PA Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness — 2026-06-23

I call to order the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. We will go into our hearing first on the promotions of four of our excellent Pennsylvania National Guard officers. Thank you for joining us. And after that, we'll do a voting portion of the committee, taking up six measures, all of which are in support of our 18,000 National Guard members or our 700,000 veterans. Thank you. We will now move to our hearing. Today is a great day as we're considering the promotion of Brigadier General Reese Lutz to Major General. That is outstanding. And Colonels Jonathan Lloyd, Randy Lutz, David Morris, and Andrew O'Connor to Brigadier General. I'd like to note that our Adjunct General John Pippi and Colonel Randy Lutz are unable to be with us in person but are joining us remotely. I'd like to thank each of you for your service, your commitment to our nation, your dedication to duty, and all you've done to keep our state and our nation safe over these years. Promotions in the general ranks of the military and especially within our National Guard are rare, and this is a very important and special occasion, and it speaks volumes to all that you've done for our country and your service. Senator Muth and I have met with the nominees, and you were available this morning as well to meet other senators and thank you for coming in to do that. Before we go any further, are you going to give a statement for her? Okay. No problem. I'd like next to recognize Pennsylvania's 55th Adjunct General John R. Pippi for remarks. He is responsible for the command and control of the third largest National Guard in our nation and the best in our nation.

and I respectfully request the favorable consideration and confirmation to their respective ranks Thank you very much Thank you General Pippi Thanks for joining us as well Thank you for your service I also like to recognize the family members Oftentimes I think they sacrifice a lot more than we do with the upheaval, sending your loved ones off to war on certain locations, not knowing how long or if they're coming back, the turmoil to the children with the schools and moving about and what have you. So thank you for your sacrifice and commitment. I often tell the story of us being newlyweds in Cold War Germany with the 2nd Cavalry. And my wife had to go to evacuation practices every year. And one year she asked during the practice in case the Soviet Union would attack, they wanted the family members out of the country. And they had various plans to evacuate. And we had three cats we adopted from western Pennsylvania, Reby's home area in Mercer County. And the cats were with us, Squeaker, Sassy, and Tiger. And Rebbe asked the MP, the military police, what are you going to do with our cats if we actually evacuate? And the MP said nonchalantly, oh, don't worry about that. We'll come to the housing afterward and shoot all the dogs and cats. Rebbe's like, I think not. I think I'll go grab my cats and walk across the mountains like in, you know, sound the music into Switzerland over the Alps. So those sorts of young family, those sorts of sacrifice, you know, I think epitomize in a small way the major sacrifices and the stress that comes upon family members. It's very difficult. So before I ask our excellent officers to make a statement, I will need you to swear you in. As such, please stand and raise your right hand. Thank you. Do you solemnly swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So help you God. If so, please say, I do. Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you. We will introduce each of the officers and then turn to the officers for an opening statement. After the officers make their opening statements, we will entertain questions. When speaking, please make sure the green button is on on your microphone so we can hear you. Today's order is Brigadier General Reese Lutz, nominated for Major General. Colonel Jonathan Lloyd, nominated for Brigadier General. Colonel David Maris, nominated for Brigadier General. Colonel Andrew O'Connor, nominated for Brigadier General. And Colonel Randy Lutz, nominated for Brigadier General. First, Brigadier General Reese Lutz. On behalf of Senator Greg Rothman, my colleague, who is in full support of your promotion, It is my honor to present Brigadier General Lutz, who is a resident of Perry County. General Lutz has been nominated for promotion in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, a Major General, with an assignment as the 41st Commanding General of the great 28th Infantry Division, a very historic storied division from today to World War I and World War II. As the commander of the 41st Commanding General of the 28th Infantry Division, the Iron Division, the oldest continuous serving division in the Army, that's fantastic, born and raised in Cambria County. You enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school, serving as a utility's equipment mechanic, then graduating from Penn State with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and earning a commission through ROTC. Same way I went. That's fantastic. After joining the Pennsylvania National Guard, Lutz held a series of critical leadership positions across the 28th Infantry Division, including commander of the 2112th Infantry, executive officer of the 56th Striker Brigade Combat Team, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team chief of staff during Operation Enduring Freedom in Spartan Shield in Kuwait chief of staff for joint headquarters and most recently Deputy Commanding General A veteran of the Iraq War and Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Spartan Shield, he has earned numerous awards including the Bronze Star and multiple meritorious service medals, Army Combination Medals and Achievement Medals. General, you're an exceptional leader whose nearly three decades of service exemplified duty, integrity, and underweaving commitment to the soldiers of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Thank you for your service. Next up, we have... We'll stop for each to give statements. Give me a chance to take a breath. Sir, over to you for opening statement.

