| Today, Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, made the following remarks on the hearing titled "Ground Force Modernization Budget Request." To view testimony for this hearing clickhere. "The Subcommittee convenes to review the current posture of ground force modernization programs and receive testimony on the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Request. I am pleased to welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses: ? Lieutenant General Michael E. Williamson, Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), ? Lieutenant General John M. Murray, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8 ? Lieutenant General Robert S. Walsh, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and Deputy Commandant, Combat Development and Integration, ? Brigadier General Joseph Shrader, Commanding General, Marine Corps Systems Command, and ? Mr. William E. Taylor, Program Executive Officer - Land Systems Gentlemen thank you for being with us today, and thank you for your service. Today the subcommittee will address a broad portfolio of ground force modernization programs and their associated acquisition strategies. We expect to gain a better understanding of Army and Marine Corps modernization priorities in fiscal year (FY) 2017 and beyond, and also learn of the challenges they are facing in modernization as a result of the current budget environment. The reality is the military is caught between rising obligations and shrinking budgets. Commitments for land forces have increased, and threats have worsened. We know the Department’s budget request of $556.0 billion for base requirements reflects an $18.0 billion funding shortfall. The proposed budget request for fiscal year 2017 does NOT follow the Balanced Budget Agreement (BBA) of 2015. As a result this budget request cuts force structure and modernization programs from the Department’s base programs. This committee is working to restore this critically needed funding. With regards to Army ground force modernization the Army’s budget overview states that their current modernization program for fiscal year 2017… 'slows the pace of near term development and accepts risk in reduced operational overmatch in the mid-term.' Similar to the Army, the Marine Corps has continued to assume risk in ground force modernization in order to fund near term readiness priorities, essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul. We’ve heard senior civilian and military leaders testify that near-peer adversaries are 'closing the gap' in capabilities and technology. In an increasingly dangerous world I’m concerned that the tradeoffs and funding reductions being made in modernization are going to have significant consequences to military capability. It is critically important that we sustain our ground forces and meet contingency operations requirements through robust modernization so that we can provide our next President with viable strategic options. We either make smart, targeted investments now, or pay for that failure down the road." | 
