tion to critical nursing, physician, lawyer, chaplain, Special Forces and warrant officer programs.

Recruiting resources, which include the Army College Fund, enlistment/reenlistment bonuses and other special incentives are the principal tools recruiters use to market the Army to prospective audiences. Together, these resources continue to give the Army a competitive edge in the marketplace and ensure our recruiters have the communications tools they need to attract quality recruits to the Army. We use the Army College Fund to attract college oriented youth and the enlistment bonus to attract skill and training oriented youth. These young, high quality men and women are distributed by the enlistment bonus program across the broad spectrum of critical, hard to fill skills. We intensely manage this small but important program to ensure its effectiveness. It is vital to our recruiting success. Although it is a small program with a declining funding requirement for the immediate future, the enlistment bonus program is a must have if we are to maintain a well balanced, high quality Army.

The Army College Fund Plus (ACF Plus) has been highly successful in attracting and enlisting quality men and women in specific, difficult to fill specialties. This program, which ties 2 years of active duty to 2 years of Selective Reserve service at the beginning of active duty, has expanded the recruiting market for quality youth and is attracting quality men and women who might not have otherwise enlisted. Since July 1, 1989, more than 13,000 youths have enlisted for this program, including nearly 3,000 women. We are tracking soldiers who originally enlisted for this program to determine if in fact they are able to affiliate with a reserve unit upon release from active duty. Although relatively few ACF Plus soldiers have transitioned from the active force, we have successfully affiliated 81 percent (54 of 67). This is a success story, and we anticipate continued success.

It is equally important to retain the right soldiers with the right skills in the Army. Therefore, reenlistment incentives are needed, especially for skills easily transferable to civilian life and those with long training lead times. We have the Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) for this purpose. The SRB program will continue during force reductions, although at lower levels than in the past. The requirement to retain high quality soldiers in critical specialties and to draw soldiers from overage to shortage specialties is essential to ensuring the future Army is balanced. We have no manpower to spare to devote to the wrong skills. The authority to pay both the SRB and the enlistment bonus expires on September 30, 1992. It is essential that the authority be continued. A lapse in this authority will result in increased uncertainty during a period of already turbulent change. Therefore, we urge a provision to retain the SRB and the Enlistment Bonus program under a continuing resolution, if needed.

OFFICER PROGRAMS

I have already described the tools we are using to reduce the size of the officer corps. Now, I would like to cover two programs important for the future of the offi

cer corps.

The first is the Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act (ROPMA). ROPMA updates current Reserve officer personnel management statutes by establishing a uniform personnel management system for all Reserve components regarding appointment, promotion, separation, and retirement of reserve commissioned officers not on the Active Duty List. The major features of ROPMA include a flexible promotion system, special selection boards, and continuation and removal authority. ROPMA aligns reserve officer personnel management to that specified in the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act for the Regular Army, contributing to the readiness of the Total Army for mobilization.

With a smaller active force, quick and effective mobilization and integration of our reserve force into the Active component will be of utmost importance in any future conflict. We may not have the time to work out the ad hoc solutions that were required in Desert Storm. We need to be able to fully integrate the reserve officer into the active force, and this law is needed to provide the authority. ROPMA provides the needed flexibility to shape the force and increase its responsiveness, thus facilitating Total Army readiness.

We also need your assistance in the officer procurement process. Recently, public law required us to remove all Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) officers from Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) detachments. Since 1980, AGR officers have been assigned to ROTC duty in full support of the Army's commitment to the Total Army concept and recognition that the Army ROTC program produces lieutenants to meet requirements for both our Active and Reserve components. Loss of authority to

assign AGR officers has immediate and future impact on ROTC and officer development.

