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Air Force being Downgraded to "Air Persuasion Task Force"

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Published: Thursday, 12 December 2013 15:14
Written by Air Force

Published on: 12 December 2013

From:
Eric K. Fanning, Acting Secretary of the Air Force
Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Air Force Chief of Staff
Chief Master Sgt. James A. Cody, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force

To the Airmen of the United States Air Force:

We are the best Air Force in the world because we attract, recruit, develop and retain Airmen with the strongest character and commitment to our core values.

Even though we just finished over a decade of extended combat operations, retention in our Air Force remains at an all-time high. While this is a testament to the selfless service of all members of our Air Force family, we are now faced with some very difficult financial choices that force us to reduce the overall size of the Air Force.

To be blunt, we are going to get smaller... smaller than we've ever been as an Air Force. Over the next few years, we may have to reduce our force by approximately 25,000 Airmen and as many as 550 aircraft if we do not receive any budget relief.

Our biggest challenge will be to make sure we keep the skilled Airmen who are needed to meet the Air Force's core mission requirements. To do this, we will implement a number of force management programs to reduce the number of Airmen while maintaining our combat capability. It is always our goal to make these reductions through voluntary separations and retirements.

Unfortunately, we will likely have to use involuntary measures as well.

Beginning very soon, you'll see programs we've used before to include voluntary separation incentives and temporary early retirement authority, as well as force shaping and reduction in force boards. You'll also see new programs to include an enhanced selective early retirement board, enlisted retention boards, and an enlisted quality force review board.

Although these programs will be explained in detail when announced, you can go to the myPers website for the most current information today at https://mypers.af.mil.

We know these programs will be unsettling to many Airmen and their families, but they are necessary to ensure that our Air Force remains the best in the world. We've decided to roll these force management tools out now to give you plenty of time to understand your options.

We promise to do our best to be transparent and give you all the information that you need to make decisions affecting you and your loved ones. Whether you choose to separate or are asked to separate, we are committed to doing everything that we can to help you and your family in your transition.

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  • This commment is unpublished.
    Michael Yon writer · 6 years ago
    To be fantastically clear, the actual name is not being changed. That is hyperbole to strike home the result that the USAF is being gutted.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Neal Hunt · 6 years ago
    I suspect if we were to allocate the dollars spent and continuing to be spent on the disaster known as Obamacare, not to mention the $$'s wasted on the stimulus, we could not only maintain the world's bets Air Force but strengthen it even further!!!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Steve · 6 years ago
      Hear, hear!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      longk · 6 years ago
      i would rather see tax payer money wasted on healthcare domestically than on military equipment and personnel overseas

      cut DoD in half and it would still be bloated

      ken long
      LTC, US Army (ret)
      • This commment is unpublished.
        woodNfish · 6 years ago
        Agreed. I have friends who work in the Pentagon. They tell me the military is so bloated the assistants have assistants. They are not trying to be funny or ironic.
      • This commment is unpublished.
        Paul Jackson, · 6 years ago
        True but when they cut the DOD the knife seems to hack out more meat than fat, making the bloat proportionally worse.
        • This commment is unpublished.
          JC Gorman · 6 years ago
          Problem is we have 50 X's more overseas bases then the next country. Still squatting all over Europe. Time to consolidate and use our resources to end actual threats. Not act as some "protective" force for countries who's defense budget's are diverted to their own domestic use while our country borrows to have bases all over the world. Bad investment and waste of money.
          • This commment is unpublished.
            VirginiaGentleman · 6 years ago
            We do need to consolidate our military to address actual threats and place more responsibility on our "allies" for their own defense needs. That being said, we still need to maintain our rapid deployment capabilities and our capacity to deliver long-range strategic deterrence against the other major strategic threats. The USAF does an excellent job as one of the legs of this strategic triad along with USN submarines. Our Marines and the Army's Airborne divisions continue to be essential to our rapid deployment needs. Sadly, it is all of these needed assets that are being cut.
        • This commment is unpublished.
          Gen Early · 6 years ago
          Since the "Fat" is cutting the "force" is it beyond plauable that the "Fat" will remain behind their desks and "Socially" indoctrinating the new Youts coming in?
      • This commment is unpublished.
        Margie · 6 years ago
        I understand everything to do with govt is bloated beyond belief, however, without a strong military to stave of any possible attacks, healthcare and all the rest of it is meaningless. We should keep our military strong, bring them home and use them to protect our borders and spend the money here. Let everyone else fend for themselves. But, I dream!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Kevin · 6 years ago
      Yeah, Obamacare ranks right up there with other disasters. Maybe like Katrina, or the Tsunami. You're right, fundamentally people just don't deserve health care as much as we need a stronger Air Force.

