WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) pressed Department of Defense officials, John C. Rood, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, and Lieutenant General David W. Allvin, USAF, Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, to address the shortfalls of our National Defense Strategy (NDS) implementation, specifically related to transportation and logistics. Full video of Duckworth’s remarks here
“Our National Defense Strategy has some blind spots including the lack of vital resources needed to project power and sustain that power during a conflict – such as railcars and transport ships,” said Duckworth. “While we continue to make big investments in long-range precision fires, submarines and strike aircrafts, without a corresponding increase in transportation and logistics systems, I fear this trend will lead us to be a lethal -- but unsustainable and fragile – force.”
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Duckworth has frequently advocated for improvements in our military’s transportation and logistics, pushing this administration to prioritize investments in infrastructure to improve readiness. She raised these concerns during her one-on-one meeting with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in July.
Senator Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. She was among the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On November 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit by an RPG and Duckworth lost her legs and partial use of her right arm. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service in 2014 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
