Yes, sir, I am and we really don't have to

speculate on what the impact would be if this supplemental does

not reach us in a timely manner.

We would need it by the end of April, sir and if

we don't have it by the end of April, we're going to have to

start pulling levers. We're...

Yes, sir, we do and if we don't, we will have to

start making adjustments. We'll have to start reprogramming in

order to make sure that...

Yes, sir. We did a reprogramming to make sure

that we were able to meet the needs of our soldiers in the

field and it caused the troops...

That is correct, sir. Actually, the

total Army is around 74,000. Eight thousand in the National

Guard and a little over 1,000 in the Army...

Yes, sir, we do, if you combine what we have in

the Milcon budget as well as the BRAC funding. We have a plan.

It's a tightly synchronized...

Walter Reed is used, so correctly stated, as a

critical piece in our care to our soldiers and their families.

Under the BRAC, we're going...

In this budget, we have funding for 700, in the

supplemental.

It was a supplemental funding request. It was

generated after the budget was submitted and the total

requirement is about $1 million for...

Two point five billion dollars is what the total

is.

Could I answer the mobilization

question?

The country is not mobilized. Less than

one-half of 1 percent of the people are participating in this

and I absolutely believe that we've...

We see future threats already talking

about adapting these irregular warfare capabilities into their

conventional forces. This is now something...

Well, for the same--first of all, it's

not duplicative. Our business is in the tactical and

operational role. The Air Force has got a higher...

Sir, I think we owe you--we owe you a

complete lay-down. We'd be glad to do that. We'll get our

experts over and see if we can't----

Thanks a lot.

Well, see I don't disagree with

anything you've said but I think it is really important to

understand this isn't an Army deal. This whole...

And we do it without taking any risk in

the capacity in our military healthcare system, at a time of

war, when there are so many uncertainties...

I just--I don't know of a commander

that would want to take somebody with them in their unit that

wasn't capable of doing the full job....

You certainly will. I cannot speak to the truth

of those allegations but we take every allegation seriously and

we'll check it out fully,...

Thank you, sir.

Well, yes, I think it's a problem.

That's what I just said. I was unaware of his memo but I can

tell you that he's the third Air Force Chief...

And we've had numerous discussions in

the tank, in the JCS tank, because the Navy has equities in

this as well.

The Army has got equities, the Air

Force has got equities and it isn't a simple solution. I think

you're exactly right. I mean, we don't...

It's working and we have an Army

commander on an Air Force installation out in Nevada that is

working it and the services will rotate that...

And we do. I mean, we have the

authority over our own programs.

Yes, sir. I agree with what the chief has said.

Are you saying, are you influencing me?

Well, sir, you know how the system works and we have to

work within that and I'd be glad to see...

The quality of our force that we have today is

excellent. We have changed some of the recruiting guidelines in

order to better meet the...

Sir, I think we've got the most

experienced, highest quality force that we've ever put on a

battlefield and I often go back and say, look...

Well, of course. But again, let's put

this in context. We started this fight what? Five, six years

ago and we were about 5,000 captains...

We are able to meet our immediate readiness

investment goals with that amount of money. That's what we have

in the budget. It's only a piece...

I just looked at this tough son of a

gun sitting behind right now, Lieutenant General Vaughn and he

shook his head no. I've never heard...

Sir, specific examples of--Stryker is

first what we call slag armor.

Sir, it's funded. We have it as part of

the program. As General Schoomaker has said, Strykers are

absolutely essential to our concept of...

Yes, sir. We will.

At this point, we're adequately funded for

the improvements we need. We will continue to improve this

system and ask for more money if we...

Sir?

In about 3 weeks, sir, the 10th of

April.

All right, sir.

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but

were submitted to the Department subsequent to the hearing:]

Questions...