Contingency over seas in the near future . You would have to do one of two things. You would either have to grow the force. We believe that the force is 186,000 marines. And elsewhere, we could take services that are deployed in the far east and okonawa. We did that in the combat in iraq. And its only through the past few years we have been able to reestablish our presence in the pacific. We have some options. The other option is we go all in. We activate our reserves and we go and do what needs to be done. We have done that before too. You can do that for a short period of time but as you mentioned, that is not sustainable. What is a short period of time . In your best estimate i dont want to hold you to it. But we are wrestling with Big Decisions about the middle east and Irans Nuclear capableility and there are some in the senate that i believe are tempted by the idea that we can go in and bomb iran and set off what could be a war much bigger than any contingency we have been trying to fight in the last decade in the middle east. How soon would we have to do emergency spending and is that in fact the most efficient way and best way to do it . Senator, i its a difficult question. I would have to get back to you as far as the details without knowing the exact size of the force, what the exact mission was and what the combat ratios are. What we would have to accomplish militarily i know its a dumb question in that regard. Its hard to answer without the specifics. Im trying to get out in the conversation, talking about things in the abstract sometimes sound a lot better than what it is in reality. And the more we are informed about what the reality would be the better job we can do to make sure you have everything you need. I appreciate you. I enjoyed meeting your wife. Understand she and i almost share a birthday. If you are born when we are born, you are strong and capable of being mean and capable of taking no prisoners. So i am pleased that she and i might share some of those traits and i think she will be a terrific addition to the barracks and the hosting you do for so many and i know how proud she is of you and how proud we are of your whole family. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And general, congratulations on your nomination. I also want to echo, i know that many of my colleagues on the committee, i want to echo what you talked about in terms of our shock and sense of condolences to the marines from chattanooga. We got to make sure those kind of activities dont happen again. I want to the go back to the issue of readiness. You will see, you will get a lot of different questions from the committee on a whole host of different subjects. But i want to ask about the primary mission of the marine corps infantry, the heart and soul of the marine corps and that is the mission to destroy the energy of a nation. Sometimes we dont talk about that. What we are focused on is to kill the enemies of our country. Does that remain the highest priority in infantry training . Or do you see the marine corps pulled in a variety of different areas and missions and mandates in terms of training . Senator, our we train for a variety of missions. I believe i can only speak for myself. But my professional opinion has always been if i can do the high end of a mission the most high risk the most dangerous i trained the force to do that, they are disciplined, that i can bring them back down to the other end. There are specific things. So we do practice these things. We do training of foreign militaries. But our primary mission is to be a force in readiness that can fight at all parts of the range of military operations but particularly at the high end. You and the chairman were talking about the 1970s. As you know, infantry officers and the marine corps are aun encouraged to read this book, which i think is a great book. Its called this kind of war that focuses on the 1950s and the korean war and an example of what you mentioned about the marine corps being a force of readiness when the country is least ready. But do you worry about levels of readiness that we could have an another Task Force Smith if we dont have another problem in 10 to 15 years if we dont get the readiness levels properly adjusted . Senator that is also one of my favorite books. Not because its a good story but because its a good lesson. I think that is always in the back of our minds. And i think the current fiscal situation brings it more to the forefront. But at the same time, as long as we can recruit and retain good marines and our gear is functional, i dont see us going to the point of where of what happened historically of the force when it was put on the korean peninsula. And all i can tell you, if confirm confirmed, i will give it every possibility to not let it to happen. And i know thats our job. Thats why if confirmed, i am responsible to you that that doesnt happen. Thank you. Let me turn to the chairman. Mentioned in his statement, the importance of the pacific rebalance. And the Critical Role that the marine corps is playing in that. That is something that the committee and congress are trying to support. And sometimes the Obama Administration rebounds its own strategy. By lashing army forces in the asia pacific. I have a couple questions. You are satisfied how its going with all the services and particularly are you satisfied with the redeployment of marines from okanawa, guam, possibly hawaii. And do you think when we do that, that were going to have the strategic lift to take whats a concentrated force now in okanawa to a more dispersed force . Will we have the lift to move the forces in and when we need them in a contingency . Senator, im not qualified to make a comment on the status on the other services. I simply will the not witting to what they are doing. As far as the marines we left okanawa to go to iraq and afghanistan. Were back. The force that was there before they are training, they are properly equipped. They are ready to go. And