The Army ROTC, as the only service ROTC program to do so, has historically placed approximately 50 percent of its annual lieutenant production into the Reserve components. To support this end, it has been and remains prudent vision to provide ROTC with role models and mentors who bring unquestioned experience and expertise in all aspects of Reserve component life and career opportunities. Given a future steady state production of approximately 2,000 lieutenants being accessed into the Reserve components annually, the Department of Army is committed to ensuring these future officers are provided every opportunity to make meaningful and immediate contributions to the reserve force, based upon the individual and collective knowledge and counsel they receive from AGR officers assigned to ROTC detachment level. The Army must be provided with the authority and resources to once again reinforce our commitment to the Total Army, as illustrated by the presence of AGR officers working with our cadets, the future officer leadership, side-by-side with active duty cadre members.

I believe we should rescind the provision of the law requiring officers to be initially commissioned in the Reserves. The rigor of our pre-commissioning programs now results in the award of regular commissions to only the most deserving ROTC and Academy graduates. To earn a regular commission from either source, a cadet must have demonstrated sustained excellence in both academic and military environments, and is clearly marked for continued success on active duty.

We also continue to request authority to establish a Master's degree program in leader development at USMA. Such a program will enhance the Academy's potential to produce leaders of character for the Nation, and officers who are schooled in the latest leader development technology for the good of the Total Force.

WOMEN IN THE ARMY

Women comprise 11.4 percent (78,561) of the Army's Active component, 20.7 percent (57,548) of the Army Reserve, and 7.2 percent (31,974) of the Army National Guard.

Army women serve in all units except those whose mission is to engage in direct combat or those units whose routine mission requires collocating with direct combat units. The Army defines direct combat as engaging an enemy with individual or crew served weapons while being exposed to direct enemy fire, and where there is a high probability of direct physical contact with the enemy and a substantial risk of capture. Army policy incorporates guidance found in the DOD Risk Rule which states that, risk of direct combat, exposure to hostile fire/capture are proper criteria for closing positions to women. If the type, degree and to a lesser extent, duration of risk are equal or greater than direct combat units (infantry/armor), then units or positions may be closed to women. The Army has closed to women the following types of units: infantry, armor, special forces, cannon and rocket artillery, shortrange air defense, combat engineer, and combat aviation units whose mission is to attack and destroy the enemy.

Army policy does not prevent women from exposure to combat, but rather decreases their risk of exposure to direct combat. Army policy is implemented through the Direct Combat Position Coding (DCPC) System. DCPC classifies positions as open or closed based on the duties of the position or military occupational specialty, mission of the unit, and the position or unit's routine collocation with a unit assigned a direct combat mission. Units collocated with a direct combat unit are subject to the same degree of risk as the direct combat unit.

The Army has continuously and will continue to review its policy and examine those positions that are currently closed. As doctrine and equipment changes are instituted, the position, mission and location on the battlefield as well as the degree of risk may change. When this occurs, these positions and units will be opened for the assignment of women.

Army policy works by providing the Army a well-trained combat ready force. The policy opens over 90 percent of the Army's career fields and 51 percent of its positions, and provides all soldiers, men and women, the opportunity to achieve the highest rank within the commissioned officer, warrant officer, and noncommissioned officer corps.

We recognize that the President has recently appointed his Commission on Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces, and we look forward to working with the Commission.

CIVILIAN SPOUSE HIRING PREFERENCE

We strongly support expansion of the provisions of military spouse hiring preference to include the spouses of certain Department of Defense civilians. As currently written, the law restricts the hiring preference to the spouses of active duty military members. It was intended to give special advantage to military spouses who must continually deal with transfers to different military installations. Research has shown that most military spouses have to work today to provide for their families' economic well-being; therefore, employment opportunity is a key factor impacting military quality of life. The Army recognizes that such factors have a direct impact on the readiness and retention of our all-volunteer force. However, while an important gain for military spouses, the current statute has created morale problems that degrade the effectiveness of the Total Army since it is not applied equitably across the work force. All things considered, a relocating family which has a civilian employee as its sponsor experiences the same upheaval and hardships as a military family-new environment, new schools for children, interruption of employment for working spouses, etc. Likewise, the reason for relocation is similar-a civilian's skills are equally needed by the government, thus, the family is moved at government expense. Two particular groups of civilians closely mirror the military in this sense: those who sign mandatory mobility agreements and those who move back and forth from overseas, many of whom are required to remain on the job during emergency or wartime situations. These are the two groups that we would like to see added to the current law's coverage. In the Army, that would represent approximately 6,050 civilians, of whom only 54 percent have spouses.