to continue to serve both the country, or the country, the Commonwealth, and the soldiers of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Thank you, sir. Next up, Colonel Jonathan Lloyd. I have the honor to present Colonel Jonathan Lloyd, who hails from the Bayou State, where he serves in Louisiana National Guard, who a long way from home, sir. Glad to have you here. You're on the Lord's side now. I'm kidding. You have transferred here to serve as a deputy commanding general for maneuver for the 28th Infantry Division. Colonel Lloyd currently serves as a commander of the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the Tiger Brigade. I love that name. When we were forming up a unit in Europe one time, we were going to call ourselves a Manatee Team. What do you think? About as tough as Tiger Team? Since assuming command in 2022, he had led the brigade through a deployment to Kosovo. Been there, too. It's quite a mission. Good mission. to support in support of Operation Joint Guardian. Over the course of nearly three decades in uniform, you have built a career defined by steady progression, increasing responsibility, and exceptional performance. Commissioned in 1996. That's ten years after my commissioning. I'm getting old. You served with distinction, commanding at every echelon from platoon to brigade to include deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. Not all garden spots. You bring a strong academic foundation, holding a Bachelor's of Science from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and a Master's of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. That is outstanding. What a great school that is. Colonel Lloyd has earned an impressive array of awards, including a Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medals, and Combat Action Badge, among many others. I believe that the Pennsylvania Army National Guard is gaining a great leader, and we're proud to have you join our ranks here in the 28th Infantry Division. Sir, over to you.

Thank you, sir. I'd like to acknowledge that Senator Langerholt did check in for our quorum for later on.

Colonel David Morrow's promotion, to your prey. Both fellow Second Cab members, what a great union. And it's on behalf of Senator Chris Gephardt that I'm introducing you. Colonel, you're being promoted to the rank of Brigadier General pending confirmation and will assume the duties as the Assistant Adjunct General for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Joint Force Headquarters. Currently serving as the Chief of Staff at Joint Force Headquarters, where you oversee federal mobilizations while planning for the Army Transformation Initiative. That's a lot. Commissioned through ROTC in 1998, Colonel Morales built a distinguished career They are marked by increasing responsibilities and performance. Your service includes two deployments to Iraq. Which units did you deploy with?

Cool. Those are some tough deployments there. Key operational and logistic roles at Fort Polk and Fort Sill. strategic assignments at the National Guard Bureau and leadership across multiple major Pennsylvania National Guard commands. You have excelled academic academically and professionally holding degrees from the Valley Forge Military College. That's where I got commissioned from, actually. That's a small world. Penn State University, Delaware Valley University, and the U.S. Army War College. Fantastic. Your dedication and valor is reflected in many awards that you have earned, including a Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, and many, many other campaign and service medals. With nearly three decades of service, strategic insight, and a record of outstanding leadership, Colonel Morouse, is superbly prepared to serve as a commanding general. Sir, over to you for your opening statement.

Thank you, sir. Before we proceed, we're going to go with a roll call to establish the quorum. Nate, over to you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Chairman Mastriano. It's my honor to introduce Colonel Andrew O'Connor before the committee today. Colonel O'Connor currently serves as the Director of Strategic Development for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. In his role he has been instrumental in forging partnerships across local state and federal organizations ensuring that the Guard remains innovative and ready to meet the strategic challenges of our time Since joining the active Guard in Reserve in 2002 he has exemplified the character competence, and commitment expected of a general officer, serving with distinction both at home and in combat. From his beginnings as a rifle and reconnaissance platoon leader with the 1st of the 111th Infantry to company command and key operational roles in the 56th Striker Brigade Combat Team. And during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Colonel O'Connor has consistently demonstrated exceptional performance. He has served as operations officer at the battalion, brigade, and division levels, as executive officer and battalion commander of the 1st of the 111th Infantry, and in senior positions such as director of plans, operations, training, and security, as well as Deputy Chief of Staff for personnel for the Guard. Colonel O'Connor also played a central role in the transformation of the 56th striker into the Army National Guard's first striker brigade combat team. Additionally, he piloted the Guard's first systematic officer talent assessment process, ensuring that Pennsylvania cultivates and promotes leaders of the highest caliber. Most recently, he has championed efforts to develop a data-driven, AI-enabled workforce to meet the demands of a rapidly involving strategic environment. Colonel O'Connor holds a Bachelor's of Science Magna Cum Laude from Villanova and a Master's of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. His career is marked by excellence, discipline, and service and has been recognized through multiple U.S. military decorations, including the Bronze Star, numerous meritorious service medals, and the Combat Infantry Badge. Colonel O'Connor is a forward-thinking leader who is prepared to guide the Guard into the future, and I am proud to support his promotion to Brigadier General. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

And last but not least, online, Colonel Randy Lutz. On behalf of Senator Dawn Kiefer, it's my honor to introduce you. Colonel. I'm sorry. Give the Colonel. I was so overwhelmed with your accomplishments. Apologies. Thank you, Senator. Colonel, over to you.

