SecAF: Stay focused on readiness during challenging times

  • Published
  • By Jenny Gordon
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) --  Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley toured the base and spoke to more than 250 Airmen during an all call here Oct. 17-18.

Donley, currently in his fourth year as secretary, said it had been more than 20 years since his last visit here. He complimented the strong community support enjoyed by the base and recognized the importance of the base to the nation.

"This is a great mission, and it's extremely important to the warfighter to have their equipment coming here for refurbishment and overhaul," he said. "It has always been to me a remarkable process: these aging airframes come in, get completely torn down and leave here almost like new aircraft. Everything you do here is critical."

He reiterated the accomplishments of Airmen here over the past year, pointing out that the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center started fiscal 2011 with 25 late aircraft, yet began fiscal 2012 with none. He also applauded the ongoing work to improve working conditions and safety.

While Airmen are doing outstanding work all across the Air Force, the service finds itself in extremely challenging times and faces a very complex security environment, Donley said.

"Our Air Force is fully engaged today in four major lines of operation, with finishing the mission in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "We continue to fight against Al Qaeda and its global affiliates and are also supporting the NATO mission in Libya."

Donley also discussed the budget constraints facing the nation and the potential effects of those on the Air Force.

"Our Air Force last year identified $33 billion in efficiencies across the future year's defense plan, which we were allowed to reinvest into the Air Force," he noted. "But we know going forward that efficiencies alone will not be enough."

Expected reductions in future defense spending are in line with what military leaders had anticipated, Donley said, and will extend roughly into the next 10 years. Although implementing the reductions will be tough, Donley said the savings are achievable.

"To get these savings, we will need to accept greater risks in some areas," he said. "We're going to terminate some programs, streamline and delay others, and continue to drive efficiency in our operations."

Donley said supporting service members and their families will remain job one, which includes ensuring wages and benefits packages are sustainable into the future.

"We are committed to making sure that the United States continues to have the world's finest Air Force for generations to come," he continued.

Balance will be important as well, whether across core functions, on readiness and modernization needs, or across active duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard components, Donley said.

"In the Air Force, we have determined that balance is key to our resourcing strategy to accommodate the uncertainty in the fiscally challenged future we face," Donley said.

Donley also told the audience that Air Force depots must not be consolidated to fewer than three.

"These are large, complex activities," he added. "Further consolidation of these large facilities would displace our skilled workforce. This would be cost prohibitive."

Although the Air Force of tomorrow will likely be smaller, Donley said expectations are that it will remain fully effective. This means that many installations will look and operate differently.

However, taking care of people and advancing Air Force capabilities, through programs like the Joint Strike Fighter, the KC-46A and the Long Range Strike family of systems, will remain priorities, Donley said.