Mr. Chairman,
Representative Snyder, and distinguished
members of the Committee, I appreciate the
opportunity to appear before you today. I
would like to thank the Committee for your
continuing support, which has helped your Air
Force Reserve address vital recruiting,
retention, modernization, and infrastructure
needs. Your passage of last year's pay and
quality of life initiatives was were
especially important as your actions sent an
unmistakable message to our citizen airmen
that their efforts are truly appreciated.
I am pleased to tell you that the Air Force
Reserve continues to be a force of choice for
the Air Force and the warfighting Commanders
in Chiefs (CINCs), whenever an immediate and
effective response is required to meet the
challenges of today's world. We are ready in
peace or war, available for quick response,
and able to stay the course when called upon.
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
members are essential to nearly everything we
do today, and we intend to do more. Our
day-to-day involvement has increased markedly
in recent years. The Air Force Reserve
participated in 11 contingencies in the 37
years between 1953 and 1990, and in the last
ten years, we have played a significant role
in more than 50 major operations. This is part
of life in the Air Force Reserve and we are
proud to do it. From the end of Desert Storm
until the 1999 Ppresidential Rrecall for
Operation ALLIED FORCE, and in every instance
since, we have met these obligations with
volunteers. The Air Force Reserve ethic of
volunteerism is something we are very proud
of, believing it reflects the quality and
enthusiasm of our people.
The Air Force is a team - we
train together, work together, and fight
together.
Wherever you find the United
States Air Force, at home or abroad, you will
find the
active and Reserve
side-by-side. You can't tell us apart and
that's the way it should be.
The bottom line is that when
the Air Force goes to war, enforces a peace
agreement or undertakes prolonged humanitarian
missions anywhere in the world today, the Air
Force Reserve will be there.People are our
most important asset. In an effort to retain
our best and brightest, we need to reward our
people through compensation and promotion and
ensure they know their efforts are
appreciated. We need to look after their
families while they are deployed and reach out
to their employers with our thanks for their
support. We need to ensure that there is open
dialogue among the troops and from the troops
to me to make sure that we're doing our job
the best that it can be done. More than ever,
we need to continue to partner with you to
ensure we maintain the strongest air force in
the world.
In the Air Force Reserve, we
put people first, emphasize readiness, and
continue to sustain seek balanced, time-phased
modernization and infrastructure programs.
The Air Force is a team - we
train together, work together, and fight
together.
Wherever you find the United
States Air Force, at home or abroad, you will
find the active and Reserve side-by-side. You
can't tell us apart and that's the way it
should be.
The bottom line is that when
the Air Force goes to war, enforces a peace
agreement or undertakes prolonged humanitarian
missions anywhere in the world today, the Air
Force Reserve will be there. During my
comments today, I will discuss the status of
many programs. I should note, however, that
the programs I will discuss, and the
associated funding levels may change as a
result of the Secretary of Defense's
strategy review that will guide future
decisions on military spending. I ask that you
consider my comments in that light.
FY 1999 ended with a bang,
as Hurricane Floyd plowed into the coast of
North Carolina. As the flooding peaked, AFRC
coordinated with Federal disaster response
personnel to bring in five HH-60 helicopters
from the 920th Rescue Wing at
Patrick Air Force Base, Florida to initiate
rescue operations. Over the next six days,
Reserve rescue crews worked day and night,
flying 59 sorties and pulling 215 flood
victims from rooftops, trees, cars, and
isolated areas of high ground.
Another Reserve mission,
Coronet Oak, faced a very difficult transition
in 1999. Coronet Oak is an operation that
provides C-130s from Air Force Reserve Command
and the Air National Guard to US Southern
Command to provide airlift support in the
Caribbean, and South and Central America. When
America transferred the Canal Zone back to
Panama in 1999, this long-established
operation had to look for a new home. At
first, only temporarily placed at Muniz Air
National Guard Base in San Juan, Puerto Rico,
it was decided to go ahead and make Muniz the
permanent location for the operation. Far from
ideal for a number of reasons, Muniz was still
more cost effective than other locations
because basic facilities were available that
did not need a huge infusion of money to make
them operable. Still, the year was full of
growing pains as new logistics trails had to
be developed, work-arounds had to be initiated
for some of the facility limitations, and so
on. The missions continued to flow without a
break, though, and our crews flew countless
sorties in support of counter-drug operations,
embassy resupply, and a variety of airlift
requirements.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2000
It was another busy,
productive, but challenging year for Air Force
Reserve aircrews. Natural disaster responses,
the relocation of a long-standing forward
operating location, an election year surge in
presidential and congressional airlift
support, the growing pains of a new deployment
concept, the taking on of new missions, the
introduction of a new weapons capability --
the Air Force Reserve was there. Through it
all, our outstanding people met the
challenges, found ways to succeed, and proved
beyond doubt that the Air Force Reserve is an
indispensable part of America's Total Force
military.
