Opening

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on these important matters. I will make a brief oral statement of about three minutes duration and submit my written comments for the record.

Our Army today has the world's best forces. But to respond effectively to 21^st Century requirements, we must transform the Army. The Army is revising key concepts, doctrine, and strategic plans to address full spectrum operations in a complex environment that includes other Services, agencies, and nations. The Army is pursuing the transformation of its operational forces and institutional base, while simultaneously maintaining a trained and ready force capable of fighting and winning the Nation's wars. This approach to change will keep the Army's systems, people, and processes integrated to optimize readiness.

As an integral part of the Army's Transformation, we recognize the Army must make fundamental shifts in how it views its organizations and business processes, and how it manages and uses enabling information technology. We are transforming the Army into a knowledge-based organization.  Our framework for this effort is called Army Knowledge Management. 

Army Knowledge Management is an integration effort. It includes: change catalysts such as policy, culture, and education; intellectual capital such as our individual, team, and enterprise knowledge; and infostructure consisting of the computers, networks, architecture, and security to support the enterprise. We are web-enabling processes and services, migrating legacy systems and making them easily accessible, networking common systems and services, and changing our culture from one involving information hoarding to information sharing. We have developed a strategy based on lessons learned from our industry and DoD partners who are going through major transformation efforts like the Army. We have had, and will continue to have, senior level exchanges with our partners in industry and government as we progress.

As we become a knowledge-based organization, the requirement for Information Superiority and Information Assurance remains absolutely essential. Achieving Information Superiority requires continuous modernization of command, control, communications, and computer systems on the battlefield. Our tactical forces require modern information technology and information transport networks that are effectively linked or networked by a secure infostructure capable of sharing and exchanging information among geographically dispersed forces.

As was demonstrated at our recent Division Capstone Exercise of the 4^th Infantry Division at the National Training center last month, we now have professional acknowledgement of the inherent power of new technologies.  This was impressive, but what was more noteworthy was the apparent effectiveness of individual unit commander battlefield organization and execution throughout the brigade. This force-on-force action was clearly far above any we have seen in the past. We saw actions and reactions that we have never seen before. Our ability to see and track over 1500 discrete entities on the battlefield of this one brigade truly embodies the network-centric concept of tying the communications, sensors, and engagement grids together.

We have seldom, if ever, observed a blue brigade exercising such obviously tight control over its internal formations. What we saw were commanders and leaders who are beginning to command through a balance of human interface and information technology. The result of this marriage is powerful and was apparent. Our overall impression is we are far along the path and now may well be able to see more clearly what options offer us the best leverage, organizational design, doctrine, and equipment. It seems to us the digital equipment and software functional applications are now part of the fabric of the force and in one form or another, of various echelons of the force.

The Army's contribution to the Global Information Grid assures the warfighter global access to timely information that provides the ability to create combat power characterized by increased operational tempo, lethality, and survivability. Battlefield command, control, communications, and computer support to the warfighter through the fielding of the Warfighter Information Network - Tactical and the Joint Tactical Radio System, combined with our evolving software enhancements to the Army Battle Command Systems, remains a top priority.

Achieving Information Superiority for our Institutional Army also requires continued modernization of our installation infostructure. Our Installation Information Infrastructure Architecture and Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program are the blueprints for providing power projection support from the sustaining base to deployed forces as well as the foundation needed to import best business practices from the commercial sector.

Integral to our commitment to provide seamless end-to-end connectivity from our installations to our deployed warfighters is our reliance on the Defense Information Systems Network. The Defense Information Systems Network delivers the information transport and switching capability that ties Joint forces together.

Information technology will enable the Army and our sister Services to dominate future battlefields. But this technology is also vulnerable to attack and exploitation. Consequently, we must continue to build and sustain a robust Information Assurance program to provide Defense-in-Depth and continue to improve our programs. We have made major improvements in protecting our networks. We monitor our networks on-line 24 hours per day. The Army Computer Emergency Response Team/Coordination Center of the Land Information Warfare Activity, and our regional Computer Emergency Response Teams and Network Operations and Security Centers are world-class operations.

One particularly exciting area of great potential is the field of Biometrics.  The Army is the DoD's executive agent for Biometrics. We have established a Biometrics Management Office and a Biometrics Fusion Center that is overseeing and integrating all DoD joint biometrics related activities.

We are taking steps to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication and non-repudiation of our information and information systems within our network-centric environment. The Army Information Assurance Program is a comprehensive agenda consisting of innovative policies and procedures, state-of-the-art hardware and software security solutions, and new training initiatives designed to protect the Army's critical infostructure from the sustaining base to the deployed force. Our Program is consistent with guidance in the DoD's Defense-Wide Information Assurance Program, DoD Information Assurance and Computer Network Defense Memorandums and Instructions, Joint Staff Information Assurance efforts, the Army Modernization Plan, and recent direction provided in the Government Information Security Reform Act.

We are very grateful for the committee's support for our Information Assurance programs and solicit your continued support in these critical areas.  Thank you. I will submit the remainder of my testimony for the record.