      But seriously. From a tactical perspective it makes more sense. Just how many planes do we need to sustain the fight we're in? Or the one we'll be in when we withdraw from Afghanistan?
    • This commment is unpublished.
      ruth · 6 years ago
      Right on and not to mention if we stopped sending billions to other countries that hates the USA.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    A&N · 6 years ago
    Is there anything American that Obama touches that he does not destroy? Have we crossed the Rubicon with this destroyer yet and will we go down fighting or have we all bought the propaganda and think there is nothing we can do to stop this inside enemy of our Nation? God help our military men for they definitely aren't getting any help from our so called government. They are attacked from the inside as well as by the enemies without. Don't let this happen people.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Rickvid in Seattle · 6 years ago
    Obama and the dems will not be happy until our military is reduced to a few troops of boy scouts with attitude, while the civilian equivalent force they directly control is fully militarized and deployed here in America to keep control. So says I.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    tillacum in TX · 6 years ago
    Sounds like this administration along with our AF Chief of Staff are ridding this great nation of our excellent
    military personnel and supplies.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Jonny · 6 years ago
    Well hang on, what kind of Air Force is required to defend this country from invasion instead of defend OTHER countries from invasion? I fully support giving the military the resources to do the missions they are assigned. But perhaps its time to revaluate the purpose of the military.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      A&N · 6 years ago
      Maybe we should evaluate the purpose of our Federal Government which last time I read it the Constitution of the United States says is to provide for the Defense of our Nation.....which they aren't doing by the way. They are so busy turning us into a Communist Dictatorship that our Defense has gone lacking. We can't even defend our own borders and believe me I know the enemies of our Country flow over it unhindered every single day. I see it PERSONALLY. You are right that we don't need to build countries especially using our Military and should utilize them only in war defending our Nation, not fighting to defend those who would kill us so fast it would make your head swim if they got the chance. But of course who pays any attention to the Constitution any more. As Ms. Pelosi said...."the Constitution....Ha". as she mocked the questioner who dared mention the Constitution. Our Military is no better a doing their job for this Nation than the people in Washington are who control them. Unfortunatedly we cannot trust those in Washington as far as we can throw them. If you want to re-evaluate our Military spending et.al. you better take a good look at our policy makers first. Check out their agenda before you start blaming the military for their over spending on unnecessary things. Also the man is right about our Military state before WWII....This is not a nice world. We have many enemies with whom negotiating does absolutly no good. Wake up and face reality. We are less prepared for what is to come than even before WWII because our country is not so full of true American patriots willing to fight as it was before WWII. I still say.....wake up Americans and stop believing the government propaganda you are being fed constantly. Thank you all, our great Military men for all you do. We do not question your motives....but those at the top who are leading us all astray.
      • This commment is unpublished.
        AndrewN · 6 years ago
        So let's get this straight. The US spends as much on the military as the rest of the world (ROW)combined. It's over 32% of our budget, not counting black operations, and squeezes out investment in our domestic economy. We have more aircraft carriers than the ROW combined, each at a cost of about $5BN a year to support including the task force that accompanies each of them. During the cold war our doctrine was to be able to fight two major fronts at any time. This may have made sense at the time, but do we require this sort of force now?

        No - our military is an investment in our security. We need enough to defend ourselves and fulfill our treaty obligations. What we have now is not only excessive, but frankly a threat to global security. Boys with toys will use them, and this sort of might breeds a sense of contempt and irresponsibility that we, and the rest of the globe, are ill served by.

