholders in the Administration to streamline729how DOD implements the National Environmental Policy Act. The730Department recognizes that we have an immense responsibility to the731natural resources entrusted to us and we are working to ensure we are732maximizing our readiness and resilience while also fulfilling our733environmental stewardship obligations.734                            Quality of Life735    Our servicemembers' readiness starts at home. They should be able736to focus on their missions without having to worry about issues with737their housing or about the health and safety of their family members738back home. The Department remains committed to ensuring that these739issues are addressed so that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines,740and guardians can bring 100 percent of themselves to their missions.741                                housing742    Housing is both a crucial quality of life issue and a critical743mission-enabling asset. Our servicemembers and their families rightly744expect and deserve safe and secure places to live in return for the745sacrifices they make for our Nation. While the Department has taken746significant action to improve its management and oversight of its747housing portfolio, we can and will do better. The Department remains748committed to ensuring that all servicemember housing--whether it is749government-owned, government-controlled, or privatized--meets750appropriate life, health, and safety requirements and provides a751positive living experience for military personnel and their families.752    The Department's fiscal year 2026 Family Housing budget request753includes $1.9 billion to fund construction, operation, and maintenance754of government-owned and leased family housing worldwide; invest in755select military family housing privatization projects and provide756oversight of privatized housing and lodging projects; and provide757housing referral services to assist military members in renting or758buying private sector housing. Additionally, the budget request759includes $1.2 billion in Unaccompanied Housing (UH) investments,760another step in the Department's efforts to continue addressing the761issues highlighted in the 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO)762report on Military Barracks.763    Over the past year, the Department has made significant strides in764reforming its oversight of its UH portfolio and implementing the fiscal765year 2024 NDAA requirements. The Department published UH guidance on766civilian oversight, issuances of waivers for privacy and configuration767standards, updated design standards, a uniform index for evaluation of768UH conditions. and standardized requirements and procedures for769maintenance work orders. The Department also engaged quickly with the770GAO to resolve open recommendations under their review of Military771Barracks; as of today, the GAO has closed 12 of the 31 recommendations772for the Department and is considering the Department's requests to773close 3 additional recommendations.774    Resident feedback is a key indicator of the Department's progress775in providing safe and secure housing to all servicemembers and as such,776updated its housing tenant satisfaction survey to be applicable to all777housing, including unaccompanied. Most of the military Services778executed their housing satisfaction surveys this year, and we look779forward to sharing the results with Congress later this year.780    The Department also continues to explore leveraging privatization781as a tool to improve UH by evaluating the results of the Services'782pilot projects and incorporating the lessons learned from the broader783Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI). The Department784currently has eight existing UH privatization agreements--six within785the Department of the Army portfolio and two within the Department of786the Navy.787    These privatized UH projects offer apartment-style accommodations788rather than the dormitory-style accommodations of traditional789government-owned UH and provide authorized servicemembers with high-790quality, cost-effective options for on-installation residences in high-791cost or challenged housing markets, to include remote and isolated792installations. While these residences are generally reserved for more793senior enlisted personnel who have already lived in traditional UH, the794Navy's pilot authority under 10 USC Sec.  2881a allows them to issue a795higher rate of796    partial basic allowance for housing to enlisted servicemembers,797ship or shore based, in the ranks of E4 and below who may otherwise be798mandatorily assigned to permanent party UH. The Department will799continue to seek innovative ways to provide high-quality UH to800servicemembers required to live on-base at cost-savings to the801government.802Military Housing Privatization Initiative803    The Department continues to enhance the MHPI program and improve804our oversight of the private sector MHPI companies that own and operate805MHPI housing projects. As a result of our collaboration with the MHPI806companies, all 18 rights set out in the MHPI Tenant Bill of Rights807(TBoR) are fully available at all but one of the nearly 200808installations with privatized housing, representing approximately 99809percent of military families residing in MHPI housing. We will continue810our efforts to educate and engage Service Members and their families to811ensure they are aware of and take full advantage of the TBoR.812    The Department continues to work on full implementation of other813MHPI reforms. In August 2024, the Department deployed the housing814complaints data base and is utilizing information received from tenants815through the data base and our valued Military Service Organization816partners to enhance the system as it approaches its 1-year anniversary.817In addition, the Department is over 85 percent complete on its818mandatory, one-time inspections of government-owned and controlled819family and privatized housing. The Departments of the Navy and Air820Force are both 100 percent complete and we will soon be submitting an821interim report on their behalf to annotate their closure and report822their findings.823    The Department is committed to working closely with you and the824committee staff to ensure the long-term success of the MHPI program and825we will remain diligent in our oversight to ensure DOD's privatized826housing projects deliver quality housing and a positive living827experience for military personnel and their families.828                   defense environmental restoration829    The Department must take deliberate and sustained action to address830risks to human health and the environment resulting from past DOD831activities and enhance mission readiness by completing cleanups and832restoring DOD lands for effective use. Our environmental cleanup833program includes the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) and834Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP). The IRP is focused on835cleanup of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants, while836the MMRP is focused on responding to unexploded ordnance and munition837constituents at former military ranges. These programs encompass active838installations, Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS--sites that DOD839transferred to other Federal agencies, states, local governments, or840private landowners before October 17, 1986), and sites DOD transferred841to other entities as part of its Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)842activities. We are requesting $1.5 billion for these programs,843including $1.1 billion for environmental restoration on our active844installations and FUDS properties and $380.5 million for BRAC845environmental.846    To date, the Department, in cooperation with State agencies and the847U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has completed cleanup848activities at 86 percent of Active and BRAC IRP and MMRP sites, and849FUDS IRP sites, and is now monitoring the results. During fiscal year8502024 alone, the Department completed cleanup at 121 sites. Of the851roughly 40,900 restorationsites, 34,379 are now in monitoring status or852have completed cleanup.853    Our focus remains on continuous improvement initiatives in the854restoration program: minimizing overhead, adopting new technologies to855reduce cost and accelerate cleanup, updating criteria used to856prioritize sites for cleanup, and improving our relationships with857affected communities through increased dialog and public engagement.858These initiatives help ensure that we maximize our available resources859to complete cleanups.860    While the Department continues to make progress on completing861cleanups, the remaining sites are some of the most complex cleanup862sites. Chemicals of Emerging Concern and others like per-and863polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continue to pose challenges for DOD's864cleanup programs as new science requires reconsideration of previous865decisions and more expensive solutions to protect our servicemembers,866their families, communities, and the environment. Additionally, some867complex sites have either no feasible or only inefficient solutions for868cleanup and, as a result, the Department is making significant869investments in environmental technology to identify new potential870remediation methods in partnership with industry and academia.871    In particular, the recent EPA drinking water standards for certain872PFAS are extremely low and present a significant challenge for the873Department. DOD is committed to prioritizing and responding to874locations where known levels of PFAS in private drinking water wells875are the highest, while also focusing on installing sustainable876treatment solutions, but this effort will take time and substantial877future resources.878    In addition to our cleanup activities, the Department continues to879prioritize efforts to eliminate the use of Aqueous Film Forming Foam880(AFFF) at military installations. Over the past few years, the881Department has undertaken an aggressive initiative to develop and882demonstrate fluorine-free alternatives to AFFF. As of May 2025, six883products have passed the DOD qualification process. These products are884now available for purchase, and the Military Departments have used them885to make significant progress in their efforts to transition away from886AFFF use in more than 6,000 mobile assets and approximately 1,000887facilities.888                        INDO-PACIFIC PRIORITIES889                                 hawaii890    The relationship between the U.S. Military and Hawai`i has been a891critical piece of U.S. military and diplomatic strategy for over 125892years. Hawai`i's strategic location in the Pacific, unique training and893port areas, and support for critical defense missions make it a894cornerstone of our posture in the Indo-Pacific region. In support of895this indispensable defense mission, the Military Departments have896jurisdiction over approximately 222,000 acres of land in Hawai.i,897roughly 4 percent of Hawai.i's land base. This includes approximately89845,300 in lands leases from the State of Hawaii which are going to899expire between 2029-2032. These lands provide ideal locations for900specialized defense capabilities, multi-domain operating areas to901generate future force readiness, and training ranges that our Joint902Force leverages with allies and partners.903    Retaining these mission critical training lands is a top priority904to support the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) warfighter.905    The Department recognizes that past incidents, particularly the906fuel and concentrated AFFF spills at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage907Facility and the diesel spill at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex,908have resulted in a loss of public trust between the DOD and Hawai`i909residents. The situation has underscored the importance of working910collaboratively with stakeholders to address DOD's use of lands and911natural resources in Hawaii.912    Military personnel in Hawai.i are working to engage consistently,913respectfully, and transparently to strengthen relationships in support914of the shared goals of national security, economic prosperity, and a915healthy environment. The Hawaii Coordination Cell (HCC), established916last year within EI&E, is working closely with the Military917Departments, USINDOPACOM, and OSD counterparts to support a918comprehensive and coordinated approach to support these efforts. The919HCC serves as a primary point of contact for State and local officials,920businesses, community organizations, and interested stakeholders to921connect with military personnel, engage in dialog about key issues of922concern and create opportunities for collaboration. These activities923are essential to enable the continuation of the critical military924missions in Hawai.i.925                          construction on guam926    The Department is preparing to execute several critical posture927initiatives in Guam that will help to ensure a free and open Indo-928Pacific. These initiatives will require unprecedented levels of929military construction to ensure our forces have the right930infrastructure to organize, train, equip and, if necessary, deliver931lethal combat power. These efforts include the relocation of marines932from Okinawa, the deployment of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense933of Guam capability, and Polaris Point expansion. Additionally, this934surge in military construction activity will address damages caused by935Typhoon Mawar. The increasing demand for military construction,936compounded by labor and material shortages posed by Guam's remote937location, prompted the Department to pursue a comprehensive approach to938supporting delivering the right capabilities to USINDOPACOM and the939warfighter.940    To address these challenges, the Department is undertaking a941comprehensive master planning effort to effectively sequence942development, prioritize infrastructure needs, and align support943functions with mission growth. This plan will consolidate all944construction activities across Guam, offering a cohesive and forward-945looking vision for the island's development. Furthermore, the946Department is working to integrate and synchronize military947construction efforts the Military Departments, Defense Agencies, and948DOD Field Activities. This approach is designed to ensure the timely949delivery of critical capabilities and quality-of-life improvements for950warfighters. The master planning initiative will serve as a dynamic951tool, accounting for mission timelines, dependencies, programming and952design needs, environmental factors, extreme weather considerations,953and other essential requirements to guide future infrastructure954investments.955                               Conclusion956    Thank you for the opportunity to provide this energy,957installations, and environment program update. We appreciate Congress'958continued support for our enterprise and look forward to working with959you.960961    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Secretary Marks. I appreciate962you touching on the 4-percent issue and a master plan for Guam.963That's all important.964    Dr. Waksman, we want to hear from you now.965966STATEMENT OF DR. JEFF L. WAKSMAN, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF967       THE ARMY FOR INSTALLATIONS, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT968969    Dr. Waksman. Thank you. Chair Sullivan, Ranking Member970Hirono, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank971you for inviting me to provide an update on the Army's Energy972Installation and Environmental programs.973    Our installations are no longer sanctuaries away from the974fight. To ensure mission success or installations must be975modern, resilient, and hardened to support any and every976mission, whether they're at home or abroad.977    Achieving these requirements necessitates a sustained and978focus effort. Our investments and installations must facilitate979warfighter training, lethality, and readiness. The critical980services that enable installations to function must be secure981and reliable. Last, installations must be as efficient and982effective as possible. To facilitate the modernization983transformation of installations, this year's budget requests984$8.7 billion for facility sustainment, restoration, and985modernization, another 3.1 billion requested for new planning986and construction. Beyond the funding request in the President's987budget, our privatized housing partners plan to invest more988than $2 billion in our homes over the next few years.989    Part of enabling our readiness and lethality is ensuring990quality housing for both unaccompanied soldiers and their991families. The Army recognizes that its deferred maintenance992backlog has grown over many years and has caused unintended993consequences with both housing and operational facilities.994While the Army continues to prioritize funding toward our995permanent party unaccompanied housing, we are bouncing996investments in our mission-oriented facilities. For privatized997family housing portfolio, we have made many improvements to the998Army's oversight of our housing providers. This includes new999quality control mechanisms and third-party inspections of our1000homes, allowing our installations' leaders to verify the1001quality and status that were completed.1002    To project power and provide resiliency or installations,1003associated services need to be able to rapidly recover from a1004disruption, whether natural or manmade. The Army continues to1005explore a variety of technologies that provide more reliable1006energy to our installations and soldiers to include nuclear1007energy. To help improve the resiliency of our energy systems1008beyond the generation source, the Army continues to conduct1009black start exercises which provide us with vital information1010about the interconnection of critical assets on our1011installations and increase our resiliency.1012    We thank Congress for your continued support of our energy1013resilience programs. Our installations must also provide1014realistic world class training environments to maximize our1015warfighters lethality. To that end, our environmental programs1016are critical to meeting statutory requirements for preservation1017of training lands and to ensure that the water on our1018installations is safe for consumption.1019    One of our most critical training ranges is the Pohakuloa1020Training Area in Hawaii, which allows combat training geared1021toward the Indo-Pacific. The Army continues to work with the1022State government and local Hawaiians to ensure that these1023training lands can continue to support this vital training,1024while also addressing the concerns of the local community.1025    The Army is also improving our business practices by1026working with private partners to find ways to deliver higher1027quality and more economical support installations. As an1028example, our use of energy saving performance contracts and1029intergovernmental support agreements save us millions of1030dollars each year and help us to develop and improve1031partnerships with our local defense communities.1032    In closing, the Army continues to strive to make many of1033these critical investments designed to deliver the highest1034quality, most efficient and safest army installations possible1035to support lethality, readiness, and warfighting.1036    Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the1037Committee, and I look forward to your questions.1038    [The prepared statement of Dr. Jeff Waksman follows:]10391040                 Prepared Statement by Dr. Jeff Waksman1041                              introduction1042    Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished members1043of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to discuss the1044Army's priorities for installations, energy, and environment. In order1045to deliver on the President's promise to deliver peace through1046strength, we must have strong, resilient, and reliable military1047installations and infrastructure. Our ability to protect and project1048combat power from installations around the world is no longer1049guaranteed or routine. Installations must be agile and adaptable,1050matching capabilities to threats to deter our adversaries and1051demonstrate strength around the world.1052    Over the last year, the Army has made meaningful progress to1053increase the adaptability, resiliency, and quality of our1054installations, but more needs to be done to fulfill our commitment to1055our soldiers, their families, and the American people. Working with1056Congress, we will continue to build on our efforts in 2026 and beyond.1057    We must ensure predictable resourcing to enable our installations1058to modernize at pace with our Army's transformation efforts. In support1059of the Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance, we must first1060target our investments to be in the right locations and in the right1061types of facilities. These investments will help to ensure our1062warfighters have sufficient operational and support facilities. Second,1063we must transform our installations and services to ensure they are not1064only reliable, but also resilient--able to adapt to new missions while1065quickly recovering from disruptions and overcoming new and emerging1066threats. Our installations must stand ready to support not only the1067Army, but the entire Department of Defense, no matter the mission--1068whether at home or abroad. Finally, our installations must be efficient1069and effective to ensure that taxpayer investments are returning value1070in building warfighter readiness.1071                          facility investments1072    The Army uses a deliberate process to prioritize military1073construction and other facility investment, which is used to produce a1074Facility Investment Plan (FIP)--a prioritized list of projects, by1075component, under consideration from which the Army develops1076infrastructure requirements. This prioritization considers several1077factors from our commanders and senior leaders, including the relative1078importance of various facility types, the installation's location, and1079the installation's primary mission. The FIP is used to inform the1080Army's annual budget request.1081    The Army continues to work with the other military departments and1082the Office of the Secretary of Defense to ensure our infrastructure1083investments are synchronized with the Department's mission. We1084acknowledge the establishment of minimum FSRM requirements for the1085coming years in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and1086the Army looks forward to working with Congress to develop a strategy1087to resource this mandate.1088                    unaccompanied housing--barracks1089    Our first and highest priority is to take care of our warfighters1090and ensure they have proper facilities to conduct training and live.1091The challenge we face is a substantial backlog of deferred maintenance1092that built up over many years. The Army, with the support of Congress,1093has significantly increased annual investment over the last few years1094to address this backlog, but these investments sometimes take a number1095of years to realize their effect. This year, for the first time, the1096Army will open the annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey to soldiers living1097in our barracks to help assess whether investments in our barracks are1098improving soldiers' quality of life. In addition to making long-term1099investments, the Army is also taking immediate action in situations1100where living conditions are unacceptable with Commanders moving1101soldiers into appropriate living conditions.1102    Investments in the Army's permanent party barracks with1103construction and modernization continues to grow. The Army plans to1104program a portion of the sustainment funding to meet 100 percent of the1105requirement for permanent party barracks to prevent accelerated1106degradation of these facilities.1107    The Army continues to look for new and innovative ways to maximize1108our facility investments to improve our barracks quality and reduce the1109costs to taxpayers. Last year, the Army initiated a privatized barracks1110project at Fort Irwin, California, where a life-cycle cost analysis1111showed it is more cost-effective to have a private company build and1112manage the barracks than to build government-owned barracks. The Army1113currently has five other locations with privatized barracks, with1114another two locations under development.1115                          army family housing1116    Taking care of our warfighters is also taking care of their1117families. The Army takes care of our families whether their warfighter1118is at home or not. The Army continues to make significant progress to1119provide high-quality family housing--both government-owned and1120privatized.1121    The Army has made significant investments in overseas family1122housing, which is mostly government-owned housing. In fiscal year 2025,1123the Army has planned $752 million for operations, maintenance, leasing,1124oversight, and construction. We thank Congress for supporting the1125Army's request to extend certain authorizations in the fiscal year 20251126NDAA--these extensions are critical as the overseas coordination1127required for some of the projects takes longer than domestic projects.1128    In addition to ensuring high-quality government-controlled housing,1129the Army is working to provide the high-quality privatized housing our1130soldiers deserve. Over the next 3 years, privatized housing providers1131will invest over $2.4 billion for the construction of over 2,000 homes,1132renovations of 7,000 homes, and other developmental work. Over the last11332 years, the Army has implemented several oversight reforms to better1134hold privatized housing providers accountable for maintaining the high-1135quality privatized housing our soldiers deserve. These efforts have1136included strengthening and clarifying enforcement language in ground1137leases, conducting house-by-house inspections, implementing quality1138assurance of construction and renovations, and developing a1139standardized quality assurance maintenance program that will be1140applicable to all privatized housing companies doing business with the1141Army.1142    By the end of fiscal year 2026, the Army will complete third-party1143inspections of all our family housing inventory. When our inspections1144reveal deficiencies in work performed, the Army privatized housing1145provider or installation Director of Public Works reacts quickly to1146rectify the situation via the housing provider. The Army also conducts1147an annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey to assess the quality of our homes1148and keep housing providers accountable for maintaining those homes. I1149am pleased to report that last year's survey results showed a notable1150increase in tenant satisfaction from prior years.1151                     safety and occupational health1152    The Army needs confident, trained, and fit soldiers to generate1153readiness and project combat power. Those capabilities are diminished1154when our warfighters are taken out of the fight due to injury or unsafe1155facility conditions. The Army continues to work on decreasing1156preventable injuries, especially in training environments.1157Additionally, our investments in modern and safe facilities reduce1158preventable health risks posed to our soldiers.1159    The Army is working to resource and implement the tactical vehicle1160data record pilot program enacted in the fiscal year 2023 NDAA. These1161recorders will provide critical data to support mishap investigations1162and will give us the capability to proactively improve driver and1163passenger safety by identifying hazards for mitigation. The recorders1164will also provide the potential for daily monitoring of each vehicle1165and will give individual feedback for improving driver performance.1166    Additionally, the Army continues to review the potential risks of1167blast overpressure on our warfighters and civilians. The Army conducts1168health hazard assessments for equipment--to include weapon systems--as1169part of design, testing, and new equipment training. The Army utilizes1170scientific collection and measurement methods to develop and publish1171standardized training procedures, providing leaders and soldiers1172guidance on proper use, required mitigation steps, and potential risks1173related to blast overpressure. When new scientific methods or tools are1174developed or monitoring indicates emerging injury trends, the Army1175reassesses and publishes updated training guidance.1176                        installation resilience1177    Modernized installations, which include ensuring access to reliable1178power and water, are vital to assuring mission success. Given our1179installations primarily rely on commercial utilities for energy and1180water, we must ensure they are protected from external disruptions and1181can quickly recover. Vulnerabilities, both natural and man-made,1182associated with interdependent electric power grids, natural gas1183pipelines, and water resources and systems can jeopardize installation1184security and mission capabilities.1185    To assess these potential risks to our water and energy systems, 981186percent of our installations have completed Installation Energy and1187Water Plans to identify requirements and risks, and to develop1188mitigation techniques. For example, the Army is deploying microgrids on1189installations, conducting Black Start Exercises (BSEs), and testing the1190cyber domain through the Cyber Readiness Resilience Exercises.1191    In addition to decreasing installation operational costs, efforts1192to reduce energy and water consumption increase resilience as less1193water and energy are needed to meet mission requirements if service is1194disrupted. The Army reduced energy use by 17.8 percent since fiscal1195year 2003, and reduced water consumption by 25 percent compared to a1196fiscal year 2007 baseline--a reduction of 13.5 gallons of water per1197square foot.1198    Army has explored power generation assets that can be combined with1199specific circuitry to allow the islanding of our installations,1200providing resilient energy for critical functions, including deploying1201microgrids. Army currently has 32 operational microgrids at 251202installations.1203    To test our energy resiliency, BSEs allow installations to1204experience the impact of a power outage from a service disruption. The1205Army has completed 20 BSEs, including, eight exercises in fiscal year12062024, and is planning six more in fiscal year 2025--two of which have1207been completed and five in fiscal year 2026. In fiscal year 2024, Army1208conducted our first cyber resilience readiness exercise at Fort Carson1209and is planning an additional exercise in fiscal year 2025.These1210exercises focus on understanding the potential effects and consequence1211of cyber vulnerabilities on energy and water systems that support1212critical missions, to include power denial as a primary consequence.1213    To be more efficient with taxpayer investments in our1214installations, the Army's Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI) continues1215to explore public-private partnerships that reduce the need for1216appropriated funding and employ a wide array of energy technologies in1217support of installation mission operations. The OEI looks to leverage1218the value of underutilized installation land for the development of1219energy-generation facilities that will enhance energy resiliency.1220Rather than a monetary rent payment for leasing installation lands, the1221Army typically seeks in-kind consideration to satisfy the fair-market1222value requirement. For energy-generation facilities, this includes the1223ability to prioritize power from the project to support critical1224missions during grid disruption. The Army's collaboration with private1225industry (both public utility companies and independent power1226producers) has resulted in approximately $677 million of private-sector1227investment and over $764 million of avoided operational costs for the1228Army.1229             mitigating risk and building oconus resilience1230    The Army is doing comprehensive energy and water resilience1231planning at installations worldwide, including in the U.S. Central1232Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command1233(USINDOPACOM) regions. These forward installations are critical to1234assuring the Army's readiness and maintaining warfighting skills, with1235special emphasis on the unique threat picture and host nation1236requirements in each area. In USINDOPACOM, fuel logistics and1237vulnerable island locations present unique energy challenges. The Army1238is building energy resilience across USINDOPACOM by developing1239microgrids, implementing energy and water efficiency measures, and1240ensuring adequate fuel reserves to support operations during potential1241disruptions.1242                             nuclear energy1243    The Army continues to follow Congress's lead in exploring the1244viability of nuclear energy as a stable and reliable source of energy1245for our mission-critical operations. The fiscal year 2019 NDAA directed1246the Department of Defense to develop a plan to deploy a small modular1247advanced nuclear reactor for installation resilience, which is being1248led by the Air Force. The Army continues to monitor the progress of the1249resulting pilot program. Meanwhile, the Army is quickly working to1250deliver on the President's directive in Executive Order 14299,1251``Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactors for National Security'', to begin1252operation of an advance nuclear reactor on an installation by 2028. The1253Army expects to have additional details at a later date.1254                   installation management efficiency1255    The Army still has a large inventory of closed installations that1256are experiencing increasing costs for environmental remediation before1257the land can be redeveloped. The Army continues to work to leverage1258private capital to complete this work so minimal costs are paid by1259taxpayers.1260    In fiscal year 2025, the Army completed transfer of all surplus1261acres at Fort Gillem and Stratford Army Ammunition Plant. The Army also1262closed Pueblo Chemical Depot and is preparing to dispose of the 7,0001263acres of excess land. We also thank Congress for enacting a provision1264in the fiscal year 2025 NDAA to address the outcome for the former Army1265Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas.1266    For our current installations, the Army continues to use Energy1267Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs), Utility Energy Savings Contracts1268(UESCs), and Intergovernmental Service Agreements (IGSAs) to improve1269installation efficiency and lower facility operational costs across all1270utilities and services. The Army is working to award nine ESPCs and1271UESCs totaling $338 million in fiscal year 2025. For fiscal year 20261272and fiscal year 2027, the Army hopes to award another 22 contracts with1273$570 million in private investment. Resilience enhancements remain a1274focus for ESPCs and UESCs, including a planned natural gas pipeline1275providing 16 megawatts of power generation at Fort Irwin and numerous1276industrial equipment upgrades to improve operational efficiency at1277Anniston Army Depot. The Army's 160 IGSAs include agreements for1278environmental services, waste management, and dozens of other community1279partnerships. Going forward, we intend to increase our use of ESPCs,1280UESCs, and IGSAs to reduce the long-term costs of our installations.1281                            historic housing1282    The Army thanks Congress for its assistance in streamlining the1283management of our historic housing inventory, which encompasses over128430,000 homes, and ensuring compliance with the National Historic1285Preservation Act (NHPA). Army installations and privatized housing1286partners may now implement management actions on the inventory of1287historic housing without further NHPA requirements. The Military1288Housing Association recommends other services look at the Army's1289successful programmatic approach to address their challenges in1290managing historic homes.1291    A few examples of the effectiveness of the Army's programmatic1292approach include $14 million in savings at Fort Leavenworth, $5 million1293saved replacing historic windows at Fort Belvoir, and over $2 million1294saved in roof replacements on historic homes at Fort Bliss. These1295savings and those from other renovations can be applied to current and1296future housing projects.1297                environmental compliance and remediation1298    The Army remains committed to addressing environmental remediation1299issues and protecting the environment from unnecessary contamination.1300The Army continues to look for ways to modernize environmental1301compliance and looks forward to working with Congress to address the1302growing costs of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act1303(NEPA).1304    The Army recognizes that exposure to certain levels of per-and1305polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose a risk to our warfighters and1306surrounding communities. The Army acknowledges that the U.S.1307Environmental Protection Agency has established maximum contaminant1308levels for PFASPFOA in drinking water and the Army will continue to1309prioritize actions to address drinking water wells impacted with1310impacts from its releases in a transparent and systematic manner.1311    The Army has been proactive in addressing PFAS releases on-and off-1312installation, including the adoption of a risk-based approach to1313prioritize actions at sites with higher PFAS levels first. This ``worst1314first'' approach is consistent with OSD guidance. The Army follows the1315Federal cleanup process to investigate and assess if remedial actions1316are needed. Of the 345 installations where PFAS may have been stored,1317used or released, 235 installations are moving to the next, more-1318intensive level of investigation. Efforts to transition vehicles and1319facilities from aqueous film-forming foam to fluorine-free alternatives1320continue to be implemented across the Army to decrease PFAS exposure.1321                               conclusion1322    Providing safe, reliable, and high-quality installations for1323soldiers, families, civilians, and defense communities is critical to1324ensuring the Army can remain adaptable to mission requirements around1325the world. To maximize installation support of the Army's lethality, we1326must continually evolve facility investment programs to support1327efficient and modern installation management. This requires the Army to1328continue investing in quality of life and the resiliency of our1329installations and services.13301331    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Dr. Waksman. Next, Ms. Johnson1332Turner.13331334   STATEMENT OF MS. BRENDA M. JOHNSON-TURNER, PERFORMING THE1335     DUTIES OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY FOR ENERGY,1336                 INSTALLATIONS AND ENVIRONMENT13371338    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Good afternoon, Chairman Sullivan,1339Ranking Member Hirono, and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank1340you for the invitation to speak with you today on the1341Department of Navy's Energy Installations and Environment1342Portfolio.1343    Our marines, sailors and dedicated civilians serve with1344urgency to defend, project peace through strength and when1345needed defeat our enemies. This portfolio provides direct1346support to the warfighters and their families and it's1347foundational to all that we do. We appreciate your support for1348the resources required to train like we fight and win1349decisively.1350    Warfighting excellence starts on our installations, our1351power projection platforms. The resilience of our installations1352is paramount and I remain deeply committed to ensure that we1353provide the infrastructure to support our sailors, marines,1354civilians, and all of our critical missions.1355    Unfortunately, much of our aging infrastructure is not in1356good condition. As an institution, we have allowed these assets1357to degrade over time. The average age of our infrastructure is1358over 50 years old and beyond its useful life. However, we have1359expanded the planning horizons to ensure that the important1360investments we make at our installations have the greatest1361impact.1362    In a similar fashion, the Navy continues to make1363significant investments in the Shipyard Infrastructure1364Optimization Program to improve submarine aircraft carrier1365nuclear maintenance at the Navy's four public shipyards. With136640 projects completed to date, we are already seeing the return1367on investment with increased nuclear maintenance throughput so1368that our aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines can get back1369in the fight on time.1370    The housing portfolio, we know our marines and sailors are1371better