DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION

ON THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES

> SUBJECT: AIR FORCE RESERVE: A COMMAND PERSPECTIVE

STATEMENT OF: LIEUTENTANT GENERAL JOHN A. BRADLEY

CHIEF, AIR FORCE RESERVE AND

> COMMANDER, AIR FORCE RESERVE COMMAND

19 July 2006

NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNTIL RELEASED

BY THE COMISSION ON THE NATIONAL GUARD

AND RESERVES

Chairman Punaro, and distinguished members of the Commission, I
appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today. I want to thank
you for taking the time to collect the thoughts and impressions of the
Commanders and Directors of our nation's reserve components. I am proud
to appear before you today representing the nearly seventy-four thousand
men and women of our United States Air Force Reserve.

I recently published my Vision for the future of the Air Force reserve
to be an integral part of the Air Force team -- One Air Force, Same
Fight. My vision is, and will continue to be, that the Air Force Reserve
provide the world's best mutual support to the Air Force and our joint
partners -- flying and fighting as an Unrivaled Wingman.

As a federal force we share the same missions and priorities as the
Regular Air Force. We train to the same standards as the regular
component. We will integrate at all levels of the Air Force to provide
flexible, tailored, and adaptive ways to fight alongside other Air Force
components. We will populate Air Force equipment, cockpits and ramps to
best serve the mission -- focus less on who 'owns' the equipment and
more on maximizing warfighter effects. We will continue to provide the
most highly motivated, ethical, trained, and experienced Airmen in the
world.

As we look towards the future, I think we should have a solid
understanding of where we've been in the past and how we arrived at
where we are today. I believe it is helpful to give a brief review of
the legislation and history of how the Air Force Reserve came into
being.

The beginnings of the Air Force Reserve can be traced back to the era of
WWI. With the passage of the National Defense Act of 1916, the Aviation
Section of the Signal Reserve Corps was established with 296 officers
and 2,000 enlisted personnel as the first Air Reservists. The Air Force
Reserve came into being in 1946 when thousands of veterans accepted
appointment or enlistment in the Army Air Forces Reserve. The Air Force
Reserve was formally created on 14 April 1948. Although established at
that point in time, the legislation that has shaped the Air Force
Reserve organization as we know it today is as follows:

[Army and Air Force Vitalization and Retirement Equalization Act of
1948]{.underline}

The purpose of the bill was threefold:

> a\. To establish a permanent and more expeditious method of
> eliminating excess officers of the Regular Army and the Regular Air
> Force;
>
> b\. To place the personnel of the Army and the Air Force on a par with
> personnel of the Navy, insofar as (1) years of service required for
> voluntary longevity retirement and (2) retirement in the highest
> temporary rank;
>
> c\. The establishment of longevity retirement benefits for members of
> the Reserve components predicated both on time spent on active duty
> and satisfactory service performed during periods of inactive duty.

The act raised the number of years for a regular Army and Air Force
retirement from 15 to 20 years. It also extended the privilege of
retirement to Reserve members who attained the age of 60, completed 20
years of satisfactory Federal service and completed the last 8 years of
qualifying service (Title 10, United States Code, (U. S. C.), Section
1331 now 12731). Further, the act established the concept of the
anniversary or retention/retirement (R/R) date, and defined the minimum
point requirement for a year of satisfactory Federal service (Title 10,
U. S. C., Section 1332, now 12732). The primary purpose of the Reserve
retirement was to provide an inducement to members of Reserve components
to remain active in the Reserve over a long period, thereby providing a
better-trained and more ready Reserve to meet the needs of our
national-defense structure.

**[Air Force Organization Act of 1951 (PL 82-150) (19 Sep
51)]{.underline}**

\- Stated that the purpose of the Air Force Reserve is to provide a
reserve for the active duty

\- Established that the Air Force Reserve consists of all reserves of
the Air Force who are not members of the National Guard of the United
States

The Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1952 (PL 82-476) (9 Jul 52)

The first piece of legislation ever passed that pertained exclusively to
the reserve forces. The primary purpose of the bill was to bring
together, to the greatest extent practicable, in one statute the great
number of laws relating to the Reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, enacted during the past decades.
The secondary purpose of the bill was to enact, on a basis that is
applicable to all the Armed Forces uniformly, certain new provisions of
law, which were necessary to correct existing defects in policies or
practices relating to the Reserve and the individual members.

