Aviation leaders from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy have urged Congress to authorize a stable budget for the Defense Department to support the readiness of military aviators, DoD News reported Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Mark Nowland, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, said at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s readiness subcommittee that President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget will establish the foundation to boost aviation readiness and joint lethality.

Nowland added that continuing resolutions and budget caps will reverse the progress of military aviation units.

Maj. Gen. William Gayler, commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence, told lawmakers that the Army aviation might face future readiness challenges due to force structure reductions, increased global requirements, budget uncertainty and higher training needs.

Budget constraints have also affected the retention and career progression of naval aviators because overseas deployments of aircraft leave non-deployed squadrons with an insufficient number of jets, stated Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval Air Forces.

Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation, also called on Congress for consistent funds since the Marine Corps relies on modernization and repair to recover its aviation readiness.

U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein have said the military branch needs a stable budget to conduct national security efforts.

Wilson told reporters during the State of the Air Force Address held Tuesday at the Pentagon the branch seeks to restore readiness and modernize forces while it continues efforts to promote innovation, develop leaders and bolster America’s relationships with U.S. allies, the Air Force said Thursday.

“The fiscal 2018 continuing resolution is actually delaying our efforts to increase the readiness of the force, and risk accumulates over time,” she said.

At the event, Goldfein and Wilson also urged Congress to approve funds necessary for the branch to sustain its global operations.

The Air Force noted it will provide equipment and support services to Lebanon, Bahrain, Norway and Israel before the end of the year.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved the nominations of Thomas Modly as undersecretary of the U.S. Navy and James Geurts as acquisition chief at the service branch, USNI News reported Thursday.

Modly, a former Navy helicopter pilot, concurrently serves as managing director at PwC’s national security practice and global government defense network leader of the company.

Geurts currently holds the acquisition executive position at the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Both nominees were called to testify before SASC on Tuesday to answer questions from committee members regarding their visions about Navy spending on F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier.

The appointments of Modly and Geurts are subject to a final vote in the full Senate.

The Defense Department plans to reform its personnel vetting system once it assumes control of background investigations for DoD employees and contractors from the Office of Personnel Management, DoD News reported Thursday.

Garry Reid, DoD director for defense intelligence and security, said the current system faces a huge backlog that has resulted in a shortage of cleared defense contractors and a loss of potential new hires with “highly desired” technical skills.

He added that 93,000 DoD cases are currently waiting in line for top-secret investigation.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 directed DoD to develop plans for taking over background investigations from OPM.

Defense Secretary James Mattis approved the plan in August, with a goal to complete the transition in three years.

Reid noted that the plan will involve a “full resetting of process and procedures” that require modernization and system reform.

A compromise version of the 2018 defense policy bill would allow the U.S. Navy to acquire 13 ships — higher than the Trump administration’s request for eight vessels, Defense News reported Wednesday.

Earlier this week, a joint House-Senate conference committee agreed on a compromise National Defense Authorization Act that includes $692 billion in fiscal 2018 Defense Department funds.

The committee agreed to authorize three littoral combat ships proposed by the House Armed Services Committee and added a destroyer, an amphibious transport dock, an expeditionary sea base and a cable ship.

The bill would also fund the repairs of destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain, which were involved in separate collisions in summer.

Congress is slated to review and approve the compromise NDAA in coming weeks.