fighters if they know that their families are living in1372safe quality housing. Our housing portfolio must meet1373appropriate life health and safety requirements to provide a1374positive living experience for our servicemembers and our1375families.1376    For our barracks, the Marine Corps remains committed to The1377Barracks 2030 plan. Over the past 24 months, the marines have1378initiated repairs and renovations at 23 barracks. In the past 31379years, the Navy has renovated 14 barracks that improves the1380quality of life for our sailors. With the planned expansion of1381the public private venture projects for both the Hampton Roads1382and San Diego regions, we will provide an additional 11,0001383beds.1384    The results are very clear, expanding Public-Private1385Venture (PPV) across the un account housing portfolio increases1386quality of life. We continue to be thankful to Congress for the1387authorities provided to get after our infrastructure1388challenges. We are reviewing our critical infrastructure to1389fully address the gaps in modernization and recapitalization,1390and addressing the challenges and threats to infrastructure.1391    Our work inside the fence line is important to serving as1392good defense community partners outside the fence line. We will1393continue to partner with communities and utility providers to1394decrease vulnerabilities. The Department of the Navy is also1395examining military construction improvements and alternative1396construction material to deliver resources to the warfighter1397faster.1398    In addition, the Department continues to make progress on1399completing environmental cleanups and remains focused on1400chemicals of emerging concern like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl1401Substances (PFAS). All in all, these tangible improvements are1402necessary to ensure the long-term strength and readiness of our1403force but we have more work to do.1404    We appreciate Congress's continued support, and I look1405forward to your questions.1406    [The prepared statement of Ms. Brenda Johnson-Turner1407follows:]14081409            Prepared Statement by Ms. Brenda Johnson-Turner1410                              introduction1411    Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished members1412of the Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee, thank you for the1413opportunity to testify on the Department of the Navy's (DON) Energy,1414Installations and Environment portfolio. We continue to invest in1415critical readiness enablers, which is foundational to making sure that1416the DON remains the most formidable maritime force the world has ever1417known--for the next 250 years and beyond.1418                     department of navy priorities1419    Secretary Phelan has set forth three focus areas that will guide1420the vision for the United States Navy and Marine Corps: 1-Strengthen1421Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base; 2-Foster an Adaptive,1422Accountable and Innovative Warfighter Culture; and 3-The Health,1423Welfare and Training of Our People and Their Families. These three1424priorities will steer the DON and shape the future of our fleet and1425force. As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our1426Navy and Marine Corps later this year, our focus will be on maritime1427warfighting dominance far into the future.1428    In my capacity in Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of1429the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, I fully support1430both the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy's guidance1431by delivering critical readiness enablers by, with and through our 951432Navy and Marine Corps installations, our power projection platforms on1433the shore. We long for peace, but we must prepare for war.1434Critical Infrastructure1435    Navy and Marine Corps installations are power projection platforms1436from which naval forces train, deploy, and maintain forward presence to1437enable geographic Combatant Commanders to meet operational1438requirements. The DON continues to review our critical infrastructure1439to fully address the gaps in modernization and recapitalization.1440Through the DON's Critical Infrastructure Synchronization Forum, we1441continue to work through the challenges of infrastructure resilience,1442and to address the threats to infrastructure in support of critical1443mission.1444    Recapitalization of our infrastructure and demolition of excess,1445failing infrastructure will ensure that our forces, systems, and1446facilities can continue to operate in the future fight. The DON will1447continue to address vulnerabilities, but also to restore and sustain1448core utility infrastructure including water and electricity grid1449protection from cyber threats.1450Military Construction1451    The Secretary of Defense has issued a clear directive to focus on1452eliminating waste and duplication to ensure the Department can focus on1453its core mission of defending the Nation. To improve the readiness and1454lethality of our Warfighters, the DON is in full support of a Deputy1455Secretary of Defense directed effort to conduct a 60-day review of the1456Department's Military Construction (MILCON) and Facility, Sustainment,1457Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) programs.1458    We will continue to invest in new platforms, technologies and1459infrastructure that will add capability for our forces and address1460maintenance requirements in order to meet readiness requirements.1461Examples of military construction projects that are building a more1462lethal force include:1463      Weapons Magazines at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown1464      Network Modernization at Pacific Missile Range Facility1465in Hawai'i1466      Aircraft Development and Maintenance Facilities at Naval1467Air Station Patuxent River1468      Maintenance Facility and Marine Air Group Headquarters at1469Cherry Point1470      Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Cherry Point1471      Communications Towers at Twenty-Nine Palms1472    We recognize that infrastructure in support of critical missions at1473installations goes beyond piers, hangars, runways, training and support1474facilities where our teammates work, train and live. It is also the1475energy, water and utility systems that serve as the backbone of our1476operations. We continue to invest in new electrical infrastructure to1477increase resilience and warfighting readiness. The MILCON program also1478includes projects that enable forward-deployed naval forces. One1479example in Guam is the repair of the ocean facing Glass Breakwater.1480This repair project will provide protection for the base piers,1481anchorages and the main commercial supply port for this strategic1482location in the Indo-Pacific region. In Nevada, the procurement of1483additional land to support the Fallon Range Training Complex1484Modernization remains a Department priority and we have acquired six1485parcels to date.1486    We will continue to enhance the resilience of our installations by1487replacing and updating inventory, utilities and facilities using every1488program and tool available, but we will focus on actions that enhance1489lethality and operational resilience of our marines and sailors.1490Facilities Sustainment, Restoration & Modernization Investments1491    The Navy budget request targets key shore capability areas such as1492utility systems, Unaccompanied Housing, airfield operations, waterfront1493operations, depot maintenance, and ordnance facilities, as well as1494continued demolition funding to address excess facility footprint. The1495request also increases sustainment funding to 100 percent of the1496modeled requirement for Nuclear Deterrence Facilities, infrastructure1497in support of Navy C5ISR missions related to Naval Operational1498Architecture, Unaccompanied Housing, and fitness centers. The Marine1499Corps budget request continues efforts to eliminate poor and failing1500facilities and improve Quality of Life through Force Design 20301501initiatives. We acknowledge the Congress's focus for additional1502investment in our facilities by establishing minimum FSRM requirements1503in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The DON intends1504to focus increased investment in all sources of spending on FSRM while1505simultaneously placing emphasis on the demolition of excess facilities1506and ensuring MILCON requirements are clearly aligned to operational1507requirements.1508    Navy shore infrastructure is a critical enabler for fleet1509operations in support of national security.1510Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program1511    To keep our Nuclear Fleet ready, we continue to modernize our four1512public shipyards through the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization1513Program (SIOP). As we acquire the nuclear submarines and aircraft1514carriers we need today and invest in the development of the next1515generation of platforms and capabilities for the future fight, we will1516require consistent investments in the infrastructure that enables these1517platforms, and we appreciate Congress' shared focus on this national1518security priority.1519    As the Navy executes its largest-ever facility projects through1520SIOP, we continue to build collaborative relationships, set more1521realistic schedules, develop better forecasting tools and ensure that1522resources are allocated efficiently. With a concerted team effort1523between the DON and industry, we will streamline construction1524timelines, improve workforce readiness and maintain the operational1525superiority of our fleet.1526Authorities and Acquisition1527    Across the DON team, we continue to prioritize increased use of our1528Title 10 authorities in real eState, energy, Intergovernmental Support1529Agreements and Other Transaction Authorities to solve installation1530infrastructure challenges outside traditional MILCON and FSRM funding.1531In the real eState portfolio, we continue to examine 10 U.S.C.1532Sec. 2809 (Long-term Facilities Contracts for Certain Activities and1533Services) and Sec. 2812 (Lease-Purchase of Facilities), to identify1534opportunities to improve our facilities. We are working with OSD to1535examine scoring requirements so that we can find projects that align to1536the maximal solution needed to exercise these authorities. One1537initiative currently underway combines multiple authorities for a new153875-acre aviation maintenance complex between Fleet Readiness Center1539East and North Carolina Global TransPark. The initiative, an innovative1540partnership, is the first of its kind within the Department of Defense.1541Leaders anticipate it will offer economic growth opportunities in the1542Eastern North Carolina area and save millions of taxpayer dollars that1543fund military aircraft maintenance.1544Good Defense Community Partners1545    The DON serves in defense communities in 95 locations around the1546globe. We recognize the need to be good community partners and work1547with both our civic and business leaders to improve the resilience of1548our military installations inside and outside the fence line. These1549partnerships promote the value of military installations and strengthen1550communities through collaborative planning and implementation in1551support of America's military. Our marines and sailors are better1552warfighters when they know that their families are living in safe,1553resilient communities.1554    Our strong Environment & Mission Readiness program supports1555operational requirements and mission schedules in areas such as1556critical infrastructure recapitalization, force laydown, platform home-1557basing, range modernization, warfare training and weapons system1558testing. The program will also continue environmental restoration on1559installations, most notably the ongoing response following fuel1560releases at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawai'i. On Per-1561and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) response, as part of1562comprehensive Department of Defense-wide efforts, the DON response to1563address our historical releases of PFAS to the environment protects the1564health and welfare of our servicemembers and civilians, their families1565and the surrounding defense communities.1566Indo-Pacific Region1567    We remain steadfast in our commitment to the government and1568citizens of the territory of Guam. We face an unprecedented pace of our1569mission growth on Guam. Infrastructure and facilities are required to1570support the expansion of our on-island infrastructure footprint. We1571greatly appreciate Congress' approval of an extension of the H2B visa1572program through 2029 and look forward to working with the Office of the1573Secretary Defense and the other services to further extend the visa1574program to meet construction requirements. Further extension of the H2B1575visa authority will ensure cost stability in construction contract bids1576for critical infrastructure projects on Guam. Ensuring new1577infrastructure is delivered on time and within costs will be a critical1578enabler to re-reestablishing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.1579    We remain committed to working with our government partners and1580stakeholders in Guam, as well as our partners across the DOD, to ensure1581the success of the transition of our personnel. We appreciate this1582committee's support as we carry out this process in a manner that will1583enhance the readiness of our forces throughout the region.1584    The relationship between the DON and the State of Hawai`i has been1585a critical piece of U.S. military and diplomatic strategy for over 1251586years. Hawai`i's strategic location in the Pacific, unique training and1587port areas and support for critical defense missions make it a1588cornerstone of the DON's posture in the Indo-Pacific region. In support1589of this indispensable defense mission, the DON leases land, primarily1590adjacent to U.S.-owned installations, that provides ideal locations for1591specialized defense capabilities, multi-domain operating areas to1592generate future force readiness and training ranges that our Joint1593Force leverages with allies and partners. Mission ready and modernized1594ranges are essential to the Department's mission to organize, train,1595and equip combat ready naval forces to deter and win wars.1596    The DON will continue to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to1597collaboration and transparency with our partners in Hawai'i, and work1598closely with the Department of Defense Hawai`i Coordination Cell, to1599enhance our collaboration with the people of Hawai`i to protect and1600preserve the Hawaiian lands on which we operate.1601Housing for our Sailors, Marines and Families1602    Protecting the health and safety of our sailors, marines and their1603families contributes to warfighter readiness. We are focused on the1604early identification and resolution of family housing issues, as well1605as improving processes and oversight of our residents' experiences. The1606Navy is coordinating with the Public Private Venture partner in the1607Southeast region, with a keen focus on Key West, Florida, to improve1608the overall condition of the homes to meet quality living standards for1609our Navy families. For Unaccompanied Housing (UH), we are focusing on1610facilities improvement, professional management and resident1611satisfaction.1612    To address the UH conditions and shortages, the DON is reviewing1613our inventory to inform how we optimize MILCON projects and1614privatization initiatives. Both the Navy and Marine Corps utilize1615models to make data informed decisions on facility investments. The1616Marine Corps continues to use the Capital Planning Tool (formerly the1617Readiness Maximization Tool) to leverage a tiered and targeted approach1618to facility lifecycle management. This tool enabled the reduction of1619footprint while prioritizing investments where they will have the most1620impact.1621    We continue to work with sister services and the Office of the1622Secretary of Defense on implementation of the NDAA and recent1623Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations. The Navy1624continues to implement the Forging Communities of Excellence initiative1625which includes three distinct lines of effort on facilities1626improvement, workforce development and quality of life. In addition,1627the Secretary of the Navy has directed all Navy Region Commanders to1628conduct a 100 percent barracks inspection to assess living conditions1629for all Navy sailors worldwide. I look forward to sharing the1630inspection results with you. The Marine Corps' Barracks 2030 initiative1631lays out an ambitious plan to improve the Marine Corps management of1632barracks, modernize the inventory and update the refresh rate of1633materiel. The Marine Corps completed a 100 percent wall-to-wall1634environmental, health and safety inspection of every barracks room to1635establish the baseline conditions of habitability. The deficiencies1636found were in line with the September 2023 GAO report and underscores1637the importance of swift resolution of maintenance actions.1638Military Housing Privatization Initiative Family Housing1639    For the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, we are1640reinforcing DON oversight and exercising active leadership to ensure1641that the families who live in privatized housing have the tools and1642support they need. Starting with the Fiscal Year 2020 NDAA, the DON1643housing team implemented many oversight and Quality of Life (QoL)1644initiatives including full implementation of the Tenant Bill of Rights,1645universal lease, completion of the third-party inspection of homes,1646increased resident advocates and home inspectors, and other NDAA and1647audit recommendations. We continue to improve on the tools to perform1648better analyses of our processes, policies and the overall program to1649ensure higher levels of service and satisfaction for our sailors,1650marines and their families.1651Government-Owned Family Housing1652    The DON's government-controlled inventory of over 8,500 homes is1653primarily located in locations, such as Japan, Guam and Cuba, and a few1654locations in the United States. The DON continues to fund the1655operations, oversight and sustainment, and modernization of these homes1656while focusing on the growing housing requirement in Guam. We have seen1657the efforts and self-improvement techniques, which include increased1658communication with the servicemembers, their families and third-party1659inspectors that are utilized in privatized housing, enhance government-1660owned housing oversight and servicemember engagement.1661Unaccompanied Housing1662    UH supports Navy and Marine Corps Readiness by providing eligible1663single sailors and marines with housing and related services in support1664of the DON's mission and readiness. The DON is using targeted1665investments and policy changes to improve the condition of inadequate1666UH and identification of a sustainable, optimized UH program to ensure1667safe and reliable housing for all sailors and marines. The DON's1668current government-owned UH inventory consists of approximately 108,6111669bedrooms in 1,343 UH buildings throughout the DON's installations. In16702024, the Navy's Restoration and Modernization investments yielded an1671overall improvement of 1,011 beds, eliminating 451 inadequate beds. In16722024, the Marine Corps repaired or renovated 11 barracks that provide1673housing for approximately 4,200 marines. The objective is clear: to1674provide safe, healthy, and professionally managed living quarters that1675allow marines to rest and recover after demanding training or1676operational deployments. At the end of fiscal year 2024, 79 percent of1677Navy UH and 83 percent of Marine Corps UH have a Building Condition1678Index evaluated as adequate. We have utilized all tools to improve the1679remainder of our inventory, to include the expansion of the QR code1680maintenance reporting program to expedite maintenance actions. The Navy1681and Marine Corps anticipate increased investment in the UH program.1682    The two pilot program projects to privatize UH have significantly1683increased QoL for our sailors and marines. The first pilot project in1684San Diego which consists of 2,398 beds, was privatized in 2006 and1685continues to score the highest of all privatized efforts inside the1686DON's privatized housing portfolio. The second privatized UH project1687was established in 2007 in the Hampton Roads fleet concentration area,1688consisting of 3,682 beds, and is also a QoL success. The GAO report on1689Military Unaccompanied Housing noted that servicemembers living in1690privatized barracks consistently stated that they were satisfied with1691the condition of their housing, which led to an improvement in QoL. The1692Navy is working on expansions for our two locations that utilized the1693pilot authority for additional privatized UH in San Diego and Norfolk.1694    To further the DON's effort to address shortages of covered1695military unaccompanied housing, we are actively developing a strategy1696to use authorities to lease, operate, maintain, or otherwise contract1697for real property. This strategy will provide installation leadership1698with options to select the appropriate approach that best meets the1699needs of their installation in a cost-effective and timely manner while1700maintaining mission readiness.1701Energy Dominance1702    Energy dominance is vital to the security of our Nation and1703underpins the DON's ability to contribute to achieving ``Peace through1704Strength'' by ensuring naval forces have assured, continuous access to1705the necessary types and amounts of energy needed to maintain a global1706presence, deter adversaries, respond to crises, and, if necessary,1707fight and win our Nation's wars. From the installation to the1708battlefield, whether for facilities, weapons systems, or warfighting1709platforms, the DON Energy and Water Program supports rebuilding our1710military and reestablishing deterrence by driving installation and1711operational theater vulnerability assessments and capability1712advancements to enhance requirements development which overmatch1713evolving threats.1714    The DON invests in shore energy and water initiatives to ensure1715that our installations remain the power projection platforms from which1716we man, train and equip our sailors and marines and that installations1717are resilient to a broad spectrum of threats. Using acquisition1718authorities like energy savings performance contracts and power1719purchase agreements allows the DON to achieve energy and water1720efficiencies and create power generation and storage. Security and1721resilience solutions pursued by the Navy and Marine Corps directly1722support the objective of the President's Executive Order 14156,1723Declaring a National Energy Emergency, directive to collaborate across1724government and with industry to deliver and expedite the completion of1725critical energy infrastructure and drive improvements to the DON's1726aging utility systems, facilities and building control systems for1727improved cybersecurity, physical hardening and reduced sustainment1728costs. The DON collaborates with local communities, industry, and other1729government entities to identify and implement regional resilience and1730security solutions, which are tested through Black Start Exercises and1731joint resilience planning efforts that look inside and outside the1732fence line to inform what is needed to harden our critical1733infrastructure. In addition, the DON has privatized water utilities at1734Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Naval Station Mayport and began the1735process to solicit privatization of the electrical system at Norfolk1736Naval Shipyard. The DON recognizes and appreciates the infrastructure1737sustainment, supply chain and military resilience benefits of engaging1738with the utility industry to ensure consistent, reliable, high-quality1739energy and water for warfighter requirements.1740    It is imperative to harden our defense critical utilities1741infrastructure and to mitigate vulnerabilities in our facility related1742control systems to prevent the weaponization of our utilities. These1743efforts seek to prevent and mitigate attempts by our adversaries from1744exploiting our utility and building systems, ensuring these systems are1745cybersecure and available to drive toward improved mission readiness1746and warfighter capability. The DON has invested in energy resilience1747technologies such as cyber-secure microgrids and other technologies1748that are already available in the United States., thereby reducing our1749reliance on vulnerable or adversarial foreign supply chains.1750    The DON's ability to fight and win is dependent upon reliable1751access to energy when, where, and in the quantities required.1752Operational energy investments expand energy generation, storage and1753use options to provide agility to the warfighter while operating in all1754domains supporting the operational requirements of Contested Logistics,1755Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and Distributed Maritime1756Operations. To increase warfighting capability without increasing fuel1757availability demands, the DON is working with the whole of government1758on safe and standard advanced batteries that cut across domains and1759warfighting functions, which will enable directed energy and long-1760dwell/long-duration unmanned systems, and reduce logistics demands and1761weapons systems' sensing signatures.1762                               conclusion1763    Thank you for your steadfast commitment to our sailors, marines,1764civilians and their families and for your purposeful focus on our1765upcoming budget request. I look forward to our continued partnership as1766we work together to ensure the Navy and Marine Corps remain the most1767formidable maritime fighting force in the world.17681769    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Ms. Johnson-Turner. Mr.1770Saunders, you're next.17711772    STATEMENT OF MR. MICHAEL E. SAUNDERS, ACTING ASSISTANT1773   SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE FOR ENERGY, INSTALLATIONS AND1774                          ENVIRONMENT17751776    Mr. Saunders. Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and1777distinguished Members of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee1778on Readiness and Management Support, on behalf of the1779Department of the Air Force (DAF), and the nearly 645,0001780Active and Reserved component airmen and guardians, thank you1781for the opportunity to testify before you today. I welcome the1782occasion to discuss the Department's fiscal year 2026 budget1783request for our energy installations and environment programs.1784    Our partnership with this Subcommittee has been1785foundational to ensuring that we maximize the lethality and1786warfighting capability of our 177 DAF installations across the1787globe. One of our top priorities for the DAF is the quality of1788life of our airmen, guardians, and their families. Therefore,1789we focus our investment and innovation on our housing,1790dormitories, and child development centers.1791    To this end, we have initiated our first ever commercial on1792base apartment complex at Edwards Air Force Base and are1793seeking to privatize our Continental United States (CONUS)1794lodging in order to modernize and ensure robust sustainment.1795We're also implementing Wi-Fi for servicemembers in our1796unaccompanied housing. In addition to quality of life, the1797health and safety of our servicemembers, their families and the1798surrounding communities remain among our highest priorities.1799    As such, the DAF remains committed to fulfilling our PFAS1800related cleanup responsibilities in accordance with the Federal1801law, implementing the new PFAS drinking water standard and1802promoting transparent collaboration and engagement with1803surrounding communities. Today, the DAF is undeniably focused1804on ensuring our installations are ready to support air and1805space operations in an era where China is expanding,1806modernizing, and diversifying its entire military.1807    As power projection platforms, the readiness of the1808Department of the Air Force's Installations is critical to our1809national security. The DAFs Installation in Infrastructure1810Action plan or I2AP, is the guiding revitalization of our1811installations to ensure the Air Force and Space Force can1812deliver combat power with the necessary speed, range, and1813intensity to deter adversaries.1814    The I2AP sets clear objectives, goals, and key actions to1815align installations with critical mission capabilities,1816optimize vital infrastructure, and maximize mission assurance.1817We appreciate the Subcommittee's support for improving our1818infrastructure with the National Defense Authorization Act1819(NDAA) budget provision on FSRM. This will greatly improve our1820facility conditions. However, we will struggle to meet this1821budget requirement in full without first optimizing our1822inventory. Sustaining the associated excess infrastructure1823forces us to invest critical dollars in areas that do not1824directly contribute to warfighting and contributes to1825significant backlogs and maintenance and repair.1826    Therefore, we're increasing demolition and freeing up1827scarce resources by pursuing several innovative approaches such1828as expanding the use of enhanced use leases, strategic real1829eState opportunities, and developing city base opportunities.1830To that end this week, my team is in Massachusetts working with1831the State, local and installation leaders to explore1832opportunities at Hanscom Air Force Base.1833    To achieve peace through strength, we must also ensure our1834installations can remain resilient through disruptions,1835reducing our reliance on vulnerable energy sources and rapidly1836fielding emerging technologies is essential to defending the1837homeland and strengthening deterrence. The DAF continues to1838pursue microgrids and utilize third party financing and1839innovative partnerships to modernize and improve resiliency.1840    We're also steadfast in our pursuit of commercial micro1841reactor technology to include a recent announcement of a notice1842of intent to award a power purchase agreement at Eielson Air1843Force Base in Alaska. In closing, the DAF is committed to1844ensuring our installations provide the Nation with the1845warfighting capability it needs to deter our adversaries and to1846provide or providing high quality of life for our airmen,1847guardians, and their families to ensure we maintain a lethal1848and combat credible force.1849    Thank you for your continued support of our airmen and1850guardians and I look forward to taking your questions.1851    [The prepared statement of Mr. Michael E. Saunders1852follows:]18531854             Prepared Statement by Mr. Michael E. Saunders1855                              introduction1856    Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Hirono, and distinguished Members1857of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide you with1858an update on Department of the Air Force (DAF) energy, installations,1859and environment programs.1860    Today, our Nation finds itself in a strategic competition with our1861adversary China. The People's Liberation Army is expanding,1862modernizing, and diversifying its entire military--including cyber,1863space, and nuclear forces--at a rapid pace to support revisionist goals1864and objectives. These developments pose unique and fundamentally new1865challenges for deterrence, and while conflict is certainly not1866inevitable, the risk of military confrontation is increased in this1867environment. This new strategic environment demands that we rebuild the1868lethal and ready force to provide the warfighting capability our Nation1869needs to compete and win.1870    To that end, the DAF's Installation Infrastructure Action Plan1871(I2AP) is re-optimizing our installations to ensure the Air Force and1872Space Force can deliver combat power with the necessary speed, range,1873and intensity to deter adversaries and win decisively, if needed.1874Throughout every stage of conflict, our installations serve as1875warfighting platforms and provide the bedrock for our readiness and1876lethality. They also address quality-of-life needs of our airmen and1877guardians while maintaining readiness to respond swiftly to mission1878needs, even in the face of attack. Indeed, the ability of our1879installation to fight through these challenges and quickly recover is1880critical to success. Our airmen and guardians depend on ready and1881resilient infrastructure, reliable on-demand energy, and safe1882environments to defend the homeland and deter our adversaries--and we1883are committed to providing them with nothing less.1884               installation infrastructure and readiness1885    The DAF relies on its Military Construction (MILCON) and1886Facilities, Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) programs1887to provide ready and resilient installations. Yet, solely relying on1888direct investment at the currently budgeted levels is insufficient to1889reverse the longstanding trend of deteriorating facilities and failing1890infrastructure. Our installation portfolio of 177 installations, 69,0001891facilities, and 183 million square yards of airfield pavement and is1892not sized to optimize the vital infrastructure of the current force1893structure.1894    Therefore, the DAF is re-optimizing its Air and Space Forces,1895including installations, to match the pacing threat while focusing on1896the Department of Defense's priorities to revive the warrior ethos,1897rebuild the military, and reestablish deterrence. However,1898approximately two decades of assuming risk in infrastructure1899investment, coupled with the burden of excess infrastructure, has led1900to a backlog of maintenance and repair requirements and degraded1901infrastructure. The Department's I2AP works to mitigate these1902challenges by setting clear objectives, goals, and key actions to align1903installations with critical mission capabilities; optimize vital1904infrastructure; and maximize mission assurance.1905    To achieve these objectives, the Department is instituting data-1906driven, proactive policies and streamlining processes. Examples include1907policies that centralize enterprise funding, focus on the most critical1908infrastructure, and prevent expenditures on unauthorized or excess1909facility spaces. The Department is also working to reduce costs to1910operate and sustain infrastructure through innovative cost-sharing and1911strategic Plant Replacement Value reduction initiatives. These1912initiatives include the potential transfer of portions of installations1913to other government or commercial entities and expanding utility1914privatization where data shows it would reduce outages and improve1915utility system conditions. This strategic framework will guide1916investments toward modernizing mission critical infrastructure,1917enhancing resiliency, and curtailing longterm operating and sustainment1918costs.1919Excess Infrastructure1920    The DAF currently carries significant excess infrastructure along1921with a $49.5 billion maintenance and repair backlog that continues to1922grow. Since 1990, the Department has reduced in size considerably,1923including a nearly 40 percent reduction in Active Duty end strength and1924a 60 percent reduction in fighter squadrons, but it has only reduced1925its CONUS footprint by 15 percent. Moreover, roughly half of all1926infrastructure across the DAF is currently in a moderate or high-risk1927condition. While the DAF has prioritized its resources to keep critical1928mission generating infrastructure (e.g., runways) in good working1929order, such prioritization has come at the expense of our supporting1930infrastructure. For example, over 70 percent of utility infrastructure1931on DAF bases in the Indo-Pacific are in a high-risk condition. This1932problem is exacerbated by the highly corrosive tropical or arctic1933environments of many facility locations and by limited skilled local1934labor in others. Meanwhile, our buying power has eroded, with1935construction costs rising roughly 50 percent in the last 10 years and1936far outpacing the annual inflation rate.1937    The DAF acknowledges the section 2680 in the National Defense1938Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 requirement to fund1939infrastructure investment at 4 percent of plant replacement value by1940fiscal year 2030. This will help us restore facility condition to1941acceptable levels, but we will struggle to meet this requirement in1942full without optimizing our inventory.1943    Despite these challenges, we are aggressively moving forward with1944our I2AP, which employs innovative approaches, leverages third party1945investment, and prioritizes resources to the most critical warfighting1946needs while driving down the cost to deliver and operate our1947installations. This includes solutions such as Enhanced Use Leases,1948Strategic Real EState Opportunities, and Intergovernmental Support1949Agreements (IGSAs) that enable the DAF to partner externally with1950industry, communities, and other agencies for mutual benefits. These1951solutions also help us identify where we can transfer portions of our1952installations as a means of reducing our infrastructure sustainment1953costs.1954    For example, 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) converted1955Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts from a Fighter Wing to an1956Intelligence Wing in 2008. In 2025, we are finally optimizing the base1957to meet its current mission. When divestment of excess land is1958complete, it will represent approximately 90 percent decrease in1959acreage.1960    We are also increasing our annual demolition investments, targeting1961the removal of excess and severely degraded infrastructure. Moreover,1962the Department recently instituted a policy requiring all new1963construction and actions that result in adding square footage to our1964real property inventory to be offset with equivalent demolition or1965disposal in order to limit footprint growth and the associated1966sustainment responsibility.1967Military Construction1968    The Department seeks to execute MILCON investment to support the1969Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance priorities by focusing on1970preparing our installations as warfighting platforms and deterring our1971sole pacing adversary.1972    A significant focus of our MILCON program is to support the bed1973down of new weapon systems to rebuild the military and reestablish1974strategic deterrence. Programs like the Sentinel Ground Based Strategic1975Deterrent and the B-21 Raider recapitalize two thirds of the Nation's1976nuclear triad and ensure we maintain a credible and capable nuclear1977deterrent capability. Our program also supports Combatant Commanders,1978with a focus on Indo-Pacific Command, and their most critical1979requirements to build a more lethal and ready force. Finally, our1980program seeks to recapitalize current mission facilities that have1981outlived their useful life or no longer meet mission requirements. We1982are also working to enhance quality-of-life for our servicemembers and1983their families with new Child Development Centers and dormitories.1984    Additionally, the Department seeks to leverage innovative1985approaches within our MILCON program to maximize taxpayer dollars and1986the Department's ability to deliver combat power. We are utilizing1987Other Transactional Authority provided by Congress to pilot innovative1988construction techniques and project delivery constructs. The on-going1989$3 billion rebuild of Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida,1990incorporates lessons learned from the storm which destroyed it and1991novel approaches to installation planning and construction. This1992Installation of the Future will be resilient, efficient, and innovative1993and will serve as a model for future construction.1994Facility Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization1995    DAF analysis reveals that the current budget can sustain1996approximately 65 percent of the enterprise. The balance of the1997infrastructure is equivalent to approximately 19 installations, further1998evidence that existing infrastructure investments are spread too thin1999to effectively maintain the DAF enterprise. Maintenance and repair2000funding levels have not kept pace with the rising cost of construction,2001leading to compounding sustainment costs, widespread degradation, and2002increases in infrastructure issues that adversely impact mission2003execution. Aging facilities and antiquated control systems further2004compound these threats, making installations vulnerable to adversaries2005and placing mission generation at risk.2006    To mitigate this, the I2AP guides DAF FSRM program investment to2007address the facilities and infrastructure that are most critical for2008generating warfighting capability, while also improving quality-of-life2009initiatives for our airmen, guardians, and their families.2010    Sustained progress requires a long-term vision. The minimum FSRM2011funding