Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 1999 (FY99) Science and Technology (S&T) budget for the United States Army. It is a privilege for me to represent the Army leadership, the civilian and military members of the Army S&T workforce, and most importantly, America’s soldiers.

Army S&T, a part of the overall Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) program, is a corporate investment in the Army of the future. A responsive, focused, and stable S&T program is essential to ensure the timely development and transition of technologies into weapon systems and system upgrades, and to explore alternative concepts to provide future warfighting capabilities required to achieve Army Vision 2010 (AV 2010) and the Army After Next (AAN).

The goal of the Army S&T program is to ensure that our future force will have the decisive combat edge provided by superior technology. The Army vision is: The world’s best Army, a full spectrum force--trained and ready for victory. This force must be equipped with the most modern weapons and equipment the country can provide. The technology is needed to permit victory with a minimum of casualties. The Army was recognized last year in the reports of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and the National Defense Panel (NDP) for having a vision of the future, and we have an investment strategy to implement that vision.

In FY99, our S&T budget totals $1.196 billion--$201 million for Basic Research (Budget Activity 6.1), $511 million for Applied Research (Budget Activity 6.2), and $484 million for Advanced Technology Development (Budget Activity 6.3). The Basic Research (6.1) program expands our knowledge in areas relevant to land warfare and identifies technology opportunities. It is an important interface with university and industry research. The Applied Research (6.2) program develops components and evaluates technical concepts for increased warfighting capability. The Advanced Technology Development (6.3) program demonstrates the technical maturity of subsystems, systems, and systems of systems through Advanced Technology Demonstrations (ATDs), Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs), and other demonstrations to speed the transition technology into development programs: Program Definition and Risk Reduction (PDRR) (6.4) or Engineering and Manufacturing Development (6.5). Our near-and mid-term S&T investment (6.3 and late 6.2) is directed toward enhancements for Army XXI, a versatile, product-improved Army capitalizing on digital technology for information dominance. While we are working on fielding Army XXI, we are looking far into the future to design AAN. One of the five major goals of the Army’s overall modernization program is to focus S&T efforts on leap-ahead technologies required for AAN. Our current far-term investment (6.1 and early 6.2) will enable the fielding of AAN in 2025.

We have developed an AAN process that incorporates input and activities from multiple sources on an annual basis. Through this process, a robust S&T investment strategy in support of AAN has begun to evolve. Given the 2025 timeframe of AAN, Basic and Applied Research (6.1 and 6.2) are the most relevant. The present investments in this budget are consistent with AAN concepts. We have also closely coordinated efforts with the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to more effectively align the 6.1 and 6.2 accounts to increase focus on those technologies where progress is most needed to enable AAN concepts of operations.

The appropriate level of funding for S&T is always considered in light of the Army’s modernization strategy, the investments in other portions of Army RDT&E, Department of Defense (DoD) Service/Agency S&T, and industry/academic areas of S&T emphasis. We conduct yearly reviews with our Combat Developer, TRADOC, to ensure that our S&T program supports the warfighters’ needs. From the Army leadership vision for the future and available resources, the Army Science and Technology Master Plan (ASTMP), published annually and based on the Army’s modernization strategy, provides guidance to the Army S&T community. Since the advent of S&T Reliance among the Services in 1991, the Army has been able to focus on those S&T areas that are truly Army-unique and leverage other DoD Services, Agencies and industry to meet our technology needs in their areas of expertise. This reliance strategy, combined with elimination of substantial S&T infrastructure, has allowed us to redirect funding for specific S&T initiatives required to enable AV2010 and AAN.

The FY99 budget request for the S&T program (6.1, 6.2, and 6.3) has +9.1% Real Growth over the FY98 request, after considering inflation. This increase in FY99 is primarily due to the devolvement, or transfer, of $95 million of S&T programs from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to the Army. Without this transfer, the increase would be +0.4% Real Growth from last year’s budget request. Last year the appropriated amount was larger than the budget request, but much of the increase went to programs with minimal warfighting impact, (breast cancer, etc.) that have not been included in this year’s request. Our FY99 request maintains stability for the overall S&T program while fully funding Army commitments to Defense Technology Objectives.

