Bartlett Opening Statement for Hearing on Army and Marine Corps Force Protection Initiatives in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom

Feb 3, 2009
Press Release

Contact: Josh Holly; 202.226.3988 

Bartlett Opening Statement for Hearing on Army and Marine Corps Force Protection Initiatives in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, today released the following prepared remarks for the subcommittee’s joint hearing on Army and Marine Corps force protection initiatives in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): 

“Mr. Chairman, I want to thank our panel for being with us. We are very fortunate to have each of you serving our country, and we are very fortunate to have you here today. 

“Force protection has always been a top priority to both of these subcommittees and I have no doubt it will continue to be.   We in Congress recognize that it is our constitutional duty to properly outfit our brave men and women who choose to serve their country in the military.  Many of these brave troops are currently overseas serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as all over the world.    

“As the threat to our military personnel continues to evolve, force protection requirements must continue to change accordingly.  We as a committee need to be reassured that all force protection programs are being accomplished expeditiously, the military services are communicating with one another, and that every effort is being considered to meet new force protection requirements.  Every day, we must be able to confidently say that we are doing everything possible to provide our warfighters the protection they need and deserve. 

“It is along these lines, and I know the Chairman already hit upon this in his opening statement, but I am troubled with recent press reports in regards to the Army pulling body armor from the field based on faulty testing.  These press reports are based on a recent Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General (IG) report.  Many of you may be aware that although I did not serve in the military, I worked for more than 20 years as a scientist and engineer on projects to improve or invent equipment to protect the lives of military personnel.  I mention this because I understand the importance of testing to guarantee that equipment performs to specifications and expectations. I believe a fundamental foundation for those who do serve is confidence in their government, confidence in their civilian and military leadership, and confidence in their equipment.  We are very fortunate to have some new members who have recently served in the military, and Mr. Chairman, I think it would be very beneficial for us to hear from them in regards to how soldiers and Marines react when they read these types of articles that question the capabilities of their equipment.  

“Finally, Mr Chairman, I am puzzled why the Department of Defense leadership has not yet weighed in on this issue.  We certainly know where the Department stands on MRAP’s and ISR, and rightly so.  It seems to me that if the enemy gets through the ISR and gets through the MRAPs, body armor is the ultimate last line of defense for the individual soldier and marine.  We have the Department of the Army, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and the DOD IG, all DOD agencies and all with differing conclusions. 

“I hope that this hearing will shed some light on this issue and depending on what we learn today, Mr. Chairman, I may suggest that we work together to send some kind of official correspondence to the DOD leadership expressing our concerns. 

“I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and I want to thank you again for your service to our country and for appearing before us this afternoon.”

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