Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Air Force faces significant readiness challenges due to insufficient personnel levels, a shrinking and depleted aircraft fleet, and maintenance deferrals, all of which are affected by budgetary uncertainty and impede the Air Force's ability to meet ongoing and unexpected national security threats, putting United States national security at risk.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Air Force faces significant readiness challenges; (2) Congress must provide the Air Force with regular and sufficient funding to address procurement, maintenance, and staffing shortfalls; and (3) national security is at risk without this funding.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1010 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1010

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
    States Air Force faces significant readiness challenges due to 
insufficient personnel levels, a shrinking and depleted aircraft fleet, 
   and maintenance deferrals, all of which are affected by budgetary 
  uncertainty and impede the Air Force's ability to meet ongoing and 
 unexpected national security threats, putting United States national 
                           security at risk.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2018

 Mr. Arrington (for himself, Mr. Bacon, and Ms. Cheney) submitted the 
  following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
    States Air Force faces significant readiness challenges due to 
insufficient personnel levels, a shrinking and depleted aircraft fleet, 
   and maintenance deferrals, all of which are affected by budgetary 
  uncertainty and impede the Air Force's ability to meet ongoing and 
 unexpected national security threats, putting United States national 
                           security at risk.

Whereas according to Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein, the United 
        States Air Force is ``the smallest we've ever been'';
Whereas according to an April 2018 report from the Government Accountability 
        Office, more than a quarter of fighter pilot positions are unfilled;
Whereas the Air Force has just 18,000 of the roughly 20,000 pilots it needs to 
        crew its 5,500 fighters, bombers, airlifters, cargo planes, and rescue 
        helicopters;
Whereas this 10 percent gap in its air crew requirement could, as Secretary of 
        the Air Force Heather Wilson said in November of 2017, ``break the 
        force'';
Whereas almost \1/3\ of the Air Force's aircraft were not flyable, or mission-
        capable, at any given time in fiscal year 2017;
Whereas over the last decade, the total number of aircraft in the Air Force has 
        been on a downward slope;
Whereas the total number of aircraft in the Air Force will drop again from 
        fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2018;
Whereas the average age of an aircraft, forcewide, increased from 24 years in 
        fiscal year 2010 to 27.6 years in fiscal year 2017; and
Whereas between fiscal years 2013 and 2017, accidents involving all Defense 
        Department warplanes rose nearly 40 percent: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the United States Air Force faces significant readiness 
        challenges due to aging aircraft and depleted personnel;
            (2) Congress must provide the Air Force regular and 
        sufficient funding to address procurement, maintenance, and 
        staffing shortfalls; and
            (3) without this funding, United States national security 
        is at risk.
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