Almost 60 percent of the S&T budget consists of Basic and Applied Research (6.1 and 6.2 accounts). Activities in these budget categories are critical to achieving the technology necessary for the Army vision for the future, AAN. Basic Research is held stable at approximately 0% real growth (negative 2.9% before DoD devolved programs which reflects Congressional adjustments for FY98). We have requested an increase of 8.8% real growth (4.6% before devolved programs) in our Applied Research (6.2) program this year. This increase is intended to implement several new initiatives and augment other research areas specifically for AAN. We would appreciate support for the small increases embedded in these two accounts.

Our Advanced Technology Development program increases 13.9% this year (negative 2.6% after devolvement) and maintains our very strong commitment to ACTDs.

I will discuss these initiatives in greater detail later. Again, I urge the Committee to preserve these carefully designed enhancements.

The QDR and the NDP reports last year addressed the rapid pace of technology innovation globally and the indelible influence it will have on new military strategies, operational concepts, and tactics. Key capabilities of our future force were identified as: light, agile, mobile, global, fast/effective, interoperable. Some of the other characteristics identified which will require emphasis for our future forces were systems architectures, information operations and system protection, automation, increased operational and strike ranges, and precision strike. The NDP report included the warning that if we do not lead the technological revolution, we will be vulnerable to it. The Army S&T program is at the forefront of the military technological revolution and in sync with the NDP report’s vision of future needs. Our program encompasses pursuit of advanced technologies for affordable new capabilities that will result in a lighter, smaller, flexible, deployable, and lethal force. This focus is responsive to many of the capabilities identified and recommended in the NDP report. I would like to highlight some of our significant S&T efforts in the FY99 budget request that will meet the near-and mid-term challenges and the far-term security needs articulated in the NDP report.

Several of our major S&T demonstration programs in 6.3 address system-of-systems architectures and their attendant Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) connectivities for highly distributed network-based operations. Emphasis is placed on information dominance, automation to compress operations, increased ranges to offset vulnerability, and precision strike for improved accuracy and lethality and to limit collateral damage. With these new capabilities, we can project a lethal and effective force quickly anywhere in the world to face a wide array of uncertain threats. These forces will deploy rapidly, seize the initiative, and achieve objectives with minimal risk of heavy casualties.

Advanced Technology Development provides the path for the rapid insertion of new technologies into Army systems, be they new systems or product improvements. In the 6.3 category, components are built and integrated, and experimental systems are demonstrated to prove the feasibility and military utility of the approach selected. In recent years, the Army has increased its commitment to system-of-systems demonstrations that seek to identify the lowest cost approach to accomplish a particular mission. These programs have central oversight and often include a number of separate ATDs, and many have now been converted to ACTDs with supplementary OSD funding.

The Future Scout and Cavalry System (FSCS) is a cooperative program with the United Kingdom to design and build a ground system with advanced technologies in sensors, armor, mobility, and signature management to provide our warfighters with overwhelming ground scout capabilities. It will complement other surveillance and reconnaissance assets such as unmanned aerial vehicles and aerial scouts. Operational experience and exercises at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California, show that current Army ground scout systems are deficient; the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) is too vulnerable and lacks mobility, and the Bradley is too large and detectable. There is high correlation between a successful scout mission and battalion/task force mission success. Non-materiel solutions (e.g., changing tactics, training, organizations) have not provided an acceptable solution. A 1995 RAND study shows that 50% of ground scouts are still being "destroyed" in wargames at NTC.

FSCS will replace the HMMWV in cavalry and scout units at the battalion and brigade level, and the Bradley in divisional cavalry squadrons and regiments. It will be our first new development to support AAN. A Statement of Intent signed in October 1996 shifted the focus from the development of national programs toward development of a cooperative U.S./U.K. scout vehicle program. The users of both nations have harmonized requirements, and both nations have agreed to share cost on a 50/50 basis for the Advanced Technology Demonstrator (ATD) and, when implemented, the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. A Memorandum of Understanding for the ATD has been signed by the U.S. and is in the U.K. for signature. A request for Proposal for the ATD will be released shortly thereafter, and a contract award is expected to be signed next August. Additional cost savings will be obtained by reducing the acquisition process time through a two-step acquisition process. This significant acquisition reform initiative allows sufficiently mature technologies to eliminate PDRR and go directly to EMD following a robust ATD. If the ATD is not successful, we still have the option of going to PDRR for additional development and testing.

