02.23.16

Senior U.S. Pacific Commanders Echo Concerns Over Proposed 4-25 Reductions

WASHINGTON, DC – In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today on the status of U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea, Admiral Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command and General Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander, U.S. Forces Korea shared Senator Dan Sullivan’s ongoing concerns about proposed reductions to the 4-25 Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and supported the continued efforts of Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley to review the decision. 

During questioning, Senator Sullivan – who recently visited the 4-25 IBCT (ANB) during their training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana and accompanied General Milley to Alaska to see the 4-25 IBCT (ABN) – discussed the importance of this Airborne BCT to the Asia-Pacific theater.

"The Army has decided to essentially get rid of the only airborne brigade combat team in the Asia-Pacific, the 4-25, also the only Arctic-trained, only mountain-trained,” said Senator Sullivan. “They're certainly a brigade combat team that brings a lot of ‘onlys’ to the fight. General Milley, to his credit, has said he was going to take a look at this decision.”

General Scaparrotti agreed, testifying that the 4-25 “brings a very specific set of capabilities to the theater.” He added, "My personal opinion is that we need to reconsider the downsizing of the Army at this point given the challenges that we have around the globe. We have got a mismatch between the requirements and our strategy in the force that we have today.”

Admiral Harris agreed, saying, “Our nation has an insatiable desire for security, and rightfully so. So I welcome General Milley's decision to reconsider the reduction of the 4-25 and that great capacity that is resident in Alaska. These are full-on surge forces that, without them, I don't know where we'd be if we had a major fight on the Korean Peninsula.”

Senator Sullivan thanked the witnesses and agreed with their testimony, adding, “I certainly think it's a strategic mistake for the country to be getting rid of them.”

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