Latest news with #DanielDriscoll
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Army leaders defend parade and border spending as Congress presses for answers
Army leaders on Wednesday defended spending as much as $45 million to add a parade to the service's 250th birthday celebration on June 14 in Washington, saying it will help boost recruitment, as Congress members argued that the money could be better spent on troops' barracks or other priorities. Members of the House Armed Services Committee also said they are concerned that the Defense Department is shifting about $1 billion from a variety of accounts — including base housing — to cover the costs of shoring up the defense of the southern border. Spending for the parade has become a flashpoint since it comes at a time when the Trump administration is slashing funding for personnel and programs across the federal government, including the Defense Department. While the Army has long planned for a festival on the National Mall to celebrate its 250th birthday, the parade was just recently added. President Donald Trump has long wanted a military parade in the city, after seeing an elaborate one in France on Bastille Day during his first presidential term, and June 14 is also his birthday. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., questioned whether the additional cost of the parade was appropriate since all the military services are facing 8% budget cuts, and said perhaps it could be used to improve troops' quality of life or warfighting capabilities. He prodded Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll on what he would prioritize if Congress wrote him a blank check for $45 million. Driscoll replied that he thinks the parade offers a chance to tell the public about the Army. 'I believe very specifically that telling that story will directly lead to a recruiting boom and will fill up our pipeline for the coming years," he said. At the same time, he and Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army, told lawmakers that the service has now met its recruiting goal for the year — with 61,000 recruits. Army officials have predicted for months that they would hit the target early after making a series of changes to recruiting programs, recruiters and policies over the past several years. That prompted Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., to ask why the parade was needed for recruiting if it's already surging. Driscoll said the Army believes the parade 'will empower an entire new generation of America's youth to catch the spirit to serve their nation.' Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., defended the parade spending, saying 'you cannot put a price tag on patriotism.' House members on both sides of the aisle pressed the Army about a recent request to shift money from across the budget to support the southern border. The biggest concern, they said, is that it takes money away from base housing, which has been plagued with persistent problems, including mold, rodents and raw sewage in barracks. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., agreed the nation needs a strong border, but said lawmakers worked for the past year on a broad effort to address the housing problems. 'I feel like a decision was made that undermined this whole effort that we spent the last year doing.," he said. Pressed on the issue by Carbajal, George acknowledged that redirecting the money has an impact on the barracks. 'If we took $1 billion out of barracks, we would be able to fix less barracks," he agreed, but also said, ''You have to make choices, congressman."
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Frustration mounts over missing defense budget, lack of clear policy
The U.S. Army's top leaders encountered bipartisan frustration from House lawmakers Wednesday, as they sought to sell Congress on the Trump administration's ambitious-if-vague modernization plans for the service that members of both parties said they want to support but can't without the critical budgetary blueprint required to fund the vision. 'The committee is willing to work with you,' House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Alabama) told Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll, who was joined at the hearing by Gen. Randy A. George, the Army chief of staff. 'But we need to see your math. When can we expect the full details of exactly what you're proposing?'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Army hits its annual recruiting goal in eight months
The Army has surpassed its recruiting target for this fiscal year, exceeding a goal that was already significantly higher than it has been in the past. 'Yesterday, the United States Army met its fiscal year 2025 recruiting goal four months early, welcoming more than 61,000 new recruits,' Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll testified before Congress on Wednesday. The fiscal year runs through Sept. 30. Driscoll credited the 'focus on a return to warfighting and lethality' for the Army's recruiting success, though several practical changes to how the Army finds new soldiers have played a key role in the surge of newcomers, lawmakers said. Driscoll noted that the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which prepares potential soldiers for basic training, has helped recruits who were 'right on the edge' of meeting the service's physical and academic standards enlist. 'It seems when I was at the Future Soldier Prep Course that the ones who wanted to join were at the very front edge of their careers, were excited to join in a time where they thought they could contribute to the safety of their community by being on the front lines of keeping Americans safe.' As of May 30, a total of 10,465 soldiers have moved from the Future Soldier Preparatory Course to Initial Entry Training this fiscal year, said Maj. Christopher Robinson, a spokesman for Training and Doctrine Command. The Army expects to have 25,000 soldiers in the Delayed Entry Program when the 2026 fiscal year begins, Driscoll said. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George noted that the 'most productive' recruiting months of the fiscal year are still ahead. He added that the Army is trying to make improvements to technology for recruiters and reducing how many forms recruits have to fill out while in-processing. 'It was something like 670 forms that had to be filled out and we've reduced that to below 10, and it's now going to be in a database,' George said. The last time the Army hit its annual recruiting goal in the first week of June was back in 2014, Lt. Col. Jeff Tolbert, a spokesman for Driscoll, said in a news release. The Defense Department's 'Rapid Response' X account posted a Fox News story about the Army's recent recruiting success along with a quote: 'They call it the TRUMP-BUMP.' However, the rebound in Army recruiting began before President Donald Trump was elected in November. The service met its fiscal year 2024 goal of 55,000 new soldiers a month before the election after missing its recruiting target for the previous two years. The Army also announced in October that it would increase this fiscal year's recruiting target by 6,000 soldiers. Currently, there is not enough data to either prove or disprove that more Americans are joining the Army as a result of Trump's reelection, said Katherine Kuzminski, director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington, D.C. 'We began to see the turnaround in Army recruiting beginning last August as a result of efforts put into place in 2022-2023,' Kuzminski told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. 