Perform include theater cooperation exercises with partner nations, forces and contingency operations. Require our forces to maintain a high level of readiness and training the availability such as would you just noted the big island and others are critical to the marine corps ability to conduct operations in the pacific. Could you share your thoughts on the importance of training ranges, specially as we continue the rebalance in the asiapacific region . Senator, if were going to be what we need to do to be ready we have to have ranges that support our ability to use our weapons and to maneuver the force. One of the great advantages of a Training Area is ever able to go up there and drop bombs and shoot artillery and a lot of the things we need to do. That is him whenever space up there plus we have actually deployed there. We need to go up there, its like whether even though its only a matter of miles it doesnt matter to the pickup and you move. Where ever we go we have to be concerned that theres ranges and Training Areas of their so that force can at a minimum sustained readiness that they have once they arrive. This committee is definitely aware of the need to have these Training Areas, and we have a number of them in hawaii but there are always issues related to making sure that we are in concert with concerns of the community. So that will remain a special with regard to you as an question regarding Sexual Assault and military which this committee has spent considerable time on. So you know that is the response the other commanders to set a positive climate. Be on command Climate Survey for example, what methods are used to determine the commanders ability was dealt a positive climate where a marine we feel he or she could report a crime without fear of retaliation . I think this becomes ever more important as you integrate women into the various positions in the marine corps. So, for example, the kind of guidance would you give your commanders about specific actions they should take to create an environment in which retaliation which is a major focal area for many of us on this committee can both overt and particularly for subtle forms of retaliation that could occur . Senator, we have a very detailed the Selection Process for those that have the opportunity and courage to lead marines. So part of the records are reviewed and a board of Senior Officers determined that theyre the best and most capable. Once they assume that office there seniors and the chain of command monitor what goes into gennaker not just operationally but what goes on as far as their discipline. And so that is being tracked but we also have courses before they assume command we talked about what their responsibilities are. This topic along with other topics are part of the so they understand their legal responsibility, authority, moral and Ethical Authority to lead their marines. We recognize changing the culture is not an easy task. I know you are aware that this issue will be of ongoing concern to all of us. Thank you. General, thank you for your service and thanks for coming by the office to talk to so many of us before this hearing. How many marines do we have now in the United States . Intercontinental United States . In the United States marines spent just under 184,000. You dont anticipate that number dropping very much in the next four to five years, do you . We believe by the end of fy 17 we will be down to around 182000 spent some maybe a drop of only 2000 marine corps wide . Yes, senator. Would it be a mistake to go much lower than that . If we were to go lower than that, senator the depth to dwell ratios unconcerned about and to come but that is concerned about would increase the risk to the force and the ability to meet Combatant Commanders requirements. Wouldve those requirements and the ratios that you want to maintain come how are we doing with recruiting . And are we getting a type of young person we need . What motivates someone to join the marine corps todays . We are doing very well. I think thats something that we are watching that our manpower director the at the debris for us that right now for the next fiscal year would oversight of 55 of the requirements. So those marines are in the pool, waiting to come to recruit training. They are not just marking time. Theyre working with recruiters voluntarily to get themselves ready to go. The quality of those recruits to potential recruits is very, very high. We have a very High Standard and i think thats both a credit to our recruiters and also reflecting the quality of the force. On offices side we have at least three College Graduates waiting for every spot to become a marine officer. We are in a very good place to again i dont take that for granted but im hopeful we can keep that going. What inspires our motivate somebody to join the marine corps that varies from individual to individual. Could be somewhat told they couldnt, family heritage, want to serve their nation, want to learn a trade come want to get the great benefits of the 9 11 g. I. Bill. Or they just want to be a marine. You were walking through a Student Union and a poster caught your eye back in the 70s, is that right to . Action is a big tall guy wearing those blue uniforms. Okay. More than a poster. What frustrates out duty marines no . Our active duty marines and now speak with sometimes they get frustrated with leadership. We have to work hard to challenge these young men and women. They are smart and they want to do important things that keep them engaged but when they are done they want us to say they are done. Thats fair. And so because we have done such a good job we are kind of victims of our own success. So we owe them, good training, good gear and good organization, good leadership. Their end of the deal is show up, bring their a game every day. When we are done then they can take a little bit of a break at the same time knowing they are never, never not a marine. Let me follow up on