Air Chief Marshal's Press Briefing 2

Arturo Bainbridge, Air Chief Marshal, sports his usual blue jumpsuit as he attends the press briefing. Bainbridge stands after all other notices had been read out, he places his glasses on as be begins to read from some paper on the podium.
"Allow me to take a second off schedule here to commemorate forty five dead and one hundred injured in the recent bombings, in particular I feel a personal responsibility to remember the seven dead soldiers. Although I am an Air Force Flag Officer, I am still apart of the military family. And the military is that, a family. We feel for each other and my personal condolences goes out to the family of those effected. The Air Force will assist any operations to calm the Haalsian unrest and ensue democracy and freedom.
Moving on from that horrific news. 
This morning, when writing up what I would discuss, my Chief of Staff handed me a letter from Sergeant David Bray who asked: 'When will you listen to your staff and realize we are going to struggle to cope, we will suffer, we will be virtually broken and want you to tell the government this'. This was a reference to the recent budget. A budget that will see a deduction of four billion falls to the Air Force. Well, Sergeant Bray, this is my response.
The time has come to fight our corner. I have been forced to write up plans to already cut six hundred administrative staff who provide services such as Human Resources. Recruitment has been cut off for a current period of six to eight months, but is likely to extend to years as we cannot afford to replace leaving Aircraftmen. Promotions and pay rises will become near impossible, all young, promising Aircraftmen will be stuck as non-commissioned officers until we can facilitate their skills. There is nothing else I can do but apologize to my men. 
We haven't become the greatest military force by under-funding our military. The Imperial Military is so great because we can afford to constantly update, research and develop our technology. Simply put, these cuts run too deep. To be truthful, I am scared for the future of our military. I will not go down in history as the Marshal who unceremoniously dismissed his staff. 
At no stage was I consulted about the budget cuts. Frankly, misguided politicians prove time-after-time to introduce budget's and laws that effect the Military yet five, ten, twenty years down the line, they realize how disastrous it was and come out saying 'sorry', 'it wasn't my fault'. This time, however, it is their fault. The threat of tyranny, violence and terror is never a generation away, never too far from reality. We are the only ones who can preserve the peace, and to do that we must have strength, motivation and might. Strength, strength, strength. Has our Republic ever got into a war because we were too strong? We must pursue peace at every level. And peace is our profession. The purpose of having a Military is to keep the peace. 
By slashing the Air Force, you not only risk peace, you risk the threat against the People of the Empire. It is when the forces of freedom are weak, tyrants and terrorists are tempted. Let those who wish us ill take note that the Federal Republic of Falleentium will never allow those who wish to destroy freedom, dictate the future of the free world. It is in our power to establish long lasting peace, but that is foremad by strength.
There are no words that can stress my message enough. Cuts accommodate war and make us weak. Weaker as an Empire and as a military power. The hero's of the past were not fools, they said to their enemies 'there is a price we will not pay, there is a point they cannot advance', I very much fear that message is slowly dying. 
Today we mourn the death of our loved ones. Tomorrow we may mourn for many more. We may mourn for our nation and freedom and democracy.
The answer is simple. Say no to the budget cuts."
Category:The Imperial Military