thresholds established in the fiscal year 2025 NDAA, ramping to20124 percent of the Plant Replacement Value by fiscal year 2030, are not2013merely about maintaining the status quo--they represent critical and2014strategic investments for reversing years of accumulated infrastructure2015degradation and reducing the substantial deferred maintenance and2016repair backlog. This will help us restore facility conditions--but2017these investments must be applied to an optimized portfolio to ensure2018they enable our installations to remain ready, resilient, and credible2019warfighting platforms that our national security demands.2020Spaceport of the Future2021    Our Spaceport of the Future (SOTF) program is an all-encompassing2022initiative where the Space Force is taking a comprehensive approach to2023look at all factors contributing to range costs and launch throughput.2024SOTF focuses investments into our aging launch infrastructure to ensure2025the DOD's ability to provide world-class launch capability to public2026and commercial partners. These investments are necessary to preserve2027and advance national security interests and reestablish deterrence with2028capacity to support launch and test operations on demand.2029Sentinel Program2030    The Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), first2031deployed in 1970, is the world's oldest land-based strategic missile2032system and must be recapitalized to provide the Nation a safe, secure,2033and reliable nuclear deterrent capability. The Sentinel program2034recapitalizes 450 missile launch facilities across multiple states and2035upgrades command and maintenance infrastructure to ensure operational2036readiness through at least 2075. Following the Office of the Secretary2037of Defense's thorough review and certification of the program, the2038Sentinel program is moving ahead. The DAF is continuing requirements2039definition, assessment of acquisition strategies, exploration of the2040design trade space, and seeking ways to generate competition to drive2041cost and schedule risk down. Notably, the program office recently2042decided to minimize risk by pursuing the construction of new silos2043instead of reusing the existing silos.2044Installation Resilience2045    DAF installations, both enduring and expeditionary, are warfighting2046platforms from which the DAF successfully executes its core missions.2047DAF installations are the foundation of combat readiness and must be2048capable of supporting the lethality and readiness of the force.2049Strengthening installation resilience, reducing reliance on vulnerable2050energy sources, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies are2051essential to defending the homeland and sustaining deterrence.2052    The DAF is utilizing third-party financing and innovative2053partnerships with industry that modernize our utilities and drastically2054reduce system outages at our bases. We are also continuously reviewing2055our utility privatization portfolio to enhance resilience across our2056installations. The DAF has privatized 25 percent of our utility systems2057and continues to explore the viability, costs, and benefits of2058additional systems at several bases. These vital investments deliver2059improved utility infrastructure, reliable systems with redundancy for2060emergency preparedness, and greater installation energy resiliency.2061Energy and Water Resilient Infrastructure2062    In line with recent Executive Orders on Unleashing American Energy2063and Declaring a National Energy Emergency, the DAF is focused on2064maintaining national security and military preparedness by ensuring2065reliable, diversified, and affordable energy at every one of our2066installations.2067    Our vision of ``Mission Assurance through Energy and Water2068Assurance'' emphasizes sustainment of warfighting capabilities while2069optimizing resource use through enhanced planning, technology, and2070process improvements. We assess near and long-term energy and water2071requirements based on the installation's resiliency needs, cost2072considerations, and opportunities to leverage more reliable and2073abundant domestic sources.2074    The DAF conducts Energy Resilience Readiness Exercises (ERREs),2075also known as ``black start exercises,'' to help installations assess2076mission readiness at degraded energy levels. During an ERRE, an2077installation intentionally disconnects from commercial power for 102078hours to assess onsite backup power systems and validate (and in some2079cases, identify) infrastructure and mission interdependencies. This2080allows us to actively test key enabling systems under ``blue sky''2081conditions to identify gaps in energy and mission capabilities.2082    Similarly, we are conducting the Water Resilience Readiness2083Exercises (WRRE) Pilot Program, an initiative designed to help2084installations assess water vulnerabilities and strengthen response2085strategies. WRREs will provide critical insights to shape enterprise-2086wide policies, ensuring all bases are better equipped to manage water2087risks. There are currently four installations in the pilot phase of the2088program, Dyess AFB in Texas, Hill AFB in Utah, and Cannon AFB and2089Kirtland AFB in New Mexico. Lessons learned from these installations2090will inform broader water resiliency efforts as we seek to reestablish2091deterrence and defend our homeland. The DAF is also pursuing innovative2092solutions to build energy-efficient and resilient systems for improved2093energy security and mission assurance. We are changing the overall DAF2094approach to future energy initiatives by exploring diversified energy2095opportunities such as advanced nuclear, geothermal, battery energy2096storage, installation microgrids, and other forms of onsite generation2097that enhance energy resilience. We continue to partner with the Defense2098Innovation Unit (DIU) to execute prototype agreements with non-2099traditional defense contractors as we explore the potential for onsite2100resilient baseload power via geothermal energy. One promising site is2101Mountain Home AFB in Idaho, and the potential for a second installation2102is being evaluated.2103    At Eielson AFB in Alaska, the DAF continues to pioneer the first2104commercial application of a microreactor on DOD property, laying the2105groundwork for future advanced nuclear energy projects. Technologies2106such as small modular reactors and microreactors will help deliver more2107reliable and resilient energy to our installations. This increased2108resilience is particularly critical at strategic and austere locations2109such as Eielson AFB. In addition, we are partnered with DIU on their2110Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) project, which aims to2111put a micro-reactor on an Air Force location that is still being2112determined.2113Community Partnerships2114    Community Partnerships are mission force multipliers that2115promulgate resources and information, reduce costs, increase2116interoperability, prepare for contingencies and disasters, and unify2117the civic-base community. The Air Force Community Partnership Program2118offers a framework through which installations and communities can work2119together in innovative ways to tackle shared challenges through shared2120solutions.2121    Building on the successes of IGSAs under 10 USC Sec.  2679, the DAF2122implemented innovative applications of this authority to reduce overall2123operating costs. For instance, Air Force Materiel Command and the2124Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (AZDEMA) entered2125an IGSA to meet weapon system storage requirements for both new and2126existing acquisitions. This partnership leverages AZDEMA's manpower,2127equipment, time, and materials, and the DAF avoids the costs to2128construct, or upgrade, facilities.2129    Additionally, Tinker AFB in Oklahoma partnered with the Association2130of Central Oklahoma Governments to enhance emergency 9-1-1 support.2131Through this IGSA, Tinker AFB gains access to the existing 9-1-1 system2132used throughout Central Oklahoma, avoiding the high costs associated2133with updating or replacing their current system, while also ensuring2134efficient response times and improved interoperability.2135    Finally, Andersen AFB will enter its first IGSA with the Guam2136Department of Agriculture for stray animal management. This is the2137first DAF IGSA in a U.S. territory and the first where services are2138shared between the installation-community partners, rather than2139provided or received from the community partner to the installation.2140Andersen AFB provides manpower, equipment, and materials, and the2141GovGuam Department of Agriculture provides shelter, animal adoption2142services, neutering services, and village education events. This2143partnership is estimated to save approximately 320 hours for the pest2144management program by reducing the number of stray animals on the2145installation. It also serves as a model for future IGSAs across a range2146of DOD installation support services in Guam.2147    The Defense Community Infrastructure Program is a competitive grant2148program designed to address deficiencies in community infrastructure2149that supports military installation readiness and lethality. Vibrant2150relationships between the DAF and our installation communities were2151instrumental to the Department of Defense awarding approximately half2152of the $100 million in grants awards in fiscal year 2024 to DAF2153communities. These awards include $13 million for March Air Reserve2154Base, California--Grantee: Western Municipal Water District of2155Riverside; $10.7 million for Peterson SFB, Colorado--Grantee: city of2156Colorado Springs; $5.3 million for United States Air Force Academy,2157Colorado--Grantee: Colorado Springs Utilities; $11.6 million for Grand2158Forks AFB, North Dakota--Grantee: Grand Forks County; and $8.9 million2159for Rickenbacker Air National Guard, Ohio--Grantee: Columbus Regional2160Airport Authority.2161Mission Sustainment2162    The Air Force Mission Sustainment (AFMS) program applies a holistic2163approach and strategy to preserve mission capabilities at installations2164and ranges by identifying, assessing, and reporting risk and actions to2165reduce vulnerabilities. This effort is imperative to ensure DAF2166installations can generate maximum combat power and lethality without2167encroachments that negatively impact training, operations and the2168safety of the local population. To mitigate encroachment, the AFMS2169program works with DAF, other DOD installations and Office of the2170Secretary of Defense (OSD) to assess seven mission sustainment hazard2171categories: airspace, land/sea, spectrum, water, energy, weather, and2172natural/cultural resources.2173    Our primary objective is to preserve and protect military readiness2174across the entire operating picture including airspace, ranges, missile2175fields, and community assets that directly support missions (e.g.2176community airports, small arms ranges, water/power sources, etc.). The2177DAF reviews proposed projects (199' above ground level or higher) filed2178with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), submitted for DOD2179review pre-filing, or submitted for DOD review from other Federal2180agencies.2181    In 2024, the AFMS program managed the review of 90,343 proposed2182obstructions that were formally filed with the FAA. It also managed the2183review of ?500 Informal Review obstruction evaluation projects2184submitted for DOD pre-filing review from developers or other Federal2185agencies. We coordinated with the Military Aviation and Installation2186Assurance Siting Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse), Air Force Flight2187Standards Agency, other Services, and Federal Agencies to ensure that2188the proposed activities are compatible with DAF training, testing, and2189operations.2190    Cumulative impacts of development continue to increase, causing2191significant concern for military training routes, special use airspace,2192radar lines of sight, and certain geographical areas. In response, the2193AFMS program has formed temporary Mitigation Response Teams (MRTs) with2194DOD, the Services, and project proponents to identify compatible2195development solutions to projects which pose impacts to Air Force2196testing, training, or operations. In 2024, the AFMS program established219777 formal MRTs, including at least one MRT for each Major Command2198(MAJCOM), as well as for the North American Aerospace Defense Command,2199the Air National Guard, and the Space Force. The AFMS program managed2200the MRT review process, established MRTs through the Clearinghouse, and2201facilitated MRT meetings with units, MAJCOMs, Headquarters Air Force,2202project developers, and other stakeholders. Ultimately, the formal MRTs2203and Informal Reviews established in 2024 helped to protect DAF and DOD2204missions associated with hundreds of unique DOD assets, including2205airspace and ranges, airfields, missile fields, and radars.2206    The AFMS program also leads DAF efforts in reviewing offshore2207projects, including providing responses to the Clearinghouse and the2208Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This on-going effort includes2209continued engagement and collaboration with developers, Department of2210Navy, and consultants.2211          housing, dormitories, and child development centers2212    Quality-of-life for our airmen and guardians and their families2213remains a top readiness priority for the DAF. We continue to focus2214investment and innovation on our housing, dormitories, and child2215development centers.2216Dormitories / Unaccompanied Housing2217    The DAF is on-track to meet the FSRM investment requirements2218established by the fiscal year 2022 NDAA. This is part of the largest2219dorm investment in over a decade. However, we recognize more is needed.2220Further, we continue to exceed OSD performance goals for dorm2221conditions since the inception of the metric in fiscal year 2013. In2222fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2024, we funded 104 projects totaling2223$570 million to repair and renovate dorms, HVACs, roofs, and other2224critical facility systems. Projects are underway or being planned at 182225installations that will continue our efforts to improve quality-of-life2226for our most junior airmen and guardians.2227    The DAF unaccompanied housing (UH) inventory includes nearly 58,0002228permanent party and over 45,600 training beds. Per fiscal year 20242229NDAA requirements, interim guidance from DOD established Building2230Condition Index (BCI, a 0-100 scale) as the UH Uniform Condition Index.2231    The DAF's overall strategy remains focused on restoring and2232modernizing dorms with FSRM funds and addressing capacity shortfalls2233and facility recapitalization with MILCON funds. The DAF Dormitory2234Master Plan guides this effort by providing the comprehensive2235forecasts, estimates, and recommendations required to strategically2236execute dormitory projects when and where they are most needed. Current2237assessments show 53 percent of permanent party beds are at or above the2238target of 80 BCI, and 0.1 percent of beds are less than 60 BCI.2239    Training dorms are another key component of our military2240servicemembers' growth and development. Currently, 69 percent of2241training beds assess at or above the target 80 BCI and 0.1 percent are2242less than 60 BCI. Notably, the DAF executed seven FSRM projects for $672243million at training dorms in fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2024.2244Family Housing2245    The DAF is focused on eliminating inadequate housing from the DAF2246inventory and correcting health and safety deficiencies. In addition to2247enabling planning studies, designing for future construction projects,2248and renovating existing DAF-owned homes, the Military Family Housing2249construction program also supports restructuring Military Housing2250Privatization Initiative (MHPI) projects.2251    The DAF's Military Family Housing construction program focuses on2252planning studies and design for future construction--to include2253projects at Yokota Air Base, Japan to improve homes for Senior Non-2254Commissioned Officers, Company Grade Officers, and Field Grade2255Officers.2256    Our Military Family Housing O&M funds efforts to sustain, improve,2257and modernize our inventory of approximately 15,200 DAF-owned family2258housing units and provides enhanced oversight of over 52,000 privatized2259homes. Combined, the family housing O&M and construction programs will2260ensure continued support for the housing needs of airmen, guardians,2261their families and caregivers, as well as our Army, Navy, and Marine2262Corps teammates living in DAF-owned and privatized family housing.2263    The DAF MHPI inventory contains over 52,000 privatized end State2264unit homes spanning 31 projects across 63 installations. In some cases,2265the financial assumptions and economics of the deals fall short of2266expectations through no fault of the project owners. In these cases,2267the DAF requests funding to restructure to ensure projects don't2268default on loans and conditions of the homes remain acceptable.2269Commercial Apartment Complex2270    The DAF is currently pursuing an innovative MHPI partnership with2271Mayroad (the existing MHPI project owner) for a 142-unit commercial2272apartment complex at Edwards AFB in California. The project broke2273ground in September 2024 and serves as the DAF's first-ever commercial2274apartment complex on-installation. The project is fully financed by2275private investment (no upfront DAF scoring or cost) and will provide2276246 beds in response to housing shortages at the remote installation.2277Lodging Commercialization2278    Lodging operations on DAF installations are paramount to support2279the mission and for the continued resiliency of airmen, guardians, and2280their families. Lodging is critical not only during permanent change of2281stations moves, but also for temporary duty assignments away from home2282stations. Indeed, these lodging assets directly support mission2283readiness and capability. Upgrading and ensuring the long-term2284sustainment of lodging for airmen, guardians, and their families is a2285strategic imperative for the DAF to maintain readiness and achieve2286mission success.2287    The DAF is seeking to commercialize all the on-base lodging in the2288United States, its territories, and possessions--which currently covers228958 DAF installations. The Commercial On-Base Lodging (COBL) effort2290would be accomplished through the conveyance of facilities and2291execution of a 50-year ground lease with no upfront cost to the DAF.2292The government seeks to apply private sector expertise, resources, and2293market-based incentives to improve the quality-oflife for airmen,2294guardians, their families, and other authorized travelers while in a2295transient status. The objective is to provide quality, on-base hotel2296accommodations that meet the varying needs of a mobile military2297community through improvements to the on-base lodging inventory and/or2298new construction, and to appropriately maintain these facilities2299throughout a long-term business relationship.2300    Within the DAF, the Assistant Secretariat for Energy, Installations2301and Environment will serve as the office of primary responsibility for2302the COBL program and has delegated execution responsibilities2303associated within the program, including lease administration and2304oversight, to the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center--2305who has established a Program Management Office (PMO).2306    The process to solicit and competitively select a private sector2307lease applicant and then successfully negotiate and close the lease of2308installations in groups and phased over several years. DAF anticipates2309releasing a request for proposal in the Summer 2025.2310    This COBL initiative would affect approximately 3,100 Non-2311appropriated Fund DAF Lodging (DAFL) personnel, who may be eligible for2312either reemployment priority, severance pay, or voluntary or2313involuntary retirement benefits. Just as when the Army privatized its2314lodging, the DAF expects the selected project owner will offer2315positions to many current DAFL employees.2316    The COBL initiative is incorporating key lessons learned from2317previous innovative real eState programs to ensure high performance.2318Under COBL, the selected project owner would earn fees based on2319Installation Commander and lodging customer feedback. Reports, approval2320process, response triggers, and the incentive fee structure would be2321consistent with the successful Army's Privatized Lodging program. DAF's2322COBL PMO would perform frequent site visits and direct oversight of2323both operations and recapitalization of the portfolio over the 50-year2324lease period.2325Child Development Centers (CDCs)2326    We continue to strive to provide a high quality-of-life for our2327members and their families. At the heart of that goal is affordable,2328accessible childcare for our airmen and guardians. Like our dormitory2329strategy, the DAF is using a two-prong programmatic approach to improve2330CDCs: targeted FSRM investment to address facility condition concerns2331and MILCON projects to increase capacity and recapitalize. While no2332CDCs in the DAF portfolio are failing or in poor condition, we know we2333still have work to do. Generous congressional support in recent years2334has enabled the DAF to initiate the design of additional CDC projects2335for inclusion in future President's Budget requests.2336    The Child and Youth Facility Master Plan facilitates project2337advocacy by identifying CDC MILCON and FSRM projects that address child2338and youth facility conditions and capacity challenges. Out of the 352339MILCON projects identified, 13 have been authorized and appropriated,2340adding approximately 1,800 spaces. One project was funded with O&M, 132341are in active design to add another 1,500 spaces, and 18 additional2342projects are in planning to validate requirements.2343                       environmental stewardship2344    Part of reestablishing the warrior ethos is an unwavering2345commitment to the well-being of our servicemembers and their families.2346It remains among our highest priorities to ensure the health and safety2347of those who live and work on our installations and those who reside in2348surrounding communities. We appreciate the support of Congress in our2349efforts to address Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and make2350further progress in our Environmental Restoration Program.2351    Our proactive PFAS strategy is yielding positive results, and we2352remain dedicated to making incremental gains in addressing this complex2353challenge. The DAF looks forward to continued appropriations support to2354maintain our PFAS efforts. These efforts include PFAS investigation and2355cleanup, on-base and off-base drinking water monitoring, Aqueous Film2356Forming Foam (AFFF) replacement facility repairs, and AFFF disposal and2357research and development. As of December 31, 2024, the DAF expended2358$68.7 million to transition from AFFF to fluorine-free foam or water2359only; 36 percent (192 of 541) facilities have completely removed and2360disposed of all AFFF and 86 percent (1,008 of 1,175) of vehicles are2361complete. We are currently on-track to meet the fiscal year 2020 NDAA2362compliance date, with the extension Congress has enacted.2363Environmental Restoration2364    We remain focused on being good stewards of the environment by2365preventing spills and releases, while also meeting our cleanup2366obligations under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,2367Compensation and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and2368Recovery Act. Investigation objectives and environmental response2369actions performed under these statutes aim to reduce risk to human2370health and the environment in a risk-based, prioritized manner at2371approximately 15,000 restorationsites across our active and closed2372installations. Much of our restoration program focuses on the DAF PFAS2373response, though we continue to address legacy sites.2374    The DAF PFAS Strategy is built on the following objectives: (1)2375Protect human health and the environment; (2) Transition from fluorine-2376containing products to fluorine-free alternatives and minimize2377potential PFAS release or exposure risk; (3) Fulfill cleanup2378responsibilities related to PFAS releases at DAF sites; (4) Invest in2379new PFAS Alternatives, and treatment and destruction technologies; (5)2380Integrate PFAS mitigation into compliance programs; and (6) Engage and2381collaborate with stakeholders (local communities, states, Federal2382agencies, and Congress). Through the end of fiscal year 2024, the DAF2383expended $2.3 billion identifying, investigating, and responding to2384PFAS releases.2385    On April 10, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency published2386Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS for public drinking water2387systems, requiring sampling by 2027 and compliance with the new limits2388by 2029. The DAF is actively mitigating PFAS impacts to meet the MCLs2389in on-base drinking water systems under our purview, and addressing2390impacts to off-base private drinking water wells linked to our2391activities. In alignment with DOD policy, DAF is also incorporating the2392final PFAS MCLs into our cleanup program. We continue to investigate,2393cleanup, and conduct interim response actions to address our past PFAS2394releases, all of which will significantly increase DAF's requirements.2395    As we continue this important work, the DAF is committed to open2396communication with communities concerned about the potential2397environmental impacts of PFAS. We actively engage with residents and2398collaborate with local Restoration Advisory Boards to continually2399improve and ensure our community outreach programs are transparent,2400inclusive and responsive.2401Environmental Quality2402    As trustee for more than 8.3 million acres of land, including2403forests, prairies, deserts, wetlands, and coastal habitats, the DAF2404understands the important role natural resources play in maintaining2405our mission capability and readiness. We remain fully committed to a2406comprehensive and integrated approach to conserving environmental,2407natural, and cultural resources. The environmental quality program2408funds mission sustainment and environmental compliance with applicable2409regulations across several media areas. This includes natural and2410cultural resources management, environmental planning, hazardous waste2411storage and disposal, hazardous materials management, healthy air and2412water quality, and completely funded Air National Guard clean-up.2413Additionally, the program supports ongoing habitat and species2414management for 123 threatened and endangered species found across 542415identified DAF installations. The program also provides for continued2416cooperation, collaboration, and leveraging of manpower and other2417resources with other Services, Federal Government agencies such as the2418United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and applicable State fish and2419game agencies.2420Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Sites2421    Our BRAC cleanup and property transfer program continues to2422facilitate environmental restoration and property transfer activities2423at 34 former DAF installations closed through prior BRAC law. We remain2424on-track to transfer the remaining four former installations by 2031.2425                           operational energy2426    The DAF remains the largest consumer of fuel in the Department of2427Defense. We have implemented a full range of strategies to increase our2428operational agility and mitigate our contested logistics risk in2429theaters like the Pacific. An energy-optimized fleet allows the2430warfighter to fly greater distances, increases loiter time for2431intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, and increases2432payload range. Our recent efforts resulted in a $222 million fuel cost2433avoidance, with $64 million of prior year expired funds recouped and2434reinvested to further enhance combat capability and mission assurance.2435    The Mission Execution Excellence Program (MEEP) incentivizes airmen2436to optimize use of aviation fuel in preparation for future conflict in2437a fuel-constrained environment such as the Indo-Pacific theater. Since2438May 2022, MEEP has saved over 14 million gallons of aviation fuel,2439valued at $52 million, and has expanded from four participating2440squadrons to 29 total force C-17, C-5, and KC-135 units.2441    Improved tools and software lead to more battlefield effectiveness.2442For example, training software, like Extended Reality Air to Air2443Refueling (EARL) trainers, creates more effective training2444opportunities for aerial refueling by providing pilots and boom2445operators with a highly realistic extended reality capability across2446multiple aircraft. Time spent training on EARL stations can offset time2447spent in live-flight sorties, allowing for more crews to be trained in2448less time, reducing stress on aircraft and schedules.2449    Engine optimization technologies, such as those currently deployed2450by commercial airlines, reduce fuel burn and increase engine2451performance, reliability, and time on wing for DAF aircraft. Efforts2452include a compressor blade coating which, if implemented across the C-245317 fleet, is projected to spur an estimated $20.9 million in fuel and2454maintenance savings annually (based on fiscal year 2025 fuel prices).2455Additionally, engine detergent and foam washes can restore efficiency2456and power while reducing fuel consumption by 0.5 to 1.15 percent. The2457incorporation of a detergent additive into the Air Force's engine wash2458contract has yielded significant additional benefits, including2459enhanced engine performance through improved removal of carbon debris2460and soot, resulting in restored engine efficiency and power output.2461    Drag reduction initiatives, like technologies currently used by2462commercial airlines and foreign militaries, reduce fuel consumption and2463improve operational range and capability of the current fleet of Air2464Mobility Command aircraft. In partnership with the Air Force Research2465Lab and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, we are implementing2466drag reduction technologies across our legacy aircraft, which has the2467potential to decrease drag and increase fuel efficiency by 1-8 percent2468for our existing fleet. In addition to increasing operational2469capabilities, most initiatives have a return-on-investment of less than24703 years. For instance, the C-17 is currently undertaking a 6-month2471logistics service test for 3-D printed microvanes that is projected to2472provide up to 1.5 percent drag reduction and 1.5 percent fuel savings2473across the 222-aircraft fleet.2474    Finally, we are investing in the Blended Wing Body (BWB)2475demonstration aircraft to rapidly field new technology that meets the2476demands of modern air operations. In 2023, the DAF partnered with DIU2477to prototype an improved aircraft design that provides more aerodynamic2478efficiency than today's tankers, bombers, and cargo aircraft, enabling2479increased range, loiter time, and fuel offload capabilities for the2480DOD. As a result of this competitive process, DAF selected JetZero to2481demonstrate this new capability by 2027, which is projected to improve2482aerodynamic efficiency by 30 percent. In addition, part of the2483capability development strategy for this effort includes to garner2484private investment and significantly augment Air Force funding. To2485date, $65 million in private funding and in-kind support has been2486captured, including investment from two major U.S. commercial airlines.2487The project remains on schedule and recently completed a Demonstrator2488Critical Design Review in May 2025.2489                               conclusion2490    The DAF Energy, Installations and Environment portfolio is aligned2491with the Department of Defense priorities of restoring the warrior2492ethos, rebuilding the military, and reestablishing deterrence by2493increasing the lethality, readiness and warfighting capability of our2494installations. We remain committed to aligning installation2495infrastructure to mission critical capabilities and optimizing our2496footprint while ensuring our installations have the resilience2497necessary to support Air and Space Force operations in a contested2498environment. With the continued support of Congress, I am confident our2499installations will continue to facilitate combat power projection with2500enough speed and intensity to be decisive for the Joint Force while2501also supporting our airmen, guardians and their families.2502    Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the DAF's programs2503supporting energy, installations, and environment. We appreciate2504Congress' continued support for our enterprise and look forward to2505continuing to work closely with you.25062507    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Saunders.2508    I'll begin the questioning here, and I highlighted this and2509I'd like to start with you, Secretary Marks, and maybe talk to2510or mention this to each of the other witnesses. The current2511projected MILCON in Guam, and I'm not saying Guam is not2512strategically important. It is.2513    But they go up from $4.7 billion in current projects to2514over 46 billion in planned future projects. Secretary, the Navy2515mentioned to me after his visit, he thought the number was2516north of $50 billion. I have raised this as an issue where I2517just think the strategic imagination of our leadership has been2518lacking whereby with our U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)2519Commanders, the current one, I have a deep respect for. The2520previous one, Admiral Aquilino, I also had deep respect for.2521    But there's a sense that everything is defaulting to Guam,2522every service. It creates, in my view, strategic2523vulnerabilities. Particularly if there's a war with China. With2524all of our forces on one relatively small island, this I think2525creates huge vulnerabilities.2526    So, Secretary Marks, can you touch on that? You say you2527have a holistic Guam master plan that you guys are looking at.2528I'm assuming it's going to start to look at a more dispersed2529force in INDOPACOM and not come to this issue of a default to2530Guam, literally on everything. $50 billion in MILCON when half2531the Marine Corps and the Navy are already out there, it seems2532to me not very smart.2533    Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you for that, and I know you're a2534deep student of history. You and I have spoken of that before2535so I completely understand the perspective as you go there. As2536I refer to that was part of when we began this understanding as2537I came in to look at a holistic picture of where we're putting2538things. This affects not only the Indo-Pacific but here in the2539homeland as well.2540    As we look at our real eState as our holdings, as well as2541the cost of everything that we are doing, and part of that is2542working with our combatant commanders that you mentioned.2543    Senator Sullivan. Yes.2544    Mr. Marks. Not only Admiral Paparo, but also General2545Guillot in terms of what is the correct force laydown, where do2546those things need to be and then balancing that with the cost2547that we need to get there. So we've just, at least from my2548seat, begun to take a harder look at that. I understand your2549concerns of that. Senator, I would love to come back to you and2550discuss that further as I can get a little bit more insight.2551    Senator Sullivan. Good. I'm glad you're undertaking that2552initiative. I appreciate that. I commend you for that. Do you2553have a timeline by which you want to get that study done?2554Sometimes as you know, in big bureaucracies, DOD being one,2555when they want something to go away, they say, ``Hey, we're2556going to study at it and we'll get back to you Senators in 32557years.'' How about giving a little timeline on that?2558    Mr. Marks. Yes. Senator, I've not yet sent one to my team.2559They're trying to give me a better understanding. I will tell2560you though that both visits to Alaska, to INDOPACOM and to U.S.2561Northern Command (NORTHCOM) are all being planned right now for2562me because I want to sit down with each one of them. I think2563we're planning a visit with your staff in August to go out to2564Alaska.2565    That is really the timeline I'm on. I need to be able to2566sit down with each of them, have this conversation and continue2567to drive that planning ahead. So, I will come back to you at2568that when we work our plannings.2569    Senator Sullivan. Let me ask because we have other equities2570in terms--I appreciate that answer. In terms of services, Mr.2571Saunders, obviously the Air Force is very heavily invested in2572Guam. Again, I worry about a couple of well-placed missiles in2573Andersen Airfield is gone, right?2574    Ms. Johnson Turner, you know the marines are--I'm not sure2575how public it is but--kind of resisting having 8,000 marines on2576Guam, no place to train. The housing is enormously expensive to2577build, just to get a couple of marine barracks up. Do either of2578you have any concerns about the Air Force or the Marine Corps2579Navy being over concentrated in Guam with so many forces and so2580much MILCON in one place in the Indo-Pacific?2581    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Sullivan, thank you for the2582question. As you noted, Guam is a special and strategic2583location and one that's vital to the National Defense Strategy.2584As Mr. Marks noted, we are staying very connected with the2585combatant commander on all things holistically as it relates to2586force flow, force posture and appropriate operational lay down2587and operational diversity.2588    So, sir, we will continue to strike the right balance with2589our Indo-Pacific presence. Again, being very nested closely2590with the combatant commanders.2591    Senator Sullivan. Mr. Saunders?2592    Mr. Saunders. Yes, sir. Thank you for the question.2593Similarly, our MILCON program and our investments in general2594are heavily influenced by combatant commander requirements. So,2595we recognize the strategic importance of Guam but all of the2596requirements within the INDOPACOM AOR and we, as I mentioned,2597focus those priorities from the combatant commanders and our2598component commander in our case the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)2599Commander into areas like Guam and other areas in the Indo-2600Pacific.2601    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, and I appreciate Secretary2602Mark's reference to history. When you look at our own history,2603particularly in INDOPACOM, when we've over concentrated forces,2604it is not always turned out so well for our country, our2605readiness, our lethality, which I know you're all focused on.2606Senator Hirono.2607    Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Marks, I2608know you are fully aware of the importance of the training2609areas in Hawaii, particularly Pohakuloa. Dr. Waksman, you just2610noted how important that training area is to our military in2611the Indo-Pacific. So, I would want both of you to commit to2612continuing the kind of good faith negotiations that we are2613engaged in to ensure that especially Pohakuloa remains as a2614necessary training area for our troops in Hawaii.2615    Mr. Marks. Senator, not only my commitment but I had a call2616just last evening with my Hawaii Coordination Cell as we2617continue to move all of the issues to forward. So, yes, ma'am.2618    Dr. Waksman. Yes, Senator, I echo his comments. We have a2619cell as well in Hawaii who work these issues. As you know, we2620can't formally negotiate until the records of decision are2621published, which the Army is currently planned to do in August.2622But we absolutely will commit to engaging with the local2623Hawaiian population and local government and other local nurse2624groups to make sure that they're all being----2625    Senator Hirono. Yes, as we know there are some challenges2626to these negotiations, not to mention that the fact that one of2627the State agencies did not to okay the Environmental Impact2628Statement (EIS). So, the good thing is I believe that the2629Governor is very interested in moving forward, working in good2630faith with all of you.2631    So, recent reporting review that a billion dollars, as I2632mentioned, the facility sustainment, restoration and2633modernization funds will be moved from repairing and2634maintaining facilities. As I noted, there are something like in2635the order of over $200 billion in deferred maintenance needs.2636So, this is money that's supposed to go to for barracks and2637barracks repair but instead they're being diverted to2638activities on the southwest border.2639    Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman can you explain how you2640plan to ensure the soldiers are living in safe and adequate2641barracks in light of this decrease in funding to the tune of2642about $1 billion and possibly more? Have