I'd like to recognize Senator Brooks in attendance as well as Senator Muth, Chairwoman Muth. And next, Colonel Randy Lutz online. On behalf of Senator Don Kiefer, I'd like to introduce you as you hail from York County. Colonel Lutz was assigned earlier this year to serve as a J-3 for the Joint Domestic Operations in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Prior to that role, he dedicated 10 years to the Eastern Army Aviation Training Site, serving in multiple key leadership positions, and ultimately as the EA EATS commander. Your performance in that position and now as a J-3 has demonstrated a strategic vision, something we really need in the midst of a radical revolution in military warfare. Your vision will carry us into the future. His career reflects a steady progression of well-earned promotions since being commissioned in 1999. From your beginnings as a platoon leader with Troop E, the 1st of the 104th Cavalry, who, if you ain't Cav, you ain't, we can't say the rest. He advanced through a wide range of command and staff roles into serving as battalion operations officer during the Afghanistan deployment. He is a committed, lifelong learner holding degrees from Penn State, Shippensburg University, in my district, and U.S. Army War College. His many awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Master Army Aviation Rating. These reflect both your professional excellence and dedication to our nation. From tactical platoon leadership to strategic brigade command, Colonel Lutz has consistently demonstrated exceptional judgment, character, and commitment. your experience and proven leadership make you exceptionally well prepared for Brigadier General. With that, it's time for questions.

Oh, sorry, I'm doing it again. Colonel, over to you for comments, and then Senator Dush for the first question.

Thank you, gentlemen. If a question is for the good of the, for every member, we'll start in the order that we begin. So, sir, we start with you, work your way down.

Thank you for the question, Senator. As a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard and the United States Army, I do swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States and support and defend it. As the senior... Officer, Commander of the 20th Infantry Division, obviously I'm the first line of defense for non-constitutional orders and unfortunately I have a significant amount of resources to help me understand orders that are constitutional, lawful or unlawful. So as a senior officer within the division, the primary guide path that I use is the support and and defend the Constitution of the United States, which is in my oath. Thank you.

Senator, thank you for the opportunity to answer such an important question regarding unlawful orders. And I made a note here just so that I could be as clear and concise as I possibly could be so that there was no misinterpretation, because I think the answer is really important for us. I'm sworn by oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and its citizens. And I will not follow orders or give orders that violate that oath or that are manifestly unlawful. Thank you.

Sir, I will follow and give orders that are in accordance with the Constitution of the United States. Only lawful orders. Thank you.

I would never either follow or encourage others to follow an unlawful order. Thank you.

Yes, Senators. I would only follow lawful orders. I would defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Thank you.

Good morning. Thank you all for being here. And certainly congratulations to General Pippi for assembling what I consider a very impressive team of officers and a leadership bench for the National Guard. Your records speak for themselves, and we're grateful for your work. As the committee, we are responsible for helping the National Guard be ready, prepared, and to serve at a moment's notice stateside or around the globe. So I always like to ask, what are your recommendations for our committee for the work that the Guard does? And are there things that you believe that we're helping you with that prepare your soldiers? Are there things that you would like us to consider? I know I hear often about the educational programs that we offer things of that nature just a general question how can we help you be better prepared to serve our Commonwealth and our nation Thank you Thank you for the question Senator and thank you for the interest in ensuring that we do the best for our soldiers and families in the Pennsylvania National Guard. You know, at this point, I believe that I can speak for the 20th Infantry Division

Thank you, Senator, for affording me the opportunity to answer that question right now.

Senator, thank you for the question.

Thank you, Senator, for the question.

Colonel, that's over to you.

