Madeleine Bordallo: “So, will you commit to providing me and the committee with an update on the status of the Navy's efforts to return these…”

I am concerned that in a year where readiness has been cited as the Department's top priority, the Department's budget request falls well short of meeting the total depot maintenance requirement for the Army and the Marine Corps.

If we are going to rebuild readiness, we need to ensure that the depot maintenance accounts are fully funded to meet the requirement.

The system needs, as you said, overhauling. There is no question about it, whether you go to privatization, or whatever. And it should not be a monopoly.

I think it is fair to ask if the Army is, in fact, just creating more overhead that will further slow an already cumbersome process.