you determined how2643this will impact the Army's maintenance backlog?2644    Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you for that. We of course all2645remain very committed to that and to the health and well-being2646of all of our servicemembers. But most of that money was2647originally things that had not fully executed and we are2648restoring that into the fiscal year 2026. But I'll defer to Dr.2649Waksman in terms of the exact way nature in which that was2650done.2651    Dr. Waksman. Yes. As Secretary Mark said we did not pull2652any funding from any projects that were already being spent on.2653It was money that had not already been assigned. You are2654correct that we have a very bad backlog of maintenance that we2655have to fix, and so, what we're trying to do is to try to buy2656that back as best as we can in fiscal year 2026. The fiscal2657year 2026 FSRM budget for the Army is going to be 25 percent2658higher than it was even in fiscal year 2024, and so, my2659instruction to the team has been to not forget any of these2660actions that we were going to do and to make sure that2661everything is getting funded that needed to get funded.2662    Senator Hirono. So, the fact of the matter is that, that2663the DOD has decided that it is going to assist Homeland2664Security in various immigration enforcement programs. Now this2665is being done without reimbursement and the DOD can ill afford2666for any of these moneys that should go to things like barrack's2667restoration and repair, can ill afford any of this kind of2668diversion.2669    So, we will be watching to see how you're going to make up2670the difference. In fact, Dr. Waksman, over 3 weeks ago, this2671Committee asked the Army for a comparison of what facility2672sustainment, restoration and modernization projects were2673planned for fiscal year 2025 compared to what has been executed2674to date, and we have not received this information. When can we2675expect this information from you?2676    Dr. Waksman. Senator, that's a fair question. We have just2677really finalized all those numbers internally. We're getting2678ready to pull that together and I make a commitment to you that2679we will get that to you as soon as we have it finalized and2680ready for release.2681    [The information referred to follows:]26822683    Dr. Waksman.26842685    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]26862687    Senator Hirono. Okay. We're going to hold you to that time2688timeline soon. Ms. Johnson-Turner, you noted that some 14 Navy2689barracks have been renovated. That's good news. I visited2690Arizona Hall, a Navy enlisted barracks at Joint Base Pearl2691Harbor, and the facility is dated, lacks essential air2692conditioning. In fact, I note that the Air Force doesn't even2693let its unaccompanied airmen in places that are not air2694conditioned but yet the Navy has this facility that is not air2695conditioned.2696    That is not some kind of a luxury because it's pretty tough2697to be in a place that's not air conditioned. So, I found out2698that the restoration costs for these barracks is $10 million.2699That seems eminently doable. So, I'd like to know from you,2700what is the plan and when can I expect the renovation of2701Arizona Hall to begin?2702    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Hirono, I appreciate the2703question. As noted, unaccompanied housing remains a priority2704for the Department of the Navy and I appreciate your attention2705to and support for the Department of the Navy. Specific to2706Arizona Hall, we did have sailors that were moved out of that2707facility about a year ago. We are moving forward with a2708structural assessment although the building is wholly vacant,2709which we expect to receive those results this summer.2710    Senator Hirono. So, is there $10 million being requested to2711complete the renovation of Arizona Hall?2712    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, I will have to get back to you2713on the specific amount. I think part of it was--now that the2714facility is vacated and there is no sailors or other2715servicemembers residing, was to get the structural assessment2716and determine the next step.2717    [The information referred to follows:]27182719    Ms. Johnson-Turner. In fiscal year 2025, the Navy funded a2720structural inspection to support a broader engineering2721evaluation but has already programmed $3.8 million of fiscal2722year 2025 Operation and Maintenance, Navy funding for site and2723parking lot upgrades and a heating, ventilation, and air2724conditioning study. Plans toward the renovation of Arizona Hall2725are contingent upon the results of the inspection, which are2726expected at the end of the calendar year.27272728    Senator Hirono. You may not have the specific amount but2729can you tell me if this is happening in this budget?2730    Ms. Johnson-Turner. I will look forward to getting back to2731you Senator in short order.2732    Senator Hirono. Thank you.2733    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Hirono. Senator2734Fischer.2735    Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all2736for being here today.2737    As you know, FSRM funds are used by the service in order to2738maintain, repair and improve existing military facilities. This2739Committee has been leading the way on reforms when it comes to2740the sustainment of our infrastructure.2741    In responding to a committee request for information, I2742understand that the services as well as the Office of the2743Secretary of Defense would be in favor of changing FSRM from a27441-year authorization to a 3-year authorization. First, can each2745of you tell me if you support this idea, Mr. Secretary?2746    Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you, and as I think you and I2747have spoken before, anything that increases flexibility and2748allows us to program appropriately but also allows us to reduce2749the overall cost as we can get after it, certainly we would2750support and I would want to work with you to see how that would2751become implemented.2752    Senator Fischer. Great. Dr. Waksman?2753    Dr. Waksman. Yes. I echo Secretary Marks. Any additional2754flexibility is always welcome. You're right about this2755challenge. It's like a credit card debt where you save a little2756bit of money now and you have to pay way more later. We2757understand this is a big hole that we have to dig out of and2758we're looking forward to working with you on trying to solve2759that problem.2760    Senator Fischer. Great. Ma'am?2761    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, I absolutely concur with2762Secretary Marks. Anything that enhances flexibility and our2763buying power would be much appreciated. It would get us beyond2764the fiscal year encroachment, as well as give us more time to2765better plan.2766    Senator Fischer. Mr. Saunders?2767    Mr. Saunders. Senator, I appreciate the question. I echo2768all the comments previously. It would add additional2769flexibility and make us more efficient in executing the2770program.2771    Senator Fischer. Okay. That is great. So, if you're in2772support of this, why hasn't Congress seen a legislative2773proposal on this topic or seen any kind of change in your2774annual budget request? Who wants that one?2775    Mr. Marks. Senator, we'll take that one.2776    Senator Fischer. Okay. Great.2777    Mr. Marks. Work that as we move forward, certainly I think2778that that is something we need to sit down and work language2779with you on to ensure it's in the proper place. But I was made2780aware of that just this week. So, I'll absolutely want to work2781with you on that.2782    Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Mr. Saunders, as you2783know in March 2019, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska2784experienced a massive flood forcing displacement of 3,2002785people and causing millions of dollars in damage. Six years2786later, that rebuilding is still in progress but I would like to2787highlight that in a testament to the resiliency and fortitude,2788the airmen of Offutt Air Force Base have maintained full2789mission capability throughout this entire time.2790    However, these same airmen are having to execute their2791missions out of aging facilities that are not suited to the2792task. Could you please provide an update on the Offutt Air2793Force Base rebuilding effort? I would ask them that you2794followup with that and make sure things stay on track. The2795facilities are out of date, dangerous, not healthy and we want2796to be able to provide for our people.2797    Mr. Saunders. Senator Fischer, thank you for that question.2798We share your same interest in ensuring that we restore the2799facilities to operational condition and that we provide high2800quality facilities for our airmen that are working at our2801critical location at Offutt. In this case throughout the fiscal2802year 2019 through 2024 program we've invested about $9882803million in that national disaster recovery effort so far.2804    It's 11 separate projects that are awarded, and as you2805noted some of them are still in construction and I remain2806committed as you've asked to keep a pulse on that to ensure2807that we continue to execute that program.2808    Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Mr. Secretary, what2809steps are we taking across our installations to ensure that2810that critical infrastructure and the industrial control systems2811are protected at a lot of these installations? You know that we2812have to make sure that they're protected, that they're hardened2813just as much as we worry about the technology.2814    Mr. Marks. Senator, I really appreciate that question2815because that is critical to everything that we do, and we have2816such a dependency on our community partners in that, right, our2817unified or our utility providers and how we operate with that.2818In fact, I am meeting with several of them tomorrow to discuss2819how we collectively can get after this problem and certainly2820focus our investments on ways that make us not only resilient2821from just an energy dominance, energy security and redundancy2822position but also, as you mentioned, the cybersecurity that2823goes along with that.2824    I certainly think from an efficiency perspective, our2825ability to digitally monitor the work that we do is also2826important to our future efforts, and we'll be prioritizing that2827as we move it.2828    Senator Fischer. You know, as we're looking at the2829coordination, not just with industry partners but across the2830services as well, do you have any thoughts on how we can2831improve on that?2832    Mr. Marks. Well, I think certainly as Dr. Waksman, all the2833services do our black start exercises are beginning to reveal2834to us some of those abilities of places where those2835redundancies lack. That's allowing us to then focus our efforts2836on first and foremost ensuring that we don't have failures such2837as at Offutt, which obviously has a critical national security2838mission that we want to ensure that is there, right?2839    So, as we do those that allows us to then begin to move out2840given the resources that we have to focus on that. But we can2841certainly come back and try to work with you on that.2842    Senator Fischer. Okay. Great. I'd be really interested in2843hearing how not just how we coordinate but how we can, and once2844again, make it move faster.2845    Mr. Marks. Yes, ma'am.2846    Senator Fischer. Thank you.2847    Senator Sullivan. Thank you Senator Fischer. Senator Kaine.2848    Senator Kaine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to our2849witnesses. I want to ask about Unmanned Aircraft Systems2850(UASs). We certainly are seeing in real time the threat they2851pose in combat and the new iterations of them on the2852battlefield. But they also affect security of DOD2853installations. We've had incursions at Langley. There have been2854other bases in the country that have seen these.2855    Talk a little bit about what each of the service branches2856are doing. You know the Army is playing kind of a facilitator2857role. NORTHCOM is playing a key role. But what are you doing2858with respect to installations both at home and are2859installations abroad to be more really kind of on the leading2860edge of the best practices for UAS incursions?2861    Mr. Marks. Senator, I appreciate that question very much,2862especially given my last role in which that was a singular2863focus that I was working there in Florida. I would say writ2864large, and I will allow my partners here to also add. One of2865the critical pieces of this that I believe we're focused on is2866not only inside the fence line but also outside the fence line.2867    So, if I wait until that threat is at the fence line, it's2868much too late. We saw what happened in Spider Web, we can see2869the real threat that can happen. So one of the initiatives that2870we are moving forward in without our installations is to work2871on the community ability to integrate these working on the2872jurisdictions and the authorities that go with that.2873    I will defer again to my partners here in terms of2874technologies that we're applying to those solutions but that's2875one of the key efforts that my office is going to focus on.2876    Dr. Waksman. Thanks, Senator. It is a great question. As2877you know, counter UAS is a big part of what the Army's doing2878now, and it's a financial question, right? Can we shoot down2879stuff cheaper than what they're shooting at us? But I think2880there's two important parts to it that the Army's focusing on2881in addition to just the technology.2882    One is the energy piece. If you're going to have all these2883radar systems, microwave systems, et cetera. How do you ensure2884that you have reliable energy for that? But also, it's a policy2885piece. There are policy and legal challenges with doing counter2886UAS, particularly domestically. The Federal Aviation2887Administration (FAA) tends to frown on us shooting things down2888out of the sky, and so working that problem, I think it's a2889concern that we're going to want to work with you and the rest2890of Congress on going forward.2891    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Kaine, thank you for the2892question as it does have the attention of the Department of the2893Navy. We are looking at the systems that we have in place at2894many of our critical and mission critical installations as well2895as the research and development.2896    As we know, technology is constantly increasing. I just led2897a critical infrastructure form within the Department of the2898Navy where we are looking holistically across Marine Corps and2899Navy equities to get a whole love done, if you will, approach2900to get after this. We're also looking at the authorities that2901we have in place and where we may have potential gaps.2902    Then you've heard the Marine Corps talk about sort of their29033D printing that they've been able to do at Quantico to really2904continue to push focus and attention to moving forward with2905drones.2906    Senator Kaine. Saunders?2907    Mr. Saunders. Senator, thank you for the question. I'd2908start by reiterating for the Department of the Air Force as2909well as the other services that our installations are power2910projection platforms and they operate in increasingly contested2911environment, including a contested environment in the homeland2912as you noted with incursions at Langley and other locations.2913    So, the Department is obviously heavily invested in working2914and partnering with the joint counter small UAS office, the2915assistant services and looking at all options both kinetic and2916non-kinetic solutions and ensuring that we develop solutions2917that are nested in a broader airbase defense and airbase air2918and ballistic missile defense framework. That's headed through2919our Air Force side--on the Air Force side through the A3 but it2920includes stakeholders across the Department of the Air Force.2921    Senator Kaine. If I could just say to my Senate colleagues2922here, the Langley incursions were maybe 18 or 19 months ago.2923We've been together in sort of the Sensitive Compartmented2924Information Facility (SCIF) where we've tried to get2925information about; do we know the origin, no, even though it2926was 19 nights in a row. It wasn't just like one night. We still2927haven't really been given very good information about it.2928    Maybe it's hard to come upon that information now. But the2929same issues when we asked 19 months ago. Well, the FAA doesn't2930like us shooting stuff down outside of base, of course they2931don't. The local government, I got this Mayor of Hampton, he2932doesn't want that. But those answers, 19 months ago, I got2933them. But it's been 19 months and I'm still worried that2934everyone recognizes as a challenge but I'm not really sure2935we've got the protocols that we should have by now.2936    I'm going to add to it. I was at one of our major defense2937contractors in Virginia. I don't need to name them but they2938said they have drone incursions around their perimeter a lot.2939People trying to see what's going on. What do you do? We call2940the service branch that we're contracting with and we let them2941know. They say, ``Thanks, we're glad you let us know.''2942    But there's not that much done beyond a phone call and an,2943``Okay, thanks for letting us know.'' So, I am nervous about2944this. That there are a lot of stakeholders. It's FAA, it's2945local government, it's Federal law enforcement trying to do the2946investigation to determine who's responsible. You have to2947separate the innocent hobbyist from the potential bad2948malefactor or foreign actor who's coming after you.2949    But I just worry that we're not yet coming up with the2950protocols we need. That's something that I'm sure we'll talk2951about as we're doing the markup in the NDA. One other question2952I wanted to ask about housing. There's a Government2953Accountability Office (GAO) report, 2023, poor living2954conditions undermine quality of life and readiness.2955    That is now about 2 years old, highlighted number of poor2956living conditions that we're familiar with but the report made295731 recommendations. I wonder what's our status in terms of2958implementing or how many have been implemented, how many are in2959implementation? Can you talk a little bit about that Secretary2960Mark?2961    Mr. Marks. Yes. Absolutely Senator, thank you for that, and2962over half of those have already been implemented. There's2963another three that we're attempting to close out right now.2964Those are going through their process but I expect those to be2965moved shortly, and then each of our partners has a game plan in2966which we meet regularly to get those to closure. So, I think2967we're on a good pace to get those there through our housing2968offices.2969    Senator Kaine. If I did that question for the record, I2970think it might be helpful for not just this Subcommittee, but2971all Committee Members to kind of get the 31, these have been2972done. Here are the three that we think we're closing in on.2973Here are the ones we're still working on.2974    So, I'll probably ask that question for the record because2975I think everybody's probably going to be interested in that2976answer.2977    Mr. Marks. Understood. Thank you, sir.2978    [The information referred to follows:]29792980    Mr. Marks. The GAO has closed 15 recommendations under2981their Military Barracks report after reviewing the2982documentation provided by the Department. Of the remaining 162983recommendations, the Department has provided documentation to2984the GAO for consideration of closure of five more2985recommendations and of the final 11 recommendations, all except2986one have current estimated completion dates in calendar year29872026.29882989    Senator Kaine. Okay. Thank you.2990    Senator Sullivan. Great, and Senator Kaine, yesterday a2991number of us introduced the Golden Dome Act, which is all about2992missile defense, which has a significant UAS component. It's2993got a UAS component that deals with FAA, DOD, and the Services,2994to try to get to exactly what you are talking about. I think2995it's a really important issue and I think our services also2996have concerns that nobody has the authority to actually shoot2997down a drone if it were doing nefarious activity right now. So,2998I agree with you.2999    I think it's something we're going to certainly want to3000take up in the NDAA markup.3001    Senator Kaine. Great.3002    Senator Sullivan. Thank you. Well, we're going to go to3003second round of questions here and I'll begin with you3004Secretary Marks. One of the issues, you're probably seeing it,3005I'm sure all our witnesses have seen it. In terms of MILCON,3006one of the challenges we have is the oversaturation of3007burdensome regulations, many of which come from National3008Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), where it takes years and years3009and even beyond a decade to get through NEPA reforms or NEPA3010reviews.3011    Then the inevitable litigation that comes with them to do3012anything on basis. So, Mr. Secretary, I'm sure you saw the very3013important Supreme Court case ruling on the Eagle County case,3014where the court found that agencies will get significant3015deference on NEPA reviews and importantly clarifies that3016agencies don't have to do reviews and shouldn't do reviews for3017impacts outside the project's immediate jurisdiction.3018    So, have you started to incorporate that into your DOD NEPA3019analysis and importantly, like for example on Guam I know that3020the Department of Interior was doing a huge NEPA review on some3021of the base housing related to Guam, incorporating that with3022the other agencies that might be doing NEPA analysis on3023military basis to more quickly streamline MILCON projects,3024which often can take a decade or more because of NEPA red tape?3025    Mr. Marks. Senator, absolutely, and in fact, since I've3026been in the seat, that's been a high priority to try to get3027after that, working with our partners in ways in which we can3028accelerate that by, while still acknowledging our legal policy3029responsibilities, of course. One of those of course is, the3030team has looked at opportunities there.3031    Where can we use Categorical Exclusion (CATEX), where can3032we use other abilities to move that forward, shrink those3033timelines again while still meeting those. I'll defer to my3034partners if they have recent examples but we hope to bring that3035forward very soon. I agree with you, I've experienced that3036personally where the standard answer to any environmental3037answer is, ``Well, that'll be 2 years from now before I come3038back to you with an answer.'' That to me, is an unacceptable3039answer, so.3040    Senator Sullivan. Yes. Not acceptable. It's a dangerous3041world out there and we can't----3042    Mr. Marks. It is. Absolutely, sir.3043    Senator Sullivan. We wouldn't be saying that during World3044War II or any other times, we need to up the tempo. Let me turn3045to the very important issue. A number of you have talked about3046the issue of energy. One element, and you don't want to repeat3047rumors, but one of the things that I've heard rumors on, again,3048in the Indo-Pacific region is the lack of energy storage as a3049detriment to prosecuting warfighting plans in the Indo-Pacific,3050particularly even exacerbated more because of the closure at3051the Red Hill Fuel facility in Hawaii.3052    So, is that something that you're hearing about from the3053combatant commanders? In one of the areas that you and I talked3054about during your confirmation process, Secretary Marks, was3055the former base at Adak, which in addition to having two 8,0003056foot runways, a sub base, has one of the largest and still3057operational fuel depots in the world, 22 million gallons of3058fuel can be stored there.3059    But what are our challenges with regard to fuel a3060warfighting capability that we need in INDOPACOM, particularly3061given the Red Hill Fuel Facility shut down and I believe Adak3062offers a really important element for INDOPACOM fuel logistics.3063A lot of people don't know. If you look at a map, Adak is over3064a thousand miles west of Hawaii, and it's in the AOR, very far3065out in the AOR.3066    Mr. Marks. Senator, I appreciate that. I've been tracking3067both Admiral Paparo's and General Guillot's comments to you3068about those issues. We are looking at the global force posture.3069I know my Navy Partners made a visit to Adak to begin to do an3070assessment on that, and certainly we're looking at that global3071force posture. Anything that increases distance slows us down3072and our ability to support the warfighter is certainly a3073concern.3074    We'll continue to work with combatant commanders and my3075service partners to see what we need to do as the next steps.3076    Senator Sullivan. But are you hearing from the combatant3077commanders that they're worried about fuel supplies in any kind3078of contingency? I'm not just saying it's Red Hill, I'm just3079saying in general, it's a big Pacific Ocean out there and our3080warfighters need fuel. I'm hearing that.3081    Mr. Marks. Senator, and I don't doubt it, and that's why,3082as I mentioned earlier in my comments, that I've reached out to3083the combatant commanders to sit down as quickly as possible, as3084well as very quickly sitting down with my partners at the3085Defense Logistics Agency to try to get a better grasp on that3086situation for you. So, I'll come back to you but I will defer3087to my partners here, my colleagues if they have a greater3088influence.3089    Senator Sullivan. Well, just with regard to Adak, the3090INDOPACOM Commander and the NORTHCOM Commander testified in the3091full committee that we need to reopen that base. I got a3092commitment recently from the Navy, Ms. Johnson-Turner to come3093brief me again on this. This was in a call with the Secretary3094of the Navy (SECNAV). Nobody's done it. That was about 3 or 43095weeks ago. So, I'm still waiting. I've been waiting a long3096time. Getting impatient on that.3097    But I'd like to get your commitment to get what was already3098a commitment to come brief me on their latest visit, whether3099it's dealing with fuel, runways, sub bases. It's a very3100strategic location. Two combatant commanders have already said3101we need to reopen it, and I just haven't gotten anything from3102the Navy yet. Can I get your commitment to get the Navy at a3103senior level in my office soon as they've already committed to3104me to brief me on this?3105    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Sullivan, the Arctic is3106definitely a strategic and important location. I will followup3107within internal to the Department of the Navy so we can circle3108back with you.3109    Senator Sullivan. Good. Thank you. Senator Hirono.3110    Senator Hirono. Any questions about reopening Red Hill is3111going to require a lot of thought because these were massive--3112it was a massive facility.3113    Senator Sullivan. Just for the record, I didn't say3114anything about reopening Red Hill.3115    Senator Hirono. Well, that's what it sounded like to me.3116    Senator Sullivan. No, I'm not saying that at all.3117    Senator Hirono. Good.3118    Senator Sullivan. I'm saying the Navy needs to use Adak as3119a replacement to Red Hill not. I know how sensitive Red Hill3120is. That's the last I would not her. That's your area.3121    Senator Hirono. That's the last stop. Encroach. Thank you3122very much.3123    Senator Sullivan. Nothing about----3124    Senator Hirono. I'm all for being open minded about what we3125need to do to make sure that our readiness posture remains3126strong. However, if Red Hill was a facility that mainly stored3127aviation fuel. So, the Air Force has something to say about3128that. In the meantime, though, the presence really is not so3129much the Air Force in Hawaii but it's the Navy and the fuel3130there was not for Navy.3131    Okay. I'm going to ask some really easy questions so that3132we can move on. In previous NDAAs, we have extended the H-2B3133visas for military construction related to Guam and the3134Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Secretary3135Marks, would you support another extension of H-2B visas for3136military construction on Guam and the CNMI?3137    Mr. Marks. Senator Hirono, I absolutely would look for an3138extension that would help with costs, with manpower and3139continue to move our projects along so they don't incur any3140additional costs.3141    Senator Hirono. So, the answer is yes?3142    Mr. Marks. Yes.3143    Senator Hirono. Okay. I did mention in my opening that I3144wanted each of you to discuss very briefly but specifically3145some ideas to improve the military construction process. I3146suppose part of it is somehow hastening the NEPA review3147process. But do you have any specific ideas on what we can do3148to hasten military construction?3149    Mr. Marks. We do, Senator, and we've looked right now at3150ideas such as accelerated design built. So, bringing in the3151team earlier. Bundling projects so that we can accelerate3152those, right? One large project moving through quickly if we3153can do that. But I would also look at things that--I've asked3154our team to investigate, such as the use of artificial3155intelligence solutions to move the projects along more quickly.3156    We certainly want to look at industry standards, and so,3157I've asked our team to begin to look at the unified facilities3158criteria, the UFCs. Basically, in a broad sense, anything that3159would restrict us from moving forward that is contrary to3160either industry standards or contrary to law. We need to3161identify those and try to remove the restrictions that allow us3162to get things done quickly to the proper standards.3163    Senator Hirono. So, the things like design build, are you3164implementing that kind of a process to speed up the building3165process?3166    Mr. Marks. That is absolutely something we want to move3167forward as quickly as possible.3168    Senator Hirono. So, if you have specific examples of that3169is working, please come back with them.3170    Mr. Marks. I will come back to you with one. Yes, ma'am.3171    [The information referred to follows:]31723173    Mr. Marks. The authority discussed during the hearing was3174accelerated design-build, which was formerly authorized under317510 U.S.C. Sec.  3241 but expired in 2008. The Department looks3176forward to working with this committee to review options to3177accelerate military construction timelines and reduce costs, to3178potentially renewing this authority.31793180    Senator Hirono. Is the Secretary speaking for the rest of3181you? Do the rest of you have other ideas on what we can do to3182speed up the process?3183    Dr. Waksman. Yes, I think what you're referring to is the3184design build process, which has been demonstrated by other3185agencies to work faster. But there's also the progressive3186design build process, which we'd like to explore. That is not3187something that we currently have authority to do but that's3188really the best practices in the private sector. We've had to3189work with Congress to see if that authority can be extended.3190    Senator Hirono. Anything to add?3191    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator Hirono, I concur with Secretary3192Marks and Dr. Waksman. The other thing that I would say is we3193have really benefited from the authority that Congress provided3194to us for the OTA pilot. We've learned a lot of lessons, tried3195to move out with industrialized construction if you will, to3196get us as close as we can to a progressive design build. But3197being able to further leverage OTA authority and military3198construction would be of great benefit.3199    Mr. Saunders. Yes. Senator Hirono, you asked if the3200Assistant Secretary spoke for all the Services. I think in this3201case there is a joint working group with the Services led by3202the Office of the Secretary of Defense. So, yes, that does3203provide all of the same responses, and the only thing I was3204going to add was to echo the comment of the OTAs which is a3205relatively recent authority and that does help.3206    Senator Hirono. Thank you. I did mention in my opening that3207I have concerns about our ability, that the Department's3208ability to withstand weather events and to protect our3209infrastructure. I'm assuming that you're going to proceed with3210some of those kinds of considerations. I did want to get to one3211thing that's come up recently. That is just this afternoon, it3212was reported that the Navy and the Air Force will create two3213additional national defense areas.3214    NDAs attached to Joint Base San Antonio and Texas and3215Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona. For Mr. Saunders, a3216Joint Based San Antonio is 150 miles from the border inside a3217city of 1.5 million people. How do you justify creating a3218national defense area so far from the border and inside a major3219city?3220    Mr. Saunders. Yes, Senator Hirono, thank you for that3221question, and it also provides me the opportunity maybe to3222provide a little bit more clarity to what we're actually doing.3223The Air Force is pursuing an NDA, but it's along the Rio Grande3224from Roma, Texas to the Gulf of America. It's roughly 260 or3225270 miles long. It'll encompass the river bank to the high3226watermark. The Joint Base San Antonio reference that you3227mentioned, is the administrative organization that will oversee3228and adopt that real property on the Department of the Air Force3229on real property records.3230    Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, you know that there are3231concerns about the continuing creation because this is like No.32324 of these creation of these national defense areas and it3233enables the military to get around Posse Comitatus. So,3234Secretary Marks, are there any plans or discussions to3235establish similar national defense areas in other U.S. cities?3236    Mr. Marks. Senator, there's always planning going on in3237terms of what we need to do to assist with what the President3238has asked us to do. However, at this time, those two are the3239one that I'm tracking.3240    Senator Hirono. So, there is already a diversion of 4,0003241National Guards people and it's 700 or so Active Duty military3242in L.A., and there is a concern about what they're doing in3243these cities. This is all under the control of the President,3244thanks to a court decision. But there is a question as to what3245these troops can do in these areas, even if they're called up3246in L.A., because there is this issue of Posse Comitatus. So,3247there are these concerns about the diversion of our troops.3248    So, as we create these areas, how many troops are going to3249be there monitoring or whatever they're going to be doing in3250these additional NDAs that has to do with border issues?3251    Mr. Marks. Senator, our troops are there in a title 103252status. That means they're in a Federal status. They are there3253to assist not violate Posse Comitatus. As we look at those,3254they are there simply in a--temporarily protect our U.S.3255Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other3256Federal personnel there within the Federal confines of the real3257property that they are on. So, it's not an intent to skirt3258Posse Comitatus simply to exercise the title 10 work that3259they're doing there.3260    Senator Hirono. So, my question is, Mr. Chairman, if you3261don't mind, how many troops will be for the Air Force and for3262the Navy will be assigned to monitor or patrol these additional3263NDAs? That's what I want to know.3264    Mr. Marks. Senator, I don't have that exactly unless my3265colleagues have the exact numbers. We'll take that for the3266record, if we may, ma'am, and I'll get back to you.3267    [The information referred to follows:]32683269    Mr. Marks. I defer to the Department of the Navy and the3270Department of the Air Force for this data.32713272    Senator Hirono. Do you have a response?3273    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, I do not know the exact number3274either. So, as Secretary Marks denoted, we would have to get3275back to you.3276    Mr. Saunders. Yes, similarly, ma'am, we would work with the3277Combatant Command NORTHCOM in this case. They would identify3278the requirements which would answer the question of the number,3279and so, we'd be able to get back with you after coordinating3280with them.3281    Senator Hirono. I would like that information provided to3282this Committee.3283    Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.3284    Senator Sullivan. Senator Kaine.3285    Senator Kaine. Just one last question, and this is to3286Secretary Marks. There's an office within the Pentagon, the3287Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). That has3288been very helpful in Virginia and I suspect in other states3289too. You know as our Hampton Roads, I'll use that as an3290example, 12, 13 cities and counties on different sides of the3291water but all really unified in their support for the many3292military missions in the area.3293    That office has been really great in terms of working in3294coordination when the community is trying to figure out what to3295do on infrastructure, road building or bridge construction3296obviously. We like to work in tandem, not just with a single3297base but with all the military installations where people are3298going to be driving to and from every day. that office has3299proven really valuable. The office has had a budget over the3300years where they've been able to help fund local, you know, it3301might be a part of a transportation study.3302    Senator Durbin and I wrote a letter to Secretary Hegseth3303about this in March, just saying, ``Hey, this is a good office3304as you're getting started, pay attention to this. It can really3305be used to leverage good relationships with local3306communities.'' I would just like, you know, your commitment3307that you see the value of this office and anything you can do3308to enhance its effectiveness will be good for the military3309mission.3310    It'll be good outside the gate in terms of the community3311base relationships.3312    Mr. Marks. Senator, thank you for that question. First,3313thank you that you've seen the incredible value of OLDCC. As a3314former installation person, I use them extensively, and so, I3315was very excited that they are part of the portfolio that I get3316to lead. You absolutely have my commitment, Senator, that we'll3317continue to push that forward.3318    I think I often say I get better than a three to one return3319on investment when I use the OLDCC money, especially as it3320works within our community. So, thank you for your support and3321you have my commitment.3322    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Kaine. I want to talk3323a little bit more on the, you know, Mr. Secretary, I mentioned3324the dispersal of forces in the Indo-Pacific that just made3325strategic sense but there's also a operational need. I have a3326chart I'm trying to get here but I've shown it to many of you.3327I've brought it to many hearings and it's all the activity3328we're getting in the North Pacific, in the Arctic with regard3329to Russian and Chinese incursions into our airspace.3330    Our airspace in Alaska and our exclusive economic zone3331(EEZ) into our waters. In the last 3 years, we've had a whole3332host of Russian Bear Bomber missions and Chinese naval task3333forces. In an unprecedented manner, joint Russian and Chinese3334strategic bomber task forces and naval task forces. So, the3335need for infrastructure from which to project American power in3336this part of the world, refuel, intercept these incursions is3337really, really important.3338    So, can I talk to you about that just briefly? Secretary3339Marks, as you're looking at the lay down, you need dispersion3340because you don't want to get attacked but you also need3341dispersion and force projection capability. Because this is the3342homeland, right? This is the northern border and they are very3343active up there.3344    Then Mr. Saunders, the INDOPACOM Commander, and3345particularly the NORTHCOM Commander, have talked about the need3346for additional airspace logistics but also runway space on the3347Aleutian Islands and Adak, in Western Alaska, Galena,3348Deadhorse, you know, northern part of Alaska. Because when3349these brave airmen and women do their intercept missions, if3350it's February over the Arctic Ocean and you're flying an F-163351and you lose an engine, you better want to have infrastructure3352capability for an search and rescue (SAR) mission.3353    So, I'd like to get your views on that. Hopefully you've3354listened to what the NORTHCOM Commander has said with regard to3355forward infrastructure basing for aircraft and Navy ships to3356project American power in a part of the world that's getting3357very, very busy. We are on the front lines in Alaska with great3358power competition and it's a regular occurrence. That's our3359border. Nothing more important than that.3360    Mr. Marks. Senator, I appreciate that and the level of3361detail as you have laid out. In fact, as I mentioned to you in3362my hearing as goes Alaska defense, so it goes homeland defense,3363right?3364    Senator