So in 3 months what you envision, do I understand, is a replacement of these existing U.S., French, Canadian, and Chilean troops by some other international team?

We have spent, as you stated in your testimony, billions of dollars down in Colombia.

Secretary England, what were the costs (in then year and current dollars) that the Navy incurred in establishing a second nuclear carrier base on the Pacific coast?

a concern that I have regarding the upcoming BRAC process is that DOD and Service civilian leaders may be predisposed to discount or ignore the views of the Services' uniformed professional leadership.

I have consistently argued that the Nation needed to reduce its strategic risk in the stationing of aircraft carriers on the Atlantic Coast by committing to no fewer than two bases capable of home porting nuclear aircraft carriers.

Secretary England, how do the increased strategic threat and requirements for force protection affect the risk assessment relative to an analysis of an Atlantic coast nuclear carrier base?

If the uniformed leadership of the Navy recommends that the Service retain an installation, facility, activity, or capability, such as the Navy's three naval aviation depots, will you support them throughout the BRAC process?

One thing that I was surprised, Mr. Chairman, to learn is that we have quite a number of U.S. troops in Honduras.

Secretary England, did the Navy conduct any analysis that led to the decision to establish a second nuclear carrier port on the Pacific coast?

Secretary England, how much would it cost to establish a second base on the Atlantic coast?

If the uniformed leadership of the Air Force recommends that the Service retain an installation, facility, activity, or capability, such as the Air Force's test and evaluation centers, will you support them throughout the BRAC process?

a concern that I have regarding the upcoming BRAC process is that DOD and Service civilian leaders may be predisposed to discount or ignore the views of the Services' uniformed professional leadership.

So good luck.

There was a new criteria that was added for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission to consider, which was the measurement of an installation's value to homeland security.

As long as the uniformed military is directly involved in the decisionmaking, then I have a lot less worry.

You have the little bee-bee there right by you, so why don't you tell us, is DOE committed to support the NIF so that the goal of ignition can be once again no later than 2010?

Let me ask you, on the subject of this hearing, rumors continue to abound that Secretary Rumsfeld wants to combine NORTHCOM with Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

I think your command is the place to be for the future.