H. Res. 994 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
July 17, 2018. 
Whereas since fiscal year 2010, United States Marine Corps 
active duty end strength has shrunk by 8 percent from 
202,100 to 186,000; 
Whereas, on March 1, 2016, Marine Corps Commandant 
Robert Neller stated, ‘‘The fiscal reductions and insta-
bility of the past few years have impacted our readiness. 
As resources have diminished, the Marine Corps has pro-
tected the near-term operational readiness of its deployed 
and next-to-deploy units in order to meet operational 
commitments. This has come at a risk.’’; 
Whereas, on February 26, 2015, now Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs 
of 
Staff 
Joseph 
F. 
Dunford 
stated, 
‘‘[a]pproximately half of our non-deployed units—and 
those are the ones that provide the bench to respond to 
unforeseen contingencies—are suffering personnel, equip-
ment and training shortfalls.’’; 
Whereas, on February 8, 2017, Assistant Commandant 
Glenn Walters stated, ‘‘A focus on [ongoing] operations, 
the decrease in funding levels from Fiscal Year (FY) 
2012, fiscal instability and the lack of an inter-war pe-
riod have left your Marine Corps insufficiently manned, 
trained and equipped across the depth of the force to op-
erate in an evolving operational environment.’’;
•HRES 994 EH 
Whereas the Marine Corps’ Assault Amphibious Vehicle 
(AAV–7A1) and Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) average 
over 40 and 26 years old, respectively; 
Whereas the Marine Corps has a stated requirement for 38 
amphibious ships to support the operations of 2 Marine 
Expeditionary Brigades, but the amphibious fleet num-
bers only 32 ships today; 
Whereas former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan 
Greenert testified on March 12, 2014, that, ‘‘[t]oday, in 
the world that we live in, the world that the Navy and 
Marine Corps lives in, and the future, we probably need 
50 [amphibious ships].’’; 
Whereas, on April 5, 2017, Marine Corps leaders testified 
that, ‘‘The most dire readiness situation lies within our 
Aviation element. An unhealthy percentage of our avia-
tion units lack the minimum number of ready basic air-
craft (RBA) for training, and we are significantly short 
ready aircraft for wartime requirements. We simply do 
not have the available aircraft to meet our squadrons’ re-
quirements.’’; 
Whereas during parts of 2016, only 43 percent of the Marine 
Corps’ total aviation fleet was available for operational 
employment, including less than 1⁄3 of its F/A–18 Hor-
nets; 
Whereas from fiscal year 2013 through fiscal year 2017, Ma-
rine Corps aviation accidents increased by 80 percent 
from 56 to 101 per year; 
Whereas between 2011 and 2017, aviation accidents killed 
more than 60 Marines, including 19 over a 2-month pe-
riod in 2017; and
•HRES 994 EH 
Whereas, on March 10, 2017, Deputy Commandant Gary L. 
Thomas stated, ‘‘Unstable fiscal environments prevent 
the deliberately planned, sustained effort needed to re-
cover current readiness of our legacy equipment in the 
near term, and to modernize in the longer term * * *. 
We must work to avoid a budget-driven strategy and re-
turn to a strategy-driven budget, informed by the stra-
tegic requirements of the current and future operating 
environments. Unless we do so, the range of options we 
have to address current and future threats will further 
erode.’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes that the United States Marine Corps 
faces significant readiness challenges, as well as short-
falls in end strength and delayed modernization; 
(2) finds that failing to provide the Marine Corps 
with stable, robust, and on-time funding impedes its 
ability to meet ongoing and unexpected security threats, 
putting United States national security at risk; and 
(3) commits to enhancing the Marine Corps’ ability 
to meet our Nation’s threats ‘‘In the air, on land, and 
sea’’. 
Attest: 
Clerk.