        You make assertions about preparedness that not only are factually incorrect, but deliberately inflammatory- "we are less prepared for what is to come than even before WWII". The fact is, the US has the strongest military in the world, by at least an order of magnitude. The question is what can we afford, and what is the appropriate mission for the military. Because a bloated US military not only saps our nation of resources that could be invested elsewhere more productively, but creates instability that decreases rather than increases our security - completely counter-mission.
        • This commment is unpublished.
          John -Capt in ANG · 6 years ago
          US has 10 aircraft carriers in service, ROW sums up to 14. If you include reserves, it's still 12 to 15 (US v ROW). If you say, "Well I meant EVER," you're still upside down at 68-100. If you meant, "Well I'm including those not built or finished," you'd be wrong as the UK's number alone is equal (12) to ours with another 24 (totaling 36), or 12-36.

          The rest of your statements are opinion so I can't really say anything beyond I disagree with some, but not all. I can't say we are stronger in every aspect. For some OPSEC reasons I can't reply to some, but I'd point out we are correctly re-shifting from the ME to Asia. China is not idly sitting around and continues to steal military technology. There is a reason Japan and South Korea are nervous.

          We've always veered heavily to isolationism only to be yanked harder into global conflicts. When WWII started we didn't have the projection into Europe to respond, so one can say we are better from security standpoint. We also had no political will, which is the same as today. We just sit and watch tens of thousands die between Syria, Egypt, and other recent hotspots. I'm not saying we should jump in, but world powers are taking notice in our lack of action.

          Power abhors a vacuum. Someone will step in when we don't. WWI and WWII have shown us it's sometimes much worse than inaction/isolationism for self-interest reasons.
        • This commment is unpublished.
          Mark E. · 6 years ago
          i don't agree with the underlying premise, i.e. that our capability itself constitutes a threat to stability, but in general you've made a very well composed response to hysterical, unsupportable lunacy.

          The term "excessive" is subjective. As is the quality defined by "enough." Here's the bottom line: I don't want it to be a fair fight. Not close.

          But the ratio of what we need over what we can afford is a legitimate, important debate.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    tillacum in TX · 6 years ago
    Seems this administration is relieving this great nation of the greatest fighting force in history of personnel and supplies.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Jack Couch · 6 years ago
    No more so than the Army. If the sequester cuts hold, the U.S. Army will be smaller than at any time since 1939.

    The total infantry force (combined Army, Marines, Special Ops, etc.) will be smaller than at any time since before WW-I.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      woodNfish · 6 years ago
      Oh yeah - the incredibly huge 4% sequester cut is just going to gut the entire government. Go drink some more koolaid, Jack.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    in_awe · 6 years ago
    In the 1930's as Germany and Japan were ramping up their military and developing weapons with generational leaps in design the US had one of the world's weakest and smallest militaries. Our troops trained with wooden rifles and jeeps mocked up to look like tanks; meanwhile the Army Air Corps and the Navy flew biplanes.

    Fast forward to today. Russia and China are expanding their military capabilities and showing advanced new weapons - many bearing striking similarities to US designs and capabilities. Both Russia and China also are expanding their military presence with a belligerent face. It sure sounds like a terrific time to shrink the defense force and make short-time trade-offs on weapons acquisition.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Kevin · 6 years ago
      Very clever indeed sir. Time to start preparing for the next threat from the East. I knew those commie bastards were at it again. What knew weapons technology would you recommend we pursue? Robotic dogs? A new assault rifle? Or a stealth FOB design? 8)
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Mark E. · 6 years ago
    The Air Force letter is extremely thoughtful and well-considered. I applaud that action in response to very difficult circumstances.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Janice Lyons · 6 years ago
    "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

    Providing for the common defense supersedes almost every single other purpose for the government. It is certainly more concrete than the previous items. And it is critical to secure the Blessings of liberty.

    WE are the Posterity, and so our are children.

    Abolish the Department of Education, gut the EPA, and minimize the Department of Commerce to start with. There's plenty more funding to be found.

    So -- what to do? In 2014, 2016, and every election thereafter vote for and promote people who take providing for the "common defence" seriously.

