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troller General determines will further inform the congres-
sional defense committees on issues relating to the readi-
ness of the active and reserve components of the ground 
forces of the United States Armed Forces. 
SEC. 353. PLAN FOR OPTIMAL USE OF STRATEGIC PORTS 
BY COMMANDER OF SURFACE DISTRIBUTION 
AND DEPLOYMENT COMMAND. 
By not later than January 30, 2008, the Secretary 
of Defense shall develop and implement a plan to optimize 
the use of strategic ports by the Surface Distribution and 
Deployment Command. Such plan shall— 
(1) address cost effectiveness, manning require-
ments, location, and maximization of utilization of 
resources for each strategic port; and 
(2) include— 
(A) an analysis of how each Surface Dis-
tribution and Deployment Command strategic 
port is chosen for the worldwide deployment 
and distribution of Department of Defense sup-
plies, personal property, and personnel; and 
(B) provisions for consultation with the 
local port authority for any strategic port at 
which there is no permanent Surface Distribu-
tion and Deployment Command presence.
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SEC. 354. INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF CIVIL RESERVE 
AIR FLEET VIABILITY. 
(a) INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT REQUIRED.—The 
Secretary of Defense shall provide for an independent as-
sessment of the viability of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to 
be conducted by a federally-funded research and develop-
ment center selected by the Secretary. 
(b) CONTENTS OF ASSESSMENT.—The assessment 
required by subsection (a) shall include each of the fol-
lowing: 
(1) An assessment of the Civil Reserve Air 
Fleet as of the date of the enactment of this Act, 
including an assessment of— 
(A) the level of increased use of commer-
cial assets to fulfill Department of Defense 
transportation requirements as a result of the 
increased global mobility requirements in re-
sponse to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 
2001; 
(B) the extent of charter air carrier par-
ticipation in fulfilling increased Department of 
Defense transportation requirements as a result 
of the increased global mobility requirements in 
response to the terrorist attacks of September 
11, 2001;
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(C) any policy of the Secretary of Defense 
to limit the percentage of income a single air 
carrier participating in the Civil Reserve Air 
Fleet may earn under contracts with the Sec-
retary during any calendar year and the effects 
of such policy on the air carrier industry in 
peacetime and during periods during which the 
armed forces are deployed in support of a con-
tingency operation for which the Civil Reserve 
Air Fleet is not activated; and 
(D) any risks to the charter air carrier in-
dustry as a result of the expansion of the indus-
try in response to contingency operations result-
ing in increased demand by the Department of 
Defense. 
(2) A strategic assessment of the viability of the 
Civil Reserve Air Fleet that compares such viability 
as of the date of the enactment of this Act with the 
projected viability of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet five, 
ten, and 15 years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, including for activations at each of stages 
1, 2, and 3— 
(A) an examination of the requirements of 
the Department of Defense for Civil Reserve 
Air Fleet for the support of operational and