\- Established Ready, Standby, and Retired Reserve categories

\- Established promotion standards for participating reservists

\- Made reserve officer appointments indefinite

Reserve Forces Act of 1955 (PL 84-305) (9 Aug 55)

\- Authorized enlistment of non-prior service personnel into Reserve
units

> \- Authorized the president to call a portion of the Ready Reserve to
> active

duty without advance Congressional approval

> \- Provided for screening of ready reserve personnel to ensure
>
> availability/skill training

**[Public Law 90-168, Title 10, United States Code, (U. S. C.), Section
262, *Enacted 1 December 1967. *]{.underline}**

Title 10, United States Code, (U. S. C.), Section 262 stated "The
purpose of each reserve component is to provide trained units and
qualified persons available for active duty in the armed forces, in time
of war or national emergency and at such other times as the national
security requires, to fill the needs of the armed forces whenever,
*during and after the period needed to procure and train additional
units and qualified persons to achieve the planned mobilization*, more
units and persons are needed than are in the regular components," (the
italicized text was deleted in the FY05 NDAA.

\- Created Office of Air Force Reserve under the Chief of Air Force
Reserve, a

reserve officer recalled to active duty

> \- Created the Air Force Reserve Forces Policy Committee on ANG and
> USAFR matters
>
> \- Made Secretary of the Air Force responsible for providing resources

necessary to enable reserve units to meet mobilization and training

> requirements

\- Established and authorized the personnel strength of the Selected
Reserve

\- Mandated units in both components (Guard and Reserve)

**[Public Law 104-201, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 1997, *Enacted 23 September 1996*]{.underline}**

Reserve Forces Revitalization, Title XII (Laughlin Bill) Established
separate commands and commanders of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and
Air

Force Reserve. This section was a partial implementation of the Laughlin
Bill.

> \- Section 1212. Establishes responsibilities for the Reserve
> Component

Chiefs

> \- Section 1213. Requires a review of active duty and reserve general
> and
>
> flag officer authorizations
>
> \- Section 1214. Directs that military technicians be authorized and
>
> accounted for as a separate category of dual-status civilian
> employees,
>
> exempt from DoD adjustments of civilian personnel
>
> \- Section 1231. Requires report on measures to improve NG and Reserve
>
> ability to respond to emergencies
>
> \- Section 1232. Requires report concerning tax incentives for
> employers of
>
> members of reserve components to compensate employers for absences of
>
> those employees due to required training and for absences due to
>
> performance of active duty
>
> \- Section 1233. Requires report concerning income insurance program
> for
>
> activated reservists (recommendations for changes to existing
> legislation)

\- Section 1234. Requires report concerning small business loans for

> members of reserve components ordered to active duty during
> contingency operations
>
> \- Section 1251. Requires report concerning tax deductibility of
> nonreimbursable expenses
>
> \- Section 1252. Authorizes reimbursement of housing charges for
> members performing active duty for training (but does not authorize
> reservists to stay in contract quarters)
>
> \- Section 1253. Provides sense of Congress concerning quarters
> allowance during service on active duty for training
>
> \- Section 1254. Provides sense of Congress concerning military leave
>
> policy

\- Section 1255. Commends RFPB

> \- Section 1256. Requires report on parity of benefits for active duty
> service

and reserve service

> \- Section 1257. Requires the SecDef to specify, in each year of the
> FYDP,
>
> the estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for the
>
> procurement of equipment and for military construction for each of the
>
> Guard and Reserve components

The legislative changes of the past sixty years have guided the
Department of Defense to develop an organizational structure for the Air
Force Reserve that has proven to be very successful. The Congressional
direction has been closely complied with and has enabled an operational
and ready Air Force Reserve.

I am going to address a question that has surely entered into your
discussions and thoughts, i.e. why two air reserve components? Although
our nation faces an environment of budgetary constraints and increased
asymmetric threats, a balanced structure of military forces is crucial.
A major part of that military force that will guide our nation into the
future will be an Air Force with two compatible but separate reserve
components: the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. Why two
RCs? Consider the following points:

> \- The current organizational structure of a separate Air National
> Guard and Air Force Reserve works very well. The two air reserve
> components (ARC) have outstanding records of readiness and mission
> accomplishment. Their responsiveness to emergencies and the day-to-day
> needs of the Nation and the Air Force has been outstanding and is
> based primarily on volunteerism.
>
> \- Although the National Guard points out their Constitutional roots,
> the current National Guard structure was implemented much later. The
> Dick Act of 1903 \"embodied the concept of an organized Militia to be
> known as the National Guard.\" The basic premise of the framers of the
> Constitution was to balance a force between a standing army and a
> reserve force. The Air Force Reserve is a Federal force created to
> meet an ever-changing environment.
>
> \- It is often stated that mobilizing the Guard is to mobilize the
> nation. This clearly applies to the Air Force Reserve, as well. Air
> Force Reservists impact their communities in the same manner the Guard
> does.
>
> \- Most merger discussions focus only on the Air National Guard and
> Air Force Reserve unit programs and fail to consider the other
> categories of personnel administered by the Air Force Reserve, i.e.
> Individual Mobilization Augmentees, Individual Ready Reservists (IRR),
> Standby Reservists and all Air Force retirees. If the Air Force
> Reserve were merged into the Air National Guard, these categories
> would have to be established in the Guard, which would mix federal and
> state personnel categories.
>
> \- A merger of the Air Force Reserve into the Air National Guard would
> save some management headquarters personnel funds. However, the
> savings would not be large. Assuming the force structure in the Air
> Force is valid, then the only difference would be the additive
> overhead by having two reserve components in the Air Force---certainly
> not billions of dollars. Another area to consider is a merger of the
> Air Force Reserve into the Air National Guard would increase state
> costs appreciably in those states with large reserve populations. It
> would also open the door for renegotiation in support agreements and
> location of units. Advocates of a merger should more thoroughly look
> into all possible ramifications.
>
> \- Missing from most discussions is the issue of "attachment
> authority." During the House of Representatives hearings in 1965 on
> the McNamara plan to merge Army Reserve units into the ARNG, the
> members of Congress were adamant that they had not provided, and did
> not intend to provide OSD with authority to mandatorily assign a
> draftee with an MSO involuntarily to a state National Guard unit.
> Finally, OSD had to admit that they needed such "attachment authority"
> to effect the merger. While this is not a burning issue today since
> there is no draft, it could surface again in another form, as the
> military of today is an all-volunteer force. If a regular component
> member serves out his/her enlistment and has an MSO remaining, they
> would have to be assigned to the National Guard if there was no
> Reserve. In effect, this would require that a federal volunteer would
> be assigned to a state National Guard. This would probably not be a
> concern to many, but it would raise several interesting questions on
> federal versus state authority.

It appears that many who are debating a choice between the Guard and
Reserve have not considered all the ramifications and challenges that
would exist weighed against the very small monetary offset. The Air
Force Reserve is a cost-effective force enhancer, contributing to the
security of the United States. The Air Force Reserve is also a long-term
programming option that is a federal force 100 percent of the time and
is required to meet all federal standards, just like the Regular Air
Force. The small savings to be realized by combining management
headquarters are not worth the risk of degraded readiness and destroyed
morale.

# 

# Roles and Missions

The mission of the Air Force Reserve is to provide Reserve Airmen to
defend the United States and protect its interest through air, space and
cyberspace power. I am proud of the fact that our Reservists contribute
directly to the warfighting effort every single day. We will integrate
at all levels of the Air Force, strategic, operational, and tactical --
providing flexible, tailored, and adaptive ways to fight alongside other
Air Force components.

Air Force Reserve accomplishments since 11 September 2001 clearly
demonstrate that the Air Force Reserve is a critical component in the
security of our nation and a vital member of the Total Force team. The
Air Force Reserve has made major contributions to the "long war" with
more than 80,000 sorties, and 360,000 flying hours flown in support of
Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. These
contingency support missions include Fighter Support, Combat Search and
Rescue, Special Operations, Aerial Refueling and Tactical and Strategic
Airlift. These missions mirror, and are in conjunction with, Total Force
operations. This past year, C-130 and C-17 aircraft flew the majority of
Air Force Reserve missions in the AOR. As you may know, 61% of the Air
Force's C-130 aircraft are assigned to the Air Reserve Components.
Senator Lindsey Graham witnessed the preponderance of Reserve Component
airlift first hand and mentioned this during the Commission's first
hearing back in March. Senator Graham stated that of the 20 sorties he
flew in the OEF and OIF area of responsibility, only one sortie was
flown by an active duty crew!

