To require a report on enabling capabilities for Special Operations forces.

SA 1758. Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Wicker) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1390, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 429 between lines 8 and 9, insert the following:

SEC. 1073. REPORT ON ENABLING CAPABILITIES FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES.

(a) Report Required.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command, jointly with the commanders of the combatant commands and the chiefs of the services, shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a report on the availability of enabling capabilities to support special operations forces requirements.

(b) Matters to Be Included.--The report required under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) An identification of the requirements for enabling capabilities for conventional forces and special operations forces globally, including current and projected needs in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other theaters of operation.

(2) A description of the processes used to prioritize and allocate enabling capabilities to meet the mission requirements of conventional forces and special operations forces.

(3) An identification and description of any shortfalls in enabling capabilities for special operations forces by function, region, and quantity, as determined by the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command and the commanders of the geographic combatant commands.

(4) An assessment of the current inventory of these enabling capabilities within the military departments and components and the United States Special Operations Command.

(5) An assessment of whether there is a need to create additional enabling capabilities by function and quantity.

(6) An assessment of the merits of creating additional enabling units, by type and quantity--

(A) within the military departments; and

(B) within the United States Special Operations Command.

(7) Recommendations for meeting the current and future enabling force requirements of the United States Special Operations Command, including an assessment of the increases in endstrength, equipment, funding, and military construction that would be required to support these recommendations.

(8) Any other matters the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command, the commanders of the combatant commands, and the chiefs of the services consider useful and relevant.

(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after receiving the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall forward the report to the congressional defense committees with any additional comments the Secretary considers appropriate.