Thank you, Senator Mastriano, for the opportunity to ask that question. And it gives us a chance to thank you and Senator Muth and the committee for your leadership in advancing our work on behalf of the Guard. And so to all the families who wear the uniform of service with you, thank you. And congratulations. We are very proud to have a deep bench and a leadership team that makes us proud. Congratulations. Thank you, Senator. Senator Pennycook. Thank you, Chair. Congratulations to all of you. I have never served in the Pennsylvania National Guard, but I have served downrange beside Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, and I've always been impressed. And General Pippi has done a phenomenal job of putting together an amazing leadership team. And Colonel Lloyd, God love you for coming from Louisiana. I did that for many years as my active duty husband would be stationed in one place and my reserve unit was somewhere else. And I get on the back of a C and any seat I could get to get there So thank you for coming to Pennsylvania One of the issues that I see that continues to plague our veteran community and many of the Pennsylvania National Guardsmen are veterans of combat tours is untreated PTSD, untreated military sexual trauma, and a non-stop suicide problem. And everything, the Commonwealth, as well as the country have tried to reduce veteran suicide, nothing's working. What do you want to see happen? Or what can we do to help you to bring down veteran suicide among our National Guardsmen? And it's a tough question, and it's an uncomfortable question. But at the end of the day, every soldier that we miss and that either attempts suicide or is successful in a suicide is a soldier that we let down. And I want to see if there's something that the committee can do to support you in taking care of those soldiers in their worst moment. We want to do that. So I'm open to suggestions. Thank you for the question, Senator. Yes, for sure, suicide, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and these issues are significant problems for us in the Pennsylvania National Guard, and really honestly in our communities also. There are a lot of programs that exist that help us to work through those, but from my standpoint, the key aspect in order to be able to get on top of these problems but also to deal with these problems when they exist is through communication and being a good battle buddy to each other. And I think the sense of community that we try to build within the Pennsylvania National Guard helps us to be able to communicate with each other and to identify problems before they occur. And a lot of that occurs through small unit training, battalions being able to train together as groups and people becoming battle buddies with each other and understanding each other outside of – in their lives outside of just what we do on a drill weekend in the Guard. So I appreciate the question. The programs do exist. I think it's just on all of us to be better battle buddies and better teammates and to understand where each of us are in the in the Pennsylvania National Guard and on our units. Thank you, Senator. I don't know if I can answer it any better than General Lutz just did, but I would agree that there still remains a stigma, I believe, amongst some of our service members about reaching out for help when it comes to mental health. as as leaders what are i think is very important for us to do is to ensure that we're we're daily combating that stigma and we're we're working to ensure that resources are pushed down to the lowest level that we can push them down to so the soldiers have access to them at the lowest unit level that we can possibly get it to I think that we've got to be proactive and explore different ways that we can maybe embed our behavioral health resources. They're limited that we have access to, but to ensure that we get those down again to the soldier level so that our service members have access to them. I don't have any specific recommendations on what the committee could do to help support that effort, but I just see that being some of the important. important job that we have to do as senior leaders of this organization. Thank you. Senator, this is a tough question, as you acknowledge, and it's very nuanced. Each specific individual that experiences trauma, whether it be post-traumatic trauma or related to sexual trauma, it's different, and how they react is different, and their community is different. And so I think each one needs to be addressed individually, and it is that communication, those existing programs, and I think the continued support and resourcing of those continued programs is really the key to that success. I had a similar question recently because each time we have a suicide or some sort of trauma, we do investigations. And I had to brief a family member on the results of the investigation from that individual's suicide. And I got a similar question from the mother and the spouse of that individual. And I tried to answer it in the same way. It's just an individual approach. What we do is, when we do our investigations or we look at the incident, We are very diligent in capturing what can we do differently for this individual or that individual or in a similar situation. And communicating those findings, making sure that those findings find their way into programs and find their way to change, if you will, is the best way to do that. So just continue support, and we have to continue to support our soldiers in finding those issues and communicating them and getting programmatic change. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. So this, I think, it is a very tough question. And we've been trying to add resources nationally, locally, at the state level for years. And I think in some ways, you know, we have a process in the Pennsylvania National Guard when a soldier confesses to maybe his leadership about suicidal ideations, it gets reported up. And so we see them frequently. And I think that sometimes you see that in units. You think, wow, this unit has a lot of suicidal ideations. No, they're reporting a lot of suicidal ideations, which means that those soldiers feel comfortable in coming forward. And it's really the ones that aren't getting reported. Or we find out later, like, that they did say something to someone, but no one followed through with it to let anybody know. And, you know, there's perhaps some resources that we could put into for families. Like, if a family of a soldier knows the soldier or airman is having struggles, how does the family net let us know that they're struggling and then we can kind of intervene? Because sometimes it's things we are inadvertently doing to that soldier. Maybe we're delaying their bonus payment now. They're struggling for money or we're not paying their tuition. And now they're struggling with that. So perhaps ways to connect families better to us through both maybe resources at the local level as well as at our level so that those families know it's not just some 1-800 number that they see on a billboard, but it's local people helping local people. And so maybe with a modicum or resources to perhaps put a few people into a job to do that, to be that voice that knows soldier in this unit in, you know, Lewistown, Pennsylvania, these are the people that they need to call in the PA Guard to help them with that. And then kind of do the same thing on the veteran side, because not everybody not every 700 veterans they not all from the Pennsylvania National Guard and I think one of the things too that I believe you going to discuss today is about the Special Incentive Program Special Branch Incentive Program, to add chaplains and JAGs. You know, we're under strength in our chaplains who are an important resource when soldiers are struggling. It's not just all about the faith part. It's also about the empathy and ability to handle those soldiers. And so, you know, allowing us ways to incentivize more chaplains to spend time away from their personal flocks to come help us would be also beneficial in trying to help get after some of the things we're trying to change. Thank you. Senator Lutz online, over to you. Thank you, Senator. Yes, an extremely challenging question, as most of my colleagues have previously addressed. And I do believe it comes down to significant resources that must be energized across the state to bolster the capabilities that we currently have in place. So, you know, throughout the long Iraq and Iran, I'm sorry, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars from all of the veterans that we saw come back with PTSD or service members that did have a military sexual trauma related activity, we've learned a lot of lessons. And I think that a lot of the cognitive processing therapies and the prolonged exposure therapies have found significant success. I think we're blessed in the state of Pennsylvania where we have a large J-9 staff. And as part of the joint staff, I have interaction with that team daily, and they're remarkable for what they do to the 70,000 service members that we have across the state of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that are here. And to Colonel O'Connor's point, there are lots of service members who separate from service, settle in the state of Pennsylvania, go to veterans facilities to seek specialized VA and community resource care. And so it's a multifaceted approach to a complex problem where I think we continue to provide substantial resources that can deal with the nuances associated with each specific incident or event that a service member has dealt with that needs to be able to walk through that process to begin the healing. As a brigade commander, I was blessed to have a team of professionals surrounding me to include the chaplain and a culture and a climate that was open. And to one of my other colleagues reporting statements that, yes, there are lots of folks that that may report or don't report. But the fact that we do have increased reporting demonstrates trust, and then it allows us as leaders with our team members to surround that service member with the proper care that they may need for early intervention to get the help that they may need that they didn't know that existed. I do believe there's opportunities for us when we have post-deployment reintegration activities where we allow the service member to come back home, they get reintegrated, they do some assessments, and then we bring the family members together. I think there's probably some room for growth where we could energize some additional resources to expand those programs so that it's not just a once and done activity, so that we can begin to be able to facilitate greater capability in that space. Thank you. Thank you. General Pippey. Thank you Mr Chairman I wasn planning on speaking but this issue is so important to us I thought it would be appropriate just to share with the committee some of the things we done over the last 20 months or so specific to suicide prevention as well as sexual trauma We hosted the first ever joint hearing at Valley Forge at our last VetCon. And one of the things we identified was not only do we have 18,000 Pennsylvania Guardsmen with some of these challenges, but as has been mentioned, the 700,000 veterans in our Commonwealth. And so we immediately started thinking, how do we connect those resources? Because too many times we've been looking at this in a silo. Military was looking at military resources, veterans looking at veterans. So what we're doing now is we actually have the DMVA under General Weigel working very closely with the J-9 that was mentioned by Randy Lutz, our family services, our sexual assault, our suicide prevention teams. And we are making sure that regardless of what component you're in, active duty guard or reserve, if you're in Pennsylvania, we can help you get to those resources. The other thing is I read every one of those reports, investigations when we lose a life. and in that report is recommendations we should be doing. And I had asked, well, how do we track those recommendations? So what we do now is we actually have a checklist, and we're going down this checklist of every recommendation from an investigating officer. Can