The Rapid Force Projection Initiative (RFPI) ACTD is designed to address the vulnerability of the early entry forces to armored overrun and indirect fires during the early days of a deployment and before follow-on forces can be brought into the area of operations. These early entry forces must be light, agile, mobile, and lethal. RFPI demonstrates new capabilities for early entry forces in a system-of-systems concept based on a suite of advanced forward-deployed sensors and precision, indirect fire weapons connected by a robust C4I system. The systems are designed to be C-130 aircraft transportable, airlanded, and sling loaded. RFPI capabilities will extend the battlespace, increase situational awareness, support improved weapon-target pairing, and have the potential to significantly increase effectiveness and efficiencies in long-range acquisition and engagements. The RFPI ACTD will be demonstrated in a large scale field experiment this summer with the XVIII Airborne Corps, followed by a two-year extended user evaluation period that will include the assessment of new concepts of operations by the warfighter.

An important precision tank killing solution in the RPFI ACTD is the Enhanced Fiber Optic Guided Missile (EFOGM) which can be sling loaded and air dropped. The EFOGM system is a multipurpose, precision kill weapon system designed to engage and defeat threat armored combat vehicles and other high value ground targets up to 15 kilometers that may be masked from line-of-sight, direct fire weapon systems. The missile can navigate to the target area automatically, and the gunner can intervene at any time to lock on and engage any detected targets. This gunner-in-the-loop capability enhances the target acquisition process and minimizes fratricide and collateral damage. EFOGM will add precision lethality to our light forces while increasing their survivability.

The NDP report cited the increasing likelihood of military operations in cities and the difficulty of conducting urban warfare. The joint Army/U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) ACTD employs a system-of-systems approach to demonstrate increased operational capabilities of soldiers and Marines in a MOUT environment through the integration and evaluation of new capabilities in C4I, engagement, and force protection. Technology integration and assessments will include communications, sensors, lethal and non-lethal weapons systems/munitions, individual protection, and mobility. Also addressed will be tactics, techniques, and procedures to significantly improve the U.S. dismounted forces’ capabilities to effectively fight in urban terrain at battalion level and below.

The Line-of-Sight Antitank (LOSAT) ACTD demonstrates a weapon system with guaranteed lethality that provides a volume of extremely lethal, accurate fire at ranges exceeding tank main gun range. With the termination of the Armored Gun System and the inactivation of the 3-73^rd Armor (M551 Sheridan), our early entry light forces need a long-range, high rate of fire weapon system with the overwhelming lethality required to produce the shock effect and long-range attrition paramount to survivability. LOSAT is the only system that can provide this capability with a system that cannot be countered by explosive, reactive armor, appliqué, or action protection systems. The rapid rate of engagement, coupled with the overwhelming missile mass, makes the system countermeasure resistant. The system will be deployable on all strategic mobility lift from C-130 to C-5 aircraft and sling load carried by UH 60L and CH-47 helicopters. LOSAT is complementary to our other early entry systems, including JAVELIN, Improved Target Acquisition System (ITAS)/Follow-On to TOW (Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided), and EFOGM.

The deployment of a fully digitized force will make information warfare an essential aspect of combat operations. Our reliance on information technologies creates dependencies and potential vulnerabilities throughout the force as our soldiers are deployed across the globe, creating new requirements for defensive information warfare capabilities. The Tactical Command and Control (C2) Protect ATD demonstrates the ability to protect the Army’s tactical C2 information systems, components, and data from modern network attacks. The program develops a security architecture that will include improved network access controls, intrusion detection and response tools, secure network administration, and C2 protect modeling and simulation capabilities for robust enhanced digital communications.

The Multifunction Staring Sensor Suite (MFS3) ATD will provide scout/cavalry vehicles and future fighting vehicles with a compact, affordable sensor suite for long-range, noncooperative target identification, mortar/sniper fire location, and air defense against low signature targets. To accomplish these objectives the MFS3 will demonstrate a modular, reconfigurable sensor suite that integrates multiple advanced sensor components, including a staring infrared imager, a multifunction laser, and acoustic arrays.

