Do you have the tools necessary to make sure that civilians and contractors within operational theaters follow the rules and make sure that there are not things that go unpunished?

I have been told that we are going to increase to 27,000 Active-Duty marines, but this does not include any increase in the number of Marine Judge Advocates General (JAG).

Is that the same for the other Services, I hope?

we are taking more civilians to war in this war than any war in the history of America.

I have been told Secretary Geren and General Casey acknowledged there was a $2 billion shortfall in terms of paying personnel bills in the Army.

Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen, and Ms. Nesmith, how are you systematically evaluating family support programs to make sure they are meeting their intended goals?

One last comment. This reciprocity issue of making sure that people who are licensed professionals in DOD families, when they move from State to State, that maybe we could do something to help them maintain their practices or their…

Anything the committee could do to help?

I, along with Senator Kerry, authored legislation that would allow, for the first time, contractors accompanying the force in combat theaters to be court-martialed.

We provided TRICARE eligibility to Guard and reservists years ago.

From the Navy point of view, Admiral Ferguson, I have been told that the Navy is short 191 JAGs and 63 enlisted personnel.

Yes, we have pushed the system. Has it worked, I guess, is what I am saying?

I would give it a B plus.

It has been a tough 8 years. Our men and women in uniform and their civilian counterparts being deployed overseas and their families have really borne a heavy burden.

For the first time, a career member can transfer their benefits to their families.

I appreciate what the President has done in the budget.

I would just add, I concur with the comments about access.

I think a voucher program is very good.

families consider the commissary one of their most important benefits.

the cost of military healthcare in the budget is exploding like it is throughout the private sector

Secretary Gates said about curbing the growth of the health care budget in the future, he has described it as 'eating the Department alive.'

Right. Right, absolutely.

What if we made it income free?

The Geneva Convention to me has always been a warehousing agreement between the signatory nations.

I completely disagree with that.