Joe Manchin

Thank you, Chairman.

General Barclay, I understand that during the Cold War the Army used National Guard combat brigades to round-out to complete the structure of a division, or round-up to reinforce or add a brigade to the structure of a division.

Army leaders indicated an interest in creating units that combine Active and Reserve Forces.

How do you intend to manage this risk?

The Army does not have to reduce the AC below 490,000 to properly equip it.

The Abrams tank remains the best tank in the world as a result of significant improvements over the past 2 decades.

Have you done any analysis to determine the red flags that signal that the Army is becoming hollow?

The costs of military pay and benefits are crowding out funds necessary for readiness and modernization of the force.

In your view, what risks do the Budget Control Act and sequestration pose to achieving this strategy?

Modernization of army reserve and national guard

I can't speak enough accolades from this committee or the Senate as a whole and I think Congress as a whole.

I think it'll happen in some way, shape, or form.

To be able to do it in the most, I think, the most common sense fashion.

General Barclay, what is different now or suggests that MC formations will work today if they did not work well enough to continue in the past?

Due to the declining fiscal resources, we can't afford to procure equipment for every unit, forcing prioritization of equipment allocations.

Can you explain what those indications are and how you will know in time to take the action necessary to avoid the consequences of hollowness?

A lack of adequate funding needed to procure modernized equipment and to maintain the industrial base is the primary risk the Army faces in an era of constrained resources.

What are the current agreed-upon modernization strategy and priorities for the USAR and ARNG and are these priorities documented?

My State of West Virginia is extremely proud to be part of this, and the people that have served are extremely proud to be a part of the greatest military might the world has ever seen.

I'm giving you my best evaluation and observation: if the $1.2 trillion that is sequestered over 10 years is supposed to accomplish and achieve, we will end up doing that.

I can't be worried about if the taxpayer support something that's not needed.

I felt that and that's why I supported Secretary Hagel as much as I did, for that reason.

What did we learn from our past experiences--Korea, Vietnam, Cold War? You have to learn from every experience.

We have more contractors than we do men and women in uniform, correct?

The OCO, some people refer to that as 'loco money', because if you look at the accounting procedures of how that happens it's kind of hard to really get a handle on.