'The Future Soldier Prep Course played (and continues to play) a large role in that success — yielding 25% of last year's recruits and keeping up the momentum into this administration.' A major factor that is driving the Army's recent recruiting success is the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, Kuzminski said. About 13,200 recruits joined the Army through the course in fiscal year 2024. The Army has also taken steps to professionalize its recruiters, and the service's 'Be All You Can Be' recruiting campaign may have appealed to parents and other adults who can influence whether young Americans join the military, she said. Unemployment rates, however, are not contributing to the Army's recruiting success, Kuzmiksi said. The rates have remained fairly consistent at around 4.2% from 2024 to 2025. Driscoll acknowledged that the Army still faces some challenges to recruiting, noting that the service's MHS Genesis System, which has been criticized for disqualifying potential recruits for minor health issues, is 'inadequate.' Project 2025, the policy blueprint produced by the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, D.C., recommended that the Army suspend using the system because it causes 'unnecessary delays and unwarranted rejections.' 'The Genesis program in and of itself is a classic example, I think, of the Army being part of a solution that is siloed and ineffective and inefficient,' Driscoll said. 'And it's probably going to be a better solution to go out and grab a tool that is used in areas in the commercial sector.' Driscoll said that the Army has started using the commercially available Salesforce platform and has seen 'incredible results.' He added that 'in a perfect world,' the Army would be able to use a system like Salesforce along with a generative artificial intelligence model to determine, 'Hey, is this a kid who got an inhaler when they were 12-and-two months and never used it, vs. someone when they were 17-and-a-half actively was using an inhaler.' UPDATE: 06/04/2025; this story was updated with figures about the Army's Future Soldier Preparatory Course for fiscal year 2025. Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader Veterans receiving disability payments might have been underpaid, IG finds Guam barracks conditions are 'baffling,' Navy admiral says in email Navy fires admiral in charge of unmanned systems office after investigation The Pentagon wants troops to change duty stations less often
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Live: Army secretary testifies before Armed Services Committee
(NewsNation) — Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. His testimony comes in the wake of Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russian territory that have raised fears about whether the United States would be prepared to deal with similar attacks. 'This week, we witnessed a stark illustration of modern warfare in Ukraine and Russia. Reports indicate a coordinated strike against Russia's strategic bomber force, using a swarm of over 100 inexpensive drones. At a cost of mere tens of thousands of dollars, Ukraine inflicted billions in damage, potentially setting back Russia's bomber capabilities for years,' Driscoll said. 'The world saw, in real-time, how readily available technology can disrupt established power dynamics. Drones are but one example of a broader shift, and honestly, the Army is not keeping pace.' White House tapping into federal, state, local databases for immigrant info, report says Driscoll referred to the Army as 'calcified' by bureaucracy and emphasized the need for an agile force that embraces innovation and partners with private industry. A significant number of Russian warplanes were destroyed in the attack, dealing a blow to the country and pushing the limits of what drone warfare can accomplish. Ukraine did not give the U.S. advance notice of the operation, which included drones that were smuggled into U.S. territory. Russia is expected to launch a counterattack, though there has not yet been any sign of what form the retaliation may take. In addition to questions on the readiness of the U.S. Army and the proposed budget, Driscoll was also asked about a planned military parade to celebrate the Army's birthday, a date that coincides with the birthday of President Donald Trump, who has long expressed his admiration for such displays. Driscoll said the parade would serve as a recruiting tool when asked about the substantial costs of the display, which comes amid pushes for steep cuts to other government agencies and programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House lawmakers to unveil draft budget for vets programs this week
Congressional appropriators will unveil their first draft of the fiscal 2026 federal budget this week, with a House committee mark-up of planned funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction projects. The VA-Milcon measure is typically less contentious than other sections of the budget, but will likely still feature several points of conflict between Republican and Democratic lawmakers. VA leaders have proposed steep cuts in department staffing next fiscal year, but have not detailed the scope and costs of those plans. The House Appropriations Committee's initial work on next year's budget will come before White House officials have unveiled their full federal spending request for fiscal 2026. Last month, officials presented lawmakers with a 'skinny' budget roughly outlining funding request parameters for each department, but a more detailed budget plan is expected out in the coming weeks. But appropriators in recent weeks have expressed concerns about the long wait for those details and the approaching end of the current fiscal year. Lawmakers have until Oct. 1 to pass a budget plan for the new year, or pass a short-term extension to avoid a partial government shutdown. House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — 2200 Rayburn NATO Outside experts will testify on challenges facing NATO. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Army Posture Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations — 10 a.m. — 419 Dirksen Transnational Criminal Organizations Outside experts will testify on transnational criminal organizations operating in the Americas. Senate Appropriations — 2:30 p.m. — 124 Dirksen National Nuclear Security Budget Teresa Robbins, acting administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration, will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations — 2:30 p.m. — 419 Dirksen China's Influence in Africa Outside experts will testify on challenges posed by Chinese involvement in African affairs. Senate Veterans' Affairs — 4 p.m. — 418 Russell Pending Nominations The committee will consider several pending nominations. Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — Dirksen G-50 Army Posture Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Appropriations — 10 a.m. — Location TBA FY2026 VA Appropriations The committee will mark up its draft of the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill for Veterans Affairs programs and military construction projects. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Air Force Posture Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Transportation — 10 a.m. — 2167 Rayburn Coast Guard Programs Service officials will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — 2200 Rayburn Syria Outside experts will testify on the security situation in Syria.
