Sen. Carl Levin Holds a Hearing On U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command Budgets

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Sen. Carl Levin Holds a Hearing On U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command Budgets

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOLDS A HEARING ON U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND CENTRAL COMMAND BUDGETS

MARCH 16, 2010

SPEAKERS: SEN. CARL LEVIN, D-MICH. CHAIRMAN SEN. ROBERT C. BYRD, D-W.VA. SEN. JACK REED, D-R.I. SEN. DANIEL K. AKAKA, D-HAWAII SEN. BILL NELSON, D-FLA. SEN. BEN NELSON, D-NEB. SEN. EVAN BAYH, D-IND. SEN. JIM WEBB, D-VA. SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, D-MO. SEN. KAY HAGAN, D-N.C. SEN. MARK UDALL, D-COLO. SEN. MARK BEGICH, D-ALASKA SEN. ROLAND BURRIS, D-ILL. SEN. EDWARD E. "TED" KAUFMAN, D-DEL.

SEN. JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, I-CONN.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ. RANKING MEMBER SEN. JAMES M. INHOFE, R-OKLA. SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, R-ALA. SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS, R-GA. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C. SEN. JOHN THUNE, R-S.D. SEN. ROGER WICKER, R-MISS. SEN. RICHARD M. BURR, R-N.C. SEN. DAVID VITTER, R-LA. SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, R-MAINE SEN. SCOTT BROWN, R-MASS. SEN. GEORGE LEMIEUX, R-FLA.

WITNESSES: ADMIRAL ERIC T. OLSON (USN), COMMANDER, U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS (USA), COMBATANT COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND

[*] LEVIN: Good morning everybody.

Before we begin the hearing, I want to take this opportunity to welcome one of our three new members to the Armed Services Committee.

Senator Kaufman is the first senator from the first state, which is Delaware's famous name -- he's the first one to serve on this committee according to our Senate historian. We know Senator Kaufman for his long, valuable service to the Senate, both as a senator and before that as a member of the Senate staff.

So a special welcome to you, Senator Kaufman.

We'll welcome the others when they get here, but a special welcome to you. Delighted to have you.

The committee receives testimony this morning from General David Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command; and Admiral Eric Olson, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.

Today's hearing continues the committee's review of the missions and operational requirements of our combatant commanders in light of the priorities that are set out in the president's fiscal year 2011 budget request.

Nowhere will the president's budget priorities have a greater impact than with the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, including a significant portion of our special operations forces.

The men and women of CENTCOM and SOCOM have been engaged in major military operations for nearly eight and a half years, most having served multiple deployments. Our special operations forces are facing the highest operational tempo in their history. Yet, in Afghanistan and Iraq, our troops' morale is very high, they are dedicated to their mission, they are serving with courage and distinction.

General Petraeus and Admiral Olson, thank you for your leadership and, on behalf of this committee, please pass along our gratitude to the troops that serve under your command.

The next 12 months will be critical in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The challenges are significant. In Afghanistan, the military operations in the central Helmand River valley are just the "opening salvo," as General Petraeus has said, of a long campaign under General McChrystal's command to implement the president's counterinsurgency strategy.

As General Gates told Afghan soldiers in Kabul last week, this conflict is their fight to win, and Afghanistan's future is in their hands.

Key to this effort is the partnering of Afghan soldiers with U.S. and coalition forces, living and operating together in the planning and conduct of military operations. Last week, NATO Supreme Allied Commander-Europe Admiral James Stavridis said that the partnering ratio in Helmand province had improved to nearly 1-1 -- close to one Afghan soldier for each coalition soldier in the fight.

General Petraeus, I hope you will update us this morning on the progress of our partnering efforts in Afghanistan.

I've been deeply concerned, however, that the effort to grow the Afghan National Army and police is being slowed by a lack of trainers. Earlier this month, Lieutenant General Bill Caldwell, the head of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan, reported an almost 900 percent increase in Afghan army recruits in training, from 830 in September to 7,400 in January of this year.

But at the same time he reported that the NATO Training Command remains at just over half of the number of instructors and advisers required.

At a recent conference to generate forces, NATO members pledged fewer than half the approximately 1,200 additional NATO train...

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