Unfortunately, the heavy
rains of 1999 also brought on a potential
medical crisis caused by a super-heavy
mosquito infestation. In these opening days of
the new fiscal year, AFRC stepped to the
forefront again with another of its
specialized missions, aerial spray. The 910th
Airlift Wing, at Youngstown, Ohio, is the only
unit in the entire Air Force to provide this
critical mission for disease suppression,
natural disaster relief, oil spill dispersion,
and invasive species management. In the
aftermath of Hurricane Floyd, the 910th's
specially equipped C-130s logged over 100
hours of flying time spraying 1.7 million
acres in Virginia and North Carolina for
mosquito control. Again, a superhuman effort
by a small number of Reserve crews responding
to the needs of their fellow countrymen.
FY 2000 also saw the worst
forest fires in US history. Within the Air
Force Reserve, only one unit, the 302nd
Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base,
Colorado, is trained to support the US Forest
Service's fire fighting efforts with the
C-130 based Modular Airborne Fire Fighting
System. This Last year, the fires were so bad
that the 302nd was called early in
the season and stayed until rain showers in
September finally brought some relief.
From the end of July to
early September, 302nd crews flying
two aircraft completed 154 sorties in
California and Washington, dropping over
400,000 gallons of fire retardant. The crews
logged as many as eight sorties per day, going
back for load after load of retardant to
attack critical points in front of the raging
fires. Their efforts have continued to pay off
long after the fires died out, as the
retardant is also a fertilizer that promotes
the rapid regrowth of the fire-charred
terrain, helping to prevent erosion as the
land comes back to life.
An ongoing mission the
Reserve is involved with which has an impact
on people's lives throughout the world is
the transportation of humanitarian relief
goods under the auspices of the Denton
Amendment Program. This program allows DoD
transportation assets to move humanitarian
cargo for free on a space-available basis.
Through July (the latest figures available
??),In FY 2000 DoD the Air Force Reserve had
moved over two 1.9 million pounds of Denton
cargo, in FY 2000, using Army, Navy, Air
Force, and other DoD assetsflying 122
missions. Of this, fully one third was
accomplished by the Air Force Reserve. AFRC is
the top supporter of the Denton program year
after year. It provides good training
opportunities for our airlift crews while
enabling them to make a positive difference
throughout the world.
Though the Expeditionary
Aerospace Force (EAF) was a completely new
concept for the Air Force, the Air Force
Reserve's tradition of training to be a
deployable force allowed a relatively seamless
transition to the EAF and its force projection
packages, the Aerospace Expeditionary Forces (AEFs).
However, Reserve deployments in the past
primarily involved aircrew members and
maintenance support personnel, so it was an
adjustment for some Expeditionary Combat
Support (ECS) personnel such as security
forces, civil engineering and services. The
transition was not without its growing pains,
but after the first few rotations,
predictability and timeliness of requirements
had vastly improved, transportation was much
more efficient, and working relationships
between AFRC and the various active duty
organizations involved in the AEF process had
greatly matured.
Despitesome the initial
growing pains challenges, AFRC's transition
to AEF support must be considered a success by
any measure. The command more than met its
initial requirements in aviation operations,
and support from the ECS side was notable
regardless of the problems they faced. The
exceptionally strong participation by AFRC
security forces was outstanding, and greatly
relieved the high deployment stress of their
active duty brethren. Overall, more than
14,000 Reservists deployed in support of the
AEFs by the end of cycle 1, a testament to the
readiness, patriotism, and proud
professionalism of the Air Force Reserve.
