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US. GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
GP
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
U.S. SENATE,
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS,
Washington, DC.
NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES
[CLERK'S NOTE.-The subcommittee was unable to hold hearings
on nondepartmental witnesses. The statements and letters of those
submitting written testimony are as follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
The American Psychological Association (APA) is a scientific and professional or-
ganization of more than 115,000 psychologists and affiliates.
For decades, psychologists have played vital roles within the Department of De-
fense (DoD), as providers of clinical services to military personnel and their families,
and as scientific researchers investigating mission-targeted issues ranging from air-
plane cockpit design to counter-terrorism to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). More than ever before, psychologists today bring
unique and critical expertise to meeting the needs of our military and its personnel.
APA's testimony focuses on (1) reversing Administration cuts to the overall DoD
Science and Technology (S&T) budget; (2) maintaining support for important behav-
ioral sciences research within DoD; (3) continuing support for defense health re-
search; and (4) addressing TRICARE cuts and contractor issues regarding mental
health treatment.
(1) Reverse Fiscal Year 2018 Proposed Cuts to DoD Science & Technology Account
In line with the Coalition for National Security Research (CNSR), of which APA
is one of 90 member organizations, we urge the Subcommittee to reverse the Admin-
istration's proposed step backwards and instead provide $14.5 billion for DoD over-
all S&T in fiscal year 2018.
APA is concerned that the Administration's fiscal year 2018 request slashes the
overall defense science and technology account (S&T) by 5.8 percent. Across the
board, except for an increase in Navy basic (6.1) research, all of the critical Army,
Navy, and Air Force basic and applied research (6.2) and advanced technology devel-
opment (6.3) accounts would be cut. Within the Army research program alone,
greater than 20 percent of both Army applied and advanced technology research
support would be slashed in fiscal year 2018. Though APA is pleased to see the Ad-
ministration propose a healthy 9.7 percent increase in fiscal year 2018 for the De-
fense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), this Presidential Budget Re-
quest fails to advance vital research throughout DoD, and the request would dimin-
ish our Nation's ability to keep up with scientific and technological innovations.
(2) Maintain Support for DoD Behavioral Science Research in Fiscal Year 2018
-People are the heart of all military efforts. People operate the available weap-
onry and technology, and they constitute a complex military system composed
of teams and groups at multiple levels. Scientific research on human behavior
is crucial to the military because it provides knowledge about how people work
together and use weapons and technology to extend and amplify their forces.
-Human Behavior in Military Contexts
-Report of the National Research Council
Just as a large number of psychologists provide high-quality clinical services to
our military service members stateside and abroad (and their families), psycho-
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