Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley addresses the Defense
Department's budget priorities before an audience of community, military and
business leaders in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan. 27, 2012. Donley was in
Colorado to welcome President Obama to Buckley Air Force Base, near Aurora,
Colo., on Jan. 26, 2012. The secretary said that the Defense Department
would strive to retain the gains made in joint operations over the last 10
years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan while the overall force becomes leaner,
smaller and more agile. (U.S. Air Force photo/Duncan Wood)
Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham (right) explains the
foundation's headquarters renovation to Secretary of the Air Force Michael
Donley during his visit to Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan. 27, 2012. Donley
was in Colorado to welcome President Obama to Buckley Air Force Base, near
Aurora, Colo., on Jan. 26, 2012, and to discuss Defense Department budget
priorities with local community, military and business leaders. (U.S. Air
Force photo/Duncan Wood)
by Auburn Davis
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs
1/27/2012 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFPS) -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley received a warm welcome from the local community here Jan. 27 during remarks at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce to approximately 40 local community, military and business leaders.
Donley said his trip to Colorado Springs provided a chance to visit with local leaders and highlight the strategic priorities and choices made by the Air Force and Department of Defense for fiscal 2013 and beyond.
"We will reduce our force structure," he said. "We will prioritize readiness, and we intend to preserve our investments in key programs that are crucial to future Air Force capability."
Donley explained that the Air Force has made difficult choices by sacrificing size to ensure a high-quality force in support of new strategic guidance.
"This is hard, but it is manageable," he said.
The secretary stressed that taking care of Airmen is a top priority. He said that it is not the hardware or equipment of the services that make mission success possible, but rather it is the people.
Donley explained that all the branches of military service are essential and make up a ready and capable force.
"It is the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines that make all this work," he said. "We have become a stronger joint force over the last ten years, since 9/11, and stronger as a joint team than we have ever been."
Comments
1/31/2012 6:05:31 PM ET Summary As long as there are less airmen to care about we will continue to make the people a priority. We need to spend our existing budget on stuff other than the people we are supposed to be caring for so we will reduce the number of people. A father to a family of 5 gets a pay cut and he rids himself of three useless children so that the remaining two are cared for in a better fashion. Sounds like someone found a nice way to say hope you make the cut.
