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NOMINATION OF LT. GEN. ALFRED GRAY, JR., USMC, TO BE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1987

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES,

Washington, DC.

The committee met in open session pursuant to notice, at 10:11 a.m., in room SR-222, Russell Senate Office Building, Sam Nunn (chairman) presiding.

Present: Senators Nunn, Bingaman, Dixon, Glenn, Warner, Thurmond, Wilson, Gramm, Symms, and McCain.

Staff present: Arnold L. Punaro, staff director; Patrick A. Tucker, minority counsel; Andrew S. Effron, counsel; Christine C. Dauth, chief clerk; George K. Johnson, Jr., Ronald P. Kelly, and Norman G. Mosher, professional staff members; Pamela G. Powell, staff assistant.

Also present: Jeffrey B. Subko, assistant to Senator Exon; William J. Lynn, assistant to Senator Kennedy; Edward McGaffigan, Jr., assistant to Senator Bingaman; Charles C. Smith, assistant to Senator Dixon; Phillip P. Upschulte and Milton D. Beach, assistants to Senator Glenn; Terrence Lynch, assistant to Senator Shelby; William J. Wight, assistant to Senator Warner; Dale F. Gerry, assistant to Senator Cohen; Mark J. Albrecht, assistant to Senator Wilson; Alan Ptak, assistant to Senator Gramm; Samuel J. Routson, assistant to Senator Symms; Patrick A. Putignano, assistant to Senator McCain.

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR SAM NUNN, CHAIRMAN Chairman NUNN. The committee will come to order.

The committee meets this morning to consider the nomination of Lt. Gen. Alfred M. Gray, Jr., of the U.S. Marine Corps to serve as Commandant of the Marine Corps.

On behalf of the committee, I extend a warm welcome to you, General Gray.

The committee is conducting this short notice hearing so as to enable the Senate to consider General Gray's nomination prior to General Kelley's retirement, which occurs, I understand, next week.

I am involved in the Iranian Committee hearings, and, in fact, will be asking questions in a few minutes. So that will preclude me from being here for very long this morning. I have asked Senator Bingaman to preside in my absence.

I thank Senator Bingaman for being willing to do that.

General Gray has a distinguished military career, which started in 1950, as an enlisted man. He attained the rank of sergeant before being commissioned as an officer of the Marines in 1952. I think that is a great achievement, to come through the enlisted ranks.

Your example, I am sure, General, is an inspiration to other people out there in the enlisted ranks today, and I think that is wonderful.

General GRAY. Thank you.

Chairman NUNN. General Gray has a significant combat, operational, and joint experience, and has also served in key staff assignments. Some critics of the Defense Reorganization Act have claimed its provisions would prevent experienced commanders with this mix of skills from rising to the very top military positions. General Gray's selection certainly demonstrates that this is not necessarily so.

General Gray, your long and impressive career has prepared you well for the position of Commandant of the Marine Corps. You will take over as the top marine at the time when the Marine Corps is experiencing some difficulty, as you well know. I will not go into that this morning, but there are a number of problems that I am sure you are going to be tackling, and I know you will address those with your usual diligence and capability.

I recall my visit in 1980 to the 29 Palms Marine Base, where General Gray introduced me to maneuver warfare and an impressive Marine combined arms operation. His innovative implementation of the use of maneuver warfare in the Second Marine Division, as well as his testimony before a hearing I chaired in the late 1970s on the now-fielded light armored vehicle, indicates that he has the capacity to think down the road.

I recall also, General Gray, your testimony on the light armored vehicle being a little ahead of the official Marine Corps position on that subject.

Since your statements will soon represent the official Marine Corps position, I hope you will continue to challenge conventional wisdom and be receptive to those below you who also challenge conventional wisdom, which you have done on several occasions through your career.

The committee looks forward to receiving your professional military judgments and your candid views throughout your tenure as Commandant.

Senator Warner is not here this morning.

Senator Thurmond, do you have any opening statement?

Senator THURMOND. Yes, Mr. Chairman.

I just want to say that General Gray has an impressive record. I think he is well qualified and I will be very pleased and honored to support him for this position.

I have a couple of questions and if he will answer them for the record, it will save time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Chairman NUNN. Thank you.

I am going to have to depart, as I mentioned.

Senator Bingaman, when you complete the hearing this morning, what we will try to do, unless something comes up that we do not

anticipate, we will try to get the members together as rapidly as possible, off the floor. We will have to have a quorum present.

We are going to try, General Gray, to move this before the change-over, so that we will have an orderly transition.

Senator GLENN. What number do we need for a quorum?

Chairman NUNN. We will have to have a majority for a quorum. Senator GLENN. Is it nine?

Chairman NUNN. We have to have 11. We will have to have 11 people for a quorum.