I would be remiss if I didn't
mention the outstanding support from our more
than 12,500 Individual Mobilization Augmentees
(IMAs). Found in nearly every career field,
IMAs augment active duty manning by filling
wartime surge and national security
requirements. Due to sustained high OPTEMPO,
active component Air Force intelligence relies
heavily upon ARC intelligence personnel to
meet peacetime, surge and wartime
requirements. This intelligence force provides
approximately 40 percent of the overall Air
Force intelligence capability. IMAs in Air
Force Material Command performed more than 530
projects, ranging from humanitarian services
to highly technical resolutions for major
support challenges. As with all our
reservists, IMAs continue to proudly and
professionally meet the challenges of
integrating seamless support.
RECRUITING AND RETENTION
While some progress has been
made in recruiting and retention, my principal
concern today remains attracting and retaining
high quality people in an increasingly
competitive economic environment. The
additional recruiting funding we received last
year was sincerely welcomed and we are
grateful for your support. In spite of having
the highest accessing accession rate of nearly
9,500 personnel, which is our highest number
of accessions since FY 1995, we missed our
recruiting goal by 14 percent in FY 2000.
However, our production recruiters continue to
lead the Department of Defense in annual
accessions per production recruiter with an
average of over 38 accessions in FY 2000.
Equally important to Air Force Reserve Command's
ability to meet the requirements being levied
on us is family and employer support. Their
sacrifice and continual support make it
possible for our members to carry out their
duties in such a spectacular manner.
Recruiting
Historically, the Air Force
Reserve accession mix has been between 80 - 90
percent prior service, with 60 75 percent of
those drawn from active duty Air Force. High
prior service accession rates have contributed
to making us one of the most experienced
reserve forces in the world.
Moreover, we have found that prior
service personnel are more likely to be
retained until the 20-year point or longer,
making the force more stable. In the past, we
recruited heavily from trained personnel
leaving active duty during the force drawdown
and we are currently accessing more than 21
percent of the active duty Air Force
recruitable separatee market. , the highest
rate ever ??. However, the end of the active
duty drawdown demands new recruiting
strategies and expectations. By FY 2001,
active duty accessibles (those eligible to
join the Air Force Reserve) equaled less than
one-third of those who left active duty in the
early 1990s. If we cannot maintain high
accession levels in the prior service market,
we'll be forced to increase our non-prior
service (NPS) accessions to meet manning
needs. As it is, NPS accessions required to
meet our recruiting goal may soon quadruple,
from less than 1,000 in the early to mid-90s
to more than 4,000 in the outyears. As college
enrollment and funding opportunities increase,
the declining tendency to enlist in the
military, a smaller prior service pool as well
as the decrease in propensity to affiliate
after leaving active service, our reserve
recruiters will continue to find innovative
ways to reach the NPS market.
Yet, we're making positive
in-roads with the NPS market. We believe there
are many outstanding young people across
America who want to serve their country, but
they prefer to do it from home and on a
part-time basis. These are the people we are
after, especially the ones who are attending
college, either full or part-time. To help us
attract these candidates and retain our
current members, we profess the value of the
Selected Reserve Montgomery G.I. Bill (SR-MGIB)
that pays up to $9,468 in total benefits. The
SR-MGIB is non-contributory on the part of the
reservist, and to be eligible, members must
agree to a 6-year enlistment. As an added
bonus, applicants who enlist in selected
career fields that are in short supply can
qualify for the SR-MGIB Kicker that pays up to
an additional $350 per month. Our NPS numbers
are steadily climbing and we're pleased with
the progress we're making here. On another
front, we're asking all our people to become
ambassadors for the Air Force Reserve.
Officially, we call it the "Get One
Program," and this initiative recognizes
reservists who are successful in referring
potential applicants to speak with one of our
Air Force Reserve recruiters. Studies have
repeatedly shown that most people who join the
military already know someone who is a member
and has good things to say about their
experiences.
As of 1 June 2001 we are
exceeding our FY 2001 recruiting goal and are
hopeful that we will achieve our goal of
10,064 despite the earlier mentioned barriers.
We need to increase our recruiting efforts and
refocus our advertising to compete. In FY
1999, we increased our recruiting budget to
$5.4M and our advertising budget to $8.7M. We
have increased our recruiting staff by nearly
10 percent, adding 30 recruiters to help bring
our numbers up. Congress has been very
responsive in helping us with additional
recruiters and funds to do this. Together,
these initiatives should help us turn the
tide.
Retention
While we continue to meet
our overall command retention goal of 82
percent%, the strong economy has had a
significant impact on our ability to retain
personnel-particularly in critical skills.