The Rapid Terrain Visualization (RTV) ACTD will integrate and demonstrate capabilities to rapidly generate, disseminate, and exploit high-resolution digital terrain elevation and feature data sets. This will allow a comprehensive visualization of the battlefield to support mission planning in crisis force projection situations where the battlefield has not been previously mapped. The ACTD will provide, as leave behinds, an interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) on a modified U-2 for rapid collection of digital terrain elevation data (DTED) III-V; interface with Clark Satellite Ground Station, Eagle Vision II; software and workstations for rapid generation of DTED and digital feature data; data sets for key areas of interest prioritized by the user; providing a baseline terrain visualization capability at the XVIII Airborne Corps.

Theater Precision Strike Operations (TPSO) is a system-of-systems ACTD designed to provide enhanced deep operations C2 capability to the theater through the enhancement and integration of baselined, service standard C2 systems. The initial operating capability will be for Korea. This will involve identifying and prioritizing deep operations functions and automating these functions across the various joint Service C2 systems that interoperate in the deep strike arena. The TPSO ACTD will provide a set of residuals that will improve the capability of the Joint Force Land Component Commander (JFLCC) to forecast, plan, and execute operations with an integrated joint and coalition force. An enhanced Ground Component Commander Deep Operations Coordination Cell with connectivities to joint and coalition components will provide a new C4I capability for the JFLCC. A new capability to detect volume of fires and do collaborative targeting will be provided through the networking of Firefinder radars.

An important part of the Basic Research (6.1) investment strategy is to provide a sharper focus for certain research activities in support of AAN by establishing a number of Strategic Research Objectives (SROs) in selected multidisciplinary areas considered to offer significant and comprehensive benefits for AAN. SROs are high profile, long-range, scientific areas of strong military relevance and high potential payoff. The SROs provide a foundation for technologies that enable the revolutionary capabilities envisioned for AAN. Current SROs are:

• Biomimetics (novel synthetic materials through exploitation of nature’s design principles);

• Nanoscience (control of devices with tens of angstroms precision);

• Smart Structures (dynamic control and response of complex systems);

• Broad Band Communications (flexible, high volume, mobile multi-media communications);

• Intelligent Systems (enable systems with ability to sense, analyze, learn, adapt and act); and

• Compact Power Sources (up to 10X improvement in portable power sources).

Additional SRO’s are currently in development. These will increase the portion of the Army 6.1 funding devoted to SROs from 15% to 30%.

Applied Research (6.2)

The thrust of the Army Applied Research 6.2 program is to capitalize on technology opportunities, reduce technology barriers, and exploit emerging technology options for essential battlefield capabilities as defined by the warfighter. The 6.2 program is used to develop new concepts and components for use in future Army systems and system upgrades. The 6.2 investment strategy is focused on 10 Defense Technology Areas that were developed and defined by OSD’s Deputy Director for Research and Engineering in response to (1) the needs of the Commanders-in-Chief (CINCS) and the continental United States-based, power projection forces and (2) investment that will maintain the technological edge over potential adversaries. This strategy demands a significant commitment to in-house Army applied research and technology development and expands cooperative efforts with other Services and industry.

The FY99 program includes a new project: AAN Applied Research, specifically focused on generating technologies for fielding in 2025.

This new 6.2 AAN Science and Technology Objective (STO) enhancement program has been included in the FY99 budget to encourage focus on AAN issues. To achieve this objective, the following AAN short list of high priority enabling technology thrusts has been prepared and coordinated with TRADOC through the Two Star Army Science and Technology Working Group (ASTWG) process:

• A cargo vehicle lift air platform that can self-deploy from the continental United States and carry ground combat systems to theater, and operationally re-deploy combat systems within theater rapidly;

• A lightweight ground combat system that is highly mobile, agile, ultra-reliable, and fuel efficient that exploits lightweight armor, signature management, active protection, comprehensive situational understanding, and long-range attack against air and ground targets to achieve acceptable levels of survivability; and

• Enhancements to the Soldier System to significantly improve team and individual cognitive and physical performance beyond current levels, including Soldier Systems which have significantly longer endurance than current systems.

