MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION, FISCAL YEAR 1973 MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1972 The Military Construction Subcommittees of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Appropriations met in joint session, pursuant to recess, at 2:30 p.m., in room 212, Old Senate Office Building. Present: Subcommittee on Military Construction of the Committee on Armed Services: Senators Symington (presiding), and Jack son. Subcommittee on Military Construction of the Committee on Appropriations: Senator Ellender. Also present: From the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gordon A. Nease, professional staff member; and Mary E. Keough, clerical assistant. From the Senate Appropriations Committee: Vorley M. Rexroad, chief clerk of the subcommittee; and Joel E. Bonner, Jr., minority staff member. Senator SYMINGTON. The meeting of the subcommittees will come to order. We hope to complete our hearings on the military construction bill this afternoon, with the exception of nondepartmental witnesses, by taking up title IV relating to the requirements of the Defense Agencies, and title VIII pertaining to the Reserve components. I would suggest that the principal witness for each of the Defense Agencies join Mr. Edward J. Sheridan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Installations and Housing, at the table, and Mr. Sheridan can introduce each witness in turn. We will follow the same procedure with the Reserve Forces, Mr. Evan Harrington being the principal witness. It is my understanding that each of you will have a prepared statement which you may read if you wish, or submit for the record. My questions will be brief. We will hear nondepartmental witnesses at 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon, June 7. Mr. Sheridan, we are glad to see you here again. STATEMENT OF EDWARD J. SHERIDAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (INSTALLATIONS AND HOUSING) Mr. SHERIDAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a short statement Mr. Chairman, and with your permission I will submit it for the record and go on with introducing the first witness. Senator SYMINGTON. Without objection. (The statement follows.) Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. The request for activities of the defense agencies totals $46.4 million of which $16.4 million is for new construction and rehabilitation of existing facilities at 13 installations; and $30.0 million is to provide the Secretary of Defense with a contingency fund to meet unforeseen emergency construction needs world-wide. The proposed construction for the Defense Agencies is as follows: 1. Defense Intelligence Agency ($1.6 million) to provide for alterations to the DIA Headquarters Buildings T-401 and T-450 a Arlington Hall Station, Arlington, Virginia. 2. Defense Nuclear Agency ($2.6 million) to provide for a DNA CASINO Facility at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory, White Oak, Maryland; and alterations to the laboratory animal research facility at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. 3. Defense Supply Agency ($7.0 million) to provide for emergency standby power at the Defense Automatic Addressing Facility, Tracy, California; upgrade restroom facilities, administrative facilities, automatic data processing (ADP) center alterations, and emergency standby power for the ADP and communications center at the Defense Construction Supply Center, Columbus, Ohio; upgrade ADP and security facilities at the Defense Documentation Center, Alexandria, Virginia; warehouse lighting and power improvements at the Defense Depot, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; a freight consolidation facility and warehouse lighting and power improvements at the Defense Depot, Memphis, Tennessee; improve heating plants and systems and sanitary and storm draining at the Defense Depot, Ogden, Utah; upgrade industrial plant equipment (IPE) shop facilities and improve warehouse facilities at the Defense Depot Tracy Annex, Stockton, California; emergency standby power for ADP and communications center at the Defense Electronics Supply Center, Dayton, Ohio; and a maintenance facility, warehouse lighting and power improvements, administrative space, ADP center alterations and emergency standby power for ADP and communications center at the Defense General Supply Center, Richmond, Virginia. 4. National Security Agency ($5.2 million) to provide for modernization of bachelor enlisted quarters and a consolidated troop mess at NSA Headquarters, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. 5. Military Construction Contingency Beginning with the FY 1966 Military Construction Authorization Act, the Congress has authorized the Secretary of Defense to accomplish military construction which he determines to be vital to the security of the United States. To date through FY 1972, a total of $477.5 million has been appropriated to finance these vital requirements, and of that total $440.6 million has been provided by the Department of Defense to the Military Departments. By far the greater proportion of the total allocated, $297.2 million or some 68 percent has been applied to Southeast Asia support, with the remaining 32 percent or $143.4 million going to special needs in CONUS, Europe, Korea, or other areas. However, no transfer of funds for Southeast Asia under this authority has taken place since FY 1968. Beginning with FY 1969 transfers under this contingency authority have dropped substantially from the higher levels experienced during the Southeast Asia buildup and have stabilized at an average annual level of about $27 million. During this recent period, we have disapproved numerous requests amounting to more then $100 million. To further strengthen these control procedures and to formalize the criteria we have been using, we have prepared a Department of Defense Directive which clearly sets out the eligibility criteria, justification, review levels, and controls which must be met in proposals for use of this authority. We believe that these measures assure prudent and effective management control of this essential authority granted to us by the Congress. Presently, the Department has a residual balance of $36.9 million in this account plus $6 million in the Army unapportioned reserve recouped from Project REDHAT. Some $7.5 million of the $36.9 million has already tentatively been committed. Similarly, it can be expected that additional urgent requirements will eventuate over the coming months resulting in a substantial drawdown of available authorization. It is apparent, therefore, that the current balance based on the experience of recent years, could conceivably be diminished to a dangerously low level by the end of this calendar year and exhausted by June 1973. This year we are requesting $30 million in authorization and matching funds, and this figure is intended to provide in our judgement the minimum amount of funding required to maintain this vitally needed authority at an adequate level. This is in accordance with the recommendations contained in the House Armed Services Committee Report for FY 1972 (No. 92–362) wherein the Committee urged the establishment and maintenance of a minimum annular level for this authority. Because annual appropriations have not been