Failure to pass the fiscal year 2016 President's Budget will negatively impact our ability to maintain and improve force readiness

Readiness remains at troubling levels across the force.

The President's Budget, albeit with some risk, provides the funding necessary to maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent force

Assuming sequestration remains the law, do you have to take any actions in fiscal year 2015 in your force structure to prepare for sequestration in fiscal year 2016?

PB-16 is the absolute minimum funding needed to execute our DSG.

We cannot afford to delay or reduce planned modernization for these programs any further and must provide stable, sufficient funding in fiscal year 2016 and beyond.

if the 21st century is to be another American century, the United States must remain an Asia-Pacific power.

Many of the African leaders have talked to me about that, but the current assessment by the Secretary of Defense is to continue to leave it where it is for the foreseeable future.

we haven't done nearly as much to assist them as I believe we should.

Admiral Locklear, does PACOM have the resources to maintain a sufficient level of presence in its Area of Responsibility?

I would say that that would also be something of a disincentive for recruitment.

The President's fiscal year 2016 Budget represents the bare minimum needed for us to carry out our missions.