The unpredictable (note: may or may not be
true, but too political to state) economyThe
economy will undoubtedly continue to challenge
us in attracting and retaining the skilled
professionals we need, so we must find new
ways to strengthen our retention rates,
particularly for full-time pilots and first
second term enlisted personnel (note: I think
our 6 to 10 year enlisted is a problem). While
overall officer retention rates are healthy,
the current pilot retention rates do not
reflect the projected escalating attrition
rates that will challenge all Air Force
components. Historically, pilots stayed until
retirement, but recent indicators reveal an
increase in the number of Air Reserve
Technician pilots who are leaving early. As
with the active component, increased hiring by
major airlines, high OPTEMPO and perceptions
of better civilian pay and working conditions
are the reasons for leaving. The USAFR
predicts a pilot shortfall of 325419 (note:
check, I believe current shortfall is 200) by
for FY 2002 based on a 35 percent Active Duty
pilot capture rate. A Rated Management Task
Force has been formed to study this issue and
develop a Total Force approach to solve it. We
hope that some of the pay incentives, as well
as other enhancements such as improvements in
scheduling predictability that the EAF
provides, an increased use of telecommuting to
better manage ancillary training requirements,
protection of current benefits and increased
parity of benefits will help us solve this
problem.
These initiatives should
have an equally positive effect on retention
of our first term airmen. Our retention rate
in this category remained equal to our FY 1999
rate this past year, probably due to OPTEMPO
concerns. We believe our plan to relieve some
of the turbulence associated with OPTEMPO
should turn the trend upward. In the future,
we will continue to focus on achieving an
equitable parity of pay and benefits, as well
as some other important initiatives.
In sum, the matter of
recruiting and retention is the issue of
greatest concern to me, and we are taking
positive steps to fix this situation as I lead
the Air Force Reserve into in this new
millenium.
OPTEMPO AND READINESS
As full participants in the
Total Air Force, our readiness remains good
overall, and we are part of nearly every Air
Force mission. One of the keys to our success
is the leverage inherent in a fully trained
and accessible force waiting on call. In
reality, today's global situation dictates
that we serve as a peacetime augmentation
force as well as a ready, wartime force.
Readiness
The current Reserve
Component force structure is of sufficient
size and composition to meet the wartime
requirements identified by the Bottom-Up and
Quadrennial Defense Reviews. Reserve missions
and roles have expanded, despite decreasing
end strength. We are trained and resourced to
meet our part of the National Military
Strategy and currently are programmed with
enough forces to help prosecute two major
theater wars. Air Force Reserve units maintain
readiness levels on par with active duty
units. More than 95% percent of Air Force
Reserve units are currently combat ready,
closely paralleling our active force. Reserve
units have comparable equipment in quantities
proportional to their active duty counterparts
and participate in day-to-day operations,
exercises, and training. In addition, Reserve
units train to active duty standards and
receive regular inspections from their gaining
major commands. Historically, during
operational readiness inspections, 100
percent% of the inspected Reserve units
received satisfactory or higher ratings, with
most of these units rated as outstanding or
excellent.
Accessibility &
Volunteerism
Volunteerism remains our
mainstay. The Air Force Reserve and Air Force
lead the way in providing responsive Reserve
forces to meet service and national needs. In
the Persian Gulf and Haiti, as well as
on-going operations in Turkey, Bosnia,
Southwest Asia, the Caribbean and Central and
South America, the Air Force Reserve responds
to all requests for additional forces with
volunteers only. And, while the 1999
Presidential Recall activated more than 1500
approximately 1400 Reservists, hundreds more
volunteered as well.
The Air Force Reserve
remains on the leading edge of volunteer
participation for peacetime operations, as
demonstrated by the implementation of the
Expeditionary Aerospace Force (EAF). By using
volunteers, we minimize potentially adverse
impact on readiness and training, recruiting,
and retention. Long range Aerospace
Expeditionary Force (AEF) scheduling allows
our personnel to plan well ahead and to
volunteer for deployments that best fit their
schedules, permitting better management of
PERSTEMPO. Reserve resources integrate with
those of the Air National Guard and the active
Air Force to provide maximum capability for
our AEFs.
