“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

 “The Readiness Subcommittee package before us today reflects the committee’s continuing efforts to reverse the decline in the readiness posture of our armed forces.

 “This mark authorizes a total of $217.4 billion for military readiness, training, depot maintenance, and civilian personnel in fiscal year 2010, including $24.6 billion for military construction, family housing and base closure and realignment.  These amounts include funding requested for Overseas Contingency Operations.

 “The Committee commends the Department for applying additional resources to the readiness accounts in fiscal year 2010, but overall readiness remains tenuous.  Further attention will be needed in subsequent fiscal years to return U.S. forces to full-spectrum preparedness.

 “After more than seven years of continuous combat operations, skills not required for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have atrophied and will take time to restore once the troops are allowed sufficient dwell time.  To address our concerns regarding how the continuing high level of operational tempo in Iraq and Afghanistan are affecting the services’ readiness, in this mark we have added $418 million to the operation and maintenance accounts.

 “These increases include $195 million for Navy aviation depot maintenance and $200 million to eliminate the deferred maintenance requirement for active and reserve Navy ships.  Both of these areas were identified by the Chief of Naval Operations as the Navy’s top unfunded requirements in fiscal year 2010.

 “The subcommittee has provided $11 billion to the Army reset and $2 billion to the Marine Corps to continue the reset of equipment being used by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 “We also have provided $176 million for Army and Marine Corps prepositioned stocks.

 “The mark takes several actions related to energy and environmental policy for installations and for military operations.  Regarding installations, it authorizes $90 million for energy conservation projects and it encourages use of renewable energy and hybrid and electric vehicles. 

 “The mark also renews legislation authorizing the Department of Defense to conduct integrated natural resource management plans, an important tool for environmental management on military installations.  Regarding operations, the mark addresses fuel demand management at forward-deployed locations, a topic addressed by our subcommittee at a hearing earlier this year.

 “In addition, the full committee mark later today will include a provision that clarifies that the Director of Operational Energy, a position established by this committee last year, should report directly to the Secretary of Defense.

 “This is an important clarification, because meeting operational energy challenges will require involvement by all parts of the Department of Defense.  Requiring the Director to report to any lower office than the Secretary's would inhibit the Director's authority and success.

 “The subcommittee continues to be concerned about benefits provided to DOD civilians who are deployed to combat zones.  The mark includes a one-year extension of the authorization to allow premium pay for civilians deployed to Central Command. 

 "It also would extend, to civilians who are sent to Pakistan to work on stability, security and reconstruction teams, the same benefits that are provided to State Department employees and DOD employees serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 “In order to facilitate the insourcing initiative announced by Secretary of Defense Gates, the mark includes a provision that would eliminate headquarters personnel caps in order to hire acquisition personnel, or personnel necessary to perform inherently governmental functions, or to maintain sufficient organic and technical expertise.

 “And, this mark includes provisions aimed at further refining the A-76 public-private competition process.

 “The mark includes report language addressing DOD’s National Security Personnel System, or NSPS.  In response to a letter from Chairman Skelton and myself, Secretary Gates halted further conversions into NSPS and he established a special taskforce to conduct a thorough review of NSPS that will provide recommendations for changes and improvements to the Department’s personnel management system.

 “Turning to military construction, base realignment and closure, and family housing, the mark authorizes $24.6 billion for fiscal year 2010.

 “The mark includes several provisions related to Guam.  The committee received testimony from the Department that highlighted several issues associated with the realignment of Marine Corps forces from Okinawa to Guam.  The provisions that have been included provide the framework to ensure that we are building the right facilities, at the right time, with the right oversight. 

 “The subcommittee remains steadfast to completing the 2005 BRAC round on time, by September 2011, and has fully funded the administration’s request. 

 “The subcommittee has included an additional $762 million to achieve 100% of the requirement for sustainment of facilities, including DOD schools.  Furthermore, the committee has added $450 million to improve the quality of training barracks in the Army. 

 “This is a good mark, and I am pleased to present it to the full committee today for your consideration.  It reflects our bipartisan desire to improve readiness and balance the many priorities of our military. 

 “I thank my ranking member, Mr. Forbes from Virginia, for his help in preparing this mark.  I also would like to express my appreciation to the Committee staff – especially the Readiness Subcommittee staff – for all their work on this extraordinary bill.”