your conversation with your conversation with senator sullivan. I want to thank the marine corps for making the case for the amphibious. And particularly i dont think we would have gotten it if it is connected the congress both houses on it by person basis if it had not been for the marine corps coming and saying that we very much needed that for us to complete the mission. Mr. Brzezinski was here earlier this year and talked about the need for the amphibious forces to be in the baltic a great discussion about russia and assistance of the russian threat as well as the more immediate threat of isis but what is the reason for being particularly careful ask mr. Brzezinski mentioned about the amphibs forces in the baltic sea area . Senator, we just didnt exercise with a number of coalition ships, commanded by vice admiral who was the sixth Fleet Committee but we didnt exercise in the baltic im sure it was paid close attention to why certain countries in that part of the world. I hope so. I do, too. As we projected power come to the landing with polls and let the wings and estonians and then trade ashore prevented with u. S. Army forces. So there is interest in the balkans because its on the perimeter of certain landmasses that you might have to gain access to and in three nato allies that a very small countries live on the east end of the baltic seas and theyre concerned about potential aggression against them. So we are there to reassure them. I would say its fair to say they remember not too long ago when there was a different dynamic in that area are the appreciate the marines being there with them the United States been there within. Thank you for your service and thank you for your testimony. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you general, enter your family. Congratulations on a Wonderful Service thus far. A few questions. I want to go back and you talked about gender integration earlier. I want to dedicate your take first of how its going and then they kind of philosophy that the marine corps is undertaking to carry out that mission and 50 to talk about that. Senator, when the secretary made the decision to open up all occupational fields, Service Chiefs and the services are getting a certain amount of time to take a look at how they might do this, we have worked hard to work in a way to figure out how we will integrate. Weve opened up moss we have put female marine officers, staff ncos and ncos in units where women were not previously vowed to serve. They have done well. We will continue to do that. And then to determine the last part whether we would, based on a standard about women to serve in infantry artillery tanks light armored reconnaissance amphibian attractors and reconnaissance we formed a task force of volunteers and we put them together as a unit. They trained up and went to Twentynine Palms ended a series of test. Those tests are complete and the data has been collected it is being analyzed and it will provide information that will inform the commandant about whether or not he will request a waiver for any of those moss. I have not seen all the dedicate i have seen some of it. Ive been involved in this process for some time when we first sent volunteer female marines come in listed to the infantry training battalions to try to gain bad attitude and the ability to complete that course. Of the number that went about a 36 completion rate. And again we are still looking at this. We have not made any sort of decision. Whatever we do it is about individual standards, about the capability of the you know the unit becoming better, or at least as good as it is now. That decision is going to come. I believe we have a good process, information that is factbased. We are working with the army sharing their data with them. Adventure general dunford have spoken, i know he is spoken to general odierno. Can ask about the standard, kind of philosophy of setting the standard. As you set the standard in the areas that are not yet gender integrated come is the standard setting just describing the current functions the way weve always done it . Or is the standard setting a new analysis of what our the adjectives that are the most needed to do the best job in this particular mos . I have not seen all the Different Task condition standards. They will be functionally based. There may be a screening process for any marine, male or female, but it will not lift so much weight that shifted load the main tank gun get to carry the projectile, got to drag the can, i have to carry the load, i have to go this fast this far with this much weight. It will be those types of things. So thats the data weve got. And what the data says about how many i went out this soggy get addicted to test test. It was a very hard test. It was hard. Regardless of whatever happens i can tell you the marines out there particularly the women marines, they did a great job. It was pretty motivating. Im going to switch gears to an area that is incredibly important im not sure everybody focuses on the. They trained in virginia and it could have a uva grad before the Marine Security guard who train at quantico. Everywhere i travel if im ever at a u. S. Embassy always stick my head in the postone to thank these important members of not only the Embassy Family but important member of the marine corps. This is a job that is getting more attention to a job working on Armed Services we have devoted more resources to it. How familiar are you with a unit a special entrance of them do they have the resources they need to . Are we training in enough . Because we sure need them around the world. Senator im not completely conversant in their entire Training Program of instruction. Like you what i could embassies i talked to the marines. They are very high quality highly screened. A great retention tool for us to keep the marines in. I do we because they are so capable that we dont get a lot of them just after their service. Theyve got options and