Of concern is the impact of
OPTEMPO on our Reserve families. Between EAF,
other operations, exercises, and required
inspections, participation rates continue to
rise steadily each year. The Reserve set a
record pace for OPTEMPO in 1999 as a result of
Operation ALLIED FORCE. Then, an average of
nearly 3,000 Reservists deployed overseas each
month and worked more than 712,000 Military
Personnel Appropriation (MPA) mandays, the
highest number since Desert Storm. In FY 2000,
our average number of personnel deployed
overseas averaged nearly 1,700 per month. and
we continue at this same pace in FY 2001 We
began FY 2001 at a lower number but grew to
over 2,000 deployed in March. This total does
not include the number of Reserve Personnel
Appropriation mandays and other training days
that also were worked. There can be no doubt
that the days of the "weekend
warrior" are long gone.
This level of participation
provides unique challenges for the Air Force
Reserve. Aircrew members are participating an
average of 125 days per year, with some
weapons systems averaging even higher. Unit
personnel average about 90 days and Individual
Mobilization Augmentees (IMAs) average 69 days
per year. This is in addition to their
civilian jobs and comes at a time when the
economy is supporting near full employment.
Approaching limits
Our force is leaning forward
to meet each new tasking as it occurs, but
this is not without cost. While we have
received few complaints from our Reservists'
employers, our people tell us that their
bosses have started to question their
participation. Our solution is to provide as
much notice as possible of impending
deployments as well as to educate our
employers about the importance of their
Reservists' contributions. We strengthen our
partnership with civilian employers in several
ways. We foster two-way communication between
Reservists and their employers, sponsor
Employers' Days and support Employer Support
of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Bosslifts, all
of which give civilian employers the
opportunity to see what their Reservist does
when he or she is away from work. We also have
vigorously pursued feedback from employers and
they have expressed an interest in monetary
relief. We strongly support efforts to
recognize the sacrifices of employers of
members of the Ready Reserve and National
Guard. As long as we have the backing of our
Reservists' employers, we anticipate being
able to continue to meet future requirements
with volunteers. But we must continue to be
able to manage the rotation of our forces and
the length of their deployments.
The Air Force Reserve is
also aggressively pursuing ways to better
leverage the time of Air Force Reservists. We
are building a telecommuting program,
restructuring our inspections program and
reviewing ancillary training requirements.
Finally, we continue to pursue the quality of
life issues that are key to our people. As
noted earlier, our focus is on entitlements,
improved lodging facilities, family services,
reducing personnel turbulence and parity of
benefits, regardless of length of orders.
Reserve Health Care Reform
While pay is only one reason
people join the Reserve, there is more
involved in their decision to stay than just
money. A number of intangibles are part of the
total decision process, most of which are
characterized as quality of life issues.
Advances in Reserve quality of life are in no
small part the result of congressional
interest. A number of recent initiatives have
lightened the burden a Reservist carries. In
1999, medical care for members who are injured
while on inactive duty was clarified and
extended in the FY 2000 bill, dental plans
were expanded and the Secretary of Defense was
given the authority to waive Tricare
deductibles for dependents of members called
to active duty for less than one year. The
positive effect these measures have had on the
USAFR is enormous. It provides peace of mind
to our members to know that they and their
families will have access to health care when
they need it most.
This past year demonstrated
that the health care provided for our
Reservists has cleared some major hurdles, but
still has a few to go. I know that health
issues have been the subject of several
hearings this year. We appreciate the Congress'
continued interest in the welfare of our
members.
MODERNIZATION
For the past 30 years the
C-141 has been the backbone of mobility
operations for the United States military in
peacetime and in conflict. In the very near
future the C-141 will be retired from the
Active Duty Air Force. However, the Air Force
Reserve continues the proud heritage of this
mobility workhorse. AFRC crews will continue
to fly the C-141 through FY06. It is crucial
that we remain focused on flying this mission
safely and proficiently until follow on
missions are found.
With the release of the
Mobility Requirements Study 05 (MRS-05), it is
still uncertain as to follow-on missions for
our C-141 personnel. Replacement missions must
be more than the insertion of another
airframe. They must be a viable mission that
includes modernized equipment. I will continue
to push for modernization initiatives to keep
AFRC the "go to" organization when
conflicts arise.
