This isn’t just anecdote– it’s reality.  Right now, the Navy is projecting a recruiting shortfall of 7,000 sailors.  The Air Force is currently short about 780 pilots and expects to be more than 2,300 pilots below the requirement in 2002. 

If the United States is to continue being the superpower that it has been for the last 50 years, fixing this problem needs to be a top national priority. 

Although the Cold War is over and our active military personnel has decreased from 2.2 million to less than 2.4 million, the armed services have conducted more operational events than ever.  We need a more efficient military which requires high-quality soldiers. 

We also need to ensure that our soldiers have the best equipment available.  Unfortunately, right now our soldiers are deploying short-handed with faulty equipment.  The Navy Aircraft Carrier battle groups– the core of our offense in the Persian Gulf– are sailing at only 75 to 85 percent of their required capability.  Pilots are cannibalizing spare parts from our aging fleets of Air Force, Navy and Army aircraft just to keep warplanes flight-worthy. 

Not being able to keep good soldiers and not having the best equipment threaten our military’s “readiness.”   

Readiness is the term used to measure the ability of the U.S. armed forces to conduct the missions called for in the national security strategy.  To ensure that our military readiness is top-notch, we need to improve our soldiers’ quality of life, provide good pensions and keep our promises to retired military and veterans, improve our weapons system, and eliminate porkbarrel defense projects. 

Improving the soldiers’ quality of life 

Fundamental quality of life issues such as basic pay, health care, family housing, troop housing, child development and commissary benefits are critical weapons in the fight for soldier retention.  The Army learned long ago that if a soldier’s family is happy, the soldier is happy.  This is especially true with today’s Army– one that boasts the highest level of married enlisted personnel ever. 

In each of the last two years, I have supported pay increases and better benefits for our servicemen and servicewomen.  But it hasn’t done enough.  We still need to elevate our soldiers’ quality of life.  Both president and the Congress are asking fro increased levels of spending for pay and benefits, and I am eagerly awaiting to hear the precise proposals. 

Treating our veterans and retirees fairly 

We need to make sure that the military is a good career choice.  To retain the best soldiers, it’s critical that the military offer competitive pensions and health care to those who have served our country, or we will continue to lose qualified soldiers when the realizes the could do more for their futures in another career. 

What’s more, we need to do our best to keep the promises we made to the veterans who fought for our freedom.  They deserve not only our thanks, but the benefits we promised. 

Upgrading our weapons systems and eliminating pork 

We can accomplish our national security coals with a smaller, lighter and more lethal force if we spend dollars wisely. 

We need to sop spending valuable money on pork defense projects that the military doesn’t even want.  Far too many defense projects are approved for political reasons.  These kinds of pork projects drain funds that could be better spent on quality-of-life issues or newer, better technology like the Navy’s top-priority F-18 Super Hornet. 

The readiness crisis facing the United States military is real and dangerous.  I believe that we can transform the Department of Defense to meet 21st Century security threats if we focus our defense dollars and concentrate on recruiting and retaining the best men and women in the country.  I will do my part on the House Armed Services Committee to work towards this solution.