The Air Force Reserve began the transition from a strategic reserve to a
daily operational warfighting partner back in 1968, with the inception
of the C-141 Associate Program. The Classic Associate Program provides
trained crews and maintenance personnel for Regular component owned
aircraft and space operations. The success of this program has occurred
through the active and reserve component working side by side to achieve
a common objective. Today, we share in most Air Force mission areas.

Our Airmen are involved in meaningful participation, engaged in
operations that employ their skills and training. From a single squadron
association in 1968 in the C-141, today's Reserve provides associate
aircrews flying the C-5, C-17, KC-10, KC-135, T-1, T-6, T-37, T-38,
AT-38, F-15, F-16, MC-130E/P, E-3, Predator, and Global Hawk aircraft.
Air Force Reserve associate crews account for nearly 35 percent of the
Air Force's C-5 aircrew capability, 43 percent of KC-10 aircrew
capability and 34 percent of C-17 aircrews. Reserve associate units also
provide aircraft maintenance personnel to maintain Regular Component
aircraft, providing up to 44 percent of C-5 maintenance manpower
capability and 37 percent of the KC-10 maintenance manpower capability.

Space associate units operate Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
(DMSP), Defense Support Program (DSP), Space-Based Infrared System
(SBIRS), and Global Positioning System (GPS) assets. Space units also
conduct Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance
(C2ISR), aggressor, test, network security, force protection, and Air
and Space Operations Center (AOC) activities.

In addition to this wide range of associations, the USAFR still conducts
several unique missions. The 403^rd^ Wing at Keesler Air Force Base
(AFB), MS, provides 100 percent of the DoD weather reconnaissance
capability and the 910^th^ Airlift Wing (AW) at Youngstown Air Reserve
Station, OH, is the only fixed wing aerial spray unit in the country.
The 302^nd^ AW, along with our Guard partners, provide 100 percent of
the DoD Airborne Fire Fighting support to the U.S. Forest Service.
Additionally, the 920^th^ Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, FL, provides
primary rescue support for NASA space shuttle missions, launch support
for the Eastern Missile Range at Cape Kennedy and assists drug
enforcement agencies in counter-drug operations.

In addition to homeland support, Reservists also provide a number of
humanitarian missions throughout the world. Channel missions in the Horn
of Africa ranging from Kenya to Ethiopia included carrying thousands of
pounds of equipment need to dig a well in a small Ethiopian community.
Every flight in the region also carries fresh water and food, the
lifeblood of service members serving throughout the area. For the first
time last year, an Air Force Reserve unit led a four month long
humanitarian project in El Salvador as part of Southern Command's New
Horizons. The project employed 650 reservists during the 120-day
operation, constructing two schools and three clinics on time and under
budget.

The Air Force Reserve will continue to transform into a full spectrum
force for the 21st Century by integrating across all roles and missions
throughout the Air, Space and Cyberspace domains. Integrating our force
ensures the Air Force Reserve is ready to perform tomorrow's missions
today. Bringing Air Force front line weapon systems to the Reserve
allows force unification at both the strategic and tactical levels.
Indeed, we are a unified Total Force.

Future mission considerations into new and emerging missions must be
consistent with Reserve participation. Reachback capabilities enable
Reserve forces to train for and execute operational missions supporting
the Combatant Commander from home station. In many cases, this
eliminates the need for deployments. The Associate Unit construct will
see growth in emerging operational missions such as: F-22, Unmanned
Aerial Systems, Space and Information Operations, Warfighting
Headquarters, Air Operations Centers, Battlefield Airmen, Red Horse
Units and Contingency Response Groups. The Active/Air Reserve Components
mix must keep pace with emerging missions to allow the Air Force to
continue operating seamlessly as a Total Force. This concurrent
development will provide greater efficiency in peacetime and increased
capability in wartime. We will populate Air Force equipment, cockpits
and ramps to best serve the mission -- focusing less on who "owns" the
equipment and more on maximizing warfighter effects.

