On the recordJune 13, 2013
In closing, I did apply and work for the DOD. In fact, I served in both the Army and the Marine Corps, and in the 1980s, I served in NATO as well as in the 1970s. The mission has changed. Times have changed. We need to change. In doing so, we've got a unit there that really has no tactical purpose at this time. It is not an expeditionary force that can be readily moved. It would have to be moved to a railhead and then to a port facility and then be brought by ship in the most cost-effective manner. We are at a time when we have excess capacity in the United States in terms of the United States Army. The last report was in 2004 of 20 percent excess capacity for the United States, and the administration wants to do another Base Realignment and Closure Commission. We ought to bring that unit home to the United States. It can deploy as needed, where needed, and not be in a country that's spending less than 2 percent of its GDP on defense when we're at 4.7 percent. I yield back the balance of my time.
