WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led his committee colleagues in a hearing examining the nomination of Mr. Daniel P. Driscoll, President Trump’s nominee to serve as the next Secretary of the Army.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker recounted the many challenges facing the United States Army in its effort to modernize and develop new ways of deterring our adversaries.

The Army, Chairman Wicker noted, is failing to realize the full potential of recruitment opportunities.  He also noted the Army’s need to refocus on transforming its material readiness to ensure it can properly support conflict in Europe or the Western Pacific. Specifically, Chairman Wicker called for Mr. Driscoll to improve army initiatives on small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS).

“I believe Mr. Driscoll's record, his Army service, his legal background, and financial experience have prepared him to handle the myriad responsibilities of Army Secretary. If he's confirmed, Mr. Driscoll will face the challenges I've already outlined. He will be handed a budget that has not kept pace with inflation. He'll also take the helm at a time of increasing danger around the world,” Chairman Wicker said. “…[The Army] must choose to remain relevant in today's complex threat environment, the Army should accelerate its transformation efforts and focus on new portions of the defense industrial base. It should expand its work on small unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, and counter-UAS.”

Chairman Wicker previously met with Driscoll, commenting that the nominee that “would bring relevant combat experience, a decorated military career, and a proven track record at the highest levels of law and business to keep the Army focused on its mission.”

Read the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.

The hearing will come to order. We thank the witnesses for being here, and those in attendance.

Certainly, all of us are concerned and saddened by the tragedy which occurred near Reagan National Airport last night, and I ask that the committee observe a moment of silence before we begin the hearing.

Thank you very much.

The Committee on Armed Services has convened this hearing to consider the pending nomination of Mr. Dan Driscoll to be the 26th Secretary of the Army. In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mr. Driscoll served our country in Iraq, spending four years with the Army. So, we thank him, and the entire Driscoll family: his wife Dr. Cassie Driscoll, and their two children, Daniel and Lila, who could not be with us today, for their willingness to serve this country again, by accepting this new assignment.

After his military service, Mr. Driscoll received his law degree from Yale and has worked in private equity and venture capital, all the while he's retained many ties to his former service.

The Army faces a complex array of challenges. Recruitment and retention improved last year, but the Army still has more than 10,000 fewer recruits than it did in 2023. Since the beginning of the Biden administration, the service is down 36,000 soldiers. On top of that, the Army is not taking full advantage of opportunities to nurture interest in military service. Almost 300 high schools sit on a waiting list to get their own Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit. These units mean more than potential individual recruits. They represent communities where the Department of Defense can put down roots, developing the Army of leaders for tomorrow, as well as excellent citizens for our entire society.

As the service catches up on recruitment, it must also ensure that those who do enlist are equipped for the mission. The nature of large-scale combat operations is changing. The world sees this every week in Ukraine. To be ready for potential combat in the Western Pacific, the Army must expedite modernization efforts.

On top of recruitment and modernization projects, the next Secretary of the Army must address the service member quality of life issues that afflict this, the largest service. In the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, the Army increased funding for barracks maintenance problems, but the effects of decades of neglect cannot be fixed overnight. The Army has a facility backlog of more than $100 billion. I offered an amendment which passed the most recent NDAA requiring all of the service to adopt minimum annual facility sustainment levels. My colleagues and I need to see evidence that this change has been embraced within the service.

I believe Mr. Driscoll's record, his Army service, his legal background, and financial experience have prepared him to handle the myriad responsibilities of Army Secretary. If he's confirmed, Mr. Driscoll will face the challenges I've already outlined.

He will be handed a budget that has not kept pace with inflation. He'll also take the helm at a time of increasing danger around the world.

The Army is playing a largely quiet but crucial role in the Western Pacific. It is deepening partnerships with our allies and partners in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the service is helping us maintain deterrence against the Chinese Communist Party, and it ensures that our South Korean allies are postured to prevent North Korean aggression.

Soldiers from across the United States remain stationed in Europe. Their presence helps deter Russia and helps assure our NATO allies.

In the Middle East, the Army continues to play a lead role in combating Iranian aggression.

Clearly, the Army's work has been instrumental in these theaters. It must choose to remain relevant in today's complex threat environment, the Army should accelerate its transformation efforts and focus on new portions of the defense industrial base. It should expand its work on small unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, and counter-UAS. And I say that even as I recognize and appreciate the chief of staff the Army's focus in this area.

In the Western Pacific theater, the Army's contribution to sensing and shooting remains in its infancy. The service has the chance to realize its key logistics role for the joint force in contested areas, but it can do so with significant investment and focus.

So, I look forward to this hearing on how Mr. Driscoll will work to change the culture around the issues I have listed, as well as other pressing matters. And I now recognize my friend, the ranking member of the committee, Senator Jack Reed for any opening remarks he may offer.