    We have a Republic and the values it was built on to preserve.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      woodNfish · 6 years ago
      Yeah, do that too. In fact cut the entire federal government in half and then cut it in half again and cut the spending by the same amount. Get the F'ing dirtbag, criminal federal government out of our private lives, our finances, our medical, just get the F out!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Margie · 6 years ago
      Good one Janice, it's that simple. If the government becomes everything to everybody, soon even the gov. will collapse. We have done very well for the last two hundred years plus, what was wrong with that accomplishment?
  • This commment is unpublished.
    bdoon51 · 6 years ago
    It is bad enuf that the USAF employs forced retirement after promotion passovers (promotion is all about politics, not skill or experience) but to reduce the force that is the game changer time and time again is outrageous. However, who knows? Maybe in a couple years when the Taliban have re-captured Afghanistan, The Chinese, with the world's most modern and large Air Force, have occupied Taiwan and the North Koreans and Iranians are swapping nuclear secrets, Americans will wake up and stop voting "Hollywood" and start voting for the patriotic men who deal in the issues.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Ron Kondler · 6 years ago
    The U.S. Air Force: "Just watch us!..We are still going to STILL be 'THE BEST' by downsizing! Pretty soon we will be able to do everything with absolutely nothing! We are just amazing!!"
    What else is Obama going to do in continuation of his downward goal of making America's Air Force "the best", most-worthless, fighting-force in the ENTIRE world?
    This 'excuse' for a Commander in Chief, along with his socialist minions are totally destroying the country that I, and so many of you, fought so hard to keep a free Republic with our years of military service. YOUR COUNTRY AND MINE is ALL going 'down the drain' and coming apart like a cheap watch, thanks to a combination of his ineptitude, and anti-constitutionalist edicts that ANY of which should have been legal-grounds for Obama's IMMEDIATE impeachment!.
    Obama's dictatorial policies, combined with his self-serving stooges of Holder, Reid, and Pelosi, enforced by threats from his IRS bandits, have just about ended all the efforts, and our freedoms, that some 250 years of work that our PAST democratic Republic form of government sought to create! The tidal-wave of grievous scandals that he, or his lieutenants, are involved-in, are just too numerous to recite!
    I am asking,..no, PLEADING,..,...where in-the-hell, are America's 'good guys"??! Why are the Republicans just standing-by, and watching this all 'go-down' with their hands in their pockets. The only gumption they seem to have is to only attack the staunch conservatives within their own party!! This is fast becoming a 'one-party' government! Where can America's LEGAL voters now turn for a reprieve from this endless, CRIMINAL debacle?
    Our media share IMMENSELY in this blaming!...When the bottom of the canoe has been finally 'chopped through' by them, 'where-to' will these socialist media-rats find refuge when the 'water' rushes in? Can't these sublime-simpletons figure-out that we are ALL in the 'same boat' TOGETHER!
    I am an 'optimist' by nature, but fast becoming a 'realist' instead!...FACT: The 'tipping-point' has been reached, folks!..If Obama is not soon stopped, one way or the other, we may not come out of this constitutional-subversion, by him, as a free Republic! Unless we can put a stop to the decrees of this socialist-monarch ,..,we Americans, ALL, better start brushing-up on our Mandarin, Russian, or even Neanderthal!
    Ron K.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      A&N · 6 years ago
      Thank you for that estute observation. Strangely enough all of this could be seen before he was elected the first time but when we said it out loud we were called names and mocked so much that nobody listened to us. They will only listen when it hits their own pocketbooks or maybe....just maybe when we lose a city to the enemy. God save us from the willingly blind in this country who no longer seem to be able to think for themselves. Too much public education. Here is a story just posted on Fox that goes along with the theme of Mikes report here. Maybe this wasted money could have been used to keep our own Air Force strong. Keep up the good fight my fellow patriot and real citizen.
      US MILITARY SPENT nearly a half-billion dollars on refurbished aircraft for the Afghan Air Force — only to abandon the contract and leave the planes collecting dust in Kabul and Germany, leading Special Inspector General John F. Sopko (pictured third from right) to vow he'll 'hold people accountable.'
      • This commment is unpublished.
        blert · 6 years ago
        They discovered too late in the game that there could be no pilots able to fly those machines.

        THAT particular concept had never reached the civilians calling the budget shots.

        It's the same kind of logic that got the Mi-17 dialed up for Kabul. Yes, another fiasco.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Tommy Barrios · 6 years ago
    "Even though we just finished over a decade of extended combat operations, retention in our Air Force remains at an all-time high."

    Gotta love the brass ass hats in the Pentagon :-?