QUALITY OF LIFE

As we reshape the Army, it is imperative that we maintain quality of life programs for our soldiers and families. These programs are directly linked to readiness through higher morale, retention of quality personnel and better physical and mental health.

The Army philosophy is that soldiers are entitled to the same quality of life as that afforded the society they are pledged to defend. Crucial components of that philosophy are the community and family support programs which provide fitness, recreational, social, educational, and family support programs that enhance the working and living conditions of soldiers and family members on Army installations throughout the world. Community and family support programs proved their value during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as essential elements of the sustaining base, and by providing invaluable MWR support to our deployed soldiers.

Currently, these programs face the challenge of providing high quality, customeroriented services in an efficient and economical manner. The transition of the Army will create added stress on soldiers and families which high quality, well operated community and family support programs will mitigate. Soldier dollars must be used wisely. Adequate appropriations are essential. We must continue to invest in the future by providing modern facilities staffed by a professional work force.

Additionally, we must continue to care for our soldiers, both at home and abroad. Our facilities must be maintained at all times. We cannot neglect our commitment to our soldiers, especially during the drawdown years, and particularly in overseas locations. Maintaining high standards means construction of new and renovation of existing facilities available to soldiers, civilians, and family members in which to spend their leisure time.

Soldiers and family members who are overseas, especially in today's world, face difficulties not encountered by other personnel. The fluctuating dollar, along with the inherent problem of the language barrier and the turbulence associated with the drawdown itself, make it essential that soldiers have facilities available to them that afford them a piece of hometown USA.

The point is that even though we are reducing our overseas presence, we are not eliminating it completely. We cannot forget about the needs of the soldiers who will continue to serve in Europe, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. We owe them our support.

The continued success of Army community and family support programs depends on an imaginative and flexible approach to financial management that will ensure that hard earned soldier and family dollars are properly invested for the long term benefit of the Total Army family. We ask for your support as we seek to minimize the impact of these turbulent times.

CHILD CARE

We have implemented Military Child Care Act requirements and funded child care with appropriated and nonappropriated funds. The act required 50 military Child Development Centers to be accredited by June 1, 1991. The Army's commitment was 23 centers. The deadline was extended to December 1991 due to Operation Desert Storm. The Army met and exceeded our commitment in August 1991 with 24 accredited centers. Currently 31 of the 61 accredited centers in DOD are Army. The Army's excellent track record can be attributed to command support for compliance with standards. Staff training, Department of the Army/Major Command assistance, the MCCA funding/manpower resources have also helped. Our goal is for all Army centers to improve program quality by pursuing accreditation by 1994.

An important Army initiative is underway to diversify the type of child care services provided, recognizing that child care in centers is not the only form of delivery system. Subsidized Family Child Care in homes, as authorized by the act; surge care provided on-site where and when it is needed; and contracted space in off-post programs are being expanded as less costly, quality alternatives. By 1995 the mix of service delivery is expected to be 35 percent in centers, 25 percent in Family Child Care, and 40 percent in alternative supplemental options. In order to meet the demand, the number of children cared for will increase in all delivery systems. We are proud of our accomplishments and are working hard to make quality, affordable child care available to our soldiers.