The bridge from mid-term to far-term capabilities is information technology. It will link the mental agility inherent in Army XXI with the physical agility of air and ground operations gained in AAN. Applied Research (6.2) efforts in information technology focus on developing and leveraging/adapting commercial communications technologies required to meet the needs for AV 2010 and AAN. Some of the top level goals on the information technology area are: transparent/seamless communications between and across command levels/echelons; common architectures as a framework to achieve transparent distribution of information and affordable robust information-processing systems through effectively integrated software, hardware, and connectivity infrastructure; and command and communications-on-the-move. These efforts to seamlessly integrate battlefield situational awareness, synchronize joint forces, and correlate intelligence data from airborne and space based sensors will give the Army an advanced information capability unmatched in the world.

This year’s Joint Warfighting Science and Technology Plan (JWSTP) shows considerable maturity over last year’s. Both the document and the joint process by which it is updated have improved to produce a truly joint picture of Service/Agency S&T investments focused on the operational capabilities defined as seminal by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council.

The Army programs featured in the JWSTP have two common characteristics that assure that Army user requirements are given highest priority as is our Title 10 responsibility. First, all JWSTP Defense Technology Objectives(DTOs) with Army participation are also Army STOs. Each STO has been thoroughly vetted by the Army user and materiel developer communities and found worthy of stable funding as one of the top 200 Army S&T programs in 6.2 and 6.3. Each STO has also been judged fully responsive to one or more TRADOC-defined Future Operational Capabilities. The second characteristic of these Army programs is that they represent significant demonstrations of mature technology as either an Army ATD or a Defense-selected ACTD.

The benefits to our JWSTP participation is that our programs are given wider visibility in a joint context and our DTO programs enjoy DoD-level protection during Plan, Program, Budget, and Execution System (PPBES) deliberations. The additional challenges are minimal as long as the Army’s STO, ATD, and ACTD selection and management processes are used to determine the Army programs participating in the JWSTP as DTOs.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The Army has been an aggressive partner in dual-use R&D for a number of years, with the primary motivation of leveraging commercial technology for military applications. We have used Cooperative R&D Agreements more heavily than the other two Services combined in order to leverage the R&D investment by industry. The Army has also established two major centers focusing on ways to exploit dual-use technologies:

• National Automotive Center

• National Rotorcraft Technology Center

In addition to its own initiatives, the Army is planning significant participation in the FY98 Dual-use Applications Program (DUAP) S&T Initiative, which is providing $23 million for cost-shared projects with Army agencies and industry. The Army strongly supports the concept of focusing applied research (6.2) funds on dual-use technology projects, as this is the phase of development where the dual-use potential is highest and industry may be most willing to co-invest.

In FY98, Congress established goals for dual-use S&T spending as a percentage of the overall 6.2 funding: five percent in 1998; seven percent in 1999; 10 percent in 2000; and 15 percent in 2001. The Army is striving to meet or exceed these goals. However, we are concerned about the impact of setting aside a significant portion of the total 6.2 program for dual-use technology on the available funding for the development of military unique technology. A more realistic approach would be to apply the goals specifically to the extramural portion of the 6.2 program, similar to the way the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) "tax" is applied.

The mission of the Commercial Operations and Support Savings Initiative (COSSI) is to develop and test a method for reducing Army Operations and Support (O&S) costs by routinely inserting commercial items into fielded military systems. The insertion of commercial items is expected to reduce O&S costs by reducing the costs of parts and maintenance, reducing the need for specialized equipment, increasing reliability, and increasing the efficiency of subsystems.

The Army participated in FY97 with 10 projects, which are in the RDT&E phase. A "Commerce Business Daily" announcement was released in January 1998 by the Joint Dual-use Program Office seeking preliminary industry interest. No new projects were initiated in FY98. The Army is a full partner with OSD and the other Services for this program in FY99.

The goal of the Army Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program is to provide essential manufacturing technologies that will enable the affordable production and sustainment of future weapon systems. The major objectives of the Army ManTech Program are to: solve pervasive Army manufacturing problems that will result in more affordable weapon systems; advance the state-of-the-art in manufacturing; improve manufacturing processes and end item quality through process control; and transfer technology to the domestic industrial base. The ManTech program is especially important in the current environment because of the large decline in weapon system production investments because a large share of manufacturing technology was formerly accomplished within individual production programs. Projects selected for funding under this program have the potential for high payoff across the spectrum of Army weapon systems, as well as significant impact on national manufacturing issues and the U.S. industrial base.