But it is perfectly agreeable to me, and it is up to you, Senator Bingaman, if you have 11 people that you can muster this morning, I will be upstairs and can come down. We will be glad to do it then. If not, we will try to move it this afternoon, assuming that nothing unanticipated comes up.

Senator BINGAMAN [presiding]. General, before we start in with any questions, and I do have a few questions, some of the other members here might have an opening statement that they would like to make.

Let me just defer to Senator Glenn, with whom you are well acquainted, to see if he has any kind of opening statement he would like to make.

Senator GLENN. I have no opening statement. But I have some questions and comments that I will make later on.

I am just glad and pleased to congratulate the General again on his selection. He is a worthy successor to all of those who have gone before him in keeping the Corps the way it is, mobile and ready.

He and I have discussed this privately, and I will have some comments on it later here. But I think the Marine Corps is going to be in good hands.

General GRAY. Thank you, Senator.

Senator BINGAMAN. Senator Symms, did you have an initial statement to make before we defer to the General?

Senator SYMMS. Mr. Chairman, I will just ask unanimous consent to put my statement in the record at this point and to say that I look forward to working with the General also.

I share the comments that the senior marine on this panel just made. I think the Marine Corps is going to be in very good hands, and I am very pleased about his selection.

Senator BINGAMAN. I also have a prepared statement by Senator Dixon which will be inserted in the record at this point.

[The prepared statements of Senators Dixon and Symms follow:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR ALAN J. DIXON

Mr. Chairman, we are here today to consider the nomination of Gen. Alfred M. Gray, Jr., USMC, to be Commandant of the Marine Corps.

General Gray has been nominated to succeed Gen. Paul X. Kelley, who has been an outstanding leader of the Corps. General Gray, based on his professional background I feel will be an excellent successor to General Kelley.

General Gray began his service in the Marine Corps in the enlisted ranks and has risen to the top. He has served his country for over 37 years and I believe his background will provide the Marine Corps with strong and inspirational leadership. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR STEVEN SYMMS

Mr. Chairman, Marine Corps history is a proud history and its foundation is comprised of the men and women who have been its members. The Marine Corps has the reputation as the premier fighting organization in the world—again this is because of those who have gone before and who bore the name "Marine".

The Marine Corps is fortunate to have had over the years perhaps the finest military leadership, as a whole, in all of our armed services. This has been true in both the officer and enlisted ranks.

The Nation is fortunate to be able to tap such men as Al Gray to lead tomorrow's Marine Corps. The Marine Corps faces some of its greatest challenges today. Internationally, the United States is confronted on all sides by those who threaten and would jeopordize the freedom and well being of the West. These threats will not go away or be neutralized except by a strong defense capability backed by a national will commensurate with the problems we face.

Internally, the Corps faces a wide variety of challenges in maintaining the high degree of combat capability which has become its hallmark.

We must have a Corps that reaffirms its professionalism, integrity, and discipline. I have full confidence that Al Gray is an individual that can lead the Corps in doing just that.

I look forward to his confirmation and in working with him as the 29th Commandant.

Senator BINGAMAN. Senator McCain, did you have any comments?

Senator MCCAIN. No, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator BINGAMAN. The nomination reference and résumé of service record of General Gray will be entered into the record. [Nomination reference of Lt. Gen. Alfred M. Gray, Jr., follows:]

NOMINATION REFERENCE

AS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION,
SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
June 16, 1987.

Ordered, That the following nomination be referred to the Committee on Armed Services:

The following named officer for appointment as Commandant of the Marine Corps under Title 10, United States Code, Section 5043:

To be Commandant of the Marine Corps

Lt. Gen. Alfred M. Gray, Jr., United States Marine Corps.

[The résumé of service career of Lt. Gen. Alfred M. Gray, Jr., which was transmitted to the committee at the time the nomination was referred follows:]

RÉSUMÉ OF SERVICE CAREER OF ALFRED M. GRAY, JR., LIEUTENANT GENERAL, U.S.
MARINE CORPS

Date and place of birth: June 22, 1928, Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey.
Years of active service: 37.

Military schools attended: The Basic School, Quantico, VA; Communications Officer School, Quantico, VA; Command and Staff College, Quantico, VA; Army War College, Carlisle, PA.

Major Permanent Duty Assignments:

Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Manpower Department (Dep Dir, Training and Education Division; Head, Special Study Group), August 1975 to June 1976. Landing Force Training Command, Atlantic (Commanding General)/4th MAB (Commanding General), July 1976 to September 1978.

Marine Corps Development and Education Command (Deputy for Development/ Director, Development Center), October 1978 to May 1981.

2d Marine Division (Commanding General), June 1981 to August 1984.

Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (Commanding General)/II Marine Amphibious Force (Commanding General), September 1984 to present.

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