[inaudible conversations] good morning. The Armed Services Committee Meets this morning to receive testimony on the posture of the u. S. Central command, Africa Command of special Operations Command in the context of our review on oversight of the fiscal year 2017 Defense Budget. We are pleased to welcome our witnesses general austen general rodrigues and general votel. We thank each of you for dedicated for decades of distinguished service and for your leadership of our men and women in uniform. I would like to extend a special thanks to chairman austen and chairman rodrigues as this may be their last appearance before this committee. Our nations most distinguished National Security leaders have testified before this committee repeatedly and we are witnessing the unraveling of a rulesbased International Order and nowhere is this unraveling more than the middle east from north africa to south asia. State authority and the balance of power are breaking down. This emerging vacuum has bee
Continuing work weve got to do in afghanistan as well. Same number of of things added together. Also, there is a persistent bad from elements like al qaeda and al qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula that has the ability to generate a threat to the homeland. So that is very, very important. Are we going to be able to meet those with the troops that are projected to be there . Are we going to accomplish anation . Weve had so many families in this country sacrifice. Is it going to be worth it to that . I know you do this every day. How do you look at family is and say to time, we are going to pull out, maybe at levels they think might be dangerously low as i am geing information on this. How are you able to do that . When do we reach a hollow force, with the men in women we send in harms way are no longer protect it . We are going to do everything that the leadership will continue to do within our power to make sure that our troops are introduced into a dangerous situation or in combat that th
This is two hours. [inaudible conversations] good morning everybody and welcome. This morning the Committee Considers the nominations of two very distinguished officers to two of the most active and challenging combatant commands. General lloyd austin United States army nominated to be commander u. S. Central command and general David Rodriguez u. S. Army to be nominated to be commander of the u. S. Africa command. These two combatant commands centcom and africom are the centers of gravity for our militarys operations to counter the threat of terrorism. Oath nominees have served our country with distinction and i want to thank each of you for your decades of military service and your willingness to serve once again. I understand that general austin s wife charlene and General Rodriguez wife jen air with us this morning and i want to a knowledge them and thank them for their sacrifices, their support to our nominees throughout the years which is so essential to the success of our nomine