WASHINGTON, D.C. – New policies to train and equip the United States military emerged in the first subcommittee hearings of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) this week.

    Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D., a member of the Subcommittee on Readiness, as well as Seapower and Projection Forces, is working to increase troop readiness, bolster military research and development, and promote the latest defense technology. 

    The two subcommittees convened today to “mark up” their portions of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets annual defense priorities. The process entails debate and amendments, before the full committee considers the entire NDAA. Rep. DesJarlais (TN-04), who recently returned from Eastern Europe to discuss national security with NATO allies, represents a district at the heart of the Aerospace and Defense Technology Corridor spanning Middle Tennessee from Kentucky to Alabama.

    It includes Fort Campbell, Arnold Air Force Base, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Redstone Arsenal, among other military and scientific facilities. “Our military is stretched thin and underfunded,” said the Congressman, explaining budget uncertainty in the midst of increasing foreign engagements endangers soldiers’ lives and also U.S. national security.

    “Only three of 58 Army brigades are ready to fight. The Airforce is older and smaller than it’s ever been. The Navy is well short of the number of ships we need to protect American economic and security interests worldwide,” he said. “We’re asking fewer troops to do more with less, while adversaries such as Russia and China are rapidly developing their capabilities.”

    The Readiness Subcommittee’s “mark,” which bipartisan members unanimously approved, contains several measures from Rep. DesJarlais, including more training for Remotely Piloted Aircraft operators and funding for Air National Guard projects in his home state.

    The Congressman is a strong supporter of President Trump’s goal of 355 ships for the Navy, an increase of 80 to counter Chinese expansion. Modernizing procurement to save time and money is another top priority for the Congressman.

    “Like every federal agency, the Department of Defense has overlapping layers of bureaucracy and outdated systems that create waste and inefficiency. The department is so large, some common-sense changes could save billions of taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. DesJarlais.

    The Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces recommends multi-year, bulk procurements of warships to cut costs. Last month, HASC Chairman Mac Thornberry introduced legislation allowing the department to purchase non-military items, such as office supplies, on the open market rather than through complex federal bureaucracies. The proposal follows others, which became law in 2016 and 2017, to mandate major paperwork reductions and specialized acquisitions officers.

     “The savings will accrue to our fighting men and women,” said Rep. DesJarlais.

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