we implement it? If we can't implement it, why haven't we done it yet? It's really a systems approach. So this is something I know that a lot of the members on your committee care about and happy to provide more information, But just wanted to tell the committee the questions you've been asked and have impacted how we're doing. And thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Senator Penny Cook. Thank you all for your very thoughtful responses. Two things came out that I'm it's touched my heart and it makes me feel a little old because you said battle buddy. And that's what I used to do with my soldiers. How's your battle buddy? I didn't ask how you are. How's your battle buddy? So now I'm definitely aging myself. And you talked about communication, and that is so critical, because sometimes the smallest comment will come out. But the fact that you're looking at your first and second star and you're still looking at Battle Buddy and communication tells me that you are on the right track. And you're thinking about soldiers and you're thinking about their well-being. So thank you so much for the thoughtful response and congratulations. Pennsylvania is very blessed to have you all, and I thank you for what you do for our Commonwealth. Thank you, Senator. I do have a question, but I'm going to make it rhetorical here just to save time because this is like something I would ask at the war college when I was a professor there. But we are in the midst of a revolution in military affairs. We talked about it in my office briefly. And how to think about war is completely different than when I was a professor 10 years ago. Just 10 years ago, it's all changed, as we see in Ukraine and in Iran, but largely in Ukraine and the adaption that Ukraine has done to stay in the fight and actually take the initiative back from Russia. Incredible. Defied all odds. You know, we've seen how new technology, when adapted by a well-thinking foe, can change just the shape of warfare. The French Army in 1914 wanted to refight 1870. Audacity, attack, attack, attack. La das, la das, tujirs, la das, you know, always attack. And when the war broke out in 1914, there was Lieutenant Charles de Gaulle leading his platoon with a regiment across a bridge on the Dynat River into Belgium to hit the German flank, to throw the German Schieffern Plan out of order. But then the German machine guns opened fire and De Gaulle was hitting the leg and he watched his entire regiment fade away the last man charging as they were trained And he said there was no amount of fighting warrior spirit that could get us across that bridge because the Germans had adapted quicker And I would ask, all your positions vary in your assignments, but I think in every position you're in a position to think about war and help us to adapt. When we were stuck in the Hedgerow country in 1944 after the Normandy invasion, which celebration just passed us by, the Hedgerows were stopping our attacks. And a sergeant, Cullen, came up with the idea of using the obstacles on the beach that Rommel put out there to destroy our landing craft and chop those up and put those on as teeth in front of our tanks to break through Hedgerow country. A sergeant came up with that idea. The way we fight war today was revolutionized by a French captain in 1914. I say this. It wasn't the colleges aren't always ahead. The schools aren't always ahead of their time. We're there to try to catch it. But Andrew Lafar wrote a book on how we need to go to small unit tactics instead of lining up men with bugles and banners and flags and hey diddle diddle up the middle. And the Germans saw that and they came up with the storm troop ideas. And then we have that methodology in our infantry even to this day. So I'd ask you as we take this vote in a moment that you think ahead, even though you might not be in a position specifically designated to thinking about war with this revolution going on. Think about it and submit your ideas out there. So when we send our sons and daughters, my son is in the great 28th division. I want him to fight ahead of the enemy and not be called up like we see with the Russians today behind the enemy. Thank you. And so with that, I move to report all the officers to put promotions with a favorable recommendation. Senator Booth seconds. And Brooks, thank you. Any discussion? Thank you. We will now take an official roll call. Nate, please call the roll. Aye. Brooks? Aye. Dush? Proxy, aye. Kane? Proxy, aye. Langerholt? Proxy, aye. Booth? Aye. Penny Cook? She has proxy. Proxy, aye. Ms. Catano? Proxy, aye. Williams? Roxy aye. Board? Roxy aye. And Masteryana. Aye. Congratulations. By unanimous vote, the committee has reported your nomination with a favorable recommendation. Your nomination now proceeds to the full Senate. I wish you and your family all the best and success in the years that lay ahead. God bless you each. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you. and Senators, if we could push in for a group shot. Well-flagged monument in the East Wing Rotunda. I thank Senator Martin and the local Moose Club for working on this project. Senator Martin is not available. Are there any questions or comments on the bill? Are there any... I move to move the bill. Senator Baker seconds. Thank you, Senator Baker. The motion to report Senate Bill 1303 is committed. Are there any negative votes? Seeing none and hearing none. Senate Bill 1303 is reported as committed. Next is Senate Bill 1355, which would establish a pilot program providing financial support for entities like Aurelius and Harrisburg that are providing neurorehabilitative therapies for veterans struggling with TBI, which was addressed today, PTSD, et cetera. I am offering an amendment. It's Alpha 03814, which would switch roles, tasking the Department of Health with taking a lead, and DMVA in support. I move that we move the amendment Senator Baker seconds it. Are there any questions on the amendment? Are there any negative votes? Seeing none and hearing none. The amendment is adopted. I move that we report Senate Bill 1355 as amended. And Senator Baker seconds the motion. Are there any comments or questions on the amended bill? Senator Muth. