Over the past three years, the Defense Department's budget has increased from $700 billion to $850 billion.

On Tuesday, Mike McCord, undersecretary of defense (comptroller), provided the keynote address at the Professional Services Council's 2024 Vision Federal Market Forecast Conference.

"This [budget increase] has allowed us to keep retention strong despite record low unemployment for the all-volunteer force, including a 15% pay raise over that period while investing record amounts in capabilities in procurement and research and development," he said in prepared remarks.

"New tools and initiatives expanded our playing field, capabilities and the industrial base" over the last several years, he said. These include the Office of Strategic Capital; the Defense Innovation Unit; Replicator; the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, multiyear contracts for munitions; and planning, programming, budgeting and execution reform work with Congress.

Headwinds over the last three years faced by the department included the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to telework and hybrid work across the U.S., record low unemployment, post-COVID inflation and a series of continuing resolutions that hampered modernization and readiness, he said.

McCord said he hopes the next Congress and administration will value the talent and dedication of the civil service workforce in the interest of national security.

"To those who would argue we did too much in Ukraine, the Pacific or the Middle East, I would say, we defended our friends and our interests in all three regions, as you'd expect the leader of the free world to do," the comptroller said.

Lastly, McCord stressed the need for the U.S. to work closely with allies and partners in order to leverage their strength and shared values.