**To watch Senator Capito’s questioning, click here or on the image above.**

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, questioned Gen. Randy A. George, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, and Hon. Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army, during a hearing to review the president’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 funding request for the U.S. Army.

During her questions, Senator Capito asked Gen. George and Secretary Wormuth about cyber threats to critical infrastructure and the important role that the Army National Guard can play—including through the Army Interagency Training and Education Center in West Virginia. Senator Capito also mentioned her recent visit to Marshall University last week where she attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Center of Excellence for Cyber Security in Critical Infrastructure.

Senator Capito also asked Army leaders about plans to expand soldier-led innovation programs that can increase efficiency, lower costs, and bring emerging technology to soldiers in the field.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD’S EXPERTISE IN CYBER PROTECTION:

SEN. CAPITO: “Obviously, we're facing more cyber threats at every level and in every aspect of our critical infrastructure. And from what I understand the [National] Guard is already playing a critical role in domestic response to cyber-attacks, including through our Critical Infrastructure Battalion at the Army Interagency Training and Education Center in my state of West Virginia. This unit supports a number of DOD and DHS programs. Is there a more direct role for the National Guard to play in cyber, specifically using them as a liaison force between the federal government, the states, and the local and state critical infrastructure? Do you all have- what would your response to that be?”

SEC. WORMUTH: “Senator, I think what I would say is, you know, we- we try to leverage all of the cyber expertise across all three of our components- active [duty], [National] Guard, and [Army] Reserve- and certainly, there's a lot of great cyber expertise in the Guard. I think trying to have a one-size fits-all program with the Guard is challenging, because frankly, the level of expertise varies from state to state, and also, frankly, so- you know, 85% of our critical infrastructure is in the private sector, and so there is a tremendous amount of diversity, but I can tell you that I know General Barrett, who's the Army Cyber Commander, works very closely with the Guard to try to make sure that we're making the best use of them and that we're also retaining, frankly, that capability, which is very in demand right now.”

GEN. GEORGE: “Yeah, I just would- and having deployed with some of these experts in the Guard, I think what makes them very unique when they come into your formations, is a lot of them work this in their daily jobs and really keep up a skill level, which is- which is really helpful for us. So, we are constantly looking- we're in discussions right now with the Guard on, you know, what adjustments we need to make. I do think that as part of our continuous transformation, looking at how we are our cyber formations. Again, I think that's one of the things that's made the world much smaller, with space and cyber. So, we're constantly evaluating how we can get better in that space.”

ON SUPPORTING SOLDIER-LED INNOVATION:

SEN. CAPITO: “My next question is on Army soldier-led innovation programs. Providing, obviously, weapons to Ukraine illuminated some of our shortfalls. And something we're doing really well, and I've been a big supporter of, soldier- soldier-led innovation through the Army DEVCOM’S Pathfinder Program, and the Accelerating FORCE Program. These programs help to transition our weapons and our tech by actually putting it in the hands of our military in- before they’re- it's actually- as an experimentation type of thing so you can get on the ground reactions from folks that are going to be using these weapons, what lessons can be learned. What is the Army's plan to increase funding for these types of soldier-driven innovation programs? And can we get new technology solutions into soldiers’ hands for experimentation?”

GEN. GEORGE: “Sure. I'm wishing there was more time on the clock about this one. So, we are- we're doing what we're calling ‘transformation in contact’ and I would love to have our team come up here and kind of lay that out. What we're doing is exactly what you said- you know, if you infuse a formation with technology, and then see how they actually use it, and we have the developers that are down there that make software adjustments. We have the drones that are there and we make adjustments to them. That's what we're doing. So, we have a brigade that's going to go over to Europe. We have a brigade now in the 101st. We have a brigade that's out in the Pacific and they're getting- we're fixing their network. We're adding electronic warfare, UAS [Unmanned Aircraft Systems], counter-UAS, all of those capabilities. And what this means is- we're not going to buy stuff, you know, then say, ‘Hey, this is going to be here with us for 20 years,’ we're going to innovate, exactly what you're talking about. I just was down at [Fort] Stewart, and I know we have partnerships with universities in West Virginia, and they are innovating-”

SEN. CAPITO: “Yeah, there is a facility in Clay County.”

GEN. GEORGE: “They're making their own- as an example, they turned what had been a vehicle that was, you know, manned, they basically turned it into a breaching vehicle that was completely automated. So, I mean, these are soldiers that are doing these things. They're able to come up with how we can 3D-print parts that cost $20, and, you know, took us six months, to get to actually 3D-printing 16 of them within a minute, and they cost 12 cents each. So, these are soldiers that are doing these things. I think that technology has changed that much, we're going to have to adjust with the times.”

SEN. CAPITO: “Well, thank you. It also seems to me… not only is it a cost saving on the production, but you're not wasting money on things that may not, in-theater, actually perform exactly as intended or as thought could be. Thank you all both for being it's good to see you.”

ON THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE NATIONAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR CYBER SECURITY IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE:

SEN. CAPITO: “On Friday, we had a great announcement in Huntington, West Virginia: Marshall University and a- Marshall University-West Virginia University collaboration. They're friends now, unless they're on the football field is what- what the bottom line was there, but it was the DOD [U.S. Department of Defense] National Center for Excellence for Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure. They're trying to develop the workforce, but it's a really great collaborative effort between private sector, academia, the DOD, and the Guard, and USCYBERCOM. So, I think we're moving in a great direction in West Virginia, very excited about the potential for that project in our home state.”

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