    Of course there is high retention, why, because if you are on the military gravy train (or the government teat), you'd better stay right where you are or your going to be one more of the veteran job seekers out there at this very moment :eek:

    Of course the Obomination is going to take a carving knife to the military, anyone think this was not going to happen, he couldn't wait for the sequester BS to start so he could start cutting the military and the ignorant Republicans fell for his snide tactics :eek:

    I can understand the need for cutting costs in the military, I personally saw millions wasted while i was there in the '70's and '80's, I can only imagine it has gotten worse :-?

    But Congress has the purse strings and they are NOT doing their job either, so the DOD has to deal with the repercussions, program cut backs (civilians and veterans out of work), personnel cutbacks (more unemployed veterans), equipment cutbacks (more civilians and veterans out of work).

    You see how much influence the military industrial complex has on the US economy, an economy that the Obomination and his commie cronies have been trying to wreck from day one :eek:

    America is going to rue the day that half white trash jackanapes ever got elected to the highest office, which he and his filth has turned into a ghetto representation of the POTUS :eek:
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Mark E. · 6 years ago
      Hard to beat your post for sheer ignorance (and love the infantile hate-mongering). It must be very difficult for you to understand that the US economy is in much better condition today than when Obama took office. Unemployment falling. Deficit falling. Stock market at record highs. Inflation low. Every economic sector in recovery. Entire industries that were on the brink of oblivion are in recovery (American automotive etc). And although you ignore it, you did get one thing right. The Congress controls the purse strings, not the POTUS. Sequestration is a CONGRESSIONALLY endorsed initiative.
      • This commment is unpublished.
        Tommy Barrios · 6 years ago
        LIBTARD TROLL ALERT!

        Where do your get all your propaganda from, HuffPuff?, MediaMatterSNOT ?, Saloony?, MicroSucksNonsenseBloviatorsCollective?, Crapploa Bamboozling Sycophants?, Asinine Butt-buddy Collective?, where?

        Keep on listening to the Kool Aide commercials from your false god the Obomination (and his demons) and when the shite hits YOUR front door remember who told you it was coming, FOOL!

        BTW you ignored the REAL economic indicator which is UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS and shows your true colors as to whose shite sandwich you have been buying and swallowing whole :eek:
        • This commment is unpublished.
          Mark E. · 6 years ago
          Propaganda? You mean both government and private sector economic reports, daily stock market results, consumer spending, GDP, etc. All that commie socialist propaganda?