One of the most challenging
modernization issues concerns our
unit-equipped KC-135s. Five of our seven air
refueling squadrons are equipped with the
KC-135R, while the remaining two squadrons are
equipped with KC-135Es. The KC-135E, commonly
referred to as the E-model, has engines that
were recovered from retiring airliners. This
conversion which was accomplished in the
early- to mid-1980s was intended as an interim
solution to provide some improvement in
capability while awaiting the far more costly
conversion to the R-model with its new high
bypass turbofan engines and other system
modifications. We continue to look for support
to convert modernize our remaining KC-135 E
fleet.
As AFRC moves into the
future and we analyze our interoperability
with the Active Component (AC), a key issue is
our ability to work within the AC structure
while providing like capability. AFRC has 127
C-130s including the E, H, J and the N/P
models. Air Mobility Command, as the lead
command for C-130 modernization, has published
a "Road Map" detailing the fleet
modernization schedule. Near term
modernization specifics for the AFRC C-130
fleet are additional removable cockpit armor
sets for deploying aircraft, traffic alert and
collision avoidance systems, and autopilot
replacements. These modifications target
aircrew safety and survivability. Future plans
look to include forward-looking infrared for
the HC-130 fleet.
In order to fly productive
and effective missions as part of the Total
Force, the theater CINC requires aircraft
equipped with a core combat capability. We
call this core capability the Combat
Quadrangle. The quadrangle's sides represent
our four focus areas: 24 Hour Operation
Capability, Combat Identification Capability,
Precision Attack Capability, and High Threat
Survivability. All of these core capabilities
are required to maintain combat compatibility
with the active forces before the theater CINC
will allow ARC AFRC participation in theater.
With shrinking budgets and reduced active duty
force structure, the Air Reserve Components
face a challenging goal. Reserve aircraft are
poised to make significant progress in the
near future. For example, Air Combat Command
(ACC) is upgrading the F-16 Block 25/30/32 in
all four core areas with Night Vision Imaging
System (NVIS), Situational Awareness Data Link
(SADL), smart weapons, and the ALE-50
The A-10s are also poised to
make progress in satisfying the core
capabilities of the combat quadrangle. ACC is
upgrading the A-10 with much-needed new
Attitude Indicators for safety of flight
concerns. The most promising development is
the revamped precision engagement program that
will incorporate SADL, targeting pods, and
smart weapons capability by 2006.
The 403rd Wing at
Keesler Air Force BaseFB, Mississippi,
oversees both the WC (Weather Reconnaissance)
and "Slick" J-model conversions for
the Air Force Reserve Command. Once conversion
is complete, the 53rd Weather
Reconnaissance Squadron will consist of 10
WC-130J models and the 815th
Tactical Airlift Squadron is scheduled to have
8 C-130Js. Presently, there are four WC-130J
models at Keesler undergoing Qualification
Test and Evaluation (QT&E). All 10 of the
WC-130J aircraft were to be at Keesler in the
first quarter of FY 2001. D, but discrepancies
discovered during the QT&E are delaying
AFRC's acceptance of the aircraft from the
manufacturer. AFRC is working with the
manufacturer to resolve the QT&E
recognized deficiencies.
The acquisition of the
LITENING II targeting pod this past spring
marked the greatest jump in combat capability
for AFRC F-16s in years. At the conclusion of
the Persian Gulf War, it became apparent that
the ability to employ Precision Guided
Munitions, specifically Laser Guided Bombs (LGB),
would be a requirement for involvement in
future conflicts. Without this capability,
AFRC F-16s took a backseat to other fighters
that could employ LGBs. A joint effort with
the Air National Guard resulted in the
fielding of a targeting pod equivalent or
better in all aspects to what active duty
fighters were using. Delivery of this
targeting pod, LITENING II, began this past
spring, just in time to support an AFRC F-16
deployment to Operation Northern Watch in
support of AEF. -8/9(7/8 or 5/6? Would be in
the Spring timeframe). LITENING II affords the
capability to employ LGBs effectively in both
day and night operations, any time at any
place. This capability allows AFRC F-16s to
fulfill any AEF tasking requiring a
self-designating targeting pod platform,
providing needed relief for heavily tasked
active duty units. This acquisition has put
AFRC F-16s at the leading edge of combat
capability, second to none, and ready to
deploy and operate in any theater of
operation.
