Press Releases

Today, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, made the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, on the Subcommittee's hearing titled "The Current State of U.S. Navy Readiness." For testimony and to watch the hearing click here.

"I am pleased to welcome everyone here today for an unclassified session on 'The Current State of U.S. Navy Readiness.'

Over the past several weeks both our full committee and this subcommittee have received briefings and hearings from leading national security experts on the current threat assessment and "State of the World", all of the service Vice Chiefs testified on the current 'State of the Military', we heard from the Department on the Quarterly Readiness Report to Congress, we heard from the Government Accountability Office on their assessment of the military's readiness recovery and most recently, the United States Army outlined its current state of readiness. Each briefing and hearing further confirms that our services are indeed in a readiness crisis.

I fully believe that the first responsibility of the federal government is to provide for the security of its citizens; therefore, it is our responsibility as members of this subcommittee to continue to better understand the readiness situation the United States Navy, and then for us to chart a course which best assists the Department of the Navy in correcting these deficiencies and shortfalls.

We now ask the senior leaders of the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserves, here with us today, to provide be candid and in your best military judgement advice on the current state of U.S. Navy readiness and its efforts to rebuild where required.

This afternoon we are honored to have with us:

• Vice Admiral Joseph P. Mulloy, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources;

• Vice Admiral Philip H. Cullom, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics;

and

• Vice Admiral Luke. M. McCollum, Chief of Naval Reserve, Navy Reserve Force.

We look forward to hearing from our witnesses as they highlight the current state of the Navy.

Admiral Mulloy and Admiral Cullom, I understand that you are both retiring in the next few months. I would like to thank you for your decades of service to our nation."