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Department of Health, we were reaching out since your amendment changed who was overseeing it from DMV to the Department of Health to make sure that they were okay with what was being proposed. And they're not opposed. They don't really have a position at this point, and I share their concerns about the funding mechanism for this legislation. There isn't one. So I don't know if you've had conversations with your leadership, like how we planned on funding this. So that's number one. The clarity of treatment, the definition might need to be changed in terms of its consistency with the activities contemplated within the purpose of the grant. That's their words, not mine, from the Department of Health. The staffing, they will need more staffing to be able to, or the ability to contract so that this grant can be implemented, especially within the three-year turnaround that's part of your legislation. also the eligible entities. There are some institutions and providers that do do this, but the legislation references nonprofit organizations, and they are still researching how many options are within that nonprofit category. So I was going to vote no, but I'm going to offer that I can support this, but I think that we should just have a hearing on the bill before it goes to the floor to have this discussion. I think it's a good idea. I just think, obviously, the funding piece and then who could be a part of this grant in terms of the providers. So I can support it now, but hopefully you'll have a hearing. Thank you, Senator. We got the same communication. Appreciate what the Department of Health put out there. Certainly the funding, we're talking about a $450,000 a year for a three-year period, and we're hopeful of working through that within the budget exercise on that front. And also, obviously, the bill changes from the DMVA to Department of Health. And we'll certainly work with Senator Brooks as chair of the Health Committee on that front to make sure that we're addressing all these issues. Thank you. Any other discussions? Are there any negative votes? Seeing none and hearing none, Senate Bill 1355 is reported as amended. I want to go back to December 1061. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Penny Cook. I call up Senate Bill 1061. Thanks for running across the building to join us here. And then House Bill 2024. Both bills aim to implement a recommendation of the Joint State Government Commission study on women's veterans' health care. They would task the MVA with ensuring that the county directors of veteran affairs are trained specifically on this sort of care. And I would like to now recognize Senator Pennyhook to describe the legislation for us. Very important bill. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Mastriano and Chairwoman Muth for consideration of 1061. Veterans often face very unique challenges as a result of their service placing them at a higher risk for post traumatic stress disorder traumatic brain injury military sexual trauma and even suicide These complex needs require specific informed care from those who support our veterans, even outside of VA health care. Our county directors of Veterans Affairs provide crucial supports and services to veterans in their communities. However, in current practice, county directors of Veterans Affairs are not statutorily required to receive training on PTSD, TBI, MST, or suicide. Senate Bill 1061 and House Bill 2024 will close the gap by requiring county directors of Veterans Affairs to receive this crucial training to ensure they have the necessary knowledge to better support our veterans. This is a result of Senate Resolution 46 from last session, which established the task force on women veterans' health care. I believe this is a common-sense measure that ensures that those who support veterans have the tools they need to provide effective and comprehensive care. I appreciate affirmative vote. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Senator. Any questions on the bill? Senator Baker. Thank you very much for your work. Is there a best management practice or curriculum that would be part of sharing with them? Or would you see this as an annual training done by DMVA? Or how best would that information be shared? And is there something that already exists? So the training would be part of their certification process through DMVA. So it would just be added into the current curriculum. Thank you. Senator Pennecourt moves that we report Senate Bill 1061 as committed. Senator Mooth. Seconds the notion. Are there any negative votes on the bill? Seeing none and hearing none. Senate Bill 1061 is reported as committed. Dang it. Next, I'd like to call up House Bill 2024, the House companion measure sponsored by Representative Melissa Schusterman. and we're glad to see Representative Sherman here as well. Thank you for joining us. Please, over to you. Thank you to Chairs Mastriana and Muth for the opportunity to speak on my bill. And I want to extend my gratitude and appreciation to Senator Penny Cook for her work on Senate Bill 1061 and for her guidance as House Bill 2024 was created. I would also like to thank Chair Solomon and his staff from the House Veteran Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee for their support and efforts. I'm also grateful for Donna Shuren for serving as my co-prime sponsor. As both the senator and my co-sponsor are veterans, I value their perspective and advocacy as they both have brought to this bill and the Senate bill. And finally, I wish to extend my appreciation to the Penn State Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness for their staff's support of my work on military sexual trauma awareness. With nearly 700,000 veterans living in our Commonwealth, it incredibly important to ensure that the resources and supports we provide to our veterans are effective and that the staff supporting them are best equipped to meet their needs I appreciate the committee being willing to consider House Bill 2024. Thank you to both of the chairs. Please. Thank you and good morning, Chairman Mastriano, Chairman Muth and members of the committee. Thanks for inviting me here today, and thanks to Rep Schusterman for allowing me to be co-prime on House Bill 2024. When solid legislation like Senate Bill 1061 by Senator Penny Cook is crafted, it only makes good sense to run a companion bill in the House to help get it across the finish line. Because I don't know all that's involved when treating our veterans that suffer from a brain injury, PTSD or sexual trauma resulting from their service, it's important that we turn to legislators that have lived it in order to make sure the care for our veterans is where it needs to be. I thank all of you for your consideration of House Bill 2024, and especially Senator Penny Cook for bringing this issue to the forefront. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Any questions? Senator Moves that we report House Bill 2024 is committed and seconded by Senator Pennycook. Are there any negative votes on the bill? Seeing none and hearing none, House Bill 2024 is reported as committed. Thank you for joining us today. It's nice to see you. next I call up Senate Resolution 326 which would urge Congress to posthumously award the Congressional Medal of Honor to Major Richard Winters we know him from Band of Brothers specifically in recognition of his actions at the Hedderen Crossroads in Holland in 1944 during Operation Market Garden Major Winters avoided an ambush and led a bayonet assault with 35 men against a company more than 250 of Germany's best troops, these SS Waffen troops. His actions led to the German company sustaining more than 160 casualties while only one American lost their life. There is a time limit to medals and honors. Congress waived that recently to recognize the Special Forces, a Marine, Force Recon Marine, this past weekend, where President Trump awarded him a long overdue medal of honor. So this is appropriate that we encourage Congress to do the same for our own hometown boy major winners. So I move that we report Senate Resolution 326 as committed. Senator Pennycook seconds. Are there any comments or questions? Are there any negative votes? Seeing none and hearing none, Senate Resolution 326 is reported as committed. This is the last one. Finally, thank you for staying with us on this marathon today. So clean up is House Bill 1102, sponsored by Representative Christopher Pielli. Thanks for joining us. Earlier this session, we advanced Senator Hutchinson's Senate Bill 308, updating the incentives under the Educational Assistance Program for Medical Specialists. Representative Pielli is here to refresh us. Over to you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, members of this committee. More than a decade ago, Pennsylvania created the Medical Officer and Health Officer Incentive Program to help bring highly qualified medical professionals into the Pennsylvania National Guard. It's worked. In fact some medical officer positions have reached 100 percent fill rates because of this program However the Pennsylvania National Guard continues to face challenges recruiting and retaining professionals in some of its most specialized and demanding roles. At the same time, the cost of earning the advanced degrees, the certifications, and the professional credentials needed for those positions continue to rise. While the existing program has helped strengthen our medical ranks, other critical positions remain severely understaffed. For example, currently, Pennsylvania National Guard JAG officer positions are only about 52 percent filled, and chaplain positions are just about 37 percent filled. So that's why I'm supporting legislation to address these dire shortages with House Bill 1102 as a companion bill to Senator Hutchinson, who I have to take the moment out to thank him for his efforts on this. his Senate Bill 308. This legislation requested by the Pennsylvania National Guard builds on a program that has already proven in its value. It expands eligibility to include additional medical and health care officers, as well as judge advocate general officers and chaplains and professionals whose expertise is essential to the readiness and well-being of our service members. These are not easy positions to fill. Chaplains often leave behind congregations to serve, and deployments can place real strains on smaller faith communities. Medical professionals and JAG officers frequently step away from successful civilian careers and significant earnings, putting strains on both their clients and their patients in addition to their families. What all these roles have in common is that they require extensive education, specialized training, and a commitment that goes above and beyond what is expected of most officers. This bill recognizes that reality by modernizing and expanding the incentive program so that it better reflects the qualifications these positions demand. At its heart, House Bill 1102 is about making sure the Pennsylvania National Guard can continue attracting and retaining the talented professionals it needs to remain strong, ready, and capable of serving our Commonwealth and our great nation. I want to thank Senator Hutchinson for his partnership on this effort, and I respectfully ask for an affirmative vote. I also would like to thank the members of not only this committee, but the House Committee of Veteran Affairs and Emergency Preparedness. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Any questions on the bill? Senator Brooks.

Thank you, Senator. Thank you. I have a technical amendment, Amendment Alpha 03812, which would update the bill to 2027. I move it.

Are there any negative votes on the amendment? Seeing none and hearing none, the amendment is adopted. I move their report. House Bill 1102 is amended.

Are there any comments or questions on the amended bill? Are there any negative votes? Seeing none and hearing none, House Bill 1102 is reported as committed. Thank you, guys. We made it.

Thank you, Senators. I now recess the Veterans Affairs Merchant Preparedness Committee to the call of the chair. Thank you.