Today's Air Force Reserve is designed, structured, missioned, and
resourced to conduct operational missions on a continuous basis,
assuming full-time roles and functions, while retaining an inherent
surge capability. The debate as to whether we are an Operational
Reserve, or Strategic Reserve is over. We are both, as evidenced by our
roles and missions. The Aerospace Expeditionary Force (AEF) construct
includes Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard assets in the AEF
rotation cycles. In light of force downsizing, reduced budgets and
rising operational tempo, there is a greater reliance on the
capabilities of the guard and reserve to support operational missions
and the expectation that this increased reliance will continue. With our
myriad contributions, it is important to remember we are a part-time,
volunteer force. Therefore, compensation and benefits must be structured
to support and sustain the type of service and level of participation
required. Flexibility for members to vary their level of participation
is essential to the continued success of the Air Force Reserve. Whether
it's our airlifters or fighter aircraft in Iraq, rescue crews, aero meds
or weather reconnaissance folks during a hurricane, or all the reachback
missions flying satellites, predators or intel, a portion of our force
is mission-tasked and engaged at all times. We are an indispensable
element in the defense of this nation.

## 

## Homeland Contingency Support

The engagement of our Air Force Reserve in the Homeland Security

mission provides for air and space forces in defending the homeland with

federally directed support to local civilian authorities for national
and natural disasters as well as national security special events.
Although we are a federal force 100 percent of the time, avenues are
in-place to utilize Reserve forces for natural disaster response as well
as homeland security. Existing access authorities provide 100 percent of
the capability required for these missions. Homeland Security is a Total
Force responsibility. The Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, and
Regular Component each bring special capabilities and expertise to the
Homeland Security mission.

Our recent humanitarian efforts are as impressive as our wartime
operations. The hurricane strikes to the coastal United States in 2005
required a response unlike anything seen in our modern history. The Air
Force Reserve was fully engaged in emergency efforts; from collecting
weather intelligence on the storms, to search and rescue, and
aeromedical and evacuation airlift. Hurricanes Katrina, Ophelia, Rita
and Wilma drew heavily on the expert resources of our component to
assist in relief efforts. Almost 1500 Air Force Reserve personnel
responded to these efforts within 24 hours, including members from the
926^th^ Fighter Wing at NAS New Orleans, Louisiana and the 403^rd^ Wing
at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, who struggled to protect their
unit's resources from storm damage. The Hurricane Hunters from Keesler,
tasked with flying all operational missions to provide data to the
National Hurricane Center (NHC), flew 59 sorties into the eye of
hurricanes and tropical storms in 2005, though their own homes were
being threatened and in many cases, destroyed. Their missions, averaging
11 hours crisscrossing the storm and penetrating the powerful eyewall
several times, are responsible for improving the accuracy of forecasts
by up to 30 percent according to Max Mayfield, director of the NHC.
Reserve airlift units from around the country responded with medical and
evacuation teams to assist in the transfer of more than 5400 passengers
and patients with and from affected areas. The 920^th^ Rescue Wing from
Patrick AFB, FL, the first unit on the scene, flew more than 100 sorties
in their HH-60G helicopters, rescuing 1,044 people who were threatened
by the rising water. The 910^th^ AW from Youngstown ARS, OH, deployed to
Duke Field, FL to set up a base of operations for aerial spray missions
following Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane response missions were
entirely voluntary for the personnel of the unit and garnered an award
from the National Center for Infectious Diseases in May. The unit
sprayed more than 2.8 million acres, or 4,501 square miles in Louisiana
and Texas, to contain the mosquito threat and protect personnel from
vector-borne diseases. Additionally, the 910^th^ AW has formed and Oil
Dispersant Working Group, and is working with industry and government
agencies to test aerial spray methods of controlling major offshore oil
spills in coastal waters of the United States.

Reservists from the 302^nd^ AW at Peterson AFB, Co, can be activated
through an agreement between the Department of the Interior and the
Department of Defense, to combat wildland fires that destroy millions of
acres of land, thousands of homes, and kills immeasurable wildlife each
year. Aircrews are trained in the use of Modular Airborne Fire Fighting
systems that help fire-fighting efforts by dropping retardant chemicals
or water directly onto fires. The U.S. Forest Service requires the
aircrews to be certified annually. Last September, the unit provided two
aircraft and 29 reservists to help squelch forest fires in Idaho. The
crews flew 14 sorties and dropped 36,500 gallons of fire retardant over
three days in support of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise,
ID. Other AFRC aircraft shuttle Forest Service personnel and equipment
to fire areas when the emergency requires a quick deployment to the fire
line. This increased mobility for the firefighters allows more efficient
use of Forest Service resources.