In December 1981 the early
1980s as an effort to address the readiness
issues initiative to improve readiness for in
the Reserve Components, Congress provided
funding through an appropriation called the
National Guard and Reserve Equipment
Appropriation (NGREA). Public laws and
legislative language provided that this
equipment appropriation would be intended to
enhance readiness and combat capability, and
to resolve the modernization issues of the
reserve forces. The Air Force Reserve Command
quickly put it into use as the primary source
for modernizing its fleet of aircraft. It
procured new weapon systems, miscellaneous and
special operations equipment. With NGREA, the
AF Reserve AFRC. The AFRC was able to fix many
shortcomings in many operational aspects.
However. However, several years ago, the
Department of Defense initiated a shift in the
equipping philosophy by encouraging the
Services to be more responsive in funding the
equipment needs of its Reserve components.
This requires the Air Force to be more
cognizant in the budget process by providing
the necessary equipment and modernization
funding for the Reserve and Guard. As the
implementation of this initiative took place
and NGREA levels declined as planned (from as
high as $362M in 1992 to as low as $5M in
FY01).
With potential elimination of NGREA,
modernization and relevant Air Force Reserve
mission capabilities and combat readiness
remain top priorities in a very tightly
constrained fiscal environment.
NEW MISSIONS
New missions picked up by
AFRC this year support Air Force Material
Command (AFMC) with their Test Support and
Depot Flight Test requirements. As Reserve
Associate programs, AFRC will provides
personnel to man these two programs while the
aircraft and equipment will be owned by AFMC.
The Test Support program at Edwards Air Force
BaseFB involves flight testing of new aircraft
modifications and equipment. The Depot Flight
Test program involves the flight testing of
aircraft that are in the maintenance depots
for periodic maintenance and overhauls at
Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. These are
excellent missions for the Air Force Reserve
as they take advantage of the high experience
levels generally found with Reserve personnel.
To date, AFRC has approximately 75 percent% of
these new positions filled, and operations
procedures and agreements are still evolving,
but we are looking forward to a long and
successful Reserve presence with these
important test missions. Congressional support
of these mission transfers in the FY 2000
Defense Acts was instrumental in starting
these efforts successfully.
In another first, the Air
Force Reserve became active in the operational
test process last year as well. The 403rd
Wing at Keesler AFB is working hand- in -hand
with the Air Force Operational Test and
Evaluation Command and Air Mobility Command (AMC)
as operational testing required to bring the
new C-130J into the inventory continues. The
C-130J has many improvements over the older
variants of the C-130. Updated engines provide
greater power and fuel efficiency and the
modernized avionics are a great step forward
for this workhorse of our airlift fleet.
Changes in the cabin area have also reduced
the time and effort involved in loading and
unloading cargo. The 403rd Wing's
53rd Weather Reconnaissance
Squadron is also working with AMC's 33rd
Flight Test Squadron to complete operational
testing on the Weather Reconnaissance version
of the C-130J to replace their aging aircraft.
The 944th Fighter
Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, is
scheduled to transfer from Air Combat Command
to Air Education and Training Command (AETC)
with student training planned for July 2001.
This conversion is the result of an identified
F-16 Formal Training Unit (FTU) shortfall that
was addressed at the 1996 Aircrew Management
Summit. The unit will provide Total Force
support for the active duty, Air Force Reserve
and Air National Guard that is needed to
accomplish F-16 formal training requirements
and satisfy the determined FTU shortage.
AETC undertook a study to
assess the feasibility of Air Reserve
Component Formal Training Unit associate units
and approved a program at Corona Top in June
1999. This concept made more active duty
fighter pilots available for operational
assignments while retaining an experienced
Reserve Instructor Pilot cadre to train
students in the F-16. Activated in January
2000, the 301st Fighter Squadron
operates under the integrated associate
concept which requires a manpower and
administrative commitment from the USAFR while
flying hour, aircraft and facilities are
provided by the active duty.
The 94th Airlift
Wing (AW) at Dobbins ARB, Georgia transferred
from Air Mobility Command to Air Education
Training Command in October 1999. The unit
converted from a Combat Support coded mission
to a Training coded mission. It was determined
that the Air Force needed additional C-130 FTU
capability and AFRC could provide that
support. With a significant portion of the
tactical airlift mission in the Air Reserve
Components, the additional schoolhouse-basing
requirement was necessary. The unit will
conducts comprehensive C-130 training for both
the H-2 and H-3 models and is already
producing students. With an FY 2003 production
goal of 72 pilots, the 94th AW will
also train navigators and flight engineers,
all to augment the Total Force.
