WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Personnel, held a hearing to receive testimony on military and civilian personnel programs and on military family readiness. The panel included the Honorable Robert L. Wilkie, Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and former Senior Advisor to Senator Tillis.
CLICK HERE to watch Senator Tillis’ Opening Statement.
CLICK HERE to watch the full hearing.
“As the United States faces an increasingly complex global security environment, our military’s personnel programs and policies must build an agile and adaptable force capable of responding to the uncertain threats we face,” said Senator Tillis. “A high-quality military and civilian defense workforce must appeal to this nation’s best and brightest young people; provide greater stability and flexibility to service members in their professional and personal lives; and provide compensation commensurate with the level of responsibility inherent to a military career.
“As we do all of this, we cannot lose sight of the military families who support our troops much better than any personnel policy ever could,” Senator Tillis continued. “Military families confront unique stressors and challenges, which must be considered in any discussion of military personnel management. Congress needs to understand military families’ concerns and work diligently to ensure that the Department of Defense provides the support and services families need. The readiness of our Armed Forces and, ultimately, our nation’s security depends on it because if the Defense Department fails to support military families, our volunteer service members will walk away.”
The subcommittee members heard testimony from 2 panels that included the following witnesses:
Panel 1:
- The Honorable Robert L. Wilkie, Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness;
- Lieutenant General Thomas C. Seamands, Deputy Army Chief of Staff;
- Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke, Chief of Naval Personnel/Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education;
- Lieutenant General Gina M. Grosso, Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services; and
- Lieutenant General Michael A. Rocco, Deputy Marine Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
Panel 2:
- Ms. Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families;
- Ms. Kelly Hruska, Government Relations Director of the National Military Family Association; and
- J. Michael Haynie, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, Syracuse University.
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