READINESS AND EQUIPMENT

The recapitalization of our aging fleets is paramount to the overall
readiness of the United States Air Force. We are operating the oldest
fleet of aircraft in the history of our Air Force. We've gone from an
average age of eight and a half years when I was commissioned in 1967 to
an average age of twenty-three and a half years today. Without retiring
our aging fleets and acquiring new weapon systems we are left to endure
the escalating costs of maintaining legacy aircraft. We have gone to
great lengths to reprioritize requirements in order to contribute to the
cause of fleet recapitalization and the overall Air Force
Transformation. Without this critical reinvestment, the sustainment of
our fleets could impact our ability to meet our future national security
requirements.

As a stakeholder in our Total Force, the Air Force Reserve will directly
benefit by our fleet recapitalization. We are expanding our associate
arrangements with the Regular Air Force and the Air National Guard
through our Total Force Integration initiatives, which means when one
component modernizes, we all modernize together. The days of disparate
weapon systems and different levels of operational preparedness need to
be in our past. Today's national security threats demand a seamless and
agile force operating weapon systems that maintain our asymmetric
advantage over any potential adversary.

Another critical advantage we maintain is the operational readiness of
our personnel. We, in the Air Force Reserve, pride ourselves in our
ability to respond to any global crisis within 72 hours. In many cases,
including our response to the devastation during the hurricane season,
we are able to respond within 24 hours. We train to the same standards
as the active duty for a reason. We are one Air Force in the same fight.
With a single level of readiness, we are able to seamlessly operate
side-by-side with the Regular Air Force and Air National Guard in the
full spectrum of combat operations. As an equal partner in day-to-day
combat operations, it is critical we remain ready, resourced, and
relevant. We strive for equipment parity allowing our units and
personnel to integrate fully into the fight -- to remain accessible,
flexible, and combat ready.

Equipment modernization is our lifeline to readiness. As the Air Force
transitions to a capabilities-based force structure, the combination of
aging and heavily used equipment requires across-the-board
recapitalization. The United States military has become increasingly
dependent on the Reserve to conduct operational and support missions
around the globe. Effective modernization of Reserve assets is vital to
remaining a relevant and capable combat ready force. While the Air Force
recognizes this fact and has made significant improvement in modernizing
and equipping the Reserve, the reality of fiscal constraints still
results in shortfalls in our modernization and equipage. Funding our
modernization enhances availability, reliability, maintainability, and
sustainability of aircraft weapon systems; strengthening our ability to
ensure the success of our warfighting commanders and laying the
foundation for tomorrow's readiness.

Absent funding for a Reserve procurement account, the Reserve relies
heavily upon the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA).
NGREA resolves some of these USAFR equipment deficiencies. The items we
purchase with NGREA are prioritized from the airmen in the field up to
the Air Force Reserve Command Headquarters and vetted through the Air
Staff. The cornerstone is innovation and the foundation is
capabilities-based and has been for many years.

During steady state peacetime operations we are able to keep our
personnel trained and ready at all times. However, due to the Global War
on Terrorism and corresponding steady state operational participation we
face today, it is a challenge to keep our reservists fully qualified.
Upon their return from deployment, we incur "personnel reconstitution
costs" in order to get them trained to the required skill levels, which
keep them operationally ready to participate when called.

# 

# Funding

Despite budget challenges faced by Air Force, the Air Force Reserve
continues to be funded at levels to support both a strategic and
operational reserve.

  --------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
  Appropriation   FY05           FY06           FY07           Percent

  O&M             \$2,262.8      \$2,475.6      \$2,723.8      66%

  MilPers         \$1,422.0      \$1,285.7      \$1,358.3      33%

  \*MilCon        \$110.2        \$105.0        \$44.9         1%

  Total           \$3,795.0      \$3,866.3      \$4,127.0      
  --------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------

\*This account receives the most Congressional adjustments.

In recent years the President's Budget has addressed Air Force Reserve
priorities such as:

> \- Non-prior service (NPS) personnel training funding (NPS accessions
>
> increasing due to decreased number of prior service accessions)
>
> \- Military and Civilian Pay Raises
>
> \- Bonus Increases
>
> \- Restoration and Modernization
>
> \- Advertising and Recruiting

Future budget cycles promise continued challenges as the services
respond to national security demands. The Air Force is achieving a
balance by transforming our military into a more lethal, agile, and
streamlined force. There are three primary forces affecting how we plan
and organize for the future. The first is base realignment and closure,
where we were directed to close one base and five flying wings. Second,
Total Force integration is the Air Force plan to optimize how the
Regular component, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard are
organized. Thirdly, the Reserve will be a smaller force with a sharper
focus on operational capability. With the cost of new equipment
continually on the rise we will work with the other components to
associate on equipment where it makes sense, allowing the Air Force to
maximize the warfighting capability of a particular weapon system.