i always ask them how many of you are going to stay competitors is them who say they are i volunteer myself to be their career plan or so i can convince him to stay because they are some of the very best and brightest young men and women we have put i think they are trained well. I think they are resourced well. Ive never been to an embassy with a told me ever wanting or lacking for anything with the Regional Security officer. I have to get back to on any more detail but my basic rudimentary response is i think they are in good shape. Great. Thank you very much for your testimony. General, thank you very much. Darcy, thank you for being here today. I appreciate your Great Service to our nation. I would just fire off one quick question. I apologize, im going to step out again one of my Top Priorities has been ensuring that our soldiers and our marines, those who are really engaged in close contact in combat those are taking the majority of casualties in our nations complex are armed with the best possible weapons available. And give them the will and the fight to win. We have to make sure that have the best possible sidearms, the personal weapons. Thats one of the first things our young men and women do qualify on their individual weapon. So with that being said i am very concerned about the militarys lack of modernizing our small arms program. I know the marines have recently gone from utilizing the automatic weapon, to the light infantry automatic rifle. So im glad that they are modernizing in some aspects. They still have not modernized the m4. I would like your thoughts on where you think we need to do that if we do need changes. Just very quickly. I have complete confidence that the weapons we put our marines with are the very best that we can get. The m4 cant even the marines and the rifle squad they dont carry at trinity because we want him to the longer barrel for that longer reach. So talking about weapons is a very emotional subject with the marines but ive never heard anybody say they didnt think that what they had was going to allow them to be successful. We dont want it to be a fair fight. The i. A. R. Is a good weapon. We are always looking at better ways to improve everything we have a we have got new howitzers there were always working on the tanks. So theres no lack of emotion and energy and enthusiasm when i walk around about our weapons. From everything i can to i think everybody is sensitive a dozen does not better ways to do it whether ammunition, magazines, but my personal view in my current position is things are well. I appreciate that. In the interest of time to submit the other questions for the record. So thank you, jennifer i appreciate it very much. Thank you, mr. Chair. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I would like to thank your family and your friends were here with you today. It speaks volumes about you. General dunford as commandant worked very hard on the Mental Health issue but i just wanted to make sure to get a commitment from you to prioritize Mental Health and Suicide Prevention as part of your writing is for all your marines. Absolutely, senator. As part of that that there be no stigma in seeking help. Senator, we have for to this end i can personally tell you as hard as we can i believe we have made progress. To the best of our ability every marine knows how to what we want to do first and foremost is help them if they need it. One of the things in working in this area over the past few years is finding out how critical leadership of the squad and platoon level is finding Mental Health problems. I want to make sure that your leaders know to make a call, talk to somebody if you see one of your marines going sideways on you or having struggled. They probably see before anybody can dont you think, general . Senator, i agree completely. I can tell you that the focus of our training as we do the Suicide Prevention and how to react to that is focused at that level. I can give you personal accounts of where sergeant, junior and staff ncos were there at the forefront, either give a hand or keep a marine from doing something that they probably wished they had not done and saved their lives. I spoke this morning to the governor in an area you are very familiar with, anbar province. We were going over the efforts that are in place right now to retake ramadi, and western iraq. What is your view on how to best to build a relationship with the sunni tribes and to part with them against isis . Senator, i have not been in iraq since the left on my birthday in 27. I would like to go back and see it for myself but i dont think the relationship of the sunni tribes, the real issue is not with us to its with the government in baghdad. They have to believe that their Central Government is going to at least give them some modicum of support, but they will fix the roads, let the water run, given gasoline, make the electricity work, fix the roads and let them worship as they see fit. That relationship that was damaged it was continuous at best and it was damaged by previous governments in iraq. It if mr. Body can do that he will gain the support but you have to work really hard spent if afghanistan, with a syndicate challenges moving ahead. The marines have been such an important part of securing entire areas of afghanistan, of creating secure regions. As you look at that what you do you see moving forward at some of the keys to success stability, to holding on there . Senator ive been to afghanistan and of times but i never served there so my experience base is limited. Again i think it goes back to the Afghan Government believing that were going to be there to support them that the resources are going to be there, and that they have the confidence to and that their soldiers have a companies that will be somebody there to back them up. There are similar problems. We need to stay there and work with them. I believe my experience is if they foreign nation was there someone b