received in recent years until December, it is necessary to compute our contingency requirements on a calendar year basis, ie., FY 1973 funds will be needed to meet calendar year 1973 requirements. Assuming continued average utilization, our current balance would be exhausted by June 1973. The $30 million requested in FY 1973 would provide a minimal reserve to avoid arriving at a zero balance condition in late 1973. This will permit the Secretary of Defense a relatively small degree of flexibility in addressing contingency requirements that may arise during the year. We strongly urge your support of this modest request. Witnesses for the Defense Agencies are present and prepared to provide details as required in support of the projects for which authorization is requested. We appreciate this opportunity to appear before you. Mr. SHERIDAN. Under title IV of the Senate bill, we have the Defense Intelligence Agency represented by Lt. Gen. Donald V. Bennett, the Director. Senator SYMINGTON. Will you proceed, General? GEN. STATEMENT OF LT. GEN. DONALD V. BENNETT, US ARMY, DIRECTOR OF THE DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY General BENNETT. I am General Bennett. I too have a prepared statement which, with your permission, I shall submit for the record. In summary the Defense Intelligence Agency has been organized for more than 10 years, and we are currently housed in 10 different locations within the Washington area. The primary location is Arlington Hall Station where our personnel occupy World War II temporary structures built for initial occupancy by the Army in 1942. The buildings have reached a point after 25 years of rather continuous hard use where rehabilitation and modernization are required in order to make them more habitable and better able to support our activities. Our construction request for this purpose, is for $1,600,000. The total effort covers three areas as follows: Upgrading of lighting in the work areas estimated to cost $750,000, which will provide a minimum of 100-foot candles in the working areas versus 35 to 70, for an average of about 50-foot candles presently available; $450,000 is requested for improvement of the 80 washrooms to include repainting, new partitions, replacement of defective fixtures, and improved ventilation; and finally $400,000 for air conditioning and chilled water system to replace some nine small outmoded units with one central unit giving us a total of 850 tons of water chilling and water cooling to provide us the primary environmental need. These are the minimum requirements, sir, in order to maintain the temporary structures at the minimum habitable working level. That completes my summary, sir. If you have any questions? (The statement follows.) Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am Lieutenant General Donald V. Bennett, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. I appreciate this opportunity to present for your consideration our Military Construction request for fiscal year 1973. I would like first to mention briefly the background leading to our requirement and then discuss the principal features of the construction program which are of interest to this Committee. Since its activation in October 1961, elements of the Defense Intelligence Agency have occupied substandard facilities at Arlington Hall Station. Although the Agency personnel currently are located in 10 different major locations in the Washington area, the largest number of our personnel continues to occupy these two World War II temporary structures built for initial occupancy by the Army in 1942. Our efforts to obtain authorization and funding for a DIA Operations Building to alleviate this wide dispersal of DIA personnel, as well as to remedy the substandard working conditions prevailing in the temporary structures, are a matter of record. These efforts date back to the initial request which was contained in the fiscal year 1964 Military Construction program. For many reasons including controversy over the proposed location of the structure, funding for a new building was not approved. However, during this period in which new construction was under consideration, repairs and maintenance to the temporary structures were held to an absolute minimum; modifications and alterations to better adapt the space to meet our operating requirements were foregone; and the facilities have further deteriorated. DIA personnel working in this environment are highly trained, experienced, professional intelligence analysts on whose ability and judgment this nation depends for expert military intelligence required for national-level decisionmaking. The work these analysts do is necessary and important to the national security and they deserve a decent, adequate facility in which to perform their mission. The $1.6 million requested will be used in three specific areas: 1. Upgrading of lighting in work areas_2. Improvements to washrooms___ 3. Air conditioning and chilled-water system---- - $750,000 450,000 400, 000 The upgrading of lighting will furnish a minimum standard of 100 foot candles maintained illumination in all DIA administrative and specal purpose space. Present substandard lighting varies from 35 to 70 foot candles, with approximately 50 foot candles average overall intensity. The poor illumination causes eyestrain and is thus a health hazard. Existing conditions detract from the accomplishment of high quality work in carrying out our mission. Improvements to washrooms will accomplish the refurbishment of 80 washrooms, including replacement of defective fixtures, new toilet partitions and accessories, painting, and provision of proper lighting and ventilation. After more than 25 years of continual use, the washrooms evidence considerable wear and deterioration, and these substandard conditions have been the subject of numerous employee complaints. The proposed air conditioning and chilled-water system will replace nine small, separate, outmoded, or defective chiller units in Building T-450. Included will be associated chilled-water piping, necessary demolition, and electrical equipmentall are required for a complete and usable facility. This will result in a more economical and reliable central chilled-water installation to supply all air conditioning requirements, as well as a highly reliable source of air conditioning for critical operational areas such as automatic data processing where environmental control is essential to machine operations. In summary, minimal funds have been expanded to maintain these buildings during the past 10 years because of the temporary nature both of the buildings themselves and of the Agency occupany thereof. As a result, the buildings have further deteriorated. The fiscal year 1973 Military Construction progeam is designed to alleviate the more critical areas, improve habitability features, and provide needed environmental control for automatic data processing operations. This concludes my prepared statement. I will answer any questions the Committee may have. ARLINGTON HALL STATION, ARLINGTON, VA. Senator SYMINGTON. We have authorized a new building for the DIA but it was never funded. Will this money properly house the Agency? General BENNETT. This money will provide the minimum requirements at Arlington Hall Station, sir, for approximately 1,900 of 4,100 |