          Sir. Were you conscious in 2008 or taking a very long nap? Just asking... BTW, the only news source of those you list that I subscribe to is the "Asinine Butt-Buddy Collective." Fine publication...
      • This commment is unpublished.
        A&N · 6 years ago
        What State are you living in? The State of the delusional? Hey, so we don't have to blame Obama's dictatorship on his being of mixed .....heritage. Why we don't even have to blame it on his total ignorance of what made the USA work for over 200 years without him......or you.....or us. Whatever the cause this guy has screwed us up big time and needs to be sent on permanent vacation.....that we taxpayers don't pay for. I didn't hear anyone making comments bragging on Congress either. But why pass a bill for spending in the House when it will be stopped in the Senate and if by accident it passes at all this Obama, of questionable background, will Veto. Remember he is by-passing Congress at every turn....and that's a fact no matter what his hue. Get a clue. And by the way.....the voters of this country elected this bunch in Washington so what does that say about them? Unless you want to say the election was bought with our own tax money by this bunch of crackpots who now sit dictating over us......That is another subject though which I'm afraid might start a war on this comment page....but it's true if you want to check and the paybacks that went out after the election and the welfare rolls. Yep....Just saying. .
      • This commment is unpublished.
        hpshooter · 6 years ago
        yeah that economy is just burning up the highway...as long as you consider closing businesses, financial down grades, real unemployment at 13+%, stagnant housing market,...a success...
        • This commment is unpublished.
          Mark E · 6 years ago
          Unemployment, whatever your starting point has declined SIGNIFICANTLY. The Federal deficit is down by nearly 40%. The housing market is far, far from stagnant (Where'd you get that one???) A healthy housing recovery is well underway. General Motors, left for dead by the Tea Party is selling cars hand over fist and great ones at that. Corvette, Cadillac, Impala--all award winners. Stock Market over 15000. A record. Gas prices down. Inflation almost non existent. So what world are you living in? You guys are so married to your anti Obama agenda, so absolutely obsessed, even REALITY can't intrude on you whacko fantasies...
          • This commment is unpublished.
            Bubble Buster · 6 years ago
            Mark, when faced with bad economic news in the Soviet Union, the Communist Party would just make stuff up to appease the huddled masses. Your buddy O, ever the good communist, appears to have taken a page from his mentors. And you, ever the useful idiot, are more than willing to regurgitate the misleading statements upon request. The federal deficit has gone up $7 Trillion in the last 5 years and you're crowing about the deficit being down (up another $226 billion) for the last two months? Wipe that white stuff off your mouth! Unemployment is down, not because full time jobs are being added but because part time jobs are up and the size of the workforce has decreased. The price of gas is down? Sure, compared to the nosebleed levels it's been at for the last 5 years, but it's still over $3 a gallon, talk about big victories. Stock market is up because the fed has been printing money, so stock prices are up not because of actual gains, but because of the devaluation of US Currency. Inflation numbers have remained stable, but once the Fed stops printing money, we'll see how long that will last. Life is tough Mark, it's even tougher when you're stupid. Try to get some help, cause life must be really hard for you.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Jon White · 6 years ago
    Sorry guys (and ladies) as an outsider I have been here before. To paraphrase that time and give you all a feel of what was said it would run as follows, "BarrackObama has succeeded where the whole of the German War Machine has failed".
    It may sound flippant but we are getting rid of thousands of good men and women knowing that morale will suffer and more will leave. the end state will be a non effective force and god help us if this is realised. Not a good day no matter how you pitch it. Good luck guys.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    A&N · 6 years ago
    Mike...seems you cracked open Pandora's box. You've been out of country too long and don't have any idea how pissed off America really is I am thinking. Seems we have more action here at home than you are seeing abroad.....so to speak. The truth is we have had it up to the eye balls talking about Muslims killing each other and anyone else who comes handy. We are trying to figure out how to save our own......rears at this point.....from our own terrorists within. Good grief.....who'd have thought we'd ever see ourselves in this fix. But I have to say, all those tricks you taught us about fighting wars and tracking and eating beans and rice have become a big help to us in our own survival plans. Why, I even have a cave in the canyon wall behind my house that is looking like a nice place to hide out when the drones start flying right here at home. No kidding. We love you Mike but Mike, catch up will you? Your students are steps ahead.....Thanks for inciting the debate on you site....or should I call it revolution. I'm leaning more towards revolution myself. We lov ya Mike. Hope you haven't forgotten how to fight allegators....that too may come in handy as food is getting sky high in spite of the joker above saying there is no inflation. And I though doodoo birds were extinct. .
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    FTM29 · 6 years ago
    I have a grand idea. Just do away with all "branches" of service and make it a combined arms force similar to the Marines or Starfleet. Air, Land, Sea and Space all in one massive armada of fighting force. Just a white hot ball of fury and pent up aggression. Without all the bureaucracy and bloat in pentagon hallways we can cut the admin effort by 75% and retain every fighting component we have. If we eliminate those pesky academies and have one big academy for officers we could not only save funding there but they could also have kick ass football team which is something they have not been able to pull off since Roger Staubach was QB at Navy. Think about how much we could get from real estate investors for condos if we sold off the view at West Point. That could be rechanneled in to pay for new drones or one F-35. We could even re-title it to match our prospective foes. Since there is a Glorious People's Army Navy and People's Army Air Force why can't we do one better? We could have the Airnavmarmy. Give the Coast Guard back to the DoT or to the DEA. Take the cutters and turn them into Section 8 housing tied up on the Potomac or use them for MWR purposes and close down some of those space hogging facilities on post. While we are at it we can close all The commissaries and all AFEES PX and BX overseas too. Since we can talk Taco Bell and Burger King into opening stands in Iraq and Afghanistan I don't see why we could not just do the same with Wal-Mart for the commissary. Get rid of daycare and Tri-Care all at once! Use Obamacare and issue baby bjorns to all serving mothers. I'm sure that the maker would make them in ACU pattern if we asked. The again, why have all these different unis? We should get Ralph Lauren to design and make our unis like he does for the Olympic teams. So what if they are made in China. If we can get a better price go for it. I mean, it is all about funding at this point, right? Wow, the more I think about it, the more ideas I get. : 8)
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      John -Capt in ANG · 6 years ago
      Not to pick out just one point, but where did you get, "Burger King won't open in ... Afghanistan?" When McCrystal was in 2010, he shut down several Burger Kings, one of which was Bagram. When I left ISAF's IJC (Kabul Airport) KAIA July 2013, there's a BK doing just fine on base.

