U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., urged Army Secretary nominee Dan Driscoll to prioritize faster construction at military installations like Redstone Arsenal if confirmed.
Concerns over slow military construction
During Driscoll’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Tuberville criticized delays in military construction at Redstone. He pointed out the stark contrast between the timeline for a military warehouse and an FBI facility.
“The military warehouse will cost nearly $56 million and take four years to build, while the FBI facility costs $40 million and takes only a year and a half,” Tuberville said. “How does that make any sense?”
Driscoll, an Army veteran and former adviser to Vice President J.D. Vance, shared Tuberville’s frustration. “This makes my blood boil,” he said, vowing to investigate the issue. He emphasized the need for responsible spending, noting that wasted resources hurt both taxpayers and soldiers.
Military recruitment and pilot training standards
Tuberville also pressed Driscoll on military pay and recruitment, stressing the importance of competitive salaries to attract new service members. Additionally, he questioned Driscoll about the Army’s updated pilot training standards.
Referencing Fort Novosel in Alabama, Tuberville asked for Driscoll’s view on the Army’s new flight school curriculum. Driscoll agreed that both aircraft systems and training must advance to address evolving threats.
“I’d want to take a deep dive with the team to assess how we position ourselves for the next one to five years,” Driscoll said.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has not yet scheduled a vote on Driscoll’s nomination.
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