May 17, 2024

The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III The Honorable Christine Wormuth

Secretary of Defense Secretary of the United States Army
1000 Defense Pentagon 101 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301 Washington, DC 20310

Dear Secretary Austin and Secretary Wormuth,

I write today to express my disappointment regarding the repeated cancellations of briefings that
have been scheduled to discuss the reported reprogramming of funds away from the U.S. Army
Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE) at Fort Novosel, AL. As the Member of Congress
representing the area that includes Fort Novosel, it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure the
transparency and accountability of federal funding, but it is also my duty to respond to
constituent concerns.
As you may know, there have been press reports and leaked emails of a potential reprogramming
designed to provide aid for Ukraine and other foreign countries.1 These reports are gravely
concerning, and our office has received hundreds of pieces of correspondence since this incident
was brought to our attention over two weeks ago.
We have been in contact with the Army Liaison over the past two weeks to seek answers on this
issue. They agreed to provide the Alabama Congressional delegation with briefings on this topic,
but these briefings have been cancelled on two separate occasions. It is imperative for Members
of Congress to receive timely and accurate information to make informed decisions, especially
those that could impact national security and the local economy.
Fort Novosel provides thousands of jobs for my constituents and plays a vital role in our national
security. As you are aware, USAACE trains most of the Army’s aviators and provides training
programs for select foreign military officials. As such, it is critical that the Army’s aviators
possess the necessary training and expertise to conduct their jobs effectively.
My constituents, many of whom make up Fort Novosel’s active-duty personnel and support staff,
have the right to know the truth. To that end, we hereby demand an explanation for the reasons
behind the cancellations of two separate briefings, but also a formal briefing with DASA-BU,
HQDA 3/5/7, OSD, and any additional elements that have insight into this issue.

1
Britt, Moore respond to claims of funding being pulled from Fort Novosel to aid Ukraine: 'No dollars have been
diverted' (1819news.com)
To avoid any unnecessary delay, I ask that you please direct your staff to work with my National
Security Advisor, Christian Gentile, by calling my office at (202) 225-2901. Thank you for your
prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Barry Moore
Member of Congress