now, instead, they go to australia for six months and because of the agreements, we will distribute the force to guam and put more marines on hawaii. I think the concern is as you state, once we do this, our ability to move that force. Training opportunities on okanawa, mainland japan, guam are limited. And you have to be able to move to where the training is. You have to move to other nations. You have to be able to get to korea, thailand. The philippines and do to that, you need sea lift and air lift much and when we do it, there are going to be opportunities with high speed vessel and the navy and a threeship arg to give us more lift. So thats going to have to happen. But i concur with you that the strategic lift is kind of the long pole potentially in that tent. Right now you dont believe that that our strategic lift capability matches our proposed deployment . Lay down . It i believe it will. But it remains to be seen once we get out in guam. We have to move the forces around. We do a pretty good job right now. But again, were not on guam. And weve got decent training in hawaii up at the pta. But e we still have to be able to move the forces around. And im concerned about amphibious lift. Thank you, thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you and your family for service. And of course, the marines are an important part of the military presence in hawaii to Marine Forces specific command and the bay and we are going to get more marines as we move them out of okanawa. And im rebalance of the area pacific. And you mentioned quote, our strong remean brens in the region, the asia pacific region, plays a role in the security and stability. If confirmed, i trust you will be able to support a tangible rebalance to rebuild and maintain the partnerships in this area of the world. E yes senator. You mentioned in the earlier response to senator sullivan how important training is. So the missions that the marines performance, exercises with Partner Forces require the forces to maintain a high level of readiness and training. The availability of training, which you just noted on the big island and others are critical to the marine corps ability to conduct operations in the pacific. Could you share your training ranges as we continue the rebalance to the area pacific . Senator if were going to do what we need to do to be ready we have to have ranges to support the ability to use our weapons and the force. And one of the great things about a Training Area there, we are able to go up there and drop bombs and shoot artillery and do what we are able to do. Plus we have so actually deploy there. And whether even though its a matter of miles, it doesnt matter. You pick up and you move. And so wherever we go around the pacific, we have to be concerned that the that theres ranging and Training Areas there so that can sustain the readiness once they arrive. I think 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 the community. So that will remain with regard to pakaloha. And you were asked questions about the Sexual Assault in the military. You know that it is the responsibility of the commanders to set a climate. What methods are used to determine a commanders ability to set a positive climate where a marine could feel that he or she can report a crime without retaliation . And that is important as you integrate women in various positions in the marine corps. What kind of guidance would you give your commanders about specific actions they should take to create an environment in which retaliation is a major focal area for many of us on the committee, over and the subtle forms of retaliations that could occur . Senator we have a very detailed Selection Process for those that have the opportunity and privilege to lead marines. Part of their records are reviewed and a board of Senior Officers determine they are the the best and the most capable. Their seenniors in the chain of command monitor what goes on as far as their discipline. That is being tracked. We also have courses before they assume command where we talk to them about what their responsibilities are. And this topic along with other topics are part of that. And their moral and Ethical Authority to lead marines. We recognize general, that changing the culture is not an easy task. I know you are aware that this issue will be on going concern to all of us. Thank you. General neller, thank you for coming to us. How many marines do we have now in the United States . In the continental in the marines. U. S. Under 84,000, major. You dont expect it to drop. We believe that fy 17, will be around 82,000. So a drop of 2,000 marine corps wide. Yes. And would it be a mistake to go longer than that . If we go lower than that, the depth to dwell airratios. With the requirements and what you want to maintain, how do we do with recruiting . And are we getting the type of young person we need . And what motivates someone to join the marine corps today . We are doing very well. And that is something we are watching. But our manpower director the other day briefed us that right now for the next fiscal year, we have signed up 55 of the requirement. So those marines are in a pool rating to recruit training. They are not just working time. They are working voluntarily to get themselves ready to go. The quality of those recruits is very, very high. We have a very High Standard and i think thats and both a credit to the recruiters and it reflects on the quality of the force. On the officers side, we have at least three College Graduate waiting for a spot to be a marine officer. We are in a good space. I dont take that for granted. I am hopeful we can keep it going. And what inspires someone to join the marine corps . It varies. Family heritage, want to serve their nation. Want a trade. And want to get the benefits of the 9 11 gi bill or they want to be a marine. You were walking through a Student Union and a poster caught your eye. Is that right . It was a big tall guy wearing a blue uniform. Oak, more