CLOSING

The Army currently is drawing down in numbers and structure as fast as possible while simultaneously maintaining a quality, ready force and caring for soldiers and their families. We cannot do it any faster and still maintain our goal of continuously providing the fighting force necessary to accomplish decisive victory in combat. Currently, a Boeing 747 is returning from Europe each day filled with redeploying soldiers and families. We must provide these families and all families of soldiers and civilians impacted by the drawdown the attention that they deserve. They have served their country proudly and done a magnificent job. We need help from Congress to provide the quality assistance needed by the families while reducing the size of the Army, and the incentives necessary to recruit and retain quality soldiers. We have a great Army. With your help, we will keep a great Army. America expects and deserves no less.

Senator GLENN. Thank you, General. Thank you very much. Admiral Zlatoper.

STATEMENT OF VICE ADM. RONALD J. ZLATOPER, CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL, U.S. NAVY

Admiral ZLATOPER. Senator Glenn, Senator McCain, it is a privilege to appear before you at my first appearance here to discuss the Navy's personnel plan.

The specifics of our program are contained my statement and elsewhere. I would like to just offer a couple of general thoughts. The world has changed considerably. A year ago I was one of the four carrier battle group commanders in the Persian Gulf. As I watched, we brought together four carriers in a place where a year prior they had said no carrier would ever sail. They operated with the navies of nine other nations and 35,000 other sailors.

We did hundreds of operations in support of that war with ships from both the Atlantic and the Pacific fleet, without a hiccup in any position. In my battle group alone, the good aviators and sailors there flew 4,300 combat sortes and 75 percent of them at night. This was unprecedented, as both of you prior aviators know, I think, if you thought through your past lives in airplanes. We lost only one aircraft.

That set a stage I think. The hardware worked well, the ships worked well. The airplanes worked well. The cruise missiles

worked well. But it was not those hardware things that won that war and it was not old admirals that call themselves battle group commanders. It was the sailors and they were spectacular.

They continue now to prosecute Desert Storm out there as we speak this morning, intercepting Iraqi ships, merchant ships bound for Iraq and searching them. The Navy men and women now have the skills, the experience, the motivation and the family backing to respond to these contingency demands, thanks in great measure to your sensitivity and concern for them in the past and in recent years. You have made sure that they have had the compensation and recognition that they deserve for their dedication and service, and the sacrifices that they continue to make.

Appreciating your concern for them, and knowing how important these sailors are to the Navy and to the Nation, the challenges that now face all of us as DCSPERS, up here, is certainly great. Given the Navy's current plans, we have to reduce to an end-strength of 551,000 this year and ultimately to 501,200 by 1997. That is 97,000 fewer sailors than the Navy had on board 2 years ago when I began working at my battle group.

To reach those numbers we are following a well laid out manpower strategic plan, if you will, with direction and guidance from you in the Fiscal Year 1991 Defense Authorization Act. We are in fact, as you mentioned, reducing accessions, but reducing them to a level that will allow us to sustain a full and combat-ready force now and in the future.

REDUCTIONS

We are retiring those who have had the opportunity to have complete careers through voluntary retirements, and unfortunately selective early retirements as General Carney mentioned and reduced higher tenure points for our enlisted side.

We are controlling entry into the career force in accordance with your guidance with new quotas and ranking systems for first term reenlistments that we have just enacted about a month ago. We are adjusting our bonuses to balance personnel to changing requirements.

I think I can come before you and say that we are reviewing on a more regular basis, a more rapid basis the allocation of bonuses and putting money where our shortages are and offering them to people who have other opportunities.

We are reducing promotion opportunity by 5 percent to 10 percent and delaying promotions in some areas of senior enlisted personnel to stay within the legal limits established by the Congress. We are offering early-out opportunities as well as voluntary separation initiatives and special separation benefit that Mr. Jehn mentioned earlier to sailors in over-manned skills areas.

READINESS

Several of these steps which include forced retirements, controls of first term reenlistments and lower advancement opportunity quite frankly are painful and hurtful to our people. It is not the way I would have chosen to reward those men and women who