In FY 2000, Air Force
Reservists joined the 414th Combat
Training Squadron, the "Aggressors,"
as associate members. The program established
a Reserve associate organization collocated
with the elite 57th Wing at Nellis
Air Force Base, Nevada. The Aggressors provide
expert simulation of potential threat systems
and tactics during the advanced composite
force training conducted on the Nellis ranges
over Southern Nevada. The most notable of
these exercises is the world-renown Red Flag.
The objective of adding reserve personnel is
to retain corporate knowledge pertaining to
adversary threat and operational expertise in
the Aggressors. Additionally, it allows the
Aggressors to select from an expanded resource
pool to enhance the training received by the
Combat Air Force.
Two USAFR full time enlisted
positions were established with the
Thunderbird Demonstration Team at Nellis in FY
2001. These individuals perform aircraft
maintenance duties of Crew Chief and Aircraft
Specialist. This mission is considered
associate in nature as the reserve personnel
are assigned to the Thunderbirds and
integrated within the unit.
Today's Air Force Reserve
Space Program is an operationally integrated
space force that will continue to grow in a
robust, highly technical environment. The Air
Force Reserve 310th Space Group is
the first Air Force Reserve organization
totally dedicated to leveraging Air Force
Reserve talent to space operations. They will
continue to meet the challenge of providing
leadership and a vision of future Air Force
Reserve space operations involvement.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Today's Air Force Reserve
Space Program is an operationally integrated
space force that will continue to grow in a
robust, highly technical environment. The Air
Force Reserve 310th Space Group is
the first Air Force Reserve organization
totally dedicated to leveraging Air Force
Reserve talent to space operations. They will
continue to meet the challenge of providing
leadership and a vision of future Air Force
Reserve space operations involvement.
I would be remiss if I didn't
mention the outstanding support from our more
than 12,000 12,500 Individual Mobilization
Augmentees (IMAs). Found in nearly every
career field, IMAs augment active duty manning
by filling wartime surge and national security
requirements. Due to sustained high OPTEMPO,
active component Air Force intelligence relies
heavily upon ARC intelligence personnel to
meet peacetime, surge and wartime
requirements. This intelligence force provides
approximately 40 percent of the overall Air
Force intelligence capability. IMAs in Air
Force Material Command performed more than 530
projects, ranging from humanitarian services
to highly technical resolutions for major
support challenges. As with all our
reservists, IMAs continue to proudly and
professionally meet the challenges of
integrating seamless support.
I cannot say enough about
the outstanding young men and women assigned
to Air Force Reserve Command. It is these
hardworking, professional and patriotic
individuals who are the heart and soul of the
command. Our accomplishments during this past
year are the accomplishments of everyday
Americans who are proud to serve.
Equally important to Air
Force Reserve Command's ability to meet the
requirements being levied on us is family and
employer support. Their sacrifice and
continual support make it possible for our
members to carry out their duties in such a
spectacular manner.
Mr. Chairman, in summary, thanks to the
cooperative efforts of the Administration and
Congress this past year -- we are on the right
track. The Air Force is a recognized benchmark
for the integration of its active, Reserve and
Guard forces. Strengths gained from a strong
partnership between the active and reserve
components include the experience and civilian
skills of its citizen airmen, deep community
roots and local focus, quick mission
accessibility and a diverse force structure.
Furthermore, the Air Reserve Components give
the Air Force the means to retain highly
skilled individuals as they leave active duty,
a valuable option in this economy.
People are our most
important asset. In an effort to retain our
best and brightest, we need to reward our
people through compensation and promotion and
ensure they know their efforts are
appreciated. We need to look after their
families while they are deployed and reach out
to their employers with our thanks for their
support. We need to ensure that there is open
dialogue among the troops and from the troops
to me to make sure that we're doing our job
the best that it can be done. More than ever,
we need to continue to partner with you to
ensure we maintain the strongest air force in
the world.
In summary, Air Force
Reserve Command is committed to meeting our
people, readiness and modernization
challenges, so we remain a fully integrated
partner with the Air Force. Reservists with
the support of their families and civilian
employers enable AFRC to be fully combat
capable and meet its worldwide commitments.
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate
thank you and your committee once again for
your assistance in making us part of the
worlds best Air Force, the USAF. I appreciate
the opportunity to meet with the committee
today to share my views with you and I look
forward to answering any questions that you
might have for me.
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