than a poster. What frustrates our active duty marines now . I think sometimes they get frustrated with their leadership. I think we have to work hard to challenge these young men and women. Theyre smart. And they want they want to be day want to do important things that keep them engigeed. But when theyre done they want us to say theyre done. And thats fair. So but they because we have done such a good job. We are victims of our own success. So we owe them, you know, good training, good gear. Good organization, good leadership. And theyre end of the deal is show up, bring their a game every day work hard train hard and when were 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 consideration with senator sullivan about sea lift. And i want to thank the marine corps for making the case for the amphibes. I dont think we could have get b the 12th lpd through the committee and congress, both houses by on bipartisan basis if not if the marine corps saying we very much needed that to complete the mission. Mr. Bryzynski was here earlier this year. And he talked about the need in the baltic. And what is the reason for being particularly careful as mr. Bryzynski talked about the amphib forces in the baltic e sea area . Senator we just did an exercise in the baltic with the u. S. And a number of coalition ships, agile spirit, commanded by jamny foegel the sixth lead commander. We do a mission in the baltic. It was paid attention to by certain countries in that part of the world. I hope so. I do too. And we trained assure. And when the u. S. Army forces there. So theres interest in the baltic because its on the perimeter of certain land masses that you might have to gain access to. And three nato allyiesyies live on the baltic sea and 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. And they appreciate the marines being there with them and the United States there with them. Thank you for your service and testimony. Thank you general and to your family. Congratulations on a Wonderful Service thus far. A few questions. I want to go back to you talked about gender integration earlier. I want to get your take how its going and the philosophy that the marine corps is under taking to carry out that mission f you can talk about that. Senator when the secretary made the decision to open up all occupational fields the Service Chiefs and the fields taking a look at how they might do this. We worked hard to work in a way to figure out how we will integrate. We have opened up and put marine female marine officers in units where previously women werent allowed to serve. They have done well. We are going to continue to do that. And to determine the last part, whether we would based on a standard allow women to serve in infantry artillery tanks light armory reconnaissance, we formed a task force of volunteers. And we put them together as a unit. They trained up and went to 29 palms and the Warfare Center and did a series of tests. And the tests are complete and it will provide information to inform about whether or not he will request the waiver. And i have not seen all the data. I have seen some of it. And when we first sent volunteer female marines inligsed to determine their ability to complete that course. The number that went they had an about a 36 Completion Rate and again, we are still looking at this. We are we have not made any sort of predecision. So again whatever we do, it is about individual standards. It is about the capableeableility of the unit and that unit becoming better, or at least as good as it is now. So that decision is is going to come. I believe we have ainformation, we are working with the army. And im sure i know they will work with the general if he is concerned as the next chief of staff. Can i ask about the standard the philosophy and setting the standard. As you set the standard in areas that are not yet gender integrated. Sit just describing the current function the way we have always done it . Or an analsis to do the best job . I have not seen all of Different Task condition standards. They will be functionally based. They will wont be it will be a screening process for any marine, male or female. But it will be not lift as much weight. I have to prepare the charge. I have to carry the projectile. I have to drag the canyon. I have to go this far with this much weight. So thats the data we got. And what the data says about how men and women did i went out and saw the unit that did the test. It was a very hard test. It was hard. And regardless of whatever happens, i can tell thaw the marines out there, particularly the women marines, they did a great job. It was pretty motivating. I want to switch gears to an area of the marines that is incredibly important. They train in virginia. The Marine Security guards that train at quantico. This is a job that is getting more attention. This is a job where i think Armed Services we have devoted more services to it. How familiar are you do they have the resources they need . Are they training enough . Because we sure need them around the world . Senator, im not completely conversant in the training. I like to the embasscies and i talk to the marines. They are high quality and its a great retention tool for us to get the marines in. I do worry they have so capable that we dont get a lot of them to stay after their service. They have they have options. And i always ask them how many of you are going to stay and if any are, i volunteer myself to be their career planner so i can condition convince them to stay. They are some of the best and brightest men and women we have. And i havent been to an embassy where they are continuewanting or lacking anything. I think they in good shape. Great. Thanks for your testament. Thank you. General, thank you very much darcy, thank you for being here today. I appreciate your Great Service to our nation. Ly fire off one quick question. I apologize. I have to step out again. But one of my Top Priorities has been ensuring that our soldiers and