The Army is aggressively pursuing and implementing reforms that improve and develop world-class business practices and operational efficiencies. The ultimate objectives of these efforts are to improve the effectiveness of operations and allow identified savings to be reallocated to higher strategic priorities within the Army.

The Army is applying Lean Six Sigma to all of the business, resourcing, management & acquisition processes to become more effective, improve quality, reduce cycle time and achieve cost reductions (faster, better, cheaper). Just as the Army is leveraging the lessons of war to improve its fighting effectiveness, it is applying relevant corporate best practices to improve business processes and material resources.

For the Army to improve its business practices, it must have the necessary flexibility to ensure prudent stewardship of over-committed resources. Some laws, administration policies and directives prevent the Army from streamlining processes to accomplish objectives with fewer resources. This results in the inability to take advantage of potential savings and private sector lower cost opportunities.

We appreciate past congressional support in shortening the acquisition cycle. Continued efforts to further improve the process will support the Army’s aggressive plan to transform to the Future Force and to enhance the capability of the Current Force with emerging technologies. The Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI) leverages current programs and commercial off-the-shelf technology to give the Soldier an increased capability and battlefield advantages.

Training our Soldiers under realistic battle conditions is essential to fight the Global War on Terrorism. Land, sea and airspace have been set aside specifically for realistic training and must remain available for this purpose. While the Army is a good steward of the environment, enforcement and rulings regarding environmental laws continue to hamper the training for combat.

Encroachment continues to adversely affect Army training and weapons testing. Although the Secretary of Defense has waiver authority, this authority is inadequate to address the day-to-day operational constraints that incrementally decrease training effectiveness.

The investments in our Army continue to deliver dynamic results; however, our priority is to provide the best possible support to the warfighter at every level for present and future needs. The Army is at war and must continue to improve the way it does business.

WE THEREFORE RESOLVE to urge the Administration and Congress to:

• Provide the Army with relief from legislative and administrative requirements that hinder sound resource management
  
  
• Enact legislation to resolve encroachment issues and amend environmental laws to allow the Army use of established military training and maneuver areas
  
  
• Fund the safe and timely destruction of chemical munitions by providing requested funding and removing impediments to the prompt execution of this critical mission
  
  
• Enact legislation that allows the Army to shorten the acquisition cycle
  
  
• Stop the business practice of programming hypothetical privatization savings into the budget
  
  
• Fund and expand public/private partnership initiatives
  
  
• Fund information technology improvements that enable a network-centric, knowledge-based force
  
  
• Enact legislation allowing the Army to retain funds generated through efficiency and prudent cost cutting