Jim Inhofe

Those retention problems, especially in the context of generally improving civilian employment opportunities, meant that Congress was required to come back and authorize catch-up increases.

Secretary Mabus, what is your assessment of the Navy's operational tempo (OPTEMPO) reporting and how well are we meeting our operational tempo requirements to reduce stress on our servicemembers and their families?

Admiral Greenert, is the Navy trying to find a mission for the LCS rather than working to meet the original concept of operations?

Sequestration would have a direct and negative impact on the achievement of these transitions.

In your professional assessment, does the LCS offer combatant commanders increased combat capabilities for the three missions assigned (SUW, MCM, and ASW) as compared to the legacy systems it is replacing?

Now, that requirement in the BCA will, hopefully, be met by Congress without a sequester.

Continuing sequestration will remain the biggest challenge to executing this plan in the near term.

Admiral Greenert, are we starting to see the signs of a strained force in the Navy?

I am confident, I am absolutely positively confident, that by the time we begin buying bulk amounts of biofuels, which is one important but fairly small part of this whole effort, is that it will be competitive with petroleum products.

I thought that was giving up more than I thought should be given up, when you consider these commanders have the responsibility of sending our kids in where their lives could be lost.

If civilian furloughs, in response to sequestration, impact the mission of the military entrance processing stations, then what options does the Navy have to ensure your recruit accessions are not disrupted?

I think the safeguard you have is satisfactory.

If our concern is to do away with our reliance upon foreign countries, we can do that quite easily just by developing the resources that we have right now.

Sequestration in 2013 has resulted in a $4 billion operation and maintenance (O&M) shortfall and a $6 billion investment shortfall.

Our ability to meet our 30-year shipbuilding goal and recapitalize our sea-based nuclear deterrent will greatly depend upon budget certainty.

The Navy needs a sustained level of investment topping $20 billion by 2021 and maintaining that level for the following 10 years.

Maintaining an Army sufficiently large to generate a credible capability of defeating any threat is critical.

I simply think that that is unacceptable and I think it's irresponsible for us not to address this sort of military vulnerability.

As the world is becoming more dangerous, our Navy and Marine Corps are becoming less capable and less prepared.

A failure to recapitalize our at-sea deterrent on time would have devastating impacts.

It is in the best interest of our Army, DOD, and our national security to avert sequestration.

What will be the triggering event that tells you we have reached a readiness crisis?

Secretary McHugh and General Odierno, will the Army publicly release the weighting guidance for each attribute of the qualitative assessment prior to your final decisions?

Overseas basing enables the United States to maintain its strong leadership role throughout the world and secures our vital national interests overseas.

Yes, it is essential that the IEHR be deployable to support soldiers in theaters of operation or doing contingency operations.