The Army significantly changed its approach to ManTech in FY98 and with resulting increased validity and support in the Army.

The Army laboratories and Research Development and Engineering Centers (RDECs) are key organizations responsible for technical leadership, scientific advancement, and support for the acquisition process. Working at a diversified set of physical resources, ranging from solid-state physics laboratories to outdoor experimental ranges, these personnel conduct research, develop technology, act as "smart buyers," and provide systems engineering support to fielded systems for the total Army.

Highly motivated, competent, well trained people are essential to the success of the Army S&T strategy. Keeping the in-house workforce technically competent in a rapidly changing environment is a high priority. The Army has initiated five personnel demonstrations at the Missile and Aviation RDECs, and at the Army Research Laboratory, the Waterways Experiment Station, and the Medical Research and Materiel Command. Further S&T Laboratory personnel demonstrations at the Army’s remaining labs and RDECs are planned for FY99 and FY00.

In addition, the Army continues to pursue initiatives for reducing and consolidating infrastructure. The Army was a full participant in Vision 21, the plan that responded to the direction of the Office of the President and provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996. While Vision 21 is currently on-hold pending further DoD initiatives for overall Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) reductions, the Army is participating in non-BRAC initiatives in accordance with the Defense Reform Initiative for further infrastructure consolidation opportunities. A streamlined laboratory infrastructure, which responds fully to the needs of the warfighter, is the goal of these efforts.

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Federated Laboratory is part of a basic research initiative to focus in-house ARL research on Army unique business areas (e.g., armor/anti-armor) and establish extramural centers of research in areas where industry has the lead and incentive to invest (e.g., advanced electronics). The Federated Laboratory concept creates a new research paradigm. It consists of consortia of government, industry, and academia partners that provide the Army with the ability to leverage an extended technology capability through partnering with the private sector. The Cooperative Agreements that are the basis for these partnerships have three goals: (1) provide affordable state-of-the-art digitization and communication technology that can be rapidly used to support the soldier, (2) promote industrial/ academic partnering and leverage industry investment in basic research, and (3) forge new cooperative business relationships between the private sector and government to fully exploit the joint development of dual-use technologies. The current Cooperative Agreements address three critical areas: advanced sensors, telecommunications/information distribution, and advanced and interactive displays. This program is essential for the Army to meet the need of providing affordable state-of-the-art digitization and communication technology for the 21st Century soldier.

The Advanced Concepts and Technology II (ACT II) program is an Army initiative to provide funding and a timely, low overhead mechanism for industry and academia to provide mature technologies, prototypes, interfaces, software, and other systems for assessment by TRADOC Battle Labs. ACT II projects are funded at a maximum of $1.5 million per contract for a one year, proof-of-principle demonstration of relatively mature/high payoff concepts proposed by non-Army sources. The Army awarded 28 contracts valued at $9.8 million in FY94, 35 contracts valued at $39.9 million in FY95, 25 contracts valued at $14.5 million in FY96, and 19 contracts valued at $10.5 million in FY97. The Army is in the process of awarding 18 contracts for the ACT II program at an estimated total value of $10.8 million. Of the 107 projects completed, 101 have proven to be of value to the Army’s technical base program.

America’s Army is on the leading edge of change. Through our Force XXI and AAN processes, we are moving to create, shape, test, and field a force prepared to meet the impending challenges of the next century. It is an exciting time for us. We are constantly looking for more efficient and effective ways to do business. And, we are making smart investments in technologies that will pay dividends for decades to come.

Throughout history, America’s Army has been the force of choice to fight and win our nation’s wars. This fact has not changed in this century, nor is it likely to change in the 21^st Century. Today’s Army is the world’s premier land combat force. Our soldiers are well-trained, well-equipped, and ready. We must keep it that way.

Our commitment to America’s men and women in uniform is steadfast. Soldiers on the ground are our nation’s strongest signal of resolve and the ultimate express of American will. This will not change. America’s security and its continued role in maintaining world stability cannot be guaranteed without a first-rate, modern Army.

With your support we will continue to provide our brave soldiers with world-class equipment. Thank you for your interest in Army S&T, and thank you for helping to keep America’s Army the premier land combat force in the world.