During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) questioned Michael A. Obadal, nominee to be Under Secretary of the Army, about the Army Transformation Initiative.
00:00Thank you, Mr. O'Keefe. And now we have a series of questions that we ask of our civilian nominees.
00:09So, number one, have you adhered to applicable laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest?
00:17Yes, I have.
00:18Yes.
00:18Have you assumed any duties or taken any actions that would appear to presume the outcome of the confirmation process?
00:26No.
00:27No.
00:27Exercising our legislative and oversight responsibilities makes it important that this committee, its subcommittees, and other appropriate committees of Congress receive testimony, briefings, reports, records, and other information from the executive branch on a timely basis.
00:45Do you agree, if confirmed, to appear and testify before this committee when requested?
00:50Yes, I do.
00:51Yes.
00:51Do you agree to provide records, documents, and electronic communications in a timely manner when requested by this committee, its subcommittees, or other appropriate committees of Congress,
01:03and to consult with the requester regarding the basis for any good faith delay or denial in providing such records?
01:12Yes.
01:13Yes.
01:13Will you ensure that your staff complies with deadlines established by this committee for the production of reports, records, and other information, including timely responding to hearing questions for the record?
01:26Yes.
01:27Yes.
01:27Will you cooperate in providing witnesses and briefers in response to congressional requests?
01:34Yes.
01:35Yes.
01:35Will those witnesses and briefers be protected from reprisal for their testimony or briefings?
01:41Yes, they will.
01:42Yes.
01:43Thank you very much.
01:44And now we will start our rounds of questions.
01:47We will have five minutes of time for each senator.
01:51And I will start with my questions, and then we'll move to the ranking member.
01:56So thank you.
01:59So good morning, Mr. Obedal and Mr. O'Keefe.
02:01It's good to have you in front of the committee today.
02:04And thank you for your testimony today and the willingness to continue to serve in your various capacities.
02:09I'd like to start with discussion on the Army Transformation Initiative.
02:15So the ATI was just released last week, and it outlines a bold structural and personnel reforms aimed at enhancing combat power and modernization.
02:25It rightly focuses on what matters most, which is restoring the warrior ethos, investing in lethality and agility, and ensuring our soldiers are prepared to deter conflict.
02:39I appreciate the clear prioritization of combat power, and I support your resolve in tackling inefficiencies head-on.
02:49So, Mr. Obedal, can you speak to how this transformation will enhance the Army's ability to respond to the pacing threat posed by China and project power more effectively in the Indo-Pacific?
03:03Madam Chairwoman, thank you for the opportunity to address that, and thank you for the time that you spent with me last week to discuss this and other issues.
03:15I think that the Secretary and the Chief have been fairly clear in their statements that the Army that has carried us through the last four decades may not have the ability to match the pacing threat with China.
03:34And so, if we are to reform and transform the Army, we have to start that process now and get ahead before we have six months of combat that will point us to the direction that we have to go.
03:47So, the overall goals are to have it lighter, leaner, much more technologically savvy, and to essentially from end to end modernize not just technology, but our processes, our equipment, our organizations, and our doctrine.
04:07So, essentially, it is a fundamental transformation of the Army so that we can meet China, and not only meet China and succeed, but we can achieve overmatch.
04:19Very good.
04:21And I do appreciate the effort to align capability investments.
04:25So, you talk about technology.
04:27So, we've got unmanned systems, we have counter UAS, and there's, of course, artificial intelligence-driven command and control.
04:37So, Mr. Opidal, what will encourage you or does encourage you the most about how these types of technologies will give our soldiers the edge in tomorrow's fight?
04:49Well, there's two things, Madam Chairwoman.
04:52I believe that, number one, the Army has already started evolving its acquisition processes, thanks to the authorities given to it by Congress.
05:02I believe that we need to continue to maximize those authorities before we come back for more.
05:09But the second is the generation of Americans that are joining to become soldiers and officers are far more technically savvy than many of us that joined in the 90s.
05:21And so, their ability to adopt and innovate and their ability to understand the problem in front of them and how technology can assist, I think, is a strong thing that we have in our back pocket.
05:35No, thank you. I appreciate that.
05:37And I'm going to now turn to you, Mr. O'Keefe, and a topic that I have long prioritized is preventing sexual assault in the ranks.
05:46And while the recent report showed encouraging signs with a decline in reporting, we know there's still a lot more work that needs to be done to prevent assault and support our survivors.
05:57So, Mr. O'Keefe, how do you plan to build on the recent reforms and professionalization of the sexual assault response workforce and ensure that we continue moving towards a culture of accountability and trust?
06:11Yes, Senator, I completely agree and appreciate your leadership on this over the years.
06:16This has been a priority for this committee.
06:19It's a priority of mine, if confirmed, to ensure that we do not backslide.
06:24To your point, some recent optimism, perhaps, from the most recent reporting on this.
06:30One report is one report, though.
06:32We need to see a sustained trend.
06:34My goal is to, if confirmed, go in, continue to keep the things that are working, and look at where we can continue to improve.
06:43But I sense no desire to deprioritize this.
06:50I think all signs are that this department will take it seriously.
06:54Okay, and most certainly I will hold you to that, Mr. O'Keefe, and look forward to working with you.
06:59Here we go.
07:00So, this will be theства, you know?
07:01Very helpful.
07:02So, thank you so much for watching.
07:03Bye!
07:04Bye!
07:05So, let's give a thumbs up.
07:06I'm gonna play mostly do tut in this place at USWhat.