      I think someone misinformed you. There's no inability to get Fast Food on US Bases in Afghanistan. With the drawdowns I'm sure they'll start to decrease as the population dwindles, but it won't due to any nefarious reasons.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Susan Mann · 6 years ago
    I never imagined I would see this happen in my life time! Personally, I find it disgraceful. :sad: On the other hand, the military budget seems to be managed in the SAME way as ALL other spending streams in this country. Therefore, this should unfortunately, not come as a surprise! :eek: I am going to share some thing of a personal nature here, because I want to make a point, and realize that I am "left" of most of you. This is directed to the "Obamacare is the reason for every thing bad" philosophy of life. I had to take early retirement due to medical reasons. That was a dark day for me, but one that came to pass, about 10 years ago. It was President Bush, who (had) made sure that the federal government would pay the majority of the costs of my prescriptions. This country did NOT have the money to cover those costs, and STILL does not. You have probably seen coverage of medical providers who openly engage in fraud of the medicare system. You can go on-line and see how many millions and millions they have stolen, and for MANY years. They continue to do so! This vignette is but one multi-billion dollar, example. Is it any wonder that the United States borrows money from China to pay some of our country's bills, then must look the other way, when China does what it does, to it's own people? :sad: I heard Bush's Secretary of State, Albright, state, "We have already agreed that mixing business with human rights is not a good policy." She was answering a question about our dealings with China, when she said it. Obamacare has some problems, but it is not our main problem. No matter who sits in the Oval Office next, that person will not have the power to ultimately, change the direction of this country. I sincerely wish this were not the case.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      John -Capt in ANG · 6 years ago
      "Never imagined?" I can't imagine it wouldn't happen. During 1990s Clinton did exactly the same to drawdown. It was called VSI/SSBs. These programs outlined above are exactly the "Go-To" for forceshaping in the USAF. Let's just hope they remember to trim like a tree, and not a hedge (like they did in the 90s).
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Matthew M · 6 years ago
    The Navy still has an Air Force. :lol:
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Vin · 6 years ago
    Throw the white-elephant F-35 in the trash, replace with more F-22s, E/F-18s and updated F-15s + drones. Funding problem solved. Does anyone seriously believe the F-35 will still be anything except a turkey-shoot target drone by the end of its projected 50 year service life?
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Chris R. · 6 years ago
      So far my research leads me to believe it is absolutely inferior to every other fighter in it's generation.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Chris R. · 6 years ago
    I'm just wondering what our current Foreign Aid expenditure's are. Let's not forget those aircraft we sent to Egypt..

    Oh and if we saved that money how about we NOT spend it on our burgeoning war machine either. I'm all for supporting the troops, but we're fighting wars for egotistical men and rich corporations. Young men and women die for them. Fighting recent wars for "freedom" is a misnomer. Let's defend our country and our allies with a smaller, smarter military force and stop sending foreign aid to enemies. I could get started on energy independence, but that would be getting off topic. Where has our sense of Nationalism gone?
  • This commment is unpublished.
    David Marshall · 6 years ago
    It doesn't really matter, all the "Good Men " are already headed towards the door. Our military has already been gutted by the half assed liberals and self seving morons who have made it impossible for the strong defenders of our country and constitution to be able to stay.
    It's going to take some really bad sh*t to bring it back to what it's supposed to be.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Jill · 6 years ago
    The 600 million dollar story of the C27J...

    The USAF spent $567 million on 21 of the C-27J Spartans since 2007 — and the majority of them now sits in the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. i.e. MOTHBALLED

    Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/u-s-air-force-shelving-brand-new-c-27j-spartans-article-1.1479580#ixzz2nxiaNWeL

    Two C27Js had been sent to Karzai in Afghanistan but he did not want them. He is holding out for two C-130s. (Well he has a lot of cash he wants to ship when the US leaves).

    The latest plan is to turn the C27Js over to the Coast Guard but they do not have the funding to make them operational. They are even unable to fully maintain their helicopter fleet.

    Good work USAF. It's a fine job you are doing.
  • This commment is unpublished.
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