Sullivan. Yes.3365    Mr. Sullivan. So, I agree with you there, Senator. The3366development of the National Defense Strategy that we're working3367on, we owe that to the Secretary here by August, focuses on3368Arctic maritime strategy, Arctic strategy. I would also echo3369General Guillot's comments which he as well stated that when3370you're at those long distances, having the ability to launch3371SAR, as you mentioned is of critical importance.3372    What I would want to continue to do Senator, is one,3373acknowledge you have the threat, I think assessment exactly3374correct. I think from there is working through the process as3375we do both the National Defense Strategy, the protection of3376that and how that works to protect U.S. interests up there is3377of vital importance. We'll continue to focus on that as we move3378forward. But I'll defer to my colleague on that.3379    Senator Sullivan. Great. Mr. Saunders, you probably heard3380General Guillot talking about air station capability at Adak,3381right? There's two 8,000-foot runways there right now with fuel3382as I mentioned. In Galena, which as you know, that's western3383Alaska. It used to be a--or interior kind of western Alaska, it3384used to be an air base.3385    King Salmon, that's another area that used to be an Air3386Force Air Base, Deadhorse, which is the most northern part of3387Alaska where there's a civilian airport there. But the ability3388to launch SAR rescue missions there is really, really3389important. I have the chart here. I'll show it real quick. As3390you're answering I'll just put it up there.3391    It gives you a sense, right? We're very busy up there. It3392oftentimes doesn't make the lower 48 news but I'll tell you, it3393makes the news in Alaska, and it should, right?3394    When you have Russian and Chinese joint strategic Bear3395Bomber task forces with armed MiGs coming into our Air Defense3396Identification Zone (ADIZ), we need to protect ourselves and3397protect our airmen. If you looked at any of those installation3398upgrades, we already have them in all those areas I mentioned.3399Runways, former bases that we could use for more infrastructure3400and power projection to address this.3401    Here's just the number, and the green is joint OPs, Russian3402Chinese operations. Either joint strategic bomber task forces3403or joint naval task forces. We even got a balloon task force3404when the Chinese sent their spy balloons over Alaska, which our3405Air Force did a great job of shooting down. So, do you have an3406update on that?3407    Mr. Saunders. Yes. Senator Sullivan, thank you for that.3408You know, what's not lost on me is our interim National Defense3409Strategy has us focused on INDOPACOM but first defending the3410Homeland, which basically addresses both of these issues as3411you're talking about the Alaska region and the Arctic.3412    Senator Sullivan. Well, this is Homeland?3413    Mr. Saunders. Exactly.3414    Senator Sullivan. INDOPACOM because it's North Pacific and3415Arctic, right? I mean, it's all three. You know, I was meeting3416with the incoming Supreme Allied Commander, he had his3417confirmation hearing yesterday. You look at Alaska, the other3418thing that's really important but also challenging. Mr.3419Secretary, that's why you're so important. You have the seams3420of all these different combatant commands, right? You have3421NORTHCOM, you have U.S. European Command (EUCOM), Russia, you3422have INDOPACOM and you have U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM)3423because of all our missile defenses in Alaska.3424    There's three, four critical combatant commands right there3425in that part of the world, and that's why our adversaries are3426all over it coming to our territory. So, I'm sorry, I3427interrupted. But do you have a--do you want to unpack that a3428little bit more?3429    Mr. Saunders. No, it is really just reiterating your point3430that our focus is on the INDOPACOM and defending the homeland3431and these other areas. As I mentioned in the earlier3432discussion, we also prioritize our combatant commander3433requirements. So, as those combatant commanders identify3434requirements and increase their priority within those3435requirements, that influences our priorities for both MILCON3436and FSRM investments.3437    That would be no different in these areas that you3438described. The only other piece I would add with respect to the3439Air Force and in this region especially, our agile combat3440employment concept allows us to be able to work not only from3441fixed installations but from other installations. That would3442help address a lot of the areas that you're working at, even if3443it's having access to Deadhorse. It doesn't necessarily mean3444it's a permanent installation. But it means that we can station3445aircraft perhaps on the civilian airfield as it is today to be3446able to provide the support that we need in certain times.3447    Senator Sullivan. Well, I appreciate you saying the3448emphasis on the combatant commanders because again, just to3449reiterate, the INDOPACOM Commander and the NORTHCOM Commander3450in full committee hearings have said, ``We need to reopen Adak3451right there.'' That's a thousand miles west of Hawaii. That is3452real strategic terrain. That's the gateway to the Arctic.3453    That is on China and Russia's flank. When I've talked about3454reopening Adak, the Chinese Communist Party goes nuts. They3455hate it, which to me is a good thing, right? Then you have all3456the different NORTHCOM Commander requests. That's Deadhorse in3457the Arctic area, Galena, King Salmon, all out here. But these3458are critical areas that the NORTHCOM and INDOPACOM Commander3459have both said that they need. So, we'll want to work with you,3460Mr. Secretary, and your counterparts here on making those a3461reality.3462    Let me turn to the topic of energy. Mr. Secretary, you've3463already talked about the importance of energy dominance, energy3464resilience. I think some of the other witnesses have talked3465about that. As you are aware because you and I talked about it3466during your confirmation process, the President himself, the3467Commander in Chief has really highlighted the Alaska LNG3468[Liquid Natural Gas] project.3469    The reason that's so important--you might want to put that3470Alaska map up again. The reason that is so important for our3471country, it has huge potential both for energy security for3472America, reducing the trade deficit. The estimates of this3473large-scale LNG project are about $10 billion annual trade3474deficit reduction if we are sending LNG to our allies in Japan3475and Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, India. But very3476importantly for your position and all of your positions is3477energy resilience for our bases.3478    So, right now, that pipeline, the natural gas is up here,3479we're looking at--they're building a big pipeline that would3480parallel the Trans Alaska pipeline and an LNG export facility3481here on the Kenai Peninsula. So, Mr. Secretary as you and I3482have talked about, do you believe a pipeline like that, which3483will go right past critical bases at Fort Wainwright, at3484Eielson, at Joint-Base Elemendorf-Richardson) JBER, that's a3485hundred years supply of clean burning Alaska Natural Gas, which3486are bases Alaska need.3487    Could our bases benefit from that kind of abundant, very3488reliable and resilient supply of energy for our military bases3489for both regular use and use during time of war?3490    Mr. Marks. Senator, absolutely, and we've been watching3491with great interest where this goes, certainly diversity of3492energy sources is critically important as we've discussed. We3493would continue to be very interested to see as this moves3494forward, how that could be integrated into our facilities.3495    Senator Sullivan. Great, and then the second component of3496this, as I've already mentioned, the President, you may have3497seen highlighted this project in his State of the Union3498address. He highlighted this project in a meeting with the3499Japanese Prime Minister. He highlighted this project in a3500recent phone call with the previous President of Korea, the3501interim President there.3502    This also has the potential to really help our allies in3503Asia secure American LNG and get off Russian LNG, Russian gas,3504Qataris gas, which we're seeing over the last couple of weeks3505is very strategically vulnerable. Do you see it playing an3506important role in that regard as well?3507    Mr. Marks. Well, certainly Senator. I think economic3508security is national security. So, our ability to have that,3509again, that diversity and the sourcing and knowing where that3510is, is certainly very important to it. Again, we would love to3511see this continue to move forward.3512    Senator Sullivan. Good. Let me just ask one final question.3513You know, I had a 2-hour meeting with the Deputy Secretary of3514Defense just a couple of weeks ago, primarily on the Golden3515Dome, where we're working together with the Administration of3516the Department of Defense. But I've talked to Secretary3517Hegseth, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and others about this3518energy project. There's a potential for the Department of3519Defense to be a purchaser of the gas and can help with regard3520to the pipeline.3521    Can I just get your commitment, as you and I have talked3522about during your confirmation process to work with us on that,3523both the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary have said that this3524is something they want to work with us on and more importantly,3525the President has made this a top priority of his3526Administration?3527    Mr. Marks. Senator, yes. We absolutely want to work on this3528with you.3529    Senator Sullivan. Great. Let me turn to another form of3530energy. Mr. Saunders, can you give me an update on where we are3531on the Eielson? You mentioned it in your opening testimony on3532your Eielson a modular nuclear power project and what the3533potential is for that, not just at Eielson but maybe throughout3534interior Alaska as a further potential?3535    Mr. Saunders. Yes, Senator. Thank you for that question.3536So, we're very proud to have recently announced our notice of3537intent to award a micro nuclear reactor power purchase3538agreement for Eielson. It'll be a five-megawatt solution.3539Working with Okta, is the agency that will ultimately be the3540awardee that, as I mentioned, had a public announcement, I3541think it was last week, if not, the week before.3542    We're on target to finalize that agreement in the 20273543timeframe. I'd be remiss though if I didn't acknowledge that3544that would be the first of an effort that the DAF is looking3545at. The DAF is committed to micro reactor technology throughout3546its portfolio as well as all kinds of energy sources. As the3547Assistant Secretary mentioned, we want to diversify and reduce3548our dependence on particularly contested energy sources. This3549is one step in that direction and we're proud to have announced3550that notice of intent to award.3551    Senator Sullivan. Good. Thank you. Let me continue on with3552you, Mr. Saunders. I have been working for years now to get3553four KC-135s to Eielson to support our aerial refueling3554mission. As you know, we have over 100 fifth-generation3555fighters in Alaska, in addition to an F-16 intercept squadron3556up there that does a lot of these Russian intercepts.3557    The tankers are absolutely fundamental to doing this real-3558world mission on a very regular basis. Not to mention all the3559great training that we conduct at Red Flag at least three or3560four times a year. Former Secretary of the Air Force, Kendall,3561ordered the active association on the four KC-135s to happen.3562    We've had one of these KC-135s move to Eielson. Our new3563Secretary of the Air Force has committed to me in public3564hearing that we're going to continue with doing that. We have3565this issue of the housing market in Alaska. We want these to be3566accompanied tours with the 400 plus new airmen that'll be3567coming with these KC-135s.3568    Do you have an update on what we can be doing collectively3569with regard to housing in the Eielson, Fairbanks, North Pole,3570interior Alaska area? There's some questions that the data on3571the housing is a little stale, some questions that we need more3572housing, some questions that we might need base housing. But we3573want to make this happen.3574    We want to make these deployments really great experiences3575for our airmen, but we also want to get these KC-135s here3576soon. It's mission critical for the Air Force, for that3577intercept mission. As you know, as all of you know, any3578contingency in the Indo-Pacific, everybody's going to be flying3579over Alaska because of how strategic we are on the Great Circle3580route. Do you have an update on that Mr. Saunders?3581    Mr. Saunders. Yes. Thank you, Senator. Let me start by3582reiterating Secretary Meink's commitment to relocate the four3583KC-135s to Eielson. As you've noted, AMC [Air Mobility Command]3584has already transferred one, and then the additional three3585aircraft will be reassigned from the Pacific Air Force's3586Command, PACAF, by the end of fiscal year 2026.3587    Senator Sullivan. Is that within a year from now?3588    Mr. Saunders. Roughly a year and a quarter.3589    Senator Sullivan. Okay. We want to shorten that timeline.3590I've only been waiting on this for 10 years.3591    Mr. Saunders. Yes, sir. Right now the current estimate is3592the end of fiscal year 2026. You alluded to the housing and as3593you know, my office worked with your staff during a recent site3594activation visit to enable these four aircrafts plus up.3595    Senator Sullivan. We appreciated that very much.3596    Mr. Saunders. During that time, we acknowledged that the3597local community is addressing the housing issue and3598requirement. We made sure that the data is refreshed now that3599it, you know, there still is a concurrent travel restriction.3600However, we do allow families to relocate to Eielson.3601    What the current restriction does is it in essence requires3602the member to either secure housing before they depart and3603their family would depart with them at the same time when they3604arrive in Alaska. Or it would wait till they arrive in Alaska3605and secure the housing before the family relocates to minimize3606disruptions to the families.3607    Senator Sullivan. What's the best way to get that3608concurrent restriction lifted? Because what we want is the3609airmen to come, accompany tours, bring their spouse, bring3610their kids. It helps the community. It makes for a better3611deployment. Three years as opposed to 1 year. Do you have any3612recommendations for us? We want to work with you on this.3613    Mr. Saunders. I agree with you wholeheartedly as a former3614military member and a military dependent. I grew up in a3615military family, traveling with your family is obviously what3616we want to do. In this case the PACAF Commander has the travel3617restriction and they keep pulse on the requirement, and so, I3618need to defer to the PACAF Commander as to when that3619requirement would change. But they are certainly keeping pulse3620to ensure that that the housing is there to support the family.3621    Senator Sullivan. That restriction is based on what the3622PACAF Commander sees as the limited housing stock?3623    Mr. Saunders. It sees in the need to find housing and3624secure housing before the family relocates. Now I should3625reiterate, that doesn't mean that we don't allow families to3626Eielson. They certainly do. It is in a company tour. So,3627members do get to bring their family. They just need to show3628that they have secured housing before the family actually3629relocates.3630    Senator Sullivan. Okay. Good. Let me ask one final3631question. You've been great witnesses today. It's a very, very3632informative hearing. I mentioned and each of you mentioned but3633I just want to triple check it. I was pleased to see that each3634of you actually mentioned significant funding for kind of the3635barrack upgrade issues, right? You might remember a couple of3636years ago, this became a giant issue that went to the Secretary3637of Defense (SECDEF) level and the Secretary and Chief of the3638Staffs of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy because the3639enlisted housing, it was revealed was very substandard and3640really not worthy of the men and women who sacrificed for their3641country to serve in our military.3642    So, I just want a quick gut check with each of you on where3643you think our housing is, particularly for enlisted members of3644the military. You have put in each of you, in your budget3645requests, significant upgrades to that. Is there more you need3646to get to a level that we want to make sure, ``Hey, if you3647raise your right hand to join the Marine Corps or the Navy or3648the Air Force or the Army, you're not going to be living in a3649dumpy place on base that's got mice and rats and mold.3650    We're going to give you a good place to live so you can be3651ready to serve your country when you're called.'' Are we3652feeling good about that Mr. Secretary? I'd like to go to each3653of the service representatives.3654    Mr. Marks. Senator, certainly, and I think you're seeing3655across the board investments of over 30 percent as we continue3656to commit. Also, what I appreciate and thank you for your3657support in terms of the latitude of things like leasing and3658other options that we can get after. So, we're getting after3659the problem. Certainly, we need to keep the pressure on.3660    Senator Sullivan. By the way, we want to give you that3661authority to be creative. It's not always a cookie cutter3662approach in different communities. It can be a creative mix of3663different things living out in town. Not everybody lives on3664base but we need to make sure they're getting those good3665housing. Dr. Waksman.3666    Dr. Waksman. No problem.3667    Senator Sullivan. I noticed you're a PhD nuclear physicist,3668so you know, that's impressive. That's why I wanted to call you3669doctor.3670    Dr. Waksman. It's not as complex as barracks, sir. So, we3671have an index that we've been using to look at barracks3672quality, BCI, and so, the scary number is a score of 70. If3673barracks is below 70, it's considered poor or failing. The most3674recent time the Army looked at this, 14 percent of our barracks3675are below that metric. So, it's totally unacceptable. We have a3676plan in our budget. I know we haven't released the flight deck3677but we have a plan to get everything above 70 before 2030.3678Then, we're working with the Office of the Secretary of Defense3679(OSD) on a plan to actually--beyond that to even get the scores3680of 80 for all----3681    Senator Sullivan. Did you put in a significant budget3682request, do you believe in this year's budget on this topic? I3683forgot what yours was but it sounded like it was in a couple of3684billions of dollars.3685    Dr. Waksman. Yes, sir. We believe that the budget for3686fiscal year 2026 gets us on that glide path to 2030.3687    Senator Sullivan. Okay. Great. Our next witness.3688    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Senator, thank you for the question.3689Yes, unaccompanied housing remains a priority within the3690Department of the Navy. Our secretary, just as it relates to3691the Navy acts for 100 percent inspection. The Marine Corps did3692this in 2024. We are continuing to stay focused on that on the3693Navy side.3694    We are looking at improving overall quality of life with3695our Forging Communities of Excellence Plan. On the Marine Corps3696side, we have Barracks 2030 that gets after. Putting more focus3697on renovating and rightsizing the portfolio as far as updating3698our furnishings on a more frequent basis as well as civilian3699managers.3700    So, all in all, lots of investment. We are definitely in3701the dawn looking at all of the solutions, whether it's PPV3702leasing or other avenues to get us to get the quality of3703housing that our sailors and our marines deserve.3704    Senator Sullivan. Good answer. Mr. Saunders, you can wrap3705it up.3706    Mr. Saunders. Yes, the Department of the Air Force also3707certainly has a high standard for our unaccompanied housing as3708well as our members with families in either in off base housing3709to provide them support or in our privatized housing or our3710military family housing or government owned housing, I should3711say. With respect to the unaccompanied housing, we're investing3712heavily there. In this current Future Years Defense Program3713(FYDP) period, it's about a threefold investment compared to3714the previous FYDP. So roughly $1.1 billion invested or from the3715period of 2022 to 2026 which like I said, is about three times3716higher than the previous 5-year plan.3717    We have a dorm master plan that guides our investments.3718Similarly, we track on building condition index and we work on3719the worst case first. We've got investments funded both this3720year, the next fiscal year, and then, obviously, planned3721throughout the FYDP.3722    If there were additional directed funding available to us,3723we certainly would apply that to our master plan to reduce the3724timeline in addressing all those requirements.3725    Senator Sullivan. Great. Well, I'm glad to see all the3726Services are focused on this important priority. It's a3727priority of mine. It's a priority of the Senate Armed Services3728Committee. Well, with that, I appreciate the witnesses'3729excellent job during this hearing.3730    If there's additional questions for the record, we will3731submit those within the next 4 days, and we respectfully ask3732you to try to get those returned to this Subcommittee within3733the next 2 weeks.3734    With that, thanks again. This hearing is adjourned.3735    [Whereupon, at 4:11 p.m., the Committee adjourned.]37363737    [Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]37383739              Questions Submitted by Senator Dan Sullivan3740                                 alaska3741    1. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, Moose Creek, a thermal3742hazardous waste remediation facility near Fairbanks, has historically3743played a critical role in treating per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances3744(PFAS)-contaminated soil in Alaska--particularly from military bases3745like Eielson. Given Alaska's size and remoteness, thermal treatment is3746one of the only viable options for PFAS disposal. However, due to the3747current moratorium on PFAS incineration, Moose Creek is unable to3748process the Department of Defense (DOD)-contaminated soil, despite3749continuing to treat PFAS waste from other agencies. Recent studies3750indicate that modern thermal remediation can safely and effectively3751destroy PFAS compounds at levels exceeding 99.99999 percent. Is the3752Department actively working with the Environmental Protection Agency3753(EPA) to reevaluate the moratorium and develop a science-based path3754forward that would allow facilities like Moose Creek to resume this3755essential work--and prevent the continued buildup of PFAS-contaminated3756soil?3757    Secretary Marks. The Republic Services Moose Creek Facility is a3758thermal desorption facility, permitted under an Alaska Title V Air3759permit, to treat non-hazardous contaminants, such as petroleum and PFAS3760impacted soils. The Department of Air Force in consultation with my3761office, determined that installations may use existing State-permitted3762thermal desorption units, such as the one in Moose Creek because the3763DOW's [Department of War] July 14, 2023 ``Guidance on Incineration of3764Materials Containing Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances'' does not3765apply to thermal desorption facilities. PFAS-impacted soils from Air3766Force installations have been sent to Moose Creek for treatment,3767typically by an Air Force contractor that has selected Moose Creek as3768its vendor.3769    My office is currently updating our PFAS destruction and disposal3770guidance to include new scientific information, including from the3771EPA's April 2024 guidance update: ``Interim Guidance on the Destruction3772and Disposal of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and3773Materials Containing Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances-3774Version 2.'' Updates to our guidance will continue to focus on use of3775technologies at facilities with EPA or State regulator-approved3776environmental permits, where applicable, or destruction technologies3777with environmental regulatory approval where a permit is not required.37783779    2. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Mr. Johnson-3780Turner, and Mr. Saunders, the Department of Defense consistently3781requests less for facility sustainment funding, which provides for3782regular installation maintenance activities, than recommended by its3783own Facility Sustainment Model, with a 2022 Government Accountability3784Office (GAO) report and recent budget requests showing that the3785Department of Defense typically requests about 80 percent of the3786model's recommendations for sustainment budget in recent years. Simply3787put, this model is flawed, which is why Congress acted in passing the3788Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring3789each of the services to attain 4 percent of plant replacement value by37902030. What percentage of plant replacement value are you programmed for3791in fiscal year 2026, and do I have your commitment to follow the law as3792it stands today to meet the first goal of 1.75 percent in 2027 leading3793up to the 4 percent in 2030?3794    Secretary Marks. Thank you for your continued support of our3795facility sustainment efforts. We are fully committed to meeting our3796requirements, but we cannot speak to future funding requests beyond3797those in the fiscal year 2026 President's Budget. To ensure we are3798executing requirements appropriately, I have directed my staff to3799thoroughly evaluate the impact of our existing investments and develop3800a comprehensive, data-driven strategic plan. This plan will guide our3801efforts to maximize the effectiveness of our facility investments and3802sustain our mission readiness. We will continue to work closely with3803Congress, the GAO, and all other stakeholders to ensure transparency3804and accountability. We understand the crucial link between well-3805maintained facilities and the ability of our personnel to execute their3806mission.3807    Dr. Waksman. The Army is committed to working with Congress to3808increase its investments in facilities and make progress toward meeting3809the requirements from the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA. We continue to explore3810alternatives, such as demolition where appropriate, to reduce the3811overall plant-replacement value of Army inventory and to reduce ongoing3812sustainment costs.3813    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON plans to reach approximately 1 percent3814of PRV in fiscal year 206 (President's Budget 2026) FSRM. The Navy3815remains committed to this effort and is actively working with the3816Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) to develop a comprehensive,3817holistic approach across all Military Departments (MILDEPs) to achieve3818the congressional goal of 4 percent PRV by 2030.3819    Mr. Saunders. The DAF fiscal year 2026 FSRM program targets a 1.373820percent PRV investment. The DAF is currently working on the fiscal year38212027 President's Budget Request and is aware of the fiscal year 202738221.75 percent PRV investment floor as directed in the fiscal year 20253823NDAA. The final FSRM investment level as a percentage of PRV will3824depend on OSD guidance as the budget request is finalized.3825                                housing3826    3. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, I know that there are3827versions of the tenant bill of rights for military members in place,3828but I'm concerned that we may need to review whether privatized housing3829companies are abiding by them. In Alaska, my staff have heard stories3830in which privatized housing contractors that the Department of Defense3831is working with were allegedly requiring military spouses to sign non-3832disclosure agreements before making repairs to mold-ridden homes. Will3833you work with my team and this committee to ensure that we are3834pinpointing these problem locales and firms and then find solutions to3835this issue so we can ensure to hold companies accountable?3836    Secretary Marks. Accountability by both Military Housing3837Privatization Initiative (MHPI) project owners and government staff at3838all levels is key to ensuring servicemembers and military families3839reside in clean, comfortable, and safe housing at each installation.3840Part of the accountability checks within my organization include3841monthly and quarterly meetings with the Military Departments on their3842MHPI projects, particularly those with pinpointed problems. I am3843committed to working closely with you and the committee staff to remain3844diligent in our oversight of the Department's privatized housing3845projects.38463847    4. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, does the military have real-3848time data systems for tracking these emergent issues in real time? If3849so, do you think we need to better update them to track these housing3850issues?3851    Secretary Marks. The Department does have data systems for tracking3852housing issues such as work orders in real time. What is needed, and3853where I intend for improvements to be made, is the aggregation of data3854and sharing that data with echelons above the installation level to3855identify trends and make informed portfolio-level decisions as needed.3856                               indopacom3857    5. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, I am concerned that DOD is3858lacking strategic creativity with our posture in Indo-Pacific Command3859(INDOPACOM) and becoming over concentrated in its current and future3860military construction (MILCON) planned for the Island of Guam. DOD3861needs to spread out in the Pacific, and I think it has an opportunity3862to do so in locations that the U.S. formerly operated throughout the386320th century. This includes former bases in the Aleutians and Galena3864Air Force Station. These bases could be used to counter Russian and3865Chinese adversary incursions in our Air Defense Identification Zone3866(ADIZ) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Do you agree that DOD3867installations in the Pacific that we abandoned might be useful for3868strategic dispersal of forces in the Pacific and do you think we are3869moving fast enough toward that goal to counter China in 2027?3870    Secretary Marks. The Department is focused on reinforcing3871deterrence by denial in the Indo-Pacific and defending the Homeland.3872The United States requires a combat-credible forward presence in the3873Indo-Pacific region to deter aggression and build warfighting advantage3874with our allies and partners. I agree that strategic dispersal across3875the Pacific is essential, and we must avoid overconcentration in any3876one area. Locations such as Galena and the Aleutians offer geographic3877advantages and historical precedent and may warrant further assessment3878as part of a broader posture strategy. While some infrastructure may3879still be viable, any future use would require careful evaluation of3880operational value, cost, and sustainability. We are actively exploring3881agile basing and accelerating MILCON planning to meet the 20273882challenge posed by China. Your continued advocacy for Alaska's3883strategic relevance is appreciated, and we look forward to working3884together on these important issues.38853886    6. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, do you think that we are3887potentially risking the resilience of our base facility and energy3888infrastructure on Guam by continuing to build so heavily on the island?3889    Secretary Marks. While we acknowledge the potential risks of3890concentrating military assets in Guam, the strategic buildup is crucial3891for national security in the Indo-Pacific. We are actively mitigating3892these risks by hardening infrastructure, diversifying assets, and3893investing in energy resilience through microgrids and renewable3894sources. Our efforts also include collaborating with local authorities3895to modernize the island's civilian infrastructure, which benefits both3896military readiness and the local community. Ultimately, our goal is to3897ensure that Guam remains a resilient and effective forward operating3898base, capable of supporting U.S. operations for decades to come, while3899also being a good partner to the people of Guam.39003901    7. Senator Sullivan. Secretary Marks, do you think that after the3902loss of the Red Hill fuel facility, DOD needs to expand its bulk fuel3903capacity in the Pacific to include hardened sites with large capacity?3904Do you think former facilities such as Adak Naval Air Station, a3905location that can hold over 20 million gallons of fuel capacity, could3906help cover gaps in bulk fuel needs for the Navy and expand the Navy's3907reach into the Bering Sea and Arctic?3908    Secretary Marks. In alignment with the Secretary's priorities for3909deterring aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the Department will continue3910to pursue the most operationally effective means of ensuring bulk fuel3911to Joint forces that may be deployed in contested environments.3912                               __________3913            Questions Submitted by Senator Tommy Tuberville3914    Recently, my team has met with multiple military families,3915including a family in my home State of Alabama, that have experienced3916severe housing issue due to environmental concerns, particularly mold.3917All these incidents have occurred in military family housing, and we3918have talked to a family from every service dealing with this issue. It3919is reprehensible to ask our servicemembers to be willing to risk their3920lives in defense of this Nation while allowing their families to live3921in such poor conditions.39223923    8. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-3924Turner, and Mr. Saunders, how is your organization currently addressing3925environmental issues, such as mold, in military family housing?3926    Secretary Marks. My organization continues to work on a Department-3927wide policy that addresses environmental health and safety (EHS) in3928housing. This policy will include specific information on efforts to3929control mold and moisture in all types of Department housing, such as3930steps to protect the servicemembers and their families and the tracking3931of EHS hazards to monitor for repeated instances. It's a critical,3932missing component to ensuring clean, comfortable, and safe housing for3933our servicemembers.3934    Dr. Waksman. The Army is committed to providing soldiers, families,3935and civilians safe, clean, and healthy facilities, including homes for3936those who choose to live on Army installations. The Army provides3937resources and policy to facilitate reporting which quickly helps to3938assess housing concerns. The Army takes its obligation seriously to3939care for the health and welfare of all tenants and residents.3940    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy's (DON's) Military3941Housing Offices (MHOs) have implemented a variety of processes and3942procedures to ensure awareness of all potential health and safety risks3943to residents to include mold. Awareness of environmental, health, and3944safety (EHS) issues can come through various avenues, which may include3945review of privatized partners (PPV) company work order systems, direct3946tenant contact, site assessments, PPV company or Property Manager (PM),3947social media, and others. EHS issues are addressed applying the3948property managers' environmental health and safety standards for3949managing mold consistent with the agreements in place, in coordination3950with the tenant and the MHOs. Additionally, the Department of War3951military housing privatization initiative Tenant Bill of Rights was3952established to ensure oversight of privatized housing programs3953including providing safe and suitable housing for Service Members and3954their families which outlines many rights the tenants have in these3955scenarios including formal dispute resolution.3956    Mr. Saunders. DAF takes all reports of mold seriously. To support3957servicemembers, DAF has implemented the following initiatives to ensure3958environmental issues within military family housing are properly3959identified and addressed: Defense Housing Feedback System (DHFS), 1-8003960Call Center, Dispute Resolution Process, Annual Work Order Audit3961Review, and Monthly MHO Health and Life Safety Reporting. DAF MHOs are3962empowered to work with the installation's Bio-Environmental office to3963investigate any reported cases of mold and ensure such cases are3964remediated in accordance with EPA standards and procedures.3965Additionally, all DAF inspectors attend a certified home inspection3966course that covers the identification of mold and conditions that can3967result in mold growth. Homes with mold growth or conditions conducive3968to mold growth are not permitted to be rented until the condition is3969remediated.39703971    9. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-3972Turner, and Mr. Saunders, in the past 3 years, how many instances of3973mold exposure requiring medical treatment have you encountered across3974all your installations?3975    Secretary Marks. My organization has been made aware of instances3976of mold in Department housing but is not aware of any exposures3977requiring medical treatment. The critical policy being prepared for my3978signature on environmental health and safety in housing will require3979tracking of mold in a centralized housing management system for all3980levels of the military to access, from the installation to the Chief3981Housing Officer.3982    Dr. Waksman. According to military electronic health records, from3983January 1, 2023 to August 19, 2025, there were 642 recorded medical3984encounters (not individual patients) with ICD-10 code Z77.1203985(``Contact with and (suspected) exposure to mold (toxic)''), indicating3986a self-reported history of mold exposure without symptoms and/or3987indicating environmental evaluation confirmed mold presence. In 2023,3988there were 211 encounters, 276 in 2024, and 155 in 2025 (through August398919, 2025). It is crucial to note the presence of this code only3990reflects a reported history of exposure and does not necessarily3991indicate medical care sought or received due to the exposure. The3992Defense Health Agency provides these encounter data on self-reported3993potential exposure as the best available estimate of mold exposure3994among all Active Duty servicemembers and their dependents. However,3995military health data systems are unable to pinpoint information3996regarding the timing, location, or on-post vs. off-post residence of3997the patient at the time of the reported exposure.3998    Ms. Johnson-Turner. In situations on DON installations where3999individuals may require medical treatment, these individuals are4000referred to the Defense Health Agency who tracks this number of4001instances.4002    Mr. Saunders. Due to HIPAA, DAF does not have the total instances4003of mold exposure requiring medical treatment, as medical information is4004protected and not shared with DAF housing personnel. However, DAF4005investigates every reported case of mold and ensures issues are4006remediated in accordance with EPA standards and procedures.40074008    10. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4009Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has Congress provided you the adequate4010resources to respond to this issue and to mitigate future events? If4011not, what would you recommend Congress do through legislation such as4012the National Defense Authorization Act to give you the tools required4013to fight this pervasive problem?4014    Secretary Marks. We sincerely appreciate the steps taken by4015Congress in the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act as4016it relates to mold and moisture control issues in housing. I commit my4017organization to developing and implementing uniform guidelines for the4018remediation of mold in military housing and execution of the pilot4019program for emerging technologies for moisture control and mitigation.4020The report my organization submits to the congressional defense4021committees on the results of the pilot program will include our4022assessment of additional needs to fight this pervasive problem.4023    Dr. Waksman. With Congress's support, the Army has taken meaningful4024steps in recent years to improve oversight and funding for military4025housing--to include addressing concerns about mold in military housing.4026Initiatives under various National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs),4027such as increased inspections and tenant rights provisions, have helped4028us make progress. However, challenges remain. The fiscal year 20264029President's Budget Request made historic increases in funding for4030housing focused on mitigation of these issues. The Army continues to4031focus on the quality of life, to allow our soldiers to focus on the4032warrior ethos and building peace through strength.4033    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON believes that Congress has provided4034adequate resources for addressing environmental issues, such as mold,4035in our military family housing. With the funds provided, the DON4036finished completed third party inspections for its PPV and government4037owned housing inventory and additional training for our staff. Through4038congressional efforts, the DON is well postured to mitigate future4039events.4040    Mr. Saunders. DAF has the tools it needs for this matter and does4041not recommend additional legislation to address mold processes.40424043    11. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4044Turner, and Mr. Saunders, before you come back before this panel next4045year, will you make every effort to travel to installations and meet4046with families affected by this issue?4047    Secretary Marks. As the Department's Chief Housing Officer, site4048visits to installations to meet with servicemembers and families and4049see all types of the Department's housing are a priority. I fully4050commit to continuing those visits throughout the next year.4051    Dr. Waksman. I will make every effort to visit our soldiers and4052their families to gain the benefit of their input as we work to improve4053housing and other quality-of-life issues.4054    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, I will continue to travel to installations4055where I know housing challenges exist. I make a point to visit housing4056whenever I am traveling and engage at the local level as I fully4057support the importance housing has to the mission.4058    Mr. Saunders. Yes. During each of my installation visits I4059prioritize meeting with members and families residing in our on base4060housing portfolio as well as those that reside off the installation to4061ensure I hear first-hand the perspectives affecting our airmen,4062guardians and their families. In addition, our DAF housing4063professionals in San Antonio visit each MHPI installation in-person4064annually, where they meet with residents, resident councils, and4065resident advocates to discuss issues and address concerns.40664067    12. Senator Tuberville. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4068Turner, and Mr. Saunders, will you commit to meeting on a regular basis4069with other members of this panel to discuss these issues and look at4070this issue through the lens of the joint force and not just as an issue4071that affects a singular service?4072    Secretary Marks. Yes, I commit to meeting with members of this4073panel on a recurring basis to discuss housing issues and joint4074solutions to identified problems and challenges.4075    Dr. Waksman. I will absolutely commit to meeting regularly with4076other members of this panel to discuss these issues and look at4077military housing quality through the lens of the joint force and not4078just as an issue that affects a single service.4079    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, I commit to continuing to meet with other4080members of this panel to discuss these issues and appreciate the4081opportunity to hear additional perspectives with the goal of improving4082quality of life for servicemembers and their families.4083    Mr. Saunders. Yes, currently the Services meet monthly to share4084lessons learned as a joint force.4085                               __________4086             Questions Submitted by Senator Mazie K. Hirono4087                        installation resilience4088    13. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the DOD has made important4089strides to improve installation resilience with investments in on-base4090generation, storage, and microgrids that provide backup power to4091critical missions. However, these on-base resilience efforts are4092necessary but not sufficient to protect installations from grid4093outages. Most troops and DOD civilians live in the community, including4094those that perform critical missions. On-base backup power doesn't help4095these people get to the base when there is a blackout in the community.4096More importantly, we need these people to be the best versions of4097themselves when they perform mission critical work, and that can be4098difficult when they're worried about their families who may not have4099access to essential services like banks, grocery stores, and schools.4100What is the Department doing to work with utilities and grid operators4101to help invest in a more resilient and reliable civilian electric grid4102that will support our defense communities?4103    Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes the critical importance4104of a resilient and reliable civilian electric grid to support its4105installations and surrounding communities. A robust grid ensures4106mission readiness, protects critical infrastructure, and safeguards4107personnel. To that end, the DOW is actively engaging with utilities and4108grid operators through various initiatives and programs, as well as4109working with the Department of Energy to ensure DOW's national security4110and energy needs are met. Specifically, DOW:41114112      Conducts joint vulnerability assessments to identify4113weaknesses in the grid and develop mitigation strategies. For example,4114the DOW participates in the biennial GridEx exercises with utilities4115and grid operators run by the North American Electric Reliability4116Corporation (NERC) to identify potential impacts and mitigation4117opportunities from simulated disruptions impacting both military4118installations and the commercial grid.41194120      Promotes the development of microgrids and distributed4121generation resources on and around military installations to provide4122backup power during grid outages and increase energy independence in4123compliance with 10 U.S.C. Sec.  2920.41244125      Supports the deployment of energy storage technologies to4126improve grid stability and resilience by helping to balance supply and4127demand, reduce peak loads, and provide backup power during outages. DOW4128installations collaborate with local utilities to integrate these4129resources into the grid in a way that enhances overall grid resilience.41304131      Participates in demand response programs at certain4132installations that allow utilities to reduce electricity consumption4133during peak periods to reduce strain on the grid and improve overall4134reliability.41354136      Invests in research and development of new technologies4137and strategies to improve grid resilience and reliability. This4138includes areas such as advanced sensors, smart grid technologies, and4139grid modeling. The DOW partners with universities, national4140laboratories, and industry to develop and deploy these technologies.41414142      Supports communities in working closely with utilities to4143address resiliency issues through studies to identify vulnerabilities4144and through competitive investments in infrastructure construction via4145grants through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.41464147      Establishes partnerships and agreements with utilities4148and grid operators to formalize collaboration and ensure effective4149communication. These agreements outline the roles and responsibilities4150of each party and establish mechanisms for information sharing and4151joint planning.41524153      Requires each installation to create an Installation4154Master Plan in compliance with 10 U.S.C. Sec.  2864. This plan4155documents community infrastructure and resources located outside the4156installation (such as energy infrastructure) that are necessary to4157maintain mission capability or that impact the resilience of the4158military installation. The plan also requires installations to identify4159agreements in effect with utilities and other public or private4160entities for maintaining installation resilience or resilience of the4161community infrastructure and resources.41624163    14. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, what can Congress do to4164support the Department's efforts to be more proactive in working with4165utilities and grid operators to invest in a more reliable electric4166grid?4167    Secretary Marks. Congress plays a vital role in helping the4168Department strengthen collaboration with utilities and grid operators.4169A reliable civilian grid is critical for mission assurance,4170installation resilience, and the well-being of military families. The4171Department appreciates Congress's continued support for the Energy4172Resilience and Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP), which enables4173installations to deploy microgrids, distributed generation, and4174advanced energy storage that improve both on-base resilience and the4175stability of surrounding grids. Additionally, the Department4176appreciates congressional support for interagency collaboration with4177DOE, national laboratories, and State and local utilities to ensure we4178can jointly assess vulnerabilities, develop advanced grid solutions,4179and integrate resilience improvements into broader infrastructure4180planning. Continued support through these programs allows DOW to4181strengthen grid reliability in ways that safeguard critical missions4182and protect national security. Finally, the Department appreciates4183continued support for the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation4184grants, which enables our ability to provide technical and financial4185support and resources to State and local governments to assist efforts4186to work with utilities to harden electricity infrastructure.4187                        dod workforce challenges4188    15. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the DOD has experienced4189workforce challenges over the last several months and your office4190hasn't been spared, whether it's the hiring freeze or threats of a4191reduction in force that have had civilians retiring earlier than4192planned. The work goes on and there is no shortage of demands on4193Energy, Installations, and Environment (EI&E), particularly when it4194comes to the department's mission to ensure access to reliable energy4195for the warfighter. The Department of Energy (DOE) and its national4196labs have incredible expertise and capabilities, including programs4197aimed at delivering technical assistance that can help military4198installations and defense communities address their needs for energy4199efficiency, reliability, and resilience. How are you working with DOE4200and its national labs to leverage these technical assistance programs4201to expand the capacity of your office to drive energy resilience4202outcomes for military installations and defense communities?4203    Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes that partnerships with4204other Federal agencies expand energy resilience for our military4205installations and defense communities. My office is working closely4206with DOE's Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response4207(CESER) office on the implementation of Executive Orders aimed at4208improving grid security and resilience. We are also actively partnering4209with DOE's Office of Electricity, which incorporated the former Grid4210Deployment Office (GDO), to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to4211strengthen collaboration on energy resilience efforts and provide4212technical assistance to installations and defense communities.4213Additionally, we integrate efforts with DOE offices such as the Office4214of International Affairs (IA) and the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to4215address pressing energy challenges. Furthermore, my office engages4216directly with various national labs to address numerous issues,4217leveraging the capabilities found throughout the lab system. These4218partnerships ensure access to cutting-edge expertise and innovative4219solutions essential to maintaining military operational readiness.42204221    16. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, how are you communicating with4222the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the White House to4223protect these DOE and national lab technical assistance programs from4224budget cuts?4225    Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes the significant value4226that DOE and its national laboratories bring to advancing energy4227resilience and security for our military installations. My office4228remains committed to collaborating with interagency partners to ensure4229we leverage resources effectively to meet national security and energy4230resilience goals. We are in regular communication with the White House4231and OMB regarding the importance of these Federal partnerships.4232      advanced nuclear reactor technologies for national security4233    17. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the President signed an4234Executive Order recently on ``Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor4235Technologies for National Security,'' which builds on an initiative the4236last administration started to explore using this technology for4237installation resilience. However, there's some confusion though about4238what DOD is focused on. On the one hand, the Army and the Air Force are4239working with the Defense Innovation Unit on acquiring reactors for4240installation energy resilience. On the other hand, the administration4241and DOD seem to still be focused on the idea of a mobile microreactor4242that would be deployed overseas. Congress funded this work early on4243with Project Pele, and it had some success with building strong ties4244between DOD, DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But the4245technology appears to have gone as far as it can for now because of4246challenges with shielding the reactor which limits its mobility and4247power output. And we haven't even addressed the challenges with4248securing permission to fly a reactor over another country's airspace.4249Can you tell us what DOD's plans are for advanced reactors?4250    Secretary Marks. Advanced nuclear technologies are critical to4251installation resilience and high-demand missions. We are pursuing4252technology investigations into small modular and microreactors to4253deliver reliable baseload power, strengthen microgrids, and reduce grid4254vulnerability. The Department is aligning oversight and working with4255DOE, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Services to address4256regulatory and contracting challenges through the OSD Nuclear Energy4257Working Group and the Army as the Department's Executive Agent (EA) to4258implement first-of-its-kind advanced nuclear initiatives. These4259initiatives include microreactor pilots, prototype projects, and4260innovative contracting approaches designed to deliver secure, scalable,4261and resilient power for critical installations. By integrating these4262technologies, the Department is enhancing mission assurance, reducing4263vulnerabilities, and positioning the United States as a leader in4264advanced nuclear energy.42654266    18. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, what is the Office of the4267Secretary of Defense (OSD)'s role since the president's executive order4268(EO) made the Army the executive agent for these efforts?4269    Secretary Marks. In accordance with DOW Directive 5101.01, OSD4270serves as the Principal Staff Assistant (PSA) to oversee the4271designation of the EA, assign roles and responsibilities, and provide4272recommendations to the Department on any modifications to EA4273assignments that may be warranted over time. Therefore, OSD is actively4274coordinating the designation of the Army as the Executive Agent (EA)4275for Advanced Nuclear Power, as directed by the President's EO. This4276includes defining the roles and responsibilities of the EA to ensure4277the effective advancement of current and future efforts in deploying4278advanced nuclear energy technologies Additionally, OSD is formalizing4279the OSD Nuclear Energy Working Group as the primary coordination body4280for the deployment of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology. This working4281group will play a critical role in facilitating partnerships across the4282Services and their Components with the Department of Energy (DOE), the4283Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and private sector industry4284partners. These partnerships are essential to ensuring the successful4285deployment of advanced nuclear technologies that enhance energy4286resilience, operational readiness, and national security while ensuring4287a collective message is being shared back to external stakeholders in a4288thoughtful and streamlined manner.42894290    19. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, is DOD still planning to4291develop a mobile microreactor?4292    Secretary Marks. Yes, the Department continues to pursue mobile and4293transportable microreactors through several ongoing initiatives. These4294efforts include the Strategic Capabilities Office-led Project Pele, a4295transportable 1-5 MWe microreactor prototype for rapid deployment; the4296Versatile Autonomous Kilowatt-class Reactor Experiment (VALKRE), an4297Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF)-funded 40-60kWe4298nuclear reactor that is deployable and readily relocatable; and the4299USNORTHCOM and Air Force-sponsored Antara R1 kilowatt-class special4300purpose reactor, which would enable 100-300kWe energy for remote,4301austere, and resilient missions.43024303    20. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, if so, doesn't it make more4304sense to focus funding solely on installation reactors rather than4305spreading limited resources across several programs at the risk of not4306finishing either?4307    Secretary Marks. The Department's need for power is likely to4308increase as new capabilities such as directed energy, high power4309sensors, artificial intelligence, and battery-powered and hybrid4310systems come online. In addition, the Joint Force continues to operate4311in remote and/or contested environments that place assured energy4312supplies at risk. As the President's Executive Order 14299 makes clear,4313there is a need for fielding advanced reactors of multiple, disparate4314typologies, and we are confident the Department can support such4315initiatives for both operational energy and installation energy4316applications.4317                    installation disaster resilience4318    21. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, the DOD estimates that extreme4319weather has cost the department tens of billions of dollars in damage4320and recovery costs and compromises mission execution. In particular,4321natural disasters--such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and4322wildfires--pose a risk to military installations which include4323capabilities and assets that provide critical support for DOD's mission4324readiness. What is DOD's approach to proactively mitigating weather and4325climate related risks to installations such as storms and other extreme4326weather events?4327    Secretary Marks. The Department recognizes that extreme weather4328adversely affects military readiness and lethality, standing in the way4329of the Department's mission to achieve peace through strength. The4330ideal extreme weather risk reduction strategy varies depending on4331installation-specific factors including extreme weather exposure,4332location, mission-specific functions, operational needs, other4333compounding environmental conditions, and existing mitigation measures.4334DOW recognizes that accurate, comprehensive, and validated data on4335extreme weather exposure, impacts, and risks to mission are essential4336for reducing vulnerabilities at the installation level. To support4337this, the Department provides technical guidance, directives, and4338tools, and has implemented the following initiatives:43394340      Expansion of reporting on extreme weather to4341comprehensively characterize environmental risks,43424343      Review and enhance standards and guidance where4344appropriate, by integrating resilience best practices and robust risk4345reduction requirements, and43464347      Providing extreme weather exposure assessment4348capabilities through the DOW Extreme Conditions Assessment Tool (DECAT)4349and other resilience tools to help installations target where deeper4350analysis is needed to understand primary risks to mission and prepare4351appropriate risk reduction strategies.43524353    22. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, in the wake of a natural4354disaster impacting an installation, what factors do you consider when4355directing the base to either rebuild back to prior capabilities versus4356pursuing more significant resilience improvements as part of the4357recovery?4358    Secretary Marks. When a natural disaster strikes an installation,4359our decision to rebuild is guided by a mission-first, risk-based4360analysis. Instead of simply restoring prior capabilities, we prioritize4361building back stronger by incorporating resilience improvements. We4362conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis, weighing the initial4363investment in upgrades against the long-term costs of future damage and4364mission disruption. By prioritizing critical infrastructure and4365prudently planning for disruptions, we ensure that our recovery efforts4366not only restore capabilities but also significantly enhance the4367installation's ability to withstand future extreme weather events.4368                   army energy and water regulations4369    23. Senator Hirono. Dr. Waksman, currently, Army energy and water4370policy is buried within a 500-page document known as Army Regulation4371420-1, ``Army Facilities Management.'' It covers every complex topic4372that you might encounter at an installation--from housing and emergency4373services to mineral exploration and extraction. It has not been updated4374since 2012. In lieu of a comprehensive update to this regulation, the4375Army has relied on issuing policy memoranda that have resulted in a4376patchwork of redundant, ambiguous, and often conflicting energy and4377water requirements that cause confusion with headquarters and4378installation staff. There is considerable uncertainty about what the4379Army's goals are and how to leverage existing Federal and industry4380capabilities to deliver outcomes that will benefit the warfighter. Last4381year, the Army started to rewrite that 500-page document and break it4382into a dozen standalone regulations to simplify the content for4383headquarters and installation staff and help senior leaders with4384resourcing decisions. The plan was to include a separate regulation for4385energy and water, but the Army canceled that plan in February. When4386does the Army expect to restart its plan to write a separate energy and4387water regulation to ensure there are clear and enduring program4388objectives that drive the Army's use of energy and water management to4389strengthen the warfighting mission?4390    Dr. Waksman. The Army initiated a project to divide Army Regulation4391420-1 into a series of standalone regulations, including a dedicated4392regulation for energy and water management. The Army is finalizing a4393draft of the energy and water management regulation. The regulation4394will incorporate new Federal and Department of Defense guidance,4395including requirements set by the Army Transformation Initiative. We4396recognize the urgency of providing clear and enduring program4397objectives. We are committed to delivering an Army regulation that is4398both practical and effective at achieving energy and water resilience4399that benefits the warfighter.44004401    24. Senator Hirono. Dr. Waksman, what are the risks if the Army4402fails to move forward with a comprehensive policy update and continues4403the same patchwork approach with using memoranda to shape energy and4404water management?4405    Dr. Waksman. The Army is finalizing its comprehensive policy4406update. The Army's regulation for energy and water management will4407clarify policy and guidance, reduce ambiguity, and focus on a resilient4408energy and water future that directly supports the warfighter. Beyond4409this regulation, the Army has already instituted several key mechanisms4410to ensure consistent energy and water management practices across the4411Department. These mechanisms include weekly energy portfolio meetings;4412a central repository for policy, training, and engagement; and a4413rigorous review process that ensures Army requirements are including4414all contracts.4415                   military construction improvements4416    25. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4417Turner, and Mr. Saunders, a long-standing concern of this committee is4418the need for DOD and the Services to execute military construction4419projects with much greater speed, cost savings, and efficiency. What4420specific ideas do you have to improve the military construction4421process?4422    Secretary Marks. I strongly agree that the Department needs to4423deliver infrastructure faster and more cost-effectively to support the4424warfighter. I appreciate the committee's support of creative execution4425strategies, such as accelerated design-build, the use of other4426transactions for infrastructure projects, and the bundling of multiple4427projects into single acquisitions to achieve economies of scale.4428Further, the Department is actively reviewing and revising policies to4429ensure clarity for our industry partners regarding decisionmaking4430responsibilities, enabling faster and more efficient project decisions.4431We are also leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline our4432facility criteria program, significantly reducing the volume of content4433that both government personnel and industry must review while ensuring4434compliance with industry standards. In addition, we are modernizing our4435business systems by adopting industry-standard platforms to the maximum4436extent, which will enhance efficiency and interoperability. Finally, in4437collaboration with my colleagues in the military departments, we will4438closely examine the findings of the upcoming study required by Section44392877 of the fiscal year 2025 NDAA to assess construction programming4440and execution within the Department. Based on the report4441recommendations, we will take bold actions to ensure that the DOW is4442organized as efficiently as possible to execute military construction.4443    Dr. Waksman. The Army thanks the Committee for its interest in4444continuing to develop opportunities to refine and improve military4445construction management and methods. The Army is developing pilot4446projects for innovative technologies and construction techniques as4447well as expedited acquisition. With the success of the Fort Bliss 3D-4448printed-barracks project, the Army is working toward using 3D printing4449for projects that require repetitive construction of the same or4450similar facility. The Army is also coordinating with Defense Innovation4451Unit (DIU) and other MILDEPs to standardize facility designs and4452streamline acquisition. We are exploring design/construction approaches4453such as Design Build to Budget, Progressive Design Build, and4454Integrative Design and Construction, as well as modular and tilt-up4455construction methods.4456    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy (DON) is actively4457tackling the critical need for improved speed, cost savings, and4458efficiency in military construction through a comprehensive campaign4459plan. Key initiatives include using a Minimum Viable Project (MVP)4460approach to right-size projects, adopting faster, alternative4461construction methods like tension fabric structures and offsite4462construction, and leveraging innovative contracting tools to navigate4463market volatility, expand our contractor base, and promote competitive4464bidding.4465    Mr. Saunders. OSD and the DAF have been working options for MILCON4466reform both internally and externally. For internal options, USD(A&S)4467is relooking at standardized designs, Unified Facility Criteria (UFC)4468requirements, engaging industry, and working to streamline DOD policy,4469processes, and requirements for MILCON cost, execution, and lifecycle4470sustainment. Externally, OSD and the DAF continue to explore potential4471future Legislative Proposals on topics such as alternative delivery4472methods, Progressive Design-Build, lump sum appropriation, advanced4473authorization with multi-year contracting authority, expanded Other4474Transactional Authority (OTA), multi-year O&M appropriations, repair by4475replacement authority, and an increased Unspecified Minor Construction4476limit to $50 million.4477                        energy demand reduction4478    26. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4479Turner, and Mr. Saunders, the DOD's investments in operational energy4480programs reduce the logistics demands on the military and increase4481combat capability. Meanwhile, installation initiatives like the4482Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program and Sentinel4483Landscapes prevent encroachment on training areas which enhances4484readiness and conserves the land. Please identify which energy demand4485reduction and other installation focused programs are most important to4486your Service?4487    Secretary Marks. The Department prioritizes energy solutions that4488enhance warfighter capabilities, improve energy resilience, and reduce4489the logistical burden of moving, storing, and distributing energy on4490the battlefield. These energy innovations are critical to extending4491operational reach and advancing next-generation warfighting4492capabilities to defend the homeland and deter aggression in the Indo-4493Pacific.4494    To complement investments by the Military Departments, Department-4495wide programs of record like the OASW(EI&E)-led Operational Energy4496Capability Improvement Fund and the Operational Energy Prototyping Fund4497accelerate the delivery of Joint power and energy solutions across all4498domains. We have seen success in microgrids, energy storage, power and4499energy for autonomous systems, space operations and refueling, and4500foundational capabilities crucial for initiatives like Golden Dome. Our4501approach focuses on both near-term solutions to enable upgrades to4502current platforms as well as longer-term improvements in the design of4503our future systems and the integration of new technologies.4504    Dr. Waksman. The Army is committed to ensuring continuous mission4505performance by actively leveraging all available programs and4506authorities. We recognize Army installations are critical for4507warfighting, including production facilities, training centers,4508mobilization hubs, and power-projection platforms. Consequently, we are4509singularly focused on enhancing our ability to operate in contested4510spaces and enable our installations to function as islands should major4511attacks (physical or cyber) or natural disasters compromise commercial4512energy and water providers.4513    In line with this commitment, we are prioritizing programs that4514help us reduce overall energy demand, modernize our distribution4515infrastructure, increase onsite power production capacity, and limit4516encroachment. These efforts will ensure our ability to sustain, deploy,4517fight, and win our Nation's wars.4518    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy's energy and4519installation initiatives are force multipliers which directly4520strengthen deterrence, combat power, and readiness. Reducing energy4521demand at our installations and across the force create enhanced4522operational endurance to improve the warfighter's ability to operate4523with greater agility, resilience, and lethality in contested4524environments. Savings generated by optimized energy use are used to4525make investments in modernizing defense infrastructure and aligning4526with long-term national security priorities.4527    Our key initiatives essential for DON to execute energy dominance:4528    These programs demonstrate how the DON is aligning energy security4529and installation resilience to strengthen deterrence, enhance4530lethality, and ensure our sailors and marines can train, fight, and win4531in any environment.4532    Mr. Saunders. DAF has implemented a full range of strategies to4533reduce energy demand, increase our operational agility, and mitigate4534our contested logistics risk in theaters like the Pacific. These4535include modernizing our legacy mobility aircraft fleet with drag4536reduction technology like those currently used by commercial airlines,4537advanced engine sustainment practices that reduce aircraft downtime and4538increase engine performance, and software tools that decrease mission4539planning time and improve mission execution that lead to more effective4540use of our forces.4541    DAF is also focused on providing secure, resilient installation4542energy and water systems to advance mission assurance and enable4543installations to deliver combat power in contested environments. DAF's4544approach to addressing energy requirements and energy management4545includes identifying enabling system vulnerabilities, improving4546resilience planning, and ensuring resilience results, using tools4547including Energy Resilience Readiness Exercises (ERREs), Water4548Resilience Readiness Exercises (WRREs), Installation Energy Plans4549(IEPs), and Resilient Solution Reports (RSRs). DAF is piloting4550innovative technologies, such as nuclear microreactors and geothermal4551energy generation, for continuous, reliable, and secure power, while4552proactively planning and testing for potential disruptions to ensure4553stable access to essential power necessary to deliver national security4554missions.45554556    27. Senator Hirono. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4557Turner, and Mr. Saunders, why are these programs so important to the4558joint force?4559    Secretary Marks. Defending the homeland and deterring aggression4560require Joint forces that are interoperable and capable of operating in4561contested environments. The adaptations, technologies, and new designs4562being developed by the Department and our industry partners are4563essential to greater reach, increased combat effectiveness, and4564enhanced survivability. These innovations will enhance interoperability4565and optimize training, while also reducing the risk of storing and4566distributing energy over long-distances against capable adversaries.4567    Dr. Waksman. These programs are essential to the Joint Force, as4568each Service brings unique capabilities and areas of responsibility.4569While the Army's traditional mission of mobilizing, fighting, and4570occupying and holding land remains largely unchanged, its operational4571scope now includes capabilities such as Joint Command and Control, Area4572Air Defense, Mid-Range Hypersonic strike weapons, and Cyber Attack4573capabilities, some of which are used from within our fence line.4574Additionally, other Defense Agencies often operate on Army4575installations, providing critical intelligence and geospatial imagery4576services to the Joint Force. Therefore, Army installations must be able4577to provide uninterrupted energy and water to ensure mission continuity4578in support of our Nation's military operations, as required by our4579President.4580    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON sees each program as essential to the4581Joint Force. These efforts directly reduce logistics burdens, ensure4582installation operations in contested environments, and protect the4583training space needed for joint readiness. Through reducing energy4584demand to enhance warfighter operational endurance, the DON shrinks the4585resupply kill-chain and decreases the risks to distribution platforms4586within contested environments. Energy Resilience and Conservation4587Investment Program (ERCIP) investments in microgrids, onsite power4588generation, and water security projects are critical to ensure our4589installations can generate combat power, even if civilian4590infrastructure fails. By leveraging all tools and authorities, such as4591ERCIP, ESPCs and UESCs, we maximize resources toward improving4592warfighter lethality in alignment with the Secretary of the Navy's4593priorities. These programs act as force multipliers by strengthening4594deterrence, ensuring resilience, and enabling the Joint Force to fight4595and win in contested environments.4596    Mr. Saunders. The new strategic environment of modern air combat4597demands that we rebuild the lethal and ready force we need to compete4598and win. The DAF remains the largest consumer of fuel in the Department4599of Defense. These new technologies provide an opportunity for the DAF4600to reduce risk and increase mission effectiveness. An energy optimized4601fleet allows the warfighter to fly greater distances, increases loiter4602time for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, and4603increases payload and/or range. It is critical that we continue to4604invest in this capability to maintain an operational advantage.4605    Amidst greater reliance on increasingly interconnected4606capabilities, more prevalent asymmetric threats, and unprecedented4607changes to the natural operating environment, DAF is pursuing greater4608mission assurance through more resilient energy systems to achieve the4609vision of ``Mission Assurance through Energy and Water Assurance.'' The4610DAF utilizes industry partnerships and innovative technologies to4611streamline the deployment of domestic energy sources to provide secure,4612reliable, and affordable power on our installations. For utility4613infrastructure specifically, DAF seeks to improve robustness,4614adaptability, and response to disruptions.4615                               __________4616                Questions Submitted by Senator Tim Kaine4617                                housing4618    28. Senator Kaine. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4619Turner, and Mr. Saunders, a GAO report entitled ``Poor Living4620Conditions Undermine Quality of Life and Readiness'' was released in4621September 2023 and highlighted the poor living conditions some4622servicemembers have endured. These living conditions pose severe health4623and safety risks for U.S. personnel, and obvious implications for the4624readiness of the force. Of the 31 recommendations GAO made, which have4625you already acted upon and how?4626    Secretary Marks. The GAO has closed 15 recommendations under their4627Military Barracks report after reviewing the documentation provided by4628the Department. Policies and published updated surveys were provided as4629documentation to support closure by GAO for the majority of these 154630recommendations. We continue to work diligently to close the remaining4631recommendations.4632    Dr. Waksman. The Army continues to implement the GAO4633recommendations directed at the Army. Recently the Army closed4634recommendation #16 to develop and implement a method to ensure Army4635visibility of all barracks' MILCON requirements, regardless of those4636requirements' inclusion in the Facilities Investment Plan (FIP). The4637Army Reserve and National Guard are required to include all barracks4638requirements in their component FIPs, and the active Army component4639codified prioritization of barracks requirements in 2024.4640    The Army also closed recommendation #26 regarding managers of4641unaccompanied housing. The Army has determined inherent duties for4642military personnel versus civilian managers, created position4643descriptions, issued new policy, developed training plans, and4644incorporated roles and responsibilities into the new regulation.4645    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON is actively working through the ten4646recommendations directed at the Navy and Marine Corps. All ten have4647been acted upon with three being fully implemented and closed out by4648GAO. The three closed out include service visibility into military4649construction requirements at installation level for both the Navy and4650Marine Corps and barracks policy for civilian managers for the Navy.4651Other recommendations are very close to completion. Additionally, the4652DON has collaborated with OSD on many of the items and recommendations4653directed at OSD. The DON has updated or is in process of updating our4654policies and standards which has driven funding decisions and4655prioritization in response to the GAO report.4656    Mr. Saunders. DAF is committed to correcting the situations4657identified by the GAO in permanent party dorms and providing safe and4658adequate living conditions. We are aggressively working on the five (5)4659recommendations directed at DAF, two (2) requiring OSD actions. In4660April 2025, GAO approved closure of the recommendation requiring DAF4661analysis on the lowest reasonable rank threshold for unaccompanied4662servicemembers required to live in military barracks. We issued DAF4663policy guidance to the field that incorporated OSD revised privacy and4664configuration assignment standards as well as incorporating the updates4665in the DAFI 32-6000 (rewrite in staffing).46664667    29. Senator Kaine. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4668Turner, and Mr. Saunders, for the recommendations you have yet to4669enact, can you please provide a plan as to when and how you will4670implement each GAO recommendation?4671    Secretary Marks. Of the remaining 16 recommendations, the4672Department has provided documentation to the GAO for consideration of4673closure of five more recommendations. Of the final 11 recommendations,4674all except one have current estimated completion dates in calendar year46752026. The final recommendation on development of a method to track and4676report complete Operations and Maintenance, Military Construction and4677Military Personnel funding costs for barracks has an estimated4678completion date in June 2027. The Department is currently planning to4679use new or updated policies and guidance to close the remaining4680recommendations.4681    Dr. Waksman. The Army continues to followup with GAO on4682implementation of the remaining open recommendations. Notably, the Army4683recently reviewed its Unaccompanied housing (UH) assignment policy,4684addressing recommendation #21. The Army determined soldiers in the pay4685grade of E1-E5 (CONUS) and soldiers in the pay grade of E1-E6 (OCONUS)4686will continue to be required to reside in Permanent Party (PP) UH,4687except for soldiers in the pay grade of E-6 assigned to Europe-based4688units. The Army will reevaluate this policy as needed, based on changes4689to force structure and resourcing. The Army will revise its Housing4690Management Regulation, AR 210-28, to state soldiers in the pay grade of4691E-6 permanently assigned to Europe-based units cannot be required to4692reside in PP UH.4693    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON expects to fully implement the4694remaining seven GAO recommendations by December 31, 2025. Five are4695anticipated to be finished by September 30th with the issuance of4696updated policy or results of ongoing analysis, inclusive of: (2)4697Barracks Assignment Standards for health and safety standards for both4698Navy and USMC, (1) for Navy review on lowest rank threshold for4699assignment to Barracks , (1) Navy assignment standards for privacy and4700configuration and (1) USMC Barracks Manager Policy.4701    The remaining recommendations address Marine Corps assignment4702standards and the lowest rank threshold for assignments.4703    Mr. Saunders. We are aggressively addressing the remaining three4704(3) recommendations directed at DAF by the end of 2025.4705                               __________4706            Questions Submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren4707                          health and readiness4708    30. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4709Turner, and Mr. Saunders, was DOD, or any of the individual services,4710consulted by, or does it have plans to provide consultation to, the4711Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the plan to modify or4712reverse the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s4713recommendations to fluoridate drinking water? Please provide any4714written materials provided as part of that consultation.4715    Secretary Marks. The Department was not consulted and does not plan4716to provide consultation to HHS at this time on any plan by HHS to4717modify or reverse the CDC's recommendations to fluoridate drinking4718water.4719    Dr. Waksman. The Army has not participated in any formal or4720informal discussion or conversation with HHS (including CDC) regarding4721changes to recommendations for fluoride in drinking water.4722    Ms. Johnson-Turner. No, the Department of the Navy (DON) was not4723consulted and does not plan to provide consultation to HHS at this time4724on a plan to modify or reverse the CDC's recommendations to fluoridate4725drinking water. Any future input would be coordinated through the4726Department of War.4727    Mr. Saunders. No, the Department of Defense (DoD) has not been4728consulted. DOD will await the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency4729(EPA) review of scientific information on the potential health risks of4730fluoride in drinking water announced on April 7, 2025 as well as any4731new recommendations on fluoride that may be provided by the U.S.4732Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Community Preventive4733Services Task Force prior to providing any consultation to HHS.47344735    31. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4736Turner, and Mr. Saunders, was DOD, or any of the individual services,4737consulted, or does the DOD, or any individual services, have plans to4738provide comments or information to HHS on the Food and Drug4739Administration (FDA) plan to pull fluoride supplements from the market?4740Please provide any written materials provided as part of that4741consultation.4742    Secretary Marks. The Department was not consulted and does not plan4743to provide comments or information at this time to HHS on this issue.4744    Dr. Waksman. The Army has not participated in any formal or4745informal discussion or conversation with HHS (including FDA) regarding4746changes to recommendations for fluoride in drinking water.4747    Ms. Johnson-Turner. No, the DON was not consulted and does not plan4748to provide comments or information at this time to HHS on a plan to4749pull fluoride supplements from the market. Any future input would be4750coordinated through the Department of War.4751    Mr. Saunders. No, the Department was not consulted and does not4752plan to provide comments.47534754    32. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-4755Turner, and Mr. Saunders, please provide a list of military4756installations within your jurisdiction in and out of compliance with4757the 2013 order to fluoridate water on military installations.4758    Secretary Marks. The Office of the Secretary of War does not have4759direct jurisdiction of any military installations and defers to the4760Military Departments to provide this data.4761    Dr. Waksman. Army-owned/-operated community water systems, serving4762more than 3,300 persons, either add or have naturally occurring4763fluoride in their drinking water.? None of the systems exceed EPA's4764maximum contaminant level of 4 ppm for fluoride.4765    Ms. Johnson-Turner. There are 13 Navy installations in compliance4766and 4 that are not in compliance with the 2013 Department of War (DOW)4767order to fluoridate drinking water at installations that own or operate4768a potable water treatment facility serving 3,300 or more people:47694770    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]47714772    There are 2 Marine Corps installations in compliance and 8 that are4773not in compliance with the 2013 DOW order to fluoridate drinking water4774at installations that own or operate a potable water treatment facility4775serving 3,300 or more people.47764777    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]47784779    The Navy and the Marine Corps are working on a plan to bring the 124780installations not in compliance with fluoridated drinking water levels4781in compliance with DOW's 2013 Order.4782    Mr. Saunders. Please find below a list of DAF installation4783compliance statuses with the 2013 DOD Policy related to fluoridation.4784The list was provided in response to a 22 May 25 congressional inquiry4785issued to the Secretary of Defense relating to emergent State4786regulation prohibiting the addition of fluoride to drinking water and4787potential impacts to military readiness. One area of inquiry focused on4788installation compliance with existing DOD policies for optimization of4789fluoride concentrations in DOD-owned drinking water systems.4790    Installations w/ at least one DOD-owned water system servicing4791>3,300 persons Is the Installation in Compliance with DOD Policy4792Requirement for Fluoridation?47934794    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]47954796                         red hill contamination4797    33. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, please4798provide a list of the components of the JP-5 jet fuel that contaminated4799the drinking water at Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam in 2021.4800    Secretary Marks. Chemical and physical information on JP-5 and JP-84801jet fuels can be found at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease4802Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:4803https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/Tox Profiles/tp121-c4.pdf.4804    Under the 2015 Administrative Order on Consent (AOC), the Navy also4805prepared a document summarizing the fuel additives used in each of the4806fuel types at Red Hill which is available at: https://www.epa.gov/4807sites/default/files/2016-07/docu ments/4808red_hill_navy_fuel_additives_list.pdf.4809    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Chemical and physical information on JP-5 and4810JP-8 jet fuels can be found at the Agency for Toxic Substances and4811Disease Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention4812website: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp121-c4.pdf. Enclosure48131 contains an extract from that document on the chemical and physical4814information regarding JP-5. Under the 2015 Administrative Order on4815Consent (AOC), the Navy also prepared a document summarizing the fuel4816additives used in each of the fuel types at Red Hill and it too is4817available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-07/documents/4818red_hill_navy_fuel_ad ditives_list.pdf and provided at Enclosure 2.48194820    34. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, for how4821long were residents at Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam exposed to this4822contaminated water? Please provide any related documentation detailing4823the means and extent of exposure, the exposure period and how this4824exposure period was determined.4825    Secretary Marks. The Navy was designated as the lead for assessing4826and addressing releases from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility4827and, in that role, conducted extensive drinking water sampling4828throughout the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) drinking water4829system under Long Term Monitoring (2022-2024) and Extended Drinking4830Water Monitoring (2024-2025) plans.4831    Information of the public exposure is available in the Navy Marine4832Corps Public Health document: https://cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/Portals/79/4833CNRH/Documents/red_ hill/Medical%20Reports/4834Red%20Hill%20Pre%20IDWST%20Exposure%20Tech%20M4835emo_June_23.pdf'ver=thH6TShA0Jw2ciZ4f_PXgw%3d%3d.4836    Additional information on JBPHH drinking water is available at the4837Safe Waters website: https://jbphh-safewaters.org/public/framework/4838bannerhtml.aspx'idhtml=148390737&banner=jbphh_home.png&title=JBPHH%20Drinking%20Water%20Monitoring4840&idMenu=88797&ddlDSN=SYSTM&DSN=SYSTM.4841    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Information of the public exposure is available4842in the Navy Marine Corps Public Health document: https://4843cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/Portals/79/CNRH/Documents/red_hill/4844Medical%20Reports/Red%20Hill%20Pre%20IDWST%248450Exposure%20Tech%20Memo_June_23.pdf'ver=thH6TShA0Jw2ciZ4f_ PXgw%3d%3d.4846    A pdf version of the report is located in Enclosure 3, and assesses4847usability of pre-flushing drinking water data for evaluating human4848exposure to JP-5 fuel per the November 2021 release. This data is of4849insufficient quality and highly uncertain for such an assessment.4850    The Navy conducted extensive drinking water sampling throughout the4851Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) drinking water system under Long4852Term Monitoring (2022-2024) and Extended Drinking Water Monitoring4853plans (2024-2025). The results affirmed the recovery of the drinking4854water system. A final report on these efforts has been submitted to EPA4855and DOH for review and approval.4856    Additional information on JBPHH drinking water is available at the4857Safe waters website: https://jbphh-safewaters.org/public/framework/4858bannerhtml.aspx'idhtml=485910737&banner=jbphh_home.png&title=JBPHH%20Drinking%20Water%20Monitorin4860g&idMenu=88797&ddlDSN=SYSTM&DSN=SYSTM4861                          barracks conditions4862    35. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.4863Saunders, according to news reports, sailors and marines were ordered4864to be moved out of Anderson Air Force Base's Palau Hall barracks after4865Secretary Phelan was ``appalled'' by the conditions. Have all the4866servicemembers in these barracks been moved out?4867    Secretary Marks. It is my understanding that all servicemembers4868have been successfully relocated.4869    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, all servicemembers have been successfully4870relocated from the Palau Hall barracks at Andersen Air Force Base. The4871finished evacuation and relocation of all affected personnel was4872executed swiftly to ensure their immediate safety and well-being.4873    Mr. Saunders. As of 27 May 25, all 48 sailors and 25 marines have4874been relocated out of the Air Force barracks. The rooms SECNAV visited4875are no longer occupied by Dep of Navy personnel; however, there are 664876airmen and 1 soldier still residing there. The building will be4877completely vacated by 1 October 25 to accommodate a previously approved4878renovation project of the Palau Hall barracks48794880    36. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.4881Saunders, what were the specific concerns about conditions at the Palau4882Hall barracks?4883    Secretary Marks. The specific concerns related to environmental4884health and safety hazards in the barracks as observed by Secretary4885Phelan. These hazards included mold, exposed electrical wiring and4886plumbing issues.4887    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The noted conditions were linked to life,4888health and safety concerns in multiple barracks at Andersen including4889Palau Hall. The concerns were tied to mold, exposed electrical, and4890plumbing issues. For more information on the barracks and facilities at4891Andersen recommend coordinating with United States Air Force (USAF) who4892have control and operational responsibility for Andersen.4893    Mr. Saunders. The Palau Hall barracks was built in 1954; due to4894underfunded maintenance over time and the impacts of storm events like4895Typhoon Mawar, the building's components have degraded below condition4896standards. Specific concerns include exterior mold/mildew, painted-over4897interior mold/mildew, unserviceable medicine cabinets, scaled concrete4898exteriors, exposed wiring and severe hard water scaling on toilets and4899faucets. To address the concerns, Andersen recently awarded two repair4900projects totaling $70 million in the final quarter of fiscal year 20254901to renovate Palau Hall and the Rota Hall dormitory via MAWAR4902supplemental funding.49034904    37. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.4905Saunders, who or what entities were responsible for these appalling4906conditions at the Palau Hall barracks?4907    Secretary Marks. To the extent that the entire Department bears4908some responsibility for the conditions Secretary Phelan found, that is4909one of the primary reasons that Secretary Hegseth established a4910Barracks Task Force to address unaccompanied housing concerns4911throughout the Department.4912    Ms. Johnson-Turner. These facilities are under United States Air4913Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility. We defer to the4914USAF for detailed responses regarding their facility management and4915operations.4916    Mr. Saunders. The DAF has the responsibility to ensure a healthy4917and safe living environment is provided to servicemembers residing in4918unaccompanied housing. For the Palau Hall barracks, the primary driver4919for the degradation was years of underfunded sustainment combined with4920accelerated degradation resulting from Typhoon Mawar in 2023. Between49212009 and 2022, support and maintenance of these barracks was the4922responsibility of the Navy under Joint Region Marianas (JRM). In 2022,4923the Navy transferred funding/responsibility to the Air Force (AF) via a4924JRM Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Since that time, the Palau Hall4925Barracks roof was replaced and projects have been developed to repair4926and renovate the barracks, along with several other barracks in Guam.49274928    38. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.4929Saunders, how were these individuals or entities held responsible for4930these appalling conditions at the Palau Hall barracks?4931    Secretary Marks. I am not aware of any individual or single entity4932bearing direct responsibility for what Secretary Phelan found during4933the visit.4934    Ms. Johnson-Turner. These facilities are under United States Air4935Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility. We defer to the4936USAF for detailed responses regarding their facility management,4937operations and accountability.4938    Mr. Saunders. The poor conditions of the Palau Hall Barracks were a4939function of the age of the building, the years of underfunding (both by4940the Navy and the Air Force), and the highly corrosive environment in4941Guam. However, on 29 Jul 25, the Air Force awarded the Palau Dorm4942Repair Project with construction expected to commence 1 October 25.4943This project fully repairs the Palau Hall barracks, including4944renovation of interiors (floors, walls, ceiling, finishes, full4945restroom renovations), updating code for Energy and Life Safety, and4946exterior renovations resulting from 2023 Typhoon Mawar storm damage.4947Walkway slabs and spandrel beams will be repaired, and the project will4948also completely update the HVAC and plumbing systems.49494950    39. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.4951Saunders, have servicemembers in other barracks on Anderson Air Force4952Base been moved out? If so, which barracks?4953    Secretary Marks. As a result of Secretary Phelan's findings and the4954Barracks Task Force directive, inspections were completed across the4955portfolio by Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air4956Force, and the Department of the Army's will be completed shortly.4957Inspections ensure all servicemembers in the barracks are residing in4958clean, comfortable, and safe spaces. If they are not, any issues4959identified during the inspection are addressed or the servicemember is4960moved to a space that meets the inspection standard.4961    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, all sailors and marines that were in any4962barracks including Palau Hall, located on Andersen that had these life4963health or safety concerns were relocated. These facilities are under4964United States Air Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility.4965We defer to the USAF for detailed responses regarding their facility4966management and operations.4967    Mr. Saunders. No other servicemembers at Andersen have been4968relocated due to poor dorm conditions.49694970    40. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.4971Saunders, if servicemembers in other barracks on Anderson Air Force4972Base were moved out, what conditions prompted these moves and which4973barracks were they moved out of?4974    Secretary Marks. As a result of Secretary Phelan's findings and the4975Barracks Task Force directive, inspections were completed across the4976portfolio by Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air4977Force, and the Department of the Army's will be completed shortly.4978Inspections ensure all servicemembers in the barracks are residing in4979clean, comfortable, and safe spaces. If they are not, any issues4980identified during the inspection are addressed or the servicemember is4981moved to a space that meets the inspection standard.4982    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Conditions linked to life, health and safety4983concerns specific to mold and exposed electrical and plumbing issues in4984multiple barracks at Andersen prompted the DON to move sailors and4985marines out of these facilities. For more information on the Barracks4986and facilities at Andersen recommend coordinating with United States4987Air Force (USAF) who have control and operational responsibility for4988Andersen. We defer to the USAF for detailed responses regarding their4989facility management and operations.4990    Mr. Saunders. No other servicemembers at Andersen were relocated4991due to poor dorm conditions.49924993    41. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, has the4994Navy completed the Navy-wide inspection of all unaccompanied housing4995following the subpar conditions found at Anderson Air Force Base?4996    Secretary Marks. Yes, the Department of the Navy has inspected 1004997percent of their barracks.4998    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, we have completed the Navy-wide inspection4999of all unaccompanied housing. This comprehensive enterprise-wide5000assessment involved deploying specialized inspection teams trained in5001building condition assessments, safety protocols, and habitability5002standards. Regional commands conducted systematic evaluations using5003standardized criteria to ensure consistency across all facilities. The5004inspection process included detailed structural assessments,5005environmental health evaluations, and quality of life assessments. We5006coordinated with facility engineers, public works departments, and5007medical personnel to provide thorough evaluations and immediate action5008plans were developed for any deficiencies identified. All facilities5009housing sailors and/or marines, regardless of service area of5010responsibility, were included in the inspections assessment.50115012    42. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, when5013does the Navy expect to complete a Navy-wide inspection of all5014unaccompanied housing, if it has not already done so?5015    Secretary Marks. The Department of the Navy has completely5016inspected their barracks.5017    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Navy-wide inspection is complete. This5018extensive undertaking spanned several months and involved coordinating5019with multiple stakeholders across the global Navy enterprise. Teams5020conducted detailed assessments of facilities, evaluating everything5021from structural integrity to basic habitability standards.5022    Marine Corps completed its wall-to-wall inspections for Marine5023Corps barracks in March 2024. This effort was integral to the5024development of the Commandant's ``Barracks 2030'' initiative.50255026    43. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5027Turner, and Mr. Saunders, have any servicemembers been removed from5028other unaccompanied housing due to poor housing conditions since the5029order that sailors and marines be removed from the Palau Hall barracks?5030    Secretary Marks. As a result of Secretary Phelan's findings and the5031Barracks Task Force directive, inspections of all barracks were5032completed by Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air5033Force, and the Department of the Army's will be completed shortly.5034Inspections ensure all servicemembers in the barracks are residing in5035clean, comfortable, and safe spaces. If they are not, the issues5036identified during the inspection are addressed or the servicemember is5037moved to a space that meets the inspection standard. Some5038servicemembers have been moved because of these inspection results.5039    Dr. Waksman. Yes, the Army moves soldiers out of barracks when5040conditions require displacement. Displacements occur for a variety of5041reasons, including to facilitate work order completion, barracks5042modernization that requires temporary closure, or demolition of5043uninhabitable barracks to facilitate construction of new barracks.5044Garrison and unit leaders work together to ensure displacements sustain5045unit cohesion and access to installation services, such as dining and5046gym facilities. The Army is committed to providing safe, high-quality5047housing for our unaccompanied soldiers, and has invested at least $15048billion per year in barracks improvements in recent years toward5049improving the barracks inventory.5050    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, following the comprehensive Navy-wide5051inspection initiated after the Palau Hall findings, additional5052facilities have been identified requiring immediate action and5053servicemember relocation. The results of the Naval Station Rota Spain5054inspection directed the closure of Camp Mitchell buildings 1778 and50551779, necessitating the consolidation of 20 sailors into the other Camp5056Mitchell buildings (1774-1777).5057    NAS Oceana Dam Neck Annex building 550 was identified among the5058facilities requiring offline status. 178 servicemembers have been5059relocated.5060    In sum, these relocations from both facilities required the5061coordinated movement of servicemembers to ensure their safety and well-5062being while maintaining operational readiness.5063    Marine Corps has removed marines from barracks that are in failing5064facility condition. The Marine Corps is planning movement of marines5065from barracks that are rated less than fair condition into other5066facilities as a part of the facility modernization line of effort for5067``Barracks 2030''.5068    Mr. Saunders. No other servicemembers at Andersen have been5069relocated due to poor dorm conditions. Portfolio-wide, VADM Gray5070(Commander CNIC) inspected Furnari Hall on JB Anacostia-Bolling5071(Anacostia side of the installation) and due to the status of the dorm,5072he directed sailors who are part of the Navy's Ceremonial Guard to5073vacate by the end of June 2025. There have been significant issues with5074the HVAC system and interior flooding. A project to repair the HVAC5075system is nearing completion; a dorm renovation is planned for fiscal5076year 2028.50775078    44. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5079Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has any other unaccompanied housing been5080found to have poor conditions so far? If so, please specify which5081barracks were found to have poor conditions and why these conditions5082were subpar.5083    Secretary Marks. The Department is aware of barracks spaces that5084are not clean, comfortable, and safe. Through the Barracks Task Force5085established by Secretary Hegseth and the funding already received5086through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Department is aggressively5087pursuing rapid improvements to its barracks and is developing a longer-5088term plan to ensure all barracks buildings are maintained at the5089improved level.5090    Dr. Waksman. Please refer to the Army's fiscal year 2024 NDAA,5091Section 2839, Report to Congress. As documented in that report, the5092Army estimates approximately $4 billion is required to bring the Army's5093current unaccompanied housing inventory to a minimum quality standard.5094    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Yes, the comprehensive Navy-wide inspection5095identified multiple facilities requiring immediate attention and5096corrective action beyond the initial Palau Hall relocation at Andersen5097Air Force Base.50985099    Naval Station Rota Spain--Camp Mitchell:51005101    The most significant findings occurred at Naval Station Rota Spain,5102where we directed the immediate closure of Camp Mitchell buildings 17785103and 1779 due to substandard living conditions. These facilities were5104among the 11 buildings (1.2 percent of all inspected facilities)5105assessed as inadequate and requiring immediate mitigation measures. The5106conditions in these buildings fell below acceptable habitability5107standards, necessitating the consolidation of 20 sailors into the other5108Camp Mitchell buildings (1774-1777) to ensure their safety and well-5109being.5110    We implemented a comprehensive in-depth remediation plan that5111included securing a specialized cleaning contract, deploying a Public5112Works tiger team of experienced personnel, and organizing sailor-5113powered working parties to systematically address the significant5114issues identified during the detailed inspection process. This5115coordinated multi-phase effort was successfully completed on 13 June51162025, demonstrating our commitment to rapid response and thorough5117resolution.5118    As a result of the assessment, NAS Oceana Dam Neck Annex building5119550 was identified among the facilities requiring offline status due to5120substandard conditions that did not meet our established habitability5121standards. 178 servicemembers were relocated.51225123    Comprehensive Assessment Results:51245125    In sum, critical facilities at Rota and Oceana Dam Neck Annex5126required the coordinated relocation of approximately 200 sailors to5127suitable alternative accommodations. The subpar conditions varied by5128facility but generally included issues related to structural5129maintenance, environmental health standards, and basic habitability5130requirements that fell below the Navy's established criteria for safe,5131secure housing.51325133    Systematic Enterprise-Wide Findings:51345135    Our comprehensive inspection of 951 facilities across 119 military5136installations revealed that while most facilities met or exceeded5137standards, we identified specific areas requiring immediate attention.5138Of the 336 buildings assessed as ``yellow'' or acceptable, 70 have5139Building Condition Index (BCI) scores in the red category (ranging from51400-69), indicating they require prioritized investment and maintenance5141attention to prevent deterioration to inadequate status.5142    This proactive identification and immediate remediation of5143substandard conditions demonstrates the Navy's unwavering commitment to5144maintaining the highest standards for servicemember living conditions5145and our systematic approach to ensuring no one resides in facilities5146that do not meet our established safety and habitability requirements.5147    The majority of Marine Corps barracks (547 out of 658) are rated as5148good and fair condition. The Marine Corps currently has 109 barracks5149with a facility condition rating score of less than 80 which we have5150deemed as poor condition. Out of these 109 barracks, 69 are currently5151occupied. Three barracks that are rated as failing condition do not5152have any marines living in them. Marine Corps leadership will direct5153that marines move out of poor barracks and maximize occupancy of our5154best barracks where possible. ``Barracks 2030'' is the long-term5155solution to improve facilities condition for each of the Marine Corps'5156barracks, ensuring that marines have good living conditions.5157    Mr. Saunders. Since the news reports about Palau Hall, there has5158been one other DAF dormitory that has been found with significant5159issues. VADM Gray (Commander CNIC) inspected Furnari Hall on JB5160Anacostia-Bolling (Anacostia side of the installation) and due to the5161status of the dorm, he directed sailors who are part of the Navy's5162Ceremonial Guard to vacate by the end of June 2025. Furnari Hall has5163had significant issues with the HVAC system and interior flooding. A5164project to repair the HVAC system is nearing completion; a dorm5165renovation is planned for fiscal year 2028.51665167    45. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5168Turner, and Mr. Saunders, if any other unaccompanied housing has been5169found to have poor conditions, who or what entities were responsible5170for these poor conditions?5171    Secretary Marks. I am not aware of any individual or single entity5172bearing responsibility for the poor barracks conditions. However, as5173the Department's Chief Housing Officer and chair of the Barracks Task5174Force recently established by Secretary Hegseth, I will ensure the5175Department fulfills its responsibilities to set and maintain the5176appropriate standards for barracks.5177    Dr. Waksman. There is no one individual or entity responsible for5178barracks conditions. Limited funding and capacity over the last several5179decades have resulted in deferred maintenance. But we are correcting5180course. The Army committed to funding sustainment of permanent-party5181barracks at 100 percent to ensure the good and fair quality barracks5182remain in that condition. The Army's annual report to Congress includes5183a 5-year plan to remedy inadequate conditions, and we will update that5184plan annually to ensure we are prioritizing our highest-need barracks.5185Safeguarding restoration and modernization funding from use for other5186missions is also critical to ensuring the Army can consistently address5187unaccompanied housing issues.5188    Ms. Johnson-Turner. In many cases, the facilities identified with5189concerns were previously slated for decommissioning or long-term5190renovations. However, evolving mission requirements and unexpected5191occupancy demands necessitated continued use of these buildings.5192    Responsibility for conditions is shared across multiple echelons,5193including installation leadership, housing management, and base5194operations support. While accountability is critical, our focus has5195remained on immediate remediation and long-term investment to modernize5196the housing portfolio. We've reinforced leadership expectations and5197institutional responsibility, while also increasing oversight5198mechanisms to prevent recurrence. Fundamentally, ensuring quality5199housing is a shared duty that spans facilities, resource sponsors, and5200tenant commands alike.5201    Mr. Saunders. For decades, investment in the unaccompanied housing5202(UH) enterprise has faced the same funding challenges as the rest of5203the infrastructure portfolio when it comes to necessary FSRM and MILCON5204funding to support sustainment, modernization, and recapitalization.5205The DAF's recent decision to ramp up spending on UH is a vital first5206step in correcting this challenge for UH, but addressing the full scope5207of the portfolio will take many years and continued funding support.5208The DAF is committed to taking care of airmen and guardians living in5209permanent party dormitories. Commanders and enlisted leaders are5210heavily involved to ensure junior enlisted reside in safe, adequate,5211and well-maintained facilities.52125213    46. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Ms. Johnson-Turner, if any5214other unaccompanied housing has been found to have poor conditions, how5215did you hold accountable the individuals or entities responsible for5216these poor conditions?5217    Secretary Marks. While I am not aware of a single individual or5218entity who is solely responsible for barracks reaching these5219conditions, as the Department's Chief Housing Officer and chair of the5220Barracks Task Force recently established by Secretary Hegseth, I will5221ensure the Department fulfills its responsibilities to set and maintain5222the appropriate standards for barracks. Additionally, the Military5223Departments have established procedures to appropriately address poor5224barracks conditions.5225    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Across the enterprise, installation commanders,5226housing program managers, and supporting chains of command are engaged5227in rigorous performance monitoring. When deficiencies have been5228identified, leadership has initiated targeted reviews, realigned5229resources, and implemented process changes to reinforce responsibility.5230Ultimately, our response has been multifaceted, focused on both people5231and processes, to cultivate a culture of care and responsibility5232consistent with the spirit of the UH Tenant Bill of Rights.52335234    47. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Secretary Johnson-Turner,5235please provide the results of Navy-wide inspection.5236    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Navy to provide5237the requested results.5238    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Navy has completed a comprehensive,5239enterprise-wide inspection of all unaccompanied housing facilities5240following the substandard conditions discovered at Anderson Air Force5241Base.5242    Region Commander (REGCOM) leadership conducted systematic5243inspections of every facility in their respective areas of5244responsibility housing single sailors. The comprehensive assessment5245encompassed 951 facilities across 119 military installations throughout5246the entire Navy enterprise, spanning multiple geographic regions and5247operational commands. This coordinated effort involved deploying5248specialized inspection teams trained in building condition assessments,5249safety protocols, and habitability standards to ensure consistent5250evaluation criteria across all locations.5251    The results demonstrate that most Navy unaccompanied housing meets5252or exceeds acceptable standards:52535254      577 buildings (60.7 percent) were assessed to be5255``green'' or good condition: These facilities demonstrate superior5256condition, maintenance, and habitability standards that exceed baseline5257requirements.52585259      336 buildings (35.3 percent) were assessed to be5260``yellow'' or acceptable condition: These facilities meet acceptable5261standards with minor maintenance or improvement needs.52625263      11 buildings (1.2 percent) were assessed to be ``red'' or5264inadequate: These facilities require immediate mitigation measures and5265corrective action.52665267      26 buildings (2.7 percent) were already offline before5268assessment: 15 due to planned renovation projects and 11 due to various5269issues discovered before the directed inspections.52705271      1 building is still under construction.52725273    Of the 11 buildings assessed as scanty, one included the Air Force5274building at Andersen AFB that initiated this comprehensive review and5275was immediately vacated. Three of these 11 facilities--specifically5276Rota buildings 1778 & 1779 and NAS Oceana building 550--were identified5277to be taken offline within 30 days, requiring the coordinated5278relocation of 198 sailors to suitable alternative accommodations.5279    Of the 951 facilities assessed, 122 are managed and operated by5280services outside of the Navy, but where sailors reside.52815282    48. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Ms. Johnson-Turner, and Mr.5283Saunders, please provide copies of any other inspections or5284investigations into the conditions of barracks at Anderson Air Force5285Base, Naval Base Guam, or Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz within the past 55286years.5287    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Military Departments to provide the5288requested results.5289    Ms. Johnson-Turner. A comprehensive Department of the Navy-wide5290Unaccompanied Housing (UH) Assessment was conducted within the past5291year and focused on Quality of Life for sailors and marines. Enclosure52924 part of the assessment represents the results with respect to5293barracks conditions at Naval Base Guam (NBG), and Marine Corps Base5294Camp Blaz (MCBCB).5295    Numerous projects are ongoing and planned for repairs, painting,5296and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades at NBG. MCBCB5297UH facilities are new or under construction, with marines only recently5298occupying these facilities.5299    Barracks at Andersen Air Force Base are under United States Air5300Force (USAF) control and operational responsibility. The USAF can5301provide information regarding their facility management and operations.5302    Mr. Saunders. DAF is anticipating results from a service-wide dorm5303inspection soon. In the meantime, we have reached out to the Base to5304request historical data from previous years. We will provide an updated5305answer when reports are available.53065307    49. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5308Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has the DOD, and your respective services,5309done any review of whether the Tenant Bill of Rights is sufficient to5310support the needs of servicemembers and their families? If so, please5311provide the results of this analysis.5312    Secretary Marks. My office has not analyzed the adequacy of the5313Tenant Bill of Rights.5314    Dr. Waksman. Yes, the Army has reviewed the Tenant Bill of Rights5315and believes it is sufficient.5316    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy routinely reviews5317implementation of the Tenant Bill of Rights to ensure it remains5318responsive to the evolving needs of sailors and marines. Internal5319reviews include feedback from residents, housing office personnel,5320tenant advocates, and command leadership. One important tool in this5321effort is the annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey, which provides5322valuable insight into resident experiences and informs the Navy's and5323Marine Corps' ongoing improvement initiatives. These reviews reaffirmed5324that the Tenant Bill of Rights serves as a robust and comprehensive5325framework, ensuring tenants are aware of their rights, including access5326to safe and sanitary living quarters, responsive maintenance services,5327and freedom from reprisal or interference. It also validated those5328mechanisms such as dispute resolution support, inspection rights, and5329accountability provisions are implemented and constantly reviewed.5330Consequently, the assessment concluded that the existing Tenant Bill of5331Rights effectively supports the welfare of servicemembers and their5332families and provides a solid foundation for resident advocacy.5333    Mr. Saunders. The Tenant Bill of Rights helped standardize and5334codify what servicemembers can expect when living in privatized5335housing. In addition, adoption of the Tenant Bill of Rights directly5336enabled the establishment of important resident initiatives, such as5337the Universal Lease and the Formal Dispute Resolution process.53385339    50. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5340Turner, and Mr. Saunders, does the DOD, and your respective services,5341believe the Tenant Bill of Rights should be expanded to better support5342the needs of servicemembers and their families? How so?5343    Secretary Marks. My office does not have recommended changes to5344expand the Tenant Bill of Rights currently.5345    Dr. Waksman. The Army believes the current Tenant Bill of Rights as5346written is sufficient to support the needs of servicemembers and their5347families.5348    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Department of the Navy believes that the5349current Tenant Bill of Rights provides comprehensive protection and5350clearly defined expectations for both residents and housing staff. This5351reflects a thoughtful balance of rights and responsibilities,5352empowering tenants to report issues, participate in inspections, and5353holds all parties accountable. The document has been instrumental in5354fostering transparency, improving communication, and reinforcing5355standards. As conditions evolve and feedback is gathered, the Navy and5356Marine Corps remain open to adjustments, however based on current5357assessments, there is no immediate need for expansion. The existing5358framework remains a cornerstone in our commitment to uphold quality of5359life for all residents.5360    Mr. Saunders. No, at this time DAF does not believe that the Tenant5361Bill of Rights needs to be expanded.53625363    51. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5364Turner, and Mr. Saunders, please provide an estimate on the total time5365and costs associated with the long-term needs for barracks improvement5366projects across the DOD, and your respective services.5367    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Military Departments to answer as5368each has their own total time and cost estimates for addressing5369Unaccompanied Housing (UH) improvements.5370    Dr. Waksman. The Army plans to invest an average of $2.8 billion5371annually from fiscal year 2026 to 2030 in unaccompanied housing through5372a combination of new military construction, restoration, and5373modernization, and sustainment funding across all three components.5374This includes funding sustainment of permanent-party barracks at 1005375percent of the modeled requirements. The Army believes this level of5376funding will achieve a Building Condition Index score of 70 or greater5377for all barracks by fiscal year 2030.5378    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The Navy conducted a full assessment this year5379and are taking corrective measures to address any findings of subpar5380condition. After the comprehensive inspection of facilities, the Navy5381has implemented a multi-phased approach to address both immediate5382safety concerns and long-term infrastructure improvements. Included in5383this approach, the Navy is looking at expanding its current privatized5384UH locations with additional phases while moving toward privatized UH5385in other locations. The Marine Corps continues to move forward with the5386Commandant's ``Barracks 2030'' initiative which targets Barracks5387improvements completion by 2037 by modernizing infrastructure to ensure5388safe and livable facilities, professionalizing management through5389civilian housing staff and centralized systems, and enhancing quality5390of life with upgraded furnishings, amenities, and responsive5391maintenance support.5392    Mr. Saunders. For DAF to meet the Air Force Goal of 80 percent of5393the permanent party dorms with Building Condition Index (BCI) score of5394greater than 80, the following investment level is required:53955396      FSRM O&M funding averaging $461 million/year ($5.15397billion total) to improve the current inventory building condition and53985399      MILCON investment averaging $322 million/year ($3.25400billion total) to mitigate the current permanent party deficit and5401provide 100 percent capacity of the requirement54025403      The timeframe to reach this goal is 10-11 years54045405    52. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5406Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has the Facilities Sustainment, Restoration,5407and Modernization (FSRM) program been adequately funded over the past540810 years to conduct necessary repairs and restorations of the military5409barracks?5410    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Military Departments for specifics5411on how FSRM funding was allocated for barracks projects over the past5412decade. However, the Department appreciates the inclusion of5413significant funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to address UH5414priorities and we are committed to UH improvements.5415    Dr. Waksman. Over the past 10 years the Army has taken risk to fund5416higher priority FSRM needs. Recognizing the need to address barracks,5417in its fiscal year 2025 budget request and every fiscal year since, the5418Army has prioritized funding for barracks related FSRM at 100 percent5419of the requirement. This has greatly assisted the Army's efforts to5420slow barracks degradation.5421    Ms. Johnson-Turner. Over the past 10 years, we have accepted risk5422in the FSRM program to support mission requirements within our top line5423budget resulting in the Navy having a $35 billion deferred maintenance5424backlog and the Marine Corps having a $25 billion maintenance backlog.5425Of that backlog, $1.9 billion is associated with Unaccompanied Housing5426(UH). However, with recent efforts and policy focusing on UH5427sustainment, 79 percent of Navy and 96 percent of Marine Corps barracks5428are currently in good condition. The DON remains committed to improving5429quality of life for our warfighters and the appropriate maintenance of5430our barracks.5431    Mr. Saunders. For fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2021, the5432annual FSRM investment in unaccompanied housing averaged $59 million5433per year. Beginning in fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2025, the5434average investment rose to $270 million/year, across 137 projects.5435Despite the increase in investment, the average UH Building Condition5436Index (BCI) decreased from 81.8 to 77.5. The current UH Portfolio PRV5437is approximately $30 billion, therefore the recent average investment5438of $270 million per year falls considerably below the 4 percent of PRV5439annual investment recommended by industry to properly sustain5440facilities and infrastructure. The insufficient investment history for5441UH over the last 15 years worsened the overall condition of the5442portfolio and generated a deferred maintenance and repair (DM&R) cost5443of approximately $5 billion according to recent real property records.54445445    53. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, please explain how the DOD5446fiscal year 2026 budget proposal funds the FSRM program.5447    Secretary Marks. The Department's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal,5448submitted well prior to the Secretary's barracks initiative, funds5449barracks at the historic rate of 85 percent of the Facilities5450Sustainment Model. However, the Barracks Task Force established by the5451Secretary of War in October 2025 is focused on the efficient and5452accelerate spending of fiscal year 2026 base and reconciliation5453resources to more rapidly improve barracks to ensure they are clean,5454comfortable, and safe. Additionally, the Department is focused in the5455midterm on continuing to correct long standing deficiencies in the5456barracks inventory and at a sufficient level of investment to ensure5457that the facilities are maintained in good condition. Congress has5458given the Department an array of investment tools and authorities it5459can leverage such as Other Transaction Authority, Intergovernmental5460Support Agreements, and leases to provide clean, comfortable, and safe5461barracks to servicemembers.54625463    54. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how does the DOD intend to5464fund the long-term needs of the FSRM program to address the poor health5465and safety conditions in the barracks?5466    Secretary Marks. Through the Barracks Task Force, the Department is5467developing a long-term plan based on the needs of the servicemembers5468and the promise of ensuring access to clean, comfortable, and safe5469barracks spaces.54705471    55. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, the Government5472Accountability Office reported extensive deficiencies in Army barracks.5473According to press reports the Army plans to shift $1 billion Congress5474appropriated to repair these barracks and make sure servicemembers can5475focus on the mission to enhance border security. What is the Army's5476plan to address, fund, and fix these deficiencies?5477    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide5478the specific plan.5479    Dr. Waksman. The Army needed to balance the operational5480requirements in fiscal year 2025 with $1 billion from the FSRM account5481to provide resources for higher-priority Department of Defense5482missions. The President's fiscal year 26 budget makes significant5483investments to replenish that funding with over $8.5 billion in FSRM,5484an increase of approximately 23 percent from fiscal year 2024.5485    The Army continues to assess its required barracks infrastructure5486as detailed in the Army's annual report to Congress on the Condition of5487Covered Military Unaccompanied Housing and ``Get Well Plan.'' Currently5488the Army simply does not have the resources or capacity to immediately5489fix every barracks deficiency. Many of these large-scale projects5490require coordination and extensive planning to minimize potential5491errors and delays.5492    In this year's budget, the Army funds barracks sustainment at 1005493percent to maintain quality of existing barracks and prioritize5494deficiencies by ``worst first'', to bring those barracks with the most5495critical needs up to standards as soon as possible. Timely enactment of5496this budget will help to minimize project delays.54975498    56. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, according to5499press reports, the Army has already announced that it is phasing out5500barracks maintenance at Fort Cavazos. How will this decision impact5501health and readiness at this base?5502    Secretary Marks. Our understanding is that the decision by the Army5503related to reducing manpower and did not stop maintenance on barracks5504at Fort Hood.5505    Dr. Waksman. The Army is evaluating all NDAA requirements and5506internal Army processes to ensure any staffing changes do not adversely5507impact health and readiness. The Army continues to evaluate all5508authorities available to address barracks maintenance, including5509leveraging public-private partnerships and intergovernmental support5510agreements. Leveraging novel solutions will help the Army address5511current facility maintenance needs while reducing costs.55125513    57. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what is the5514Army's plan to address ``persistent air conditioning failures and5515stifling heat'' at Fort Cavazos if barracks maintenance is being phased5516out?5517    Secretary Marks. Our understanding is that barracks maintenance at5518Fort Hood remains a priority and that as part of the effort of the5519Barracks Task Force, the Army has prioritized improvement of barracks5520conditions there.5521    Dr. Waksman. Staff reductions at Fort Hood does not change the5522Department of Public Works' process for handling life, health, and5523safety, as well as emergency maintenance needs, as priority-15524requirements. HVAC issues fall under both categories. Routine5525maintenance may be delayed. The Army is evaluating staffing changes5526across the facilities portfolio to mitigate impacts to soldiers in5527barracks.55285529    58. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what is the5530Army's plan to address its $20 billion backlog of deferred maintenance5531and repairs for Army barracks?5532    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide5533the specific plan.5534    Dr. Waksman. The Army's plan to address the $20 billion backlog of5535deferred maintenance and repairs for barracks includes the ``Get Well5536Plan'' submitted to Congress as part of the required fiscal year 20245537NDAA, Section 2839, Report on the Condition of Covered Military5538Unaccompanied Housing. The Army addresses the most critical repair5539needs first.55405541    59. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, is the Army5542planning to or considering hiring additional contractor support to5543address deferred maintenance and repairs for Army barracks? If yes,5544please provide any available cost estimates.5545    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide5546the specific plan.5547    Dr. Waksman. The Army is considering all options to cost-5548effectively address deferred maintenance and repairs for Army barracks.5549Once internal staffing changes are complete and we evaluate where the5550greatest need is, the Army will conduct cost analyses for any5551additional contractor support.55525553    60. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how large will5554the Army's deferred maintenance and repairs backlog be in a year if5555funding to address this backlog is reduced by $1 billion?5556    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide5557this data.5558    Dr. Waksman. The Army estimates the total deferred backlog for all5559facility types to be $144 billion. The Army updates its estimate5560annually based on the amount of facility investments, the current cost5561of construction, and any unforeseen accelerated or decelerated5562degradation of facilities. An increase or decrease in one specific year5563does not directly affect the deferred-maintenance backlog.5564    The low recapitalization rates and insufficient facility5565sustainment funding over the last several decades have significantly5566increased this backlog. The Army plans to invest the additional funding5567provided by the recently enacted reconciliation bill, as well as the5568significant investments proposed in the President's 2026 budget5569request, to minimize the amount of deferred maintenance.5570    Additionally, the Army continues to evaluate our current facility5571inventory to identify opportunities to optimize our current footprint5572and reduce excess infrastructure.55735574    61. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how large will5575the Army's deferred maintenance and repairs backlog be in a year if5576funding to address this backlog is reduced by $2 billion?5577    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide5578this data.5579    Dr. Waksman. The Army estimates the total deferred backlog for all5580facility types to be $144 billion. The Army updates its estimate5581annually based on the amount of facility investments, the current cost5582of construction, and any unforeseen accelerated or decelerated5583degradation of facilities. An increase or decrease in one specific year5584does not directly affect the deferred maintenance backlog.5585                      privatized military housing5586    62. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how do you plan to strengthen5587oversight of DOD's privatized housing program?5588    Secretary Marks. I take my role as the Department's Chief Housing5589Officer seriously and as part of that, I have met with several of the5590project owners in my office or at their privatized housing projects to5591express to them my priorities for privatized housing. All5592servicemembers and their families should reside in clean, comfortable,5593and safe housing. In addition to the long-term sustainment of5594privatized housing, I advised the project owners that I expect them to5595adhere to their preventative maintenance plans. Further, I have asked5596my team and the Military Departments to consider delegating additional5597privatized housing decisionmaking to the installation commanders as5598those officers are most able to ensure habitable homes for our5599servicemembers.56005601    63. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how will you evaluate the5602success of enforcement of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative5603Tenant Bill of Rights?5604    Secretary Marks. While my organization has not specifically5605evaluated the efficacy of the Tenant Bill of Rights, my office engages5606in monthly and quarterly meetings with the Military Departments on5607their privatized housing projects and issues or concerns at any of5608their projects. My office also works with the Department's Inspector5609General and the Under Secretary of War for Personnel & Readiness, among5610other stakeholders, to gather information directly from residents on5611their overall experience, including any concerns they have, and to5612address each raised issue. The Tenant Bill of Rights is one of many5613topics that residents have brought up and we take their concerns about5614it seriously.56155616    64. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, last year the DOD launched the5617DOD Housing Feedback System to enhance transparency and accountability5618in DOD privatized military housing. Will you commit to educating5619servicemembers and spreading awareness about the DOD Housing Feedback5620system?5621    Secretary Marks. I do commit to more education for servicemembers5622and their families on the DOW Housing Feedback System.56235624    65. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, according to the Department's5625Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) data collection contractor,5626artificial intelligence-driven price-setting software is now used5627extensively throughout the property management industry. How will the5628DOD mitigate fraud, waste, and abuse and ensure that landlords aren't5629using algorithmic pricing software to hike rents for servicemembers and5630in turn, overcharge the Federal Government for rent?5631    Secretary Marks. The scope of the BAH program is to set rates based5632on the price of market-rate rental housing in the private sector.5633Recognizing that market rents may be higher than they would be5634otherwise due to local property managers using pricing software does5635not change the fact that those are the market prices that5636servicemembers (and civilians) must pay if they want to live off base.5637These are also the prices the Department captures in the BAH data5638collection process and uses to set BAH rates, ensuring that military5639families have access to suitable, adequate, and available housing.56405641    66. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, do you think that a shortage5642of off-base housing affects military readiness and personnel? If so,5643how?5644    Secretary Marks. Access to clean, comfortable, and safe housing on5645and around our installations is a quality-of-life issue and does affect5646the readiness of Military personnel.56475648    67. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, the Defense Community5649Infrastructure Program (DCIP) helps States and local governments5650improve ``deficiencies in community infrastructures supportive of a5651military installation.'' Do you think that a proposal to expand DCIP to5652prioritize projects that will increase housing supply for families who5653can't live on base will help lower housing costs for servicemembers and5654in turn, the cost on the Federal Government?5655    Secretary Marks. The DCIP is a useful tool for the Department to5656address some of its facility and infrastructure issues. I commit my5657organization to further exploring appropriate opportunities to further5658leverage this authority.56595660    68. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, the5661privatization of military housing has led to poor military housing5662conditions and contractors with fifty-year contracts that are difficult5663to hold accountable. Does the Army intend to privatize its barracks?5664    Secretary Marks. The Department acknowledges that additional5665privatization is a tool that can be utilized to ensure clean,5666comfortable, and safe spaces for unaccompanied servicemembers. The5667Military Departments are currently considering all options, including5668privatization, to ensure access to habitable housing.5669    Dr. Waksman. The Army is evaluating how to leverage existing5670leasing authorities to more quickly and cost-effectively build, repair,5671and maintain barracks. The Army is coordinating with OSD and OMB to5672pursue collaboration with Congress to adjust Federal guidelines,5673enabling the Army to more easily pursue innovative barracks management5674options that ensure stronger accountability.56755676    69. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, please provide5677any analysis that the Army has conducted as it evaluates whether to5678privatize its barracks.5679    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to provide5680any analysis that has been conducted.5681    Dr. Waksman. The Army is conducting a pilot initiative at Fort5682Irwin, commonly referred to as the ``Irwin Apartments.'' The Michaels5683Organization submitted an unsolicited proposal for privatized UH5684apartments, for junior enlisted personnel, within their existing5685privatized housing leasehold. My team vetted the proposal and received5686buy-in from Army Senior Leaders to pursue the pilot.5687    The Army determined the privatized housing model was more cost5688effective over the lifecycle of the project, compared to government-5689owned-and-operated barracks. The Army estimates the Michaels5690Organization will be able to finance the construction for the housing5691project and operate the housing from BAH revenue. The privatized5692unaccompanied housing project at Fort Irwin is unique because of the5693types of non-deployable units stationed there and limited housing5694options in the area.56955696    70. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, did poor5697conditions in the barracks contribute to the decision to initiate the5698privatized barracks program at Fort Irwin, California?5699    Secretary Marks. In accordance with 10 USC Sec. 2837, the Military5700Departments conduct Housing Requirements and Market Analyses (HRMA) not5701less frequently than once every 5 years. The HRMA assesses the Military5702Department housing requirements against current and future housing5703inventory in that military housing area. It is our understanding that5704the HRMA results were the primary impetus for the Army pursuing5705additional privatization at Fort Irwin.5706    Dr. Waksman. No. The need for the Irwin Apartments came from the5707need to house junior enlisted personnel in a remote and isolated5708location. The 2020 Housing Requirements and Market Analysis5709substantiated an unaccompanied housing requirement for 1,327 bed5710spaces. Fort Irwin proposes to retain 783 of its existing barracks5711spaces, to repurpose 668 Q3-rated spaces, and demolish 60 other5712inadequate spaces, resulting in a remaining need for 544 bed spaces.5713The Irwin Apartments lifecylce cost analysis determined the privatized5714model was cost effective for meeting this need.57155716    71. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how long is5717the contract with the Michaels Organization in relation to the5718privatized barracks pilot program at Fort Irwin?5719    Secretary Marks. The term of the ground lease runs through February57202079.5721    Dr. Waksman. The transaction involving the Michaels Organization5722does not involve a traditional contract; it is structured as a public-5723private partnership between the Army and the Michaels Organization. To5724finance the new construction of the apartments, the Michaels5725Organization required an extension to its current ground lease. The5726Army provided a 25-year ground-lease extension.57275728    72. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what5729contractual provisions are in place with the Michaels Organization to5730hold the company accountable in the event of inadequate conditions at5731the privativzed barracks at Fort Irwin?5732    Secretary Marks. The ground lease includes all directed National5733Defense Authorization Act and Executive Order language as well as Army-5734driven Davis-Bacon Act guidance and improved oversight requirements.5735These ground lease provisions provide clear consequences when the5736lessee does not comply with required provisions. The Tenant Bill of5737Rights and the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant5738Responsibilities are also incorporated into each tenant's lease for a5739housing unit. In addition, the Army Incentive Performance Management5740Plan will be used to award incentive fees for meeting required5741performance metrics. Failure to meet the required metrics will result5742in forfeiture of property management incentive fees. The Army reserves5743the right, as the lessor, to pursue remedies expressly available to the5744United States under the Ground Lease and other applicable legal5745agreements, including the Property Management Agreement and the5746Operating Agreement.5747    Dr. Waksman. With the 25-year extension, the ground lease includes5748additional oversight clauses the Army now inserts into all ground5749leases, including language reinforcing a requirement that the provider5750properly maintain the housing and the language outlining consequences5751for non-compliance.57525753    73. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, does the5754contract with the Michaels Organization for the pilot program at Fort5755Irwin require that the private housing company comply with the ``Tenant5756Bill of Rights?''5757    Secretary Marks. Yes, the ground lease includes all directed5758National Defense Authorization Act and Executive Order language as well5759as Army-driven Davis-Bacon Act guidance and improved oversight5760requirements. These ground lease provisions provide clear consequences5761when the lessee does not comply with required provisions. The Tenant5762Bill of Rights and the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant5763Responsibilities are also incorporated into each tenant's lease for a5764housing unit.5765    Dr. Waksman. Yes, as part of this partnership with the Army, the5766Michaels Organization is required to comply with the Tenant Bill of5767Rights, as with all its other DOD housing.57685769    74. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, what other5770private entities are involved in building, operating, and maintaining5771the privatized barracks at Fort Irwin?5772    Secretary Marks. The Michaels Organization serves as the owner and5773developer while an affiliated entity will serve as the contracted5774property manager for the project. As owner, Michaels is the entity5775responsible for management and oversight of daily operations and5776maintenance. Michaels has contracted with Clark Building Group5777Construction Company LLC, as General Contractor, for construction of5778the improvements.5779    Dr. Waksman. The Michaels Organization will build, operate, and5780maintain the Irwin Apartments.57815782    75. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, will soldiers'5783participation in the Fort Irwin pilot program be voluntary?5784    Secretary Marks. Yes. The Army will not assign soldiers to units5785within the development, nor will occupancy guarantees be provided for5786with this project. In accordance with Army policy, government-owned5787assets will be at 95 percent occupancy before Certificates of Non-5788Availability (CNAs) are issued. soldiers who receive CNAs will have the5789option to live in the development or find adequate housing off-base.5790    Dr. Waksman. Yes, soldiers' residence at Irwin Apartments will be5791voluntary. They will have the option to use their BAH elsewhere, but5792with the planned amenities and convenience of Irwin Apartments--as well5793as the limited housing options around Fort Irwin--we anticipate many5794soldiers will opt to reside there.57955796    76. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, will5797commanders have legal authority to conduct health and welfare5798inspections of the privatized barracks on Fort Irwin?5799    Secretary Marks. Yes. Unit leadership access to the complex is laid5800out in the ground lease and a Memorandum of Agreement or similar5801document will be executed with Army leadership prior to occupancy.5802    Dr. Waksman. Commands can coordinate through the privatized5803provider to gain access to the apartments for health and welfare5804checks.58055806    77. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, if commanders5807conduct health and welfare inspections of the privatized barracks on5808Fort Irwin, will you provide copies of these inspection results to all5809members of the Senate Armed Services Committee?5810    Secretary Marks. I defer to the Department of the Army to answer.5811    Dr. Waksman. The Army intends to report all inspection results that5812are required by law or otherwise requested by the Committee.58135814    78. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, does DOD intend to expand5815privatization of barracks to all military services?5816    Secretary Marks. The Department acknowledges that privatization is5817a tool that can be utilized to ensure clean, comfortable, and safe5818spaces for unaccompanied servicemembers. However, the Department does5819not have any pending proposals from the Military Departments to expand5820UH privatization beyond the current projects.58215822    79. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, how would the privatization of5823the barracks impact future DOD budget requirements for BAH via military5824personnel accounts?5825    Secretary Marks. Under the current MHPI model, the housing5826allowance would be the primary source of revenue for future MHPI5827projects. New MHPI projects, if using the current MHPI model, would5828increase costs to the military personnel budgets, but these increases5829are likely to be offset in each military service budget by decreases in5830the annual operations and maintenance accounts that would otherwise5831fund UH sustainment.5832    My organization is looking at all potential financial models for5833future housing privatization, including those that move away from the5834current model of full reliance on the housing allowance as the primary5835source of revenue for the private owner.58365837    80. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, does the plan to privatize the5838barracks include DOD requesting authorization for unaccompanied, junior5839enlisted servicemembers to receive BAH?5840    Secretary Marks. Under the current MHPI model, the housing5841allowance would be the primary source of revenue for future MHPI5842projects.58435844    81. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5845Turner, and Mr. Saunders, if existing barracks buildings on military5846installations go unused as a result of privatization, what is the plan5847for these facilities?5848    Secretary Marks. Each Military Department will consider the best5849course of action depending on the mission requirements of the5850installation. However, the Department will ensure that the real5851property footprint is optimally used and that it isn't funding the5852sustainment of excess, unused infrastructure that it can convert to5853another use or demolish.5854    Dr. Waksman. The project has a waterfall tenant clause that would5855allow certain tiers of residents to lease vacant units when the overall5856project occupancy drops below 95 percent for a period greater than 605857consecutive calendar days and the gains/losses are not projected to5858exceed 95 percent.5859    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON carefully reviews which installations5860and barracks facilities to privatize, as privatization is not always5861possible. Typically, the DON maintains some barracks as government5862owned at military installations to allow for flexibility of force flow5863especially where ship movements can occur frequently at our privatized5864locations. As part of the Navy's ``Forging Communities of Excellence''5865program the Navy is committed to facilities improvement and5866optimization throughout its inventory including identifying locations5867for right sizing.5868    Mr. Saunders. DAF continues to evaluate the feasibility of dorm5869privatization but is not currently pursuing any active privatization5870efforts for barracks facilities. If DAF initiates dorm privatization in5871the future that results in unused barracks, a plan will be developed5872for those unused facilities.58735874    82. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks, Dr. Waksman, Ms. Johnson-5875Turner, and Mr. Saunders, has the DOD, or any of the individual5876services, conducted location-specific assessments of available private5877sector housing near military installations and considered whether that5878housing is sufficient to meet the military's current or future housing5879needs? If so, please share detailed findings.5880    Secretary Marks. In accordance with 10 USC Sec. 2837, the Military5881Departments conduct HRMAs not less frequently than once every 5 years.5882The HRMA assesses the Military Department housing requirements against5883current and future housing inventory in that military housing area. The5884Military Departments can share HRMA findings for their installations5885upon request.5886    Dr. Waksman. The DOD uses the Housing Requirements Market Analysis,5887a structured analytical process to assess both the suitability and5888availability of the private-sector rental housing market, using assumed5889specific standards for affordability, location, features, and physical5890condition to satisfy the housing requirements of the total military5891population. It is conducted no less often than every 5 years.5892    Ms. Johnson-Turner. The DON routinely performs Housing Requirements5893and Market Analysis (HRMAs) of all its primary installations. These5894HRMAs help inform decisions about the size and scope of the inventory5895at each installation by measuring the adequate housing within an5896acceptable commuting distance and military demand. Additionally, the5897Military Housing Offices are engaged with the local communities and5898able to provide assistance to servicemembers on housing options in the5899community including adequacy and availability of homes.5900    Mr. Saunders. The Air Force conducts Housing Requirements and5901Market Analysis (HRMA) every 4 years for OCONUS and every 5 years for5902CONUS installations. DAF HRMAs establish rank/bedroom requirements and5903assess whether the community can provide suitable housing. Commanders5904use the HRMA results to engage community leaders regarding installation5905housing needs and garner support to address private sector housing5906shortfalls. The HRMA is conducted in accordance with DODM 4165.63, AFI590732-6000, fiscal year 2023 NDAA Section 2811, and the USAF HRMA Guidance5908Manual. The latest results are shown in the table below:59095910    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]59115912    Ongoing HRMAs: An HRMA contract has been awarded for the following5913installations: Alconbury/Molesworth, Barksdale, Dyess, Fairford, Grand5914Forks, JB Andrews, JB Charleston, JB Anacostia-Bolling, JBSA--Ft Sam5915Houston, JBSA--Lackland, JBSA--Randolph, Lakenheath/Mildenhall, Little5916Rock, Maxwell and McConnell.5917    Future HRMAs: An HRMA will be contracted in fiscal year 2026 or5918fiscal year 2027 for the following installations: Dyess, Altus, Arnold,5919Buckley, Cavalier, Columbus, Croughton, Davis-Montha, Edwards,5920Goodfellow, Hill, Keesler, Minot, Misawa, Mountain Home, Offutt, Osan,5921Peterson, Robins, Schriever, Scott, Sheppard, Tinker, Vance, Whiteman,5922Wright-Patterson and Yokota.5923                       confederate installations5924    83. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, are you aware5925of whether community leaders were consulted before renaming Fort Moore,5926Fort Liberty, Fort Johnson, Fort Cavazos, Fort Eisenhower, Fort5927Novosel, Fort Walker, and Fort Gregg-Adams? If so, what feedback was5928provided?5929    Secretary Marks. To my knowledge, any discussions or community5930engagement regarding the renaming of these installations would have5931been handled by Secretary Hegseth's staff or the Department of the5932Army.5933    Dr. Waksman. To my knowledge, community engagement regarding the5934renaming of these installations occurred following the renaming5935announcement.59365937    84. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, are you aware5938if the family of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore of the Army, a Vietnam War hero,5939and his wife, Julie Compton Moore, were consulted before Fort Moore was5940renamed? If so, what feedback was provided?5941    Secretary Marks. To my knowledge, any discussions or community5942engagement regarding the renaming of Fort Moore would have been handled5943by Secretary Hegseth's staff or the Department of the Army.5944    Dr. Waksman. To my knowledge, the Moore Family was notified of the5945redesignation shortly before it was publicly announced. My5946understanding is that they expressed disappointment.59475948    85. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Dr. Waksman, how much will5949it cost the Army to rename each of these installations? Please, provide5950a breakdown by location.5951    Secretary Marks. My office is not directly involved in this effort5952and as such, I would defer to Dr. Waksman on any associated costs.5953    Dr. Waksman. My office was not directly involved in this effort.5954                            hanscom air base5955    86. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Mr. Saunders, Massachusetts5956and the Air Force are eager to partner on a mission that would help the5957Air Force reduce costs and divest unneeded property, while creating5958economic development opportunities for the State, a mission the Air5959Force has called a ``Strategic Real EState Opportunity.'' Do you commit5960to being fully transparent with the Commonwealth and MassDevelopment as5961these discussions move forward?5962    Secretary Marks. The Department intends to work transparently with5963the Department of the Air Force and other stakeholders in Massachusetts5964as future real eState opportunities at Hanscom Air Force Base are5965considered.5966    Mr. Saunders. The DAF kicked off the Strategic Real EState5967Opportunity (SREO) at Hanscom AFB in June. DAF has already met with5968MassDevelopment and members of the Commonwealth team on DAF's intent5969for the SREO effort, and we intend to continue to work transparently as5970these discussions move forward.59715972    87. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Mr. Saunders, do you commit5973to working with Massachusetts to ensure the process is collaborative?5974    Secretary Marks. The Department intends to continue to work5975transparently with the Department of the Air Force and other5976stakeholders in Massachusetts as future real eState opportunities at5977Hanscom Air Force Base are considered.5978    Mr. Saunders. DAF has already met with members of MassDevelopment5979and members of the Commonwealth team in the lead up to kicking off the5980SREO effort and during the SREO working group sessions; DAF commits to5981continue to work collaboratively as we continue the SREO effort.59825983    88. Senator Warren. Secretary Marks and Mr. Saunders, do you commit5984to retaining the current personnel footprint at Hanscom AFB as part of5985this effort?5986    Secretary Marks. Consideration by the Department and the Air Force5987of future real eState opportunities at Hanscom Air Force Base is in the5988earliest stages. The goal is to reduce costs and divest property excess5989to military needs, but it is premature to assume the exact impacts at5990this time, including those related to personnel.5991    Mr. Saunders. DAF is at the very earliest stages of initiating the5992SREO effort at Hanscom. The intent is to work with MassDevelopment and5993members of the Commonwealth to explore options that will help DAF5994reduce costs and divest unneeded property. It is unknown whether the5995team would jointly recommend moving forward with an option that could5996impact the personnel footprint at Hanscom AFB; however, DAF does not5997anticipate any impacts on the mission footprint at Hanscom as part of5998the SREO initiative.59996000                                 [all]