One way this is being done is by transitioning some Individual
Mobilization Augmentee positions into equivalent participating
Individual Ready Reserve (Category E) positions. Category E IMAs may
continue to be paid, depending on military personnel account
availability. In other areas there will be a variety of opportunities
available for all categories of Reservists as mission areas move, grow
and develop during the transformation process.

The Air Force Reserve is looking at other ways to save money. With fuel
prices soaring higher and higher and an increasing concern for
protecting precious natural resources, energy conservation is an area of
focus. One of the first things the command did to reduce energy
consumption was switch to more efficient fluorescent lighting at Reserve
locations throughout the country. Replacing central heating plants at
four of our bases with decentralized heating systems are saving the
command more than 20 percent. These systems achieve their savings by
being more efficient than the older units they replaced and by utilizing
natural gas as an energy source instead of higher-priced fuel oil.

![](media/image3.wmf)

These budget changes are on top of an already efficient force. Active
duty Air Force is able to take advantage of the association concept to
realize operational support with the Reserve at a reduced overall cost
because of shared assets. These efficiencies are maintained by active
duty because they fund the Reserve as an equal partner and support full
readiness.

# 

# Compensations and Benefits

We will continue to bring the most highly motivated, ethical, trained
and experienced Airmen in the world to the fight as Unrivaled Wingmen.
To maintain this high expectation and standard of performance we need to
compensate our Reserve Airmen appropriately.

Congress and the Department of Defense (DoD) have been focused on
changing compensations and benefits in alignment with mobilization for
the past four years. With the end of mobilization authority being
reached, the services will turn to volunteers to meet OIF and OEF
requirements especially as Congress is taking a position that these
missions should be classified as ongoing operational requirements.

In the past and through the use of the Aerospace Expeditionary Force
(AEF) structure, the Air Force Reserve has easily met volunteerism tours
of 120 days or less and currently is providing over 2000 volunteers for
ONE/OIF/OEF. However, in the last two years Combatant Commanders have
called for tour lengths of 180 days or more, which significantly reduces
the available pool. According to DFI Survey, Validation of Air Reserve
Component Volunteerism Initiatives, completed in September 2005, "ARC
members also commented extensively on their roles in the AF once they
are activated. One concern involved the AF transitioning into longer
deployment timeframes."

The Deputy Assistant Secretary (Reserve Affairs) is looking at ways to
increase volunteerism either legislatively or through policy changes. A
recent review of special pay and incentives in Title 37, Pay and
Allowances of the Uniformed Services, Chapter 5, Special And Incentive
Pays and Chapter 7, Allowances, revealed there were only four provisions
that acted as volunteerism incentives for the Reserve Components. These
provisions are:

> \- 302e. Special pay: nurse anesthetists
>
> \- 307a. Special pay: assignment incentive pay
>
> \- 308d. Special pay: members of the Selected Reserve assigned to
> certain high priority units
>
> \- 435. Funeral honors duty: allowance

Section 307a and 308d are the two pay provisions that hold the most
promise as volunteerism incentive tools. In fiscal year 2006 bonus
authorities have also been increased in recognition of increased levels
of operational support by the Reserve Components.

In today's lean force structure there are no second-hand missions. Our
Reserve Airmen are motivated to serve because they know what they are
doing matters. Their actions save lives. Our Reserve Airmen continue to
meet and exceed our expectations for volunteer support to the Air Force
missions.

## 

## Closing

Chairman Punaro, you and your commissioners have been asked to take on
an enormous responsibility to make recommended changes to ensure the
Guard and Reserves are organized, trained, equipped, compensated, and
supported to best meet our national security requirements. The Air Force
Reserve stands ready to assist you in the challenges of this endeavor
that is so critical to the future security of our nation.

I, along with the men and women of the Air Force Reserve, thank you for
the opportunity to share the concerns of our Reserve Airmen with you
today. We proudly profess that we are "One Air Force...Same Fight." We
pride ourselves as an "Unrivaled Wingman" in the Total Force. I look
forward to your questions.